2007-04-01 Communion Dedication

MESSENGERS

1 Corinthians 11:23-34

23. For I have received of the Lord that which also I delivered unto you, That the Lord Jesus the same night in which he was betrayed took bread:

24. And when he had given thanks, he brake it, and said, Take, eat: this is my body, which is broken for you: this do in remembrance of me.

25. After the same manner also he took the cup, when he had supped, saying, This cup is the new testament in my blood: this do ye, as oft as ye drink it, in remembrance of me.

26. For as often as ye eat this bread, and drink this cup, ye do shew the Lord's death till he come.

I've always thought this means we show the Lord's death when we partake of His Supper (at the time), but it goes further than that. We shouldn't be looking around and doing this as a show of holiness or togetherness. We shouldn't think we're putting on a show for the Lord either (Hebrews 4:12), for He is "a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart" (He can already see the show inside us).

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.

29. For he that eateth and drinketh unworthily, eateth and drinketh damnation to himself, not discerning the Lord's body.

30. For this cause many are weak and sickly among you, and many sleep.

(A polite way of saying they stopped breathing and died.)

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.

33. Wherefore, my brethren, when ye come together to eat, tarry one for another.

34. And if any man hunger, let him eat at home; that ye come not together unto condemnation. And the rest will I set in order when I come.

When we show the Lord's death, we're showing judgment and condemnation. If judgment and condemnation don't exist, the Lord's death was meaningless. If people see us disregarding judgment and condemnation by the way we live, then we are showing our disbelief in the Lord's death.

By definition, angels are the Lord's messengers, and in verse 26, the word "shew" is a compound word in the Greek text, partly made with the word "angel". As we prepare ourselves to sit at this table, we need to consider what kind of message we've been sending; not just what we see and hear from each other, not just the truth in our hearts that only the Lord knows, but more importantly, what kind of message are we sending to the world?

Are we putting others ahead of us, placing more importance on you instead of me?

What we're saying to the Lord at this table...
"I am willing to be your messenger, O Lord. Cleanse me and use me. Here I am."

What we're saying to each other...
"I love you, and prefer you"
(You are more important than I am).

What we're saying to the world...
"Judgment and condemnation is coming. Jesus is the Way, the Truth and the Life. Neither is there salvation in any other: for there is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved" (Acts 4:12).

What message have we been sending? Is it the Lord's?