Text: 1 Corinthians 11:23-34, Title: Why the Lord’s Supper? Date/Place: NRBC, 7/20/08, PM
A. Opening illustration: The tomb of the unknown soldier at Arlington—a memorial
B. Background to passage: Paul had warned the Corinthians about divisions in the beginning of the letter, but moved on to discuss some of the questions and issues in the church from an individual standpoint. Beginning in ch. 11, Paul begins a section on the church and its operation continuing through ch. 14. After dealing with some gender issues in the first part of the chapter, he moves to dealing with some major problems with the Lord’s Supper. Exp early church love feasts. There were divisions, gluttony, selfishness, drunkenness, and other things that made a mockery of this sacred ordinance.
C. Main thought: The supper is a time when we remember the Lord’s sacrifice on our behalf, and we come humbly to the table acknowledging our sin and His perfection, proclaiming His death till He comes in a bond of unity with the rest of the body of Christ.
A. A Time of remembering the sacrifice (v. 23-26)
1. The first thing Jesus did was give thanks. The common loaf that was shared indicated a unity and common bond shared among the body of Christ. A visible sermon showing Christ’s death for sin, until He comes again. Note also the presence of Christ. It speaks of the new covenant prophesied by Jer 31. The word here is testament, in ancient Gr, it carried much meaning—it was the act of someone of His own free will distributing gifts upon others after His death, and it was usually conditional. This text also shows the temporary nature of this feast.
2. Matt 26:26-30, Isa 53:5-6, 2 Cor 5:18-21, Heb 9:12-15, 1 Pet 2:24
3. Illustration: A heart transplant recipient was asked one time if he ever thinks of the person who gave him the heart, that he died and all. And the response was that it was too hard to think of someone dying for you. Several years ago in Oshawa, Ontario, Canada, George and Vera Bajenksi’s lives were changed forever. February 16, 1989. A very normal Thursday morning. The phone rang at 9:15 a.m. "There’s been an accident..." It involved their son Ben. As they approached the intersection of Adelaide and Simcoe Streets near the high school, they could see the flashing lights of the police cars and ambulance units. Vera noticed a photographer and followed the direction of his camera lens to the largest pool of blood she had ever seen. All she could say was, "George, Ben went home--home to be with his Heavenly Father!" Her first reaction was to jump out of the car, somehow collect the blood and put it back into her son. "That blood, for me, at that moment, became the most precious thing in the world because it was life. It was life-giving blood and it belonged in my son, my only son, the one I loved so much." The road was dirty and the blood just didn’t belong there. George noticed that cars were driving right through the intersection--right through the blood. His heart was smitten. He wanted to cover the blood with his coat and cry, "You will not drive over the blood of my son!" Then Vera understood for the first time in her life, one of God’s greatest and most beautiful truths...why blood? Because it was the strongest language God could have used. It was the most precious thing He could give-- the highest price He could pay. Through God’s amazing love we were redeemed with the precious blood of Christ (1 Peter 1:18-19). May we never treat lightly nor trample underfoot the blood of God’s Son (Hebrews 10:29).
4. This should be a time of thanksgiving for the sacrifice that was made. We are also to do this in remembrance of Him. We should remember how He died and why He died, and what happened because He died. We should rejoice in the new covenant. My debt was paid by an innocent man. Meditate upon what it would be like to be a Muslim and have to do enough good, or upon the sinner who will pay for his sin eternally in hell. Know that that is what my sin deserved, and that was what was poured out upon Christ on the Cross.
B. A time of reexamining the saints (v. 27-32)
1. The word used here means for someone to be put on trial, or to examine for genuineness, to find out if one is approved, used of metals. However, this trial is not for a judgment from a jury of your peers, but an intense personal self-search of one’s own heart, looking for things that displease God. This is a time for confession, church discipline, repentance, and removal of things that disrupt the unity of the body and one’s relationship to Christ. This prevents the judgment that Paul says comes with not taking the supper worthily. Exp worthiness. Exp the judgment talked about here, and sickness and death. Exp the chastisement of the Lord. The supper is the continuation rite of the church, similar to baptism being the initiation rite.
2. Ps 26:2, Lam 3:40, Ps 139:23-24, Heb 12:7-11, Achan, Uzzah, Nadab and Abihu, Ananias and Sapphira
3. Illustration: Regular maintenance on life, like a physical, or ropes for climbers, or nets, John Leadley Dagg, the author of a well-known and influential [Southern Baptist] church manual of the nineteenth century, noted: ‘It has been remarked, that when discipline leaves a church, Christ goes with it.’”
