May 3, 2015
Morning Service

I Cor. 11:17-34

 

            This morning we will be concluding chapter 11 of I Cor.  In the conclusion of this chapter we will see what the Lord gave the Apostle Paul concerning the communion service.  Paul has addressed several topics already in the church, and now he will address one of the most important doctrines of the church.

            When I began studying the Word of God, and church history, and the different denominations, I found that there was not the unity in the church that the Apostle Paul cried out for.  At the beginning of this letter the Apostle said this:  1Co 1:10  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.

            One of the acts of worship that was done differently was the communion service.  There was no unity in how this was taken, or how often, and many did not really know why they did this, except that Jesus did it with His disciples.  Some would take it every Lord’s Day, some quarterly, some on special days, some yearly.  There were even arguments concerning the Lord’s presence in this service.  So who’s right, and who’s wrong, or is there a right, and wrong?  I am not here to condemn anyone, but to seek the will of God in this matter.

Now when Paul wrote this letter, there were not all the different denominations that there are today.  There was the one church that the Lord said He would build, and the gates of hell would prevail against it.  But as we can see satan was always trying to creep in, and destroy the true teachings of the gospel.  This is why it is so important for you to know your Bible.  God has seen fit to keep His teachings together, and readily accessible, for whoever wants to take time to study them.  Let’s not make studying a love letter from God, a difficult task, because it is’nt.  Listen to Paul in the second letter to the Corinthians:

2Co 11:2-3  For I am jealous over you with godly jealousy: for I have espoused you to one husband, that I may present you as a chaste virgin to Christ.  (3)  But I fear, lest by any means, as the serpent beguiled Eve through his subtilty, so your minds should be corrupted from the simplicity that is in Christ.                  Simplicity in Christ.

Our God is able, and has written us a letter so that we can know His will, and His love for mankind.

 

What we want to accomplish this morning is to build our faith that what we do concerning the communion service is in God’s will.  Now let’s begin with verse 17 of I Cor. 11.

 

1Co 11:17-34  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. 

·         Satan at work.  When we come together it should be an uplifting, and happy occasion.  Our coming together to worship our God, and to give Him the praise He is so richly deserving.  That should be happy, and glorious times. 

·         If I don’t leave church happy, and uplifted, then there is something wrong with me, not God, or the saints, but me.  I need more time in prayer.  Something is wrong in my life.

·         Divisions, satan at work.

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

·         Heresies, or false teachings.  You will know who is doing this, they will standout.

(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?

·         Paul is correcting a wrong practice.  They were doing what they thought was okay, but are now finding out the correct way.

·         We look back to Cain, and Abel, and their sacrifices.   They really didn’t know what to offer, but offered what they had, and then God showed them what He wanted.

·         In a sense this is what is happening here in Corinth.  They didn’t know, things are still evolving from the day of Pentecost.  Worship services are being fine tuned, by the Apostles.

 

What shall I say to you? shall I praise you in this? I praise you not.  (23)  For I have received of the Lord that which also I delivered unto you,

·         Now notice, “what I received from the Lord to teach, I have given it to you.”                            NOW A REMINDER:

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. 

·         Paul had just told them in chapter 10 that the bread was the communion of the body of Christ, and the fruit of the vine was the communion of the blood of Christ.

·         John, in his gospel, chapter six, quotes Jesus as telling His disciples, “except you eat My body, and drink My blood, you will have no life in you.”  Many struggled with this saying, and departed from following the Lord.  Rejecting eternal life.

·         This is something we must accept, as it builds our faith from hearing the Word of God.

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

·         For as often as you do this, so how often did they do this act of worship?  I believe history bears out that they did it every time they came together, and it has evolved into what we have today.

(27)  Wherefore whosoever shall eat this bread, and drink this cup of the Lord, unworthily, shall be guilty of the body and blood of the Lord. 

·         Paul rebuked them for doing it unworthily.  The way they were doing it was unworthy.

(28)  But let a man examine himself, and so let him eat of that bread, and drink of that cup. 

·         This is a self examination of how we partake of the Body, and Blood of Christ.  I believe we do it in a worthy manner.  It’s personal.  I’m in a realm all my own.  It’s all about Jesus.

·         Also, in our self examination, we want to make sure we are doing our best to please the Lord.

(29)  For he that eateth and drinketh unworthily, eateth and drinketh damnation to himself, not discerning the Lord's body. 

·         The discerning of the Lord’s body.  Remember the rebuke at the beginning, was that they were treating this as common food, and also not caring about the rest of the church ( the Lord’s body).

(30)  For this cause many are weak and sickly among you, and many sleep. 

·         In this particular case, I believe the Lord is allowing these things to come on the church in Corinth.  And could allow it to happen again if He so chooses.

(31)  For if we would judge ourselves, we should not be judged.  (32)  But when we are judged, we are chastened of the Lord, that we should not be condemned with the world. 

·         Even in being chastised, God shows His love for us.

(33)  Wherefore, my brethren, when ye come together to eat, tarry one for another.  (34)  And if any man hunger, let him eat at home; that ye come not together unto condemnation. And the rest will I set in order when I come.

·         Be considerate, and polite, and wait on one another.  If you’re really hungry, eat a bite at home to take off the edge of your hunger.  This way you won’t be condemned.

·         And Paul closes chapter 11 with the statement of “the rest will I set in order when I come.”

 

Our communion service should never seem plain, or drab.  Our thoughts should be on Jesus as He gave His life a ransom for many, on Calvary.  It is one of the reasons we meet every Lord’s day.  The other reasons, study God’s Word, fellowship with the saints, worship God in song, bring our prayers collectively to God, to give as we have been prospered. 

 

And, we do this in remembrance of Him!  

 

ALMIGHTY GOD, KEEP CALVARY FOREVER IN OUR MINDS, AND THE JOY, AND ANTICIPATION OF YOUR SOON RETURN.  AMEN.