Proclaim the Lord's Death till He Returns
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Introduction
Introduction
Happy 4th of July
Tomorrow is July 4th, Independence Day.
Most Americans would agree that this is worthy of proclaiming.
Worthy of celebrating
Worthy Remembering
Worthy of examining our own role as a citizen of this country
What we as individuals and as a church proclaim or do not proclaim says a lot about who we are and what we believe. For instance if I had said nothing about Independence Day my silence would have sent as much a message as me saying something.
On this Sunday morning we are going to celebrate and proclaim the Lord’s Death through Communion.
This entire sermon is devoted to that.
My goal/aim this morning is help you understand...
What Communion is
Why we do Communion
How we should take Communion
In other words I hope to clear up any confusion you may have regarding Communion
Three Main Terms for Communion
Communion - stresses the emphasis that the body of Christ is coming together (communing) together to show our communion with Christ
Eucharist - literally means “to give thanks”; Jesus broke the bread and “gave thanks” eucharistas
Lord’s Supper - Biblical name for it, Paul uses this name as we will see in 1 Corinthians and it is as simple as it sounds, It is a supper/meal that was established by the Lord, therefore we call it the “Lord’s Supper”
Propositional Statement: We are here to celebrate the Lord’s Supper
Transitional Question: How exactly are we supposed to celebrate the Lord’s Supper?
Transitional Question: How exactly are we supposed to celebrate the Lord’s Supper?
Transitional Phrase: Paul gives us instructions on how to celebrate the Lord’s Supper in 1 Cor. 11
Transitional Phrase: Paul gives us instructions on how to celebrate the Lord’s Supper in 1 Cor. 11
Read: 1 Corinthians 11:17-34
1 Corinthians 11:17–34 (ESV)
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. 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, for there must be factions among you in order that those who are genuine among you may be recognized. When you come together, it is not the Lord’s supper that you eat. For in eating, each one goes ahead with his own meal. One goes hungry, another gets drunk. 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.
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, 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.” 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.” For as often as you eat this bread and drink the cup, you proclaim the Lord’s death until he comes.
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. Let a person examine himself, then, and so eat of the bread and drink of the cup. For anyone who eats and drinks without discerning the body eats and drinks judgment on himself. That is why many of you are weak and ill, and some have died. But if we judged ourselves truly, we would not be judged. But when we are judged by the Lord, we are disciplined so that we may not be condemned along with the world.
So then, my brothers, when you come together to eat, wait for one another— 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.
Pray
Biblical Context
Biblical Context
The tone of this letter is that of correction (1 Corinthians 11:17)
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.
Paul spends the majority of the letter correcting their behaviors as a church
Divisions, quarreling, spiritual immaturity, boastful prideful, caught in sexual immorality, lawsuits, idolatry, abuse of spiritual gifts
Paul corrected them, because they were acting like children
But I, brothers, could not address you as spiritual people, but as people of the flesh, as infants in Christ.
Just commended them for their understanding of roles of men and women but now he is back to correcting them in regards to the Lord’s Supper.
I. Celebrate in Communion (1 Corinthians 11:17-22, 33-34)
I. Celebrate in Communion (1 Corinthians 11:17-22, 33-34)
Communion with one another
Love Feasts - Sharing of Meals was a hallmark of the early church gathering
Commonly practiced until about 250 AD and was a focal point of the Sunday gathering
Stressed fellowship, affection, and mutual caring among the believers
The meal would conclude with the Lord’s Supper/taking communion
Love feasts traced back to the establishment of the church
And they devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and the fellowship, to the breaking of bread and the prayers.
Love feasts mentioned in Jude - false teachers
These are hidden reefs at your love feasts, as they feast with you without fear, shepherds feeding themselves; waterless clouds, swept along by winds; fruitless trees in late autumn, twice dead, uprooted;
Corinthians had turned the Love Feast into anything but loving
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.
Divisions and factions
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, for there must be factions among you in order that those who are genuine among you may be recognized.
Their habits showed a lack of love for one another
Letting those with little go hungry
Drinking to the point of drunkeness
For in eating, each one goes ahead with his own meal. One goes hungry, another gets drunk.
Feasting like the world and not as those redeemed by Christ
Communion with Christ
Sharing in the body and blood of Christ
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? Because there is one bread, we who are many are one body, for we all partake of the one bread.
