All right, now turn with me to
1 Corinthians 11. The title of this message is
simply, The Lord's Supper. I want us to look at everything
the Lord has to say in 1 Corinthians 11. We're just going to go through
this chapter and see everything He has said. Verse 1 says, Be ye followers
of me, even as I also am of Christ. Is Paul saying that pridefully? arrogantly, follow me, self-righteously. We know He's not. He's saying
that under the inspiration of God Almighty. He's saying, follow
me as I search to know more of Him and I seek Him. Let's follow Him together. Be ye followers of me even as
I also am of Christ. Verse 2 says, Now I praise you,
brethren, that you remember me in all things and keep the ordinances
as I delivered them to you. The Lord gave us two ordinances. He did away with the first, he
established the second, and he gave us two ordinances. Believers baptism and the Lord's
table. And he's saying by the commandment
of God, keep the ordinances, keep the ordinances. These things
are vital. They're vital. Keep the ordinances. Verse three. But I would have
you know that the head of every man is Christ and the head of
the woman is the man and the head of Christ is God. Why were
these scriptures written? Why were they written? What did
Moses write about? He wrote about the same thing
David wrote about. He wrote about the same thing
Isaiah wrote about. Solomon wrote about. Jeremiah
wrote about. Paul is writing about. The exact
same thing, the Lord Jesus Christ. This is all about the Lord Jesus
Christ. Everything we're about to look
at. And as I studied this, I thought this doesn't sound like a Lord's
table message, but we're preaching what the Lord wrote and everything
we're about to look at is about Christ. Every single bit of it. Verse three says, I would have
you know that the head of every man is Christ. He's given us
the key to what he's about to tell us. Here's the key. He's
about to talk about a man's head and a woman's head. He says the head of every man
is Christ. The head of the woman is the
man. The head of Christ is God. He is the God of every man, every
single man. He is the ruler. He's the controller
of every man and woman on this earth. But the every man that
he's talking about right here in verse three is every man and
woman that he's chosen to be in him. Chosen to be with him
in his body. Look at Colossians chapter one
with me. Colossians 1 verse 18 says, And
he is the head of the body, the church, who is the beginning,
the firstborn from the dead, that in all things he might have
the preeminence. He's the head of the body, the
church. Now back over in our text, he
says in verse 3, The head of every man is Christ. And the
head of the woman is the man. That's you and me. Now, in just
a minute, as we look at the man's head, I want you to remember,
that's Christ. And as we look at the woman's
head, remember, that's you and me. Okay, that's the key. Men. Verse 4 says, Every man,
Man, praying or prophesying, having his head covered, dishonoreth
his head. Now the man's head is who? Christ. The altogether lovely one. Wisdom
personified. Don't cover him. Do not hide
him from me. Don't dishonor Him by glorifying
anything other than Him. Lift Him up. Do not cover Him. Verse 5 says, But every woman
that prayeth or prophesieth with her head uncovered dishonoreth
her head, for that is even all one as if she were shaven. Her
head is man. us, His bride. If we do anything uncovered,
we dishonor Him, we dishonor us. What must we be covered with? Christ. Christ. We must be covered. There was a man who I never met and I heard about
him and he was a sweet believer of the truth and he used to give
a great compliment. Um, so I hear to those who preached
and he was blessed by it. He would walk up to him afterwards
and say, I didn't see you at all today. All I saw was Christ. That's it covered. May we not do anything that promotes
ourself or lifts ourself up. We must be covered. Everything
we do has got to be covered. Verse six says, for if the, if
the woman be not covered, let her also be shorn. But if it'd
be a shame for a woman to be shorn or shaven, let her be covered.
I need to be covered. I've got to be covered. The Israelites
learned something about that on the night of the Passover.
Right. You got to be covered. Verse
seven says for a man indeed ought not to cover his head for as
much as he is the image and glory of God. That's Jesus Christ. That's Jesus Christ. It says, but the woman is the
glory of the man. For the man is not of the woman
added. Adam didn't come from Eve's rib.
The man is not of the woman, but the woman of the man Eve
came from Adam. Verse nine says neither was the
man created for the woman. Christ wasn't created for his
bride like religion says he is. I wrote down like religion says
he is, and then I entered into what I wrote down. I thought
that's exactly what they say. You're the one that's important.
