The Purpose of the Lord's Supper

Joshua Cannon

Stand alone • Sermon • Submitted 6 years ago

1 Corinthians 11:17–34

The Lord’s Supper

Fellowship

Examination

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The purpose of the Lords Supper and the need for unity, fellowship, and classless churches that embody love

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Great to be here

When I first got the invite I was super excited

Then CH Cerula emailed me and said 20-5 minutes

Thought super easy I can do this

Then he said please preach on

I thought about backing out

Talk about a tough chapter to preach on

Who wants to preach on a chapter that involves

Roles between men and women

Self examination

The Lords supper

YUCK

I know why he agreed to let me preach

So in hopes of not offending anyone

Lets get started

Open your Bibles please to:

1 Corinthians 11:17–34 NIV

In the following directives I have no praise for you, for your meetings do more harm than good. 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. No doubt there have to be differences among you to show which of you have God’s approval. So then, when you come together, it is not the Lord’s Supper you eat, 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. 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! For I received from the Lord what I also passed on to you: The Lord Jesus, on the night he was betrayed, took bread, 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.” 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.” For whenever you eat this bread and drink this cup, you proclaim the Lord’s death until he comes. 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. Everyone ought to examine themselves before they eat of the bread and drink from the cup. For those who eat and drink without discerning the body of Christ eat and drink judgment on themselves. That is why many among you are weak and sick, and a number of you have fallen asleep. But if we were more discerning with regard to ourselves, we would not come under such judgment. 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. So then, my brothers and sisters, when you gather to eat, you should all eat together. 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.

So what’s going on here

First let me navigate you where I am going to go today

First we are going to take a look

Divisions; especially between the rich and the poor

The purpose of the Lords Supper

The Unity Paul is calling us to

Understand this

1 Corinthians is like a church model on how not to do church

In fact I personally believe God purposefully put it here

All throughout this book Paul is correcting

So Paul is angry

Almost like a parent

He moving down the line

Paul is angry

First off lets understand the Lords Supper

Many of us think of communion

Taking the bread and the wine/grape juice

In those days more like a feast

BBQ or pot luck

You can really see this in the early church

Acts 2:46 NIV

Every day they continued to meet together in the temple courts. They broke bread in their homes and ate together with glad and sincere hearts,

Acts 2:43 NKJV

Then fear came upon every soul, and many wonders and signs were done through the apostles.

Acts 2:

:43

You see our tradition

Wasn’t theirs

The Lords supper was meant to celebrate and express unity amongst fellow believers

Paul is addressing specific behavior at the Lord Supper

He starts off by going to the heart of the issue.

Divisions between rich and poor

Divisions seemed to be hot button issue in this church.

One thing I highly recommend is reading 1 Corinthians all in one sitting

Read any of Pauls letters all in one sitting

Look with me at verse

1 Corinthians 11:17 NIV

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

1 Cor

I want you to take a moment and imagine yourself reading this

Here is your mentor, your commanding officer

He telling you and your entire platoon

You can’t do anything right

Imagine how that would feel

Yet sometimes we need that don’t we?

Sometimes we need someone to point out our flaws

Point out where we are failing

This needs to happen or we will never get better

This is exactly what Paul is doing

Harsh words but needed

The rebuke is almost entirely at the rich

No interest in the Lords Supper

No interest in breaking bread

No interest in unity

No interest in caring for others

No interest in love

No concern for the poor.

Look at verse 21

1 Corinthians 11:21 NIV

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.

Some go hungry while others are drunk?

Complete opposite of what is supposed to be happening here

Paul boldly states they are disgracing the church of God

Holman New Testament Commentary: I & II Corinthians B. Divisions at the Table (11:18–22)

The poor already had nothing in human, worldly terms. In Corinth they also had their sense of dignity stolen by fellow believers—and this at the Lord’s Supper.

Richard Platt states

Dads story and new churches

The poor already had nothing in human, worldly terms. In Corinth they also had their sense of dignity stolen by fellow believers—and this at the Lord’s Supper.Dads story and new churches

The poor already had nothing in human, worldly terms. In Corinth they also had their sense of dignity stolen by fellow believers—and this at the Lord’s Supper.

Richard L. Pratt Jr, I & II Corinthians, vol. 7, Holman New Testament Commentary (Nashville, TN: Broadman & Holman Publishers, 2000), 198.Church I go to where you can’t even drink water in the sanctuary.

Church I go to where you can’t even drink water in the sanctuary.

