Worthy Worship
Worthy Worship
1 Corinthians 11:17-34
Introduction
Thank you for the excellent music ministry this morning and, in particular, for helping us focus our minds on the communion service to follow.
We are in the middle of a sermon series entitled, “The church is a family that…” and today we end the phrase with “…worships together”. What does the phrase “church family” that mean to you? Might any organization be called a “family” if it is pleasantly characterized by a group that meets often, enjoys one another’s company, and maybe has a warm fuzzy feeling when they’re together? Perhaps that could be the case. We casually sing songs like “I’m so glad I’m a part of the family of God”; it’s easy to imagine the song composer, Bill Gaither, as a warm, fuzzy kind of guy. In small churches, it that may be that several church families are distant blood relations – especially in the back hills of Arkansas! But is that the extent of it?
Let me assure you, the relation we have to one another is very real and very “family”.
Members of the church – believers in Jesus Christ – are related to one another through our adoption as sons (or children) of God. Quickly turn to Hebrews 2:9-15:
9But we see Jesus, who was made a little lower than the angels for the suffering of death, crowned with glory and honour; that he by the grace of God should taste death for every man.
10For it became him, for whom are all things, and by whom are all things, in bringing many sons unto glory, to make the captain of their salvation perfect through sufferings. 11For both he that sanctifieth and they who are sanctified are all of one: for which cause he is not ashamed to call them brethren, 12Saying, I will declare thy name unto my brethren, in the midst of the church will I sing praise unto thee. 13And again, I will put my trust in him. And again, Behold I and the children which God hath given me.
14Forasmuch then as the children are partakers of flesh and blood, he also himself likewise took part of the same; that through death he might destroy him that had the power of death, that is, the devil; 15And deliver them who through fear of death were all their lifetime subject to bondage.[1] [KJV]
Hebrews 2:10 says it clearly: Christ wanted to bring “many sons unto glory”. Again in verse 11: “he is not ashamed to call them brethren”; similar Old Testament quotations are given in verses 12 and 13. The writer of the Epistle to the Hebrews is stating that Christ wanted us in a family relationship with Himself. To accomplish this, He needed to do two things (verse 9):
(1) become flesh or take on humanity (i.e., the Incarnation) in order to identify with us, and
(2) suffer death on our behalf (i.e., the Cross) to bring us into close relationship with himself. He had to deal with our sin problem; otherwise, our sin separates us from the Holy God and we can never be close to Him.
In other words, He did all this in order to make us His family – hardly just a pleasant phrase when the substance of our relationship was established by the Creator through His blood.
Note verses 14-15: “Forasmuch then as the children are partakers of flesh and blood, he also himself likewise took part of the same; that through death he might destroy him that had the power of death, that is, the devil; and deliver them who through fear of death were all their lifetime subject to bondage.” This wonderful combination of His “flesh” and His “blood” - the payment for our becoming His family – is what we celebrate today in our observance of the Lord’s Table.
W. Robinson put it this way:
“We have, in the celebration of the Lord’s Supper, that subtle combination of simplicity and sublimity, of intimacy and ultimacy, of reverence and homeliness. We are priests worshipping in the heavenlies with our great High Priest whom we adore; we are kings gathered before the throne of the King of kings; but we are also children of our Father, gathered at the family hearth, intimately related to each other in him, in a relationship which breaks down every racial and blood barrier, every class barrier, and which is closer than any blood bond of national or family tie can be, because we are joined in the communion of his body and blood.”[2]
The Lord’s Supper, or The Eucharist, or simply Communion, has been regarded as the central act of Christian worship. In keeping with this, Olive Wyon wrote:
“The eucharist is central: because it gathers up, expresses, and makes effective the whole meaning of the spiritual life. It proclaims the Christian Gospel: in it God comes to us with his forgiveness and his strength. One by one, and as members of the body of Christ, we respond to him with gratitude and awe.” [3]
So today we look at this one particularly important aspect of Christian worship: the celebration of the Lord’s Supper. To that end, let’s take the next few moments looking at a passage in Paul’s first letter to the Corinthian family of believers, one that speaks to an issue concerning the Lord’s Table in the context of a local worship service.
