15. How NOT to be a Corinthian!

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Thank You for the Blood

Stand with me as we open our worship with scripture.

Opening Scripture:

Psalm 116:12–19 NIV

12 What shall I return to the Lord for all his goodness to me? 13 I will lift up the cup of salvation and call on the name of the Lord. 14 I will fulfill my vows to the Lord in the presence of all his people. 15 Precious in the sight of the Lord is the death of his faithful servants. 16 Truly I am your servant, Lord; I serve you just as my mother did; you have freed me from my chains. 17 I will sacrifice a thank offering to you and call on the name of the Lord. 18 I will fulfill my vows to the Lord in the presence of all his people, 19 in the courts of the house of the Lord— in your midst, Jerusalem. Praise the Lord.

Prayer

Worship Set

Prayer

Worship Through the Word:

How NOT to be a Corinthian!

How much thought have you ever given to the communion elements served at church? Did you know that they are considered sacred, not only as we partake of them but even as we prepare them and as we dispose of them afterwards.

We do not often talk about this but those elements represent something precious; The body and blood of our Lord Jesus Christ. We prepare them and place them before the altar, another sacred place. We pray over them, partake of them, then any unused portions are disposed of because they have been consecrated for this purpose alone. I suspect most people are unaware of this fact. I became aware of it when after a service, some kids came scrambling up to the table one Sunday and began eating and drinking all the left overs. Now, these kids were not starved, they were just being gluttons and were laughing having fun as kids do. At about this time the pastor entered and quickly told the children that what they were doing was disrespectful to God and he chastised those in charge of the elements letting them know that this was not to be permitted. He then told them that all leftovers were to be quickly disposed of as they had been consecrated to God during the service and any unused portions were not to ever be used for any other purpose.

The Communion is an important part of our worship and it is to be treated with respect. Once again, the Corinthians have allowed their cultural practices to enter into the church and this time, Communion is at the center of it. Please stand as we read today’s text.

1 Corinthians 11:17–34 NIV

17 In the following directives I have no praise for you, for your meetings do more harm than good. 18 In the first place, I hear that when you come together as a church, there are divisions among you, and to some extent I believe it. 19 No doubt there have to be differences among you to show which of you have God’s approval. 20 So then, when you come together, it is not the Lord’s Supper you eat, 21 for when you are eating, some of you go ahead with your own private suppers. As a result, one person remains hungry and another gets drunk. 22 Don’t you have homes to eat and drink in? Or do you despise the church of God by humiliating those who have nothing? What shall I say to you? Shall I praise you? Certainly not in this matter! 23 For I received from the Lord what I also passed on to you: The Lord Jesus, on the night he was betrayed, took bread, 24 and when he had given thanks, he broke it and said, “This is my body, which is for you; do this in remembrance of me.” 25 In the same way, after supper he took the cup, saying, “This cup is the new covenant in my blood; do this, whenever you drink it, in remembrance of me.” 26 For whenever you eat this bread and drink this cup, you proclaim the Lord’s death until he comes. 27 So then, whoever eats the bread or drinks the cup of the Lord in an unworthy manner will be guilty of sinning against the body and blood of the Lord. 28 Everyone ought to examine themselves before they eat of the bread and drink from the cup. 29 For those who eat and drink without discerning the body of Christ eat and drink judgment on themselves. 30 That is why many among you are weak and sick, and a number of you have fallen asleep. 31 But if we were more discerning with regard to ourselves, we would not come under such judgment. 32 Nevertheless, when we are judged in this way by the Lord, we are being disciplined so that we will not be finally condemned with the world. 33 So then, my brothers and sisters, when you gather to eat, you should all eat together. 34 Anyone who is hungry should eat something at home, so that when you meet together it may not result in judgment. And when I come I will give further directions.

The Word of God for the people of God. Thanks be to God!

Father, please bless this Word which you have provided and which we now receive. Amen!

I. Orderly Worship, Respectful Communion 1 Corinthians 11:17-34

For 15 weeks now, we have addressed the issues that were taking place in the church of Corinth. When we began, we found that there were many divisions among the people and these were of a theological nature. As you will recall, they were divided over which teachers they thought were better and who they desired to follow. Now we find that there were social divisions as well. Rich and poor were pitted against each other at the Communion table of all places. So let’s jump in and see what was taking place.

