The Capstone of Worship!

1Corinthians 11:17-34, “The Capstone of Worship.”

The Lord Jesus Christ instituted two ordinances for us to follow: Water Baptism and Communion.  At the beginning of His ministry, Jesus came to John the Baptist and was baptized, setting an example for us to follow (a believer's identification with Christ as Lord).  At the close of His ministry, Jesus turned the Passover meal into the Last Supper, or Communion (a believers’s identification with Christ as Savior), telling His disciples to do this in remembrance of Him.

Passover celebrated Israel’s freedom from the bondage of slavery in Egypt under the Old Covenant; the Lord’s Supper celebrates our freedom from the bondage and penalty of sin under the New Covenant.

At the birth of the Church (Acts 2:42) the believers came together for the apostle’s teaching (God’s Word), fellowship [koinonia = intimate and participatory sharing], breaking of bread (Communion], and prayer.

Church [ekklesia] means the community or body of genuine believers worshipping God, it never means a building or meeting place in the NT.

It was the practice of the believers to have potluck fellowship meals that would end with the greatest example of our unified worship of Christ, Communion.

Verses 17-22… The church in Corinth had evidently turned the potluck meals into something unholy, more reflective of a time of indulgence and drunken revelry, with quarreling and arguing being quite common.

It would seem the wealthy would bring their food and eat it up before the less fortunate arrived, unwilling to share with those who were needy.

The poorer believers would come to this fellowship meal expecting to share in some of the abundant food brought by the wealthy, only to find that the food and drink had already been consumed, creating division in the church, instead of the unity God desired.

The focus here (v. 20) is on the the Lord’s Supper, which was being dishonored by the indulgent and selfish behavior of those who perverted the holy sacrament of Communion by willing to share with one another.

Paul says (v. 21) they were coming together for the meal before Communion, but not thinking about the needs of others, eating and drinking indulgently until some were not able to get any food or drink, while others were taking in excess, even to the point of drunkenness.

This is supposed to be about unity and sharing with one another (v. 22), so Paul rebuked them saying, don’t you have houses to eat and drink in?  Do you dispose the church of God, are you purposely shaming those who have nothing?  Communion is a special occasion for the church, and selfish indulgence and lack of love for one another is out of place here.

Verses 23-26…  This is not Paul’s opinion, this is the word of the Lord, recapping the night Jesus was betrayed and then arrested.  Jesus gave thanks, broke the bread and said (v. 24), “This is My body, given for you, do this in remembrance of Me.”

The body represents the whole person of Christ, everything about Him, the prophecies foretelling His coming, His immaculate conception, the announcement of His birth in Bethlehem to the shepherds, His name and incarnation, His sinless life, His ministry, His sacrificial death and sovereign resurrection: the plan, purpose and provision of forgiveness and eternal life from God.

Hebrews 10:10, “We have been made holy through the sacrifice of the body of Jesus Christ once for all.”

Paul goes on to tell us (v. 25), that after the meal, Jesus gave thanks, saying this is the new covenant made effectual through His own shed blood.

Jesus says, do this in remembrance of Me. This is a command for us to follow, just as being baptized is also commanded by the Lord that we should obey.

Neither of these ordinances (water baptism or the Lord’s Supper) will save us, but they identify us as God’s servants, seeking to honor and obey the Father and Son.

John 5:22-23, “The Father judges no one, but has entrusted all judgment to the Son, that all may honor the Son just as they honor the Father. He who does not honor the Son does not honor the Father, who sent Him.

John 12:26, “Whoever serves Me must follow Me; and where I am, my servant also will be. My Father will honor the one who serves Me.”

John 14:6, "I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me. If you really knew me, you would know my Father as well. From now on, you do know Him and have seen Him."

Paul says (v. 26), that when we celebrate Communion, when we participate in the Lord’s Supper, we testify to the world that we belong to God through Jesus Christ until He comes (again - Revelation 1:8, 18).

At the Lord’s Table, we come in humble reverence, remembering all He has done, and yet with great anticipation of His return, for He will take us to be with Him forever, in the Kingdom of the Father and the Son.

Verses 27-29…  Paul warns us, that taking Communion in an unworthy manner makes us “guilty of the body and the blood of the Lord.”  What does that mean?

We should soberly and sincerely consider all Jesus did for us on the cross, and also what God requires of us; we ought (v. 28) to examine our relationship with God, God’s Word, and God’s people - are we feeding upon the Word, applying it to our life, encouraging one another toward love and good deeds?

For (v. 29), when we come together for worship, for fellowship, for participation in the Lord’s supper, we ought to do so in a manner that brings glory and praise to God. Verses 30-32…  If we are impudent or irreverent toward Christ’s sacrifice, showing disrespect and disdain by our self-centered attitudes and behaviors, God may bring His judgment, leading to sickness, even death, upon those who disgrace and dishonor His Holiness.

1John 1:9, “If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us all our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness. If we claim we have not sinned, we make Him a liar and His word is not in us.”

Verses 32-34a… Paul says, self-centered indifference toward other Christians has no place in the Family of God, especially when celebrating the Lord’s Supper, the Centerpiece and Capstone of all Christian worship.

Verse 34b…  Evidently Paul will give more instructions on worship when he arrives in person, more on this later.