1st Corinthians 11:17-34
ILL Notebook: Communion (The Church of the Holy Radiator)
There was a small-town Episcopal church in upstate New York that had rector for over thirty-five years. He was loved by the church and the community, but the time came for him to retire.
This was the first church for his young replacement, and the new rector had a great desire to do well.
He had been at the church several weeks when he began to perceive that the people were upset with him. He was troubled with this. Eventually, he called one of the lay leaders of the church and said, “I don’t know what’s wrong, but I have a feeling that there is something wrong.”
The man said, “Well, Father, that’s true. I hate to say it, but it’s the way you do the Communion service.”
“The way I do the Communion service? What do you mean?”
“Well, it’s not so much what you do as what you leave out.”
“I don’t think I leave out anything from the Communion service.”
“Oh yes, you do. Just before our previous rector administered the chalice and wine to the people, he’d always go over and touch the radiator. And then, he would serve the people.”
The young rector closed up the conversation and quickly called his predecessor. He said to him, “I haven’t been here a month, and I’m in trouble.”
“In trouble? Why?”
“Well, it’s something to do with touching the radiator. Could that be possible? Did you do that?”
“Oh yes, I did. Always before I administered the chalice to the people, I touched the radiator to discharge the static electricity so I wouldn’t shock them.”
For over thirty-five years, the untutored people of his congregation thought that the touching of the radiator was part of the holy tradition. The church has since been renamed, “The Church of the Holy Radiator.”
We must constantly be evaluating how, when, and why we do what we do for the Lord. Paul has shared with us that even though we have freedom; our freedom doesn’t come without order… Godly order! Now I don’t believe that we can govern morality, but this shouldn’t hinder us from standing up for what we know are Godly values. This is what Paul is doing. The Corinthian’s have become disorderly, through pagan tradition, which was manifested by selfishness and disrespect.
To understand order, one must have an understanding of respect, reverence and appropriateness. I commented that there are those who would use these scriptures for oppression of women in worship as well as at home. I don’t believe that this is the intent or the context of these scriptures, but I do believe submission is something ordained by God. Submission is mutual commission and cooperation. We see this with Jesus and His willingness to carry out God’s plan of salvation.
This brings us to our subject today… the Lord’s Table. Now there are 2 reasons we do this in worship service:
1) Because Jesus told us to
2) It is to remind us of the one whom we are to be about.
Now the Corinthian’s have illustrated for us the improper way to observe the Lord’s Supper…HOLY COMMUNION
Paul tells us that when we are not in the spirit and attitude of worship; there are serve consequences for these actions. Friends this is true not only when being ministered the elements of the sacrament of Holy Communion, but even in regular services that do not consist of Holy Communion. You see when our attitude of worship is joined with a spirit of charity and cooperation we receive the full complement of God’s blessings for us at that moment and for future endeavors that God places in our path. But when we come and don’t have that communion and we are here with murmuring, smart-alecky remarks, disrespect for one another with judgmental attitudes, there is serve consequences for this as well. Whether we realize it or not, the devil will use these times to rob us of our joy in Christ.
When we are not self disciplined enough to allow God’s Spirit to redirect what needs to be redirected; we allow the devil to have a foot hold in our hearts. He will begin planting these ideas that give birth to things that cause us to miss the point of why we are here and why God tells us not to “neglect meeting together, as in the habit of some, but encouraging one another, and all the more as you see the Day approaching.”
We asked KATY why she was so excited about going to church. Her answer was; because, that is where Jesus is. If you and I are unable to see Jesus in our lives in the last 6 days, we ought to be confident in knowing that we can see Him here if not anywhere else in our lives.
This time of communion is to be a time of unity, self-sacrifice, and genuineness. I would hope this is true every time we come together as a Body of Christ and in no way am I trying to diminish or make a mockery of our celebration of the sacrifice of Jesus.
In fact I want us to revisit the last supper and understand the transition of the Passover Feast to Lord’s Supper. (READ LUKE 22: 14-20) HERE JESUS REPLACED ANIMAL SACRIFICE WITH THE ANNOUNCEMENT OF HIS DEATH, BURIAL AND RESURRECTION and To acknowledge that Jesus didn’t just verbally command us to love one another, but that he visually showed us how God loves unconditionally and how for us to love one another. Romans 5:8 - “But God demonstrated his own love for us in this: while we were still sinners, Christ died for us”
When Jesus instituted the ordinance of the Lord’s Table, He gave us two compelling visual aids.
