The Lord's Supper

Introduction

In our family, we have an unspoken tradition about when the Christmas season begins. It started more out of convenience than anything else. The first year we were married, we decided to go to Home Depot to get our Christmas tree a few days before Thanksgiving. We were happily surprised that Home Depot was empty, and no one was yet thinking about getting their live Christmas trees. So, every year, we’ve decided to go a few days before Thanksgiving to get our tree and set it up in our home. We then leave it undecorated until after Thanksgiving Day, at which point the decorating and the music may begin.

Well, for the sake of sermon illustration, I’m breaking my family tradition. Many of you are familiar with the classic Dr. Seuss story, How the Grinch Stole Christmas. In the children’s book, the Grinch is this angry grump who lives up on the mountains and who steals Christmas from the town of Whoville. But, of course, even when all of their outward displays of presents and decorations are taken away, the Grinch learns the lesson that he can’t steal the Christmas Spirit, and so his heart is melted and grows 10 times bigger, and he joins the Christmas celebration and its a big happy ending for everyone.

Now, in the book version, the story is very onesided, and we find that the Grinch is very much a villain, but the Whos of Whoville are the example of love and charity. But the movie version, starring Jim Carrey, opens this story up to a bit of reinterpretation. The Grinch is still the Grinch of course, but the Who’s of Whoville are not so innocent. For under the shiny veneer of all their presents, decorations and Christmas rituals lied a people who were shallow and empty; far more concerned with outward appearances and the show of it all than they were with the charity and love that was supposed to be at the root of it all. It wasn’t until they suffered the great loss of all of their possessions - and the courage of Cindy Lou-Who - that the townspeople finally learned what Christmas was really about.

How did the Who’s of Whoville get so offtrack? Well, one might say they just got too comfortable with themselves. They rituals of Christmas became a show to compete with each other and put each other down, rather than an opportunity to love and support each other.

We could ask a similar question about the church in Corinth. How did they get so off track? The passage we’re studying this morning should be one that shocks us. There is great danger in living the Christian life in a way that merely goes through the motions, entirely too comfortable all the while ignoring the seriousness of our sin. One commentator remarks that we are fortunate the Corinthian church was so messed up otherwise we would be without a great number of instructions for the church. That’s a bit crass, but he’s not wrong. Our text reveals to us a church that was so comfortable with their sin that they were grossly abusing the Lord’s Supper, one of the most sacred acts that we have the privilege of participating in. I’m very excited about getting into this text with your this morning however, because as we do so I want to show you how special the Lord’s Supper really is, and how it has the ability to bring about renewal in our hearts and in our church family.

Our text this morning has 3 pretty neat sections to give us 3 points in tackling the text this morning. The first is Wrongful Participation in the Lord’s Supper (vv. 17-22), second is Rightly Remembering the Lord’s Supper (23-26) and the third his Helpful Practices for taking the Lord’s Supper (27-34). Let’s get after it.

Wrongful Participation in the Lord’s Supper (vv. 17-34)

Paul uses the expression “when you come together” 5 times in this passage. 3 times in this first section, and another 2 times at the close of the passage. As we have seen throughout the letter to the Corinthians, Paul is very much concerned with how the members of the church treat and interact with one another. We’ve seen how he has addressed very practical and relational issues such as sex and sexuality, Marriage and divorce, being single, and protecting the conscience of others. One of the issues that presents itself at the very beginning of this letter and continue to rear its ugly head is the presence of schism and division in their church community.

I want you to see how seriously Paul takes this issue. Look at the weight he gives it in verse 17. He actually says, your divisions are so bad, that when you come together it is not for the better but actually its for the worse because of how badly you hurt one another.

One of the things that has surprised me in studying 1 Corinthians in closer detail is how often Paul is interacting with the popular philosophy of his day. I’ve been sharing some of these with you for a couple reasons. First, because there is a lesson for us in there about how we can interact with popular culture today and having this ability to both affirm the godly things in our culture while challenging those things which are not godly. But second, and maybe more importantly, it’s good for us to try hear and hear the Scripture the way the original audience would’ve heard it, to strike us in a way that it might’ve struck them.

The language Paul uses in our text is intentional, and it would’ve been very familiar to those in the audience, likely the elites and those who were better educated, because Paul is pulling from teachings that can be traced back to Aristotle. Let me read this quote for you and I think you’ll see how Paul is applying it here, and if you’re thinking ahead, you’ll see the similarities to the body metaphor Paul uses in Chapter 12:

First Corinthians Divisions at the Lord’s Supper (11:17–22)

For it is possible that the many, though not individually good men, yet when they come together may be better, not individually but collectively … for where there are many, each individual, it may be argued, has some portion of virtue and wisdom, and when they have come together, just as the multitude becomes a single man with many feet and many hands and many senses, so also it becomes one personality as regards the moral and intellectual faculties.

