On Matters of Communion

All right, grab a Bible something to write with.

Seconds on dessert if you like.

You know another cup of coffee if you like.

Yeah, yeah, I Don't have to anymore.

Joshua's created some new system where I am NOT required to do clap syncing.

So yeah, so no more clap on.

Clap off.

Clap on.

Never mind.

Yeah, I'm showing my age again.

Are there people who'd have that Sarah?

I got to ask you.

Do you have you seen the clap on clap off commercials for the clapper?

You see see that's the scary thing right there.

She doesn't know what I'm referring to.

To to to to.

All right, that's just frightening absolutely frightening.

All right, let's pray we will get started.

Lord Jesus Christ giver and perfecter of our faith.

We thank you and we praise you for continuing among us the preaching of your gospel for our instruction for

edification.

Send your blessing upon the word which has been spoken to us and your Holy Spirit increase our saving

knowledge of you.

That day by day we may be strengthened in the divine truth and remain steadfast in your grace.

Give us strength to fight the good fight and by faith to overcome all the temptations of Satan

our sinful flesh and the world.

So that we may finally receive the salvation of our souls.

For you live and reign with the Father and the Holy Spirit one God now and forever Amen.

All right.

Now I have been asked to do some instruction by the deacons on a

topic that hopefully will not be controversial but on Easter Sunday

We will be Reintroducing at Kongsvinger something that has not been used at Kongsvinger in a

long time and we will be Reintroducing it as an option.

You need to know that but what we're going to be reintroducing is Kongsvinger's chalice.

This is Kongsvinger's chalice.

This is they have people call this a chalice or they can call it the common cup.

And what will happen is is that that will become an option for those who want the

option?

This is not mandatory for those who would like to receive the blood of Christ.

From a common cup from the chalice that will be an option and that will be reintroduced on

Easter Sunday of this year now that being the case.

I think we need to do a little bit of work as far as taking a look at what scripture teaches and

also look at the history then of communion vessels is maybe a good way to put it and

In 1st Corinthians chapter 10.

1st Corinthians chapter 10.

We read these words.

Paul writing to the church at Corinth says therefore my beloved flee from idolatry.

I speak as to sensible people judge for yourselves what I say and Watch what it says the

cup of blessing that we bless.

Is it not a participation in the blood of Christ the bread that we break?

Is it not a participation in the body of Christ?

Because there is one bread we who are many are one body for we all partake of the one

bread.

And so you'll get the idea then here that That

what happened in the ancient world when Christ originally instituted the Lord's Supper.

It says in the text that on the night when Jesus betrayed he took bread.

But then also it says that you know what he'd taken the cup.

And he gave it to them saying take drink.

This is the blood of the new covenant might which is shed for you for the forgiveness of your sins and notice it uses the singular

word cup Uno and the cup is a

visible Representation then we all drinking from the same cup.

The same cup is a visible representation of the unity that we have as a body together.

It's a visible representation of that now in our days.

We all understand how germs work in the ancient world.

They didn't understand how germs worked as a result of that.

With the understanding of how germs and viruses and bacteria work there was

in the 19th century a.

Change.

To as far as communion practices that kind of swept the nation swept the nation.

But we're gonna note then that historically this was not the case.

And so here's what it says.

In September of 1864 sorry 1894 a couple of newspapers reported

that Brooklyn's Bedford Avenue Baptist Church was introducing quote a novelty in communion

service the individual little cups for each communicant.

A century ago this idea was so insanely crazy that apparently Brooklynites just

had to see it for themselves and the church was packed to the gills with visitors desperate to know What it would be

like to drink grape juice out of a little shot glass.

These would be communicants who went home disappointed as it turned out the newspapers and questions had jumped the gun

reported a bit of speculation by the church's pastor as a fact and that Same way that modern

newspapers crash into the stock market every time President Trump tweets something.

You know pastor J. H. Gunning However had had his first taste of fame

and he wasn't about to give it up and as soon as the service was over He called a business meeting where the purchase of the tiny little gold and

silver shot glasses was approved and from that moment a brand New worship tradition was born ready to

take its place in the same pantheon as the Gregorian chant in the smoke machine.

Sort of so it's actually not known with a ton of certainty which congregation was the first to use

individual common cups.

There are at least seven Congregations who are making that claim, but it is known that the idea is

barely over a hundred years old.

It is uniquely Protestant and it was invented somewhere in the American Northeast

in a case.

