1 Corinthians 11:17-34 | "The Lord's Supper" [Communion Sunday]
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· 52 viewsSunday, September 12, 2021. 1 Corinthians 11:17-34 | "The Lord's Supper." When the church in Corinth gathered together for the Christ meal, one seat at the table was noticeably absent - THE LORD'S! The apostle writes in a corrective tone to tell the church that what they are practicing in worship is not representative of Christ. He returns their focus upon the Lord by showing how the Lord's Supper in the present remembers the Lord's death in the past and looks to the Lord's judgment in the future. This message preaches from 1 Corinthians 11:17-34. It is part of a preaching series through 1 Corinthians "To The Church." The title of this sermon is "The Lord's Supper."
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I. Reading of Scripture
I. Reading of Scripture
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.
This is God’s Word, Amen.
[Title Slide]
1 Corinthians 11:17-34
“The Lord’s Supper”
1 Corinthians 11:17-34
“The Lord’s Supper”
II. Introduction
II. Introduction
“The Lord’s Supper.”
Verse 20 says:
20 When you come together, it is not the Lord’s supper that you eat.
For the church in Corinth, celebrating the Lord’s supper was the intention of the worshipers.
But for the church in Corinth, celebrating the Lord’s supper became an indictment against them instead.
They were not eating what they thought they were eating.
They were deceived, but not by God. They had deceived themselves by allowing the practices of the world to inform the worship of the church, instead of God’s word informing the worship of the church.
The apostle declares in horror: “it is not the Lord’s supper that you eat.”
What is taking place under the name of “the Lord’s Supper” has an “empty chair” at the table, that belongs to the Lord!
The LORD has vacated the chair! The Lord has graced them with His absence. The Lord is not participating in whatever meal they have prepared.
There can be no Lord’s Supper without the Lord.
I’ve heard of this practice called “the empty chair.”
And there are different expressions and reasons for the practice of “the empty chair” but the result is the same.
An empty chair is placed at a table for a meal and deliberately left empty.
And it becomes “Jesus’ chair.”
Jesus is invited to sit at the table in that empty chair.
So whenever someone looks at the empty chair, they are reminded that Jesus, our Lord, is dining at the table with us.
And for some this practice becomes a source of comfort, if that empty chair used to be filled by a loved one no longer present.
For others it is a reminder of the Lord’s presence with us in fellowship, “the fellowship of God’s Son” that we are called into.
But in the Lord’s Supper, we do not invite the Lord to our meal.
The Lord invites us to His meal. It is “The Lord’s Supper.”
And for centuries, from Corinth all the way to today, the church of Jesus Christ has had to guard against, and be rebuked over, and corrected concerning wrong ideas, and attitudes, and actions in the worship of God.
The church should repent of this “empty chair” mentality in worship. It does not belong in the worship of God! It is an error.
The church should repent of this idea that says to God —
“Here is an empty chair. Here is an empty pew. Here is an empty Sanctuary. Here is an empty heart, even. We just, come here today empty, Lord, that you might fill us up” — as if we are some kind of gas tank!
We must rid ourselves of the idea that we invite God into our worship.
“We call you, Lord, to join in our celebration, we summon you to sit at our table which we have prepared, and we invite you Lord to fill us.”
That’s wrong.
We must worship like King David.
David had it right - he said, God prepares the table.
5 You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies; you anoint my head with oil; my cup overflows.
6 Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life, and I shall dwell in the house of the Lord forever.
How many times, Church, have we created something that we thought was worship and pulled out an empty chair hoping God would join us in it?
How many times have we done this, when we ought to have emptied ourselves from such arrogance and self-centeredness so as to join God in true worship that belongs to Him alone!?
Our attitude about worship has been warped, and is easily warped, and this is why our text today speaks this word of correction.
But this text speaks more than a word of correction, for it also speaks a word of grace.
All the while we are trying to invite God into our worship,
God so graciously invites us into His worship.
All the while we are trying to invite God to sit at our table,
God so graciously invites us to sit at His table.
And God has made a way for this to happen. And it is not of our own doing. It is all of God’s doing - through the person and work of His Son, our Lord, Jesus Christ!
Brothers and Sisters - Will we stop what we are doing? Will we humble ourselves? Will we rid ourselves of impure thoughts and impure attitudes?
And by God’s grace, will we hear and receive the gospel invitation of the Lord today, to sit at His table and enjoy a more blessed fellowship than anything we could ever manufacture ourselves?
