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4000 E. Collins
Rd. “Preaching the Living
Word through the Written Word (2Tim 4:2)” |
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DIFFICULTIES
IN CHURCH WORSHIP (CH 11-14): THE
DEMEANOR OF CHRISTIANS AT THE LORD’S TABLE - Part 2 1Co
11:27-34 (11/16/11) Grace Bible Church, Gillette, Wyoming Pastor Daryl Hilbert I.
EXPLOITATION
OF THE LORD’S TABLE (1Co 11:17-22) A. Divisions Affect Worship (17-19) B. Self-serving Worship (20-22) II. EXPLANATION OF THE LORD’S TABLE (1Co
11:23-26) A. Remembrance of the Death of Christ
(23-25) B. Twofold Proclamation of Christ’s
Ministries (26) III. EXAMINATION OF THE LORD’S TABLE (1Co
11:27-32) A. Partake in an Unworthy Manner (27-28) 1. [1Co 11:27] - Paul moves from an
explanation of the Lord’s Table to an examination of the Lord’s Table. Or
perhaps better it is a description of some of the Christians at Corinth who
have come to the Lord’s Table with unprecedented carnality. Though the
gathering was a called an Agape Feast, it was anything but a spirit of agapê.
Instead it was sinful carnality with divisions (18), factions (19), selfish
fleshly appetites (21a), gluttony and drunkenness (21b), while others went
hungry. a) Paul described them of partaking of the
Lord’s Table in an “unworthy manner.” It comes from the Greek word anaxi,ōs which
means “not of the same weight.” It is not equivalent of what is due a holy
and righteous God. It a lifestyle that falls short of a reasonable act of
worship towards the Lord Jesus Christ. Therefore, their carnality was
unworthy of the lives they should be living. b) To
conduct oneself in such a carnal lifestyle is to become guilty of the body
and blood of the Lord. It means that while on the one hand a believer is
acting like he is celebrating the sacrificial death of Christ, he is at the
same time clinging to the very sin for which Christ died. In a sense, it is
deliberately crucifying the Lord with sin while at the same time celebrating
His death for it. 2. [1Co
11:28] - What the Corinthians should have been doing was to examine their own
words, attitudes, and actions. This examination should not just take place at
the Lord’s Table, but should be a continual examination of the believer’s
heart and life. Literally it is, (pres imper fr dokima,zō - examine
or test and thus approve or disapprove) “a man must keep on examining
himself.” Paul adds to this that the believer is to do the same thing when
partaking of the Lord’s Table (“and in this manner he must keep on eating the
bread and drinking the cup”). B. Results of an Unworthy Manner (29-32) 1. [1Co 11:29] - Paul gives the results of
such carnal lifestyles especially in light of the Lord’s Table. If a
believer’s lifestyle is a continuous carnal lifestyle and is partaking of the
Lord’s Table as if there were no spiritual problems he becomes subject to the
Lord’s discipline. a) Such behavior brings the Lord’s
chastisement (kri,ma - judgment)
against the sinning believer. This does not teach that a believer will lose
his salvation. Not only is there no eternal condemnation for a believer (Rom
8:1), but God only chastises His own children (Heb 12:5-7). b) To avoid such chastisement, a believer
must continually examine (pres part -
diakrinō - evaluate, discern) his own life and continually confess
his sin (1Jo 1:9). 2. [1Co 11:30] - However, because some of
the believers at Corinth did not examine their own behavior and continued in
it, many of them were chastised by the Lord. a) How were they chastised by the Lord? It
is apparent that they were chastised by becoming “weak” (asthenês - weak as in a bodily
ailment), “sick” (arrōstos -
without strength as in feeble from illness), or “sleep” (koimaō - a metaphor for a believer’s death). This does not mean that everytime a
believer is sick that he is being chastised by the Lord. However, it is clear
that the Lord can allow such things as a chastisement to a habitually sinning
believer. b) We can compare this with John’s comments
in his first epistle in 1Jo 5:16-17. John describes serious and habitual sin
as “sin leading to death” (hamartia pros thanaton, lit. “sin
toward death). Apparently not all sin is serious enough to lead toward death,
but all sin is unrighteousness and nailed Christ to the cross. c) We see such chastisement happen in the
beginning of the Church Age with Ananias and Sapphira (Act 5:1-11). Both of
them lied to God and immediate chastisement and death resulted. This was
obviously an extraordinary case, but it demonstrated that God desires to keep
His church purified. d) We have another example which very well
could have led to all kinds of sickness and possibly death when Paul turned
the immoral brother over to Satan in 1Co 5:5. 3. [1Co 11:31] - On the other hand, if a
believer continues to walk in fellowship with the Lord, which must include
examination and confession (1Jo 1:9; Jam 5:16, “confess” - homologe,ō - say the same thing,
acknowledge or admit), He will not be chastised by the Lord in such a
manner. 4. [1Co 11:32] - On the other hand, there
are milder forms of chastisement that the Lord brings into the believer’s
life that ultimately are given to conform him to the image of Christ (trials,
difficulties, comments from others, preaching etc.). Furthermore, it proves
that we are sons of God (Heb 12:5-7) and that we will not be condemned with
the world. Here the word for “disciplined” (NASB) is the Greek word paideu,ō which carries the
meaning of child rearing and training to bring him to maturity. IV. EXHORTATIONS ABOUT THE LORD’S TABLE (1Co
11:33-34) A. The Agape Solution 1. [1Co 11:33] - Paul continues to call
them “brethren” (adelphoi) showing
that he considers these carnal (Gentile) Christians, believers in Christ. 2. The solution at the Agape Feast is to
show agape concern for other
brothers and not be guided by carnality, divisions, factions, and
self-serving attitudes. They were to do this by waiting for the others to
show up so that there would be food for everyone and thus meet each other’s
needs. B. The Agape Principle 1. [1Co 11:33] - The practical way in which
they were to do this was that if they were so hungry that they could not wait
for the others, they were to eat at home. The Lord’s Table was not a time for
self-indulgence but agapê love and
sacrifice as exemplified by the Savior who died for them. 2. This would guarantee that no would bring
God’s chastisement upon them for their sinful and carnal behavior. V. OBSERVATIONS AND APPLICATIONS A. Carnal behavior for Christians is
possible but it can be very dangerous for a believer. It will either
determine that an individual is giving a mere profession of Christianity (not
a possession of Christianity) or if they are true believer will bring upon
themselves God’s heavenly discipline and chastisement which could mean
premature death. B. We must guard against unchecked sin and
carnality lest it turn into a habit or lifestyle and bring God’s
chastisement. This includes the reverence for the Lord’s Table. C. We must make sure that as believers we
are always doing introspection of our words, attitudes, and actions. When
they do not line up with the Word of God, we must confess our sin to God and
those we have offended. |
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