This Meal (Worship Issues, Part 2)

There’s something about gathering around the dinner table, isn’t there? You have friends over or friends have you over and you share a meal. Someone spends hours cooking the meal (and cleaning the house so its presentable for company) and then you take your seats, say a prayer, pass the food, eat and drink, and then promptly go home.

No, that’s not how it works. You eat and drink and converse with one another for long after the food runs out. In our house, even though we have two comfortable living areas, we tend to sit around the table in the hard wooden chairs and visit with one another (whoever the ‘one another’ might be). It doesn’t make much sense unless there’s something about sharing a meal with one another...

Carolyn Steel, the author of How Food Shapes our Lives, says, “Someone with whom we share food is likely to be our friend, or well on the way to becoming one.”

It’s a powerful act, sharing a meal. It’s an expressive act. It means something, the sharing of a meal. And so it has been for centuries, millennia, even.

The issue here in Corinth (there’s always an issue in Corinth; this is the second issue with the Corinthians’ worship. There are always issues in worship)—the issue here in Corinth was that the Corinthians were being divisive when it came to a meal that should have been gracious and welcoming, loving and kind.

I’ll just go ahead and break it to you: the Church can sometimes be the opposite of what it should be. This is true in Corinth and it’s true here in Rich Hill. There are going to be issues, no matter which church you find yourself in.

The Corinthian Christians have seemingly forgotten that one meal, in particular, was meant for the Lord’s people. The meal at issue here is the meal that Jesus Himself instituted the night He was betrayed. Knowing that He was going to His death, Jesus re-imagined the Passover and transformed it into a memorial of the New Covenant He would usher in.

The Corinthians were dividing, segregating themselves as if this was just another meal. They fail to realize that this meal, this meal, this meal is for the Lord’s people—all the Lord’s people, and only the Lord’s people—and that the Lord’s people were meant to eat and enjoy it together.

>If you have your Bible (and I hope you do) please turn with me to 1 Corinthians 11. If you are able and willing, please stand for the reading of God’s Word, out of reverence for Him:

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.

May the Lord add His blessing to the reading of His Holy Word!

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In the city of Corinth, a meal was an occasion for gaining or showing social status. A dinner party would been one of the primary places where there would be a divisions of people based on class: wealthy over here, poor people over here.

What was happening can be summed up as “social snobbery at the Lord’s Table.”

No one likes a snob. We’ve all encountered them, those people who think and behave as if they’re better than you because they have more money, more talent, fancier possessions, etc. No one likes a snob.

Now imagine there’s snobbery present in the church. Take a minute; I know it’s difficult to get such an outlandish picture in your head.

Now consider that the upper-class folk in the church were partaking in the Lord’s Supper (communion) by themselves, or eating before the poorer, working-class people because they thought themselves superior and deserving of such.

This is disturbing on many levels, and it’s clearly wrong, Biblically speaking. This meal is for the Lord’s people. More specifically:

This meal is for ALL the Lord’s people...

The issue is that some church members are reinforcing a common social distinction between rich and poor—the division between rich and poor ran like an ugly line through ancient society just as much as it does today, and it threatened to deface the celebration of what Jesus has done for His people.

There’s all sorts of problems with this, making distinctions, elevating one group over the other. For one, it’s absolutely sinful. Favoritism of any kind is sin.

James 2:9 NIV

9 But if you show favoritism, you sin and are convicted by the law as lawbreakers.

The behavior of the Corinthians is clearly sinful, AND (2) the Corinthian Christians are making the same type of social distinction the pagans would, showing that they are more controlled by their culture than by their faith.

Our actions, our behavior will betray the natural bent of our hearts. What we care about most will be painfully obvious. For some of the Corinthian Christians, acceptance in their culture matters more to them than honoring their Master. And it shows.

The distinction between rich and poor has absolutely nothing to do with God’s creation or God’s achievement in salvation. God doesn’t favor the rich over the poor, or vice versa. God saved both rich and poor believer without help from or preference for either.

This divisive meal, Paul says, isn’t the Lord’s Supper. It can’t be the Lord’s Supper if it’s met with all these conditions and provisos and hierarchy.

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!