Unleavened bread represented His body.
Wine (fruit of the vine) represented His blood.
What these visual aids call us to do is stop.
We are to stop, be silent and take the time to think.
We are to look back and remember.
Its significance relates to our past, present, and future.
We are to remember where our life comes from.
We have received new life.
John 8:36 - So if the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed
Jesus’ death and resurrection sets you free from everything that binds you and holds you back in life
You have been given pardon from the things of the past and now is the time to walk in freedom
We have gained a new heart.
All because Jesus took the place we deserved at the cross.
He is our life and His death is our ultimate motivation against falling into sin and for abstaining from all appearance of evil. Holy Communion is thanksgiving for our blessings and salvation of God made available by what Christ done on the cross.
The fact that we use bread without yeast is very significant.
It is the same type of bread that the Hebrew people used as they made their way out of Egypt.
It was at the exodus that God saved His people.
Not only that the bread is a picture of that which is undefiled.
Jesus went to the cross undefiled, without sin, and in so doing gives us the resources to live undefiled lives.
Because Jesus was pure and holy, we too are to live lives characterized by purity and holiness, demonstrating a behavior that is authentic.
So we eat together a common bread, giving us a common identity.
We feed on Jesus, just like one that devours a good book, because we cannot have too much of Jesus.
He brings us together into a common life, so that we share a common spiritual identity.
We are placed into one body, His body, so that we are part of one another.
Along with that…
2. We are to remember that our sin has been paid for.
Because we were a slave to sin and we had no choice who we served, we are to celebrate.
We have been bought back.
We have been set free.
Without Jesus at the cross, we would still be in the bondage of death, sleep walking through life.
We are to never forget that there are irreconcilable differences between God and us.
On the one hand is God’s absolute holiness, sinless perfection and righteousness.
On the other is our own ugly, horrible sinfulness.
And God understands how destructive our sin is, even if we don’t.
So, drastic ills called for drastic remedies.
Our time at the table is a time to remember this.
We are to look back and remember the tremendous cost.
The cross was brutal.
And a holy rage was set against our sin.
We must never, never forget.
For as often as you eat this bread and drink the cup, you proclaim the Lord’s death until he comes.
It is at this time we give recognition and proclamation of the new covenant by which we as believer reaffirm the deity of Christ and our commitment to do His Will by remaining loyal, resisting sin and helping others to identify with His mission.
It should remind us that we are to proclaim the good news. 2 Peter 1:3-4 - His divine power has given us everything we need for life and godliness through our knowledge of him who called us by his own glory and goodness. Through these he has given us his very great and precious promises, so that through them you may participate in the divine nature and escape the corruption in the world caused by evil desires.
Christ is calling us to a life of righteousness
So I hope you see that there is a reason why we come to the Lord’s Table every month.
It is because it is a priority!
We are to keep looking forward, calling on each other to remember that we have been so blessed.
But not only that…
It is a proclamation.
There is good news to be told. Communion is a testimony of what Christ has done for us!!
It is a holy and precious testimony that speaks loudly of what His broken body and shed blood actually mean to us as believers.
Paul says to proclaim His death, and our salvation, until He comes.
Brothers and sisters …A time is coming when we will understand His Presence in a different way.
When the Lord returns, the focus will be on Him alone.
We will no longer linger at the event of the cross.
Instead, we will rejoice in being His and being with Him forever.
But until then, our time at the Lord’s Table is a wonderful opportunity for us.
It is a good time to take stock of where we are in our relationship with the Lord.
It is a good time to confess our sin.
It is a good time to repent.
It is a good time to find forgiveness.
As we come to Christ’s table this morning answer three questions:
A. Have you adequately reflected on the death of Christ and His gift of grace in your life?
B. Have you experienced the spiritual release and freedom in Christ that you need?
C. Do you have a need for spiritual renewal this morning?
BENEDICTION
READ LUKE 21:25-28
PRAYER
RESOURCES:
LIFE APPLICATION STUDY BIBLE (NIV)
LIVING IN THE SPIRIT STUDY BIBLE (KJV)
SERMONCENTRAL.COM
LET’S FOCUS PEOPLE; LET’S FOCUS PAUL DECKER
STEPS TO CELEBRATING COMMUNION DAVID DEWITT
