Greetings online friends and Kindred,
Be low you will find the links to our audio from last Sabbath where a ‘Preparation for Communion’ message was offered by Rev. Lowther.
It is with humility and expectation that anyone who was not able to be at Sabbath Convocation last week but will be in attendance for the Paschal celebration with the Lord’s Supper would take time and consider the severity of this table of the Lord.
If you are new to the feast of unleavened bread, please also see the bible study “Passover A2Z” where we discussed the different aspects of our observance as well as the general commands of the feast:
Liturgical Call to Worship (Psalm 107, Duet 16, John 12)
Click link and image below:
Preparing for Communion at Christ’s Table (2025)
I have included the notes for this message below also:
1Co_10:1 Moreover, brethren, I would not that ye should be ignorant, how that all our fathers were under the cloud, and all passed through the sea;
1Co 10:2 And were all baptized unto Moses in the cloud and in the sea;
1Co 10:3 And did all eat the same spiritual meat;
1Co 10:4 And did all drink the same spiritual drink: for they drank of that spiritual Rock that followed them: and that Rock was Christ.
1Co 10:5 But with many of them God was not well pleased: for they were overthrown in the wilderness.
1Co 10:6 Now these things were our examples, to the intent we should not lust after evil things, as they also lusted.
1Co 10:7 Neither be ye idolaters, as were some of them; as it is written, The people sat down to eat and drink, and rose up to play.
1Co 10:8 Neither let us commit fornication, as some of them committed, and fell in one day three and twenty thousand.
1Co 10:9 Neither let us tempt Christ, as some of them also tempted, and were destroyed of serpents.
1Co 10:10 Neither murmur ye, as some of them also murmured, and were destroyed of the destroyer.
1Co 10:11 Now all these things happened unto them for ensamples: and they are written for our admonition, upon whom the ends of the world are come.
1Co 10:12 Wherefore let him that thinketh he standeth take heed lest he fall.
1Co 10:13 There hath no temptation taken you but such as is common to man: but God is faithful, who will not suffer you to be tempted above that ye are able; but will with the temptation also make a way to escape, that ye may be able to bear it.
1Co 10:14 Wherefore, my dearly beloved, flee from idolatry.
1Co 10:15 I speak as to wise men; judge ye what I say.
1Co 10:16 The cup of blessing which we bless, is it not the communion of the blood of Christ? The bread which we break, is it not the communion of the body of Christ?
1Co 10:17 For we being many are one bread, and one body: for we are all partakers of that one bread.
1Co 10:18 Behold Israel after the flesh: are not they which eat of the sacrifices partakers of the altar?
1Co 10:19 What say I then? that the idol is any thing, or that which is offered in sacrifice to idols is any thing?
1Co 10:20 But I say, that the things which the Gentiles sacrifice, they sacrifice to devils, and not to God: and I would not that ye should have fellowship with devils.
1Co 10:21 Ye cannot drink the cup of the Lord, and the cup of devils: ye cannot be partakers of the Lord’s table, and of the table of devils.
1Co 10:22 Do we provoke the Lord to jealousy? are we stronger than he?
As our liturgical readings have stated, we are in our last week that is soon to lead up to the Passover and is the time where we celebrate the Lord’s Supper, also called the Lord’s table as we have prior seen.
If you notice from our focal text the Apostle Paul is speaking in warning of the dangers of
1. being ignorant
1Co 10:1 our examples or that we should lust after evil things as our fathers leaving Egypt
2. idolatry of lust or covetousness1Co 10:6-8
Col 3:5 … covetousness, which is idolatry;
1Jn 5:21 Little children, guard yourselves from idols. Amen.
a. tempting Christ
b. murmuring
- not judging one’s self especially by theses past examples
The book of Hebrews gives us a clear hope we have as faithful Christians as we evaluate this situation concerning apply our father’s example:
Heb 3:14 For we are made partakers of Christ, if we hold the beginning of our confidence stedfast unto the end;
Heb 4:1 Let us therefore fear, lest, a promise being left us of entering into his rest, any of you should seem to come short of it.
Heb 4:2 For unto us was the gospel preached, as well as unto them: but the word preached did not profit them, not being mixed with faith in them that heard it.
Thus in the same way the apostle Paul in preparing his discourse to flow into chapter 11 speaking of standing with is an illustration of faith, as we stand by and in faith
1Co 10:12 Wherefore let him that thinketh he standeth take heed lest he fall.
Here is then the standing we are to think then upon:
Rom_5:2 our Lord Jesus Christ: By whom also we have access by faith into this grace wherein we stand, and rejoice in hope of the glory of God.
1Co_2:5 That your faith should not stand in the wisdom of men, but in the power of God.
2Co_1:24 … for by faith ye stand.
Thus the Apostles says especial to us in preparation for the Cup of Blessing and table of bread:
1Co 10:12 Wherefore let him that thinketh he standeth take heed lest he fall.
and then he encourages us
1Co 10:13 There hath no temptation taken you but such as is common to man: but God is faithful, who will not suffer you to be tempted above that ye are able; but will with the temptation also make a way to escape, that ye may be able to bear it.
1Co 10:14 Wherefore, my dearly beloved, flee from idolatry.
1Co_10:15 I speak as to wise men; judge ye what I say.
1Co 10:16 The cup of blessing which we bless, is it not the communion of the blood of Christ? The bread which we break, is it not the communion of the body of Christ?
1Co 10:17 For we being many are one bread, and one body: for we are all partakers of that one bread.
