When it comes to the sacraments, not following the directions may cause serious side effects. 1 Corinthians 11:17-34 (NIV) 17  In the following directives I have no praise for you, for your meetings do more harm true church— and no one ought to be separated from it Summary Boy, are we thankful for the hapless Corinthians And the mistake Paul corrects here in chapter 11 is a doozie: their practice of the Lord's Supper was Paul urges the Corinthians, and by extension us, to not just show up for Supper, but to prepare for it

Frivolous warning signs are easy to ignore, but not all warnings are frivolous. Read / Listen Listen to passage & devotional: Heidelberg Catechism Q&A 82 Q. Are those to be admitted to the Lord’s Supper who show by what they say and do that they are unbelieving and ungodly? A. No, that would dishonor God’s covenant and bring down God’s anger upon the entire congregation. Therefore, according to the instruction of Christ and his apostles, the Christian church is duty-bound to exclude such people, by the official use of the keys of the kingdom, until they reform their lives. Summary The celebration of the Lord's Supper in Corinth had become a farce. Earlier in this chapter, Paul writes of how some would go hungry while another would over indulge until he was drunk. After reiterating the instructions Jesus gave for participating in His body and blood, Paul lays down a stern warning: those who come to the table in an unworthy manner are guilty of sinning against the body and blood of Jesus! So serious is this sin that it may even cause the entire congregation to get sick and even die (v30)! This seems really harsh, but we're reminded that the Lord disciplines us now so that we will not be condemned with the rest of the world. The Lord's discipline, though sometimes painful, is actually an act of His grace! One important key to coming to the Lord's table in a worthy manner is given in v28: you must examine yourself beforehand. That means, as one lexicon put it, "to try to learn the genuineness" of your faith. This is why most Reformed churches announce their communion celebration well in advance, and then spend time corporately as also individually preparing, so that each member of the congregation can examine their faith, hope and love to make sure it's firmly rooted in Christ alone. Dig Deeper We get so used to warning signs being slapped on to everything due to the overabundant caution manufacturers exercise as the result of often frivolous lawsuits stemming from people who hurt themselves by abusing the company's product. We see WARNING, DANGER & CAUTION placards so often now that we rarely take the time to read them or understand the dangers they communicate. It's easy to convey that lackadaisical attitude toward scripture. Certainly there are all sorts of warnings, especially in the Old Testament but also in the New Testament, about the repercussions God's covenant people can expect if they transgress God's commands. But as Christians we're so accustomed to downplaying and flat out disregarding these warnings because we know in the end our sins have been atoned for and forgiven in Christ, and that somehow that makes us exempt from God's discipline. Don't make that mistake. Take the Bible's warnings against sin, and especially this warning regarding unworthy participation in the Supper seriously. Don't let it scare you away, but as you prepare for it, examine your life for indwelling sin and root it out as you ensure your faith is placed squarely in Christ. AAA Prayer (About) ACKNOWLEDGE WHO GOD IS: Our Father, who lovingly disciplines His children to save them from eternal condemnation; ALIGN YOUR LIFE WITH GOD'S WILL: Pray that you take all of the Bible's warnings against sin seriously; ASK GOD FOR WHAT YOU NEED: Read the New Testament in a year, a chapter a day - Luke 22

