A Disturbing Misuse of the Lord’s Table

Introduction

It has been a couple of weeks since we were in our study of 1 Corinthians. When we were last in this study, we were finishing up 1 Corinthians 11:4-16.

Throughout studying that passage, God taught us much about our roles as men and women. A quick recap reminds us that

God specifically created us (both men and women) for relationships. First, He made us to have a relationship with Him. Then, God created us to have a relationship with each other.

God specifically created two different genders and two only. He made us male and female. Men are to lead, and women are to submit to men’s leadership. These distinctions must never be blurred specifically within the local church and its worship.

God expects men and women to submit to Him. Men are made in the image and glory of God. Women are made in the image of God, but for the glory of men. In both instances, our simple responsibility is to submit to God’s ordained order and purpose. When we do, we glorify Him. An added blessing is this. Doing things God’s way, especially in a relationship, brings unity and harmony to those relationships.

In my last message from verses 7-12, we discovered a fundamental principle. Much is accomplished in a marriage when the husband and wife live according to God’s design submitting to His purposes. Their mutual dependence upon God results in a harmonious relationship through which God can do great things. A husband and wife sold out for the Lord become an excellent tool for advancing God’s kingdom.

Now, I did not finish that message entirely. So, for an introduction this morning, I will quickly sum up verses 13-16.

1 Corinthians 11:13–16 KJV 1900

13 Judge in yourselves: is it comely that a woman pray unto God uncovered? 14 Doth not even nature itself teach you, that, if a man have long hair, it is a shame unto him? 15 But if a woman have long hair, it is a glory to her: for her hair is given her for a covering. 16 But if any man seem to be contentious, we have no such custom, neither the churches of God.

Now the Holy Spirit puts us to the test. He says, “Judge in yourselves.” You be the judge. In other words, think about it with some common sense. He then places several questions before us to consider.

The first is this. “Is it comely that a woman pray unto God uncovered?”

Now, remember the cultural context. It was a commonly accepted practice for a woman to cover her head as a symbol of subordination to her husband. Thus, the answer is yes. During that time, it was NOT “comely” or proper for a woman to pray with her head uncovered. Such an act was an act of rebellion.

Here is the second question. “Doth not even nature itself teach you, that, if a man have long hair, it is a shame unto him?”

This seems like an odd question to ask at first glance. However, we know that men and women have distinctive physiology, even though there are idiots today who would argue against that. One of the distinctions between men and women is the process of hair growth. Hair, as scientifically proven, develops in three stages. There is the formation and growth stage. Next is the resting stage. Then, there is the fallout stage. Women produce estrogen, which causes the cycle to remain in stage one for longer than men. Thus, women’s hair tends to grow quicker and more prolonged than men’s. It is scarce to find a naturally bald woman. Few women reach the “fallout” stage, where all their hair falls out. However, if you dare to look around the room, you may find quite a few men in the beginning stage of “fallout” or have already completed that stage.

Nature then teaches us a fundamental fact.

1 Corinthians 11:15 KJV 1900

15 But if a woman have long hair, it is a glory to her: for her hair is given her for a covering.

By the way, you visit any culture around the world and you will find women cherish their hair.

Nature is a wonderful teacher.

1 Corinthians 11:14 KJV 1900

14 Doth not even nature itself teach you, that, if a man have long hair, it is a shame unto him?

The word “nature” has the idea of instinct, an innate sense of what is normal and right. Thus, the Holy Spirit says to us, “Look around. What do you see? What is the natural process of hair growth for both men and women? Judge for yourself. It is the way I created you.” What does nature teach us? It is normal and proper for women to have long hair. A woman’s hair is God’s gift to her. It shows the softness and tenderness of a woman. God gave it to her as a “covering.” The word “covering” is the same word for veil. Thus it is her natural veil from God reminding her of the role He designed her. Ultimately, a woman’s hair and dress should be feminine, demonstrating her loveliness and submissiveness.

One of the things that society is seeking to distort today is the distinction between men and women. The transgender movement is designed to blur the lines between men and women. God, however, makes it clear that there must be no confusion about male and female identities. God made both males and females. There are very distinct sexes, both physiologically and relationally. God expects men to be men. However, as men, we must be responsible and loving as we lead our wives, children, and communities. God desires women to be women (feminine). By the same token, women must be responsible and loving in their submission to their husbands and church leaders.

