The Lord's Supper: A Healthy Choice

Introduction

Next to salvation, devine health would have to be the greatest blessing we can have

  • Not money

Can't enjoy the blessing without health

People lose their health to gain wealth then spend their wealth to regain their health

  • Need health to enjoy wealth

Your health is pivotal to enjoying much of life

  • God's nature to heal

One of the main ministries of Jesus was healing the sick

Act 10:37-38 NIV You know what has happened throughout Judea, beginning in Galilee after the baptism that John preached (38) how God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Spirit and power, and how he went around doing good and healing all who were under the power of the devil, because God was with him.

  • E.g. Peter's mother in-law
  • Healed - got up and served - blessed to be a blessing
  • Healed to bring healing to our community
  • Transformed to transform our world - see his kingdom come
  • Healing is evidence that god wants you to stay here and so something

Question - If it is God's nature to heal - why are so many sick?

  • Bible gives only 1 reason

1Co 11:29-30 NIV For anyone who eats and drinks without recognizing the body of the Lord eats and drinks judgment on himself. (30) That is why many among you are weak and sick, and a number of you have fallen asleep.

People were, weak, sick and dying because.....they failed to recognise the Lords body

They didn't know WHY they were partaking in the body of Christ

They did not understand the significance of the suffering Jesus experience in His body

  • Result - they were sick, weak and died

If this is true - ignore the body of Christ and die

  • Reverse is also true - acknowledge the body of Christ and LIVE

Mans answer to health is to - Eat right food and exercise

  • Truth to this - but not the key to divine health

2Co 10:4 NIV The weapons we fight with are not the weapons of the world. On the contrary, they have divine power to demolish strongholds.

  • Natural solutions only go so far

Early church - Majored on majors

Act 2:42 NIV They devoted themselves to the apostles' teaching and to the fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer.

How to recognize (discern) the Lord's body

  • Note: Not failing to discern the Lords blood but body

a) Cup = Blood of Christ shed for the forgiveness of sin

  • Most Christians understand that

Col 1:14 MKJV in whom we have redemption through His blood, the remission of sins.

b) Bread = Body of Christ broken for us for our health and healing

  • Isaiah prophesied it

Isa 53:5 NIV But he was pierced for our transgressions, he was crushed for our iniquities; the punishment that brought us peace was upon him, and by his wounds we are healed.

  • E.g. Syrophoenician woman

Mar 7:26-30 NIV The woman was a Greek, born in Syrian Phoenicia. She begged Jesus to drive the demon out of her daughter. (27) "First let the children eat all they want," he told her, "for it is not right to take the children's bread and toss it to their dogs." (28) "Yes, Lord," she replied, "but even the dogs under the table eat the children's crumbs." (29) Then he told her, "For such a reply, you may go; the demon has left your daughter." (30) She went home and found her child lying on the bed, and the demon gone.

  • Just one crumb - healed and delivered her daughter

Jesus invites us to take and eat

Mat 26:26 NIV While they were eating, Jesus took bread, gave thanks and broke it, and gave it to his disciples, saying, "Take and eat; this is my body."

  • Jesus was never sick

Even clothes were soaked in his health

  • E.g. woman bleeding for 12 years

Mar 5:28-29 MKJV For she said, If I may but touch only His clothes, I will be cured. (29) And instantly the fountain of her blood dried up. And she felt in her body that she was healed of that plague.

  • Miracles were verified by doctors

Luk 6:19 MKJV And all the crowd sought to touch Him, for power went out of Him and healed them all.

Jesus was full of life and health and He said - "take and eat"

Many Christians will take pills and medicine but they forget to take the cup and the bread

His whole body was broken that our broken bodies would become whole

Lords supper brings a double cure

  • We see this in the very first Passover - shadow of things to come

Exo 12:7-9 NIV Then they are to take some of the blood and put it on the sides and tops of the doorframes of the houses where they eat the lambs. (8) That same night they are to eat the meat roasted over the fire, along with bitter herbs, and bread made without yeast. (9) Do not eat the meat raw or cooked in water, but roast it over the fire - head, legs and inner parts.

Blood of the lamb sides and tops on door frames

  • Lord would see the blood and Passover their house

Body of the lamb to be eaten

  • All of it - head, legs, inner parts

Psa 105:37 MKJV He also brought them out with silver and gold; and there was not one feeble person among their tribes.

If the lamb that was a shadow could bring such supernatural results, how much more the real lamb

Lord's supper not just forgiveness but HEALING

  • Both are a blood bought right for Christians

When we partake in the communion meal, the bible says we...

Proclaim the Lords death

1Co 11:26 NIV For whenever you eat this bread and drink this cup, you proclaim the Lord's death until he comes.

  • When ever we eat we are proclaiming to the principalities and powers that they were disarmed and defeated on the cross
  • We proclaim the victory in Christ - Jesus reigns and WE WIN

Devil no match for those who believe in the broken body of Christ

Conclusion

Power in what you eat

  • Adam eat the fruit and sin, disease and death entered the world

God's solution - to eat the bread of life

  • That health and wholeness would reign
  • Just one crumb from the masters table brings total healing
  • Just one touch of the hem of his garment brings total healing

Can all be yours - let's eat and drink in remembrance of HIM

1Co 11:27-30 NIV Therefore, 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. (28) A man ought to examine himself before he eats of the bread and drinks of the cup. (29) For anyone who eats and drinks without recognizing the body of the Lord eats and drinks judgment on himself. (30) That is why many among you are weak and sick, and a number of you have fallen asleep.

We are to EXAMINE ourselves, so we do not eat in an UNWORTHY manner and bring JUDGEMENT on ourselves

1. Unworthy manner

  • Not when full of sin - for none of us could ever take it

Unworthy manner = to fail to recognise the purpose and significance

  • When we don't recognise the broken body was there to bring health
  • When we treat the communion like a ritual and miss out on the blessings

When you fail to discern His body you are despising his work on the cross

  • Elaborates further
  • Not because you are hungry - eat at home first
  • Unworthily - Treating it as a common meal

2. Examine yourself

  • Not to see if there was sin in their lives

To see if you are doing what I've just said

  • Do you recognise the power of the blood and the body? - Selah

3. Judgement on yourself

  • Not God's anger or wrath
  • Krima - divine sentence

Speaking of the divine sentence fell against mankind through Adam

  • You will be subject to the ageing process (God's judgement)
  • Partaking in the body of Christ (2nd Adam) - offsets this sentence
  • Forever young - thanks to the Body of Christ
  • E.g. Dad - riding bike