It's clear that it didn't take long at all to go from gold and silver to cheap glasses to uber

cheap Plastic glasses and soon we were all slurping the newly invented grape juice out of

tiny little shot glasses and then flicking the empty Cups at that cute girl from the youth group.

Whoever wrote this way kind of wrote it a little bit tongue -in -cheek.

But the idea is this is that the practice of having individual cups?

literally is is just a little over a hundred years old.

It's not something that has been a common practice in Christianity.

In fact for much of Christian history the vast majority of it almost two millennia

the only option for receiving the blood of Christ was a chalice and

The fact that Kongsvinger has a chalice our chalice.

We the company that made this is Is no longer in you know in

business.

But this was Kongsvinger's chalice and Kongsvinger is how old Dwayne do we know the exact is

it 139 now?

138 all right, so 138 years ago

when Kongsvinger got rolling at some point

prior to the end of the 19th century this chalice was acquired for use by the

community by the members of Kongsvinger and I would also note that the you know that

several of you you have relatives Who are in our graveyard?

Who drank from this cup?

They drank from this cup and Individual glasses were not an option.

Until.

The end of the 19th century, that's when that came about so Kongsvinger had been up and rolling as a church

but before the invention and implementation of individual

communicate individual cups now a little bit of a note we Noted then

that Paul says the cup of blessing that we bless notice.

It's singular not plural doesn't say cups the cup of blessing that we bless.

Is it not a participation in the blood of Christ.

The answer is yes?

The bread that we break is it is not a Participation in the body of Christ.

The answer is yes.

It is because there is one bread we who are many are one body for we all partake of the one bread.

And so you get the idea here then that That this is how

the Christian Churches has done this now in our day.

There are still people who and you know, and I actually understand this anxiety.

Who are not keen on this idea of receiving the blood of Christ in

from a common cup and Nobody we need to make this clear.

Nobody's gonna be required to do so when Kongsvinger reintroduces the chalice nobody will

be required the Individual glasses will continue to be an option.

And of course the reason being is is that you think about it you sit there and go, you know what if I decide that I'm gonna use the

common cup and there I am at the altar and The person next to me is going.

And then you take drink this is the blood of Christ.

Okay, and then it's like you're sitting going.

Right, all right, nobody is required to do that nobody.

And so the idea here is is that what we're what we're gonna be reintroducing is something that's not only biblical.

It's historical.

It's part of the history of Kongsvinger, but it's just an option.

It is important to note that Silver itself has kind of as one of its properties its ability to kill

bacteria and the pastor of Kongsvinger Will be wiping the cup with with

every time somebody drinks from it.

But what will happen then is is that when it's reintroduced if you would like To

drink the blood of Christ from the chalice.

Here's how it works and this is this is common practice throughout Lutheran churches around the country is that

I always come through first With the body of Christ.

I always come through with the bread and then whoever's assisting me comes through with the individual

cups and If you take an individual cup You've you've communed you

finished and so what I will be doing is I'll be looking for those who have chosen not to take one of the individual cups

and if your hand is empty and You've received the the body of Christ and then that's my

sit.

That's your signal to me I would like to receive the blood of Christ from the chalice and then I'll

come through and then you'll receive it from the chalice.

So the idea is is that when it comes to the blood of Christ, you know Both options will be available and they will continue to

be available for you.

Nobody's being required to take one or the other if that's purely up to you.

When I first became a Lutheran I Was creeped out but the idea of a chalice

Really did not sit well with me.

I was not keen on the on the idea of sharing a cup with other people and

Over a long period of time I changed my mind on it.

I like to receive the blood of Christ from a chalice.

And you know in the last six seven years before I became a pastor.

That was how I chose to receive the blood of Christ.

My wife has always been a shot -glass lady, and I don't think she's ever Wanted to receive it any other way.

So and I've never razzed her for that.

So the idea here is is that this is a biblical and historical option, but it's not a requirement.

The important thing is not the not the vessel that you receive it in.

That's not the important thing.

The important thing is what's in the cup?

What's in the glass?

That's the important thing and so, you know, that's I wanted to

Put that out there.

I've been asked to give some instruction along those lines.

Are there any questions in regard to the common?

Yeah.

Yeah, no more than a year ago.

The Deacons decided that this wasn't an issue and that it should be available as an option.

There was some internal conflict.

As a result of this issue and I would also add not only was there internal conflict there was also the spreading of misinformation

regarding the chalice and what was discussed.