This sounds almost like the adult equivalent of a kiddie-table. Kids, how many of you have been there? There’s a big dinner, you’re invited (or dragged along with your parents) and then, when you get there, when it comes down to the moment of eating, you’re seated, not at the main table, but the flimsy little card table at the other end of the room or in another room altogether.

I always hated that, especially as I got older. I always thought that I deserved a place at the big table. I had good manners and could carry on conversation better than some of the adults. Let them set at the card table.

In the early church the Lord’s Supper/Communion—this meal we’re discussing here this morning—took place in private homes, not in a special ‘church’ building. And there was often a full meal served, during which special words were said over a loaf of bread and a cup of wine.

The issue in Corinth was that this full meal had become a sign of the social divisions that ran through the church.

Imagine going on a picnic with a large group of friends. When you get to the picnic spot, some people get out big fancy Yogi and Boo Boo pic-a-nic baskets with expensive cutlery and china, crystal glasses, the works. They serve themselves delicious, decadent, lavish food and fine wines and you, sitting right next to them have brought a couple of PB&J sandwiches and a bottle of water.

Even at a picnic that wouldn’t seem right. How much more when you’re meeting for worship, and the people you’re with are not just friends but are your brothers and sisters, members of your family, a single family in the Lord.

One goes hungry while another gets drunk!

Is that really an expression of what God’s people actually are? The world puts up all kinds of clubhouse signs: ‘No boys allowed.’ ‘Girls keep out.’ ‘Whites Only.’ ‘VIPs Only.’

The Church should have no such signs, no such restrictions or hierarchy. There’s no kiddie-table where this meal is concerned. There’s one table and it doesn’t belong to you or to me. It belongs to Christ. And He invites all of His people.

This meal is for ALL the Lord’s people...

Paul is very clear (v. 20)—It’s not the Lord’s Supper you eat if you’re behaving like I hear you’re behaving.

“You’re coming together. You’re even eating a meal. But as long as you continue to act like this, relating to one another as you are, rest assured, that meal you’re eating is not the meal of the Lord, because this meal is meant for all the Lord’s people.”

One of the amazing, unbelievable, and incredible truths about Christ’s work on the cross is that His blood removes every social barrier—socio-economic, racial, class, gender, age. Think of a social distinction our culture makes, and rest assured, the blood of Christ removes it.

This meal, this meal, can’t celebrate what Christ has done if we ignore what Christ has done as we gather together.

This meal is for ALL the Lord’s people—and ONLY the Lord’s people—

Notice who Paul addresses: in verse 18 he refers to them as a church. Of course, we know (or I hope we know by now) that Paul is addressing this group of Christians in Corinth—the local church that Paul planted in that city.

Paul addresses them as a church and also as brothers and sisters (v. 33).

This meal—the Lord’s Supper—is meant to be enjoyed by the church, by the brothers and sisters there in Corinth.

This is not another pagan meal or a meal featuring food that had been offered to idols. This is a different kind of meal. It’s open to ALL the Lord’s people, but understand, the invitation to this table is sent only to the Lord’s people.

Those without faith, those who worship another, those who don’t belong to God by faith in Jesus Christ are not to eat this bread or drink from this cup.

No doubt some pagans would have no problem eating this meal—for them, it would function very much like any other meal; it would have no real meaning. Or, if it did have religious significance, it would, in their minds, go right along with all the other meals they would have eaten—meals to worship or celebrate other gods.

But this meal is different. Paul quotes Jesus in verses 24-25:

1 Corinthians 11:24–25 NIV

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.”

Jesus has identified this meal with Himself. He’s tied this meal to His sacrifice—and that makes this meal different. The fact that this meal is inseparable from Jesus makes this meal—and only this meal—holy and sacred.

As such, it’s possible to eat this meal in an unworthy manner:

1 Corinthians 11:27 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.

The Corinthians are doing this by the way in which they eat it when gathered together as a church: eating with distinction and prejudice; some eating a lot, others going hungry. They partake in an unworthy manner.

Do you think it’d be inappropriate for a non-believer to eat this bread and drink this cup?

I think that would be eating and drinking in an unworthy manner. It diminishes what this is. What Jesus tells us to do in remembrance of Him would be done by the unbeliever with no remembrance or thought of Him.