Exposition
Let’s begin with some explanation of the context, found in 1 Corinthians 11:1-2:
1Be ye followers of me, even as I also am of Christ. 2Now I praise you, brethren, that ye remember me in all things, and keep the ordinances, as I delivered them to you. [KJV]
The Apostle Paul is beginning to engage in a monologue of several items concerning the Corinthian’s worship.
He sets the stage, first stating that he models a lifestyle and behavior they are to pattern themselves after. Quite a challenge! How many of us dare to say that?
He next gives them a word of encouragement and praise, stating they are indeed “keeping the ordinances” as he had outlined them. Of course, after we read further down the chapter, we discover that this was the “spoonful of sugar” that “makes the medicine go down” – the bible according to Mary Poppins.
By the time we reach verse 17, he continues with the subject of today’s study.
17Now in this that I declare unto you I praise you not, that ye come together not for the better, but for the worse. [KJV]
Oops! This doesn’t sound good. Is it possible to “come together not for the better, but for the worse”? Do you mean coming to church isn’t always a good thing? Well, let’s just say that the way they were conducting themselves, when they gathered together for this purpose and under these conditions, needed correction.
We live in a society that values tolerance. Nothing is wrong per se; everyone has different opinions and beliefs and we simply need to respect those for what they are – personal or relative truth. In fact, as Danny Kroeker read for us last week from Chuck Colson’s book, How Now Shall We Then Live?, it seems that the only thing our culture refuses to tolerate is intolerance! Absolute “right” and “wrong” are held as archaic concepts – outdated from today’s Post-Modern viewpoint.
Nevertheless, God has clearly communicated through His Word things that please and displease Him; that which is right and wrong; holy and righteous acts against sinful, rebellious ones. Bad attitudes and behaviors aren’t automatically changed into good ones just because they are conducted within the confines of a church building or performed in the presence of the believers gathered. There is a right way and a wrong way. Paul now goes on to explain what they did wrong and why they needed correction.
18For first of all, when ye come together in the church, I hear that there be divisions among you; and I partly believe it. 19For there must be also heresies among you, that they which are approved may be made manifest among you. 20When ye come together therefore into one place, this is not to eat the Lord’s supper. 21For in eating every one taketh before other his own supper: and one is hungry, and another is drunken. 22What? have ye not houses to eat and to drink in? or despise ye the church of God, and shame them that have not? What shall I say to you? shall I praise you in this? I praise you not. [KJV]
“First of all” probably means that this matter was of prime importance to Paul. As we see from verse 34, there were other items of lesser importance that needed correction and he intended to deal with them personally when he next visited.
The context of this issue surrounds a common early-church practice of enjoying a “love feast” – a type of “potluck” similar to our Fellowship Meal here at First Free but with a few key differences:
· Many scholars attribute the love feast as the means by which these early Christians chose to distribute food to the less fortunate among them. We see this practice in other passages, such as Acts 6:1 (“widows were neglected”) and Acts 2:44 (“had all things in common”).
· The act of eating together was quite commonplace, occurring at almost every opportunity of meeting (Acts 2:46 – “daily”, Acts 6:1 – “daily ministration”).
· These meals led into an observance of the Lord’s Table.
So what was the problem?
The apostle indicates that the church at Corinth was divided into sects or splinter groups (v.18). The KJV use of the word “heresies” in verse 19 is interesting. The Greek word haireseis actually means[4] a choosing or taking of sides. This could infer that the divisions in verse 18 were actually partisan factions.
No one knows the exact nature of the divisions, but it could have been a “rich versus poor” dispute. Note the phrase “every one taketh before his own supper” (v.21) closely followed by “shame them that have not” (v. 22). It seems that people (perhaps the wealthy or those with abundance) would eat their own food before others (who perhaps had less fancy fare or brought nothing to contribute) had a chance to share.
It is also possible that the divisions had some other cause that resulted in the poor being left out. For example, if factions were taking sides over what color to paint the church foyer (a purely hypothetical situation), then it is possible that one group might not want to share their food with those of the opposing view, eating the food they brought before others had the chance. The poor believers, who may have had nothing to do with the dispute, find the food gone by the time they arrive – through no fault of their own. A war between two sides can create casualties among the innocent bystanders.
Whatever the cause, voluntary divisions existed and were disruptive.