For it is possible that the many, though not individually good men, yet when they come together may be better, not individually but collectively … and when they have come together, just as the multitude becomes a single man with many feet and many hands and many senses, so also it becomes one personality.

Why is this important? There’s a sense in which Paul is saying, “Everybody knows we are supposed to be better together than we are apart. Everybody knows that! Except you.” Sometimes the world rebukes the church, even though the church ought to be living in a way that rebukes the world. This is one of those times.

And so what exactly was happening when the Corinthians came together? Well, the first thing to take note of is that at this time, when Christians gathered together it was in the homes of those who had enough wealth to host a larger meeting. When the Lord’s Supper was celebrated, as they did very often, it was in the context of a full potluck meal. Everyone brought food that was supposed to be to share with the whole group. The meal would’ve begun with the breaking of the bread, then they would’ve eaten their meal together, then they would’ve closed the meal by drinking the wine together.

But that’s not at all what was happening in Corinth. The problem is summarized in verses 20-22. The abuses are so bad that Paul said this isn’t the Lord’s Supper at all that you’re eating. Why? Because instead of sharing with each other, everyone is just eating their own food that they brought. Which means, the richer Christians were eating their food and getting drunk on their wine, and the poorer Christians - unable to contribute much if anything at all to the meal - were going hungry.

To our modern ears, this is a pretty unbelievable problem to have. Its hard for us to imagine that the wealthier Christians actually believed their actions to be justified. But to these 1st Century Corinthians, their actions seemed entirely normal.

The homes that these people were meeting in would’ve had a small dining room, Archaeological evidence suggests it would’ve only fit 9 or 10 people. The other guests would have had to sit or stand in the atrium, which could’ve held about another 30 or 40 people. The hosts of these meals would’ve been wealthier if they could afford this kind of space. So what was happening was the wealthier and privileged members of the community sat in the dining room, while the poorer members we secluded to the Atrium.

It would’ve been common practice for the host to divide up the food and wine by class, so that the wealthier members received the best food and drink while those in the atrium received the lower quality food. We may think that sounds unfair. But it is very easy to be blind to sin when cultural practices favor us. Its kind of like how first class and coach operates on an airplane. We sit in the back near the lavatory and think its unfair that people in front get the better food, until we’re the one to get the free upgrade…then..”Don’t mind if I do!”

And so, by continuing to live unchecked lives in a culture which exploited and snubbed the poorer members of the community, the wealthier Christians had become completely desensitized to their sin and its effects. This is one of the reasons why it is so important for us to reflect on the power the culture has on us. If we don’t reflect on that deeply and often, we’re going to be blind to the subtle sins of the world we live in.

First Corinthians Divisions at the Lord’s Supper (11:17–22)

The best dishes were set in front of himself and a select few, and cheap scraps of food before the rest of the company. He had even put the wine into tiny little flasks, divided into three categories, not with the idea of giving his guests the opportunity of choosing, but to make it impossible for them to refuse what they were given. One lot was intended for himself and for us, another for his lesser friends (all his friends are graded), and the third for his and our freedmen.

And so, by continuing to immerse themselves in a culture which exploited and snubbed the poorer members of the community, the wealthier Christians had become completely desensitized to their sin and its effects.

And this is exactly what sin does to us, isn’t it? I’ve had three surgeries on my left arm. 2 were on my shoulder, one was on my elbow. My nerve was getting pinched in the cartiledge and tendons or whatever of my elbow, and it was very painful. So they actually went in and moved the nerve to the other side of my elbow. So now, when I trace my finger along my arm, I get to a point where I can’t feel it anymore.

God allows schism and division in the church in part so that those who are genuine in the faith may be shown to be true believers. How one acts in the midst of conflict or division in the church shows whether we are in or out of the faith. The possibility of church schism serves as a reminder to us to remain vigilant. It is much like marriage. There is no such thing as a neutral marriage. We are either moving forward, intentionally growing our marriage in love, or we are moving backwards toward disaster. There is no standing still. It is the same way in the church community. We are either intentionally growing in our love and unity for other Christians, or we are moving backwards toward schism and disaster. There is no neutrality.for

Sin has very similar effects on the human heart. And so our pride, our lust, our private addictions and sins no one knows about, when left unchecked, grow like weeds among the harvest of God’s people.

Notice now how Paul addresses this situation. In order to address the problems at the Lord’s Supper, Paul teaches us how to rightly Remember the Lord’s Supper.

Rightly Remembering the Lord’s Supper (vv. 23-26)

For I received from the Lord what I also delivered to you, that the Lord Jesus on the night when he was betrayed gave us this meal, which we now call the Lord’s Supper. The only other time Paul uses this language of directly receiving something from the Lord and delivering it to us is of the gospel message itself in and . This language should alert us to the importance then of this meal which we celebrate.

