A Disturbing Misuse of the Lord's Table (Part 2)

Introduction

I want to get right into the message today by picking up where I left off last week. If you recall, we were considering this thought in relation to our text.

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

Remember that the Holy Spirit is dealing with the misuse of the Lord’s Table. The Lord’s Table is one of the two ordinances given to local churches. The other is baptism which is a topic for another day. For now, as we are working our way through 1 Corinthians, God addresses some things that were not right when it came to observing Communion.

We noted last week that God was not happy with local church of Corinth. Look at our text.

1 Corinthians 11:17–22 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. 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. 20 When ye come together therefore into one place, this is not to eat the Lord’s supper. 21 For in eating every one taketh before other his own supper: and one is hungry, and another is drunken. 22 What? have ye not houses to eat and to drink in? or despise ye the church of God, and shame them that have not? What shall I say to you? shall I praise you in this? I praise you not.

This section starts with some pretty strong statements from the Holy Spirit. He rebukes them by invoking first His authority as God. Look again at verse 17.

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.

The phrase “I declare” has the same weight as saying “I order you.” Thus, what is about to follow is God’s clear directive concerning matters of the Lord’s Table. He follows that with the statement, “I praise you not.” In other words, God was not happy. It is a dangerous place for a person or a church to fall out of God’s good grace. This was a very serious matter.

Why was it so serious? Look at our text and note verses 20 and 21.

1 Corinthians 11:20–21 KJV 1900

20 When ye come together therefore into one place, this is not to eat the Lord’s supper. 21 For in eating every one taketh before other his own supper: and one is hungry, and another is drunken.

This local church, group of believers, were misusing the Lord’s Table. Instead of observing it as the Lord instructed before His death, burial, and resurrection, they had turned it into a self gratuitous feast. Note that everyone was bringing their own food and enjoying what they had. In the process, there were poorer church members who were going hungry while rich church members filled themselves with gluttony. It was about as far from what Christ intended as possible. They were refusing to do things God’s Way which brings us back to the question at hand.

What happens when believers individually or corporately refuse to do things God’s way?

The short answer is this - nothing good.

The refusal to do things God’s way always results in negative and spiritually catastrophic consequences.

Individually, 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 four 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 divided. 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.

There was Self Deception and Selfishness

1 Corinthians 11:20 KJV 1900

20 When ye come together therefore into one place, this is not to eat the Lord’s supper.

Note that their claim that they were coming together to “eat the Lord’s supper.” Yet, the next verse reveals that was not the case.

1 Corinthians 11:21 KJV 1900

21 For in eating every one taketh before other his own supper: and one is hungry, and another is drunken.

There was no remembering and honoring the Lord’s death in their actions. In their minds, they convinced themselves that what they were doing was okay. Surely, God would be pleased. But no, God was not pleased. What they were doing in the name of the Lord’s Table was utterly meaningless and useless to the Lord.

This should be a warning to us. We must take great care that everything we do both individually and corporately matches God’s Word exactly. There is a great danger when we think we can merge our ways or the world’s way with God’s Word. Listen to these verses.

Galatians 6:3 KJV 1900

3 For if a man think himself to be something, when he is nothing, he deceiveth himself.

1 Corinthians 3:18 KJV 1900

18 Let no man deceive himself. If any man among you seemeth to be wise in this world, let him become a fool, that he may be wise.

James 1:22 KJV 1900

22 But be ye doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving your own selves.

Believer, be careful about inserting your opinions when reading and studying God’s Word. Let it speak for itself. Our duty is to obey, nothing more and nothing less.

Not only were they deceiving themselves, but their refusal to follow God’s instructions led to great selfishness.

Again, we see this in verse 21.

1 Corinthians 11:21 KJV 1900

21 For in eating every one taketh before other his own supper: and one is hungry, and another is drunken.

It would seem that the Lord’s Supper has turned into a Pot Luck Dinner. Everyone was bringing their own food. And, it would seem that there was more than enough food to go around. Unfortunately, as we already know, this church was full of divisions. They were so sinfully divided that they were selfishly and intentionally holding back food from the poor. It was tragic enough that they had turned the Lord’s Table into a Pot Luck dinner yet they went even further than that by withholding and not sharing with everyone. Their actions were just further violations of God’s Word and exemplified just how self centered they had become. In the end, there was no real Christian fellowship or no outward demonstrations of Biblical love.

There was an Snarky Attitude towards Sanctification

Look at verse 22.

1 Corinthians 11:22 KJV 1900

22 What? have ye not houses to eat and to drink in? or despise ye the church of God, and shame them that have not? What shall I say to you? shall I praise you in this? I praise you not.

Here the Holy Spirit utilizes a series of questions to reveal the obvious.

Have ye not houses to eat and to drink in?

They had flippant attitude to God’s House.

Over the course of this study, I have emphasized again and again that the local church is not about buildings and land. The local church is people. However, as a local church, God has blessed us with a wonderful piece of property and beautiful buildings. All of which we have dedicated to God. This auditorium in particular is the place we have “set apart (the Scriptural term is 'sanctified')” as the place where we will gather to worship God. It is, in a sense, a holy place reserved for singing praises, offering prayers, and for preaching/teaching Gods’ Word. We must never have a flippant attitude when we enter the doors of this “sanctuary.”

Note the next question.