Today, there is a big push to negate the Holy Spirit’s teaching in this area, not just in society but within so-called “religious” organizations/churches. Like in the days of Corinth, many are unsatisfied with God’s way and seek to disregard or modify it to suit themselves. Thus, the Holy Spirit states.

1 Corinthians 11:16 KJV 1900

16 But if any man seem to be contentious, we have no such custom, neither the churches of God.

Essentially, the Holy Spirit is saying that He has the last word. All that He is going to say on this matter has been said and it is enough. Here is the summation of His teaching from verse 3 to verse 15.

God designed relationships so that we might learn submission (verse 3). Men submit to God. Women submit to men.

1 Corinthians 11:3 KJV 1900

3 But I would have you know, that the head of every man is Christ; and the head of the woman is the man; and the head of Christ is God.

God divinely designed both men and women (verse 7). Men are the image and glory of God. Women are the image of God and the glory of men.

1 Corinthians 11:7 KJV 1900

7 For a man indeed ought not to cover his head, forasmuch as he is the image and glory of God: but the woman is the glory of the man.

God definitively produced order at creation (verse 8). He created man first, then woman.

1 Corinthians 11:8 KJV 1900

8 For the man is not of the woman; but the woman of the man.

God distinguishes the role of women (verse 9).

1 Corinthians 11:9 KJV 1900

9 Neither was the man created for the woman; but the woman for the man.

God’s created natural world proves His design for men and women according to 1 Corinthians 11:13-15.

That brings us to the conclusion of the first section of this chapter. God has now laid down the foundation for public worship within the local church. It all begins with both men and women accepting God’s design and submitting to His authority.

From here, the Holy Spirit dives into the next important topic concerning worship within a local church. He moves to one of the two ordinances given to local churches. The two ordinances are baptizing converts and observing the Lord’s Table. Of those two, the Holy Spirit focuses His attention on the Lord’s Table. He begins with...

A Divine Rebuke about the Misuse of the Lord’s Table

You must remember that the Holy Spirit inspired Paul to write this great letter to the local church at Corinth. A church that was full of problems. 1 Corinthian then becomes the blueprint for all local churches. In it, we learn what is right and not right, how to get right, and how to stay right within our church through worship and practice. Many things were not right within this church. So, the Holy Spirit writes this letter to them, pointing out their errors and giving them the necessary information to correct them so that He might work through them. One of the gross errors was their misuse of the Lord’s table. Note what God says to them.

1 Corinthians 11:17 KJV 1900

17 Now in this that I declare unto you I praise you not, that ye come together not for the better, but for the worse.

There are a few things to note here.

Note God’s authority concerning this matter.

The phrase “that I declare” is essential. In today’s vernacular, it literally means “I order you.” In other words, God was not mincing any words here. There was a gross misuse of the very ordinance that He gave before He went to the cross. Now, He is saying to the local church at Corinth and the Calvary Baptist Church this morning, this is an order coming directly from me. It is not something to ignore.

Note God’s tone concerning this matter.

He emphatically says, “I praise you not.” They did not have God’s approval for what they were doing. They misused the Lord’s Table, and He was unhappy with them. It was a dangerous place.

Listen to the words of Romans 2.

Romans 2:6–11 KJV 1900

6 Who will render to every man according to his deeds: 7 To them who by patient continuance in well doing seek for glory and honour and immortality, eternal life: 8 But unto them that are contentious, and do not obey the truth, but obey unrighteousness, indignation and wrath, 9 Tribulation and anguish, upon every soul of man that doeth evil, of the Jew first, and also of the Gentile; 10 But glory, honour, and peace, to every man that worketh good, to the Jew first, and also to the Gentile: 11 For there is no respect of persons with God.

God has promised that those who do not submit and follow Him will suffer His indignation and wrath. God does not bless those who choose to go their own way, refusing to live for Him.

