Devo July 30 1 Corinthians 11:17-32

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.

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

²⁷Therefore, 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. ²⁸A man ought to examine himself before he eats of the bread and drinks of the cup. ²⁹For anyone who eats and drinks without recognizing the body of the Lord eats and drinks judgment on himself. ³⁰That is why many among you are weak and sick, and a number of you have fallen asleep. ³¹But if we judged ourselves, we would not come under judgment.³²When we are judged by the Lord, we are being disciplined so that we will not be condemned with the world.

REFLECTION

1. The communion service is a memorial.  As the Israelites ate the Passover meal, each family relived the experience of its ancestors.  Today through the bread and cup, we return to the foot of the cross.  So, in the communion service, as we are united with Christ through faith, we share His death and His resurrection.   “Do this in remembrance” invites us to experience the awesome moment when our salvation was won.  It invites us to experience the holy God and to offer Him our thanks, our worship, and our praise.
2. If possible, kneel down to pray.  Tell God all your gratitude and other emotions for all that Jesus has done on the cross for you.  During next communion service, remember to take Communion“in remembrance” of Jesus and His Sacrificial Love.

Personal Note:

A maturing church is a church that is consistent with confession, repentance, and reconciliation.  Communion service is what the LORD ordained believers to remember what Jesus Christ did so that we have life to the full.  

Currently in my congregation, there is no communion service.  Communion service in reserved for baptised believers.  The basis for not opening communion for everybody including unbelievers is for the following reason "A man ought to examine himself before he eats of the bread and drinks of the cup. ²⁹For anyone who eats and drinks without recognizing the body of the Lord eats and drinks judgement on himself."
 God laid in the hearts of the elders and myself to introduce communion to the congregation.  We believe that believers mightily experiences the presence of the Holy Spirit as they partake in communion.  Since communion is a sacred and revered experience, we invite believers who had taken the step of obedience to receive baptism for taking communion.  A baptised believer had proclaimed his/her faith and made a vow to God in front of brothers and sisters and family and friends.

We will continue to seek God's guidance on when to introduce communion in the English congregation.