Love is …

Posted on by korgrocker

“Love is patient and kind. Love is not jealous or boastful or proud or rude. It does not demand its own way. It is not irritable, and it keeps no record of being wronged. It does not rejoice about injustice but rejoices whenever the truth wins out. Love never gives up, never loses faith, is always hopeful, and endures through every circumstance.”
1 Corinthians 13:4-7 NLT

We read the list of qualities that describe true agape love and wonder how we can ever live up to them. But intuitively, we know that if we behave with love towards our fellow human beings, we will transform our sad and troubled world into a Utopia, a perfect society, with ideal laws, government, and social conditions, free from suffering, conflict, and greed, all because it is based on God’s Kingdom principles. But Paul wrote about love to the Corinthian church, which at the time seemed to reflect the opposite of God’s Kingdom living with its selfish behaviour. Earlier, we considered 1 Corinthians 6, where Paul remonstrated with the believers in Corinth for taking each other to secular courts to settle disputes. Then we read in 1 Corinthians 11:20-21, “When you meet together, you are not really interested in the Lord’s Supper. For some of you hurry to eat your own meal without sharing with others. As a result, some go hungry while others get drunk”. They had turned the Lord’s Supper into a meal of sorts, with those who were able to bring food and drink refusing to share it with those who were poor and lacked the necessary resources. Where were Paul’s teachings on love in all of that?

“Love is patient and kind”

These are verses that should be applied to our relationships with family members, both natural and spiritual. We should examine the way we treat others through the lens God has provided, as seen through Paul’s eyes, of the qualities required of believers everywhere. There is much to be written about each listed feature, but little to be gained by such an approach. All believers are obliged to sit down and dwell on how they treat others in the light of 1 Corinthians 13. I recall a family wedding that I attended, where the mother of the bride recited these verses during the ceremony. They sounded great and struck a chord of agreement with those present witnessing the marriage service, but what happened afterwards is another story. As we think of people we know, we often find many who irritate or hurt us. We know the boasters, the arrogant, the proud and the ignorant. We read the papers and soon find reports of injustices. Further afield, we read of wars and strife, intolerance and persecution, betrayals and so on. Enough to provide a stark comparison of opposites – God’s way of love and the devil’s way of pursuing evil and hatred. 

But isn’t it strange that we always look to others to love in the way Paul described? Instead, we should look inward at ourselves. Human beings are quick to observe what others are doing wrong, but rarely apply the same rules to themselves. We sit in judgment of others but forget what Jesus said in Matthew 7:1-2, “Do not judge others, and you will not be judged. For you will be treated as you treat others. The standard you use in judging is the standard by which you will be judged”. 

In our churches and fellowships, there will be many opportunities to apply 1 Corinthians 13:4-7 to the relationships we have with others. Jesus summed up the driving force behind these verses with His words in John 15:12-13, “This is my commandment: Love each other in the same way I have loved you. There is no greater love than to lay down one’s life for one’s friends”. And so today, we look beyond the faults of others and instead ask ourselves how Jesus would have behaved. After all, His love was such that He truly laid down His life for His friends. But more than that, Jesus loved the world so much that He died for everyone, past, present and future. Why? So that He could spend eternity with them, and save them from eternal life in a place without Him. That’s love, perfect love, just as Paul described and more. 

Dear Lord Jesus. You loved us so much that You died for us, so that through You our sins would be forgiven. Amen.

The Better Way

Posted on by korgrocker

So you should earnestly desire the most helpful gifts. But now let me show you a way of life that is best of all. If I could speak all the languages of earth and of angels, but didn’t love others, I would only be a noisy gong or a clanging cymbal. If I had the gift of prophecy, and if I understood all of God’s secret plans and possessed all knowledge, and if I had such faith that I could move mountains, but didn’t love others, I would be nothing. If I gave everything I have to the poor and even sacrificed my body, I could boast about it; but if I didn’t love others, I would have gained nothing.”
1 Corinthians 12:31-13:3 NLT

Paul suggests to the believers in Corinth that they should “earnestly desire the most helpful gifts”. We know that in the previous two verses, he listed apostles, prophets, teachers, miracle workers, healers, those who speak in tongues, and those who can interpret messages given in tongues, but these are not the only gifts necessary to help a local church or fellowship function. So what are the “most helpful gifts”? If we pause for a moment and think of our expectations prior to attending church on a Sunday, what comes to mind? Social interactions? A chance to worship God in a corporate setting? Or something else? One important benefit of going to church is that there we will hear what God wants the people in the congregation to hear. Some helpful teaching that will help us on our journey, perhaps. Or a prophetic challenge to unconfessed sin. Or a directional word from a visiting apostle. Perhaps these are the most helpful gifts. But we mustn’t minimise the other gifts.