I say that for a straightforward reason. There are so many in this world today who are living for themselves. I am not talking about unbelievers. Many believers keep choosing their own way and the world’s way over God’s. Then, they wonder why their life is full of turmoil and conflict. Many even complain about the tribulation and the anguish they are suffering. As a pastor, I think, “Duh, if you read God’s Word, you will know why.” Look again at Romans 2 and not especially verses 8 and 9.

Romans 2:8–9 KJV 1900

8 But unto them that are contentious, and do not obey the truth, but obey unrighteousness, indignation and wrath, 9 Tribulation and anguish, upon every soul of man that doeth evil, of the Jew first, and also of the Gentile;

What comes to those who do not obey the truth? Indignation, wrath, tribulation, and anguish come to them. It does not matter who you are as a believer. If you are not living of the Lord through daily submission to Him, don’t expect His blessings on your life. It is pretty simple and straightforward.

Thus it was with the local church of Corinth! They were observing and partaking in the Lord’s table the way they wanted. They were not doing it in God’s way. God was not happy with them.

Go back to our text and verse 17 again.

1 Corinthians 11:17 KJV 1900

17 Now in this that I declare unto you I praise you not, that ye come together not for the better, but for the worse.

Note God’s observation concerning the matter.

He says, “ye come together not for the better, but for the worse.” In other words, what you are doing is inferior to what I instructed you to do. They were not helping themselves. They were doing the contrary and, consequently, were hurting themselves.

Folks, when you choose to disobey God and do things your way, it does not help you. It does, in fact, hurt you. This is evident by the Holy Spirit’s words in James.

James 1:13–15 KJV 1900

13 Let no man say when he is tempted, I am tempted of God: for God cannot be tempted with evil, neither tempteth he any man: 14 But every man is tempted, when he is drawn away of his own lust, and enticed. 15 Then when lust hath conceived, it bringeth forth sin: and sin, when it is finished, bringeth forth death.

There is an obvious consequence to doing things our way versus God’s. God’s way leads us to life, freedom, and valuable service. Our path leads to lust, sin, and death. May all of us remember that each day. In doing so, may we choose to abandon our desires in exchange for His will and His authority!

What happens when we refuse to do things God’s way?

As noted just a minute ago, it results in many negative consequences. Personally, it comes down to sin and death. For the believer, death means a break or a separation in our relationship with God. Our sin stands in the way of fellowship and harmony with Him. Sin destroys that relationship. That is the reason why God gave us 1 John 1:9 along with many other passages concerning forgiveness

However, for a local church, there are also consequences. Note what occurred in the church of Corinth.

1 Corinthians 11:18–19 KJV 1900

18 For first of all, when ye come together in the church, I hear that there be divisions among you; and I partly believe it. 19 For there must be also heresies among you, that they which are approved may be made manifest among you.

There were two significant consequences of deviating from God’s way of observing the Lord’s Table.

There was Division

The Holy Spirit notes that there were “divisions among you.” The Greek word for “divisions” is the same word by which we get our English word “schism.” All of which point to a division among them. They were all coming together each Lord’s day, but as they assembled, they did so dividedly. I can almost picture it this way. Each Lord’s day, the church doors are open, and everyone begins arriving. As they came, some would sit in one corner of the church, others in a different corner, and so on. The fact they were divided was noted early in this letter. You might recall these words in 1 Corinthians 1.

1 Corinthians 1:10–12 KJV 1900

10 Now I beseech you, brethren, by the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that ye all speak the same thing, and that there be no divisions among you; but that ye be perfectly joined together in the same mind and in the same judgment. 11 For it hath been declared unto me of you, my brethren, by them which are of the house of Chloe, that there are contentions among you. 12 Now this I say, that every one of you saith, I am of Paul; and I of Apollos; and I of Cephas; and I of Christ.

Now, let me ask you this. When a church is so divided with contention between different factions in a church, what is the atmosphere? Is there a peaceful, loving, and forgiving atmosphere? No, it is full of tension, fear, anxiety, and even anger. How many of you like being in situations filled with such friction? I know I don’t. A church filled with such division and tension is a church that does nothing to glorify God and accomplishes nothing for Him. It was not a great atmosphere.

But that was not the only result of their refusal to follow God’s instructions.

There was Heresy

Look again at our text and verse 19.