He gave it to his people on the night when he was betrayed by Judas, then abandoned by his followers. Have you ever paused to consider the depths of love and mercy that are made visible at this table? On the night when he knew we would betray him, he left us with an incredible gift.

John Flavel, a 17th Century English puritan, likens the Lord’s Supper to a dying husband who leaves a portrait of himself for his wife to remember him by. Behold the 4-Dimensional portrait of sight, taste, touch and smell that Jesus wants us to remember him by. A real body, broken. Real blood, shed. It ought to arrest our senses, but more importantly it ought to arrest our hearts.

Clearly, the Corinthian church had completely missed the boat. They had failed to see not only what the Supper was, but whose Supper it was and the effects it was supposed to have on the community.

I want to reflect for a moment on the power of ritual. It is significant that in his parting hours, Jesus left for us a community ritual that is to be practiced and celebrated often. We all have rituals - some are private, some are communal. Brushing your teeth every night is a solid ritual, I recommend it. Getting your Christmas tree with your family the week of Thanksgiving is a ritual, that signifies the beginning of Christmas celebration for your household. Singing the national anthem at Sports game is a ritual that is intended to unite the citizens of our country under our shared ideals. You get the point.

Charles Vogl, he’s an author who has done a lot of work studying social and religious communities throughout history, has written a book that is quite excellent called the Art of Community. After studying the strongest communities in different cultural moments, what brings them together, what holds them together, he identified 7 principles that every community needs to be healthy. So, for example, the first principle is the initiation principle, meaning a strong sense of how an individual becomes a part of the group. In the church, that means making a public profession in your local congregation and being baptized if you haven’t been already. It also means clear next steps on how to become a part of the different ministries of the church.

Another one of these principles is the Rituals principle. Every healthy community ought to have rituals which bring them together. And he shows how the strongest rituals in a community are those that provide meaning by connecting an individual with something larger than themselves. The best way to do that is by connecting the individual in community with what has come before in the past, as well as some kind of connection with what is to come in the future. By connecting with a significant past and a hope for the future, the best kinds of rituals give a sense of stability, purpose and meaning to the present.

So, when we come to the Lord’s Supper, we ought to be incredibly grateful that Jesus left us with such a ritual to bring about life to the church. We participate in the Lord’s Supper as a way to remember what Jesus has done for us. We also participate in the Lord’s Supper, Paul says, as a way of proclaiming Jesus while we look forward to a future hope of when he comes again.

J. Todd Billings is only one of the more recent theologians in a long line of individuals throughout Church History who help us see the importance of our habits in reorienting our hearts after the things of God. It’s not enough to simply say no to the things of this world, we need to make habits out of saying yes to the things of God. We can’t simply say no to our current world, we need to accept an invitation into a better world, through better practices, better symbols, better rituals.

The Lord’s Supper is an invitation to participate in the new world, complete with new meaning and a better way of being. This is why it ought to be practiced often. Just like the daily collection of manna in the wilderness served to remind the Israelites of their dependence on God, frequent participation in the Lord’s Supper serves to reorient our hearts for Jesus.

I wear an Apple watch, it was a graduation gift when I graduated seminary. It is really helpful for reminding me of when I need to stand, to get a few more minutes of exercise in, or even to take a break to get in some deep breaths. It will even alert me if I have a sudden rise in my pulse when my body is at rest. It can do a lot, but one thing it cannot do is tell me when my heart has gone astray after any number of sins and idols.

But the Supper can. And it does. Which is why we need to come to the table as often as we are able, and rightly remember what Jesus has done for us.

So, having rightly remembered the Lord’s Supper, Paul is now ready to close with some Helpful Practices for taking the Lord’s Supper.

Helpful Practices for taking the Lord’s Supper (vv. 27-34)

I want to conclude with two important points of application. The first is more personal, and the second is more relational.

How ought we to personally apply the warning we see in verses 27-32? Paul says that in light of these things he has said, we ought to examine ourselves when coming to the Lord’s Supper. The warning here is strong, as he indicates that because of the present sins and abuse of the Supper, people are sick and even dying. The Bible is pretty clear about this. Not every sickness and disease in our lives is caused by sin. But some are. Which is why the Church needs to be a place of repentance, both to God and to each other. James chapter 5 communicates a very similar point.

However, some of us, in our guilt and our shame over present sin, are prone to misapplying these verses. Shame is a powerful emotion that feeds us the lie we aren’t worthy. We convince ourselves that we are unworthy to take the Supper, and out of some kind of self-inflicted punishment, we ought not take this meal. But this is not what the Scripture teaches. This meal is for repentant and believing sinners, not sinless Christians.

One of my seminary professors Dr. Howard Griffith, a man who I love dearly, has really helped me understand the Bible’s teaching on this. In his excellent book Spreading the Feast, he shows that the emphasis of examining ourselves for the Supper should not be on danger and warning, but of joy and thanksgiving.