“earnestly desire the most helpful gifts”

There may be someone in our congregation who needs a miracle, perhaps for healing or some other reason. But whatever the “most helpful gifts” are, Paul encouraged the Corinthians to “earnestly” seek them. In our churches today, how can we determine which gifts are the most helpful for us individually? We will only find out by seeking God in prayer, persevering until He provides an answer. And we know from the example of Moses, it might be many years before God finally blesses us with a greater gift. A person’s character must be able to handle one of the Holy Spirit’s gifts.

Paul then teased his audience with the thought that there is something else, that is good, or even better. This is “a way of life that is best of all”. We have to turn the page and read one of the most well-known chapters in the New Testament. It’s all about love. Not the sloppy or sentimental “love” that we often find on our screens and in books. Paul used the word “agape” when writing in this chapter, referring to the love that churches need to bind themselves together. A more detailed definition is: “Agape is a Greek term for a selfless, unconditional, and spiritual form of love that seeks the well-being of others without expecting anything in return. It is often associated with the love of God for humanity and is demonstrated through sacrifice, such as the Christian belief that Jesus died for the sins of others. In a broader sense, it refers to a profound love that is not dependent on emotion or circumstance and extends to all people, even enemies”. 

“To love one another“

Paul starts 1 Corinthians 13 with the thought that it doesn’t matter what language we use; if what we say isn’t said in love, then it is just noise. The Apostle John wrote much about love, and we read a bit from 1 John 2:7-8, “Dear friends, I am not writing a new commandment for you; rather, it is an old one you have had from the very beginning. This old commandment—to love one another—is the same message you heard before. Yet it is also new. Jesus lived the truth of this commandment, and you also are living it. For the darkness is disappearing, and the true light is already shining. “To love one another” was at the heart of John’s message to the churches that read his epistle, and that message has resonated with congregations ever since. Many difficulties in churches today can often be traced to a lack of love. Yes, the liturgies can be wonderful. The minister may be a gifted speaker. The worship band and the songs sung can lift the congregation’s spirits right to the rafters. But at the end of the service, and in too many churches, everyone leaves to go to their homes, and none of the issues that a loving church should be dealing with are even considered or prayed about. Hurting people come to church, and the same hurting people leave it at the end of the service, hurt intact and people still hurting. 

And so we pilgrims, look out for those in our churches who may be struggling with some issue or another. We must not rely on their openness, or lack of it, when we mingle with the congregation before and after a meeting. We ask our Heavenly Father to reveal to us those people who He knows have a need, and we remain open to being the ones who meet the need. That’s what the love that Paul refers to in 1 Corinthians 13 is all about.

Dear Heavenly Father. We know that attending church is not just about singing hymns and saying prayers. We seek Your heart for those around us, and pray that Your love will prevail through us. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

Appointments

Posted on by korgrocker

“All of you together are Christ’s body, and each of you is a part of it. Here are some of the parts God has appointed for the church: first are apostles, second are prophets, third are teachers, then those who do miracles, those who have the gift of healing, those who can help others, those who have the gift of leadership, those who speak in unknown languages.”
1 Corinthians 12:27-28 NLT

At the end of a long chapter about spiritual gifts, written in reply to a previous question from the Corinthians believers, Paul lists “some of the parts God has appointed for the church”. God gives each believer at least one gift through the Holy Spirit, who, as we know, dwells within each believer as a result of their salvation. In much of 1 Corinthians 12, Paul used the analogy of a human body to make a comparison with the Body of Christ, the church. And we now get to the point where Paul emphasises to the believers in the Corinthian church that they all constitute the Body of Christ. Just in case any of them felt left out, he wrote that each member of the church is a member of the Body, without exception. 

“If the Holy Spirit left our church, would we notice any difference?”

Today, we have many churches, some thriving, some in the process of being born, but, sadly, others coming to a point where they will soon die and disappear, all much as we would expect from human life. Churches are organic entities, kept alive by the power of the Holy Spirit within them, and when they deny His presence, their life starts to dwindle. Someone once asked, “If the Holy Spirit left our church, would we notice any difference?” And it is true – churches get locked into a liturgy and become a sort of religious social club, lacking any particular relevance in today’s world. Paul wrote to Timothy with a warning about such Spirit-less churches, “They will act religious, but they will reject the power that could make them godly. Stay away from people like that!” (2 Timothy 3:5). 

