1 How Does One Partake......worthily?...worthily?.

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How Does One Partake ...

How Does One Partake ......worthily?...worthily?

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IntroductionIntroduction

There is no inherent spiritual value in the mere partaking of the elements of the Lord’s Supper as such. There is no magical quality in them to spiritually bless the Christian. The idea that all the Christian needs to do is attend services Sunday morning or Sunday night, take the bread and fruit of the vine into his stomach, and all will be well with his soul, is not only unscriptural but anti-scriptural.

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IntroductionIntroduction

Unless the Christian’s manner of partaking is correct, the fact of his partaking is sheer mockery and an insult to the Lord Jesus Christ. And so the Christian is duly warned,

“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” (1 Cor. 11:27).

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One's Manner of Life Is One's Manner of Life Is ImportantImportant

One’s manner of partaking will be determined by the attitudes and activities that characterize his entire manner of life. An incorrect life cannot produce a correct manner of partaking.

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The person who hates and mistreats his fellowmen, who is impenitent in reference to his sins, or who manifests a lack of reverence toward God in his daily conduct, will hardly approach the Lord’s Table in an acceptable manner. How can anyone possibly remember, in the right manner, the Lord’s sacrifice for the sins of the world and at the same time harbor resentment, hatred, and impenitence in his heart?

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Indeed, the Lord refuses to accept any phase of our worship unless our manner of life is essentially correct.

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Matthew 5:23-24Matthew 5:23-24

“Therefore if you bring your gift to the altar, and there remember that your brother has something against you, leave your gift there before the altar, and go your way. First be reconciled to your brother, and then come and offer your gift.”

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Indeed, the Lord refuses to accept any phase of our worship unless our manner of life is essentially correct. The members of the church in Corinth were eating the elements of the Lord's Supper as an ordinary meal to satisfy the physical appetite.

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1 Corinthians 11:20-221 Corinthians 11:20-22

Therefore when you come together in one place, 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? 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.

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1 Corinthians 11:301 Corinthians 11:30

For this reason many are weak and sick among you, and many sleep.

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Indeed, the Lord refuses to accept any phase of our worship unless our manner of life is essentially correct. The members of the church in Corinth were eating the elements of the Lord's Supper as an ordinary meal to satisfy the physical appetite. Just as their disrespectful manner of partaking contributed to their degraded spiritual condition, so their degraded spiritual condition contributed to their disrespectful manner of partaking.

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An ugly party spirit was prevalent among them, fornication was being practiced, and brethren were going to law against brethren.

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1 Corinthians 1:10-131 Corinthians 1:10-13Now 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. For it has been declared to me concerning you, my brethren, by those of Chloe's household, that there are contentions among you. Now I say this, that each of you says, “I am of Paul,” or “I am of Apollos,” or “I am of Cephas,” or “I am of Christ.” Is Christ divided? Was Paul crucified for you? Or were you baptized in the name of Paul?

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And I, brethren, could not speak to you as to spiritual people but as to carnal, as to babes in Christ. 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; for you are still carnal. For where there are envy, strife, and divisions among you, are you not carnal and behaving like mere men? For when one says, “I am of Paul,” and another, “I am of Apollos,” are you not carnal?

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It is actually reported that there is sexual immorality among you, and such sexual immorality as is not even named among the Gentiles--that a man has his father's wife! And you are puffed up, and have not rather mourned, that he who has done this deed might be taken away from among you.

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For I indeed, as absent in body but present in spirit, have already judged (as though I were present) him who has so done this deed. In the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, when you are gathered together, along with my spirit, with the power of our Lord Jesus Christ, deliver such a one to Satan for the destruction of the flesh, that his spirit may be saved in the day of the Lord Jesus.

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Dare any of you, having a matter against another, go to law before the unrighteous, and not before the saints? Do you not know that the saints will judge the world? And if the world will be judged by you, are you unworthy to judge the smallest matters? Do you not know that we shall judge angels? How much more, things that pertain to this life?

