Remembering Christ: The Transformative Power of the Lord's Supper

This morning, the focus is on the Lord’s Supper—an invitation to see, remember, and respond to the gospel in a tangible way. Gathering as a church family, we are reminded that God sets the lonely in families, and the Lord’s Supper is a visible expression of that truth. It’s not just a ritual or tradition, but a weighty, significant act that calls us to examine our hearts and our relationships with one another. The bread and the cup are not mere symbols; they proclaim the broken body and shed blood of Jesus, the only means by which we are made worthy to approach God.

Looking at Paul’s words to the Corinthians, we see a warning against empty ritualism. The church in Corinth kept the outward form of the Lord’s Supper but missed its heart, allowing divisions, favoritism, and disregard for the poor to persist. God is not impressed with religious activity that does not transform the way we treat others. True worship is inseparable from love for our brothers and sisters. If we harbor bitterness, gossip, or treat others as less than, we are not truly worshiping, no matter how faithfully we observe the forms.

The Lord’s Supper is a call to remember. It points us back to the cross, to the Passover, to the long story of God’s deliverance. We are a forgetful people, and God graciously gives us this meal to keep the gospel at the forefront of our minds. But it also points us forward—to the return of Christ, when all things will be made new, when sin, suffering, and death will be no more. Every time we eat and drink, we proclaim the Lord’s death until He comes, holding out hope to one another and to a watching world.

Finally, we are called to look within. Self-examination is not about disqualifying ourselves because we are sinners, but about honestly confessing and repenting, making things right with others as far as it depends on us. The Lord’s Supper is a family meal, and reconciliation—both with God and with each other—is at its heart. As we come to the table, we are invited to look around, look back, look forward, look within, and then look up in worship, celebrating the grace that welcomes former enemies as beloved children.

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Key Takeaways

• 1. Worship Without Love Is Emptiness Religious rituals, no matter how faithfully observed, are hollow if they do not transform our relationships. God is not impressed by outward forms when our hearts are cold toward others. True worship is measured by how we treat the people around us, especially those we find difficult to love. If we ignore or mistreat our brothers and sisters, our worship loses its meaning. [35:05]
• 2. The Lord’s Supper Is a Call to Remember and Proclaim This meal is not just about looking back at what Christ has done, but also about proclaiming His death and anticipating His return. We are a forgetful people, and God graciously gives us tangible reminders to keep the gospel central. Every time we partake, we join with believers across time and space, remembering the cross and declaring our hope in Christ’s coming. [37:56]
• 3. The Gospel Dismantles Barriers, But We Must Live It Out In Christ, all distinctions—rich and poor, insider and outsider—are meant to be erased. Yet, like the Corinthians, we often allow societal divisions to persist in the church. The Lord’s Supper confronts us with the reality that the gospel is not just a doctrine to believe, but a new way of living together, where no one is overlooked or shamed. [32:54]
• 4. Self-Examination Is Essential, Not Optional Coming to the table requires honest self-examination—not to exclude ourselves because we are sinners, but to confess, repent, and seek reconciliation. Unconfessed sin, bitterness, or broken relationships hinder our fellowship with God and each other. The Lord’s Supper is a time to ask: Have I done all I can to live at peace with others? [44:09]
• 5. Hope in Christ’s Return Shapes Our Present The Lord’s Supper is a proclamation that Jesus is coming again to set all things right. This hope is not meant to be a distant doctrine, but a present comfort and motivation. In a world marked by suffering, injustice, and brokenness, we look forward to the day when Christ will wipe away every tear and make all things new—and that hope should change how we live and love today. [40:23]

Youtube Chapters

• [00:00] - Welcome
• [00:45] - Introduction to the Lord’s Supper
• [02:10] - The Significance of Communion
• [04:30] - Reading 1 Corinthians 11
• [07:15] - The Gospel Made Visible
• [09:20] - Four Ways to Approach the Table
• [10:30] - Look Around: The Church as Family
• [13:00] - The Danger of Empty Ritual
• [15:00] - God’s Heart for Justice and Mercy
• [17:30] - Social Barriers in the Church
• [20:00] - Paul’s Rebuke to Corinth
• [22:00] - Look Back: Remembering the Cross
• [24:00] - Look Forward: Proclaiming Christ’s Return
• [27:00] - Look Within: The Call to Self-Examination
• [30:00] - Reconciliation and Worship
• [32:00] - Invitation to Respond and Worship