Next, in the verses we are considering today, Paul went on to list “some of the parts God has appointed for the church”. We should note that he did not supply a complete list of the gifts given to the Church, but just those that are more obvious. There is one notable up-front role missing, and that is the role of a pastor. In Ephesians 4:11-12, Paul wrote, “Now these are the gifts Christ gave to the church: the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, and the pastors and teachers. Their responsibility is to equip God’s people to do his work and build up the church, the body of Christ”. However, it would neither be helpful nor necessary to provide a long list of all the functions and jobs necessary in a church or fellowship. Each body of believers is unique, as is a human body, and although some roles are common to all, many more are a reflection of the local needs. The Amplified version of 1 Corinthians 12:28 reads, “So God has appointed and placed in the church [for His own use]: first apostles [chosen by Christ], second prophets [those who foretell the future, those who speak a new message from God to the people], third teachers, then those who work miracles, then those with the gifts of healings, the helpers, the administrators, and speakers in various kinds of [unknown] tongues”. 

We should also note that any one role is no more important than any other. God does not do favouritism. So, an apostle is no more important than a teacher, who is no more important than a helper or administrator, or even the person who cleans the toilets. All roles are necessary for the church to function in the way God intends. 

“The church is God’s hands, mouth, and feet in this world—the body of Christ:.

Some might ask the question, “What is the purpose of the Church”? A quotation from “gotquestions.org” might be helpful. “So, what is the purpose of the church? Paul gave an excellent illustration to the believers in Corinth. The church is God’s hands, mouth, and feet in this world—the body of Christ. We are to be doing the things that Jesus Christ would do if He were here physically on the earth. The church is to be “Christian,” “Christ-like,” and Christ-following”. To do all of these things, we need Holy Spirit gifts functioning in the church. Without them, the Body of Christ will not survive for long. And we remember we all have at least one gift to edify the Body of Christ.

Dear Father God. Through Your Son Jesus, You have established Your church. We thank You for the gifts given to our churches and fellowships, and pray that Your church will continue to grow, for Your glory. Amen.

Suffering Members

Posted on by korgrocker

“In fact, some parts of the body that seem weakest and least important are actually the most necessary. And the parts we regard as less honourable are those we clothe with the greatest care. So we carefully protect those parts that should not be seen, while the more honourable parts do not require this special care. So God has put the body together such that extra honour and care are given to those parts that have less dignity. This makes for harmony among the members, so that all the members care for each other. If one part suffers, all the parts suffer with it, and if one part is honoured, all the parts are glad.”
1 Corinthians 12:22-26 NLT

We all know what it is like to have a suffering body part. Someone recently asked what the purpose of the little toe on our feet is, to which the answer was “to establish that the furniture is in the right place”. We’ve all stubbed our toes at one time or another, and we know how painful it can be. Any part of our body can tell us when it is suffering, because we have an inbuilt nervous system that alerts us when and how the suffering is occurring. In fact, it is extraordinary how complex and complete the human body is, but why would we be surprised? God doesn’t build imperfect human beings. Sin and evil will distort and destroy, harming us in the process, but God’s design is, and always has been, perfect. Paul, quite correctly, wrote that when a part of the body is suffering, then the whole body suffers. Our sore toe will affect our walking, and it will constantly remind us that it has been damaged. Today, a whole vast industry has emerged, designed to alleviate the suffering we experience with painkillers or medical procedures, but none of it can replace what God intended in the first place.

The body of Christ can also experience suffering. The church I currently attend has a member who recently had his fourth heart attack, and he is now severely medicated and largely immobile. He is hurting, his wife is hurting, and the church suffers with them. Another lovely man in the church recently lost his wife, and his grief was shared by the congregation, who rallied around him with love and encouragement. However, often the suffering stems from other unnecessary and avoidable factors, such as hurtful words, gossip, and similar issues. Some people may suffer unnecessarily because they think something is going on when it isn’t. However, when suffering occurs, it is painful to the person concerned, and it will also impact the church, because hurting people often stay away. They suffer in silence.

“If the world hates you, remember that it hated Me first”

Jesus Christ

In Paul’s day, there was widespread suffering, especially among the early Christians. The Jews hated them. The Gentiles ridiculed and avoided them. Their businesses and families became the brunt of social ostracisation, and they suffered because of their faith. But Jesus warned of such things in words to His disciples, recorded in John 15:18, “If the world hates you, remember that it hated me first”. Jesus also said, “For you will be expelled from the synagogues, and the time is coming when those who kill you will think they are doing a holy service for God” (John 16:2). So, we can imagine what the topic of conversation would be on a Sunday morning, as the believers assembled and shared their experiences, their suffering. Do we think that the rest of the believers would turn their backs on the suffering ones? Of course not. They would all suffer together. 

