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The Power Of Holy Communion In The Life Of The Church
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The Power Of Holy Communion In The Life Of The Church

All of my Christian life I have heard sermons that said the communion table or the Lord’s supper was an ordinance of the church that was of a personal nature and that we were to prepare ourselves for the partaking of communion with self-examination and personal remembrance of the sacrifice that Jesus gave on the cross for ourselves.

However, is that the deeper meaning of holy communion? You see, all of that focus is self-orientated. Never have I heard a sermon on the importance of communion in the context of the community of believers that meet together.

Never have I heard a message speaking to the issue that it is about the local body of Christ and how they are behaving when they come together. This morning I want to share with you a mighty principle on the communion table that will bring healing to troubled churches.

How do I know? Because I just walked my church through this powerful principle of healing at the communion table, tears of healing and hugs of reconciliation flowed all over the place.

So let me begin by sharing with you the very famous passage on communion and give you a fresh perspective on something that the church has done since the beginning and maybe you will see another aspect of the power of holy communion.

Paul’s Instructions Concerning Communion

The Lord’s Supper

1 Corinthians 11:17-34

Conduct at the Lord’s Supper

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.

Institution of the Lord’s Supper

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.

Examine Yourself

27 Therefore whoever eats this bread or drinks this cup of the Lord in an unworthy manner will be guilty of the body and [f]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 [i]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.

The Real Healing Power Of Holy Communion

I believe that the blood of Jesus forgives sins. I believe that the 39 stripes upon His back paid for our healing. However, I think people miss the real healing power of the communion table by being self-focused on only what it can do for them personally.

They focus on their personal forgiveness. They focus on their personal healing but entirely miss the power of communion to heal a hurting local body of Christ. Notice these words from Paul in this passage.

  • For it sounds as if more harm than good is done when you meet together.
  • First, I hear that there are divisions among you when you meet as a church
  • When you meet together, you are not really interested in the Lord’s Supper.
  • Or do you really want to disgrace God’s church
  • For if you eat the bread or drink the cup without honoring the body of Christ, you are eating and drinking God’s judgment upon yourself
  • So, my dear brothers and sisters, when you gather for the Lord’s Supper, wait for each other.

Nowhere in the context of these statements is there one reference to the personal individual. It all has to do with the way people are behaving with one another. It has to do with community life.

The healing power of the holy communion table is its ability to bring forgiveness and reconciliation to brothers and sisters who are divided and estranged from one another. When you get your focus off of self and onto the selflessness of Jesus, dividing walls crumble.

The people you are bent out of shape with are those that Jesus died for. They are the ones that the blood was shed for. They are the ones that He took those 39 stripes for. If you come to the communion table with unfinished business with your brother or sister, then you do not remember what was done for them.

You do not remember the sacrifice of Jesus. You are not doing it in remembrance of Him. You are not behaving the same way that He acted. 

He laid it all down for them, and we are to do the same out of remembrance for what He did. The purpose of communion is to remember what Jesus did for all of us. The next time you take communion, think about whether or not you are rightly discerning the body of Christ.

Think about what does holy communion mean. That means whether or not you are honoring all of those that Jesus died for. If not, then it is time to take care of business before you partake of the Lord’s Supper. Moreover, my friends, that is the real power of Holy Communion. Blessings to you all!

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Pastor duke taber
Pastor Duke Taber

Pastor Duke Taber

All articles have been written or reviewed by Pastor Duke Taber.
Pastor Duke Taber is an alumnus of Life Pacific University and Multnomah Biblical Seminary.
He has been in pastoral ministry since 1988.
Today he is the owner and managing editor of 3 successful Christian websites that support missionaries around the world.
He is currently starting a brand new church in Mesquite NV called Mesquite Worship Center, a Non-Denominational Spirit Filled Christian church in Mesquite Nevada.