1 Corinthians 11:27-32
Therefore whoever eats this bread or drinks this cup of the Lord in an unworthy manner will be guilty of the body and blood of the Lord. But let a man examine himself, and so let him eat of the bread and drink of the cup. For he who eats and drinks in an unworthy manner eats and drinks judgment to himself, not discerning the Lord’s body. For this reason many are weak and sick among you, and many sleep. For if we would judge ourselves, we would not be judged. But when we are judged, we are chastened by the Lord, that we may not be condemned with the world.
I pray you saw our post this morning where it said, ‘God didn’t give us scripture to scare us. God gave us scripture to prepare us.’ I found that very appropriate and fitting for today’s sermon notes. And it’s 100% true. God takes no pleasure is catching us in sin. He’s not bent on our destruction. He is totally invested in our salvation. However, our salvation demands our wills and participation.
Salvation is not a passive activity. God’s word informs us that the things we encounter and go through are preparing us for a glorious future. But that glorious future is predicated upon us heeding and submitting to the principles of His promises. So to ensure we are successful, God places before us physical test to gauge, and examine just where we are spiritually. Remember we cannot perceive God unless He reveals Himself to our natural senses in some shape or form.
It’s amazing how closely our physical lives echo our spiritual lives. You will find that those things we struggle with naturally very often have their roots in much deeper spiritual conditions. In matter of fact, if we truly desire to be spiritually healthy and strong, we need to start by checking our physical habits and natural traits. Because what we do from day to day is the truest reflection of who we truly are, not what we say or preach.
As we prepare our hearts and minds to worship in Communion with our Savior and each other, we search for direction from the Word in 1 Corinthians 11. This instructional letter to the saints of old resonates with us today for its timeless message of the need for self examination. The worse thing a person can do physically or spiritually is to assume they are in perfect shape based solely on how they feel at the moment. How many witnesses do I have out there that can testify that good health can change in a split second? The secret to sustaining health is through frequent examination.
The Apostle spoke to the Corinthians concerning spiritual examination in preparation for Communion. But the process is much more than attending a service, drinking a cup of wine and eating a pice of bread. The true essence of this sacrament has to do with the condition of our hearts toward the Body of Christ. The scripture says, For he who eats and drinks in an unworthy manner eats and drinks judgment to himself, not discerning the Lord’s body. To fully comprehend this text we must have an understanding of what is meant by the Body of Christ. In a nut shell, you, me, and all believers comprise the Body. It’s our attitude toward each other, love for one another, and selfless esteeming of others over and above ourselves that confirms our heart’s condition.
Dear brothers and sisters, all our religious wrangling, public worshiping, singing and praising amount to nothing if we don’t honestly have love for one another.
Can’t get to church? No problem. You can do this right at home. Before we take one bite. Before we take one swallow. Let’s examine ourselves closely. Let’s take our spiritual blood pressure. How’s your attitude toward other Christians? Is it too high? That’s not good. How’s your love for the Body? Too low? Gotta fix that. And can you honesty and truly say you’ve found it in your heart to esteem other saints higher than yourself? Philippians 2:3
If all these are in working order, congrats. You have the spiritual physique of Christ!
God bless
