DO NOT TAKE THE LORD'S SUPPER IN AN UNWORTHY MANNER

PROCLAMATION

“For whenever you eat this bread and drink this cup, you proclaim The Lord’s death until He comes.  So then, whoever eats the bread or drinks the cup of The Lord in an unworthy manner will be guilty of sinning against the body and the blood of The Lord … For those who eat and drink without discerning the body of Christ eat and drink judgment on themselves.  That is why many among you are weak and sick, and a number of you have fallen asleep.”  1 Corinthians 11:26-30 (NIV)

 

EXPLANATION

These words were written by the apostle Paul, under the influence of The Holy Spirit of God, to the believers in the church at Corinth.  Paul begins this chapter with a discussion regarding the covering of the head by men and women. (1 Corinthians 11:2-16)  Then he goes into a discussion regarding the abuse of The Lord’s Supper. (1 Corinthians 11:17-22)  He recounts what he himself had received from The Lord regarding why believers were to partake of The Lord’s Supper. (1 Corinthians 11:23-26)  He follows this with a discussion regarding the unworthy taking of The Lord’s Supper without discerning The Lord’s body and the consequences for doing so. (1 Corinthians 11:27-34)

APPLICATION

The Lord’s Supper, or Holy Communion, is not to be taken lightly.  This is something which we should do reverently in remembrance of Christ.  When Christ served bread to the two believers that He met, walked, and talked with on the road to Emmaus after His resurrection, their eyes were opened, and they knew Him. (Luke 24:30-31)  Likewise with us it should be an eye opening and revealing experience.  Those who eat and drink The Lord’s Supper in an unworthy manner bring judgment upon themselves.  Many people are weak and sick for doing this unworthily and many people have died for this offense. (1 Corinthians 11:30)  The Lord Jesus instituted this on the night He was betrayed. (Matthew 26:26, Mark 14:22, Luke 22:19, and 1 Corinthians 11:24)  It is better for us not to partake of it than to do it in an unworthy manner.

 

DO THIS IN REMEMBRANCE OF HIM

PROCLAMATION

“Jesus took bread, and when He had given thanks, He broke it and gave it to His disciples, saying, ‘Take and eat; this is My body.’  Then He took a cup, and when He had given thanks, He gave it to them, saying, ‘Drink from it, all of you.  This is My blood of the new covenant, which is poured out for many for the forgiveness of sins.”  Matthew 26:26-28 (NIV)

EXPLANATION

These words are from the gospel, the good news regarding Jesus, The Christ, which were spoken by Christ according to the Apostle Matthew.  When Jesus had finished telling His disciples the parables, and explaining them, (Matthew 24 and 25) He again told them that He would be crucified. (Matthew 26:1-2)  They left the Mount of Olives and went to Bethany.  On the first day of the Festival of Unleavened Bread, His disciples asked Him where they should prepare to eat the Passover?  He directed them to follow a certain man to his home and ask him to use his upper room. (Matthew 26:17-19, Mark 14:13-14, and Luke 22:10-13)  Once they were there, He told them that one of them would betray Him. (Matthew 26:21-25)  After Judas left, they partook of the Last Supper. (Matthew 26:26-30) 

APPLICATION

The Lord’s Supper, the Ordinance of Communion, was instituted for us.  We are to do it in remembrance of Him until He comes again. (1 Corinthians 11:23-26)  There was no mandate given as to how often we should take it, but every time that we do, it should be done in remembrance of Him.   However, we should make sure that we pray and ask to be forgiven of our sins before we partake of it.  Because The Bible says that to take it unworthily would be bad for us. (1 Corinthians 11:27-30) 

THE CELEBRATION OF THE PASSOVER

PROCLAMATION

“The Israelites who were present celebrated the Passover at that time and observed the Festival of Unleavened Bread for seven days.”  2 Chronicles 35:17 (NIV)