Here on earth you will have many trials and sorrows. But take heart, because I have overcome the world

Jesus Christ

But we have much encouragement from the Scriptures. Paul wrote in Romans 8:18, “Yet what we suffer now is nothing compared to the glory he will reveal to us later”. Peter wrote, “In his kindness God called you to share in his eternal glory by means of Christ Jesus. So after you have suffered a little while, he will restore, support, and strengthen you, and he will place you on a firm foundation” (1 Peter 5:10). But one last word from Jesus, “I have told you all this so that you may have peace in me. Here on earth you will have many trials and sorrows. But take heart, because I have overcome the world” (John 16:33). Yes, we might experience many trials and sorrows and much suffering in this world, but we remember that we are not of the world but for a short time are having to live in it. One last thing. What we suffer cannot compare to what Jesus experienced. In the garden of Gethsemane we read what He went through, “He went on a little farther and bowed with his face to the ground, praying, “My Father! If it is possible, let this cup of suffering be taken away from me. Yet I want your will to be done, not mine”” (Matthew 26:39). Jesus was facing into the most horrific event that could be faced – He was about to take onto Himself all the sins of the world, past, present and future. That was a “cup of suffering” that we will never have to face.

“If God is for us, who can ever be against us?”

So, fellow pilgrims, take heart, as Jesus said. Paul wrote, “What shall we say about such wonderful things as these? If God is for us, who can ever be against us?” (Romans 8:31). Who indeed!

Dear Father God. Anti-Christian sentiment is rife in our Godless societies. Secularism is the new religion, and Your children are suffering because of it. Please strengthen us, we pray. In Jesus’ name. Amen. 

Dignity and Honour

Posted on by korgrocker

“In fact, some parts of the body that seem weakest and least important are actually the most necessary. And the parts we regard as less honourable are those we clothe with the greatest care. So we carefully protect those parts that should not be seen, while the more honourable parts do not require this special care. So God has put the body together such that extra honour and care are given to those parts that have less dignity. This makes for harmony among the members, so that all the members care for each other. If one part suffers, all the parts suffer with it, and if one part is honoured, all the parts are glad.”
1 Corinthians 12:22-26 NLT

Several themes emerge in Paul’s analogy, which compares the human body to the body of Christ, the church. The first is that there are body parts that don’t seem all that important, implying that they might be expendable. These parts are quite weak, Paul wrote, but in fact they are amongst the most necessary. What did Paul have in mind here? If we let our imaginations roll for a moment, we can think of internal organs within us that we are not aware of but which are essential for life. Ask anyone who has had an operation to remove their bowel after cancer and now has to live with a stoma bag. They might not have been too aware of the value of their bowel before, but they certainly will now that they are without it. There are other body parts that we may not be aware of until they start to malfunction or become diseased. 

Paul continued with a second category of body parts that he deemed to be “less honourable” in his culture. In fact, they still are today, with society demanding that, for example, our sexual organs are covered up, “clothed with the greatest care”. These parts of the human body “should not be seen”, Paul wrote. But we don’t cover up our hands, even though these parts of our body are important as well. If we stop for a moment and consider the society in which Paul lived, we know that modesty and dignity in public places were the norm. The dress code applied from the neck down and was equally applicable to both men and women. Today, in strict Muslim countries, women are obliged to go to extraordinary lengths to avoid showing any part of their bodies. In our Western culture today, however, the same doesn’t seem to apply, with body exposure taken to limits that would have filled Paul with absolute horror. 

But moving on from the human body analogy, we apply Paul’s comments to the local expression of the body of Christ, our churches or fellowships. We have the honourable parts on display for everyone, such as ministers, pastors, or elders involved in public ministry. But there are also those who work away in the background, so invisible that people generally don’t know that they are there. Apart from those who perform the necessary practical functions, such as cleaning the toilets and handling administration, there are those involved in spiritual roles, including our prayer warriors and counsellors, for example. There are others, such as those who give of their finances and other resources, and those who are the church’s encouragers, always with a word that builds up and ensures that other ministries continue to function. Remove any of these people, and the church will be poorer for the loss and suffer. In fact, if the essential behind-the-scenes people disappear, the church might even get to the stage where it can no longer function and therefore has to close. 

“Now I say to you that you are Peter (which means ‘rock’), and upon this rock I will build my church, and all the powers of hell will not conquer it”.

Matthew 16:18.

The Body of Christ is an integral unit, a living and breathing organisation that functions through the grace of God in love and mutual acceptance. Each church member has a role to play, and can do so with the assurance that God has put them where they are to be an active part of their church. In Matthew 16:18, and in a conversation with Peter, Jesus said, “Now I say to you that you are Peter (which means ‘rock’), and upon this rock I will build my church, and all the powers of hell will not conquer it”. Peter is obviously long dead, but Jesus is still fulfilling His promise that His church will be built and nothing, not even the devil, will stop this from happening. And to ensure that this happens, Jesus has populated each local expression of His church with individual “body parts” to build it up. Some such parts are visible. Some are invisible. But they all work together, with Jesus as their Head. 