4. This is an individual and corporate time of examination. During our examination time, ask God to search you, and show you the unapproved areas. Your personal walk with the Lord. A relationship with someone that is damaged. Your commitment to the church. Confess, repent, discern the body, and drink reverently. Remember that failure to do so properly could cause us to receive chastisement from God, even death. Tonight we will use the church covenant as a helpful reminder of our commitment to one another. It is a visual reminder of the principles of belief and conduct that we are unified around. Please also take note of those around us, or not around us.
C. A time of renouncing our selfishness (v. 33-34)
1. Having remembered the death of the Lord, and examined themselves, Paul told the Corinthians to begin behaving like Christians should. This is diametrically opposed to the behaviors described in verses 17-22. Caring for one another. Focusing not on what you get out of it, but about the body and its health.
2. Phil 2:3, 1 Cor 1:10. Luke 19:8,
3. Illustration: Andrew Murray, whose devotional books are still popular nearly a century after his death, said this: It is when we face ourselves and face Christ, that we are lost in wonder, love and praise. We need to rediscover the almost lost discipline of self-examination; and then a re-awakened sense of sin will beget a reawakened sense of wonder. "Self-examination Questions for Spiritual People." And he meant that we should ask ourselves these questions each and every day! 1. Did I awake spiritual, and was I watchful in keeping my mind from wandering this morning when I was rising? 2. Have I this day got nearer to God in times of prayer, or have I given way to a lazy, idle spirit? 3. Has my faith been weakened by unwatchfulness, or quickened by diligence this day? 4. Have I this day walked by faith and eyed God in all things? 5. Have I denied myself in all unkind words and thoughts? Have I delighted in seeing others preferred before me? 6. Have I made the most of my precious time, as far as I had light, strength, and opportunity? 7. Have I kept the issues of my heart in the means of grace, so as to profit by them? 8. What have I done this day for the souls and bodies of God’s dear saints? 9. Have I laid out anything to please myself when I might have saved the money for the cause of God? 10. Have I governed well my tongue this day, remembering that in a multitude of words there wanteth not sin? 11. In how many instances have I denied myself? 12. Do my life and conversation adorn the Gospel of Jesus Christ?
4. We must realize that it is not all about us! It’s about Him. We should use this time to look for ways that we can contribute to the overall health of the body of Christ. We should consider the mission statement and our purpose. Remind ourselves that we are in a war for our own souls and those of our families, neighbors, friends, and coworkers. Looking for ways to serve. Looking for ways to use your spiritual gifts. Looking for ways to build up one another. Looking for ways to show support to the body. Looking for ways to change your behavioral patterns to reflect Christ, and what He wants for the church, and not yourself, and what you want for the church. This should be a time for strengthening unity in the body by unifying around a vision, around goals, around the Word, and around Christ.
A. Closing illustration: “In 1949, my father had just returned from the war. On every highway you could see soldiers in uniform hitchhiking home to their families. The thrill of the reunion with his family was soon overshadowed by my grandmother’s illness. There was a problem with her kidneys. The doctors told my father that she needed a blood transfusion immediately or she would not live through the night. Grandmother’s blood type was AB negative, a very rare type. In those days there were no blood banks like there are today. No one in the family had that type blood and the hospital had not been able to find anyone with that rare type. The Doctor gave our family little hope. My Dad decided to head home for a little while to change clothes and then return for the inevitable good-byes. As my father was driving home he passed a soldier in uniform hitchhiking. Deep in grief, my father was not going to stop. But something compelled him to pull over. The soldier climbed in but my father never spoke. He just continued driving down the road toward home. The soldier could tell my father was upset as a tear ran down his cheek. The soldier asked about the tear. My father began telling the stranger that his mother was going to die because the hospital couldn’t find anyone who could donate AB negative blood. My father explained that he was just heading home to change clothes. That is when he noticed the soldier’s open hand holding dog tags that read AB negative. The soldier told my father to turn the car around and head back to the hospital. My grandmother lived until 1996, 47 more years, about the slaughtering of the lambs
B. So tonight as we partake together as the covenant body called New River Baptist Church, let us judge ourselves that we not be judged. Let’s prepare our hearts as we sing, meditate, and receive the elements. May they strengthen our souls. Pray.