Last week, Paul began with a compliment, however, this time...

A. Paul calls them to account for their behavior. V 17

1 Corinthians 11:17 NIV

17 In the following directives I have no praise for you, for your meetings do more harm than good.

This time, there is nothing in their behavior that he can find to praise them. There behavior is absolutely inexcusable! The Corinthians valued intelligence and wanted to show how educated they were, yet their behavior revealed their immaturity. They acted like young children and Paul disciplined them as such. What was the problem this time?

1. The Problem: Social Class Divisions V 18

1 Corinthians 11:18 NIV

18 In the first place, I hear that when you come together as a church, there are divisions among you, and to some extent I believe it.

To best understand what is occurring, think church potluck conjoined with communion.

In the early church, it was their practice to have a weekly meal together. This allowed fellowship and also was a means to share with those less fortunate then themselves. They literally provided for the poor among them at these meals.

This meal was often called, “the love feast” or in Hebrew, “The agape feast.” It was called this since they shared their meals with their Christian brothers and sisters who were not always able to provide for themselves.

This meal was often climaxed with receiving Communion together.

However, in Corinth, this practice was once again influenced by the Corinthian culture. Corinth was known for throwing great lavish feasts and meals that were dedicated to the gods. The Corinthian church brought this practice into the church. The rich brought great amounts of food and wine. They often indulged in large amounts of wine getting drunk and ate sumptuous meals.

If that were not enough, the love was left out of it. They segregated and diversified. The poor were not allowed to partake of what the rich had brought. They instead stood by and ate what they could afford to bring while watching the rich around them indulge and be gluttons on what they had brought.

Paul was greatly distressed by this lack of love and sharing, not to mention the gluttony and overindulgence by the rich.

a. The love feast had become nothing more than a country club gathering. VV 20-22

1 Corinthians 11:20–22 NIV

20 So then, when you come together, it is not the Lord’s Supper you eat, 21 for when you are eating, some of you go ahead with your own private suppers. As a result, one person remains hungry and another gets drunk. 22 Don’t you have homes to eat and drink in? Or do you despise the church of God by humiliating those who have nothing? What shall I say to you? Shall I praise you? Certainly not in this matter!

Paul was not the only one who was displeased. Evidently, God had moved in acts of discipline for these abuses and the Corinthians were blind to the fact that this was God’s divine judgement taking place. But Paul directs them to take note.

1 Corinthians 11:30 NRSV

30 For this reason many of you are weak and ill, and some have died.

Communion is not something to be taken lightly. It is sacred, and it is serious business as we tempt God when we mistreat the holiness of God. So, Paul takes them back to the basics.

B. Paul calls them back to the true meaning and proper conduct for Communion. VV 23-34

He directs them to its origination and as he teaches them, we find instruction for ourselves.

1. We begin by looking back at Jesus’ death. VV 23-26a

1 Corinthians 11:23–26 NIV

23 For I received from the Lord what I also passed on to you: The Lord Jesus, on the night he was betrayed, took bread, 24 and when he had given thanks, he broke it and said, “This is my body, which is for you; do this in remembrance of me.” 25 In the same way, after supper he took the cup, saying, “This cup is the new covenant in my blood; do this, whenever you drink it, in remembrance of me.” 26 For whenever you eat this bread and drink this cup, you proclaim the Lord’s death until he comes.

Death is not something we like to reflect on. In fact, when someone we love dies, we are anxious to get past the burial so we can get past the death part. We want to remember their life, not their death. However, what Jesus achieved for us was achieved through His death. We are not saved by the life He lived. We are saved because He died and He did not die for Himself, but His was a substitutionary death for us! This is not something we should take lightly.

Isaiah 53:6 NIV

6 We all, like sheep, have gone astray, each of us has turned to our own way; and the Lord has laid on him the iniquity of us all.

And why did He have to die in our place? Because of OUR sin. Our sin is what sentenced Him to death. The death on a cross, the most cruel kind of death. If that weren’t enough, He chose to die for us willingly.

Romans 5:8 NIV

8 But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.

This is something to be mourned, but unlike the walls with names of fallen soldiers where people go and dwell in despair over the lost, we move from mourning to celebration because we have something more to look forward to.