Dear Lord Jesus. You left us with a blueprint for the future of Your church. We thank You for the ministries that You have supplied, and we pray for our churches, that Your will would be carried out, for Your glory. Amen. 

Eating and Drinking

Posted on by korgrocker

“So, my dear brothers and sisters, when you gather for the Lord’s Supper, wait for each other. If you are really hungry, eat at home so you won’t bring judgment upon yourselves when you meet together. I’ll give you instructions about the other matters after I arrive.”
1 Corinthians 11:33-34 NLT

Eating and drinking are two activities necessary to sustain human life. Without consuming water, a human being will die after a few days. A lack of food will cause a person’s body to extract the nutrients it needs from its own tissues, but there comes a point when those reserves run out. Both of these thoughts are rather gruesome but well-known by anyone living in certain deprived countries. Here in the privileged West, we open the fridge door or turn on a tap, and we find our basic needs are met. In the Corinthian church, what started as an introduction to the sacrament of the Lord’s Supper turned into a one-sided fellowship meal, where each family brought its own food and proceeded to eat it in front of those who had nothing—no sense of unity, no sense of sharing and preferring one another in the true Christian way. So, Paul brought in a chapter of correction, teaching the right way to share the Lord’s Supper and pointing out their errors. Paul finished this chapter with “I’ll give you instructions about the other matters after I arrive”, indicating that there must have been other issues connected to the Lord’s Supper, but not important enough to include in his letter. How could the Corinthians have got things so wrong? Thankfully, Paul was on hand to bring in the correction needed. 

But there is also a need for spiritual food and drink, and the same principles apply. Our souls need to be fed, and if deprived of spiritual food, they will wither and die. What is this food? We find it in the Bible, which is a treasure trove of unlimited spiritual resources. We find more through prayer and worship. Through fellowship with other believers. In fact, we feed our souls by spending time in God’s Kingdom. The early Israelites were fed for forty years with a constant supply of manna. This was a superfood containing all the nutrients necessary for human life. But there is a manna that came through Jesus and which is still with us today. It is available in unlimited quantities and is free for all to eat. If we read John 6:35, we find out the Source of this soul-superfood, “Jesus replied, “I am the bread of life. Whoever comes to me will never be hungry again. Whoever believes in me will never be thirsty”. Jesus continued, “Yes, I am the bread of life! Your ancestors ate manna in the wilderness, but they all died. Anyone who eats the bread from heaven, however, will never die. I am the living bread that came down from heaven. Anyone who eats this bread will live forever; and this bread, which I will offer so the world may live, is my flesh”. This was teaching that most of the people of His day failed to understand, because Jesus wasn’t talking about cannibalism, but about Him being spiritual food for those who believe in Him. Earlier in John 6, we read about the feeding of the five thousand, about how a young boy’s packed lunch of five barley loaves and two fish was multiplied to not only feed everyone but to ensure that they were full (John 6:12). Such was the magnitude of this miracle that the people wanted to make Jesus King. They understood the physical benefit of a miraculous food supply, but they failed to realise that Jesus was showing them the spiritual meaning, that His supply of bread was unlimited, and by eating it, their souls would become full.

There are many people today who are going about their daily lives depressed and without hope. Their souls are running on empty, and they have no resources that will feed them. They wake up in the morning, perhaps hoping that their circumstances will change in the day ahead, but return to their beds in the evening still unfulfilled. These are the people we pilgrims must introduce to Jesus. We are like the four lepers we can read about in 2 Kings 7. These lepers were starving, as were the Israelites, because of the Aramean siege of Samaria. They decided to visit the enemy camp to see if they could find mercy there and perhaps a crust or two of bread. But when they arrived, they found an empty camp and a plentiful supply of food and wine. After gorging themselves, we read in 2 Kings 7:9, “Finally, they said to each other, “This is not right. This is a day of good news, and we aren’t sharing it with anyone! If we wait until morning, some calamity will certainly fall upon us. Come on, let’s go back and tell the people at the palace””. As we pilgrims enter our day, we must remember that we have found “good news”and our souls have been filled by God’s spiritual manna. We must find an opportunity to tell the people around us where they, too, can find the food they need to nourish their souls. 