And that spreading of misinformation as You know does require.

That's right.

Correct, okay.

It's a form of inoculation.

Yeah.

That's correct, you know.

Do we have time to offer it all up to them?

I don't know, you know, we've got probably less than 20 people taking it.

No, it shouldn't be a problem.

Uh -huh.

I mean, we're down.

Yeah, you know.

It was decided then that we'd go with it.

I was kind of.

Why is it taking this long?

Yeah, Mikey.

Yeah, which is why I secretly keep hand sanitizer with me so every time I'm shaking you guys's hands, I'm.

Yeah, I know I've been asked by the.

I.

Think it's a good choice.

We have our choice.

Yeah, you have a choice.

Nobody's gonna be required to do one or the other.

So I will there will be a noticeable change in in the way the words of institution are spoken

because I don't know if you've noticed but I always like I'm Little weary when I'm

holding on to the whole tray of the shot glasses.

I don't.

I've never felt that picking that thing up and saying, you know the peace of the Lord be with you always was a

good thing because that Kind of you know, I there was a real possibility I'm

gonna drop that thing because it's just not it's not well made for holding so moving forward.

When I speak the words of institution, I'll be speaking it over the chalice.

And when I say, you know As long as we as often as we eat this bread and we drink this cup We proclaim the Lord's death until he

comes I won't be holding the shot glasses.

I'll be holding the chalice because this is just a lot easier to wield.

Okay, and the pastor never actually picked it up.

Really he stood facing the altar and then just put his hands on.

Wow, okay.

At least that's right.

Right, oh really.

Yeah, I really

Right.

I.

Know I don't know.

If you notice I wait until the end.

Yeah, and that's funny.

That's kind of a practice we can talk about in fact.

I want to talk about that real quick Mike.

Did you have a question?

Yeah, just you know, as you say I Spent time in Rome.

Why in the Catholic Church, is it water and wine for the.

Okay, the priest always did water and wine and depending on the priest Some

you know, it was just a little water and they bump your hand away and others, you know, they Kind of

do.

Well, they didn't want to dilute it too much, you know, right and others, you know Kind of was a little more on the wine

side.

Okay, and then the other thing I noticed when when they started because it

used to be just the priest drank right and then I don't know was like 30 years ago.

I noticed they're bringing it back Vatican to and then I don't think they ever solved the problem of

like somebody One of the parishioners like killing the chalice.

Really?

Okay, like so then do you do you have a bottle handy where you can?

Refill it or I mean house.

Okay, okay.

Yeah.

All right.

So here's what we're gonna do.

I've got I've got two sets of questions on the table I'm gonna I'm gonna start with

with Dave's because they're easier.

It will come back to Rome's practices some of which I understand some I don't understand.

And then you'll notice in the back in the cabinet there.

We have we have a pitcher.

We we do have a pitcher and we'll talk about that in a second so.

Pastoral practice regarding when does the pastor receive the Lord's Supper?

There is no Given instruction on this in Scripture.

There are traditions and then there are misperceptions and and so.

Since I serve two different congregations It's it's helpful to make a distinction here between how

Kong's finger has its practices as well as.

Emmanuel radium.

Emmanuel radium.

When it comes to the pastor communing.

They do this thing which I think is great and I wish more more congregations would do it.

Is that the pastor does not commune himself period?

What ends up happening is is that once the congregation is done being communed?

The.

The head elder Will go then to the altar and the pastor comes out and he comes to the

comes to the altar he comes to the rail and He is welcomed to the rail the same

way with the same words that everybody else was welcome.

This is you know, welcome to the Lord's table.

The pastor kneels and he receives from the head elder He receives the body and blood of Christ it

and just like everybody else.

I Like receiving the Lord's Supper.

I do not.

I Think it actually means more to me to receive it than for me to commune myself.

Now in seminary there was a discussion on when if you attend a congregation where the pastor communes

himself.

When is it appropriate for the pastor to commune himself to practices then?

Before everybody else or after everybody else and it's going to depend on the congregation and we were told that this is one of

those things you have to pay attention to the congregation and.

There.

And any potential misperceptions that could come up as a result of it so we were told the the

horrible tragic tale of a pastor who received a call to a congregation where

He had the previous congregation he had been to it was the practice of the pastor to commune himself first and

so he continued that practice when he got to this new call and the people in his congregations.

They interpreted his actions as him.

