The Lord's Table

We’re going to be receiving communion this morning, and before we receive together, we’re going to just share a little bit and talk. I want to talk specifically about the importance of approaching communion appropriately. You know, sometimes with things in the church we can go through the motions. That can include our worship. That can include communion. That can include prayer, right? We kind of check out. And there is something that is missed when we have an apathetic or a lazy approach to the things of the Lord.

When we talk about the meal of the Lord, communion, there really is an appropriate heart, an appropriate attitude, that we are to have in order to receive it properly. There are many who receive the bread and the wine who do not walk in the benefits of this covenant meal, because we don’t approach it with the right attitude, with the right heart — because it’s just what we’ve always done.

The gravity of this meal

But you can actually see in scripture the gravity of this meal. You can see how significant it is. Think about the Last Supper, when Jesus instituted this meal. What happened? It says that Satan entered Judas that night after receiving the meal. Jesus was betrayed at that meal. But on the flip side, we also see that Jesus shared the inner depths of His heart with John. So there is a significant, powerful opportunity when we gather together to receive communion. If we take it lightly, there can be these side effects, these consequences. But when we come to it appropriately, we see the inner depths of the heart of God. Isn’t that significant?

Paul sums it up by saying it this way: many have gotten sick and fallen asleep among you, having not discerned the body and the blood of Jesus. What Paul is saying is that receiving communion improperly — not discerning it as the body and the blood of Jesus — is literally to sign up for sickness and early death. That’s the gravity. That’s the significance of this. And my question, though, is this: if receiving it improperly can bring sickness, what happens when we receive it appropriately? What is the significance there? What does that produce in us?

How many of you know if you’re a believer in Jesus and there is sickness in your body, we should be contending for healing? Amen. We should pray for healing. We should believe for it. We should contend for it. However, there is so much more promised than healing. We’re actually promised divine health. Isn’t that significant? I would much rather have divine health and never have the need for healing, right? I would rather have that. But there is power that is available to us. So how we approach the holy meal is a game changer. Do we go through the motions, or do we reflect and remember what this actually means?

A family meal

So you’ll notice that we’re not going to serve communion prior to the gospel being preached today, and that’s because this meal is a family meal. How many of you like those family meals, right? Especially the ones where everybody contributes — maybe a family reunion, right? You get the different flavors and the different styles of cooking. You get some of the people that just bring a bucket of KFC, and then you get those home-cooked meals as well, and it just works. It just works, right? That is what Jesus instituted at the Last Supper. He instituted family-style eating — that we would receive this together.

Now think about this: the one who spreads the table is Jesus. He’s the one who lays it out. He’s the one who invites us to the table, and He is the meal. So when we talk about this, that’s why we say He is both the host and the meal. The Lord loves eating with His children.

When you look at scripture and you go through all the times that covenant was cut — covenant is a promise, right? It’s where there is a guarantee that is made, an agreement — every time God would cut a covenant with His people, it was culminated with a meal. At Sinai He called the elders up with Moses, and He had a meal with them. When He called Abraham, it says that He ate with them. When the day of Pentecost came, they were all gathered together in one accord. They were gathered around a table. There is something powerful released when we gather around the covenant meal.

You see, the Lord is the God of the covenant. He is the God of the meal. And the covenant meal always unlocks the benefits and the power of the covenant. It’s like this: if you were to have an ATM, and you had unlimited money in this ATM, it is no good to you unless you know the code. Correct? I think I’ve seen some fancy things where people try to break into those, but it’s very difficult. Okay. But it doesn’t matter how much money is in there. No matter how much is available, the only thing that matters is, do you know how to actually access it?

And that’s really the way it is in the Christian life for a lot of believers. There are so many promises in scripture that are available to us, but we have to know how to access them. We have to know how to receive the good things of God. Amen.

That’s why it’s important that when we come together and our worship leader says, “Let’s lift our voice together,” we do that, and we don’t just sit idly by. Because it’s very probable that the Holy Spirit is speaking to that person to lead us into something that is to be encountered right then. And so when we lift our voice in praise, all of a sudden in that moment, when our hearts say yes and we humble ourselves — even though we might not have the greatest voice, okay — but you humble yourself out of obedience and say, “God, I thank You for who You are. I worship You and I honor You,” in that moment the Lord releases something.

You see, there is something powerful that happens when we have a humble heart that says yes to the Lord and says yes to His ways. And so we have to know what the ways are that we can access the good things of God. One of those — just one — is to receive the communion meal, the body and the blood of Jesus, together, with a right heart and a right attitude. You see, this is significant. Everybody say, “It’s significant.”