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If then you have judgments concerning things pertaining to this life, do you appoint those who are least esteemed by the church to judge? I say this to your shame. Is it so, that there is not a wise man among you, not even one, who will be able to judge between his brethren? But brother goes to law against brother, and that before unbelievers!

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An ugly party spirit was prevalent among them, fornication was being practiced, and brethren were going to law against brethren. It was impossible for them to have a correct manner of partaking when their manner of living was so wrong.We must not conclude, however, that God demands perfection of life as the necessary qualification for proper participation in the communion meal, for then no one would be qualified.

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Romans 3:23Romans 3:23

for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God

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1 John 1:8, 101 John 1:8, 10

If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us.

If we say that we have not sinned, we make Him a liar, and His word is not in us.

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Those whose manner of life is as it should be are those who wrestle with their bad spirit and tendencies, and who pant to be worthier men and true children of God. It is this constant diligence to serve the Lord and to be holy in life that qualifies the child of God to commune at the Lord’s Table, and that prepares him to partake in the right manner. But what is the right manner?How must one partake in order to partake worthily?

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One Must Partake One Must Partake DiscerninglyDiscerningly

Paul speaks of the person who eats and drinks in an unworthy manner as not discerning the body; that is, he does not see in the elements of the Lord's Supper what they represent.

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For he who eats and drinks in an unworthy manner eats and drinks judgment to himself, not discerning the Lord's body.

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Paul speaks of the person who eats and drinks in an unworthy manner as not discerning the body; that is, one who does not see in the elements of the Lord's Supper what they represent. But the person who partakes in the right manner will concentrate his mind on the cross of Calvary.

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By faith he will stand beneath the cross, looking up into the agonized face of Jesus with the head marked by the crown of thorns, seeing the nails that were driven into His hands and feet, and seeing the blood that flowed from the precious body given for the world. His heart will overflow with reverence as he beholds in the elements of the Lord's Supper the wonderful gift of God's love in the sacrifice of His only begotten Son.

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One Must Partake One Must Partake TrustinglyTrustingly

As the Christian concentrates on what is represented by the elements, partaking in the right manner, he will believe that Christ is spiritually present with him in this act of communion.

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Matthew 18:20Matthew 18:20

“...for where two or three are gathered together in My name, I am there in the midst of them.”

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Matthew 26:29Matthew 26:29

“But I say to you, I will not drink of this fruit of the vine from now on until that day when I drink it new with you in My Father's kingdom.”

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One Must Partake One Must Partake TrustinglyTrustingly

As the Christian concentrates on what is represented by the elements, partaking in the right manner, he will trust Christ to be spiritually present with him in this act of communion. He will trust in the Lord to bless him so that his partaking will lift him up spiritually and incite him to greater service in the divine kingdom, so that he will truly commune, have fellowship, with the body and blood of his Savior, and so that he will truly partake in remembrance of Him.

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One Must Partake HumblyOne Must Partake Humbly

As he considers his weakness and tendency to err in contrast to the greatness of God's love and mercy in sending His Son to this world to bless mankind, the Christian will partake of the Lord's Supper with a deep sense of humility and unworthiness.

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Luke 17:10Luke 17:10

“So likewise, when you have done all those things which you are commanded, say, ‘we are unprofitable servants. We have done what was our duty to do.’”

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One Must Partake One Must Partake PenitentlyPenitently

With his deep sense of humility in partaking of the Lord's Supper in the right manner, the Christian will feel such strong remorse, shame, and sorrow for the sins he has recently committed that he will repent, change his mind concerning them, confessing them to God, and resolve to quit them and to do better with the help of divine grace. Such penitence will be a powerful motivating force for him to renew his entire commitment to Christ as he remembers in the blessed meal the commitment of Christ on his behalf in dying for his sins.

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One Must Partake One Must Partake GratefullyGratefully

Having given thanks for the bread and the fruit of the vine, the Christian who partakes of these emblems in the right manner will seriously meditate on the salvation he has received through Christ's death.