Bible Reading

1 Corinthians 11:17–34 (ESV) —
> 17 But in the following instructions I do not commend you, because when you come together it is not for the better but for the worse. 18 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, 19 for there must be factions among you in order that those who are genuine among you may be recognized. 20 When you come together, it is not the Lord’s supper that you eat. 21 For in eating, each one goes ahead with his own meal. One goes hungry, another gets drunk. 22 What! Do you not have houses to eat and drink in? Or do you despise the church of God and humiliate those who have nothing? What shall I say to you? Shall I commend you in this? No, I will not.
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> 23 For I received from the Lord what I also delivered to you, that the Lord Jesus on the night when he was betrayed took bread, 24 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.” 25 In the same way also he took the cup, after supper, saying, “This cup is the new covenant in my blood. Do this, as often as you drink it, in remembrance of me.” 26 For as often as you eat this bread and drink the cup, you proclaim the Lord’s death until he comes.
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> 27 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. 28 Let a person examine himself, then, and so eat of the bread and drink of the cup. 29 For anyone who eats and drinks without discerning the body eats and drinks judgment on himself. 30 That is why many of you are weak and ill, and some have died. 31 But if we judged ourselves truly, we would not be judged. 32 But when we are judged by the Lord, we are disciplined so that we may not be condemned along with the world.
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> 33 So then, my brothers, when you come together to eat, wait for one another—34 if anyone is hungry, let him eat at home—so that when you come together it will not be for judgment. About the other things I will give directions when I come.

Observation Questions

1. According to Paul, what problems were happening in the Corinthian church when they gathered for the Lord’s Supper? (see verses 18–22)
2. What does Paul say is the purpose of the bread and the cup in the Lord’s Supper? (see verses 23–26)
3. What warning does Paul give about taking the Lord’s Supper in an “unworthy manner”? (see verses 27–30)
4. In the sermon, what examples were given of how the Corinthians (and sometimes us) can turn the Lord’s Supper into an empty ritual? [28:27]

Interpretation Questions

1. Why does Paul connect the way we treat each other in the church with the way we worship God, especially during the Lord’s Supper? [35:05]
2. The sermon says, “True worship is measured by how we treat the people around us, especially those we find difficult to love.” What does this mean for our church relationships? [35:05]
3. Why is self-examination important before taking the Lord’s Supper, and what does it look like to “examine yourself” in a healthy, gospel-centered way? [41:59]
4. The Lord’s Supper is described as both a remembrance of the past and a proclamation of hope for the future. How does this shape the way we approach it each time? [37:56]

Application Questions

1. The sermon challenged us to “look around” and consider our relationships in the church. Is there someone in our church family you find it hard to love or forgive? What would it look like to take a step toward reconciliation this week? [44:09]
2. Are there ways you have treated someone in the church as “less than” or ignored someone who might feel lonely or left out? What is one practical thing you could do to include or encourage them? [27:19]
3. The Lord’s Supper is a call to remember the gospel. What are some ways you tend to forget the good news of Jesus in your daily life? How can you remind yourself and others of the gospel this week? [37:07]
4. The sermon warned against empty rituals—doing the right things outwardly but missing the heart. Are there any “forms” of worship or service in your life that have become routine or disconnected from real love for God and others? What needs to change? [28:27]
5. Self-examination is not about disqualifying ourselves, but about honest confession and repentance. Is there any unconfessed sin, bitterness, or broken relationship you need to bring before God? What is one step you can take toward making things right? [41:59]
6. The Lord’s Supper points us forward to Christ’s return and the hope that all things will be made new. How does this future hope help you face suffering, disappointment, or brokenness in your life right now? [40:23]
7. The sermon said, “God is not impressed with religious activity that does not transform the way we treat others.” What is one area where you need God’s help to let the gospel change how you relate to people this week? [35:05]