This evening we want to see four different troubles at the Lord’s Table that are found in the New Testament.
1.
First we want to see a “Betrayer at the Table” (Matthew 26:20-30).
This old world is full of betrayers. They are found out in the world, in the work place, in the home, and yes, sad to say, even in the Lord’s true churches. Now, I don’t believe that Judas Iscariot partook of that first Lord’s Supper. I am confident that he went out to do his evil work before the Supper was administered. Beloved, betrayers of the Lord, and of His people, and His Church have no business or place at the Lord’s Table.
2.
Secondly we want to see “Sinners at the Table” (1 Corinthians 5:1-11).
Anyone called a brother (or sister), who is guilty of such wicked sins as described in this passage of Scripture, and the many other sins that Paul could have listed here, has no place at the Lord’s Table. Such persons should be put out of the church by exclusion until they repent of their sins and ask the church for forgiveness. This is the rightful context and teaching of this passage. But certainly all such persons should not partake of the Lord’s Supper.
3.
Thirdly we want to see “Idolaters at the Table” (1 Corinthians 10:14-21).
I wish to add a few thoughts in connection with verse 21. Some of the devil’s tables include lodges, churches of unlike faith and order, and any organization that promotes the devil’s enterprise including ungodly music and dance, all forms of evil entertainment (whether secular or religious), the sale and abuse of drugs (legal or illegal) and alcoholic beverages, and the promotion of fornication and sins of all kinds.
Beloved, you can’t eat at Satan’s table and eat of the Lord’s table too!
4.
Fourthly we want to see “Divisions at the Table” (1 Corinthians 11:17-34).
Here in this passage the Corinthian believers were taking the Lord’s Supper in an unworthy manner (verse 27). They were not waiting on one another and considering one another, and there were divisions (factions, or schisms) in the church (verses 18-19). Beloved, we can not properly observe the Lord’s Supper and expect the Lord’s blessing on the observance of the ordinance, if there are divisions and disunity in the church!
They weren’t discerning the Lord’s body, which is His Church (verse 29). They were not considering all the members of the church, and especially they were not considering the poor. Beloved, the poor in the church are to be treated with just as much love, and respect, and honor, and consideration as the wealthy in the church, if not more so.
As a direct result of their divisions, and disunity, and mistreatment of others, the Lord was chastising them (verse 32). Because of this, many were weak, and sick, and some had even died (verse 30). Thank God for His chastisement! Thank God He doesn’t condemn us with the world. May we not despise the chastisement of the Lord, but may God help us to see the error of our ways and repent!
The remedy for our problems at the Lord’s Table is for each one of us to examine ourselves before taking the Supper (verse 28). We should ask the Lord to search our hearts as David did, to see if there be any wicked way in me! Then we must confess our sins, and repent of our sins, and forsake our sins, and ask the Lord to forgive us of our sins.
We may need to ask a brother or sister to forgive us of wrongs that we have done to them. This might be difficult for our old human pride, but it is necessary if we are going to take the Lord’s Supper in a worthy manner.
Conclusion:
The Lord’s Supper is a beautiful picture. It commemorates the Lord’s death till He come. It is a memorial of His broken body and shed blood for our sins. It is perhaps the most beautiful, and precious, and intimate of all aspects of Christian worship in the Lord’s Church.
But beloved, betrayers, and vile sinful persons, and idolaters, and divisions, and disunity will pollute and destroy this beautiful picture of the Gospel. Therefore, I strongly encourage all of us who are members of Calvary Baptist Church to examine ourselves before we partake of the Supper this evening. I courage each one of us to get everything right that may be wrong between us and the Lord, and between us and other brothers and sisters in the church.