So God made Christ for you. No, that's not the way it is.
Verse nine goes on to say, but the woman for the man Christ
bride was created for him. All things were created by Him
and for Him. Verse 10 says, for this cause
ought the woman to have power on her head because of the angels. I'm grateful for my center margin. Here's what that means in the
Greek. I have a number two by my word power, and it says that
is a covering in sign that she is under the power of her husband. For this cause ought the woman
to have a covering in sign that she's under the power of her
husband. This is not about male chauvinist
male chauvinism. It's not. This puts all men and
women under subjection to Christ. I gladly say, I think about it,
you know, as I say, I talk about the husband, I'm his bride. Humanly speaking for a man to
say that it's strange, but I don't have any problem with it. He's
the husband. I'm a member of his bride. I want it to be known I'm under
his power. I'm subject to him. No true believer
wants to be in charge of anything. They don't want to be the head
of anything. May Christ be the head and have all power over
all things. That's what we all desire. The
physical differences between men and women. The physical differences between
men and women have been put in place by God for one reason only. It's to spiritually show the
relationship of Christ and His bride. That's it. One reason
only. Turn with me to 1 Timothy chapter
2. 1 Timothy 2, look at verse 12. But I suffer not a woman to teach,
nor to assert authority over the man, but to be in silence. Why? Why? Because we men like to keep
our women in their place? No! As far as I'm concerned,
Hannah's place is higher than my place. Really? Here's the reason. Look at verse
13. For Adam was first formed, then Eve. Adam represents Christ. Eve represents us. Verse 14 says. And Adam was not deceived. Adam wasn't deceived. When he took that fruit, he took
it willingly. He knew he was going to die. Eve bless her heart. She sinned
against God because of her lustfulness, because of her pride, because
of Adam loved her. She died. I'll die. Adam was not deceived, but the
woman being deceived was in the transgression. Spiritually, Eve represents the
fact that every one of us have sinned against God. We were deceived,
Christ wasn't. That's the whole reason. That
is the whole reason. So everything that God has put
in place physically represents our standing before God spiritually. All right, now go back to our
text in 1 Corinthians 11. Verse 11 says, nevertheless,
neither is the man without the woman, neither the woman without
the man in the Lord. Paul writes, nevertheless, no
man would be here without a woman carrying him for nine months.
No man would be here. And no woman would be here without
a man. Here's what he's saying, men,
we need to know our place too. We need to know our place too.
We are all under subjection to our God. And even though he placed
us to be the head of our house spiritually for Christ's sake. Just to represent Christ and
his bride. No man has the right to oppress
or rule like a tyrant. No man. Males are not greater
than females in God's eyes. Think about all these religions.
Women mean nothing in that religion. Males are not greater than females
in God's eyes. All have sinned and come short
of the glory of God. God is not a respecter of persons,
period. We are all members of the same
body. We love, we cherish, we respect
each other equally. Verse 12 says, for as the woman
is of the man, even so is the man also by the woman, but all
things of God. All things Christ rules over
us, but he does not oppress us. He is not a tyrant to us. He's
lovingly called us his friend, his friend. He's given us all
that he has and he's given us all that he is. May the Lord
teach us to love our wives as Christ loved the church and gave
himself for it. Totally. Totally. Verse 13 says,
Judge in yourselves. Is it comely that a woman pray
unto God uncovered? This is the whole reason we're
taking this table. This is the whole. This is what
the whole table represents. Is it wise? Would we be accepted
if we came to God, if we called on God uncovered? He says, judge in yourselves.
You think about that. Could we come uncovered? Verse
14 does not even nature itself teach you that if a man have
long hair, it is a shame unto him. But if a woman have long
hair, it is a glory to her for her hair is given her for a covering. Paul didn't write this as a pattern
for us to take to our hairdressers. I want my hair cut and it says
I got to do this. He didn't do that. A requirement
of being a Nazirite. A Nazirite. Samson was a Nazirite. John the Baptist was a Nazirite.
A requirement of being a Nazirite unto God was that you couldn't
cut your hair. The locks had to grow long. Once we put all
our focus on the hair, we have missed Christ. So many religions are really
concerned about the hair. It's got to be cut off straight
in the back. It's got to be in a bun. You
can't have long hair, but your beard's got to grow down to here.
