1 Corinthians 10:15-17 – We Celebrate – Bible study

1Cor 10:15-17 We Celebrate Tonight, we come again to the Lords Supper, that most unusual service where we not only worship God with the Word but fellowship with Him through the Holy Spirit by means of a simple meal. I doubt that anyone actually understands the Lords SupperI am certain that I do notand I dont know if that bothers the Lord or not; but one thing that I think does bother Him is that most do not even try to understand the Lords Supper. I believe this is a service that is special to God. As limited as my small mind is, I cannot understand much but some things seems certain. 1. This is not a service to be taken for granted or to be done without spiritual contemplation. 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. a. We should examine ourselves before partaking and make ourselves as right with God as we possibly can. b. Not to do so is to surely displease the Lord and court some form of ill from Him. 2. This service is more of a celebration than it is anything else. a. Granted, because of the demand to be right with God, it serves as an opportunity to be revived and rededicated to the Lord. b. But alongside of that, the Lord desires to remember and to celebrate what He has done for us. 1Cor 11:24 Take, eat: this is my body, which is broken for you: this do in remembrance of me. c. That is not to say that we should make a party of it, but it should be a time to rejoice. So tonight, lets celebrate one of the aspects of our salvation which is revealed in the Lords Supper. Lets celebrate our union. I. Notice the union we have. 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? A. Notice the word used twice in this verse, communion. 1. It means a union with. 2. Paul was referring to the cup from which all drank the communion juice. 3. He called it the "cup of blessing" because it shows one of the blessings we have since our salvation. 4. But he also called our "union with" Christ. B. One of the many things we can celebrate tonight is the union that has been made possible since our salvation. 1. The Bible does not tell us what the exact relationship was between God and Adam. a. There was no sin and so sin was no hindrances in their fellowship. b. Adam was encased within flesh, just like us. (1) Being in a fleshly body is itself a limitation. (2) We cannot be everywhere if we are in here. (3) I wonder if being in a body somehow limited the fellowship of Adam and Eve with God? Well, we will not know in this lifetime. c. One thing is for certain, when Adam and Eve sinned, whatever the relationship they had with God, it was broken. Isa 59:2 But your iniquities have separated between you and your God, and your sins have hid his face from you, that he will not hear. d. Jesus came into this world to restore (and perhaps to improve upon) that relationship. 2. 77 times in the New Testament, the phrase "in Christ" is used. a. It is not used the same every time but a great host of those times, it describes the Christians present relationship to God. b. We are now in Christ. 1Co 15:18 Then they also which are fallen asleep in Christ are perished. 2Co 1:21 Now he which stablisheth us with you in Christ, and hath anointed us, is God; 2Co 5:17 Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new. c. The term seems to be a synonym for being saved, born- again, redeemed. d. But as with all terms, it teaches us something about our salvation. (1) The term "saved" teaches us that we have been rescued from our sins and their wages. (2) The term "born-again" teaches us that we a completely new second chance at life. (3) The term "redeemed" teaches us that Christ paid for our sins and thus bought us back from sin Satan. e. What could the term "in Christ" be teaching us? (1) It seems to be sharing that the link we have with God now is not merely an external link, but one of an internal joining together. (2) We have been physically placed INTO the person of Jesus Christ. (3) We are not just sitting beside Jesus or holding His hand. (4) Though it would be better, He is not merely holding our hand either. (5) Rather, there has been a joining, a coupling, a bonding which from the very description itself would appear to be unbreakable and irreversible. (6) Once we take something inside of us, it becomes part of us and cannot be removed. (a) Consider last nights supper for a moment. (b) Can you give it back? (c) For the sake of sparing our imagination, lets just say no. (d) It has worked its way into you and you now living off the nutrients it has provided. (e) It is IN YOU. (7) So the term "in Christ" begins to describe the union we now have with Jesus. (8) But that description is only half complete. 3. The Bible also describes that Christ is in us. Col 1:27 To whom God would make known what is the riches of the glory of this mystery among the Gentiles; which is Christ in you, the hope of glory: Ro 8:10 And if Christ be in you, the body is dead because of sin; but the Spirit is life because of righteousness. Ga 4:19 My little children, of whom I travail in birth again until Christ be formed in you, Re 3:20 Behold, I stand at the door, and knock: if any man hear my voice, and open the door, I will come in to him, and will sup with him, and he with me. a. One immediately realizes the impossibility of something both being in us and us being in it. (1) In our world with our means such a condition is impossible. (2) The union might be one or the other but it could not be both. (3) However, this is not our world and it is not dependent upon our means. b. This is God and God has moved into me while at the same time moving me into Him. c. It was this aspect of our union with Christ that Jesus spoke of in John. John 6:49 Your fathers did eat manna in the wilderness, and are dead. 50 This is the bread which cometh down from heaven, that a man may eat thereof, and not die. 51 I am the living bread which came down from heaven: if any man eat of this bread, he shall live for ever: and the bread that I will give is my flesh, which I will give for the life of the world. (1) That did not sound right to some of those there so they began to complain which only caused Jesus to say it again more emphatically. John 6:53 Then Jesus said unto them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Except ye eat the flesh of the Son of man, and drink his blood, ye have no life in you. 54 Whoso eateth my flesh, and drinketh my blood, hath eternal life; and I will raise him up at the last day. 55 For my flesh is meat indeed, and my blood is drink indeed. 56 He that eateth my flesh, and drinketh my blood, dwelleth in me, and I in him. (2) Notice that in that last verse, Jesus spoke of a union which goes in both directions. (a) He is in us. (b) We are in Him. II. These two terms describe a union with God like no other. A. The union would seem to be irreversible and unbreakable. Romans 8:35 Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword? 37 Nay, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him that loved us. 1. It is interesting that Paul asked WHO shall separate us but only mentioned WHATS (i.e. things). 2. Perhaps the things were being sent by a WHO, perhaps the devil. 3. Regardless, the implied answer is NOTHING SHALL SEPARATE US. 4. Why? Because we are so jointed to Christ that nothing can separate us. B. The union would also seem to remove all separations between the two joined. 1. If He is me, than I can have no secrets from Him. a. The Psalmist described the impossibility of hiding from a God who is EVERYWHERE. Psalm 139:7 Whither shall I go from thy spirit? or whither shall I flee from thy presence? 8 If I ascend up into heaven, thou art there: if I make my bed in hell, behold, thou art there. 9 If I take the wings of the morning, and dwell in the uttermost parts of the sea; 10 Even there shall thy hand lead me, and thy right hand shall hold me. 11 If I say, Surely the darkness shall cover me; even the night shall be light about me. 12 Yea, the darkness hideth not from thee; but the night shineth as the day: the darkness and the light are both alike to thee. b. You add to that the fact that our God is also EVERY WHEN and in EVERY THOUGHT, and you quickly see that we have no secrets from Him. 2. But if I am in Him then everything that is His is mine. Ro 8:17 And if children, then heirs; heirs of God, and joint-heirs with Christ; if so be that we suffer with him, that we may be also glorified together. Tonight, we have cause to celebrate. We are joined with God in a way that we cannot comprehend, but I promise it is good. Let us celebrate that union tonight.