1 Corinthians 11:20-34 – It’s Something Special – Bible study

1Corinthians 11:20-34 Its Something Special Tonight we come together to celebrate the Lords Supper Most Christians do not know what this service is about; but in it, we have the opportunity to fellowship with the Lord in a way which is different and I believe more real than at any other time. It is something special. Tonight, let me share why. I. The Lords Supper was established by Jesus. A. The Lords Supper was established out of the Passover. 1. This connection gives us a link all the way back to Moses and antiquity. 2. The Passover was a service of death and deliverance. (a) By Passover I am not speaking of the traditional Jewish Passover as Dr. Ben Alpert demonstrated a few weeks ago. (1) That Passover was developed over time and especially AFTER the temple was destroyed. (2) \#Ex 12:6-14\ describes a much less ritualistic Passover. (3) Moses lived around 1400 BC. Elijah around 900 BC. (b) The people were under the penalty of death as the death angel was coming through. (c) But they were delivered by shedding of an innocent lambs blood. (d) Their inclusion into the deliverance hung on two acts: (1) They had to have the blood. (2) They had to be under the protection of the blood. (f) The Lords Supper is a reminder of the death and deliverance we experience through Jesus Christ. (1) We are under the death angels sentence! He passes by every so often just to remind us. (2) We must have the blood (by believing in Jesus) and be displaying it (by repenting of sin.) 3. But the Passover was also a service of fellowship. (a) The Jews ate the lamb that had been sacrificed. (b) They ate it quickly but they ate it, house to house and family with family. (c) That is not to picture fellowship among ourselves but to picture fellowship with God through Jesus Christ. B. The Lords Supper was established by Jesus on the night His agony began. 1. It was among His last acts before His crucifixion. 2. It was birthed out of a yearning to be with His disciples. Luke 22:15 And he said unto them, With desire I have desired to eat this passover with you before I suffer: 3. Jesus was not just talking to them. He was desiring to have an fellowship with all of His children and He does that now by means of the Lords Supper C. It was established as a service of choice. 1Cor 11:24 this do in remembrance of me." 25 this do ye, as oft as ye drink it, in remembrance of me. 1. There is no time frame forced on us to have this service. 2. There is no mandate that you come to the service or even that you partake of the service if you are here. 3. If you want to remember Jesus tonight, come. 4. Whenever you want to remember Jesus, come. 5. This is a service of choice; but know this, with great desire, Jesus desires to fellowship with you. II. The Lords Supper has five purposes. A. It is a service of UNION. 1Cor 10:16 The cup of blessing which we bless, is it not the communion of the blood of Christ? The bread which we break, is it not the communion of the body of Christ? 17 For we being many are one bread, and one body: for we are all partakers of that one bread. 1. Notice that this is a service to celebrate our oneness with one another and with God. 2. In partaking of this service, we become one bread. 3. But we also have UNION WITH Christ. 4. This was what lead Paul to speak of the Lords Supper in chapter 11. a. Corinth was a divided church. 1Cor 11:18 For first of all, when ye come together in the church, I hear that there be divisions among you; and I partly believe it. 20 When ye come together therefore into one place, this is not to eat the Lords supper. b. You cannot partake of the Lords Supper and be dividedeither among ourselves or from our Savior. 5. If there is some sin between you and Jesus, deal with it right now. 6. If there is something between you and another, deal with it right now. B. It is a service of REMEMBANCE. 1. Do this why? In remembrance of ME! 2. For the last several Sundays, we have been remembering Jesus. a. His knowledge of what would happen to Him. b. His determination to go to the cross. c. His suffering and death. d. And this morning, His resurrection. 3. If you and I do not relive a memory, we will lose it. C. It is a service of EXAMINATION. 1Cor 11:27 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. 1. God has never liked sin. He commands us to put it away from us. 2. To have this service of fellowship, we must! 3. Christians do not wait for sin to affect us. 4. We seek it out and deal with it before it gets rooted too deeply inside. 5. That is what the examination is for. a. It is one of the reasons we read the Bible. b. It is one of the reasons we need to be preached to two or three times each week. c. It is one of the reasons we listen when we pray. D. It is a service of REPENTANCE. 1Cor 11:31 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. E. It is a service of ANTICIPATION. 1Cor 11:26 For as often as ye eat this bread, and drink this cup, ye do shew the Lords death till he come. III. The Lords Supper has power. A. It has power to CARRY us into the presence of Jesus. 1. This is not a feeling or vision. 2. It is a real, intimate, personal fellowship with Christ. B. It has power to CONVICT, CHASTEN, and CONDEMN. This power does not comes by virtue of preaching that goes with the service but by the nearness to the Holy One Himself. C. It has power to COMFORT. 1. I think again this evening of Peters great shame and guilt. 2. He saw the empty tomb but refused to believe. a. The Bible tells us that John believed but it does not say that Peter did. b. As I mentioned this morning \See 2017Sermons on "Matt 28:1"\, I believe it is possible that Peter quenched Marys faith. c. I also believe Jesus met with Peter alone because Peter needed Jesus! d. Tonight, you may be filled with sin toward Christ or hatred toward another Christian, but Jesus will met with you too if you ask Him to!