How Should We Take the Lord’s Supper?

In the book of first Corinthians, Paul says we can eat and drink judgment on ourselves. If we take communion improperly. So how should we take the Lord's supper best is one of the questions will be answering on today's addition of core Christianity hi this is Bill Meyer, along with my friend Pastor Israel Sanchez and this is the radio program where we answer your questions about the Bible and the Christian life every day.

Our phone lines are open right now and you can call Pastor Israel with your question might want to drop this number down for future reference. It's 833 the court to spell that on your phone, 833 the core you want to use numbers hits 1-833-843-2673. You can also post your question on our Facebook, Instagram or twitter accounts and you can always email us your question at questions@corechristianity.com will first up today. Here is a voicemail we received from a listener named John Hart part of the Bible where all are so the Lord's supper I had a happy look about getting along with your brothers church that appears to be happy is about people in the church who were so first eating and drinking got around to the other people. There was no why Brent left though these people were not not getting along with the other people but they were looking down upon and putting themselves first in a selfish man.

So my question is, which is I hope I make the question clear. Thank you very much I really appreciate this question as a minister of the gospel and someone who values you know those those ordinances, or sacraments that Jesus gave to the church baptism and the Lord's supper. I think it's really important for us as believers today to be able to talk about this and to take these these things very seriously. In the passage that you're referring to is in first Corinthians chapter 11 comes in the context of of Paul discussing just like you said, you know, problems are happening in Corinth, in particular with how they were taking the Lord's supper and Paul says in verse 27 of first Corinthians 11.

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. Let a person examine himself, then, and so eat of the bread and drink the cup for anyone who eats and drinks without discerning the body eats and drinks judgment on himself.

That is why many of you are weak and ill, and some have died. But if we judge ourselves truly would not be judged. But when we are judged by the Lord, we are disciplined so that we may not be condemned along with the world and the key.

The key question here brother is what does it mean to rightly discern the Lord's body. Now there are there are two primary ways of looking at this one rightly discerning the Lord's body as as you were referring to in your question could refer to understanding who truly is a part of the body of Christ.

There were divisions happening at Corinth and they weren't caring for one another. Going ahead of each other in taking the Lord's supper and despising those who were poor and didn't have anything and so rightly discerning the Lord's body is having right relationships and in terms of how we we deal with each other within the body of Christ I mean just earlier in first Corinthians chapter 11 Paul says in verse 17 been following instructions. I do not commend you.

Because when you come together is not for the better but for the worse, for in the first place. When you come together as a church. I hear that there are divisions among you, so rightly discerning the Lord's bodies is not being divided with the body of Christ earlier in chapter 10.

It's really interest me. Paul says, because there is one bread, we who are many, are one body, for we all partake of the one bread the other in a way of looking at this is rightly discerning the Lord's body has to do with rightly understanding what's happening in the context of the Lord's supper the bread and the wine you know as the signs it signify the body and blood of Jesus Christ not minimizing those those gifts that God gives to us in a reality unit. It could be of some of both the sort of double entendre here repulsing you guys need to rightly discern the Lord's body in terms of your relationships with each other and also understand what's happening in the context of the Lord's supper when we gather as a church so I I like to take that view. I think that that's faithful to the text of Scripture, and one thing I'll say here it where it II think it it really is meaningful for each of us as individuals that should really cause us when we come together as Christians to take the Lord's supper to think about. Are there divisions here in the church are their brothers or sisters in the body of Christ that I'm not getting along with that I should go to and reconcile with because the fact of the matter is the Lord's supper is the ordinance of our unity.

We partake of one bread were one body, and so doesn't make sense if were coming together around the table of the Lord.

And yet in reality were all divided and so it's really important for us to as were coming together rightly discern the Lord's body in a common faith. Faith to feed upon Jesus by either that's what's happening. We take the Lord's supper. Laying aside our sins.

Those divisions that we have an incoming and humility to receive the grace of God gives to us and I'll just add one more thing, there still a lot of times and people here about not eating and drinking judgment to themselves. You are not coming in an unworthy manner. They think a boy I just I don't feel worthy ever to take the Lord's supper. I don't know if I can come forward will of the Lord's supper is for repentant broken sinners.