2. We look ahead to Jesus’ return. V 26

1 Corinthians 11:26 NIV

26 For whenever you eat this bread and drink this cup, you proclaim the Lord’s death until he comes.

The one thing the Corinthians did correctly was to celebrate, though I am not sure they were celebrating the right thing. We often take Communion and it feels solemn, but at the same time it is a celebration because Jesus didn’t remain in the grave. He is alive and living and because of what He has accomplished, so are we!

1 John 3:2 NIV

2 Dear friends, now we are children of God, and what we will be has not yet been made known. But we know that when Christ appears, we shall be like him, for we shall see him as he is.

So, we look behind and we look ahead, but most importantly...

3. We need to look within and examine our hearts. VV 27-28, 31-32

1 Corinthians 11:27–28 NIV

27 So then, whoever eats the bread or drinks the cup of the Lord in an unworthy manner will be guilty of sinning against the body and blood of the Lord. 28 Everyone ought to examine themselves before they eat of the bread and drink from the cup.

Paul did not say we had to be worthy. If that were the case, we would never be able to receive Communion. We can never do what is required to make us worthy. We are sinners saved by grace, not works, because we could never attain what is needed on our own.

However, we partake of communion in a worthy manner. We give Christ the respect He deserves by partaking in a respectful way. This includes examining our hearts, judging our sins and confessing them to the Lord.

Self examination is not supposed to prevent us from partaking of Communion, but instead it provides an opportunity to make things right and enter into His fellowship yet again. If we are negligent to do so, we sin against the very blood and body of Christ that was sacrificed on our behalf.

1 Corinthians 11:28–29 MSG

28 Examine your motives, test your heart, come to this meal in holy awe. 29 If you give no thought (or worse, don’t care) about the broken body of the Master when you eat and drink, you’re running the risk of serious consequences.

We judge our sins and so God doesn’t have to judge us. If we refuse to take the time to examine our lives and confront our sins, then God must judge and discipline us to move us into His safe zone. That is, under His hedge of protection. When we fail to obey, acknowledge our sin, and make course corrections, God has no choice but to discipline us, much like we discipline our children to keep them safe and help them make better choices. This is what Paul means when he says,

1 Corinthians 11:31–32 NIV

31 But if we were more discerning with regard to ourselves, we would not come under such judgment. 32 Nevertheless, when we are judged in this way by the Lord, we are being disciplined so that we will not be finally condemned with the world.

Finally, we need to remember that Communion is an act of fellowship, therefore...

4. We should look around at the family of God around us. VV 29, 33-34

1 Corinthians 11:29 NIV

29 For those who eat and drink without discerning the body of Christ eat and drink judgment on themselves.

1 Corinthians 11:33–34 NIV

33 So then, my brothers and sisters, when you gather to eat, you should all eat together. 34 Anyone who is hungry should eat something at home, so that when you meet together it may not result in judgment. And when I come I will give further directions.

During the COVID shutdowns, we were forced to gather around videos. This sufficed for the sermons for a time, however, it always failed Communion. Communion is meant to be partaken in fellowship with others. We do not look around and judge those around us. Instead, we acknowledge that we are all fallen creatures of a holy, loving God who loved us so much, He sent His Son to die for each of us. None of us are deserving. Yet, we are all loved and we should all love back.

1 Corinthians 10:17 NIV

17 Because there is one loaf, we, who are many, are one body, for we all share the one loaf.

1 John 4:11 NIV

11 Dear friends, since God so loved us, we also ought to love one another.

Most things we do in the church are open for all to participate in. However, Communion is the one thing that we encourage those who have not yet received Jesus as their Savior to not participate in. We do not judge them. It is not our place to judge. We want them to have room to investigate and to give them time to make their choice. However, when it comes to communion, they become a spectator as this is a meal of fellowship between God and His people.

Conclusion:

As I meditated on this text this week in regard to our own practices of Communion and fellowship, there were two things that stood out to me.

I want us all to understand our view of the elements so we can have proper respect for the process and the elements of Communion.

