A Time of Reflection
I
Corinthians 11:17-34
I.
Time to Reflect on the Saints
Paul begins his discourse on the
mishandling of the Lord’s Table by using the phrase “when ye come together”. (vs. 17)
Then he elaborates on now only the “who”,
but the “where” in verse 18.
He said, “when ye come together IN THE CHURCH”.
We do not believe it is scriptural to
have the Lord’s Supper at our house apart from the church.
NOTICE – vs. 33, 34 “when ye come together”. And “let him eat at home”
The Lord’s Table is clearly a time when
the local church comes together in unity and oneness.
Paul is stressing the need for unity in
the body during a time of the Lord’s Supper.
It is not a time for division and selfishness.
He stresses the importance of DOCTRINAL
purity in verse 19.
He stresses the importance of LOVING
each other in verses 20-22.
He rebuked them for making the Lord’s
Table a time of feasting and self-centered indulging of the flesh.
He used the word “despise” the church of
God. This word means to minimize or think
little of.
This is a time when God’s people should
be of one mind, one accord and one heart like never before!
II.
Time to Reflect on the Savior
Paul then began to direct their
attention to the centerpiece of the Lord’s Table – THE LORD JESUS CHRIST.
He reminded them of that awful night
when He was betrayed by one of his own disciples.
The setting Paul is reminding them of is
the supper in the upper room when Jesus broke the bread.
They didn’t know it at the time, and
they didn’t understand it, but the bread was a type and picture of his body.
Then he reminded them of the change that
took place in God’s economy.
Jesus referred to “the new testament”.
The “old testament” involved the
sacrifice of bulls and goats and sheep and turtledoves.
In Hebrews 12:24 it is called the “new
covenant”.
There was no longer a need for priests
and sacrifices – the high priest, Jesus Christ was the ultimate sacrifice.
Jesus was a priest after the order of
Melchisedec.
Hebrews chapter 7 explains the
difference the high priest after the order of Aaron, and the high priest after
the order of Melchisedec.
The Bible puts it like this:
·
Hebrews 7:22 By so
much was Jesus made a surety of a better testament.
·
23 And they
truly were many priests, because they were not suffered to continue by reason
of death:
·
24 But this
man, because he continueth ever, hath an unchangeable priesthood.
·
25 Wherefore he
is able also to save them to the uttermost that come unto God by him, seeing he
ever liveth to make intercession for them.
·
26 For such an
high priest became us, who is holy, harmless, undefiled, separate from sinners,
and made higher than the heavens;
·
27 Who needeth
not daily, as those high priests, to offer up sacrifice, first for his own
sins, and then for the people’s: for this he did once, when he offered up
himself.
III.
Time to Reflect on our Self
Paul then moves our attention from the
Saints, and the Savior, to our Self.
Starting in verse 27, Paul begins to
emphasize a time of reflection on our inward man.
He describes it as a time of personal
examination.
EXAMINE: to test,
examine, prove, scrutinise (to see whether a thing is genuine or not), as
metals, to recognise as genuine after examination, to approve, deem worthy
He reminds them that partaking in the
Lord’s Table unworthily is dangerous and possibly even deadly.
The house of God is a place where God’s
people should judge themselves.
Notice the words of the Apostle Peter:
·
1 Peter 4:17 For the time is come that judgment must
begin at the house of God: and if it first begin at us, what shall the end be
of them that obey not the gospel of God?
He again draws a distinction between the
“church of God” and “the world” in verse 32.
CONCLUSION
Tonight, let us reflect on our
relationship with each other.
Let us reflect on the redemptive work of
our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.
And let us reflect on our own hearts and
judge ourselves, that we should not be judged.
