. Illus of footwashing in Alabama town
• Several churches got together once a year to do it
• Got out of hand- carnival, drunkenness, sex, rowdiness
• Have to hire extra policemen each year
• Started good, degenerated into something sinful.
2. Same thing had happened in Corinth. Lord’s supper was instituted by Jesus Himself, and was meant to be a beautiful, spiritual experience. But the Corinthians had allowed it to degenerate into something that was sinful and wrong. Vs 20
3. Have you ever feared that somehow you are missing the real meaning of the Lord’s Supper? That somehow you really don’t understand all that you should about it, and that you are missing the blessing because of it? Or even that you may be under the judgement of God because of a wrong understanding of this memorial?
4. Paul tells the Corinthian believers that their sinful attitudes were keeping them from correctly observing the Lord’s Supper. Christians must come to this table with the right attitudes, if we are to observe this memorial as Christ meant for it to be observed.
5. What are these proper attitudes?
I.CORRECTLY OBSERVING THE LORD’S SUPPER MEAN HAVING AN ATTITUDE OF
RECOLLECTION
1. Vss 23-25 note in particular “in remembrance of me.”
2. Passover meal (meant to remind Israel about Passover events in Egypt) Now the bread was to remind Christians of something else- the broken body and spilled blood of the true Lamb of God, of which the Passover lamb had been only a symbol.
3. Illus of my friend Paul at Vietnam Memorial in Washington
• “Moved me to tears as I was reminded of the sacrifice of these men for me and the rest of America.”
• The Lord’s supper is a memorial to the Lamb of God, reminding us of the price He paid for us upon the cross.
• Never come to this table without remembering His body, torn by the whips and the nails and the spear. Never come to this table without remembering His blood being poured out for our sins!
4. Vs 24 “body broken for you” Huper, in behalf of. Here is the heart of the gospel, that Jesus went to the cross in our place, dying as our innocent sacrifice.
5. Are you looking for a Savior? Or do you have a Savior, but have wandered far from your commitment to Him? “This do in remembrance of me!”
II. CORRECTLY OBSERVING THE LORD’S SUPPER MEANS HAVING AN ATTITUDE OF ANTICIPATION
1. Vs 26 When we observe the Lord’s supper, we do so knowing this ordinance is only temporary, that we only observe it “until He comes.”
2. I Thess 4:16-18
3. Every time we sit down at this table, we are to remember that it is only temporary. When we see Him face to face, we will no longer have need of this memorial designed to remind us of Him.
4. Illus of soldier in WWII
• Married, would set aside Friday night for their date
• War came, he was drafted
• Every Friday night, would get out his pictures of her, and think about her. Would write her a letter, even though sometimes letters couldn’t get through
• First letter he explained to her what he was doing, and said “but each time I do this, I will be hoping it will be the last time. I will be hoping each Friday, that by the next Friday I will be back in your arms”
5. Every time we come to this table, it is a time of remembering our Blessed Savior. But each time we do so, it should be with the attitude of “Jesus I hope this is the last time I do this. I hope you are coming soon, and I will be you face to face!”
6. As we partake of this table in a few minutes, let our inner prayer be that of John. “Even so, come Lord Jesus.”
III. CORRECTLY OBSERVING THE LORD’S SUPPER MEANS AN ATTITUDE OF EXAMINATION
1. Vss 27-28, 31 Did you catch that? We are to examine ourselves, judge ourselves, before we come to this Table. We are to look carefully at our life, examining it for unconfessed sin, for areas of rebellion, for self will, pride and stubbornness. We are to look for gossip, unkind words of criticism, profanity. We are to look for impure thoughts, acts of impurity, for intentions of impurity. We are to look for an overconcern with material things, and an underconcern for our neighbors eternal soul. We are to examine what we have done, and the things we have failed to do. In short, we are to examine our life minutely, bringing every rebellious area to Jesus for confession and
cleansing.
2. Illus of Dr. Nancy Jax (April 1997 Readers Digest, page 211)
• In 1983, was handing live Ebola virus when outer suit tore.
• Only thing between her and certain death was her inner latex surgical glove
• Examined it carefully, then slowly filled with water to see if any leak
• Was not, knew she was safe.
• We are to examine our life that carefully, to see if contaminated with deadliest agent in world, sin!
3. Lots of trouble- why do it? Vss 29-30, 32
CONCLUSION
1. Dramatize Jesus giving Lord’s Supper.
2. Recollection, anticipation, examination
3. What would you need to do today to be ready to observe this Table? Come to Jesus? Confess sin or way of life to God? Go to some person and apologize?
