Each one must examine himself before he eats of the bread and drinks of the cup.But let a man examine himself, and so let him eat of the bread and drink of the cup.But let a man examine himself, and so let him eat of that bread, and drink of that cup.But let a man prove himself, and so let him eat of the bread, and drink of the cup.
5 sermons cite this verse
God, we pray that You would open our eyes to understand Your Word this morning. In particular, the meaning of the Lord's Supper. God, we pray that Your Spirit would help us to grasp the significance of communion and to see how it affects the way we worship you. In Jesus' name we pray. Amen. What I want us to do is ask some basic questions about the Lord's Supper. Across this room, there are a variety of religious backgrounds. Many of you have not grown up in church. Many of you have grown up in church. Even if you've grown up in church, there's a variety of different religious backgrounds that are represented, denominational backgrounds that are represented in this room. And so we've got some questions about the Lord's Supper that I want us to take a look at biblically this morning. And you've got a list there. If you've got your celebration guide, pull those notes out and use these notes as a guide as we look at worship in the Lord's Supper. …
… will be guilty of the body and blood of the Lord. let a man examine himself, and so let him eat of the bread and drink of the cup. For he who eats and drinks in an unworthy manner actually eats and drinks judgment to himself. And this is in every manuscript, by the way. So I'm going to be like, oh, this is one of those ones. No. Eats and drinks judgment to himself, not discerning the Lord's body. For this reason, he's telling the church of Corinth, many are weak among you and sick and many sleep. That's code for dead. Only Christians are called sleeping when they die. for if we would judge ourselves, we would not have to be judged. You should never take communion without first pausing and confessing any sin unrepented of in your heart, because to eat and drink these elements, you could get sick or die or just be weak as a result, because you're being trivial or flippant about something so serious and not being introspective and relationally seeking harmony with your father, who's already forgiven you, but wants to restore you relationally to him. …
11. Thirdly. All who desire an increase of the grace of God are to wait for it in partaking of the Lords Supper: For this also is a direction himself hath given. “The same night in which he was betrayed, he took bread, and brake it, and said, Take, eat; this is my body;” that is, the sacred sign of my body: “This do in remembrance of me.” Likewise, “he took the cup, saying, This cup is the new testament,” or covenant, “in my blood;” the sacred sign of that covenant; “this do ye in remembrance of me.” “For as often as ye eat this bread, and drink this cup, ye do show forth the Lords death till he come:” (1 Cor. 11:23) Ye openly exhibit the same by, these visible signs, before God, and angels, and men; ye manifest your solemn remembrance of his death, till he cometh in the clouds of heaven. only “let a man” first “examine himself,” whether he understand the nature and design of this holy institution, and whether he really desire to be himself made conformable to the death of Christ; and so, nothing doubting, “let him eat of that bread, and drink of that cup.” (1 Cor. 11:28.) Here, then, the direction first given by our Lord is expressly repeated by the Apostle: “Let him eat; let him drink;” esthieto, pineto, both in the imperative mood;) words not implying a bare permission only, but a clear, explicit command; a command to all those either who already are filled with peace and joy in believing, or who can truly say, “The remembrance of our sins is grievous unto us, the burden of them is intolerable.” …
"Let a man examine himself, and so let him eat of that bread and drink ofthat cup." 1 Corinthians 11:28. "Let a man examine himself." That is, any man—every man who intends to eat of that bread and drink of that cup. The word is indefinite that it may be understood to be universal. No man is to come to that Table, no woman is to draw near without the previous self-examination. No age will excuse us, for there have been aged hypocrites, as well as young deceivers. No office will exonerate us from this examination, for there was a Judas even among the Apostles. The highest degree in the Church of God may consist with the most rotten formality. We are to examine ourselves each time we come. Each man is to do so. No one is to shirk the personal duty. Everyone is to undertake it as in the sight of God. Brothers and Sisters, you members of the Church about to come around this Table, give heed to the mandate of the Holy Spirit, by the inspired Apostle! "Let each one here examine himself, and so let him eat of this bread." "Let a man examine himself." The word is forcible. Let him make inquisition into his own soul as to whether all is right or not. Let him search diligently, tracing out every symptom that looks unfavorable, if, perhaps, that symptom may reveal the truth. Let him dwell upon every dark side or ill-looking spot, if, perhaps, those dark signs should mean more than is apparent on the surface. We are not to trifle with ourselves by making a superficial survey. Let a man examine himself as does the dealer in precious metals when he thrusts the ore into the fire, knowing that only the gold will come out, while the dross will be consumed. Put yourself into a crucible! Heat the furnace of examination seven times hotter than before, for since your heart will, if possible, escape from knowing the truth, be resolved that it shall know it, and the worst of it, too! Let a man review, test, prove, search, try! In all the strongest words that I could find that mean the fullest scrutiny, would I put the language of the Apostle, "Let a man examine himself." …
Who show it? "As often as ye eat this bread and drink this cup, ye do show the Lord's death." The "ye," then includes all the saints of God—all who come to the table, who eat this bread and drink this cup; and truly a very pleasing thought arises from this. Here is a way of showing Christ's death in which all who love Christ have a share. You cannot all show it from the pulpit; gifts are not equally distributed; but you all alike share in this showing of his death—in this special way, which he himself celebrated for our example, and which he delivered to his servant Paul, expressly that it might stand on record. Now if Paul himself were here, he could not show Christ's death alone at the Lord's Supper. He must ask some of his poorer brethren to come with him. If the minister of a church should be full of the Holy Ghost, yet could he not show forth Christ's death here in this peculiar way. He must say to his brethren, "Come, brethren and sisters; it says ' ye,' as often as ye eat this bread and drink this cup." Here we are to-night, as we sit here, all brought into a blessed equality in the act of using the same outward sign, and of performing the Master's will in the same way. "But," says ones "doth every man who comes to the table, and eats and drinks, show Christ's death? Notice how the verse which follows my text puts a bar to that. "Let a man examine himself, and so let him eat of this bread." It must be taken for granted that the man has examined himself—that he comes there as a true believer in Jesus—that he comes there with the full intent to show Christ's death; and if he does that, such a man is showing Christ's death. I am very earnest, dear brethren and sisters, as it has been a long time since I have met with you—having been kept away so long by sickness, though I have been with my brethren below stairs—I am anxious that we should indeed show Christ's death to-night. Let us do it to ourselves. I find that the text may either be read in the indicative or in the imperative mood. It is either "ye show Christ's death," as our version has it, or it may be "show ye Christ's death"—it is an exhortation. Oh! let us take care that we show it to ourselves. "Show it to ourselves?" says one. Yes, it is meant for you. This is a primary meaning of the text. When you take that bread, don't think of the bread, and stay there, but say to your own soul, "My soul, think thou of Jesus. My heart, go away now to Gethsemane. Come, ye stray thoughts; Come, ye passing vanities, begone! I must away to where my Saviour bled and died. …