Basically basically saying I'm first I'm better than you.

And he never said any of those words and so as a result of it it created turmoil within the

congregation and.

And that was that was a problem that had to be overcome.

And so they ended he ended up changing his practice and communing at the end.

So the kind of the rule of thumb is that when you are serving in a congregation where there is

a culture who is Prone to misinterpret the actions of a pastor is somehow

saying I'm better than you.

Then the pastor is to wait till the end and have the communion after that.

So that way that it doesn't unnecessarily create conflict within the congregation.

But on the other end of it if you have attended at congregation where the pastor it is a common practice.

And it is expected that the pastor communed himself first.

Then you go with that because to wait to the end would actually have that same ramification.

Why is he waiting to the end?

You know, it creates turmoil.

And so the idea then is as pastors we have to recognize that everything we do everything

we do is going to be interpreted as having some kind of Significance it's either gonna

have religious significance or it's gonna have significance.

Regarding how people perceive how the pastor views himself within the congregation.

Right or wrong?

That's that's just the reality of the situation.

So at Kong's finger, I've always made the practice of waiting and communing last.

You know communing at the very end so that there would not be the misperception that somehow I was better.

Or that I was putting myself above everybody else and you know kind of running and receiving Lord's Supper first.

I you know, I think given the culture here in the history of Kong's finger that potentially could have been misinterpreted.

So I wanted to take that off the table and I'm more than happy to go last.

So yeah.

No, just one just one.

So what happens is is that I go through with the bread and I don't know if you've noticed.

But whoever's assisting me there.

Usually there's a little bit of a lag.

When with my assistant when it comes to the wine.

So while they're still going through I pick up the chalice and I come through a second time and then and then

I'll be looking.

You know does knew they have a shot glass or not.

If they have a shot glass I just keep going and I totally foresee.

I mean, there's only a few people at Kong's finger who are really keen on the chalice.

So, you know, but again, it's an option.

It's not a requirement.

Nobody required.

Yeah,

it's

a choice.

That's all it's just an option, you know, it's a historic option for the church historically as well as this

congregation.

Yeah.

Yep.

Yeah now let's steer into Some of the questions in relation to

Rome and again, I understand some of their communion practice.

Not all of it I will say this.

I think that Rome has been unfairly charged with the with the charge

that the reason why they have withheld the Cup from the common people is because they

wanted to save money.

Okay, and it's important to note that Some of the words of Christ

give the implication that If you are in a situation where you cannot afford

or have access to wine You can still have the Lord's Supper if you have the bread.

All right, and this is historically understood and you'll note then throughout Christian history Wine has not always

been a readily available commodity.

And it has not always been a readily Available commodity at a reasonable price it you know.

It's it's a commodity like every other commodity it has seasons and times and when prices are high and prices are low.

And so as a result of that There has been a historic practice in Rome to

dilute.

Which is Fine, there's nothing wrong with that.

And.

But the problem is is that what they ended up doing and this is during the medieval

period.

They made it a dogma That the common laity were only to receive the bread as communion of one

kind was the was the practice and not to receive The cup as well.

And at the time of the Reformation and you can see this in the Lutheran Confessions.

Especially in the Augsburg Confession and in the apology of the Augsburg Confession The Lutherans were making the claim

that the laity should not be withheld from having the cup.

They should be offered that as well.

And that was a radical idea at the time of the Reformation.

That was a radical idea that created a lot of conflict.

And it really wasn't until Vatican II that you start to see Rome opening up

to offering both kinds to the laity.

Okay, then and that was one of the things they they let up on you know, but some of the fights

that Were waged over that I just consider them to be silly.

Now.

Regarding water and wine.

This is kind of an interesting discussion.

This is a side discussion.

What has what is the proper practice in relation to?

People who suffer from alcoholism and.

And their fear that even having a sip of alcoholic wine

could send them on a bender.

All right.

You know, so in the last hundred years a little more than a hundred years actually

we have the creation of grape juice.

Which was not possible prior to the invention

of this.

Thing.

Which was done by Welch, you know of Welch's grape juice and it basically he took

Pasteurization, you know took the pasteurization process and applied it to What would have become wine for

the purpose of killing the yeast so that it wouldn't eat the sugars.

You know in it prior to that It was not possible to actually stomp a grape and it for it not to ferment because

if you have ever looked on the outside Of a grape you see that little white Frosting on the outside of a grape skin.

