Can Communion be Unholy?

“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.” – 1 Corinthians 11:27

When Christians gather to take the Lord’s Supper, we’re warned not to take Communion in an “unworthy manner.” But do we really know what this means? If we’re going to examine ourselves at Communion time, it would be REALLY helpful to know what we’re looking for.

 

It‘s too simple just to say, “We’re looking for sin.” Of course, we’re looking for sin in our lives. But what sins in particular does the Apostle Paul have in mind in 1 Corinthians 11, when he talks about being subject to God’s discipline and judgment at Communion time?

 

I believe there are 3 specific sins that we must search for inside ourselves before we take Communion:

 

Sin #1: The sin of going through the motions—exchanging an emotional connection with Jesus for a ritual (v. 29). This is a BIG one. Most of us know that Communion is not intended for unbelievers, because they have no relationship with Jesus. But did you also know that Communion is not intended for believers whose minds and hearts are distant from the Lord? So many Christians eat the cracker and down the grape juice without giving it much thought – without having any sort of emotional connection to Jesus. That’s unacceptable. Make sure you’re not just going through the motions when you gather with other Christians around The Lord’s Table.

 

Sin #2: The sin of holding onto unconfessed sin (v. 31). In verse 31 Paul writes: “If we judged ourselves, we would not come under judgment.” As I mentioned last week, Communion is the ideal time to think about the life you lived over the past week – to scrutinize your words, your actions and even your thoughts. If you realize that you have any unconfessed sin, confess it to God and ask Him for forgiveness before taking Communion.

 

Sin #3: The sin of harboring prejudice, bitterness or unforgiveness toward another Christian in the church (vs. 17-22). One of the Corinthian Christians’ big sins was prejudice. They played favorites, and the rich Christians discriminated against the poor Christians. There is NO place for prejudice or favoritism at The Lord’s Table. And there’s no place for bitterness or unforgiveness. God’s Word is very clear: “Make every effort to live in peace with all men and to be holy…. See to it that no one misses the grace of God and that no bitter root grows up to cause trouble and defile many” (Hebrews 12:14-1).

 

Just like King David in Psalm 139:23-24, at Communion time we should cry out to God: “Search me, O God, and know my heart; test me and know my anxious thoughts. See if there is any offensive way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting.”

 

Dane Davis is the pastor of Impact Christian Church in Victorville. Join us at Impact for Sunday services: in person or online at 9 a.m. on Facebook Live or YouTube. For more information, visit www.GreaterImpact.cc.

No Cliques at the Lord’s Table!

"When you come together, it is not the Lord’s Supper you eat, for as you eat, each of you goes ahead without waiting for anybody else. One remains hungry, another gets drunk.”  – 1 Corinthians 11:20-21

Have you ever wondered: Did churches in New Testament times hold potlucks? Well, the answer is … yes!

 

Since Christians didn’t have church buildings back then, they met in homes. Some of their meetings were called “Agape Feasts,” or “Love Feasts” (Jude 12). At these love feasts, church members gathered to pool together whichever food items they wanted to share. And their big meal would culminate in taking communion together.

 

Sounds beautiful, doesn’t it? The problem was, in the church of Corinth, not everyone was getting the same helpings at the table. Some may not even have gotten a seat. Instead of using the feast as a time to bring Christ’s Church together in love and unity, they were using it as an opportunity to exclude certain Christians and selfishly stuff their own faces.

 

In 1 Corinthians 11, Paul addresses the issue of confusing and disorderly potluck meals and communion services in the Corinthian church. He identifies two problems in this passage:

 

Problem #1: Your Communion Services Are Too Cliquey (vs. 17-18). The way the Christians held their love feasts and communion services was, in Paul’s words, doing “more harm than good.” The gatherings were cliquey and divisive. When we piece together the biblical and historical details, it appears that the rich brought most of the food and wine to the feast – and they weren’t ABOUT to share it with those who could only afford to contribute a couple of biscuits.

 

Problem #2: Your Communion Services Are Too Self-Centered (vs. 19-21). Paul points out one good thing about having cliques in the church: It made it easier to recognize the mature Christians. They were the ones who DIDN’T exclude certain Christians. They were the ones who denied themselves and put others first. Meanwhile, immature Christians were selfishly gorging themselves, instead of humbly sharing their food with those who needed it the most.

 

One of the clear messages in this passage is this: Having NO love feast is better than having a divisive and humiliating love feast. And skipping communion is preferrable to making a mockery of it.

 

For one reason or another, as centuries passed, Christian churches around the world stopped holding love feasts. But churches have never stopped celebrating the Lord’s Supper together. Communion always has been and always will be observed by Christians in every tongue, tribe and nation. But it must be observed by Christians who are unified, not divided; and selfless – NOT selfish.

 

Dane Davis is the pastor of Impact Christian Church in Victorville. Join us at Impact for Sunday services: in person or online at 9 a.m. on Facebook Live or YouTube. For more information, visit www.GreaterImpact.cc.

Taking Communion … the Right Way

“For I received from the Lord what I also passed on to you.” – 1 Corinthians 11:23

When the Apostle Paul writes about the Lord’s Supper in 1 Corinthians 11, it seems clear that he had the best possible teacher. Paul didn’t learn about Communion from Peter or James or John. He learned directly from Jesus. 

 

In verse 23, Paul says that what he’s about to teach us about the Lord’s Supper was something he “received from the Lord.” And when he shares what Jesus taught him, he instructs us to look in four directions. We are to Look Back; Look Ahead; Look Inside; and Look Around.