They were to come together in communion to celebrate the Lord’s Supper based on their common communion with Christ.
The lack of love the Corinthians showed for one another the lack of genuine communion between them was hurting their communion with Christ.
When you come together, it is not the Lord’s supper that you eat.
If anyone says, “I love God,” and hates his brother, he is a liar; for he who does not love his brother whom he has seen cannot love God whom he has not seen. And this commandment we have from him: whoever loves God must also love his brother.
Illustration: On the night that Jesus established the Lord’s Supper. Before they ate and before and before He made a proclamation regarding the bread and the cup He got up from the table and went around the room washing the feet of each of the apostles.
You call me Teacher and Lord, and you are right, for so I am. If I then, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you also ought to wash one another’s feet. For I have given you an example, that you also should do just as I have done to you.
Application
Application
We may not have love feasts as a church any more and we may not practice foot washing in our society but our lack of love for one another can show up in all sorts of places.
Lack of commitment to fellow believers
Unwillingness to serve one another (nursery)
Not showing up when you have been scheduled to serve
II. Celebrate by Remembering (1Corinthians 11:23-26)
II. Celebrate by Remembering (1Corinthians 11:23-26)
Interpretation
Interpretation
Paul reminds the Corinthians that Communion is commanded by Christ
“Received” from the Lord
1 Corinthians 11:23 (ESV)
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,
Not a tradition someone made up
Not something Paul wants the churches to do
This is from Christ! - (why we call it an “ordinance”)
Ordinance - prescribed authoritative order
The Lord’s Supper is not optional for the Christian!
Proclaim the Lord’s death
For as often as you eat this bread and drink the cup, you proclaim the Lord’s death until he comes.
“Proclaim” - public announcement
“When you see someone get up and take the elements and then consume them with the church at large they are making a proclamation (public announcement) that Christ died for them!”
This is why we ask that when the time comes for us to do Communion we ask that if someone is not a believer to not take the elements.
The Bread
1 Corinthians 11:23b–24 (ESV)
took bread, 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.”
Bread = body of Christ
“For you” - Christ’s life, His purpose for being born was to die for you
who, though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, but emptied himself, by taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men. And being found in human form, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross.
The Cup
Cup = the blood of Christ to establish the New Covenant
Indeed, under the law almost everything is purified with blood, and without the shedding of blood there is no forgiveness of sins.
Pattern of shed blood in the Old Testament
i. Adam and Eve – animals sacrificed to provide a “covering” of their nakedness which is a symbol of their sin
ii. Cain and Abel seen continuing the pattern of sacrifice
iii. Noah gets off the Ark after the flood and sacrifices animals to God
iv. God calls Abraham and is directed to give sacrifice - Isaac
v. God calls Moses to lead the Israelites out of Egypt to sacrifice to God.
vi. God establishes the law with Israel which requires repeated sacrifice to the point that a river of blood would constantly be flowing out of the temple.
vii. Jesus is the perfect sacrifice for sin. There is no longer a need for any more shed blood, Jesus paid it all!
We celebrate the proclamation until Christ’s return
1 Corinthians 11:26 (ESV)
For as often as you eat this bread and drink the cup, you proclaim the Lord’s death until he comes.
The Lord celebrated communion once that night it was established but it will not be his last
Luke 22:15–18 (ESV)
And he said to them, “I have earnestly desired to eat this Passover with you before I suffer. For I tell you I will not eat it until it is fulfilled in the kingdom of God.” And he took a cup, and when he had given thanks he said, “Take this, and divide it among yourselves. For I tell you that from now on I will not drink of the fruit of the vine until the kingdom of God comes.”
Celebrate looking back to His death and celebrate looking forward to His return!
Marriage Supper of the Lamb
Revelation 19:7–10 (ESV)
Let us rejoice and exult
and give him the glory,
for the marriage of the Lamb has come,
and his Bride has made herself ready;
it was granted her to clothe herself
with fine linen, bright and pure”—
for the fine linen is the righteous deeds of the saints.
And the angel said to me, “Write this: Blessed are those who are invited to the marriage supper of the Lamb.” And he said to me, “These are the true words of God.” Then I fell down at his feet to worship him, but he said to me, “You must not do that! I am a fellow servant with you and your brothers who hold to the testimony of Jesus. Worship God.” For the testimony of Jesus is the spirit of prophecy.
