Sermon Tone Analysis

Many times when we come to the Lord’s Table - the emphasis is on our personal worthiness to take part in it.

We spend a-lot of time talking about sin in our lives, and giving an opportunity to spend time in prayer as we confess and repent.

I will have to admit that this has been my approach to communion for the majority of my ministry.

We spend much time speaking on verse 27

as we think on the importance of not coming to the Lord’s table Unworthily.

Is there unconfessed sin in your life?

Is there a brother or sister in Christ that a relationship needs to be repaired because of an offence.

This is the way I have heard it explained many times, and the way I have approached it as well....

Here is the question that has been burning in my heart.....What makes me worthy to sit at His Table?

The only honest answer that I could come to is — Nothing.

No matter How much I desire to be righteous enough - I am reminded of

No matter how much I desire to be sinless - I am reminded of

No matter how much i desire to be good enough - I am reminded of

I am faced with the truth, that I am not worthy, and can never be.

How Can We Come to the Lord’s Table in a Worthy Manner

That is why I am amazed at His mercy and grace that invites me to come....

After the resurrection of Christ, When the disciples were on the boat fishing and they saw Jesus on the shore - Peter diving in to meet him, the rest following on the boat - Jesus said

When we read the gospels we find that It is usually with the publican and the sinners that he sits at the table with - not the pharisees and the sadducees.

Here is the truth - there is no act of righteousness, no goodness we can exhibit, no amount of sinlessness that we strive for that will make us worthy of one drop of His Grace.

So then - Paul warns bunch of unworthy sinners to not come to this time unworthily.

What is he talking about?

I think if we take this verse and look at it in relations to its context - I think that we can identify some truths about how we are to approach the Lord’s Table.

The Church in Corinth was not known as a model church - as a matter of fact, Paul had some pretty serious issues that he addressed in this book.

The abuse and misunderstanding of the doctrine of spiritual gifts, using Christian liberty in such a way that they were being a stumblingblock for younger, less spiritually mature Christians.

It is a Feast of Worship

So this is the backdrop of the instructions that He gives in .

There are three things that we are going to look at this morning as we prepare our hearts and minds for coming to the Lord’s table this morning.

It is a Feast of

If we are Not careful we can allow the symbology of this time to become meaningless by coming to the Lord’s Table with an improper heart.

A Spirit of Unity

The Church in Corinth was a very divided church.

So much so that when they came together to celebrate the Lord’s Supper that they would break up into their own groups or cliques.

Divisions Amongst the People

Spiritual Division

1 Cor 3:

“One day a guy was walking across a bridge and he saw another fellow who looked like he was ready to jump off the bridge.

So, he thought he’d try to stall him until the authorities showed up.

So he yelled to the guy, ‘Don’t jump!’

To which the guy replied, ‘Why not?

Nobody loves me.’

‘Well, God loves you.

You believe in God, don’t you? ‘Yes, I believe in God,’ he said.

‘Good.

Are you Christian or Jewish?

‘Christian,’ he said.

‘Me, too!

What kind of Christian?’

‘Baptist,’ he said.

‘Me, too!

Independent Baptist or Southern Baptist?’ ‘Independent Baptist,’ he said.

‘Me, too!

New Evangelical/Moderate Independent Baptist or Conservative Independent Baptist?’ ‘Conservative Independent Baptist,’ he said.

‘Me, too!

Once Saved Always Saved Conservative Independent Baptist or Lose-Your-Salvation Armenian Conservative Independent Baptist?’ ‘Once Saved Always Saved Conservative Independent Baptist,’ he said.

‘Me, too!

King James Only Once Saved Always Saved Conservative Independent Baptist OR Modern Versions Once Saved Always Saved Conservative Independent Baptist?’

And the guy said, ‘Modern Versions Once Saved Always Saved Conservative Independent Baptist,’ he said.

And the other guy said, ‘What??!!

You heretic!’

And he pushed him over the bridge.”

Paul says there will be Heresies in the Church - sects - like the Pharisee’s () Sadducees () and even Christians ( and )

Paul says there will be Heresies in the Church - sects - like the Pharisee’s () Sadducees () and even Christians ( and )

When so many different people from so many different backgrounds come together under one roof there will be differences!

Which is why it is imperative that we come to the word of God with a humble and teachable Spirit.

Notice Paul says it is Necessary that there are heresies among you, Which is why we must be careful in choosing our leadership, choosing teachers of the Word of God that will stand on its truth and boldly declare it.

He says that in the light of these divisions, those who stand on the Word of God and strive to Model Christ in their life stand out as Approved (tested and found faithful) and are made manifest (clearly seen)

Christian - Do you desire the truth more than you desire to be right?

When you find your thinking at Odds with the clear teaching of God’s Word are you willing to allow His truth to transform your minds

There Were Social Divisions

There were Doctrinal Divisions

The way that you and I come to the Lord’s supper is different than what was done in the NT Church.

Notice i said different, not wrong.

They would bring in food - almost like one of our potlucks - and eat together making communion a part of this “Love Feast” as some commentators like to call it.

But what was commonly happening is that there were wealthy christians who would bring in their “casseroles” and share that amongst their groups rather than sharing with all that were present.

Look at what

The results of this if found in verse 21 - the poor were leaving hungry while the others were leaving stuffed.

Paul rebukes this in verse 22 telling them - don’t you have your on house were you can invite your friends over.

Is there anything wrong with having close friends in the church that you enjoy fellowshipping with?

Absolutely not!

Each of us have people that we are closer too, and naturally gravitate towards forming close friendships.

However when a church becomes Cliquesh it generates a divisive spirit that dishonors the Lord.

1 Cor 10:

Paul says in our text

The Spirit of Disunity and Divisiveness was so carnal and out of sync with the heart of Christ that Paul tells them, when you come together like this - you cannot claim that this is the Lord’s Supper.

We are called to be one body - finding our commonalty with each others in the person of Jesus Christ.

It is related of the Duke of Wellington, that once when he remained to take the sacrament at his parish church, a very poor old man went up the opposite aisle, and reaching the communion table, knelt down close by the side of the duke.

Someone came and touched the poor man on the shoulder, and whispered to him to move further away, or to rise and wait until the duke had received the bread and wine.

But the eagle eye and the quick ear of the great commander caught the meaning of that touch and that whisper.

He clasped the old man's hand and held him, to prevent his rising, and in a reverent undertone, but most distinctly, said—"Do not move, we are all equal here."

In a Peanuts cartoon Lucy demanded that Linus change TV channels, threatening him with her fist if he didn't.

"What makes you think you can walk right in here and take over?" asks Linus.

"These five fingers," says Lucy. "Individually they're nothing but when I curl them together like this into a single unit, they form a weapon that is terrible to behold."

"Which channel do you want?" asks Linus.

Turning away, he looks at his fingers and says, "Why can't you guys get organized like that?"

To be Worthy of the table - Paul says first we must put on the mind of Christ and express a Unity born out of a desire to model Christ in our life that is lived out in our care for one another.

During World War II, Hitler commanded all religious groups to unite so that he could control them.

Among the Brethren assemblies, half complied and half refused.

Those who went along with the order had a much easier time.

Those who did not, faced harsh persecution.

In almost every family of those who resisted, someone died in a concentration camp.