EXPLANATION

After consulting with the high priest, Josiah called all of the elders of Judah and Jerusalem together in the temple and read to them all of the words of The Book of Covenant.  Then he renewed the covenant with The Lord God, to keep His commands, statutes, and decrees, and he had all the people pledge to do likewise. (2 Chronicles 34:29-32)  Afterwards he had all the people celebrate the Passover in Jerusalem and observe the Festival of Unleavened Bread for seven days. (2 Chronicles 35:1-17)  This celebration was done exactly according to the law, and it was done at King Josiah’s expense from his personal possessions. (2 Chronicles 35:7)

APPLICATION

This is the week of the Jewish celebration of the Passover.  This celebration closely resembles the Christian observance of The Lord’s Supper or Holy Communion.  These celebrations are symbolic of the death of Christ, and they are symbols of a believer’s personal piety and devotion to Him. (1 Corinthians 11:26)  As Resurrection Sunday approaches and we celebrate the death, burial, and resurrection of Christ, we should each examine ourselves, and ask for forgiveness of our sins before we partake of this sacred ordinance.  It would not be wise to take this celebration lightly. (1 Corinthians 11:29-30)

DO NOT PARTAKE OF THE LORD'S SUPPER IN AN UNWORTHY MANNER

Proclamation:

“For whenever you eat this bread and drink this cup, you proclaim The Lord’s death until He comes.  So then, whoever eats the bread or drinks the cup of The Lord in an unworthy manner will be guilty of sinning against the body and the blood of The Lord … For those who eat and drink without discerning the body of Christ eat and drink judgment on themselves.  That is why many among you are weak and sick, and a number of you have fallen asleep.”  1 Corinthians 11:26-30 (NIV)

Explanation:

These words were written by the apostle Paul, under the influence of The Holy Spirit of God, to the believers in the church at Corinth.  Paul begins this chapter with a discussion regarding the covering of the head by men and women. (1 Corinthians 11:2-16)  Then he goes into a discussion regarding the abuse of The Lord’s Supper. (1 Corinthians 11:17-22)  He recounts what he himself had received from The Lord regarding why believers were to partake of The Lord’s Supper. (1 Corinthians 11:23-26)  He follows this with a discussion regarding the unworthy taking of The Lord’s Supper without discerning The Lord’s body and the consequences for doing so. (1 Corinthians 11:27-34)

Application:

The Lord’s Supper, or Holy Communion, is not to be taken lightly.  This is something which we should do reverently in remembrance of Christ.  When Christ served bread to the two believers that He met, walked, and talked with on the road to Emmaus after His resurrection, their eyes were opened and they knew Him. (Luke 24:30-31)  Likewise with us it should be an eye opening and revealing experience.  Those who eat and drink The Lord’s Supper in an unworthy manner bring judgment upon themselves.  Many people are weak and sick for doing this unworthily and many people have died for this offense. (1 Corinthians 11:30)  The Lord Jesus instituted this on the night He was betrayed. (Matthew 26:26, Mark 14:22, Luke 22:19, and 1 Corinthians 11:24)  It is better for us not to partake of it than to do it in an unworthy manner.

THE LORD JESUS THE CHRIST IS ALL THAT WE NEED

Proclamation:

“Here is a boy with five small barley loaves and two small fish … Jesus then took the loaves, gave thanks, and distributed to those who were seated as much as they wanted.  He did the same with the fish.”  John 6:9-11 (NIV)

Explanation:

These words were written by the Apostle John under the influence of The Holy Spirit of God.  In this chapter, John records the feeding of the five thousand men, plus the women and children; (John 6:10, also recorded in Matthew 14:21, Mark 6:44, and Luke 9:14) Jesus walking on water; (John 6:19 and Matthew 14:26) and the first of the great “I Am” self declarative statements made by Jesus, the Christ. (John 6:35)  Here, John records the fourth miracle performed by Jesus, The Christ.  Jesus used a poor boy’s lunch, He blessed it, gave it to His disciples who distributed it among the people, and they fed five thousand men in addition to the accompanying women and children. (Matthew 14:21)  When all of them had eaten what they wanted, the disciples gathered up the left-over food and collected twelve baskets full of food. (John 6:13)  That was much more than they began with.  They collected that which was left over so that nothing given from God would be wasted. (John 6:12)

