THE POWER OF HOLY COMMUNION

1 Corinthians 11:23-26

INTRODUCTION

A Study of The Lord’s Supper is a soul-stirring experience because of the depth of the meaning it contains. It was during the age-old celebration of the Passover on the eve of His death that Jesus instituted a significant new fellowship meal that we observe to this day. It is an integral part of Christian worship. It causes us to remember our Lord’s death and resurrection and to look for His glorious return in the future.
During the Last Supper—a Passover celebration—Jesus took a loaf of bread and gave thanks to God. As He broke it and gave it to His disciples, He said, “’This is my body given for you; do this in remembrance of me.’ In the same way, after the supper he took the cup, saying, ‘This cup is the new covenant in my blood, which is poured out for you’” (Luke 22:19-21). He concluded the feast by singing a hymn (Matthew 26:30), and they went out into the night to the Mount of Olives. It was there that Jesus was betrayed, as predicted, by Judas. The following day He was crucified.
The Accounts of The Lord’s Supper are found in the Gospels (Matthew 26:26-29; Mark 14:17-25; Luke 22:7-22; and John 13:21-30). The apostle Paul wrote concerning the Lord’s Supper in 1 Corinthians 11:23-29. Paul includes a statement not found in the Gospels: “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” (1 Corinthians 11:27-29).

We may ask what it means to partake of the bread and the cup “in an unworthy manner.” It may mean to disregard the true meaning of the bread and cup and to forget the tremendous price our Savior paid for our salvation. Or it may mean to allow the ceremony to become a dead and formal ritual or to come to the Lord’s Supper with unconfessed sin. In keeping with Paul’s instruction, we should examine ourselves before eating the bread and drinking the cup.

I.THELORD’SSUPPERINOURASSEMBLIES

A. A MEMORIAL...

1)Note Paul’saccountasgivenbytheLordHimself-1 Cor. 11:23-25

  1. We eat the bread in memory of His body
  2. We drink the cup (fruit of the vine) in memory of His blood

2)WethereforecommemoratethedeathofJesusonthecross–Mt. 26:28

  1. Whosedeathmakesthenewcovenantpossible–Heb. 9:16
  2. Whosebloodwasshedfortheremissionofsins–Eph. 1:7

B. A PROCLAMATION...

1)WeproclaimourfaithintheefficacyoftheLord’sdeath-1 Cor. 11:26a

  1. That His death was indeed for our sins

2)WealsoproclaimourfaithintheLord’sreturn-1 Cor. 1:26b

  1. For it is to be done “till He comes”

C. A COMMUNION...

1)AfellowshiporsharinginthebloodofChrist-1 Cor. 10:16a

  1. As we partake, we commune with the blood of Christ
  2. In the sense of reinforcing blessings we enjoy through the blood of Christ- cf.1 Jn. 1:7,9

2)AfellowshiporsharinginthebodyofChrist-1 Cor. 10:16b-17

  1. As we partake, we commune with the body of Christ
  2. Perhaps in the sense of reinforcing fellowship together in the body of Christ (i.e., the church), as we break bread together

II.GETTINGMOREOUTOFTHELORD’SSUPPER

A. MAKE ITA TIME OF REVERENCE...

1)Itshouldbeobserved“inaworthymanner”(NKJV)-1 Cor. 11:27-29

  1. The KJV says ‘worthily’, which is sometimes misunderstood
  2. It is describing how we take it, not whether we are worthy (none are truly worthy)

2)It should be observed with respect for the supreme price Jesus paid for our sins

  1. E.g., the cruel torture and humiliation of His physical body(broken, beaten, bruised)
  2. E.g., the anguish suffered as Jesus hung on the cross(alone, betrayed, denied)

3)Failuretoobservewithproperreverencebringscondemnation-1 Cor. 11:27-29

  1. One will be guilty of the body and blood of the Lord.One will eat and drink judgment to himself

B. MAKE ITA TIME OF REFLECTION...

1)ToreflectonthesufferingChristendured-1 Cor. 11:24-25

  1. By reading passages likePs. 22, Isa 53, 1 Cor. 11, and accounts of Christ’s suffering
  2. By singing songs written to prepare us for partaking of the Supper (praise/worship)

2)Toreflectonone’sspiritualcondition-1 Cor. 11:28

  1. Are we living ina manner that shows appreciation for His sacrifice?
  2. Have we accepted the grace of God in our lives?- cf.2 Cor. 5:18-6:1
  3. Are we living for Jesus who died for us? Gal. 2:20
  4. Are we guilty of willful sinning?- cf.Heb. 10:26

C. MAKE ITA TIME OF REUNION...

1)There is ample indication the Supper is designed to bea communal meal

a. Thedisciples“cametogether”tobreakbread-Acts 20:7

  1. Whentheycametogether,theywereto“waitforoneanother”-1 Cor. 11:33
  2. Partaking together of “one bread”, they demonstrate they are “one bread and one body”-1 Cor. 10:17

CONCLUSION

In conclusion, Holy Communion is a special time for the believer; especially when he knows, and understands the meaning of taking it. This time set aside by God should be a time of memorial for what He’s done, a proclamation in faith that it was once and for all, communion with God and our brothers and sisters in Christ, reverence of the supreme price paid for our redemption, reflection on what was done, what is being done currently, and what will be done when Christ returns, and a reunion with our fellow brothers and sisters in Christ.

Questions

1) (Luke 22:19) When Jesus instituted the Lord's Supper He said

a)He didn't want to die.

b)Do this in remembrance of Me.

c)He did not want us to remember that He died for us.

2) The purpose of the Lord's Supper is to help us remember what the Lord did for us.

TrueFalse

3) (Isaiah 53:5-6) In God's eternal plan of redemption

a)The death of Christ was part of that plan.

b)The death of Christ was not part of that plan.

c)God did not intend that Christ would die.

4) God's eternal plan was for Christ to come and set up an earthly kingdom. (John 18:36)

TrueFalse

5) (1 Corinthians 11:23-26) in partaking of the Lord's Supper

a)We are to partake of only the bread while a priest partakes of the fruit of the vine.

b)We are not to remember the death of Christ.

c)We are to partake of both the bread and the fruit of the vine in remembering the death of Christ.

6) As we partake of the Lord's Supper we proclaim the Lord's death until He comes.

TrueFalse

7) (Luke 23:34) As Jesus was being nailed to the cross He said

a)Father, forgive them for they know not what they do.b) Father I don't want to die on the cross.

8) Jesus was not forgiving of those who nailed to the cross.

TrueFalse

9) (Matthew 27:46) As Jesus was hanging on the cross He asked

a)The angels to minister to Him.b) God not to forsake Him.c) God why He forsook Him.

10) Jesus endured the cross alone.

TrueFalse

11) (Matthew 27:45, 51) While Jesus was hanging on the cross

a)There was darkness from the 6th to the 9th hour. b) Nothing happened.c) There was a flood.

12) The sun did not shine and the earth shook because of the death of the Son of God.

TrueFalse

13) (1 Peter 2:24) When Jesus died on the cross

a)He died for His own sins.b) He died for our sins.c) He did not die for our sins.

14) Jesus died for the sins of only some people.

TrueFalse

15) (1 Corinthians 11:27-29) We are to partake of the Lord's Supper

a)Without thinking of the Lord's death.b) In an unworthy manner.c) In a worthy manner.

16) We partake of Lord's Supper in an unworthy manner when we do not discern the Lord's body.

TrueFalse