That's the same.

That's the yeast then that becomes, you know that ferments the wine.

All right.

So there have been there have has been a lot of blood spilt on.

Whether or not it's appropriate for Christians to have grape juice Is because

Christ didn't institute bread and grape juice he instituted bread and wine

and so there are those who Based on that biblical reality have said it is

not appropriate for Christians to be offered grape juice if they are

concerned regarding alcoholism and things of this nature.

Then they've come up with a different practice and the different practice is is that this is where you would use

shot glass is funny enough you pour water into a shot glass and then you take a few drops of the wine and

Put it into the into the shot glass of water so that it's still wine, but it's diluted

for the purpose of not of not hurting the conscience of the one who

may suffer from alcoholism now.

Personally my personal opinion.

This is not any way, you know You know a requirement my personal opinion that practice of

diluting wine makes a little bit more sense to me than grape juice.

Just historically I tend to Sympathize with the arguments

against the use of grape juice, but I in no way make it a dogma this is one of those things where the church has pretty much said that

there's freedom and You know, we're not going to we're not gonna say you can't have this or the other

so but I will note that you know 30 years ago.

There was no not 30 years 20 -something years ago There was a position paper by an ALC pastor who argued

against the use of grape juice, you know quite quite well from not Only history but also from Scripture, you know

and and argued for the use of diluted wine rather than grape juice.

But you know, it's just you know, you need to be aware and we talk about communion practices, you know.

What have been the different arguments and the different practices?

So, you know, and then as far as killing the chalice.

I.

I've seen priests do that, but I've never seen that layman do it.

Yeah.

Yeah, and and you know if you've ever heard the story of my my grandmother's funeral.

The the priest who was presiding for the her funeral mass.

He killed an entire chalice before distributing anything.

And then poured another one.

And so yeah, that was yeah, that was a that was crazy.

I mean, I'm not making this up.

I mean when after he consecrated the elements, you know, he had a full chalice.

He took the chalice and he swirled it.

He sniffed it and Threw that thing back and then poured another one and we're all like

what just.

Just.

Happened and we were starting to add it up.

It's like, okay.

This is like fifth mass this morning, you know.

Glasses of white as he had anyway.

Yeah, but that that's a whole other thing now regarding.

So what happens when you have a large congregation and the cup empties out?

This is where the use of a pitcher also comes in place.

And so the practice then is is that you have in larger congregations like that you fill the pitcher up

with the wine and and as well as you half fill a chalice and then as you

go through the line if They've run out.

You just run to the altar fill the chalice back up with wine.

That's in the pitcher.

So I.

Forget the name of it.

Has a name but I can't remember.

So yeah, we'll call it the holy hand grenade of Antioch.

So.

Yeah, oh.

Yeah, I.

Yeah That's.

Yeah, I've shared the story once but I'm not gonna share it now.

My the story of my grandmother's funeral is just an odyssey.

Josh and I want to make it into a short film.

It's that bizarre.

Yeah, yeah, that's right.

Play organ music now, you know, so.

All right.

Any other questions as it relates to communion practices?

The cup the chalice the individual shot glasses, you know, this is not something radical.

Nobody's gonna be require you to doing anything other than what you've already been doing if that's what you so choose.

So I'll look at the wooden ones.

All right.

So those were the old shot glass holders previously here.

Okay.

Yeah, I.

Yeah, I can see that.

Yeah, you know, I think you're right.

I think they should be put displayed someone says in memory of.

So that was probably before plastic right.

What do they have glass.

Okay.

1856 they passed Bobby.

That's about what nice we're Bob.

Okay.

All right.

Look was saying he remembers using the chalice.

He was a plug.

He didn't put the kids.

Okay, I can't marry for sure what was going on for a special occasion.

Okay, it might have been even communion.

Okay first communion after.

They would pull the chalice out.

Yep.

Okay, so I mean that's nice that we have an eyewitness account the use of the chalice here.

You know.

So.

Yeah part of the misinformation that was spread that was Was a denial that the our

chalice had ever been used here.

So, all right looking at our time.

Looking at our time.

Let's do this since we're talking about the Lord's Supper and we're talking about communion.

Let's take a look at first Corinthians 11 and we'll round this out as far as a Discussion of what it is that

we receive in the Lord's Supper and We've noted again and again as we've been working our way through the

Old Testament.

That in the types and shadows in the Old Testament you over and again you see the appearance of

bread.