It is true that Jesus required obedience from his followers and reconciled relationships in the church. But he never says that perfect obedience or relationships are a prerequisite to taking the Lord’s Supper. You won’t find any place in the rest of the New Testament that instructs believing Christians not to eat the Supper. The emphasis Paul has in verse 28 is, examine yourself, then eat and drink! Literally it says, Let a person examine him or herself, thus, eat! The process of examination is a time for our hearts to be stirred for Jesus, not filled with self-condemnation.

In cases of church discipline, the elders of the church have the authority to exclude an individual from the Table. This is how we apply the warning that Paul has in this text on a personal level. When the elders and pastors of a church discover that a church member is in unrepentant sin, meaning a lifestyle of sin that the individual is not sorrowful about, the elders may decide to exclude that individual from participating in the Supper. But this is not punishment. It is a warning, intended to lead the individual to repentance, so that they may come back and participate in the table fellowship.

Here’s what all of this means: no individual Christian should take it upon themselves to exclude themselves from the Table. If you are genuinely concerned there may be unrepentant sin in your life, then you’re not unrepentant. But, if you are concerned, come to the elders, and let them help you discern the right course of action to you.

But if you feel guilt and shame over sin that you just can’t seem to kick, if you feel sorrow over the way you have treated a friend or spouse recently, Jesus does not say to you at this table “I will not feed you.” He says, “Take, eat, drink. It is for you.” If your faith is weak on account of a season of dark depression and anxiety, Jesus does not condemn you. He invites you to be strengthened at his table.

The prerequisite for taking the Lord’s Supper is not sinlessness, strength, or perfectly reconciled relationships. Victory over sin and reconciled relationships are the fruit of participation in the Supper, not requirements for participation.

This is one area where the Westminster Catechisms are extremely practical and helpful for us. These are documents coming out of the Reformation which we believe rightly summarize the Bible’s teaching on major doctrines. Question 96 of the shorter catechism asks what is required to worthily receive the Lord’s Supper? Here’s the answer:

Knowledge to discern the Lord’s body, meaning you rightly understand the saving work of Christ

Faith in Christ - and even faith as small and weak as a mustard seed will do

Repentance, meaning a sorrow and remorse over your sin

Love for Christ

And new obedience, meaning a desire to fight your sin, a desire to reconcile broken relationships

These five things, and these five things alone, are the prerequisites on the syllabus for this two course meal.

If these things are present in your heart, then it is your duty and privilege to come and dine with Christ at his table. In our invitation to the table, we invite all baptized and professing Christians who are members in good standing of a Bible-believing church, which just means they are not under discipline in their church. It is an invitation of joy and thanksgiving, not danger and fear. Christ promises to feed us and strengthen us to carry out his Will. But if we exclude ourselves from the Table, as some form of self-inflicted punishment, we are starving ourselves of the spiritual nourishment we need.

So that’s the first application. The second is more relational. I’m looking at verses 33 and 34. Paul says that if you really understand this meal, you will see it as an opportunity to wait for one another, or it could be translated to share with one another.

This goes back to the idea of ritual. Jesus has left us with a meal that is to bring about new life in a local church every time it is celebrated. We come to this table as a people, weary, weak and needy who, once fed, are strengthened to love each other more and more.

This is a table of love. We receive the love of Christ, and then extend it to others. That sounds nice. Except people are crazy. Every one of us. We’re all crazy. And we’re all difficult. But when we come to this table, we remember that despite how crazy and difficult we are, despite our great sin, Christ loves us. As we feed on him, we are strengthened to love others as we have been loved.

When we feed on Christ, he strengthens us to love others, to forgive, and to repair broken marriages. When we participate in this meal it is the perfect opportunity to approach someone you have wronged in the church and apologize, to pick up the phone and call a friend and ask for their forgiveness, or to turn to your spouse and apologize for what you said to them on Saturday night.

May God bless our church as we come to his table and feed on Christ.

This morning I invite all of you who have called upon the name of Christ as Savior to examine yourselves and, seeing the gift of faith He has given you, to come to this table and receive the body and blood of Christ.

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However, some of you may not yet have come to a place of calling on Christ for your salvation. Perhaps you are still struggling with questions about his claims, about why we even need a Savior, or about something much more personal, such as suffering you have experienced. I want you to know that this is a safe place to ask those questions. But instead of coming to the Table to eat and drink this morning, I want to invite you to sit and consider this portrait of a God who loves his people enough to be broken for them. Come to Christ himself this morning. He will meet you and embrace you in his kindness and love. If you have any questions about what that looks like, please talk to any of the people you’ve seen up here this morning.

To those who believe: come because Christ commands - not because you have made yourself worthy. Come because your loving Savior calls you here to be nourished.