 

#1: Look Back (vs. 23-26a). When we take Communion, we need to look BACK—remembering Jesus’ body that was offered and His blood that was poured out as He died on the cross for our sins. As theologian Warren Wiersbe puts it: “It is not the life of our Lord, or His teachings, that will save sinners—but His death.” At The Lord’s Table, we look back to the cross and remember what Jesus did in love for you and me.

 

#2: Look Ahead (vs. 26b). When we take Communion, we need to look AHEAD—celebrating the fact that Jesus will one day come back to take His followers to heaven. The Lord’s Table isn’t just about respectfully remembering our Savior who died for us. It’s also about celebrating our Savior who CONQUERED death for us. Our Savior lives and will one day come back to take us home to heaven. So, Communion is a beautiful time to look ahead with the eyes of faith and celebrate our soon and coming King.

 

#3: Look Inside (vs. 27-31). When we take Communion, we need to look INSIDE—making sure that we are not taking Communion in an unworthy manner. If you are reading God’s Word each day and receiving good Bible teaching every week, believe me: The Holy Spirit WILL rebuke you discreetly. And it is up to you to heed His rebuke. Confess your sins to Him. Ask Him to forgive you. And turn from your sins.

 

#4: Look Around (vs. 17-22 & 33). Whenever we take Communion, we need to look AROUND—making sure to make things right with other Christians in the church. Before you take Communion, look around the room and ask yourself: “Is there anyone here today that I need to make peace with? Is there anyone that I’m out of fellowship with?” If the answer to either question is “Yes,” follow Jesus’ instructions in Matthew 5:23-25a. First, make things right with your brother or sister in Christ. Then, take Communion together.

 

As you gather with your church family to take Communion, remember that the Lord’s Supper is one of the most beautiful and meaningful parts of the worship service. But each of us must make sure to focus on Christ as we Look Back. Look Ahead. Look Inside. And Look Around. 

 

Dane Davis is the pastor of Impact Christian Church in Victorville. Join us at Impact for Sunday services: in person or online at 8:45 a.m. on Facebook Live or YouTube. For more information, visit www.GreaterImpact.cc

Well Done, Good and Faithful Servant

“They devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and to fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer…. And the Lord added to their number daily those who were being saved.” – Acts 2:42 & 47

There are certain things that people say to me every once in a while that make me light up on the inside: for instance, when one of my daughters says “I love you, Daddy!” Or when someone I admire says, “Dane, I really respect you.” Those words touch me deeply. But when it comes down to it, I live for six words: “Well done, good and faithful servant.”

Those words, spoken by Jesus at the end of my life, are the six greatest words my ears could ever hear. But how can you and I hope to hear them? This question has been on my mind lately as our church prepares to re-launch as Impact Christian Church the first week in October. And for answers, I’ve been turning to an inspiring example: the original Christian church in Jerusalem.

In Acts 2:42, we read about four of the Jerusalem church’s five top priorities: “They devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and to fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer.” In a nutshell, that breaks down to: 1) studying scripture; 2) caring for and sharing with each other, or fellowship; 3) worship, including communion; and 4) prayer. A fifth priority is implied in verses 41 and 47. In verse 41, we’re told that 3,000 were added to their number in one day. And verse 47 says, “The Lord added to their number daily those who were being saved.” This reveals priority number 5: Witnessing to nonChristians.

These were the Top 5 priorities of the first church in Jerusalem, and I believe they are the top priorities for any church that aspires to impact a community for Jesus Christ. These five purposes can be summed up in three little words, which we’ve adopted as our church’s mission statement: Love. Learn. Serve.

God has called us to LOVE Him and love people. God has called us to LEARN His word and hide it in our hearts. And God has called us to SERVE Him and others. As we put those words into action at Impact Christian Church, here’s what it will look like.

Love. Most people who visit a church for the first time will visit on a Sunday morning. That’s our point of entry for people beginning their Christian walk. So the main purpose of a Sunday morning service can be summarized in that single word: Love. Sunday morning is about loving God and loving people. Every week as visitors come in, we must introduce them to the Savior who loves them, and we must give them an opportunity to accept him and begin loving him in return. For those of us who are already saved, Sunday mornings are about expressing our love to God through the worship service, as well as loving everyone who walks through the door—Christian and nonChristian alike.

Learn. The process of spiritual growth requires more than just love on Sunday mornings. It requires additional learning: learning God’s word better, learning how to be accountable to other Christians and learning how to care for others in their times of need. And this learning can best be done in a small group. So, it’s important for a church to build a small group ministry: groups of around eight to 12 people who study God’s word together each week. In the process, they will learn more about shouldering each others’ needs and ministering to other believers.

Serve. To take our spiritual growth to the next level, every Christian needs to be serving in an important ministry on a weekly basis. Examples include volunteering in the nursery, serving communion, visiting shut-ins, helping out at a food pantry, even participating in community clean-ups. Volunteer opportunities such as these are about serving. Christians can take part in a ministry area they enjoy and make a positive impact on others. And as you serve, you will grow.

At Impact Christian Church, this will be our clear path to spiritual growth. And I guarantee you this: If you follow this path, you will grow in your faith; you will develop deeper, more meaningful relationships with other Christians; and you will be used by God to serve in some very impactful ways. Best and most important of all, you will be well on your way to hearing those six words I so want Jesus to say to you one day: “Well done, good and faithful servant.”

Dane Davis is the Lead Pastor of Impact Christian Church (formerly First Christian Church of Victorville). Join us for our Grand Opening at 10 am Sunday, October 6^th at the new Ralph Baker School in Victorville. For more information, visit www.GreaterImpact.cc.