We’ve
always been brought up to believe that “The Lord’s Supper”
[also called, “Communion”] happens with that little
teeny-tiny cracker & tiny sip of grape juice or
wine. AT CHURCH!! Either at every service or once
a month or in other churches, just on special observance
times.
BUT….
Let’s look at Scripture!!
From
1 Corinthians 11
Institution
of the Lord’s Supper
23 For
I have received of the Lord that which also I delivered unto
you, that the Lord Jesus the same night in which he was
betrayed took bread:
24 And
when he had given thanks, he brake it, and said, Take, eat:
this is my body, which is broken for you: this do in
remembrance of me.
25 After
the same manner also he took the cup, when he had supped,
saying, this cup is the new testament in my blood: this do
ye, as oft as ye drink it, in remembrance of me.
26 For
as often as ye eat this bread, and drink this cup, ye do
shew the Lord's death till he come.
27 Wherefore
whosoever shall eat this bread, and drink this cup of the
Lord, unworthily, shall be guilty of the body and blood of
the Lord.
28 But
let a man examine himself, and so let him eat of that bread,
and drink of that cup.
29 For
he that eateth and drinketh unworthily, eateth and drinketh
damnation to himself, not discerning the Lord's body.
30 For
this cause many are weak and sickly among you, and many
sleep.
31 For
if we would judge ourselves, we should not be judged.
32 But
when we are judged, we are chastened of the Lord, that we
should not be condemned with the world.
33 Wherefore,
my brethren, when ye come together to eat, tarry one for
another.
34 And
if any man hunger, let him eat at home; that ye come not
together unto condemnation.
Forget
everything all the preachers/teachers have ever told you
that sickness does not come from the Lord. Ah
contraire! If we eat the Lord’s supper (and 1
Cor 11 points out that every time we sit down to eat, we
should at least for a moment consider His death, consider
our trespasses, and eat in a WORTHY manner) because
when we just blow everything off & eat unworthily, we
can easily come under judgment. Scripture says THIS IS
THE REASON some are SICK or WEAK, this is the reason some
SLEEP (that means physical death!)
When
ye come together therefore into one place, this is not to
eat the Lord's Supper.
1 Corinthians
11:20 (KJV)
Why
shouldn’t the church collectively participate in Communion??
For
in eating every one taketh before other his own supper: and
one is hungry, and another is drunken.
1 Corinthians
11:21 (KJV)
Yet,
we are judged as INDIVIDUALS in the Lord’s eyes!! In
churches, where they use a real loaf of bread (not a teeny
nibble of a cracker) some may be HUNGRY & may be tempted
to GULP the thing down! Or what if someone is an
alcoholic & the church uses real wine? PEER
PRESSURE!! Generally a person “caves” and takes it just
so he won’t be odd man out!
Wherefore
whosoever shall eat this bread, and drink this cup of the
Lord, unworthily, shall be guilty of the body and blood of
the Lord. But let a man examine himself, and so let him eat
of that bread, and drink of that cup.
1 Corinthians
11:27-28 (KJV)
Who
wants to be GUILTY of the body & blood of the Lord?
Indeed a very serious matter to take the Lord’s Supper
unworthily!!
No
one (or church) should ever place temptation before a super
hungry person nor before an alcoholic. Show in the Bible
where it says the Lord’s supper should be done on a “set
schedule”??
Each
person should do this PRIVATELY when sensing the need.
Wherefore,
my brethren, when ye come together to eat, tarry one for
another.
1 Corinthians
11:33 (KJV)
Have
we ever considered this before? To make a conscious
effort to really EXAMINE ourselves?
What
of those who do not make a sincere effort to examine
themselves?
To
not fully examine ourselves before we eat or drink could be
life threatening literally!
For
he that eateth and drinketh unworthily, eateth and drinketh
damnation to himself, not discerning the Lord's body. For
this cause many are weak and sickly among you, and many
sleep. For if we would judge ourselves, we should not be
judged.
1 Corinthians
11:29-31 (KJV)
Yikes,
yikes & DOUBLE YIKES!!!! It doesn’t get any
plainer! EAT unworthily and EAT AND DRINK DAMNATION to
yourself!! You say, “now w-w-wait a minute!! I
believe in Jesus and AM saved! No turning back! There’s
nothing I can do to lose that!”
Well,
let’s examine who the book of Corinthians was written TO:
From
1 Corinthians: 1 Paul, called to be an apostle of Jesus
Christ through the will of God, and Sosthenes our brother, 2.
To the church of God which is at Corinth, to those who
are sanctified in Christ Jesus, called to be saints, with
all who in every place call on the name of Jesus Christ
our Lord….
Again:
here is WHY many (Christians) are weak!! Are sick ….
And/or die!! ß
straight from 1 Corinthians 11:29-31~~~!!!
And
as far as drinking damnation to oneself…..
Jesus
answered, He it is, to whom I shall give a sop, when I have
dipped it. And when he had dipped the sop, he gave it to
Judas Iscariot, the son of Simon. And after the sop Satan
entered into him. Then said Jesus unto him, That thou doest,
do quickly.
John 13:26-27
(KJV)
Don’t
you find this interesting that satan entered Judas the very
night the first “Lord’s Supper” was held?? Did Judas
bite into the bread? Or did he merely receive it from
Jesus UNWORTHILY? Either way….
Again
to clarify: as real Christians, those seeking to honor
the Lord, remembering His sacrifice and examining our own
lives as He taught is something all of us should do. And
from time to time if/when we participate in Communion with
others in a church setting, certainly we should hope we’re in
the company of REAL believers who also understand the
seriousness of this worship-gesture!
From
our personal relationship we have with our Creator, each
person should take as long as he or she needs to … to reflect
on The Cross and ask forgiveness for our sins.
1 Corinthians
11:24-25 suggests that we do this as
often as we sit down to a meal, just take a moment to remember
our transgressions and ask God to forgive them in the name of
His son Jesus.
~
AMEN!! ~