Dear Father God. We must never keep the Good News about Jesus to ourselves. Please fill us today with a fresh supply of Your Spirit, so that we can be equipped to share the hope that we have with the hopeless. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

Judgment

Posted on by korgrocker

“For those who eat and drink without discerning the body of Christ eat and drink judgment on themselves. That is why many among you are weak and ill, and a number of you have fallen asleep. But if we were more discerning with regard to ourselves, we would not come under such judgment. Nevertheless, when we are judged in this way by the Lord, we are being disciplined so that we will not be finally condemned with the world.”
1 Corinthians 11:29-32 NIVUK

In a previous blog, we considered what it means to discern “the body of Christ”. We continue to read today about what will happen to those who fail to “discern” what is really happening in the celebration of the Lord’s Supper. Reading between the lines of what went on in the Corinthians’ service of Communion, it must have been a bit of a riot compared with our sombre services today. They were apparently turning it into a drunken party, with those with the means to supply their own food and drink having a good time, and those without forced to sit on the sidelines and watch. And in some way, they considered that they were sharing in the Lord’s Supper by doing this. But before we condemn them and take the moral high ground, we must confess that some of us might be doing something equally dishonouring in our own thoughts. 

There were consequences to the Corinthians’ behaviour, and Paul made the association between those who shared the Communion in a way that dishonoured Christ and those who were suffering from illness or weakness, and even those who had died. How could that have happened? There is only one explanation, and that is God has brought weakness, illness, and even death to them as discipline for their failure to observe Communion with proper respect for Christ’s sacrifice and for each other. This could be a stumbling block for Christians who think God is a God of love, grace, and forgiveness and would never do such a thing. But God does discipline His children, “because the Lord disciplines the one he loves, and he chastens everyone he accepts as his son“ (Hebrews 12:6). Comparing with the discipline meted out by human fathers, we read, “They disciplined us for a little while as they thought best; but God disciplines us for our good, in order that we may share in his holiness. No discipline seems pleasant at the time, but painful. Later on, however, it produces a harvest of righteousness and peace for those who have been trained by it” (Hebrews 12:10-11).

So, we pilgrims must approach the Lord’s Table in a way that honours Him. Paul wrote, “But if we were more discerning with regard to ourselves, we would not come under such judgment”. We must judge ourselves first with sincerity. In other words, we must be brutally honest with ourselves before joining in the Lord’s Supper, and we must change our attitudes toward Christ’s death and all those He died for. Then we will not have to worry about God’s judgment afterwards.

But a word for all those anxious in these circumstances, and who fear for their salvation, Paul wrote, “Yet when we are judged by the Lord, we are being disciplined so that we will not be condemned along with the world” (1 Corinthians 11:32). When God disciplines us, it does not mean that He has rejected us and slammed the gates of Heaven in our faces. He still loves us and wants us to spend eternity with Him. 

Dear Father God. We are so sorry for the times when we have taken the emblems of Holy Communion in an unworthy manner. We pray for forgiveness and for the Holy Spirit to help us remember You the next time we have the opportunity to celebrate the Lord’s Supper. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

Discerning Christ

Posted on by korgrocker

“So then, whoever eats the bread or drinks the cup of the Lord in an unworthy manner will be guilty of sinning against the body and blood of the Lord. Everyone ought to examine themselves before they eat of the bread and drink from the cup. For those who eat and drink without discerning the body of Christ eat and drink judgment on themselves. That is why many among you are weak and ill, and a number of you have fallen asleep.”
1 Corinthians 11:27-30 NIVUK

We continue this morning to consider what the Communion service, the Lord’s Supper, really means. We know that a few moments are allowed before we take the emblems, and in these times of reflection, we confess our sins and do what we can to get right with God, even making promises to ourselves to go and put things right after the service. But what does it mean to discern the Body of Christ? Paul wrote, “So then, whoever eats the bread or drinks the cup of the Lord in an unworthy manner will be guilty of sinning against the body and blood of the Lord”. We cannot ever make the mistake of being “unworthy” at a time like this, because of the solemnity of what it means. I’m sure, however, that we pilgrims would never want to be guilty of this, but we know our feeble capabilities. The pressures of life, and perhaps what we saw on television the night before, will crowd into our thought processes, causing us much distress. Paul eloquently described the problem in Romans 7:21, “So I find this law at work: although I want to do good, evil is right there with me”. Above all, we would never want to dishonour Jesus, who went through hell so that we wouldn’t have to. 

With the emblems before us, we should perhaps pause for a moment to consider that the bread on the plate isn’t the product of a baker at all, but the body of Jesus. In this respect, perhaps the Anglicans have got it right by never leaving even a crumb behind after the service. In the same way, the communion “wine”, whatever it is, must be totally consumed, and even the goblet used must be rinsed out and wiped clean. Anglicans do this in reverence to Christ because, through the solemnity of sharing the bread and wine, the emblems are made sacred. Sadly, so many churches will throw the unused elements away, disposing of them in the trash can or by pouring them down the sink. But how many congregants really make the connection between the elements and the body and blood of Jesus? God has blessed us pilgrims with an imagination, something that has become anointed by the Holy Spirit and is being sanctified by His presence. We must remember that although the body and blood, in the form of bread and wine, might be partaken of during a meal, they are entirely separate from it. 