What’s more, each person is told to examine themselves:

1 Corinthians 11:28 NIV

28 Everyone ought to examine themselves before they eat of the bread and drink from the cup.

This examination is carried out in order to find evidence of a repentant heart, evidence that grace is at work, evidence that the person partaking has properly understood what Christ has done for them—the selfless, atoning nature of Jesus death for others and how that should be imitated in their own life.

One who doesn’t believe in Jesus, who doesn’t belong to Jesus, couldn’t possibly have any positive evidence of a repentant heart, of grace at work, of a proper understanding of Jesus’ completed work.

This meal is for ALL the Lord’s people—and ONLY the Lord’s people—

Some churches require baptism before one can take communion. I’ve spoken to several kids throughout the years about baptism. I’ll ask, “Why do you want to get baptized?” And a good bit of the time they’ll answer something like, “So I can eat that cracker and drink that juice.”

The Bible doesn’t require baptism before taking communion; it doesn’t. And so we don’t put that requirement on it. What matters is that you belong to God by faith in Jesus Christ.

We know that neither baptism nor the Lord’s Supper make any sense apart from faith in Jesus, apart from prior belief, apart from having already experiencing salvation by grace.

We only baptize believers—those who have already been saved by grace through personal faith. And the Lord’s Supper is only offered to believers—those who have a relationship with Jesus—lest they would eat and drink judgment on themselves.

This meal is for ALL the Lord’s people—and ONLY the Lord’s people—to eat and enjoy TOGETHER.

This was missing in Corinth. Some went ahead and ate by themselves. The elite did their own thing, leaving behind and humiliating those who [had] nothing.

Paul is righteously angry at the Corinthians for their behavior. He’s ticked off, man! He has no words of praise for them in how they handle themselves at this table.

Notice the word together in verses 18, 20, 33, and 34. Together here means, literally, together. The very act of assembling with one another is an expression of togetherness. Instead of each of us logging on to our computers at home or sitting in little cubicles, we come together—all of us, in one place, for the express purpose of worshipping God as one.

We don’t individually eat one oyster cracker and drink a tiny sip of grape juice all alone in our homes. That would be a really weird snack. We do this together, all of us.

The worship hour on Sunday must focus on togetherness, not on individuality or individual preference.

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.

This—the togetherness we are meant to have—is a beautiful picture of what the Church is and how Christ has brought us together.

“The Church,” says Don Carson, “is made up of natural enemies. What binds us together is not common education, common race, common income levels, common politics, common nationality, common accents, common jobs, or anything else of that sort. Christians come together because they have all been saved by Jesus Christ and own Him a common allegiance…they are a band of natural enemies who love one another for Jesus’ sake.”

This meal is for ALL the Lord’s people—and ONLY the Lord’s people—to eat and enjoy TOGETHER.

The Church is meant to be so together that the world marvels and wants in. The love and respect we have for one another should be so enticing, so other-worldly that people scratch their heads and think, “Wow, look at them...”

And together we make a very bold proclamation.

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.

When we eat and drink together, we a sending a message to any who might be watching. We are proclaiming what Jesus has done for us, that He has died for us once, and once for all our sins. He doesn’t die every week. We don’t summon His sacrifice anew each Lord’s Day as some are in the habit of doing.

We don’t believe that this is the actual body or blood of Jesus. We don’t believe He is physically present in these emblems. We are not consubstantiationists or transsubstantiationists.

We are memorialists. We believe Jesus is present with us and that this meal, this meal is a remembrance of Him.

This meal is for ALL the Lord’s people—and ONLY the Lord’s people—to eat and enjoy TOGETHER.

>We don’t drag ourselves to the table, hoping to muster our good enough, hoping to bring perfection before we partake. No, no, we gather ‘round the table with our brothers and sisters, all of us perfectly imperfect...and perfectly forgiven, and we celebrate that He has made us His people, purely by His grace.

Try as we might, I don’t think we can fully wrap our minds about what Jesus has done for us.

“While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.”

“God made Him who knew no sin to become sin for us, so that in Him we would become the righteousness of God.”

Brothers and sisters, what a glorious and gracious salvation we celebrate as we all gather together to eat and drink in remembrance of Him.

Friends, if you don’t know Him, if you don’t belong to Him by faith, if you’ve yet to respond to His calling on your life, let today be the day!