There is some debate over the meaning of verse 19. It could be saying that divisions will always exist and implying that sometimes God allows such trouble to invade so that those who defend the truth and those of godly character emerge from the fray – something along the lines of Romans 8:28 (“all things work together for good”). On the other hand, it could be saying that a taking of sides or a difference of opinion is inevitable but that a good discussion will show who is well grounded in their faith – akin to “disagreeing without being disagreeable”, avoiding disruptive separation or division. Since I think both views could be acceptable, I choose not to choose (seated firmly on the fence) but take the counsel of both interpretations.
So what was Paul upset about? Was it that partisan divisions existed? Yes. Was it that people were taking a “me first” attitude to the food service? Yes. Was it that the needy poor were leaving with empty stomachs while the gluttonous rich left full? Yes.
Aside: This kind of attitude and behavior is incongruous to what should be. During our Worship Task Force meetings, we almost always spent some time in God’s Word looking at passages that described different aspects of worship. One night, we looked at the parallel passages of Ephesians 5:19-20 and Colossians 3:16-17:
16Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom; teaching and admonishing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with grace in your hearts to the Lord. 17And whatsoever ye do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God and the Father by him. [KJV]
Without getting into an exposition of this text itself, I will note that, in both Ephesians and Colossians, these verses are surrounded by passages that talk about (i) demonstrating love for one another and (ii) mutual submission. This love (agape), mentioned in Col. 3:14, is the kind of love God demonstrates toward us – a selfless, “other-benefiting” kind of love. The Corinthians weren’t showing God’s love to each other, nor were they submitting to one another.
Further, do we here at First Free exhibit those characteristics – demonstrating that selfless, other-benefiting love to one another and submitting to one another? Do I? Do you?
Perhaps the most accusing point is found in verse 20: “this is not to eat the Lord’s supper”. The congregation was displacing the real purpose of their gathering and trivializing the Table.
Let me take a moment and draw some contemporary parallels. Why do we come to church? Why are we participating in Communion? Are we preoccupied with the time, with our hunger, or the fact that we have a roast in the oven? Do we simply go through the motions, pass the trays, and move on with the rest of our day – as if nothing particularly significant happened?
Nothing significant?? Christ’s Body broken and His Blood shed for you – these are insignificant??
Okay, while I’m on this subject…. Are we so casual about this thing called worship (and specifically communion) that we even fail to attend or participate? What’s more important than worshipping God, ascribing His worth? Well, if truth be told, our actions demonstrate that a lot of other things are more important. Things like: our warm beds filled with tired bodies, the children’s hockey practice or soccer game, our enjoyment of a beautiful day in the mountains, our grudge with so-and-so that keeps me away, my morning of “peace and quiet” or personal comfort, our weekend at the cottage, etc. Is there anyone I missed or failed to point the accusing finger at?
Oh, I can already hear the uproar against my assertions and implications. “But I can worship God anywhere.” “I worship Him in the appreciation of nature all around me.” “I can get more out of my quiet times than in church.” “I heard a great sermon on television this morning.”
I’m afraid that we (myself included) too often trivialize the gathering of Christ’s Family. It’s not that important to even command our best efforts in service much less our full attention or our faithful attendance. Nevertheless, Hebrews 10:23-25 remains unaltered:
23Let us hold fast the profession of our faith without wavering; (for he is faithful that promised;) 24And let us consider one another to provoke unto love and to good works: 25Not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as the manner of some is; but exhorting one another: and so much the more, as ye see the day approaching. [KJV, emphasis mine]
Before I go past the point of no return, let me climb down off my soap box and pick up where I left off at 1 Corinthians 11:22. Recognizing what he said in Romans 3:23 (“For all have sinned and come short of the glory of God.”), the apostle now says, (paraphrased) “your actions are not praiseworthy” – despite his disposition otherwise (v.2). But he goes on from there.
Let’s skip over verses 23 to 26 for now and start again at verse 27.