9 God is faithful, by whom you were called into the fellowship of his Son, Jesus Christ our Lord.
That is who God is. And that is who God, by His amazing grace, has made us to be.
There was something wrong in the activities of the worship of God for the church in Corinth. And by now this is no surprise to us.
And what was wrong ultimately falls under the heading of idolatry.
The apostle is still addressing this sin of idolatry, because it is such an easy sin to fall into in the flesh and in this world!
“We walk by faith and not by sight.” But our flesh still wants to see.
The apostle addresses this error in the church that revolved around one of the highest, most wonderful, most glorious, visible expressions of the gospel in the worship of the church, that portrays God’s relationship with humanity, and the fellowship of believers one to another, in unity, in peace, in fellowship in Jesus Christ —And that is: The Lord’s Supper.
And whatever the church in Corinth was practicing, it wasn’t the Lord’s Supper. The church in Corinth was desecrating The Lord’s Supper.
So, the apostle brings to them a corrective by speaking about the Lord.
How else will we know about what belongs to the Lord if we do not know our Lord?
The church in Corinth needed to return their attention to the Lord. The focus of their worship had wandered.
We church need to do the same. We need constant repetition and reminder that what we do in our gathering as Christians in the name of the Lord, is about the Lord, and for the Lord.
So, the apostle speaks about three things that belong to the Lord:
[SHOW THIS SLIDE]
A. [11:17-22] The Lord’s Supper | Present View
B. [11:23-26] The Lord’s Death | Past View
C. [11:27-32] The Lord’s Judgment | Future View
The Lord’s Supper, The Lord’s Death, and The Lord’s Judgment. And the apostle writes about what belongs to the Lord from three points of view:
A present view: He says in v.17 “I do not commend you.” That’s present.
A past view: He says in v.23 “what I also delivered to you.” That’s past.
And a future view: He says in v.32 “so that we may not be condemned.” That’s future.
The Lord’s Supper says something about our past, present and future. And participating in the Lord’s Supper together, we the church of Jesus Christ, proclaim the Lord and His Work.
III. Exposition
III. Exposition
A. [11:17-22] The Lord’s Supper | Present View
A. [11:17-22] The Lord’s Supper | Present View
11.17
11.17
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.
The apostle began this chapter commending the church, praising them for maintaining the traditions “even as I delivered them to you” (11:2).
But here in verse 17, there is one such tradition that they mis-remembered, and that he does not praise them for, instead he corrects them.
It is easy to criticize and to find fault with someone, isn’t it?
There is a right way to do that and a loving way to do that, and that is what the apostle is modeling here.
He began first by commending the church, or praising them for what they were doing well in (11:2-16). And he built upon what they were doing well by imparting to them understanding.
He did this before correcting them.
Here’s a practical and helpful word to us all, especially the criticizers out there —
If we are going to correct someone in a way that they will hear us, because we love them, we might try to commend them first for something that they are doing well.
Remember from the beginning of this letter to the Corinthians, the apostle addresses everything issue from a place of thanksgiving to God and praise for them because of who God has made them to be.
We must contextualize our correction. We must offer correction from a place of praise and thanksgiving.
Don’t be such a negative person. Find a positive. If anything, it will help you to see that not everything is as bad as you think that it is, and it will help you to truly help others.
So after praising them, corrects them.
“But in the following instructions I do not commend you.”
The apostle is not polarized or partisan. It is not “all or nothing.” He recognizes what is good and calls it good. He recognizes what is bad and calls it bad.
What was bad?
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.
We know that by definition, the church is a gathering of people. The church in Corinth was doing what the church does, at a minimum - they were coming together.
But the outcome of their coming together was not good.
Notice how the text says “it is not for the better but for the worse.”
That’s language we use for marriage vows.
“for better or for worse.”
Perhaps what stands out the most from that statement, is something we’ve already seen before in this letter - there is no middle of the road option. Our gathering as a church does not produce a neutral effect.
It is either for the better, or for the worse.
If you are in a marriage relationship, you know this to be true. If your relationship is just “getting by,” then it is really getting worse, not better. Right?
Worship is the same. When you leave this Sanctuary, when you depart from the saints gathered in the presence of God — our attitude, our disposition, our outlook on life, our body, soul and spirit - should leave BETTER than when we entered, not worse.
Because we have been in the presence of God together! We have glimpsed heavenly glory! We have refocused our minds on the gospel message. We have been reminded of who God is - our Creator and Redeemer.
