OUR LORD’S SUPPER
1 Corinthians 11:17-32

LIFE LESSON FROM SCRIPTURE:
The Lord’s Supper is a time when we can encounter our Holy God and grow more holy as we fulfill our desire for contact with spiritual realities.

INTRODUCTION TO THE SCRIPTURE:
How can we have a real “encounter” with God? We want to have an encounter with things that are spiritual. This longing is why books and movies such as “Harry Potter”, “The Chronicles of Narnia”, and “The Lord of the Rings” are so popular. They all involve 3 main characters, a reliance upon the higher power, a sense of moral combat between good and evil, and the belief that righteousness will be vindicated in the end.
The popularity of these films is a hint of our longing for spiritual realities better than this world. We all have this longing in our hearts, but sometimes we don’t know how to fill it. We aren’t really wanting to read about fairy tails, we are really wanting to be fascinated with a true spiritual relationship with God. How can we Christians have a true, spiritual, and scriptural encounter with our God?
Jesus took bread and blessed, and brake it; and he gave to the disciples, and said, Take, eat; this is my body. And he took a cup, and gave thanks, and gave to them, saying, Drink of it all of you; for this is my blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many unto remission of sins.

DISCUSSION OF THE SCRIPTURE:
Outward Practice–1 Corinthians 11:17-25
Come together–1 Corinthians 11:17-19
1 Corinthians 16:2
Acts 20:7
Compare 1 Corinthians 11:20 & Revelation 1:10 (Lord’s = kuriokos used only hear in NT meaning “belonging especially to the Lord”. In both instances the word is used to describe the supper and day which belong especially to the Lord.)
Concern for others–1 Corinthians 11:20-22
Acts 2:44-45
2 Corinthians 8:5
Commemorate Christ–1 Corinthians 11:23-25
Philippians 2:5-11
John 1:1-14
1 Corinthians 15:3-4

Inward Reflection–1 Corinthians 11:26-34
Contemplate on Christ–1 Corinthians 11:26
The Supper is a memorial–1 Corinthians 11:25
The Supper is a proclamation of facts and faith–1 Corinthians 11:26
Meditate on Self–1 Corinthians 11:27-32
Unrecognized unworthiness–1 Corinthians 11:27
Self Examination–1 Corinthians 11:28
Self Damnation–1 Corinthians 11:29-30
Self Preservation–1 Corinthians 11:31-32

INVITATION TO THE SCRIPTURE:
One of the most sacred encounters with God we can have is during our Communion. Never allow it to become mundane. Always approach the Supper with this spiritual reality in mind: we are approaching God and we should become the holier for it.