If you've struggled all weekend and your church is taking communion on Sunday and you feel like I'm not worthy will look don't let that keep you from participating in this meal because the meal is for sinners, for those who know they desperately need the body and blood of Jesus come to the table by faith and receive the grace that the Lord has for you there John, thank you so much for your question. That is such a great reminder Israel because I know there are many Christians who often feel brash just like that that cup passed me by.

Because why I'm just that I've screwed up so much this week that God would never forgive me. It's just the opposite. Yeah it remember we that's when we really need the Lord's supper and made it it's medicine for our souls. We might say we come before the table of the Lord because were desperate for the grace of God and if we been struggling all week. Boy there is no better place to be than with your brothers and sisters in Christ around the table of the Lord, receiving the grace of Jesus.

Amen. This is core Christianity with pastor Israel Sanchez by the way, there are a variety of ways to listen to our program and whether you listen to our podcast or you check us out on YouTube or you listen to us on the radio. The time to call is 11:30 AM Pacific time, 130 Central or 230 Eastern time. Some stations errors on a delayed basis.

So if you'd like to talk to pastor Israel live. Remember those times 11:30 AM Pacific 130 Central 230 Eastern time. Let's go to David who is calling in from O'Fallon, Illinois David, welcome to core Christianity, like all I got a question here that's been bothering me a little bit of Matthew 13 about the parable of the sower's and I explained to your call screener about how others score separate soil to get them correctly seen as the word of God and it landed on four different kinds of soils three are bad soils room don't germinate in the court one which leads to a bountiful crop being soil as a passive substance. How do we know whether Britt the good soil that can terminate or were just in the weeds go speak yeah that's that's great. I mean well. I love this passage of Scripture actually just recently David will unit in our family devotions in the morning we read through this as a family with the kids and just thinking about you know the importance of the word of God, taking deep root in our hearts, and that was what I was trying to communicate to my kids and I think that that's what Jesus is communicating here in in this parable you're right the word is the seed that is sown the message of the kingdom. Jesus said in in chapter 13 verse 18 here than the parable of the sower. When anyone hears the word of the kingdom. That's what's that's what's on at that one. I think important point here is that that's the job of faithful pastors is to sow the seed of the word of God. That's what that's were doing were out in the field sowing the seed of the word of God. Now that seed falls on different kinds of soils and I think for each of us as those who want to follow Jesus, our prayer should be Lord, make my heart a fertile ground for your word. I think we should pray that prayer every single day. Certainly every single week when we gather together as believers to hear the preached word and dad to be with the body of Christ, and so on one since David, I think this is something that we ought to pray for for ourselves and also pray for for for our friends who maybe don't know Jesus, having embraced the gospel but were sharing the gospel with them. I just ask you there. There's a brother who is taking the new members class at our church is never been baptizes are new to the whole Christianity thing and we sat down together. He's hoping to be baptized in our church we went through this this this section of Scripture Matthew 13, I said, look at the word of God is is falling on you.

Pray that it falls on fertile soil because it can fall on stony ground, and we hear the word of God and and were really excited about it and then you know tribulation trials come and we just say I think I'm done with this Christianity thing and so David, I think. I think we pray you're right are our hearts are receiving the word of God. But we received that word, with meekness, with humility and and that's how we know where the fertile ground that that's going to produce a crop. David is that does that help clarify things for you I think so yeah because I've been a Christian for a while are right outside Laura. I have been disabled. I should but I'm working everyday courage to be better at being a Christian share in the Lord is harder in the covert process, but I think what you're trying to say is that we have more control over accepting the word yeah and thank God that we can be that girl so we can we do have a role to play when it comes to rightly receiving the word of God we receive it with meekness. I mean, by means of the New Testament talks about receiving that implanted word, with meekness that is were were open to and I think that this is something that we also ought to pray for now. There are couple of different ways of thinking about this parable to buy the women you can think of it justice is sort of a general rule, like Vito, there are some people who they hear it and then they reject it, but I think even in our day-to-day lives as Christians. There are times where the word of God is getting choked out by the thorns of the world and we recognize that in a you recognize that in your life. And so we go to learn was that God forgive me. And Lord help me and and he does and he does because it's the will of the Lord for his word to take deep root in our hearts. And so when we go to the Lord for God do this work in me. I need your word desperately up the psalmist talks about this over and over again like nine places like Psalm 119 you know with all my heart I have sought you do not let me depart from your word to wander from your commandments and so I think that's that's our prayer, Dave, that sounds like it's it's your prayer and let me just encourage you and in saying that that's a prayer that the Lord will answer because it's in accordance with his will. And so, with meekness, with humility we receive the word of God. We prepare our own hearts to receive it by studying it by by by reading and even bite bite conversing in a talking with other brothers and sisters about the word meditating upon it. That's how we rightly rightly receive the word of God and as I pray the Lord blesses you brother as you continue to do that and I sounds like you.