The promises don’t move

Let me give you an example of a challenging promise. How many of you know there are challenging promises in the Bible? Do you agree? If this one doesn’t challenge you, all right, we need to go back to the drawing board. Jesus said, “The works that I do you will do also.” What? Now, Jesus isn’t saying you’re going to be more anointed. There’s nobody more anointed than Jesus, right? But this promise is coming because He’s saying, “No, the works that I do you will do also, and greater works than these you will do.” He’s doubling down. He’s like, “No, don’t talk yourself out of this. Greater works than these you will do. Why? Because I go to the Father.”

You see, the reason God does miracles to this day isn’t because people are more anointed than Him. It’s because of His position in heaven, where Jesus is seated at the right hand of the Father, interceding for you and me to be empowered by the Holy Spirit. Because the Lord said, “I will build My church.” And how does He do that? Through people who humble themselves and are used by Him. So the Lord is literally at the right hand of the Father, interceding for us, that we would be empowered by the Holy Spirit. Somebody say amen.

But is that a challenging promise to receive? “You mean I’m supposed to do the things that Jesus did?” How many of you have walked on water before? Okay. How many of you have seen healings before, where you prayed for someone and they were healed? Amen. “The works that I do you will do, and greater.” How many of you know the promises in scripture don’t shift based on our experience? You see, Jesus doesn’t change His promises to make us more comfortable. Did you know that? The promises of God don’t move based on our experience. The promises of God don’t move based on our breakthrough or our lack of breakthrough. Just because you have not been healed doesn’t mean His promises aren’t true or that they aren’t available.

So there is something that we have to enter into: that we would continually come to Him according to His Word, and that we would receive from Him. If you’re a believer, all of us have a lot in our account, but we have to know how to access it. Are you guys with me this morning?

Where did you put your peace?

Right now, today, sickness, both physical and emotional, is at an all-time high. There is more sickness and disease in the world than we can perhaps remember. We think back to the plagues and all these things, and yes, there are times where there are peaks and things get low. But both physical and emotional sickness is at an all-time high, because many people are trusting in chariots and horses rather than the almighty God. They’re putting their hope in the wrong place, in the wrong things, in the wrong politicians, right? There are all these things that we can put our hope in besides God. And when we do that, we suffer unnecessarily. That’s why there’s a lot of emotional distress: because our souls are not settled.

Think about this. When David — I’m sorry, the psalmist — when the psalmist said, “Why are you cast down, O my soul?” Why are you burdened? Why are you heavy? Anybody ever feel heavy, like there’s a lack of peace on the inside, like there’s maybe some anxiety or just unrest, and no matter what you do, no matter how much vacation you take, no matter how much time off you take, you still feel weary? Why? You see, the psalmist was on to something. “Why are you cast down, O my soul?” The psalmist connects a downcast soul to something. A busy, disturbed, and complicated soul will always be downcast. The way that we find rest for our soul is to embrace simplicity — when it is simply about Jesus, that we would actually lay down everything else.

Think about this. When Jesus was in the boat with the disciples, the storm was raging. You guys remember this story? The storm was raging, the disciples were freaking out, and what did Jesus say? He said, “Where is your faith?” Jesus didn’t say, “You lost your faith.” He said, “Where is it?” In other words, Jesus was saying, “You have put your faith in the wrong things. Your faith isn’t in Me right now. Your faith is in the wrong things.”

Let me tell you, if there is an unrest in your soul, if there is not peace in your heart, if there is not peace in your soul, it is likely because of this: you’re putting your peace in the wrong hands. I once heard a pastor — and I love the simplicity of it — somebody came to him and said, “I just don’t have peace. I just don’t have rest.” And the pastor said, “Well, where did you put it? Put it in the hands of Jesus.”

How do we do that? We take it from what we have put it into, and we give it to Jesus. So listen, what is that called? Repentance. When we put our hope in something other than Jesus — which will always let you down, by the way; how many of you know that? — when we put our hope in something other than the Lord, we say, “No, I’m going to take that, and I’m going to say, ‘Jesus, I give my peace to You. I give my heart to You, and I trust You with that.’”

If there is pain, if there is sickness in your life, if there is emotional hurt, if there is distress, if there is confusion — whatever it is that you find ailing you today, I want to encourage you: today is the day to bring it to the Lord and say, “Lord, I give this to You.” If there is pain in your body, say, “Lord, I give my pain to You.” If there is pain in your heart, say, “Lord, I give this hurt to You, these wounds to You.” How many of you know that’s what Jesus paid for? There is no better place to place your pain, to place your hurt. Why? Because He’s healed — because He has paid for it. Amen.

Discerning the Lord’s body

So back to the meal. The meal unlocks benefits. Okay? So I want to come now to 1 Corinthians chapter 11, and let’s start at verse 17. This is Paul writing to the church at Corinth, and they were getting off base. Sometimes we get that way, don’t we?