Paul then continues to warn us by true acts of idolatry and devil worship, but is rather comparing it to the prior warned of idolatry that we consider less sinful often in our mind, idolatry present with us with our a statue or graven image, idolatry which must be present with s as it was with our fathers, else we could not be told “flee” from it.
tempting or testing Christ and murmuring, and lacking judgment.
Paul’s warning is that we can not partake of 2 different cups or tables
Either we are truly seated at the Lord YHWH Christ’s table or we are seated with devils, lies and our own faithless discontent with Christ.
As we take this time to prepare for communion with the Lord, some of us for the first time in this church body local, some us many times, let me ask you to do as the Apostle asked the Corinthians at this time
judge ye what I say. as I repeat the narratives of scripture on this subject of meeting with Christ at His own table.
When you sit down and you partake this year, particularly of the 2 sacred elements the Bread or the Wine, are you coming to the table a heart mind and soul that is standing by faith?
a being that is not in any way of life resolved to provoke the Lord to jealousy?
and in any way thinks them selves to stronger than he?
that is a resolve that
“the earth is the Lord’s and the fullness there of”? ( Psa. 24:1 )
A being (Body, Soul and Spirit) that is satisfied to live in that reality, and unwilling to challenge these facts in our own life- standing only by faith in God’s grace through the mediation of Jesus Christ which these elements represent of which we proclaim to be in and he in us.
1Co_10:15 I speak as to wise men; judge ye what I say.
It is evident that the Apostle had many issues to deal with in the Corinthian church, interwoven into the Passover narrative of the book, which starts in :
1Co 5:6-8
as he asks and commands th church if they know from the lesson of the feast, that
” a little leaven leaveneth the whole lump?
1Co 5:7 Purge out therefore the old leaven, that ye may be a new lump, as ye are unleavened. For even Christ our passover is sacrificed for us:
1Co 5:8 Therefore let us keep the feast, not with old leaven, neither with the leaven of malice and wickedness; but with the unleavened bread of sincerity and truth.
and here in chapters10 and 11 Paul deals with this issue of idolatry of the heart, and conviction of God’s preeminence of all things in life, and then he also brings up the subject of the family in
1 Cor 11 as he lays out the principles of headship and Godly authority in the home and church.
1Co 11:3 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.
Paul sets in order the home structure as it flows out into church worship before he goes back to dealing with communion, and the reason seemingly being, that , while the tempting and murmuring against Christ is one aspect of societal decay and covetous idolatry in need of being rectified, and a proper mindset concerning idolatry in the physical and conscience form, but after this is a proper structure that will maintain godly structure into the future in the home and the church.
And I think it is safe to say that the problems in Corinth are because of the problems in the society and the family and the church.
So the poor disposition concerning the supper and th cup was a image, a true symbol seen of the chaos in th church’s society, which was a reflection of the chaos in the families society.
Thus Paul systematically works this out
1Co 11:17 Now in this that I declare unto you I praise you not, that ye come together not for the better, but for the worse.
1Co 11:18 For first of all, when ye come together in the church, I hear that there be divisions among you; and I partly believe it.
1Co 11:19 For there must be also heresies among you, that they which are approved may be made manifest among you.
1Co 11:20 When ye come together therefore into one place, this is not to eat the Lord’s supper.
1Co 11:21 For in eating every one taketh before other his own supper: and one is hungry, and another is drunken.
1Co 11:22 What? have ye not houses to eat and to drink in? or despise ye 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.
See, Paul is reflecting back to the ultimatum he states,
1Co 10:21 Ye cannot drink the cup of the Lord, and the cup of devils: ye cannot be partakers of the Lord’s table, and of the table of devils.
And he is condemning the practice as representative of the problems in the church.
disorder
and he says if you are simply here for another meal or another drink… go home, go back to the table of your own demonic idol of self.
Because that is not what is represented here.
1Co 11:23 For I have received of the Lord that which also I delivered unto you, That the Lord Jesus the same night in which he was betrayed took bread:
1Co 11:24 And when he had given thanks, he brake it, and said, Take, eat: this is my body, which is broken for you: this do in remembrance of me.
1Co 11:25 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 ye drink it, in remembrance of me.
1Co 11:26 For as often as ye eat this bread, and drink this cup, ye do shew the Lord’s death till he come.
1Co 11:27 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.
1Co 11:28 But let a man examine himself, and so let him eat of that bread, and drink of that cup.
1Co 11:29 For he that eateth and drinketh unworthily, eateth and drinketh damnation to himself, not discerning the Lord’s body.
1Co 11:30 For this cause many are weak and sickly among you, and many sleep.
1Co 11:31 For if we would judge ourselves, we should not be judged.
1Co 11:32 But when we are judged, we are chastened of the Lord, that we should not be condemned with the world.
1Co 11:33 Wherefore, my brethren, when ye come together to eat, tarry one for another.
1Co 11:34 And if any man hunger, let him eat at home; that ye come not together unto condemnation. And the rest will I set in order when I come.
Let me take some time to call to you repentance and prepare yourself for communion with the Lord, at His table of Bread and a Drink from His cup.
I have heard it said, and it is partly true, that we could never be worthy of ourselves to eat that bread and drink that cup, and that is true on a spiritual level. But just as the Apostle said our father who All were Baptized to Moses had some among them who did not believe, but rather had idolatry in their heart and tempted and murmured and did not judge, so we have in us as their children, even the Baptized among us.
We need to regularly judge as wise and examine our self as the Apostle elsewhere says:
2Co 13:5 Examine yourselves, whether ye be in the faith; prove your own selves. Know ye not your own selves, how that Jesus Christ is in you, except ye be reprobates?
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