You see the appearance of wine and it's not just a one -time thing it happens over

and over and over and over again to the point where By the end of Leviticus

and you'll see this as we work our way through Leviticus by the end of Leviticus every offering every

sacrifice must include wine and grain.

Every single one of them not just it's not just select ones.

But every one of them there's a wine and grain offering that goes along with every animal sacrifice.

And so all of that pre figures, you know.

What it is we receive in the Lord's Supper and I find it fascinating that we Lutherans over and again.

We are raked over the coals.

By Protestants who basically say you guys are nothing but a bunch of like failed Roman

Catholics.

You know, you're just like because you guys believe that you're receiving the body and blood of Christ.

You know in with under the bread and the wine.

Rome thinks that too.

Well, actually Rome thinks something a little bit different.

But.

We have this in common with Rome where we believe we're receiving the body and blood of Christ in the Lord's Supper.

Why.

Because that's what the scripture says and they sit there and go.

How is that possible?

I don't know.

How's it possible to make the universe in six days, you know, I think God's capable of doing what God is

does so a review of 1st Corinthians 11 is probably useful at this point and.

In.

1st Corinthians 11 again always got to point out the context.

You know every church on planet earth has had seasons of conflict and weird things going on it on

Inside of it, but this one I think is like over the top.

And I mean and I really mean that could you imagine coming to Kongsvinger

on a communion Sunday and A group within Kongsvinger has

decided that they're not going to let Some other people in the in Kongsvinger

have the Lord's Supper.

They've chosen to make sure that this is impossible for them.

And so as part of their strategy to keep that group from having the Lord's Supper

They've come up with this great idea.

They're gonna go up at the first setting and They're gonna like raid the altar and they're gonna chug all

the wine.

To the point where they've had so much wine that now some of them are actually drunk.

That's crazy go nuts.

Okay, and could you imagine being on the other end of that?

Like those guys just like ate everything and drank the wine and now.

And now Fagerlund staggering what's going on here, right?

It.

Just doesn't make any sense.

It doesn't make any sense.

And so that's what's happening in the church at Corinth and The the way the dividing line

works then is that you got to remember the Roman Empire?

There wasn't there wasn't much of a middle class at all if there was a middle class.

And so you were either wealthy or you were poor.

You either had property and wealth and means or you had nothing and you were totally dependent

okay, and and you were, you know subsistence living and.

This is where the dividing line then is is that the rich at the church in Corinth?

They were the ones who organized themselves.

Because remember Roman society, you know, if you are in the upper class the lower class.

The the you know the everyday common folk the hoi polloi.

They are their dirt.

They're not they're not they're not as good as you are.

They're less than you are.

This is how they think and so here you are in a church where everybody's supposed to be equal in the eyes of Christ.

And they are bringing the status rules of Rome Into church

and now they feel that it is their job to keep the poor from having the Lord's Supper.

That's what's going on here.

I mean I've never heard of a conflict quite like that in a church at least today.

So here's what Paul says in the following instructions.

I do not commend you.

Because when you come together it is not for the better it is for the worse.

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 he's not saying this to their credit by the way.

There must be factions among you in order that those who are genuine among you may be recognized.

But when you come together, it's not the Lord's Supper that you eat for in eating one goes ahead with his own meal.

One goes hungry and another gets drunk.

What was the last time anyone got drunk here at Kongsvinger?

During Communion Sunday that I mean just think about that.

All right, and by the way, I don't know if you've noticed that Welch's grape juice.

It's impossible to get drunk on.

So what does this tell you historically is what's used in the Lord's Supper?

Wine, right?

I have yet to hear somebody who argues you can't have wine in the Lord's Supper, you know.

It's right there, you know, well we as Christians shouldn't be drinking alcohol.

Well, it's part of the Lord's Supper it's right there.

How do you get drunk on grape juice, right?

So Paul then Describes what they're doing and here's his his his

expletive what?

May God what no way do you not have houses to eat and drink in

or do you despise the Church of God and watch those and Humiliate those who have nothing that's the dividing

line.

So now they're humiliating the poor among them Treating them with contempt barring them from the Lord's

Supper.

So Paul says what shall I say to you?

Shall I commend you in this?

No, I am NOT going to commend you in this and so what's the problem here at this point

if you were to kind of Like say so here we have this behavior.

We had this behavior on the part of the rich at the Church of Corinth and they're humiliating and

Despising the poor in their congregation to the point where some of them are getting drunk on the communion wine.