27Wherefore whosoever shall eat this bread, and drink this cup of the Lord, unworthily, shall be guilty of the body and blood of the Lord. 28But let a man examine himself, and so let him eat of that bread, and drink of that cup. 29For he that eateth and drinketh unworthily, eateth and drinketh damnation to himself, not discerning the Lord’s body. 30For this cause many are weak and sickly among you, and many sleep. 31For if we would judge ourselves, we should not be judged. 32But when we are judged, we are chastened of the Lord, that we should not be condemned with the world. 33Wherefore, my brethren, when ye come together to eat, tarry one for another. 34And if any man hunger, let him eat at home; that ye come not together unto condemnation. And the rest will I set in order when I come. [KJV]
The immediate context is the celebration of Communion or the Lord’s Table. This is the act of worship that has been so grievously trivialized and associated with bad behavior by the Corinthians.
Paul seems to be saying in verse 27 that participating in an unworthy manner is tantamount to breaking His Body and shedding His blood – obviously something we should avoid at all cost! What then does “unworthily” mean?
F.W. Grosheide explains:
“Unworthy: this implies that a certain worth, or value, is connected with the bread and the cup. He who uses them without counting their value uses them in an unworthy manner., i.e., not in accordance with their value. Such an unworthy use the Corinthians made of the Communion when they served it after a love feast marred by quarrels. There is no indication in the text that this profanation was intentional. The apostle simply states that it actually occurred.”[5]
Charles Hodge put it another way:
“The man who tramples on the flag of his country, insults his country; and he who treats with indignity the representative of a sovereign, thereby offends the sovereign himself. In like manner, he who treats the symbols of Christ’s body and blood irreverently is guilty of irreverence towards Christ.”[6]
Can you see Paul’s point? In communion, the bread is a symbol of His body; the cup is a symbol of His blood (or more correctly in our text, “the new testament in my blood”). If we treat the symbols with disregard, irreverence, or insignificance, then we are doing the same to that which they represent.
As Dr. Grosheide pointed out, there is no evidence that the Corinthians actually did this intentionally. However, actions speak for themselves. I certainly don’t think that we here at First Free are guilty of intentionally disregarding the symbols. But that’s not the question: have we? Are we?
The consequences of unworthy worship visited upon the Corinthians were not pleasant: weakness, sickness, and even death (verse 30). Serious? Yes. Fatal? Sometimes. Eternal? No. You see in verse 32, the believer is subjected to chastising but not eternal condemnation. That is indeed a blessed hope! He loves us so much that he disciplines us – despite our failures. After all, Paul says it in Romans 8:38-39 this way:
38For I am persuaded, that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come, 39Nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.
Okay, we now know the problem and the consequences. What’s the remedy? How can we avoid making this kind of mistake?
The apostle gives the Corinthian believers three very practical instructions:
1. Examine yourself (v. 28)
Dr. Grosheide put it this way:
“To prove: the Greek word implies a special kind of proving, namely such as implies the conviction on the part of him who proves that the result of his proving will be good. It implies the purpose of detecting the good and consequently of recognizing it as reliable. Paul demands that every member of the church (a man) shall so prove himself that he will sift out the evil and will arrive at the condition of one who is “proved”. To prove is not in the first place to search oneself whether he is worthy to sit at the holy table, although in practice this is what it amounts to. Paul calls this act in vs. 31 to discern oneself. This act of “proving” cannot have as its result staying away from the Lord’s table, for its result is always good.”[7]
As Dr. Groshiede stated, the act of proving or examining oneself is precisely the judging we are called to do in verse 31. Get your priorities straight and your mind focused on Christ!
2. Wait for one another (v. 33)
Why are we always interested in “me first”? The world doesn’t revolve around “me”. Let someone else go ahead of you. Give them the benefit of the doubt. Submit to their position. Prefer one another.
You know the children’s song: Jesus and Others and You – what a wonderful way to spell JOY! Look out for the interests of others. Give them first place in the buffet line. Open a door for someone else. Young person – take time to learn an old hymn; older person – take time to learn a new chorus. Know that you are not alone in the Family and that you need do what is best (other-benefiting love) for your brothers and sisters in Christ.
3. Eat at home (v. 34)
Do what little things you can to avoid problems in and distractions from worship. Settle your differences in advance. Prepare for worship – you can’t always do that after you show up.