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One Must Partake One Must Partake GratefullyGratefully

Recognizing that because of his sins he deserves eternal death, but because of the wondrous grace of God through the sin-offering of Christ his past sins have been forgiven and he has been granted citizenship in the divine kingdom, the entire act of his partaking of the Lord's supper will be a hymn of praise and thanksgiving to God for the great blessings he has received through His only begotten Son, such praise and thanksgiving that can only flow from a heart that is truly loving and grateful.

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One Must Partake One Must Partake Prayerfully Prayerfully

As the faithful, loving Christian desires to partake of the Lord's supper in a worthy manner, to truly remember the death of Christ and to commune with Him, he will partake with a prayer in his heart to God that his attitude will indeed be discerning, trusting, humble, penitent, and grateful, so that he will reverently and sincerely worship God in this blessed meal.

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We Must Partake We Must Partake ReverentiallyReverentially

The proper worship environment, to which those who serve at the Lord’s Table can contribute, is not without significance in encouraging a reverential attitude on the part of those partaking of the Lord’s Supper. Those who lead the congregation in the giving of thanks for the bread and fruit of the vine have a weighty responsibility to pray in such a way that they will help lead those present to the throne of God’s grace with a profound sense of the sanctity and seriousness of the occasion.

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This can be done only as they speak audibly and clearly, avoiding unnecessary repetitions.The mode of dress of those who serve at the Lord’s Table also has significance in contributing to a reverential, worshipful environment.

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Not that they must necessarily wear suits and ties, but there is something sadly lacking in the attitude of those who wait on the Lord’s Table dressed as if they were going to some kind of sporting event, who would not think of going to a wedding or a funeral dressed in anything but what is considered appropriate for such important occasions.

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Consider the parable of the wedding feast.

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And Jesus answered and spoke to them again by parables and said: “The kingdom of heaven is like a certain king who arranged a marriage for his son, and sent out his servants to call those who were invited to the wedding; and they were not willing to come.

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“Again, he sent out other servants, saying, 'Tell those who are invited, “See, I have prepared my dinner; my oxen and fatted cattle are killed, and all things are ready. Come to the wedding.” ' But they made light of it and went their ways, one to his own farm, another to his business. And the rest seized his servants, treated them spitefully, and killed them. But when the king heard about it, he was furious. And he sent out his armies, destroyed those murderers, and burned up their city.

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Matthew 22:1-14Matthew 22:1-14“Then he said to his servants, 'The wedding is ready, but those who were invited were not worthy. Therefore go into the highways, and as many as you find, invite to the wedding.' So those servants went out into the highways and gathered together all whom they found, both bad and good. And the wedding hall was filled with guests. But when the king came in to see the guests, he saw a man there who did not have on a wedding garment. So he said to him, 'Friend, how did you come in here without a wedding garment?'

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“And he was speechless. Then the king said to the servants, 'Bind him hand and foot, take him away, and cast him into outer darkness; there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.' For many are called, but few are chosen.”

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Consider the parable of the wedding feast.While the “wedding garment” probably is figurative for the righteousness that God bestows on the condition of faith, the parable itself is based upon the concept that attire should be appropriate to the occasion. Though many of us might check the mail or bring in the morning newspaper wearing little more than a nightgown, pajamas or bathrobe, none of us would go to the store so clothed.

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In a sense, those who wait at the Lord’s Table are pallbearers, carrying the emblems that represent the body and blood of the crucified Savior to the others who are present.Should they not treat the service they render here with respect and seriousness, thus contributing to a reverential, worshipful environment for such a solemn, significant occasion?

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Indeed, when the entire congregation is assembled around the Lord’s Table, they are, in a sense, attending a funeral service, in memory of the crucified Savior. If their attitude is correct and they treat this occasion as being of very special significance, they will certainly show it in their manner of dress and in whatever else is pertinent to the occasion.