Isn't that crazy? We've missed Christ. We've missed
the reason for what he said. In eternity, do you know what
my greatest gift will be? What my glory will be? My covering. That beautiful, beautiful robe
of righteousness. My covering. Verse 16 says, But
if any man seem to be contentious, we have no such custom, neither
the churches of God. Contentious means fond of strife,
strife, fond of quarreling. Verse 17, Now in this that I
declare unto you, I praise you not that you come together, not
for the better, but for the worse. For first of all, when you come
together in the church, I hear that there be divisions among
you, and I partly believe it. For there must be also heresies
among you, that they which are approved may be made manifest
among you." Our Lord said these divisions will come. They will. They must be among you for a
particular purpose. Verse 19. For there must be also
heresies among you that they which are approved may be made
manifest among you. Our Lord says these things must
happen to prove to you that I am yours and you are mine. They
must happen. Lines must be drawn in the sand. And it proves I take him, I take
him, whatever he says, that's what I take. That's what I follow.
Verse 20 says, when you come together, therefore, into one
place, this is not to eat the Lord's supper. Paul is rebuking
the Corinthians. By saying you're coming together,
but it's not for the sincere purpose of worshiping God. And
observing the ordinance of his table. This is a holy thing we're doing.
This, uh, you know, this we've always said,
uh, baptism is just water. That's just wine. Hannah made
the bread. Um, there's nothing special in
any of that, but this is a holy thing we're doing. I cannot enter
into how holy this is. This is ordained by God. Ordained. I pray we give great reverence
to it. Great reverence to it. Verse 20, When you come together,
therefore, into one place, this is not to eat the Lord's supper.
For in eating, every one taketh before other his own supper,
and one is hungry and another is drunken. What have you not
houses to eat and to drink in or despise you the church of
God and shame them that have not? What shall I say to you?
Shall I praise you in this? I praise you not. They were coming
together for a fellowship dinner. And they were bringing food and
they weren't sharing it with anybody. And the rich people were proud
and brought all this food and the poor people were hungry and
they didn't get any food. Some people got drunk. And this
turned into a feast. We're going to have the Passover.
Great. It's a party. Call everybody. That's all it turned into. This
holy ordinance turned into nothing more than just a feast. They
had truly forgotten about God in it, why they were doing it,
what it meant, what it represented. It was all about the food. It
was all about the food. And, uh, I love food. And that could so, and does,
so easily happen to us, doesn't it? It happens to us. Verse 21,
in eating everyone taketh before other his own supper, one is
hungry, another is drunken. What? Have you not houses to
eat and to drink in or despise you the church of God and shame
them that have not? What shall I say to you? Shall
I praise you in this? I praise you not. He's saying,
forget all that mess. Just forget all that and let's
worship God. Let's worship God. Paul is about
to tell them how to do and how to partake of this table. First,
he tells us how he knows this is the way. How he knows this
is so. This is the way to do it. Verse
23, he says, For I have received of the Lord that which also I
delivered unto you." He's saying this came by revelation from
Christ. That's how I know. I know this
to be so because this came from Christ. Paul was taught directly
by Jesus Christ. Then he tells us who started
this ordinance. Who it originated with. Verse
23 says, That the Lord Jesus, God started this. He's the one
who commanded this. Next he tells us when this ordinance
started. The first time it was held. Verse
23 says, The same night in which he was betrayed. That's when
this started. The same night that he was betrayed. The Lord came here to die. He came here to live. He came
here to die. Everything he did from the time he was born was
for the purpose of dying. And on the night that he instigated
this supper, he knew this is the night I'm going to be betrayed. This is where it all starts.
What a holy night, a holy, holy, what a wonderful night that he
was born. Oh, holy night. We sing it every Christmas. Oh,
holy night. He accomplished his mission.
All right, now he's going to tell us what we're supposed to
use in this ordinance and why we are to use them. Verse 23
says he took bread. And when he had given thanks,
he break it and said, take, eat. This is my body, which is broken
for you. This do in remembrance of me.