You are off to a great start.

You're listening to core Christianity with pastor Adm. Sanchez and if you like to talk to Pastor Sanchez live right now with your question anything about the Bible or the Christian life. Here's the phone number it's 833 the Corvettes 1-833-843-2673. We would love to hear from you by the way, we have something really special to offer today and it's particularly great if you are a new listener core Christianity.

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The core one of the ways you can ask a question is by leaving a voicemail on our website at core, Christianity.com and here's when we received yesterday. Hi my name is been and 20. Thank you for your ministry, and my question is is your role to have fellowship with someone who did not.

The deity of Christ and the Trinity as you wrote so you should put them like Bible study, singing worship sunk. The Old Testament story and I think you for taking my question. And thank you for that question that I think that that's a really important question that we can distinguish between having fellowship with someone who rejects a sense of the gospel. You can't embrace the gospel of Jesus. If you deny the deity of Jesus because central to the gospel is who Jesus is. He is the eternal son of God who offered himself up for our sins and if he wasn't the eternal son of God, then then we would still be dead in our sins because his his sacrifice would not have been sufficient to cleanse us to cleanse the whole world. And so it's really important that we get that right. You cannot deny the deity of Jesus and have the gospel be a child of God and so I would say no we cannot fellowship in worship or we ought not, fellowship and worship him.

It doesn't make sense. How can we sing together. If we were singing to a different God essentially did it, we just wouldn't work. But that doesn't mean that we can have friendships, you know with those who don't believe the same things that we do and I think actually in of the impossible makes that very clear in places like first and second Corinthians is one thing to judge the sin within the church to to say, look, this is not okay. But those were outside God judges.

That doesn't mean that we have fellowship with them in the sense of worship by Paul talks about being unequally yoked.

I think that that's really important, but it does mean that we can't have relationships, friendships, you know, that kind of a thing.

Why so that we can bring the light of the gospel to people, encourage them in their faith in one verse. I think it's really important and and I think it is answers your question is what John says in second John chapter 1 verse eight we are one of these these books and a lot of times it isn't studied in depth listener what John said watch yourselves so that you may not lose what we have worked for, but may win a full reward. Everyone who goes on ahead and does not abide in the teaching of Christ does not have God. Whoever abides in the teaching has both the father and the son.

If anyone comes to you and does not bring this teaching, do not receive him into your house or give him any greeting for whoever greets him takes part in his wicked works as I think John is speaking there directly to this question.

Benefit of fellowship do I have fellowship with those who deny the deity of Jesus Christ.

Can I get together and and pray and sing worship songs with Mormons or Jehovah's Witnesses.

Why think that John would say no we can't, because the reality is we don't have fellowship with them. What gives us fellowship together as the church is the blood of Jesus Christ, and who was Jesus. As I said already he is God. John 11 for the beginning was the Word and the Word was with God and the Word was God. And so people deny that they reject the gospel and therefore we don't have fellowship with them. In that sense, but we can have friendship with them and I would encourage you to be friends with people who think differently than than you do. I think that's part of how we bring the love in the light of Christ to the people around us and and you encourage them with the word of God and soaked then may the Lord may the Lord bless you in that and I trust that that was a clear answer therefrom from second John for you.

God bless.