Despise ye the church of God, and shame them that have not?

The obvious answer was yes. They were despising the church. The word “despise” means to look down on or have contempt for. It is amazing to think that these believers (1st century believers not that far removed from Christ’s Ascension) were so caught up on their own selfishness that they held God’s house with such disdain. However, we must not be quick to judge them. We are just as capable to do the same today as they did. It is a warning to us. We must fall into the same trap.

Not only did they despise God’s house, but they were actively shaming fellow believers who were poorer then themselves. They were stooping to the low level of publically humiliating other believers. What an incredibly embarrassment to the cause of God!

Again, what was God’s reaction?

What shall I say to you? shall I praise you? I PRAISE YOU NOT.

Let me follow the Holy Spirit’s question with a question of my own.

Would you rather have God’s blessing on your life or God’s curse? I am pretty sure that all of us would rather experience God’s blessings and not His curse. As a local church, would we rather have God’s blessing or God’s curse? The answer is the same.

Any time a person or a church makes the decision to take actions which deviate from God’s Word they set themselves up for spiritual and moral failure. For a church, doing things against God’s Word will only lead to division, false teachings, selfishness, deception, and a disdain for what is sacred. It is not right according to God’s Word.

What then is right when it comes to observing the Lord’s Table? That is a great question and one the Holy Spirit answers with the next four verses.

What is the right way to observe the Lord’s Table?

The Holy Spirit is reminds us right now and right here that we must approach the Lord’s Table with the right attitude. When we do, we are able to experience the blessings instead of the sorrow that come with God’s discipline.

Christ gave us the breaking of the bread and the drinking of the cup as a way to REMEMBER. Thus, the Lord’s Table is an opportunity to...

LOOK BACK to An Empty Cross!

1 Corinthians 11:23–26 KJV 1900

23 For I have received of the Lord that which also I delivered unto you, That the Lord Jesus the same night in which he was betrayed took bread: 24 And when he had given thanks, he brake it, and said, Take, eat: this is my body, which is broken for you: this do in remembrance of me. 25 After the same manner also he took the cup, when he had supped, saying, This cup is the new testament in my blood: this do ye, as oft as ye drink it, in remembrance of me. 26 For as often as ye eat this bread, and drink this cup, ye do shew the Lord’s death till he come.

As we look back, the breaking of the bread reminds us of Christ’s body which was broken for us. The drinking of the cup reminds us of Christ’s blood which was shed for us.

What is interesting is that Christ wanted us to remember HOW He died! We all know that most people wish not that people remember HOW they died. Instead, most people desire that others remember how they LIVED. Yet, with Christ, everything centers around His DEATH. In fact, the whole point of celebrating Easter is to remember that His death was the entire reason that He came. He came to Die so that we might Live. Thus, Christ’s death is an essential part of the gospel message.

1 Corinthians 15:3–4 KJV 1900

3 For I delivered unto you first of all that which I also received, how that Christ died for our sins according to the scriptures; 4 And that he was buried, and that he rose again the third day according to the scriptures:

It is important for us to remember that Christ death was payment for our sins.

1 Peter 2:24 KJV 1900

24 Who his own self bare our sins in his own body on the tree, that we, being dead to sins, should live unto righteousness: by whose stripes ye were healed.

Christ willingly, meekly, and with great love gave up His life for us.

Romans 5:8 KJV 1900

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

The Lord’s Table is an opportunity to LOOK BACK at what Christ has done for us. However, it is also an opportunity for us to...

LOOK AHEAD to A Heavenly Home!

1 Corinthians 11:26 KJV 1900

26 For as often as ye eat this bread, and drink this cup, ye do shew the Lord’s death till he come.

Each time we observe the Lord’s Table it should remind us that He is coming again.

John 14:1–3 KJV 1900

1 Let not your heart be troubled: ye believe in God, believe also in me. 2 In my Father’s house are many mansions: if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you. 3 And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive you unto myself; that where I am, there ye may be also.

Acts 1:9–11 KJV 1900

9 And when he had spoken these things, while they beheld, he was taken up; and a cloud received him out of their sight. 10 And while they looked stedfastly toward heaven as he went up, behold, two men stood by them in white apparel; 11 Which also said, Ye men of Galilee, why stand ye gazing up into heaven? this same Jesus, which is taken up from you into heaven, shall so come in like manner as ye have seen him go into heaven.

1 Thessalonians 4:13–18 KJV 1900

13 But I would not have you to be ignorant, brethren, concerning them which are asleep, that ye sorrow not, even as others which have no hope. 14 For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so them also which sleep in Jesus will God bring with him. 15 For this we say unto you by the word of the Lord, that we which are alive and remain unto the coming of the Lord shall not prevent them which are asleep. 16 For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first: 17 Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord. 18 Wherefore comfort one another with these words.

Our great hope as believers and as a local church is the fact that our Lord is coming again. Not only did He die, He rose again on the third day, He ascended to Heaven, and one day very soon He is coming back for us.

1 John 3:2 KJV 1900

2 Beloved, now are we the sons of God, and it doth not yet appear what we shall be: but we know that, when he shall appear, we shall be like him; for we shall see him as he is.

The Lord’s Table provides us the wonderful opportunity to LOOK BACK at what Christ did for us. It is a wonderful opportunity for us to LOOK AHEAD to His return.

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.