1 Corinthians 11, starting at verse 17, says, “Now in giving these instructions I do not praise you.” You can hear the heart of the Father right there. “Now in giving these instructions I do not praise you, since you come together not for the better but for the worse.” In other words, believers simply being in the room is not enough. There is a way to be together that invites the Spirit of the Lord. Don’t ever think that just coming on a Sunday and doing your duty will ever give you what you need. It’s about the heart. The Lord looks at the heart. Somebody say amen. We’re not going to go there.

“Since you come together not for the better but for the worse. 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. For there must also be factions among you, that those who are approved may be recognized among you.” Now listen to verse 20: “Therefore when you come together in one place, it is not to eat the Lord’s Supper.” In other words, everybody was gathering together just doing their own thing. “It is not to eat the Lord’s Supper. For in eating, each one takes his own supper ahead of others; and one is hungry and another is drunk. What! Do you not have houses to eat and drink in?”

In other words, Paul is saying, “Do you know how powerful this meal is? If you just want to eat and drink, just go do it at your own house. There is something significant that’s to be received here.” He says, “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. For I received” — listen carefully — “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; 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.’ 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.’”

Now listen to verse 26: “For as often as you eat this bread and drink this cup, you proclaim the Lord’s death till He comes.” If that does not — you know, the emoji with the mind blown? Verse 26. Listen: as often as you eat this bread and you drink from this cup, you proclaim the Lord’s death till He comes.

I want you to think about that for a moment. As we receive this precious meal, we are actually declaring to the heavens, we are declaring to the earth and to those who are under the earth, that Christ has overcome and that what He did was enough. You’re announcing, every time, the power of the cross. You’re announcing the power in the forgiveness of sins. And in faith, I want you to think about the power, the authority, that this meal carries — that we would proclaim the Lord’s death until He comes.

Listen to verse 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. But let a man examine himself.” So listen, does that mean if you are here that you should not receive the meal of the Lord? Absolutely not. It means that we just need to have the right heart about it. He says, “Let a man examine himself.” If you don’t want to be guilty of taking the meal of the Lord incorrectly, we examine ourselves by asking, “Lord, is there sin in my heart? Is there anything in me that is keeping me from You, that needs to be dealt with?”

Examine yourself with an honest heart

Scripture says if we confess our sin, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. So how do we examine ourselves? Number one: is there something in my life that I have been allowing, intentionally or unintentionally, that needs to be handled right now by the grace and the forgiveness of Jesus Christ?

And I want you to hear the wording on that. If we confess our sin — everybody say “sin” — He’s faithful and just to forgive us our sins. You know, sometimes I think believers can freak themselves out, and they’re like, “Did I confess all my sins? Did I get it all covered?” Listen to the goodness of Jesus. Listen to the beauty of the Lord right here. If you confess your sin — meaning the sin that you know — He is faithful and just to forgive us all our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.

In other words, when you come to the Lord with an honest and sincere heart that says, “Lord, I’ve been slipping in this. I’ve been allowing things. I’ve allowed my heart to go places that it should not go. I’ve allowed my ears to hear things that they should not hear. I’ve allowed my eyes to see things that they should not see. Lord, I thank You that if I confess my sin, You are faithful to forgive me and to cleanse me from all unrighteousness.” Amen.

So maybe that conversation that you had with that person, where you were gossiping a little bit, or you were talking behind someone’s back — maybe you forgot to include it. But how many of you know it is the beauty of the Lord that releases forgiveness when we come with a right heart? Do you guys get what I’m saying? It’s not about the method. It’s not about the religion. It’s about the heart. Amen. The Lord looks at the heart. Say, “The Lord is beautiful.”

It says in verse 28, “But let a man examine himself, and so let him eat of the bread and drink of the cup. For he who eats and drinks in an unworthy manner eats and drinks judgment to himself, not discerning the Lord’s body. For this reason many are weak and sick among you, and many sleep” — meaning, talking about death. “For if we would judge ourselves, we would not be judged. But when we are judged, we are chastened by the Lord, that we may not be condemned with the world.”

So listen, as we are about to receive, it’s as simple as this: “Lord, I’m sorry. Forgive me. This meal is so holy that You literally called it Your body and Your blood. And so, Lord, I receive from it. I don’t fully understand when that happens or how, but, Lord, I give it to You, and I receive from You, and I take You at Your word.” How many of you know it’s just that easy?

Bring your weakness to the table

So here’s what I would like for us to do. When we come, we’re going to all come up and receive. We’re not going to partake yet; I’m going to lead us in some prayer. Okay? So grab the elements and go back to your seat. Our worship leader can come on up and start playing for us. We’re going to worship as well.

