July 28th, Session 13 | Session Unity at All Cost & The Lord's Supper 11:17-34 Big Ideas: ● The context of The Lord’s Supper (communion) ● Unity at all cost 1 Corinthians 1:10-11 10 Now I plead with you, brethren, by the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that you all speak the same thing, and that there be no divisions among you, but that you be perfectly joined together in the same mind and in the same judgment. 11 For it has been declared to me concerning you, my brethren, by those of Chloe’s household, that there are contentions among you. 1 Corinthians 3:1-4 And I, brethren, could not speak to you as to spiritual people but as to carnal, as to babes in Christ. 2 I fed you with milk and not with solid food; for until now you were not able to receive it, and even now you are still not able; 3 for you are still carnal. For where there are envy, strife, and divisions among you, are you not carnal and behaving like mere men? 4 For when one says, “I am of Paul,” and another, “I am of Apollos,” are you not carnal? 1 Corinthians 11:17-22 17 Now in giving these instructions, I do not praise you, since you come together not for the better but for the worse. 18 For first of all, when you come together as a church, I hear that there are divisions among you, and in part I believe it. 19 For there must also be factions among you, that those who are approved may be recognized among you. 20 Therefore when you come together in one place, it is not to eat the Lord’s Supper. 21 For in eating, each one takes his own supper ahead of others; and one is hungry and another is drunk. 22 What! Do you not have houses to eat and drink in? Or do you despise the church of God and shame those who have nothing? What shall I say to you? Shall I praise you in this? I do not praise you. 1 Corinthians 11:27-34 27 Therefore whoever eats this bread or drinks this cup of the Lord in an unworthy manner will be guilty of the body and blood of the Lord. 28 But let a man examine himself, and so let him eat of the bread and drink of the cup. 29 For he who eats and drinks in an unworthy manner eats and drinks judgment to himself, not discerning the Lord’s body. 30 For this reason many are weak and sick among you, and many sleep. 31 For if we would judge ourselves, we would not be judged. 32 But when we are judged, we are chastened by the Lord, that we may not be condemned with the world. 33 Therefore, my brethren, when you come together to eat, wait for one another. 34 But if anyone is hungry, let him eat at home, lest you come together for judgment. And the rest I will set in order when I come. 1 Corinthians 12:27 27 Now you are the body of Christ, and members individually. The body of Christ has to get the body of Christ thing right. Many members, one body. Many gifts, one body. Many functions, one grace that empowers them all. Love is the foundation. Grace is the empowerment. All members have been given a measure of faith and grace to use gifts. Brotherly love, Honor, Preference, Diligence, Fervency in spirit, Serving the Lord, Patient in tribulation, Continued steadfastness in prayer, Hospitable, Unity, Same mind, Compassion, Empathy, Humility, Education on the gifts of the Spirit, Diversity of gifts, same spirit, Differences of ministry, same Lord, Diversities of activity, same God who works all in all. Manifestation of the Spirit is given to each one for the profit of all. All significant, All from God, Not all do all, Earnestly desire the best gift, Equipping of the saints, Work of the ministry, Edification of the body of Christ, Speaking truth in love, Grow up in Christ, Christ is the head, The entire body functions in health and is knit together by what every joint supplies. When we talk about biblical community, it is more than simply gathering once a week to worship God together. The Greek word that describes the biblical Christian community is this koinonia. Koinōnia means fellowship, communion, joint participation, contribution, sharing, and community. When you commit to biblical koinonia, you are giving your time, treasure and talent to this local expression of the Kingdom of God. You are allowing your story, hurts, past, victories, fears and successes to be shared with other like-minded brothers and sisters. This is more of a family than a simply gathering. We see the early Church examples of koinonia being the huge catalyst that created the unity of the Spirit the first Christians experienced. Ephesians 4:1-6 I, therefore, the prisoner of the Lord, beseech you to walk worthy of the calling with which you were called, 2 with all lowliness and gentleness, with longsuffering, bearing with one another in love, 3 endeavoring to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace. (ligaments and that which binds together) The bond that should hold us together in unity should not be common preference but the unity of the Spirit. Bearing-to endure something unpleasant or difficult whether on one’s own behalf or on behalf of someone else. To endure or tolerate. Consider-to observe fully, behold, discover, perceive, to comprehend, heed, understand. One another- Note how many times the New Testament speaks to “one another” (101 verses) Hebrews 10:24-25 And let us consider one another in order to stir up love and good works, not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as is the manner of some, but exhorting one another, and so much the more as you see the Day approaching. Stir up-Incite (to do good), provoke, contention (a struggling together in opposition), to sharpen alongside, stir. Love-Agape Good works-acts, doing, labor, work. Exhorting-call near, call aloud, invite, call for, comfort, pray In his book The Anatomy of the Soul, Curt Thompson M.D. outlines some characteristics of a healthy, accountable biblical community based on Paul’s admonition in First Corinthians. These are basic core human needs that should be found within a biblically functioning community. ● These are the process of being known. ● The experience of feeling felt. ● The encounter of being validated but never coddled. ● Being cared for but not overwhelmed or patronized. ● Being fully understood while called into a proper risk-taking adventure. ● Being healed and awakened to growth, compassion, and responsibility. "We enjoy the idea of having a sense of individuality, of being a separate me - that is until we begin to collect all of our emotional baggage that is uniquely "mine" and feel the separation of loneliness and isolation." -Anatomy of the Soul-Curt Thompson MD “Our weaknesses should remind us how much we need other people. One common problem with leaders is a bit of a paradox —they direct other people, yet they may hold on too fiercely to responsibilities they should invite others into.” -Dr. Crawford Loritts-Leadership as an Identity Who do you call when you come up against something beyond your ability? Proverbs 18:1-2 A man who isolates himself seeks his own desire; he rages against all wise judgment. 2A fool has no delight in understanding but in expressing his own heart. Proverbs 20:5 Counsel in the heart of man is like deep water, but a man of understanding will draw it out. Take Away: Question: What do you think you could accomplish in your life if you lived in authenticity and transparency? How much of your emotional struggles could be helped by being in a safe, biblical community? Question: Do you have a safe place to fall, heal, grow, be empowered, and simply be who God created you to be? If not, what steps do you need to take to invest in this? Action: If you do not have a safe biblical community, make that your prayerful first step. If you do have a safe biblical community, prayerfully ask God to help you navigate how you can lean into greater depth. Communion 1 Corinthians 11:23-26 23 For I received from the Lord that which I also delivered to you: that the Lord Jesus on the same night in which He was betrayed took bread; 24 and when He had given thanks, He broke it and said, “Take, eat; this is My body which is broken for you; do this in remembrance of Me.” 25 In the same manner He also took the cup after supper, saying, “This cup is the new covenant in My blood. This do, as often as you drink it, in remembrance of Me.” 26 For as often as you eat this bread and drink this cup, you proclaim the Lord’s death till He comes.