1 Corinthians 11:19 KJV 1900

19 For there must be also heresies among you, that they which are approved may be made manifest among you.

The word “heresies” is pretty deep. It is about making choices. The Greek root word literally means “to choose.” However, with the word “heresies,” the choice is made to do things man’s way instead of God’s. The objective of such a choice is to lift one’s self up over others. The result of “heresies” is the division and formation of sects. It is essentially someone saying look at me or follow me because I am the only one who knows the mind of God. No man knows the mind of God. Our understanding of God only comes through His Word and our willingness to let the Holy Spirit work in our hearts through obedience to His Word. Our job is not to lift ourselves up but to point all men to Christ. There is a great danger when a person begins to believe they are the only ones who can know, preach, and teach God’s Word. Pride becomes a massive issue at that point. My job as your pastor is to study God’s word for myself, preach it as it is given, and let you decide to follow it. In fact, one of my significant responsibilities is to lead you so that you begin reading and studying it for yourself. God gave us His word in written form so we can learn it on our own. Heresies arise when one person or a group of people are filled with pride, thinking their way is the only way and no longer point people to God.

There is one positive thought surrounding heresy. The Holy Spirit notes this in our text. Look again at verse 19.

1 Corinthians 11:19 KJV 1900

19 For there must be also heresies among you, that they which are approved may be made manifest among you.

The last part of this verse is positive. Those “which are approved” are those who are not fake or counterfeit. They are genuine articles. The “approved” are those committed to the truth of God’s Word. When heresies arise within a congregation, those who are “approved” God manifest them. The word “manifest” means clearly revealed to the mind, the senses, and judgment. Thus, God uses heretical teachings to clearly show those who are faithful to Him and His Word.

God was not happy with them. However, God lovingly and graciously pointed them back to His way as it is with God. Next Sunday, we learn about God’s Divine Correction.

Conclusion

Let me conclude by reminding you of this one point. There is man’s way of doing things and God’s way. Men and women were created by God. We are created for the purpose of God’s design. He made us for relationships; the primary relationship is our relationship with Him. He then provided us with His Word. His word reveals how we can have a real and personal relationship with Him. That is the good news of Christ. If you are here this morning and do not have a personal relationship with the Lord Jesus Christ, your life is without meaning and hope. The one thing missing from every person’s life from birth is a spiritual relationship with their Creator.

God has done everything you need to have a personal relationship with Him. All you must do is believe all He has said and done. What must you believe?

You must believe and admit that you are a sinner.

Romans 3:10–11 KJV 1900

10 As it is written, There is none righteous, no, not one: 11 There is none that understandeth, there is none that seeketh after God.

Romans 3:23 KJV 1900

23 For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God;

You must believe and admit that there is a penalty for your sin.

Romans 5:12 KJV 1900

12 Wherefore, as by one man sin entered into the world, and death by sin; and so death passed upon all men, for that all have sinned:

Romans 6:23 KJV 1900

23 For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.

You must believe and admit that Christ paid your penalty for sin.

Romans 5:8 KJV 1900

8 But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.

Romans 6:23 KJV 1900

23 For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.

You must believe 100% with your heart and admit with your mouth all of the above.

Romans 10:9–10 KJV 1900

9 That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved. 10 For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation.

Those who do have this promise.

Romans 10:13 KJV 1900

13 For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.

1 John 5:11–12 KJV 1900

11 And this is the record, that God hath given to us eternal life, and this life is in his Son. 12 He that hath the Son hath life; and he that hath not the Son of God hath not life.

I would encourage you this morning to believe, admit, accept, repent, and turn to Him.

When you do, then you are capable of living God’s Way.

A thought that I leave with all of us who are believers.

Are you living God’s Way, or do you keep falling into the trap of doing things your way?

Remember the message today. There are severe consequences when we do things our way. One, God is not happy, and we invoke His wrath towards us. Two, it always leads to sin and separation in our fellowship with Him. Three, within the local church, it leads to division and heresy. If, as a believer, you know that you are living your way and not God’s, I encourage you to humble yourself this morning and once again commit your life to Him.

Submit to His authority. Cleanse your life by asking God’s forgiveness. He is faithful. He will forgive you and cleanse you. Then, make it your intent to start and end your day with the same commitment to Him.