Fellowship Around the Table Part 3

Culture of the Kingdom
Today’s Topic: Breaking of Bread: Fellowship Around the Table Part 3
Scripture: Matthew 26:19-22; 1 Corinthians 11:28,29

Greetings Kingdom Citizens
In this next example we are going to look at the Lord's Supper. Now for many seasoned citizens of the Kingdom we celebrate that as communion and along with communion some of us wash feet. Now in keeping with the focus of fellowship around the table we already know that at the Lord's Table there is peace, safety, fellowship and of course breaking of bread. Today we will look at another element that happens at the Lord's Table.

Matthew 26:19-22: And the disciples did as Jesus had appointed them; and they made ready the Passover. Now when the even was come, he sat down with the twelve. And as they did eat, He said, "Verily I say unto you, that one of you shall betray me. And they were exceeding sorrowful and began every one of them to say unto Him, Lord, is it I?

What is going on here? Here at the Lord's Table we have a discerning of hearts at the table. Now Jesus could have said this long before but it was at the table, during a meal, the passover to be exact, that Jesus lays out these truths of what is about to happen. Now for the disciples they were obviously sad but also worried about whether they or which one of them will betray the Lord. Now I want to show you that communion is more than just bread and wine and the death, burial and resurrrection of Jesus. Here at the table there should be a discerning or the Lord's body.

1 Corinthians 11:28,29: But let a man examine himself, and so let him eat of that bread and drink of that cup. For he that eateth and drinketh unworthily, eath and drinketh damnation to himself not discerning the Lord's body

Who or what is the Lord's body? It is the church! So during communion when the church comes together there should be a discerning of the Body of Christ. So the Lord's Supper is designed for the Body of Christ to come together and to discern that, no matter how different we are. To sit at the table of the Lord is to remind you that you are the Body of Christ. Now when you come together, if you do not discern the Lord's body then you eat and drink condemnation to yourself. Jesus was clear that at the Table of the Lord there is discernment of hearts and this why Paul said for every man to examine himself because if there is true discernment then what you think you can hide, the Lord will bring out. Ask Judas and even Peter. So now communion for the church should take on a more discerning atmosphere and meaning to the church.

In the next message we will look at the final example of Fellowship around the table.

At the Father’s Service,
Elder Calvin Calhoun Jr.