In 1 Corinthians 11:26, we read, “For whenever you eat this bread and drink this cup, you proclaim the Lord’s death until he comes”. In the process of sharing in the Communion, we are “proclaiming” the Lord’s death. In other words, through sharing in this ceremonial meal, we are acknowledging that Jesus gave His body and shed His blood for our benefit, for the salvation of all who believe in Him. And we will keep on proclaiming this momentous event until one of two things happens – either we die or Jesus returns, ushering in His new Kingdom. Jesus said, “I tell you, I will not drink from this fruit of the vine from now on until that day when I drink it new with you in my Father’s kingdom” (Matthew 26:29). Then there will be that marvellous occasion we refer to as the marriage feast of the Lamb (Revelation 19). 

But there is something else about “proclaiming” the Lord’s death. What else should we be proclaiming? We can’t just be obedient in this one thing without being obedient to many others as well. Are we loving our spouses? Are we sharing the Gospel? There is a long list of “Are we’s”, providing a sobering reality to what it means to be a Christian. Thankfully, God is patient and kind, and doesn’t expect an instant transition from an unbeliever to a fully fledged believer overnight. We enter into a process called sanctification, as we are being made holy to be more like Jesus.

Another reason for the Communion service is to declare the unity among believers. 1 Corinthians 10:16-17, “Is not the cup of thanksgiving for which we give thanks a participation in the blood of Christ? And is not the bread that we break a participation in the body of Christ? Because there is one loaf, we, who are many, are one body, for we all share the one loaf”. In other words, we must see Christ in our fellow Christians and treat them as we would treat Jesus when we come together.

If we bring God’s spotlight into our souls, looking at who we are through His eyes, what will we see? This is an easy question to answer, because through Jesus, we will see a righteous and holy child of God. Through our repentance, the blackness of sin has been left at the Cross. But we must never become complacent, and we must value the Communion service to provide an opportunity to touch base with Jesus once again. We feel His love and forgiveness once again flood over us, refreshing and restoring our souls.

Dear Lord Jesus. Once again, we kneel before You, confessing our sins, and thanking You for all You have done for us. We worship You today. Amen.

 

Honouring Christ

Posted on by korgrocker

“So anyone who eats this bread or drinks this cup of the Lord unworthily is guilty of sinning against the body and blood of the Lord. That is why you should examine yourself before eating the bread and drinking the cup. For if you eat the bread or drink the cup without honouring the body of Christ, you are eating and drinking God’s judgment upon yourself. That is why many of you are weak and sick and some have even died.”
1 Corinthians 11:27-30 NLT

I don’t think people realise how important and significant the Lord’s Supper really is. The Corinthian Christians seemed to think that it was just another opportunity for a fellowship meal, as we read earlier in this chapter. “When you meet together, you are not really interested in the Lord’s Supper. For some of you hurry to eat your own meal without sharing with others. As a result, some go hungry while others get drunk” (1 Corinthians 11:20-21). Paul, therefore, went to great pains to point out to them the error of their ways, and his teaching has been there for all to read ever since. But when was the last time we heard a sermon on the verses we are considering today? In churches today, it is expected that the congregation will know what the Communion service is all about and how it affects them personally. I’m sure many a pastor, knowing what is going on in people’s lives and understanding the issues these same people have shared with them in times of confidence, will despair as they watch the congregation eating the Communion emblems. Paul certainly did, and his warning has to be seriously reflected upon. 

Paul made a connection between judgment, sickness, weakness, and even death for those who fail to honour the body of Christ. Considering the emblems, the cup represents Christ’s blood, and the bread represents His body. The purpose of taking communion is to commemorate and reflect on the sacrificial death of Jesus. To do so without “honouring the body of Christ” brings judgment on the participant. So, to turn it around, by failing to examine ourselves before we share the Lord’s Supper, we effectively insult Christ’s body. To examine ourselves commonly means confessing our sins and receiving forgiveness through God’s grace. In the Corinthian context, perhaps we should include how we treat our fellow believers. There may be sins that we confess that require some remediation, for example, putting things right with someone we know. And this is why it is so important that we pause for a few moments before we take Communion. In some instances, we might find it better not to take Communion at all because of the seriousness of a particular situation in which we find ourselves. But whatever, we need to examine ourselves. 

The Psalmist, David, began Psalm 139 with, “O Lord, you have examined my heart and know everything about me”. So it is no good pretending that God won’t know about something we would rather hide. David continued in the following two verses, “You know when I sit down or stand up. You know my thoughts even when I’m far away. You see me when I travel and when I rest at home. You know everything I do”. As we continue to read this Psalm, we find that there is no escape from God’s gaze, even if we wanted to. This insight is probably one of the reasons why so many people deny the existence of God, because they know the consequences of believing in God, and the impact it will have on their lives of sin. A human being deserves punishment for their sins, but thanks to God’s grace and forgiveness through Jesus, we have a way into His presence.

