The 4 C's of Communion.

Opening Comments:

Please meet me in your copy of God’s Word this morning in 1 Corinthians 11:17-34. If you do not have a Bible, there should be one located underneath a seat near you. In that Bible you will find our passage for today on pg. 901. THis is God’s Holy Word,

1 Corinthians 11:17–34 ESV

17 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 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 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 manner 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.

Prayer:

Father in heaven, we worship you as the Head of the Church and as such we praise you for instructing us in how we are to conduct ourselves during times of corporate worship. Today we assemble to observe the Lord’s Supper together and we thank you for giving us very specific instructions regarding our observance of it. Help us to learn from your word today we pray. Amen.

Introduction:

Our passage before us this evening covers one of the two perpetual ordinances that Christ gave to the church. Those ordinances are baptism and Communion or “The Lord’s Supper.” The command for the church to continue in the practice of these ordinances was until Christ returns again.

It is vital for the church to have a correct and biblical understanding of how communion is to be observed. and 1 Corinthians 11:17-34 gives us a detailed understanding.

In the beginning of ch.11, Paul praises the Corinthian church for carrying out the ordinances like he had instructed them to do, but, he condemns the way in which they were going about observing communion. In vs.17 he declares to them “I do not commend you.”

Paul’s forcefulness stresses the awesome importance placed on Communion and the absolute necessity that it be observed properly.

In a sense Paul says “you come together for the Lords supper not for the better, not to edify yourselves by remembering the Lords death; but you're coming to gather for the worse, to tear yourselves down.”

Keeping that background in mind, let’s observe together “The 4 C’s of Communion.”

1.) The Corruption of Communion. (v.18-22)

The Corinthians were tragically abusing the Lords supper, they were not coming together in a somber memorial service but they were having a “love feast” (potluck)

 There were 4 abuses going on:

A.) There were divisions and cliques (v18-19)

When divisions, cliques, factions and parties exist in a church the overall spirit of the church becomes disorder. Minds and hearts are not stayed on the Lord and his peace but instead dwell upon pain, anger, gossip, pride, selfishness, misunderstanding disturbance and misrepresentation.

Paul says he “in part” believes it, meaning he didn’t believe everything he had heard, but that there was some truth to it and the church must correct it.

Division and cliques within a church do not catch God off-guard. He allows them in order to cause the genuine believers to stand out that much more. Divisive and cliquish people cause the love and truth of Christ to shine even brighter in the genuine believers”

“V19 tell us that factions or sects need to exist In order to prove who the genuine Christian’s are.

Application: The warning is clear, any person who finds himself in a group that is divisive stands in grave danger. Ongoing divisiveness and cliquishness are proofs that a persons faith is not genuine. That person needs to repent and truly trust Christ as savior.

1 Peter 3:8–9 ESV

8 Finally, all of you, have unity of mind, sympathy, brotherly love, a tender heart, and a humble mind. 9 Do not repay evil for evil or reviling for reviling, but on the contrary, bless, for to this you were called, that you may obtain a blessing.

B.) There was self-self-deception (v20)

They thought they were celebrating the Lords supper, but they weren’t. They thought they were coming together to honor the Lord, but because of their divisiveness, their meeting was utterly useless and meaningless to God.

Galatians 6:3 ESV

3 For if anyone thinks he is something, when he is nothing, he deceives himself.

James 1:26 ESV

26 If anyone thinks he is religious and does not bridle his tongue but deceives his heart, this person’s religion is worthless.

C.) There was selfishness and neglect of others (v21)

In the love feasts of the early church, everyone brought the food they could. This made sure there was plenty for everyone, rich and poor alike, a common meal everyone shared (potluck today) 

The corinthian church wasn’t even doing a love feast correctly, instead of sharing, they were sitting off in their own groups and the poor among them were being neglected, while others were indulging and acting like gluttons and were even practicing in drunkenness.

They were celebrating in a sinful manner and not at all remembering the Lord. There was no christian fellowship, but selfishness and indulgence

D.). They were abusing the sanctity of the church and shaming the poor (v 22)

II.) The Connotation (meaning) of Communion. (v 23-26)

Jesus instituted the Lords supper the very night he was betrayed.

A.) The meaning of the bread (v 24).

It was symbolic of the battered, bruised body of the Lord the was sacrificed for you and I as he died a substitutionary death for us.

When we partake of the bread, we are to remember His sacrifice, and focus our attention upon Christ.

1 Peter 2:24 ESV

24 He himself bore our sins in his body on the tree, that we might die to sin and live to righteousness. By his wounds you have been healed.

1 Peter 3:18 ESV

18 For Christ also suffered once for sins, the righteous for the unrighteous, that he might bring us to God, being put to death in the flesh but made alive in the spirit,

B.) The meaning of the cup (v25)

The old covenant (the blood of bulls, sheep, and goats) was being set aside and God was establishing a new covenant with His people based in the blood of Christ.