Application:

The Lord Jesus has the power to provide all that is needed.  A little in the hands of The Lord Jesus is more that a lot in the hands of others.  Everyone in the crowd of five thousand plus was not a true believer (John 6:66) but He blessed them all.  He fed this group physically then later declared that He was the bread of life (John 6:35 and 6:41, 48, 51, and 58) in order to feed them spiritually.  We need to believe and partake of His body and His blood. (John 6:53-58)  We can do this by partaking of The Lord’s Supper, Communion, when it is offered in our local church.  We do this in remembrance of Him until He comes again. (1 Corinthians 11:24-25)  The Lord God has all power.  Not only did Jesus, The Christ, feed the five thousand, He walked on the water across the Sea of Tiberias in the midst of a storm, and He also allowed Peter to walk on the water. (Matthew 14:26-32)  Just like Peter, we will do fine as long as we keep our focus on Him.  We will only start to sink when we focus on our situations and not on Him.  He is truly all that we need.

The Lord's Supper

"For I received from The Lord what I also passed on to you; The Lord Jesus, on the night He was betrayed, took bread, and when He had given thanks, He broke it and said, 'This is My body, which is broken for you; do this in remembrance of Me.'  In the same way, after supper He took the cup, saying, 'This cup is the new covenant in My blood; do this, whenever you drink it, in remembrance of Me.'  For whenever you eat this bread and drink this cup, you proclaim The Lord's death until He comes.  Therefore, whoever eats the bread or drinks the cup of The Lord in an unworthy manner will be guilty of sinning against the body and blood of The Lord.  A man ought to examine himself before he eats of the bread and drinks of the cup.  For anyone who eats and drinks without recognizing the body of The Lord eats and drinks judgment on himself.  That is why many among you are weak and sick, and a number of you have fallen asleep."  1 Corinthians 11:23-30 (NIV)

This was the account of The Lord's Supper written by the Apostle Paul to the believers in the church at Corinth.  The description of the seriousness of this act was followed by an explanation of it, and a stern warning regarding the importance of it.  To partake of this was to proclaim the death of The Lord until He returns.  To do this in an unworthy fashion was a sin, and that would bring about judgement and damnation to the individual.  Afterwards he added that this was the reason that many of them were sick and weak, and why many of them had died.

The partaking of The Lord's Supper, Holy Communion, is a way for believers to seriously and ceremoniously reflect on the suffering which Christ endured, the shedding of His blood, and His death on the cross, for the remission of our sins.  To engage in this without respectful prayerful consideration is to do so in an unworthy manner.  A disrespectful lack of reverence to Christ and the price which He paid for our salvation, is a sin and invites the judgment and wrath of God. (John 5:22, Romans 2:5, 2 Corinthians 5:10, 1 Peter 4:17, Jude 1:15)  

His Blood For Our Forgiveness

"Then He took the cup, gave thanks and offered it to them, saying, 'Drink from it, all of you.  This is My blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many for the forgiveness of sins."  Matthew 26:27-28 (NIV)

These are the words of Jesus, The Christ, to His disciples at the last supper before they left the upper room and went to the garden at Gethsemane.  He made it clear that only by the shedding of His blood would the sins of the many be forgiven.

The cup of wine represents and signifies the blood of Christ.  The blood of Jesus was shed for the remission of our sins.  He who was without sin, took on the sins of the world, and paid the penalty for our sins, so that we might be saved.  When God, The Father, looks at us now, He sees the blood of His Son.  We are redeemed from our sins, purchased by the blood of Christ.  For without the shedding of His blood, there would be no remission of sin.  (Hebrews 9:22)  It is through His blood that we are cleansed from our sins.