But here’s what I would like for us to do. When you come up to receive these elements, when you receive the bread, when you receive the cup, I want you to bring your weakness to the table. I want you to bring your hurt. I want you to bring any pain. Whatever is broken, bring it to the table. And how many of you know that in His goodness, as we receive this meal, as we receive this covenant meal, we are opening the doors and saying, “Lord, I receive of Your promises. I receive of Your goodness. I receive of the life that You’ve made available to me”? Amen.

How many of you here today would say, “You know, there’s some pain or sickness in my body”? If there is pain, when you come to the table, say, “Lord, I give my pain to You.” If there is emotional hurt, come and say, “Lord, I give You my heart.” Whatever is broken, whatever is sick, whatever is hurting, give it to the Lord. If you have fear, say, “Lord, I give my fear to You.” If there is anxiety: “Lord, I give my anxiety to You.” How many of you know those things are not from the Lord? It’s what the Lord paid for. You don’t have to carry it anymore.

And so I want us to come to the table, receiving the body and the blood of the Lord Jesus in faith, expecting that He will do what He promised. Because when we do this, listen, we’re not taking from the Lord. How many of you know it brings glory to the Lord to do this? To not partake of the Lord is to not glorify the Lord. But to come to Him and to receive from Him — how many of you know that brings glory? That brings honor. Amen. And so let us do that this morning. So I’m going to have you guys come on up, and then you can go ahead and receive. Let’s come up just one at a time. You can receive the bread, you can receive the cup, and then you can go ahead and be seated.

We declare Your death until You come

Let’s take the bread, and I want you to hold it in your hand. I’m going to ask that everybody close their eyes. We’re just going to pray right now. Let me pray this, and just agree in your heart.

Lord, You gave Your body to be broken and torn, to be beaten and stripped. You gave Your back to those who whipped it, Your face to those who pulled out Your beard, who beat You, so that we could be clothed in righteousness. And we remember today that Your hands were wounded and pierced with nails, that the works of our hands would be redeemed. Your feet were pierced with nails, that we would live and walk in holiness. Your side was opened with a spear as a doorway to Your heart, so that the blood would come forth with water, and that the church would be born. Lord, You were crowned with the crown of thorns to renew our thoughts, to remove the curse from our thinking, and You traded heaven’s crown for a cursed crown.

Jesus, as we look to You today, we remember how they spat on You, how they dishonored You, how You were led as a lamb to the slaughter. And we thank You for the healing power of Your body. Just begin to thank the Lord right now. Lord, we thank You for the healing power of Your body. We thank You for this amazing union that You’ve called us into — that as we receive communion, this wonderful co-union, we would receive Your very presence.

And I ask, Lord, that the power of the Holy Spirit would move in our hearts — those who are sick, those who are healthy — that You would draw us all near to You, and, Lord, that You would destroy sickness and strengthen us where we are weak. Lord, I pray for unity in this house, unity in families, unity in churches. Lord, unity over all, that we would come together as one in Your presence.

So let’s lift the bread right now. Just lift it in the air. Lord, we lift up this bread because You were lifted on the tree, and we declare Your death until You come. And we declare that You are Lord over all, and that You have given us Yourself as our very food. Thank You, Jesus. Let Your power flow as we receive, in Jesus’ name. Let’s just receive that now, in faith. Thank You, Lord.

Now let’s lift the cup. Jesus, we lift this cup and declare that there is power in the blood of Jesus. There is forgiveness in the blood of Jesus. There is the removal of sin in the blood of Jesus. There is amazing protection, like a hedge, in the blood of Jesus. And right now I plead the blood of Jesus over every person in the room, Lord, over anyone who is online. Lord, I plead the blood over all the children — over our minds and our thoughts, over our ministries, over our businesses, Lord, over every part. Lord, I plead the blood over bondages and addiction right now, in Jesus’ name, that they would break off right now, in Jesus’ name.

Just right now, begin to thank Him for His precious blood. Just begin to thank Him right now. Say, “Thank You, Lord.” Thank You, Lord. We thank You for the blood that was shed and the life that was given. Let’s receive that together, in Jesus’ name. Amen.

Come on, let’s stand together, and let’s just lift our hands to the Lord. Let’s do that right now. Come on, let’s lift our hands, and can we just sing that chorus again? Just say, “Worthy is the Lamb.” Let’s just sing to the Lord and say He’s worthy.

Let’s keep our hands lifted. Father, we thank You for what You’ve done. We thank You for all that You’re doing here. Lord, I pray Your divine anointing would rest on everyone in the room — that we would leave here beaming with joy, talking about all that You’ve done, talking about who You are and our love for You. Lord, we bless You, and we give You praise, in Jesus’ name. Amen.

Amen. Isn’t the Lord wonderful? Amen. Before you’re dismissed: if you need prayer, we’re going to have people up here available to pray with you. If you’re here today and you have not given your life to the Lord, and you would like to make that decision today, we would love to lead you in that as well.

Transcribed from the message recording and lightly edited for reading.