We have rehearsed in our worship what God has done - giving to the world His Son, Jesus - who died on the cross (shedding his blood) for our sin, who was buried to take on the grave, and raised again in power to life again, in demonstration of the righteousness of God.
We renew ourselves again by God’s grace and God’s gospel, receiving “strength for today and bright hope for tomorrow” - by faith, we are again sustained by God’s grace for another day.
This was not the case for the gatherings of the church in Corinth.
11.18
11.18
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,
11.19
11.19
19 for there must be factions among you in order that those who are genuine among you may be recognized.
In coming together - an action that represents unity and common fellowship in Christ, an outworking of the gospel of Christ, the church in Corinth was doing the opposite.
The church in Corinth was perpetuating divisions, not unity.
We must understand how the church would have gathered. In this time, they would not have gathered in a Sanctuary like this. They would have gathered in homes. They would have gathered around a meal. A fellowship meal, called “the love feast.”
And this was very common in their culture for social gatherings too. For pagan gatherings, the food served would have been food offered to idols. So gathering, and worship and food were enjoined together.
Baptists have the right idea, don’t we?: Faith, Food, Fellowship.
The church gatherings weren’t too unlike our Wednesday night midweek gatherings when we would come together around a meal, fellowship, pray, and hear God’s Word as the church.
The way these Roman homes were designed, there would be a room for eating for the upper class, the elite, called the triclinium. And for the rest, the commoners, the lower class was the atrium.
The Roman culture practiced this kind of division such that it was common place. It was just the way it was - little thought was given to it.
The problem here was when the church of Jesus Christ gathered in Corinth and reflected attitudes of culture MORE than attitudes of Christ.
The church was worshiping the Lord as the world worships idols - and bringing desecrating to the worship of God.
Their divisions were not having the effect that they thought.
They thought their divisions were recognizing the upper class from the lower class, but instead, as the apostle says in verse 19, their divisions were actually showing who was a genuine believer and who was not.
11.20
11.20
20 When you come together, it is not the Lord’s supper that you eat.
Sometimes, it is helpful to have an outside perspective.
They were so entrenched in what they were doing, they couldn’t see how appalling it was.
But the apostle hears about this, and is able to see what is happening, for what it is.
This “is not the Lord’s supper that you eat.”
So we are compelled to ask: Then whose supper is it?
If it’s not the Lord’s Supper, whose supper is it?
And we will see that it is their own. It is an idolatrous affair.
Notice this Church —
The Lord’s Supper is not what they ate because it was not the Lord’s Supper that they were prepared for!
Our preparation for worship says everything about who we worship. And the church in Corinth was not prepared to worship the Lord, and it showed. This will be expounded shortly.
Look with me at —
11.21
11.21
21 For in eating, each one goes ahead with his own meal. One goes hungry, another gets drunk.
“Each…His Own.”
Where is the focus of this meal? “Each…His Own.”
We’ve been working on this with our children. At meal time, they want to begin grabbing food and eating before it is all on the table.
We tell them to sit with their hands in their lap and WAIT! Wait for us all to begin. This is not a time about eating alone, but this is family time. This is a fellowship time!
11.22
11.22
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.
I can’t help but be touched by that phrase “church of God.” It is yet another reminder of who we are — we, Church, belong to God!
And to desecrate the worship of God is to despise the church of God.
What a trgedy!
This is the present view. What the church in Corinth is doing is wrong and they are not to be praised for it.
They have corrupted The Lord’s Supper.
And the corrective is to look backward.
What is The Lord’s Supper about?
Someone said it this way — “The Lord’s Supper is about what God IS presently doing” in that He is making us one, and giving us peace with God, and dining with us in fellowship.
But this Lord’s Supper is made possible because of what God HAS done, in the past.
So the apostle takes a past view to look at The Lord’s Death.
And by the Lord’s death we see the Lord’s obedience and humility, and how we ought to consider one another.
B. [11:23-26] The Lord’s Death | Past View
B. [11:23-26] The Lord’s Death | Past View
11.23
11.23
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,
Notice how the apostle is looking back. Calling to their mind what he has already received and already delivered to them previously.
11.24
11.24
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.”
11.25
11.25
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.”
11.26
11.26
26 For as often as you eat this bread and drink the cup, you proclaim the Lord’s death until he comes.
The Lord’s Death.
When did that happen?
That happened on Calvary. That was a one time action and it is done!
9 We know that Christ, being raised from the dead, will never die again; death no longer has dominion over him.
10 For the death he died he died to sin, once for all, but the life he lives he lives to God.
11 So you also must consider yourselves dead to sin and alive to God in Christ Jesus.
This is the Gospel!