What's the what's the problem?

Well, the problem here is is that they are treating the bread and wine as if these are common things.

They're not seeing them for what they truly are.

And so Paul's going to correct them by Reminding them again.

We're gonna go back to the basics Of what is the Lord's Supper?

This is not something common.

This is something holy.

And the reason it is holy is because Christ himself makes it holy.

So here's what it says.

For I received from the Lord what I also delivered to you that

the Lord Jesus Christ on the night when he was betrayed took bread and

When he had given thanks he broke it and said this is

my body.

Which is for you?

Do this in remembrance of me?

All right, so Jesus takes the Passover Bread,

which is this big flat Thing he takes it

breaks it Hands it to his disciples and he says take eat and then what does

he say it is?

This is my body.

This is my body.

So what is it?

Think of manna in the wilderness, right?

There's the children of Israel complaining because there's nothing to eat and God says All right, I'm gonna cause

manna to fall by night so they wake up in the morning and they look out of their tents

and the Wilderness is covered in this frost like substance and they say manna.

Manna.

Manna.

Which means what is it?

Right?

So here we've got The bread.

I'm gonna ask the question manna.

What is it?

It's exactly what Jesus says it is period.

And sit there and go that's crazy go nuts.

That's bonkers.

That's well, let's take a look at what Jesus says.

Take a look at the gospel of John chapter 6.

All right, so Jesus has just performed the feeding of the 5 ,000 in the

wilderness and Jesus you know

walks on the water.

They find Jesus the crowd after Jesus performed the miracle of the feeding of the 5 ,000 they recognized

that he's probably the Messiah.

And so they they go looking for Jesus and in John chapter 6 25 It says that

when they found Jesus on the other side of the sea, they said to him rabbi.

When did you come here?

Jesus answered them.

Amen.

Amen.

Truly truly I say to you you are seeking me not because you saw signs.

But because you ate your fill of the loaves.

Do not work for the food that perishes but for the food that endures to eternal life.

Which the Son of Man will give to you for on him God the Father has set his seal.

So then they said to him what must we be doing to be doing the works of God.

Good question, by the way.

But it's poorly phrased because you'll notice it says works plural.

What must we be doing to doing the works of God?

Jesus answered them.

This is the work tan air gone singular.

This is the work of God that you believe in him whom he has sent.

So they said to him then what sign do you do so that we may see and believe you what work do you do to

perform.

Our fathers ate the manna in the wilderness as it is written he gave them bread from heaven to

eat and you'll note here that this is also then referencing what Jesus did because he broke bread

and Divided fish in the wilderness and he fed them in the wilderness the same way their

fathers were fed in the wilderness.

So Jesus said to them truly truly I say to you It was not Moses who gave you bread from heaven.

But my father gives you the true bread from heaven for the bread of God is he who comes down from heaven

and gives life To the world.

What is the bread of God?

Maybe I should say who is the bread of God who is the bread of God Jesus?

So they said to him.

Well, sir, give us this bread and then Jesus says I am the bread of life.

Whoever comes to me shall not hunger.

Whoever believes in me shall never thirst.

But I said to you that you have seen that you have seen me and yet you do not believe.

All that the father gives me will come to me and whoever comes to me I will never cast out for I have come down

from heaven not to do my own will but the will of him who sent me.

And this is the will of him who sent me that I should lose nothing of all that he has given me.

But raise it from the lot it raised it on the last day for this is the will of my father that everyone who looks on The Sun

and believes in him should have eternal life and I will raise him up at the last day.

Notice Jesus is teaching salvation by grace through faith not by works.

The work of God is to believe in the one whom the father has sent and so the one who believes in Jesus has

eternal life.

So now the Jews grumbled they were not happy with this answer.

And here's the part that was tripping them up.

So the Jews grumbled because he said I'm the bread that came down from heaven.

They said is not this Jesus the son of Joseph whose father and mother we know.

How does he now say I've come down from heaven.

Jesus answer them.

Do not grumble among yourselves.

No one can come to me unless the father who sent me draws him and I will raise him up on the last day.

It is written in the prophets and they will all be taught by God.

Everyone who has heard and learned from the father comes to me.

Not that anyone has seen the father except he who was from God.

He has seen the father.

So truly truly I say to you whoever believes watch this whoever believes has eternal life.

Notice how that fits perfectly then with what we were looking at in our sermon today.