Summary
The Corinthians turned the Lord’s Supper into an ordinary meal lacking significance. Don’t turn worship into a commonplace thing. Don’t let the extraordinary, nay, heavenly sacrifice go unremembered and unvalued. Give Him the worship due unto His name. The psalmist put it this way (Psalm 96):
1O sing unto the LORD a new song: sing unto the LORD, all the earth. 2Sing unto the LORD, bless his name; shew forth his salvation from day to day. 3Declare his glory among the heathen, his wonders among all people. 4For the LORD is great, and greatly to be praised: he is to be feared above all gods. 5For all the gods of the nations are idols: but the LORD made the heavens. 6Honour and majesty are before him: strength and beauty are in his sanctuary. 7Give unto the LORD, O ye kindreds of the people, give unto the LORD glory and strength. 8Give unto the LORD the glory due unto his name: bring an offering, and come into his courts. 9O worship the LORD in the beauty of holiness: fear before him, all the earth.
10Say among the heathen that the LORD reigneth: the world also shall be established that it shall not be moved: he shall judge the people righteously. 11Let the heavens rejoice, and let the earth be glad; let the sea roar, and the fulness thereof. 12Let the field be joyful, and all that is therein: then shall all the trees of the wood rejoice 13Before the LORD: for he cometh, for he cometh to judge the earth: he shall judge the world with righteousness, and the people with his truth.
Communion
I would like to ask those who have been asked to assist in the distribution of the elements to come forward at this time.
We here at First Free celebrate an “open”, “family” table – where we invite all who are believers in Jesus Christ, who have put their faith and trust in Him, to participate with us in sharing these elements during this time of remembrance. If you have not made that step of faith, then you’re not yet part of His family; you are welcome to stay during this part of the service (it isn’t long) but we ask that you simply pass the elements by. If you would like to know more about how to become part of the family of God, to accept Jesus as your Lord and Savior, then please feel free to speak to me at the back door, to one of our church leaders, or come up to the front and speak with someone here who will talk and pray with you.
Now, beloved, as we move into that time of remembrance together, let us take the time right now to examine ourselves: prove our motives and behaviors, confess our sin to Him and ask for His forgiveness, make sure our minds and hearts are prepared to remember the awesome sacrifice He made. (pause)
In those verses we skipped earlier, we read the words of the apostle Paul:
23For I have received of the Lord that which also I delivered unto you, That the Lord Jesus the same night in which he was betrayed took bread: 24And when he had given thanks, he brake it, and said, Take, eat: this is my body, which is broken for you: this do in remembrance of me.
Jim Westman, please lead us in a prayer of thanksgiving for the bread.
(distribution)
The Scripture says,
24And when he had given thanks, he brake it, and said, Take, eat: this is my body, which is broken for you: this do in remembrance of me.
Let’s do so, together, as members of His family. (partake together)
25After the same manner also he took the cup, when he had supped, saying, This cup is the new testament in my blood: this do ye, as oft as ye drink it, in remembrance of me.
Floyd Cotton, please lead us in a prayer of thanksgiving for the cup.
(distribution)
25After the same manner also he took the cup, when he had supped, saying, This cup is the new testament in my blood: this do ye, as oft as ye drink it, in remembrance of me.
Let’s do so, together, as members of His family. (partake together)
26For as often as ye eat this bread, and drink this cup, ye do shew the Lord’s death till he come.
(Close in prayer)
Dean, please come lead us in our closing hymn.
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[1] The King James Version, (Cambridge: Cambridge) 1769.
[2] A Complete Source Book for the Lord’s Supper, C. L. Wallis (ed.), Baker Book House, Grand Rapids, Michigan, 1979, p. 67-68.
[3] Ibid, p. 70.
[4] A. T. Robertson, Word Pictures in the New Testament: Volume IV – The Epistles of Paul, Broadman Press, Nashville, Tennessee, 1931, p.163.
[5] F. W. Grosheide, Commentary on the First Epistle to the Corinthians, The New International Commentary on the New Testament, Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Company, Grand Rapids, Michigan, 1953, p. 273-274.
[6] Charles Hodge, A Commentary on the First Epistle to the Corinthians, The Banner of Truth Trust, London, England, 1850, p.230.
[7] F. W. Grosheide, Commentary on the First Epistle to the Corinthians, The New International Commentary on the New Testament, Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Company, Grand Rapids, Michigan, 1953, p. 274-275.