The bread and cup, the body and blood - these are the person and work of Jesus clearly rehearsed in The Lord’s Supper - which is about the LORD.
The Supper that is the Lord’s is done in REMEMBRANCE of His sacrifice.
The Supper that is the Lord’s is done in REMEMBRANCE of the new covenant in His blood.
And this work and covenant bring us together as one.
The rich and the poor become one in the presence of God.
This is what will happen in judgement, right? For all who believe, one day we all will stand before the Lord in judgement, and we will have nothing with us, no earthly treasure. All we will have is Christ.
That’s what The Lord’s Supper represents —
The forgiveness of our sin through Christ, given for us - that’s why we give. Dying for us. That’s why we die to self. Buried for us. That’s why we forgive. Raised for us. That’s why we live!
So that we might be witnesses to the grace of God available for all who believe and receive Christ by faith!
That’s what the Lord’s Death represents —
The humility and obedience of Christ who did all for the glory of His Father!
The Lord’s Supper in the present,
remembers The Lord’s Death in the past,
and lastly, looks to The Lord’s Judgment in the Future.
C. [11:27-32] The Lord’s Judgment | Future View
C. [11:27-32] The Lord’s Judgment | Future View
11.27
11.27
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.
As Warren Wiersbe says:
“Paul did not say that we had to be worthy to partake of the Supper, but only that we should partake in a worthy manner” (W.Wiersbe).
It’s not about our worthiness, our status, our eliteness. The gospel says we are not worthy. Sin makes us unworthy. We are defiled, desecrated, TOTALLY depraved without Christ.
But God by His grace and Holy Spirit empowers us to partake in a worthy manner based on the worthiness of Christ alone, who joins us at this table.
11.28
11.28
28 Let a person examine himself, then, and so eat of the bread and drink of the cup.
Again, Wiersbe says that:
“The Corinthians neglected to examine themselves, but they were experts at examining everybody else” (W. Wiersbe).
What does this examination require?
Not for us to examine our own worthiness. Christ alone is our worthiness.
But we are to examine our attitudes.
We are to prepare to worship the Lord by looking upon the Lord!
The Psalmist prayed this way:
23 Search me, O God, and know my heart! Try me and know my thoughts!
24 And see if there be any grievous way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting!
That’s how we examine our attitude for worship. That’s how God would lead us to Christ, day by day, hour by hour, moment by moment.
Does my attitude reflect Christ’s attitude? Who sacrificially gave himself for another? For me? For us?
Am I prepared to give likewise, to my brothers and sisters, no matter who they are?
11.29
11.29
29 For anyone who eats and drinks without discerning the body eats and drinks judgment on himself.
11.30
11.30
30 That is why many of you are weak and ill, and some have died.
11.31
11.31
31 But if we judged ourselves truly, we would not be judged.
11.32
11.32
32 But when we are judged by the Lord, we are disciplined so that we may not be condemned along with the world.
This text moves from Commendation to Condemnation.
And the apostle does not want the church to be like the world in their worship, because the world will be condemned.
18 Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only Son of God.
That’s the world’s future. But the church while in the world, is not of the world.
And we know this because God disciplines us.
6 For the Lord disciplines the one he loves, and chastises every son whom he receives.”
Thank God, that he loves us so much, that he disciplines us, he corrects us, he preserves us so that we are not condemned!
The Gospel says —
1 There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.
If we are in Christ Jesus, God will discipline us. If we are not being disciplined or corrected by God, we should be very concerned.
For those who partook of the Lord’s Supper in an unworthy manner, with unworthy attitudes, in Corinth — God disciplined them. Some became sick. Some died.
This was the Lord’s judgement. The Lord’s discipline. Because they belonged to Lord.
If you do not belong to the Lord and partake of this supper, you are already condemned. Judgement is coming. Jesus is coming!
I urge you, hear the proclamation of this table, repent, and turn to Christ by faith!
But if you are in Christ, and you partake in an unworthy attitude —
If you make much of yourself in worship,
Know that God will discipline you.
11.33
11.33
33 So then, my brothers, when you come together to eat, wait for one another—
11.34
11.34
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.
In other words, if you come to worship, if you come to the Lord’s table for your own personal interests - then “stay home.” (TTC).
Don’t come.
This is not for your personal interests.
This worship, this fellowship, this table is for US together, in Christ.
The Lord’s Supper in the present,
remembers The Lord’s Death in the past,
and looks to The Lord’s Judgment in the Future.
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