Part 18: Pleasing God in the Gathering: The Lord's Supper

At the heart of this powerful message lies a sobering truth: the Lord's Supper is not merely a ritual to check off our spiritual to-do list, but a profound act of worship that demands our reverence and unity. We journey through 1 Corinthians 11:17-34, where Paul delivers one of his strongest rebukes to the Corinthian church, not for theological error, but for how they were treating the sacred meal that commemorates Christ's sacrifice. The Corinthians had turned what should have been a beautiful expression of unity into a display of division, with the wealthy feasting while the poor went hungry. This wasn't just bad manners; it was a fundamental misunderstanding of what the cross represents. We're challenged to see the Lord's Supper through a three-part biblical narrative: the Passover lamb in Exodus that foreshadowed deliverance through blood, the Last Supper where Jesus declared himself as that fulfillment, and now our communion table where we proclaim his death until he returns. The warning is clear and consequential, approaching this table with unresolved conflict, selfish motives, or casual indifference brings divine discipline, not because God is harsh, but because he loves us enough to correct us before eternal judgment comes. This message invites us to examine ourselves honestly: Do we approach communion as individuals grabbing a quick snack, or as a unified body sharing in the grace that saved us all?