Sermon 102796

1Co. 11:17-33                          A Time for Self Examination                                        10/27/96

ABCC

I.   Introduction                                                                                                                       543

     A. The church is the ideal environment for saints (Eph. 5:23-29; 1Tim. 3:15; Mt. 16:18)

     B. Church gatherings should be for edification (v. 17; 14:26b; Heb. 10:23-25)

     C. Church gatherings are not to encourage cliques or divisions (v. 18-19)

·        on the basis of possessions, influence, positions in life

     C. We must not have mixed/wrong motives at the Lord’s Supper (v. 20)

·        selfishness, greed, gluttony, satisfying natural desires (v. 21-22)

·        no class, racial or other human distinctions at the Lord’s Supper - the slave is to partake with free, poor with rich, male with female, young with old!

II.  The Lord’s Supper

     A. An ordinance/ceremony/practice from Christ to His Church (v. 23a)

     B. The ordinance is to engage the mind of the believer - “remembrance”

     C. The elements are to aid in remembrance of Christ sacrifice (v. 23b-25)

     D. The ordinance is also a reminder of Christ return (v. 26)

III. The Lord’s Supper & Self Examination

     A. Partaking without engaging the mind & heart profanes Christ (v. 27; Heb. 10:29)

·        lack of repentance, bitterness, envy, stubbornness & pride, etc. - MOCKERY!

Þ     Partaking in this manner “dishonors” the holy & lovely Christ in whose honor the ordinance is held - His work of redemption (suffering, death, resurrection)!

A Time for Self Examination, pg. 2

     B. Partaking without engaging the mind & heart brings God’s discipline (v. 29,30,32)

·        weakness, sickness & death are disciplines from God (Heb. 12:4-8)

     C. Partaking with honest self examination brings blessing (v. 28,31)

     D. Honest & earnest participation in the Lord’s Supper brings harmony among

          believers (v. 33)

We are not competing with each other.  We have not come together to compare our possessions, talents, accomplishments, gifts.  There are no unimportant believers; every Christian has been bought with the same price - the blood and body of Christ!  Christ Jesus has suffered the penalty of sin for you my brother & sister; you have been reconciled & now have access to God.  Will you allow unconfessed sin - bitterness, envy, greed, discontentment, stubbornness & pride - keep back from loving fellowship with God?  You know things are not right in your home; your heart is not engaged in church ministry; you’re entertaining thoughts that you know are ungodly!  How long have you been weak (dryness in quiet time), sick (viruses, unexplained illness, long term ailments)?  Why aren’t involved in active ministry for Christ & loving fellowship with brothers & sisters?  Why is there such contention in your home?  How long can you hold out & be stubborn?