As pastors, we probably do not communicate this enough how we view and treat these elements from beginning to end. This should not be restricted to Communion alone but goes beyond to proper respect for the altars, Communion tables, and the church in general. I want kids to have fun here, but they also need to learn proper respect for the church as well. The church is not playground, but a holy place with sacred furnishings and elements. We do not scold them when they do otherwise, but instead we teach them so they understand.

2. We need to remember that the whole body of believers are our family.

One of the things that has often grieved my heart is the separation I see among the churches of the EMA. We join together to do things but we really don’t if you know what I mean. We hold joint services and activities, yet when the fellowship takes place, it is a lot like the church at Corinth. People are all clustered in groups with their own church rather than reaching out to get to know and fellowship with those from another church.

I know it is more comfortable and natural to gravitate to those you know. However, these are people we will spend eternity with as well. May I challenge you to try and step beyond the boundaries this year? We will actually be hosting Sounds and Tastes, the Christmas Food Basket distribution, as well as the Christmas Eve service. I have heard that some are hoping to participate with our Christmas Eve this year due to a lack of their own. Sounds and Tastes is coming up the first Sunday in December. I am hoping to hold Communion as part of our service this year. But I would encourage you to invite someone to come sit with you in this service, as well as other services and activities.

Do not be a Corinthian with your own private clique. Be welcoming to all, but take it beyond the welcome to full fellowship. These times when we come together should not be something we dread but times that we look forward to and experience a piece of what heaven will be like.

Communion

Communion is special but when done too frequently can become to routine, much like that automatic action we take in locking our cars in a parking lot. We can quickly forget how blessed we are to be able to partake in it until it is unavailable to us. Before we go into communion, allow me to share an account to remind us of how blessed we are to be able to participate in Communion on a regular basis.

“Beauty from Nothing”, VOM Magazine, Sept 2025, Vol 59 No. 9, pg 15

The Communion Supper, instituted by our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ is a sacrament, which proclaims His life, His sufferings, His sacrificial death, and resurrection, and the hope of His coming again. It shows forth the Lord’s death until His return. The Supper is a means of grace in which Christ is present by the Spirit. It is to be received in reverent appreciation and gratefulness for the work of Christ. All those who are truly repentant, forsaking their sins, and believing in Christ for salvation are invited to participate in the death and resurrection of Christ. We come to the table that we may be renewed in life and salvation and be made one by the Spirit. In unity with the Church, we confess our faith: Christ has died, Christ is risen, Christ will come again. And so we pray:  Father, forgive us of our sins and our shortcomings.  Forgive us of the many times we become distracted, or fall prey to our wicked pride, or times when we do not honor You as we should.  We now humbly bow before you, yielding ourselves to you.  And now Holy Father, We gather at this, your table, in the name of your Son, Jesus Christ, who by your Spirit was anointed to preach good news to the poor, proclaim release to the captives, set at liberty those who are oppressed. Christ healed the sick, fed the hungry, ate with sinners, and established the new covenant for forgiveness of sins. We live in the hope of His coming again. On the night in which He was betrayed, He took bread, gave thanks, broke the bread, gave it to His disciples, and said: “This is my body which is given for you; do this in remembrance of me.” (Luke 22:19) Likewise, when the supper was over, He took the cup, gave thanks, gave it to His disciples, and said: “Drink from it, all of you. This is my blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many for the forgiveness of sins. Do this in remembrance of me.” (Matthew 26:27-29) And so, we gather as the Body of Christ to offer ourselves to you in praise and thanksgiving.

Pour out your Holy Spirit on us and on these your gifts. Make them by the power of your Spirit to be for us the body and blood of Christ, that we may be for the world the Body of Christ, redeemed by His blood. By your Spirit make us one in Christ, one with each other, and one in the ministry of Christ to all the world, until Christ comes in final victory. In the name of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, Amen.

The Bread

The body of our Lord Jesus Christ, broken for you, preserve you blameless, unto everlasting life. Eat this in remembrance that Christ died for you, and be thankful.

The Cup

The blood of our Lord Jesus Christ, shed for you, preserve you blameless unto everlasting life. Drink this in remembrance that Christ died for you, and be thankful.

Precious Father,

Thank you for the life You have given us and for Your forgiveness which is so complete.  May we continue to follow in Your steps and be found faithful.  Amen.

Prayer

Worship Set

Benediction