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Our demeanor in the place of worship prior to, as well as during services is revealing with regard to our attitudes toward the Lord’s Supper and toward a worshipful, reverential environment. The boisterous noise that habitually prevails in some congregations prior to the beginning of services is anything but expressive of a desire to create a worshipful environment and to partake of the Lord’s Supper in the proper manner. How many funeral services have you attended that were preceded by such rowdiness?

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Every Christian who attends services should be granted the right by his fellow Christians to have an atmosphere of quietude in which he can reverently meditate in preparation for partaking of the Lord’s Supper. Are you reverent in your preparation for and the partaking of the Lord’s Supper, thus contributing to an atmosphere that will help others to be reverent in their preparation for and partaking of the Lord’s Supper?

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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.

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To treat irreverently the bread and fruit of the vine, the emblems of the Lord’s body and blood, is to treat irreverently the actual body and blood, and to be united in attitude with those who put Him to death, implicitly approving that unholy deed.

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Hebrews 10:28-29Hebrews 10:28-29

Anyone who has rejected Moses' law dies without mercy on the testimony of two or three witnesses. Of how much worse punishment, do you suppose, will he be thought worthy who has trampled the Son of God underfoot, counted the blood of the covenant by which he was sanctified a common thing, and insulted the Spirit of grace?

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To treat irreverently the bread and fruit of the vine, the emblems of the Lord’s body and blood, is to treat irreverently the actual body and blood, and to be united in attitude with those who put Him to death, implicitly approving that unholy deed. It is indeed a serious matter to partake of the Lord’s Supper in an unworthy manner.

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“For he who eats and drinks in an unworthy manner eats and drinks judgment to himself, not discerning the Lord’s body.”

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He who fails to see the body of Christ, and does not devoutly, humbly, and prayerfully consider that God gave that precious body as a sacrifice for his sins, will bring upon himself a certain kind of judgment. The judgment referred to in this passage is not that of eternal condemnation, as is implied by the rendering of the word “damnation” in the KJV.

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In fact, Paul states that this judgment is visited upon those who partake of the Lord’s supper in an unworthy manner in order to keep them from being condemned.

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But when we are judged, we are chastened by the Lord, that we may not be condemned with the world

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In fact, Paul states that this judgment is visited upon those who partake of the Lord’s supper in an unworthy manner in order to keep them from being condemned.This is a temporal judgment, described in verse 30.

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For this reason many are weak and sick among you, and many sleep.

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In fact, Paul states that this judgment is visited upon those who partake of the Lord’s supper in an unworthy manner in order to keep them from being condemned: This is a temporal judgment, described in verse 30.This refers, of course, to their spiritual condition.

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However, we must not conclude that there is no danger of eternal condemnation for those who treat the Lord’s Supper profanely. Whenever any child of God irreverently partakes of the Lord’s Supper he is placing his soul in jeopardy of being eternally lost, having implicitly treated with contempt the sacrifice of Christ by treating with irreverence the symbols of that sacrifice.

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Hebrews 10:31Hebrews 10:31

It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God.

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Self-examination, prior to partaking, will prevent one from partaking unworthily and suffering the consequences thereof.

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1 Corinthians 11:27-311 Corinthians 11:27-31Therefore 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, 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. For if we would judge ourselves, we would not be judged.

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Timeliness is another important consideration, in connection with a proper observation of the Lord’s death and resurrection.

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Galatians 4:4Galatians 4:4

But when the fullness of the time had come, God sent forth His Son, born of a woman, born under the law,

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Timeliness is another important consideration, in connection with a proper observation of the Lord’s death and resurrection. This implies that the Eternal Word of God did not dally or procrastinate, when it came time “to redeem those who were under the law, that we might receive the adoption of sons” (verse 5).

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Neither should we procrastinate, when it comes time to commemorate the redemptive act! There is something wrong with the attitude of one who habitually arrives at the place of worship too late to participate in the singing and praying which often precede the Lord’s Supper.

1 How Does One Partake......worthily?...worthily?.

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