But perhaps the essence of Psalm 139 is distilled within the last two verses, “Search me, O God, and know my heart; test me and know my anxious thoughts. Point out anything in me that offends you, and lead me along the path of everlasting life”. This is the self-examination required before we take the Communion emblems, and if God points out anything that needs to be addressed before we proceed, we must be obedient to Him. 

Dear Father God. We understand today the importance of having a right relationship with You, and at our times of Communion we remember what Jesus did for us at Calvary. Please forgive us for the times when our minds have wandered off into irrelevancy instead of focusing on You. Amen.

Examine Yourself

Posted on by korgrocker

“When you meet together, you are not really interested in the Lord’s Supper. For some of you hurry to eat your own meal without sharing with others. As a result, some go hungry while others get drunk. … So anyone who eats this bread or drinks this cup of the Lord unworthily is guilty of sinning against the body and blood of the Lord. That is why you should examine yourself before eating the bread and drinking the cup.”
1 Corinthians 11:20-21, 27-28 NLT

Jesus said to His disciples the following: “He took some bread and gave thanks to God for it. Then he broke it in pieces and gave it to the disciples, saying, “This is my body, which is given for you. Do this in remembrance of me” (Luke 22:19). Jesus commanded them to remember Him during subsequent Passover meals, and at other times as well, by inference. Paul continued the Lord’s command in 1 Corinthians 11:25-26, “In the same way, he took the cup of wine after supper, saying, “This cup is the new covenant between God and his people—an agreement confirmed with my blood. Do this in remembrance of me as often as you drink it.” For every time you eat this bread and drink this cup, you are announcing the Lord’s death until he comes again”. But what is the purpose of celebrating this act of remembrance? We surely can think of Jesus at other times without sharing in the Lord’s Supper. 

Christians everywhere share the Lord’s Supper because Jesus commanded it —and for good reason. Over the centuries since that first Supper, the sharing of bread and wine has become ubiquitous in churches all over the world, and at every occasion, Jesus has been remembered. It has become a special way to remember His life, His death, and His resurrection, but not just in a detached and objective way. This celebration gives us the opportunity to personally remember all that Jesus did for us and, most importantly, how we must respond. Concerning that, Scriptures that include what Jesus taught, and those that the Holy Spirit brings to our remembrance, pop into our minds and sometimes bring conviction of sin. For example, Jesus taught in His Sermon on the Mount, “So if you are presenting a sacrifice at the altar in the Temple and you suddenly remember that someone has something against you, leave your sacrifice there at the altar. Go and be reconciled to that person. Then come and offer your sacrifice to God” (Matthew 5:23-24). In a sense, the Lord’s Supper parallels these verses about the altar in the Temple, because we are making an offering, a sacrifice, to God through the Communion emblems. I remember, as a young Christian, becoming very upset about the behaviour of another church member at a church business meeting, to the point that I could not share in the communion service the following Sunday. I lacked the maturity to deal with the issue at that time, but it was right not to take communion until I had. Believers have a special command from Jesus that cannot be ignored, and Paul brought to the Corinthians’ attention that their approach to the Lord’s Supper was all wrong. It wasn’t about sharing a meal together or eating and drinking. Paul wrote to the Romans, “For the Kingdom of God is not a matter of what we eat or drink, but of living a life of goodness and peace and joy in the Holy Spirit” (Romans 14:17). So, regardless of the origin of the emblems, the important fact is based on why we share them.

Through the prompting of the Holy Spirit, we must examine ourselves, as the Scriptures say, because the last thing that we want to do is to be “guilty of sinning against the body and blood of the Lord”. The Lord’s Supper is a solemn occasion, but too often it is taken far too lightly by people in the congregation without consideration of its importance. I can remember in one church I attended that two young men in the seats behind me were discussing the previous day’s football match during the Communion service, that is, until my wife turned around and asked them to be quiet. 

So, in the moments of quiet before taking the emblems, we sit and ask God to point out anything we need to deal with. Sometimes He will answer our prayer, so that we can repent. He may also point out something we must deal with and stop procrastinating. But in these precious moments, we touch base with Jesus through the emblems of His Body and Blood. And in the end, we look to Jesus, because it is all about Him. With grateful hearts, we truly do remember Him and give Him all our worship, all our praise, and all the glory.

Dear Lord Jesus. Thank You for the memories of Your life, death, and resurrection, because once again it brings us to a place where we understand why You came to this world and the consequences it has for every person who has ever lived. We worship You today as we look forward to the next opportunity to share the Lord’s Supper. Amen.