OPENING
Good morning, church.
Today, we come to the Lord’s Table to remember the sacrifice of Jesus Christ.
Communion is not merely a church tradition.
It is a sacred act of remembrance.
The bread reminds us of the body of Jesus given for us, and the cup reminds us of His blood poured out for the forgiveness of our sins.
Before we receive the bread and the cup, the apostle Paul gives us this instruction:
“Everyone ought to examine themselves before they eat of the bread and drink from the cup.”
—1 Corinthians 11:28
Our message today is entitled:
Examine Yourself
Let us read 1 Corinthians 11:23–29:
“For I received from the Lord what I also passed on to you: The Lord Jesus, on the night he was betrayed, took bread, 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.’
In the same way, after supper he took the cup, saying, ‘This cup is the new covenant in my blood; do this, whenever you drink it, in remembrance of me.’
For whenever you eat this bread and drink this cup, you proclaim the Lord’s death until he comes.
So then, whoever eats the bread or drinks the cup of the Lord in an unworthy manner will be guilty of sinning against the body and blood of the Lord.
Everyone ought to examine themselves before they eat of the bread and drink from the cup.
For those who eat and drink without discerning the body of Christ eat and drink judgment on themselves.”
The church in Corinth was treating Communion carelessly.
Their gathering had become marked by selfishness, division, pride, and disrespect.
Some had plenty to eat while others were neglected.
Some were even becoming drunk.
They were remembering the sacrifice of Christ while treating one another without love.
Paul therefore told them to examine themselves.
Notice that Paul did not say that only perfect people may participate in Communion.
None of us is perfect.
None of us is worthy because of our own goodness.
We come to the Lord’s Table because Jesus is worthy.
We come because He died for sinners.
We come because we need His grace.
The warning concerns receiving Communion in an unworthy manner—with carelessness, pride, hypocrisy, bitterness, or unwillingness to repent.
Self-examination does not mean asking, “Am I good enough?”
It means asking, “Am I coming with repentance, faith, humility, and reverence?”
There are three areas we should examine before receiving Communion.
1. Examine Your Relationship With God
The first question is: How is my relationship with God?
Before taking Communion, we should ask:
Is there a known sin in my life that I am refusing to surrender?
Have I become spiritually cold?
Have I been neglecting prayer, God’s Word, and obedience?
Am I truly trusting in Jesus, or am I trusting in my religious activity?
David prayed:
“Search me, God, and know my heart; test me and know my anxious thoughts. See if there is any offensive way in me.”
—Psalm 139:23–24
David understood that the human heart can deceive itself.
It is easy to see the failures of other people while ignoring our own.
We can recognize pride in others while protecting pride in ourselves.
We can criticize another person’s attitude while hiding bitterness in our own hearts.
We can appear religious on the outside while becoming distant from God inside.
Self-examination requires honesty.
It does not mean that we must remember every sin we have ever committed.
It means that we allow the Holy Spirit to reveal anything we are deliberately hiding, defending, or refusing to surrender.
There is a difference between struggling with sin and comfortably living in sin.
A believer may struggle, fall, repent, and return to God.
That person should come to Christ for grace.
But another person may know that something is sinful and still say, “I do not care. I will continue, and I refuse to repent.”
That is the attitude Scripture warns against.
God is not asking us to pretend that we are sinless.
He is asking us to be honest and repentant.
First John 1:9 says:
“If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness.”
Communion reminds us that forgiveness was purchased by Jesus.
When the Holy Spirit convicts us, we should not run away from God.
We should run toward Him.
Confess the sin.
Surrender the attitude.
Return to God.
The bread tells us that Christ gave His body for us.
The cup tells us that His blood was poured out for our forgiveness.
Therefore, examine your relationship with God.
2. Examine Your Relationship With Others
The second question is: How is my relationship with other people?
Communion is not only about our personal relationship with Jesus.
It also reminds us that we are members of one body.
First Corinthians 10:17 says:
“Because there is one loaf, we, who are many, are one body, for we all share the one loaf.”
At the Lord’s Table, there should be no room for pride, hatred, selfishness, discrimination, or unnecessary division.
The ground is level at the foot of the cross.
The rich and the poor need the same Savior.
The pastor and the congregation are saved by the same grace.
The young and the old are cleansed by the same blood.
Before receiving Communion, we should ask:
Am I holding bitterness against someone?
Is there someone I refuse to forgive?
Have I hurt someone but refused to apologize?
Have my words or actions caused division?
Am I treating others with the same grace that Christ has shown me?
Jesus said in Matthew 5:23–24:
“If you are offering your gift at the altar and there remember that your brother or sister has something against you… first go and be reconciled to them.”
Jesus takes reconciliation seriously.
