Sermons

FILTER BY:

← back to list

Jan 28, 2024

The Spirit and the Sacraments–II: The Table

The Spirit and the Sacraments–II: The Table

Passage: 1 Corinthians 10:1-4

Speaker: Patrick Lafferty

Series: That’s the Spirit: Learning to keep in step with Him who indwells

Keywords: church, communion, judgment, body, spiritual, drink, food, participation

Humans have always been ritual-making creatures. We establish patterns, habits, and traditions which form our sense of identity and offer us meaning. The Lord’s Supper is one more example of our inclination to meaning-filled ritual. But its power lies not merely in its participation but in the Spirit who is at work with purpose in it. How so? Let’s listen to Paul’s extended comments on the Supper–some of them pointedly disgusted at the Corinthian church’s corruption of it. Of this we can be sure, He feeds us, restores something in us, but also heals something among us.

Readings & Scripture

PREPARATION: Isaiah 55:1-3

LEADER: Come, everyone who thirsts,
come to the waters;
and he who has no money,
come, buy and eat!
Come, buy wine and milk
without money and without price.

ALL: Why do you spend your money for that which is not bread,
and your labor for that which does not satisfy?

LEADER: Listen diligently to me, and eat what is good,
and delight yourselves in rich food.
Incline your ear, and come to me;
hear, that your soul may live;

ALL: and I will make with you an everlasting covenant,
my steadfast, sure love for David.

AFFIRMATION OF FAITH WLC 168

LEADER: What is the Lord’s Supper?

ALL: The Lord’s Supper is a sacrament of the New Testament, wherein, by giving and receiving bread and wine according to the appointment of Jesus Christ, his death is showed forth; and they that worthily communicate feed upon his body and blood, to their spiritual nourishment and growth in grace; have their union and communion with him confirmed; testify and renew their thankfulness, and engagement to God, and their mutual love and fellowship each with other, as members of the same mystical body.

CENTRAL TEXT: 1 Corinthians 10:1-4, 14-17; 11:17-33
1Cor. 10:1 For I do not want you to be unaware, brothers, that our fathers were all under the cloud, and all passed through the sea, 2 and all were baptized into Moses in the cloud and in the sea, 3 and all ate the same spiritual food, 4 and all drank the same spiritual drink. For they drank from the spiritual Rock that followed them, and the Rock was Christ.

1Cor. 10:14 Therefore, my beloved, flee from idolatry. 15 I speak as to sensible people; judge for yourselves what I say. 16 The cup of blessing that we bless, is it not a participation in the blood of Christ? The bread that we break, is it not a participation in the body of Christ? 17 Because there is one bread, we who are many are one body, for we all partake of the one bread.

1Cor. 11:17 But in the following instructions I do not commend you, because when you come together it is not for the better but for the worse. 18 For, in the first place, when you come together as a church, I hear that there are divisions among you. And I believe it in part, 19 for there must be factions among you in order that those who are genuine among you may be recognized. 20 When you come together, it is not the Lord’s supper that you eat. 21 For in eating, each one goes ahead with his own meal. One goes hungry, another gets drunk. 22 What! Do you not have houses to eat and drink in? Or do you despise the church of God and humiliate those who have nothing? What shall I say to you? Shall I commend you in this? No, I will not.

1Cor. 11:23 For I received from the Lord what I also delivered to you, that the Lord Jesus on the night when he was betrayed took bread, 24 and when he had given thanks, he broke it, and said, “This is my body, which is for you. Do this in remembrance of me.” 25 In the same way also he took the cup, after supper, saying, “This cup is the new covenant in my blood. Do this, as often as you drink it, in remembrance of me.” 26 For as often as you eat this bread and drink the cup, you proclaim the Lord’s death until he comes.

1Cor. 11:27 Whoever, therefore, eats the bread or drinks the cup of the Lord in an unworthy manner will be guilty concerning the body and blood of the Lord. 28 Let a person examine himself, then, and so eat of the bread and drink of the cup. 29 For anyone who eats and drinks without discerning the body eats and drinks judgment on himself. 30 That is why many of you are weak and ill, and some have died. 31 But if we judged ourselves truly, we would not be judged. 32 But when we are judged by the Lord, we are disciplined so that we may not be condemned along with the world.

1Cor. 11:33 So then, my brothers, when you come together to eat, wait for one another— 34 if anyone is hungry, let him eat at home—so that when you come together it will not be for judgment. About the other things I will give directions when I come.

CONFESSION OF SIN:
LEADER: Let us confess our sins to God

ALL: When you call us to yourself, you call us to each other. But we, like children, make ourselves the center; we forget we share in one hope, one faith, one baptism, and one bread. Forgive us for how we slight one another, harm one another, demean one another. Forgive us for how when we sin against each other we are first and foremost sinning against you.

ABSOLUTION OF PARDON: Ephesians 2:8, 17-18
LEADER: For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God. . . .And he came and preached peace to you who were far off and peace to those who were near. For through him we both have access in one Spirit to the Father.

BENEDICTION: Numbers 6:24-26
LEADER: The LORD bless you and keep you;
the LORD make his face to shine upon you and be gracious to you;
the LORD lift up his countenance upon you and give you peace.
ALL: Amen

DISCUSSION QUESTIONS:

  1. What has your upbringing been more an experience of: one on the inside or one on the outside? If the former, can you ever remember a time in which you sought to bring an outsider in? If the latter, ever been invited in? What was it like?
  2. “A sacrament is a sign and a seal”: if you’ve heard that before, explain to anyone among you who hasn’t what that might mean ast to the nature of baptism and the Lord’s supper 
  3. Role play with someone in your group: they ask, “what is the meaning of this so-called meal?” What would you say? (the one playing the role unacquainted: don’t let them off the hook with referencing jargon. Make them work for it!)
  4. Why might Jesus encourage us to share in this meal as often as we can?
  5. What is Paul mainly aggrieved by? Why is he? What are their errors and why does that matter?
  6. We may not rank people in socio-economic classes in our community, but what all tends to prevent us from living as a genuine body of believers: committed to the same purpose and interdependently related to one another for that purpose? What’s one little thing that might change that in you? In us all?

ILLUSTRATIONS:  

QUOTES:

  • No, I'm not, not goin' to Hell
    In some dusty motel
    And I'm not, not goin' down
    In the dirt (yes, yes, yes)
    I'm gonna laugh, I'm gonna laugh, I'm gonna cry, I'm gonna cry
    Eat the bread, drink the wine
    'Cause I'm finally, finally quenchin'
    My thirst, yeah
    - “Sweet Sounds of Heaven,” Lady Gaga and The Rolling Stones
  • THE BELONGING YOU SEEK IS NOT BEHIND YOU - IT IS AHEAD. - Maz Kanata in The Force Awakens

BOOKS / DOCS

SERMONS