2. Will you be at the Marriage Supper of the Lamb? - you can take part in the Lord’s Supper and have everyone convinced you are believer but you can’t fool Christ. Only those who have truly been redeemed by the blood of Christ will be at the Marriage Supper of the Lamb - to celebrate communion with our Lord and Savior.
Illustration
Illustration
Application
Application
III. Celebrate by Examining (1Corinthians 11:27-32)
III. Celebrate by Examining (1Corinthians 11:27-32)
Interpretation
Interpretation
It is possible to celebrate the Lord’s Supper in an unworthy manner.
Shock to some of us - who may show up on any given Sunday and not even know we are celebrating until we arrive - for many this is routine and we just go through the motions
Worthy and unworthy manner?
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.
If unworthy - guilty concerning the body and blood of the Lord?
To eat unworthy is to take communion with unconfessed and unrepentant sin in our lives
Context: Corinthians were sinning against one another and then participating in the table
To have unrepentant/unconfessed sin in our lives and then partake of the Lord’s Supper is to partake unworthily!
1 Corinthians 11:27 (NLT)
So anyone who eats this bread or drinks this cup of the Lord unworthily is guilty of sinning against the body and blood of the Lord.
Guarding against celebrating in an unworthy manner?
1 Corinthians 11:28 (ESV)
Let a person examine himself, then, and so eat of the bread and drink of the cup.
By examining ourselves for sin (like a physical examination for cancer)
Not your spouse, not your neighbor, but yourself!
Examine for sin and deal with that sin.
“then” - examine before eating and drinking
Consequences of failing to examine yourself
Judgement
For anyone who eats and drinks without discerning the body eats and drinks judgment on himself.
Not judgement as in eternal damnation
Judgement - κρίμα krima - has the idea of chastisement/discipline
Does God really do that? - YES
Besides this, we have had earthly fathers who disciplined us and we respected them. Shall we not much more be subject to the Father of spirits and live? For they disciplined us for a short time as it seemed best to them, but he disciplines us for our good, that we may share his holiness. For the moment all discipline seems painful rather than pleasant, but later it yields the peaceful fruit of righteousness to those who have been trained by it.
What is that judgement?
For anyone who eats and drinks without discerning the body eats and drinks judgment on himself. That is why many of you are weak and ill, and some have died.
Weakness - not physical weakness but mental weakness
Watch and pray that you may not enter into temptation. The spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak.”
But take care that this right of yours does not somehow become a stumbling block to the weak.
A Christian involved in unconfessed/unrepentant sin is a weak and ineffective Christian
Sin has taken hold of this individual and made them weak in the Christian life
Sickness/Illness
Death
DO NOT - go around asking if people sickness and terminal illness is a result of sin, REMEMBER this is self-examination - people still get sick and die apart from personal sin
Illustration - Personal story on how God used the Lord’s Supper and the call for examination in my life in regards to baptism and obedience to His will.
Application
Practical Steps for Self-Examination to Prepare for the Lord’s Supper
1. Listen to/sing some reflective hymns/songs about the life, death and resurrection of Christ.
2. Read 1 Corinthians 11:17-32 as a reminder of how to celebrate the Lord’s Supper.
3. Reflect on whether you are truly in the faith. (2 Corinthians 13:5)
Examine yourselves, to see whether you are in the faith. Test yourselves. Or do you not realize this about yourselves, that Jesus Christ is in you?—unless indeed you fail to meet the test!
4. Pray: Ask God to reveal sin in your life. (Psalm 139:23-24) (the Holy Spirit’s role is to reveal sin and righteousness)
Search me, O God, and know my heart!
Try me and know my thoughts!
And see if there be any grievous way in me,
and lead me in the way everlasting!
5. Be honest with yourself and avoid hardening your heart to sin. (1 John 1:8)
If we say we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us.
6. Confess your sin to God. (1 John 1:9-10)
If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. If we say we have not sinned, we make him a liar, and his word is not in us.
7. If your sin is against another, go and reconcile with that person (Matthew 5:23-24
So if you are offering your gift at the altar and there remember that your brother has something against you, leave your gift there before the altar and go. First be reconciled to your brother, and then come and offer your gift.
Instructions for Celebrating the Lord’s Supper
Instructions for Celebrating the Lord’s Supper
Celebrate in Communion
Celebrate by Remembering
Celebrate by Examining