Richard L. Pratt Jr, I & II Corinthians, vol. 7, Holman New Testament Commentary (Nashville, TN: Broadman & Holman Publishers, 2000), 198.

Paul is letting them have it

Matthew 19:21 NKJV

Jesus said to him, “If you want to be perfect, go, sell what you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come, follow Me.”

He’s saying I have no praise for you

You’re disgracing the church of God

You are dividing the church

You are doing more harm than good

Caring for the poor is sort of a central theme in Christianity

Wouldn’t you agree?

Look at

Galatians 2:10 NKJV

They desired only that we should remember the poor, the very thing which I also was eager to do.

James 2:5 NKJV

Listen, my beloved brethren: Has God not chosen the poor of this world to be rich in faith and heirs of the kingdom which He promised to those who love Him?

Now please

Turn with me:

James 2:1–4 NLT

My dear brothers and sisters, how can you claim to have faith in our glorious Lord Jesus Christ if you favor some people over others? For example, suppose someone comes into your meeting dressed in fancy clothes and expensive jewelry, and another comes in who is poor and dressed in dirty clothes. If you give special attention and a good seat to the rich person, but you say to the poor one, “You can stand over there, or else sit on the floor”—well, doesn’t this discrimination show that your judgments are guided by evil motives?

What did Jesus say to the rich young ruler?

Jams 2:1-4

Luke 18:22 NKJV

So when Jesus heard these things, He said to him, “You still lack one thing. Sell all that you have and distribute to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come, follow Me.”

Matthew 19:21 NIV

Jesus answered, “If you want to be perfect, go, sell your possessions and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me.”

I grew up in a church that was devoted to correcting this issue

My dads church was not your normal church

surrounded by homeless

I was just there in November

Had the pleasure of preaching there

I remember thinking

This is where Jesus would have been

People that have nothing

Haven’t showered in weeks

Haven’t eaten in days

Homeless

Poor

Street people

I think as a point of truth we need acknowledge the class difference

I’ve been to churches where a homeless person wouldn’t dare enter

I’ve been apart of counseling programs where people who hurt are kicked out because they don’t match

They don’t fit the mold

The very people that Jesus went to, are rejected by some that claim to be His disciples.

And this is the main point of this entire section of Scripture

Honestly evaluating your devotion to the teachings of Jesus

Not saying any of you are guilty of this

However Scripture demands for each one of us to look at ourselves

Look inside and ask yourself honestly,

WOULD YOU BE THE ONE PAUL IS YELLING AT?

Lets move on because we have a lot more to get into and I’m running short on time

Pauls as a question

A question that is rather shocking and bold

One author points out

Holman New Testament Commentary: I & II Corinthians B. Divisions at the Table (11:18–22)

The poor already had nothing in human, worldly terms. In Corinth they also had their sense of dignity stolen by fellow believers—and this at the Lord’s Supper.

Paul is angry

Lords Supper and its purpose

Then whats the purpose of mentioning the Lords Supper in this context?

Look at Verse 23 quickly

Don’t want to spend to much time here:

Acts 2:46 NKJV

So continuing daily with one accord in the temple, and breaking bread from house to house, they ate their food with gladness and simplicity of heart,

The New International Version Chapter 11

23 For I received from the Lordk what I also passed on to you:

Paul is not giving them new instruction

Reminding them what they already know

From verse 23-26 Paul reminds them

The Lords supper is not a joke

Its not something to be taken lightly

This is fact has a genuine purpose

A tradition that should be passed down

Some sources state that the Lord’s supper

Called the Love Feast

A goal of unity and love

John 13:35 NLT

Your love for one another will prove to the world that you are my disciples.”

Paul is reminding them very enthusiastically

His death wasn’t meaningless

Some of them are taking their faith lightly

One author states

Holman New Testament Commentary: I & II Corinthians C. The Central Focus of the Lord’s Supper (11:23–26)

When the world sees the church eating and drinking in order to remember the significance of Christ’s body and blood, the word of the gospel is made visible. The expression “the Lord’s death” represents the whole of Christ’s saving ministry on behalf of the church: his life, death, resurrection, and ascension.

The Bible Knowledge Commentary 11:26

The Lord’s Supper was a visible sermon that proclaimed “the message of the Cross”

In other-words

Some of them are taking their faith lightly

The whole point of the meal was to remind them

To bring them to a point of correct behavior

Not division

Not disgrace

Not

Judgment

Acts 5:1 NKJV

But a certain man named Ananias, with Sapphira his wife, sold a possession.

Acts 5:

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