God calling you to His Table is both a gracious invitation and a powerful command. Read / Listen Listen to passage & devotional: Heidelberg Catechism Q&A 77 Q. Where does Christ promise to nourish and refresh believers with his body and blood as surely as they eat this broken bread and drink this cup? A. In the institution of the Lord’s Supper: “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.” This promise is repeated by Paul in these words: “Is not the cup of thanksgiving for which we give thanks a participation in the blood of Christ? And is not the bread that we break a participation in the body of Christ? Because there is one loaf, we, who are many, are one body, for we all partake of the one loaf.” Summary This is a summarized paraphrase of the commentary Dr. Zacharias Ursinus, the author of the Heidelberg Catechism, wrote regarding QA 77. The Lord's Supper was instituted by Jesus on the night He was betrayed, during the last celebration of the Passover. This marked the end of ancient sacrifices and the establishment of a new sacrament. The Passover symbolized Christ's future sacrifice, while the Lord's Supper signifies its fulfillment. By instituting it at the time of His death, Jesus made it a testament or last will. During the Supper, Jesus took unleavened bread, similar to the what was eaten during the Passover feast. However, this specific type of bread is not necessary for the celebration. The bread used in the Lord's Supper spiritually nourishes the soul, strengthens faith, and signifies union with Christ. Before distributing the bread, Jesus gave thanks. This signifies gratitude to the Father for His redemptive plan. Jesus then broke the bread, symbolizing His suffering and graphically depicting what would happen to His own body, how He Himself, like the one loaf, would be distributed to all who trust in him. When Jesus said, "Take, eat," He commanded His disciples and the New Testament church to partake in the Supper. This highlights that the Lord's Supper should not be a mere spectator event or a private supper for priests, but a communal act of receiving and eating the elements. Regarding the statement, "This is my body," Jesus referred to the bread as a sign or sacrament of His body. The bread does not physically become His body but signifies it. Likewise, the promise attached to the sacrament establishes a connection between the sign and the thing signified, not through physical union but through a sacramental union. The bread becomes the sacrament of Christ's body through this promise, which requires faith from the participants. The Supper was instituted as a remembrance of Christ, including His death and the benefits He has obtained. It is not solely a meditation on His history but a remembrance that involves faith and gratitude. The Supper calls believers to remember Christ's sacrifice, appropriate His merits through faith, and publicly express gratitude. Jesus commanded all to drink from the cup, refuting the practice of denying the laity the wine. The argument that the command only applied to the disciples present at the time is flawed, as all believers are referred to as priests in Scripture. The notion of concomitance, claiming that the blood is present in the bread, is also contradicted by Jesus' separate administration of the bread and the cup. Dig Deeper In conclusion, the Lord's Supper holds great significance as a memorial of Christ's sacrifice, calling believers to remember His benefits, exercise faith, and express gratitude. It is a communal act of partaking in the elements, symbolizing the body and blood of Christ. The Supper should be observed with faith, unity, and gratitude, in accordance with the commandments of Jesus. Dr. Zacharias Ursinus, 1563 - Age 29 AAA Prayer (About) ACKNOWLEDGE WHO GOD IS: Our Father, who sent His only begotten Son, whose body would be broken and blood poured out to redeem all those who believe; ALIGN YOUR LIFE WITH GOD'S WILL: Ask God to begin preparing you now to appropriately respond to His gracious invitation to His table; ASK GOD FOR WHAT YOU NEED: Read the New Testament in a year, a chapter a day - Luke 13

Participating in the sacraments connects you to God's covenant people in all ages. 1 Corinthians 10:1 –4 (ESV) 1  For I do not want you to be unaware, brothers, that our fathers were all under the cloud,

If that does describe you, cling to the truth in 1 Corinthians 12.

Church discipline will never be popular, but it will always be necessary. 1 Corinthians 5:1-13 (NIV) In that case you would have to leave this world. 11  But now I am writing to you that you must not associate Paul is shocked that the Corinthian church was “proud” of what this man was doing. This ugly passage in 1 Corinthians 5 helps us understand two key reasons why. 2:5-11).

Reorient your thinking about the good things you do. 1 Corinthians 1:26-31 (NIV) 26  Brothers, think Today: 1 Corinthians 1

Stand firm in your faith, but work as equals with Christians who disagree. 1 Corinthians 3:1-9 (NIV) without grumbling, quarreling, or fighting Summary Once again we turn our attention to that hapless Corinthian because if we were unable to read these corrections, we would certainly make the same mistakes the Corinthians One of the Corinthians' hangups was the tribalism they'd fallen into. But today's passage still has relevance, since the tribalism the Corinthians fell victim to is very much

and return to Him; ASK GOD FOR WHAT YOU NEED: Read the New Testament in a year, a chapter a day - 2 Corinthians to Him; ASK GOD FOR WHAT YOU NEED: Read the New Testament in a year, a chapter a day - 2 Corinthians 1

In eight words, the Bible obliterates the world's wisdom. 1 Corinthians 1:27-30 (NIV) 27  But God