April 2, 2000        How will you come to God’s Table?               I Cor. 10

By Ronald E. George Jr. at the Fayetteville Baptist Church

The Great Pyramid of Giza in Egypt stands as a monument to the pride of the Pharaoh Khufu (also known as Cheops). The pyramid's base covers 13 acres. This awe-inspiring memorial is estimated to contain 2.3 million blocks of stone, each weighing from 2 to 15 tons. Some 100,000 men spent 20 years building the Great Pyramid, but the sands of time have worn away its surface and thieves have stolen its treasures.

Unlike that memorial, the one initiated by our Lord on the night of His betrayal speaks not of pride, but of love and sacrifice. Its beauty can't be diminished by time, nor its treasures pilfered by thieves. Each time believers share the bread and cup together, the power of Jesus' memorial is as fresh as the night it was first observed.

Each month we come to the table of the Lord to remember his sacrifice for our sins. How will you come today to this table of the Lord? Will you come because it is something that we do in the church? Will you come because it is something that you have always done? Will you come to the table of the Lord because He invites you to join him who gave his life for you?

Scripture Text: 1Cor 10:15 I speak as to wise men; judge ye what I say. 16 The cup of blessing which we bless, is it not the communion of the blood of Christ? The bread which we break, is it not the communion of the body of Christ? 17 For we [being] many are one bread, [and] one body: for we are all partakers of that one bread. 18 Behold Israel after the flesh: are not they which eat of the sacrifices partakers of the altar? 19 What say I then? that the idol is any thing, or that which is offered in sacrifice to idols is any thing? 20 But I [say], that the things which the Gentiles sacrifice, they sacrifice to devils, and not to God: and I would not that ye should have fellowship with devils. 21 Ye cannot drink the cup of the Lord, and the cup of devils: ye cannot be partakers of the Lord's table, and of the table of devils. 22 Do we provoke the Lord to jealousy? are we stronger than he?

Judge for yourselves. How will you come to the table.

  1. Will you come as a thirsty sinner? Will you drink of the blood of Christ? 16 The cup of blessing which we bless, is it not the communion of the blood of Christ? Will you join in sharing the blood of the Lamb? This blood was shed or bled out for you. Will you accept his sacrifice for your sins? For all have sinned and come short of the glory of the Lord. Will you accept the fact that you are a sinner? We all need to have our sins forgiven. Will you accept Christ as the person who has what you need? If you wish to join in the sacrifice for your sins then you may take of the cup today that represents the sacrifice he has given for you. If you will ask him to save you, then he will give to you the spiritual drink that will wash away your sin.

2.  Will you come as a hungry person? Will you eat of the bread of the body of Christ? The bread which we break, is it not the communion of the body of Christ? Will you join in sharing the broken body of the Lord? His body was broken for you so that you could live forever. Will you come as a person who needs food to live? Without the broken body of the Lord you will die? You have to have food to live. He died so that we may live. We come to his table because we have a desire to live. We want to live. But, we know that we all must die. Heb. 9:27 says that we all must die and after this the judgement. There are two things we must do in life. We must die and be judged. We all need to have a substitute so that we may live. Will you come to his table because you know he has the spiritual bread that will give you life eternal? He has the bread that will satisfy your spiritual hunger. He is the bread of life.

3.  Will you come as an accepting person? Will you join with others who come to partake of the blood and the body? For we [being] many are one bread, [and] one body: for we are all partakers of that one bread. Although we are many and each one is different, we can come to this table of the Lord and become one in Him. By coming here we come to accept others as we have been accepted by the Lord. If you come in acceptance of the Lord, then you will have to come in acceptance of all those who are there.

1Joh 4:7 (KJS) Beloved, let us love one another: for love is of God; and every one that loveth is born of God, and knoweth God. 8 He that loveth not knoweth not God; for God is love. Acceptance of others is something that the Lord gives to all those that are his. We are all equal and all are partakers of that one body. Will you come in acceptance of others with all of their faults and failures? Coming to the body or the church and committing yourself to them in membership is a commitment to the Lord who has led you to that church. It doesn’t mean that you have the perfect church, because churches are made of imperfect people but it does mean that you have come to join the church that God has chosen for you.

4.  Will you come as God’s person? Will you come only to the table of the Lord? 21 Ye cannot drink the cup of the Lord, and the cup of devils: ye cannot be partakers of the Lord's table, and of the table of devils. 22 Do we provoke the Lord to jealousy? are we stronger than he?

The devil has a table also and he lures you to his table with all the things of the world that are so delicious to the taste, but leave a bad after taste. When you come to the table of the Lord you must desert the table of the devil. Many want to try to eat from both tables but the Lord calls us to decide which we will eat from. Have you chosen God in your life? Then you have chosen the table of the Lord over the table of the devil.

  1. Will you come today to choose God? Then you have chosen to live for Him and with Him.