How can we celebrate the forgiveness we received from Christ while refusing to forgive someone else?
How can we drink from the cup of grace while feeding bitterness in our hearts?
Forgiveness does not mean that the wrong was acceptable.
It does not always mean that trust is immediately restored.
Some relationships require wisdom, boundaries, accountability, and time.
But forgiveness means that we surrender personal revenge to God.
We refuse to allow hatred to control our hearts.
Perhaps you are the one who caused the hurt.
Self-examination may require you to admit it.
Communion should not produce only an emotional moment inside the church.
It should change how we treat people after the service.
Therefore, examine your relationship with others.
3. Examine Your Response to Christ’s Sacrifice
The third question is: How do I respond to the sacrifice of Jesus?
Paul warned the Corinthians against receiving Communion without discerning the body of Christ.
They had forgotten the sacred meaning of what they were doing.
The bread points us to the body of Jesus given for us.
The cup points us to His blood poured out for the forgiveness of sins.
We must never treat lightly what cost Jesus His life.
Communion reminds us that sin is serious.
If sin were a small matter, the cross would not have been necessary.
Jesus was betrayed.
He was rejected.
He was mocked.
He was beaten.
He was crowned with thorns.
He was nailed to the cross.
He carried the judgment that our sins deserved.
Isaiah 53:5 says:
“He was pierced for our transgressions, he was crushed for our iniquities.”
Jesus stood in our place.
He carried our guilt.
He received the punishment we deserved so that we could receive the grace we did not deserve.
Communion should never become an empty routine.
We may have received Communion many times, but the meaning should never become ordinary.
The cross should still humble us.
The cross should still lead us to repentance.
The cross should still fill us with gratitude.
The cross should still remind us how deeply God loves us.
Jesus died, but He did not remain in the grave.
He rose again.
He defeated sin and death.
He is alive.
He is coming again.
Paul said:
“Whenever you eat this bread and drink this cup, you proclaim the Lord’s death until he comes.”
Communion looks backward to the cross, inward to our hearts, outward toward one another, and forward to Christ’s return.
Therefore, examine how you are responding to Christ’s sacrifice.
Are you trusting fully in what Jesus accomplished?
Before we receive Communion, let us remember our three areas of examination:
Examine your relationship with God.
Examine your relationship with others.
Examine your response to Christ’s sacrifice.
Let us now take a moment of silence before the Lord.
Church, let us bow our heads.
Do not examine the person beside you.
Allow the Holy Spirit to examine your own heart.
Is there a sin that needs to be confessed?
Is there an attitude that needs to be surrendered?
Is there someone you need to forgive?
Is there someone from whom you need to ask forgiveness?
Have you become careless about the sacrifice of Jesus?
Let us silently confess our sins and place our trust again in the grace of Christ.
Allow approximately one minute of silence.
INVITATION TO PARTICIPATION
Communion is for those who have placed their faith in Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior and desire to follow Him in repentance and obedience.
You do not have to be perfect to participate.
You must simply come trusting in Christ and willing to surrender your life to Him.
If you have not yet placed your faith in Jesus or do not understand the meaning of Communion, you may allow the elements to pass.
There is no embarrassment in doing so.
Use this moment to reflect on the love of God revealed through Jesus Christ.
Distribution of the Bread and the Cup
I would now like to invite the communion servers to come forward.
Allow the servers to distribute the bread and the cup.
The bread reminds us of the body of Jesus Christ.
Jesus willingly gave Himself for us.
He carried our sins, suffered in our place, and gave His life so that we could be forgiven and reconciled to God.
First Corinthians 11:24 says:
“This is my body, which is for you; do this in remembrance of me.”
Let us pray.
Lord Jesus, thank You for giving Your body for us.
Thank You for bearing our sins and suffering in our place.
We remember Your sacrifice with humility and gratitude.
Help us to live as people who belong completely to You.
In Jesus’ name, Amen.
Church, let us eat together in remembrance of Christ.
Partake of the bread.
The cup reminds us of the blood of Jesus Christ.
His blood established the new covenant and secured forgiveness for all who trust in Him.
Jesus said:
“This cup is the new covenant in my blood; do this, whenever you drink it, in remembrance of me.”
Let us pray.
Lord Jesus, thank You for Your blood that was poured out for us.
Thank You for forgiveness, cleansing, reconciliation, and eternal life.
Our salvation is not based on our goodness but on Your grace.
Help us to live faithfully for You and to proclaim Your death until You come again.
In Jesus’ name, Amen.
Church, let us drink together in remembrance of Christ.
Partake of the cup.
Closing Thanksgiving
Church, today we have remembered the body of Christ given for us and the blood of Christ poured out for us.
Place your full confidence in Jesus Christ, our worthy Savior.
In Jesus’ name, Amen.