Begin with two minutes of silence and stillness before God.
Paul tells his readers to imitate him as he imitates Christ. He gives various instructions to bring order to gatherings of the early church that would’ve applied to the culture of their day. Then he speaks about taking part in the Lord’s Supper or Communion, something Jesus instituted with his disciples on the night he was betrayed (See Luke 14). He says that participating in the Lord’s Supper actually proclaims the sacrifice that Jesus made for us. Charles Spurgeon writes in this passage and states, “We celebrate the ordinance until he comes because forgiveness through Christ’s death is still available for all who trust in him. By partaking of this Supper until Christ comes, we hold up this signpost to all who want to journey to heaven.” I love the imagery of the signpost that Spurgeon uses to explain this passage. It makes me think of times when I’ve heard people say that they’re “just looking for a sign from God.” Usually, that statement is in reference to deciding on whether or not they should take this job or that job or buy this house or that house, and they want a sign to show them that their choice is the “right” choice. Well, here’s your sign from God, folks. It’s way deeper than jobs and houses; it’s about incorruptible things, things that will not pass away. Through the Lord’s Supper, we hold up THE sign from God: we proclaim the Gospel—that Jesus lived a sinless life, died to pay for our sins, and rose from the dead on the third day—and the Second Coming—that Jesus is coming again to make all things right. What a privilege it is that we, as Christ-followers, get to participate in this! Paul doesn’t move away from this topic without giving a word of caution to his readers.
He tells us not to participate in an “unworthy manner” but to examine ourselves first to make sure that we don’t have sin in our lives that we’re ignoring. Paul always brings it back to the heart, just as Jesus did in his teachings. Examine your heart, even when things look good on the outside. Dig deep and determine if the posture of your heart is one of surrender to Christ and the work he wants to do in and through you.
Take two minutes to reflect in silence.