If you believe you have eternal life and there it comes again.

Watch these words.

I am the bread of life.

Your father's ate the manna in the wilderness and they died.

This is the bread that comes down from heaven so that one may eat of it and not die.

I Am the living bread that came down from heaven.

If anyone eats of this bread He will live forever.

And the bread that I will give for the life of the world is my flesh.

It's as if Jesus here is giving a Precourse, you know and ahead of time.

Lesson to help us understand the Lord's Supper.

Now the Jews disputed and they said how can this man give us his flesh to eat?

And watch what Jesus doesn't do.

Jesus didn't say it doesn't go whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa, that's creepy dudes.

Come on.

There's no way on earth.

I could give you my flesh to eat.

That just doesn't make any sense.

You misunderstood you misheard me.

Jesus does not do that.

Watch what he does.

Truly truly I say to you unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink his blood you have no

life in you.

We call that doubling down Jesus doubled down and

notice.

Unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink his blood you have no life in you.

Whoever feeds on my flesh and drinks my blood has eternal life.

I will raise him up at the last day for my flesh is true food.

My blood is true drink.

Whoever feeds on my flesh and drinks.

My blood abides in me and I and him.

How do we abide in Christ.

One of the ways in which we abide in Christ is by eating his flesh and drinking his blood.

This is what Jesus said if you do not do these things.

Can you truly be saying you're abiding?

Right you sit there and go that's crazy.

That's nuts you gross.

Sacrifices and the fact that only the priests got to eat the sacrifices not the people.

People had to pay for them deliver them drop them off.

Well, actually that's not technically true as we've been working our way through Leviticus.

We're already beginning to see this that at all of the sacrifices not only were the priests

Allowed to partake and eat of that sacrifice.

But the the people who brought the offerings they also ate the sacrifice.

And so here's the thing coming back then to Sacrifices the sacrifice of the Passover lamb.

It was consumed.

None of it was to be left to the morning and it is said of Jesus in by in the epistles of Paul

Christ our Passover lamb has been slain.

What did you do with your Passover lamb?

You ate it.

All of the sacrifices for the Day of Atonement.

All of the sin offerings.

All of the offerings that make you clean.

What did you do with those?

Bowls and rams and lambs and goats.

You eat it.

Christ is our sin offering and what did

he tell us to do?

Right on.

Exactly, and I know that this is he said there go.

How is this possible?

I don't know I'm just telling you what Jesus said.

Yes.

It's not a symbol.

And that's what Paul's doing.

Two three times.

And how often do we actually

sit down and actually analyze that?

Yeah, I know for a fact I become complacent in it.

Yeah, but if you analyze it He takes care of you all the way through exactly

right.

Yeah, and stopping and considering what it is that you're saying stopping and considering what you're receiving.

These this is exactly this is a good practice now.

Let me finish out this portion of 1st Corinthians 11 because we are up on our time.

So Paul is in reminding them, you know that Jesus he took bread broke it said this is my body.

Which is for you do this in remembrance of me in the same way.

Also, he took the cup after supper saying this cup is the new covenant.

Notice cup again singular because it is this cup is the new covenant in my blood.

Do this as often as you drink it in remembrance of me for as often as you eat this bread.

And you drink this cup singular you proclaim the Lord's death until he comes and then we get to the

definition of what it means.

To take the Lord's Supper in an unworthy manner.

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.

In other words, they're sitting against the body and blood of Christ.

How do you sin against something that isn't present?

Okay, so note to take it in an unworthy manner is to actually sin against the very body and blood of

Christ.

So Paul says then let a person examine himself kind of your point David about examining yourself

thinking about what you're what?

What's going on here?

So let a person examine himself then and so eat of the bread and drink of the cup for anyone who eats without discerning the

body eats and drinks judgment on himself and that's what they were doing they were not discerning the

bodily presence of Christ in the Lord's Supper and they were drinking it and eating it as a common meal

and Paul says no.

You eat and you drink when you do it when you eat and drink without discerning the body and blood of

Christ.

You eat and drink judgment on yourself you sin against the very body and blood of Christ and then he says this is why many of you are

weak and ill and Some of you have died.

So you'll note that there were people who actually lost their lives By taking the Lord's Supper in an

unworthy manner by treating it as common and not Recognizing the the true body and blood of

Christ present in it.

So, all right, that's what we'll end today.

We will pick up Leviticus next week.