This is core Christianity with pastor Israel Sanchez.

Here's the number to call if you have a question it's 833 the core.

You can also email us at questions at core, Christianity.com. Karen actually emailed us with a question related to what Ben just asked and she says this.

How do I address Christians who believe that we can connect with Muslims and Jews and unite together under God, yet there it is again right like this that the idea of unity in the church and our unity is around the gospel of Jesus. So if we don't have the gospel and and we would say Muslims don't have the gospel, then we don't have fellowship at lease and that's is in any real unity because our unity comes from Christ to think about what Paul said in Ephesians chapter 2 therefore remember, this is verse 11 that it one time you Gentiles in the flesh, called the un-circumcision by what is called the circumcision which is made in the flesh by hands. Remember that you were at that time separated from Christ, alienated from the commonwealth of Israel, and strangers to the covenants of promise, having no hope and without God in the world. But now in Christ Jesus you who once were far off of been brought near by the blood of Christ, for he himself is our peace, who has made us both one and is broken down his flesh the dividing wall of hostility by abolishing the law of commandments expressed in ordinances that he might create in himself one new man in place of the two, and so making peace and might reconcile us both to God. Unity comes from the blood of Jesus from the cross were reconciled to each other as people, but also to God first and foremost to do that the holy God, we had sinned against. And so, is it okay for us to to do charitable things with people who think differently than we do. Maybe serving the community, a soup kitchen that kind with think absolutely there's there's nothing wrong with that but we have to make sure that the gospel is still central for us as Christians.

What Jesus calls us to.

In Matthew 28 is to preach the gospel to proclaim the gospel and so if if the church isn't doing that she's not walking in the mission that Jesus gave to her. I don't think there's anything wrong again with serving the community with other people who maybe don't think like you do. That's totally fine.

We can't lose the gospel in the process. The gospel has to be central for us as Christians and as a church and so may the Lord bless you and thank you so much for that. That question your listing the core Christianity with pastor Israel Sanchez's and would love to hear from you. If you have a question glory from Modesto California is on the line hi glory, welcome to the program morning good morning what your question glory.

I am relatively new to biblical study the Christian faith, and I like Scott said I was nine and I 5252. Rather, now I I was baptized as a baby, but I feel really strongly that I would like to be baptized into the Christian faith, and I just don't know. Is that necessary after having been baptized as a baby and you know if if it is okay to get baptized again. At what point does the new Christian know that they're ready for that. Okay glory.

This is an excellent question, and you know there are also two ways in which Christians you know have thought about this. Differences of opinion members.

It is only one baptism, and if you were baptized in the name of the father and of the son and of the Holy Spirit with water right you been baptized.

Ultimately it's the word of God and his promise that that makes a baptism a baptism. It's not me or the holiness of a minister Ellie, it's the word of God. And so if you've been baptized. Even if you were baptized in the Catholic Church. I would say you been truly baptized, but you need to be in in a fellowship you need to be in a church that faithfully preaches the gospel as I would encourage you to get plugged into a church where the gospel is faithfully preached.

I'm you been baptized that something baptism is it isn't so much just about you Mike. My individual decision might my own personal thing with Jesus at everything or baptized into the church pulses by one Spirit.

We've all been baptized into one body, and so it's so important for baptized Christians to be a part of the Christian church to be a part of visible bodies. Communities of of worshiping believers and so that's what I would encourage Jos� look you give been baptized. You can get baptized more than once you've been baptized.

Now be a part of the of the faithful Bible teaching church, one that clearly teaches that the Scriptures clearly teaches the word of God, one where there is this fellowship. It's going to be encouraging where nearly ordinances like baptism and the Lord's supper are being practiced. We need that the Christian life was never meant to be lived in isolation on our own know Jesus redeemed us. He's made us one with the body he's reconciled us the father by his blood. God bless you. Thanks for listening to core Christianity request your copy of today's special offer. Visit us at core, Christianity.com and click on offers in the menu bar or call us at 1-833-843-2673. That's 833 when you contact us.

Please let us know how you been encouraged by this program and be sure to join us next time. As we explore the truth of God's word together