Hebrews 9:13–15 ESV

13 For if the blood of goats and bulls, and the sprinkling of defiled persons with the ashes of a heifer, sanctify for the purification of the flesh, 14 how much more will the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered himself without blemish to God, purify our conscience from dead works to serve the living God. 15 Therefore he is the mediator of a new covenant, so that those who are called may receive the promised eternal inheritance, since a death has occurred that redeems them from the transgressions committed under the first covenant.

Christ very simply instructed his followers to set aside a time to take the cup, bless it, and drink of it with one purpose in mind to focus our attention upon the Lord and remember the sacrifice of His blood for us.

C.) The reason for observing the Lords supper (v 26)

The Lords supper is both a picture and a sermon which proclaims the Lords death and his return.

III.) The Consequences of Communion. (v 27-30)

What does it mean to partake in communion in an unworthy manner?

When we eat the bread and drink the cup with unconfessed sin in our heart and life we are counted unworthy.

To be clear, our worthiness is only found in christ, we have no righteousness of our own, we can only be counted worthy to partake if we are in fellowship with Him, with a repentant heart toward our sin.

There are 3 consequences to taking the lords upper unworthily:

 A.) a person becomes guilty of the lords death (v 27)

His sin is against Christ -insults, offends, tramples or counts Christ death as meaning less. 

Hebrews 10:29 ESV

29 How much worse punishment, do you think, will be deserved by the one who has trampled underfoot the Son of God, and has profaned the blood of the covenant by which he was sanctified, and has outraged the Spirit of grace?

B.) You condemn yourself if you do not examine your heart for unconfessed sin. (v 28-30)

You must confess and repent of any known sin.

Judgement does not mean the believer will be damed to Hell, that cannot happen, salvation is eternal, but you will be judged by God here.

The person who takes the bread and cup unworthily fails to think (discern) the severity of what they are doing.  

Irreverence of the body and blood of Christ stirs the judgement of God. 

C.) A person is disciplined by the Lord (v30)

The corinthian abuse of the Lords supper was so rank that God acted with severe discipline that included sickness and death. These are not symbolic (the text gives no indication of that)

 4 thoughts about God’s discipline:

God disciplines his children because He loves them.

God disciplines his children to keep us form destroying ourselves, and hurting others.

God knows what kind of discipline to use to wake his child to repentance.

God knows when a believer should be taken to heaven.

Hebrews 12:5–8 ESV

5 And have you forgotten the exhortation that addresses you as sons? “My son, do not regard lightly the discipline of the Lord, nor be weary when reproved by him. 6 For the Lord disciplines the one he loves, and chastises every son whom he receives.” 7 It is for discipline that you have to endure. God is treating you as sons. For what son is there whom his father does not discipline? 8 If you are left without discipline, in which all have participated, then you are illegitimate children and not sons.

Revelation 3:19 ESV

19 Those whom I love, I reprove and discipline, so be zealous and repent.

IV.) The Correct Approach to Communion. (v 31-34)

A.) Judge (examine) yourself (v31)

Make sure you are not living in sin or carrying some known or unconfessed sin in our hearts.

B.) Accept the chastening of the Lord (v32)

Confess, repent, and turn form the sin your life. God is judging you here, and if he’s not judging/chastening you, then your not his Child and he will one day due you eternally. 

C.) Serve one another (v 33)

Stop acting selfishly and self indulgently and put each other first. Share and demonstrate love for one another.

D.) Don’t bring condemnation upon yourself (v34)

Straighten your life out christian, stop living in unrepentant sin. Change what you’ve been doin.

Eat at home (he tells the Corinthians ) and do the Lords supper decently and in order.

Conclusion:

You’ve heard a thorough treatment of the lords supper today, now is your time to decide what you will do with what you’ve heard.

 1.) Is there unconfessed sin-repent and forsake?

2.) Is there strife and disunity-repent and make things right?

3.) Don’t partake of the Lords supper unworthily and reap judgement on yourself.

Lord’s Supper Service Order

Opening prayer /Pass out the elements-

Talk about what the bread represents, then pray thanking God for the body of Christ.

Matthew 26:26 ESV

26 Now as they were eating, Jesus took bread, and after blessing it broke it and gave it to the disciples, and said, “Take, eat; this is my body.”

"AND THEY ALL DID EAT"

Talk about the blood of Christ and what it meant, then pray and thank God for the blood.

Matthew 26:27–28 ESV

27 And he took a cup, and when he had given thanks he gave it to them, saying, “Drink of it, all of you, 28 for this is my blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many for the forgiveness of sins.

"AND THEY ALL DID DRINK"

Matthew 26:30 ESV

30 And when they had sung a hymn, they went out to the Mount of Olives.

END WITH ALL STANZAS OF AMAZING GRACE