It's Not Your Supper...It's His!

It’s Not – Living Based on Your WhatSupper You Are, It’sUsed the Lords! Not on What You to Be 1 Corinthians 10:14-22 and 11:17-34 1 Corinthians 6:1-11 October 21, 2018 June 24, 2018 Background: Paul had deep concern over 3 disruptions that were doing damage to the church. One was the attitudes and actions of people during the Lord’s Supper. Another was the attitudes of some of the women about matters of submission and authority and their own actions in public worship. A third disturbance which Paul will address is confusion over and misuse of spiritual gifts in the church. THE BIG IDEA: The celebration that was supposed to unify the church was actually bringing disunity, because of failure to focus on Christ and to consider others. Paul reminded the Corinthians that the central focus of the Lord’s Supper is the remembrance and proclamation of Christ’s saving work, in the context of the Church – the one Body of Christ. 1 Corinthians 10:14–22 (ESV) and 1 Corinthians 11:17-34 (ESV) 10 Therefore, my beloved, flee from idolatry. 15 I speak as to sensible people; judge for yourselves what I say. 16 The cup of blessing that we bless, is it not a participation in the blood of Christ? The bread that we break, is it not a participation in the body of Christ? 17 Because there is one bread, we who are many are one body, for we all partake of the one bread. 18 Consider the people of Israel: are not those who eat the sacrifices participants in the altar? 19 What do I imply then? That food offered to idols is anything, or that an idol is anything? 20 No, I imply that what pagans sacrifice they offer to demons and not to God. I do not want you to be participants with demons. 21 You cannot drink the cup of the Lord and the cup of demons. You cannot partake of the table of the Lord and the table of demons. 22 Shall we provoke the Lord to jealousy? Are we stronger than he? 11 14 But in the following instructions I do not commend you, because when you come together it is not for the better but for the worse. 18 For, in the first place, when you come together as a church, I hear that there are divisions among you. And I believe it in part, 19 for there must be factions among you in order that those who are genuine among you may 17 be recognized. 20 When you come together, it is not the Lord’s supper that you eat. 21 For in eating, each one goes ahead with his own meal. One goes hungry, another gets drunk. 22 What! Do you not have houses to eat and drink in? Or do you despise the church of God and humiliate those who have nothing? What shall I say to you? Shall I commend you in this? No, I will not. 23 For I received from the Lord what I also delivered to you, that the Lord Jesus on the night when 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 also he took the cup, after supper, saying, “This cup is the new covenant [Jeremiah 31:31] in my blood. Do this, as often as you drink it, in remembrance of me.” 26 For as often as you eat this bread and drink the cup, you proclaim the Lord’s death until he comes. 27 Whoever, therefore, eats the bread or drinks the cup of the Lord in an unworthy will be guilty concerning the body and blood of the Lord. 28 Let a person examine himself then, and so eat of the bread and drink of the cup. 29 For anyone who eats and drinks without discerning the body eats and drinks judgment on himself. 30 That is why many of you are weak and ill, and some have died. 31 But if we judged ourselves truly, we would not be judged. 32 But when we are judged by the Lord, we are disciplined so that we may not be condemned along with the world. 33 So then, my brothers, when you come together to eat, wait for one another— 34 if anyone is hungry, let him eat at home—so that when you come together it will not be for judgment. About the other things I will give directions when I come. § § § § See in the Lord’s Supper our deep connection with the living Christ. See in the Lord’s Supper the Oneness we have as His Body – “we who are many are one body” (10:11) See in the Lord’s Supper the opportunity to consider others before ourselves. See in the Lord’s Supper our Sin, His Mercy, and the Father’s Grace. “The more bitterness we taste in sin, the more sweetness we shall taste in Christ.” ― Thomas Watson, The Lord's Supper