We do this to tangibly visually remember the pain, the absolute
pain and the suffering and the violent beating of our Lord's
body under the wrath of God for us. I say that and you know that
the words I just said mean nothing compared to what he experienced.
The pain and the suffering and the tearing and the violent beating
he suffered under his own father's wrath for you and me. Verse 25 says, After the same
manner also, he took the cup when he had supped, saying, This
cup is the New Testament in my blood. This do ye as oft as you
drink it in remembrance of me. Our Lord told the Israelites,
You observe the Passover supper. So that when your children ask,
Dad, why do we do this? Why do we do this? You can tell
them we do this to remember the night that the Lord passed through
the land and spared every soul that was under the blood. That's
why we do this. As we drink this wine, we can
feel it going down our throats. You can feel it going into your
stomach. And we remember the blood that was spilled for our
sin. Finally, he tells us when and why it should be observed.
Verse 26 says, for as often as you eat this bread and drink
this cup, you do show the Lord's death till he come. No time is
specified, but it should be observed often. And by God's grace, we're
going to begin observing it often. As often as you eat this bread
and drink this cup often. Why? Because as often as we do
it, we remember and proclaim and honor and glorify the Lord's
death till he come. That's the greatest thing that's
ever happened to me in my life. That's the greatest thing that
ever happened to me. Verse 27 says, Wherefore, whosoever shall
eat this bread and drink this cup of the Lord unworthily shall
be guilty of the body and blood of the Lord. Taking this table
unworthily is this. It's believing that this table
plays a role in your salvation. You know how you go to mass or
some go to mass and they put that wafer on their tongue. They
believe there's something to that. This table does not give
salvation, it does not improve salvation, it doesn't strengthen,
it doesn't increase salvation. And anyone who believes that
taking this table will cause God to be happy with them. Or
that taking this table will appease God for their sin or will cover
one sin. I've sinned, so I've got to go
take the table. Anyone who does that is taking this table unworthily. Taking this table worthily is
believing in, hoping in, trusting in, and looking to His body and
His blood only. His life and His death only. His work and His gift only. That's it. If you believe that,
you trust that, then you're taking this table worthily. Whoever
feels unworthy to take the table is taking it worthily. Verse
28 says, but let a man examine himself and so let him eat of
that bread and drink of that cup. The key word is himself. It doesn't say, let us examine
each other. It says, let a man examine himself
and so let him eat of that bread and drink of that cup. Verse
29 says, for he that eateth and drinketh unworthily, eateth and
drinketh damnation to himself, not discerning the Lord's body. Not discerning means separating. Opposing, doubting the Lord's
body. He that does that will drink
damnation unto himself. Verse 30 says, For this cause
many are weak and sickly among you, and many sleep. That's an
amazing verse to me. For this cause, because of doubting,
many are weak and sickly among you, and many sleep. Verse 31
says, For if we would judge ourselves, we should not be judged. The
scripture says, When I'm weak, I'm strong. The opposite is also
true. When I'm strong, I'm weak. That's true. As soon as I see
myself as an aged believer who needs to impart his wisdom to
some weak believer, I'm setting myself up for a fall. I'm setting myself up for the
chastisement of God. Look at chapter 10, verse 12. Back one chapter to verse 12.
It says, Wherefore, let him that thinketh he standeth take heed,
lest he fall. The text, verse 31 says, For
if we would judge ourselves, we should not be judged. But
here's the good news. Verse 32, When we are judged,
We are chastened of the Lord that we should not be condemned
with the world. Whom the Lord loves, He chastens. He's going to keep us. He's going
to teach us because we're under the blood. That's why. Verse
33, Wherefore, my brethren, when you come together to eat, tarry
one for another. Do this as one body with one
head. In one accord, with one spirit,
with one purpose. We're here for one purpose. Verse 34, And if any man hunger,
let him eat at home, that you come not together unto condemnation,
and the rest will I set in order when I come. This is so holy,
it's so vital. Let's not do anything that would
unnecessarily cumber us about. Cumber us about. calls us to
lose sight of the object in worship of our substitute. That's why
we're doing this. A substitute died. A substitute
broke his body and shed his blood so my body and my blood wouldn't
have to. Our substitute, the Lord Jesus
Christ. All right, Brother Chris, you.