May 31, 2026 · 03:24 PM
The Meaning of the Lord's Supper
DH
Daryl HannahA Call to Reverence
We're going to start at verse 17, 1 Kings 8. 1 Kings 8:1–11 You know, as we get ready to take a Lord's Supper, I want you to know this is reverent time. It's a time to be serious. It's a time of understanding that. It's not a time of joking and cutting up and playing and talking to the adults and stuff.
It's a time that, you know, because a lot of times we, as we talk about so many times we do things and we take it for granted. We come into the house of God and we do things in repetition. A lot of times, so many times, you know, you think about the way that we do things in repetition when we. A lot of times, and I've noticed it not so much here, but in a lot of your churches, and I want to thank y' all for not doing that. But in a lot of your churches, when you do sing it out of hymnals, you sing verses one, two and four, you never sing three. That's just. If you go to other churches, you'll see that. And there's a lot of rhyme or reason that you short song. But a lot of times that's what happens, and that's out of their tradition, that's out of the way that other people does things.
1 Corinthians 14:40
Daryl talks about order in worship (thematically related to 1 Corinthians 14:40), but did not explicitly direct the congregation to that passage.
A lot of churches, and one of your baptism churches, when you come in, you'll have a prayer and usually three songs and then the sermon and go home and everybody's happy. Go lucky. That's what church was and that's what we had. But that's out of repetition a lot of times, and that's not really meaning.
That's the way the order of service has to go in anything that we do. But as we come together today and look at 1 Corinthians, I want you to understand what the Lord's Supper is about. I want you to know fully about it before you partake of it. If you partake of it. If you don't want to take of it, please just let it pass on by you. And nobody's going to judge you, nobody's going to condemn you, nobody's going to different at you. But I want you to understand because a lot of times, you know, as a early Christian, when I was going to church and they talk about the Lord's Supper, I was like, you know, okay, we'll take a wafer or some unleavened bread or some lemon bread or whatever, we'll take of it, drink the juice. And so, okay, all right, that's what we do. I Don't learn to understand it, but that's what we do.
Well, I want you to understand it. I want you to know why you're doing it. I want you to think about why you're doing it. And if you do do it, I want you to understand what it really represents, because I don't want you to do it out of habit, out of tradition, or out of anything else but other than the reality of what it's meant. So if you found your places in 1 Corinthians 11, stand with me.
Reading the Passage
I'm going to read to you. If you understand from all that I want to read verses 17 through 34. 1 Corinthians 11:17
Scripture Reading
It says now in this I declare unto you, I praise you not, that ye come together not for the better, but for the worse. For first of all, when you come together in the church, I hear that there is division among you, and partly believe it. For there must also be also heresies among you, that they which are approved may be made manifest unto you when you come together, therefore, in one place. This is not to eat the Lord's supper. For in eating every one taketh before the other his own supper. And one is hungry and another is drunk. What, have you not houses to eat and drink it? Or despise ye the church of God and shame them that have not. What shall I say to you? Shall I praise you in this? I praise you not. For I have received of the Lord which also I deliver unto you. That the Lord Jesus, the same night in which he was betrayed, took bread, and when he had given thanks, he brake it and said, take heed, this is my body which is broken for you. This do in remembrance of me. After the same manner also he took the cut when he had supped sand. This cup is the new testament of my blood. This do ye as oft as ye drink it in remembrance of me. For as often as you eat this bread and drink this cup, you do show forth the Lord's death till he comes. Wherefore whosoever shall eat this bread and drink this cup of the Lord unworthily shall be guilty of the body and blood of the Lord. But let a man examine himself, and so let him eat that bread and drink that cup. For he that eateth and drinketh unworthy eateth and drinketh damnation to himself not discerneth the Lord's body. For this cause many are weak and sickly among you, and many sleep. For if we would judge ourselves, we should not be Judges But when we are just, we're chasten of The Lord that we should not be condemned with the world. Wherefore, my brethren, when you come together to eat, tarry one for another. And if any man hunger, let him eat at home. That ye come not together unto condemnation. And the rest will I set in order when I come. Hebrews 9:22+4
Let us pray.
Prayer
Father, as we thank you again for this precious reading of your word. We just pray God that each one will open her ears this morning, Lord, to hear what you have to say. Father, understand what truly the Lord's Supper is all about. Father, what ordinance it is. Father, it's one of two ordinances that you've given us. And Father, we are to practice in them as born again believers, as true followers, disciples of Jesus Christ. And Father, I pray God that you just help us all to realize these truths this morning. And we're going to pray all this in Jesus name, Amen.
The Corinthian Problem
As we look. The reason I wanted to look because a lot of times people just start at verse 24 and read 24, 25 and 26 a lot of times. 1 Corinthians 11:24 And then that's the end of the service and they go from that. But I want to back up and I want you to know what's going on. You see, this is led to the Corinth.
Here at Corinth, they was having a lot of trouble, a lot of stuff. 1 Corinthians 11:17 If you back up, you'll find that Paul's addressing a lot of things to the Church of Corinth. And so here we have, in verse 17, we begin about the Lord's Supper and he talks about what's going on there. He says, I declare this unto you. I praise you not that we. When you come together, when you gather together for the Lord's Supper, for the Lord's table, it's not for the better. In other words, it's for the works. In other words, you're gathering not to do what you're supposed to be doing. But you've got to understand the Corinthians thing was happening when they get together. And this is one tradition that we kind of follow along in, in a sense that they gather together, eat meals. A lot of times they, they wanted to eat together and have meals together. And we're going to do that this evening, but that's not a part of this morning.
And so that's what he wanted them to understand, that when they gathered together for the meals, they was doing it for the worse. 1 Corinthians 11:21 In other words, they was coming together with all their food and some would not have food. In other words, the poor wouldn't have any and so all of these, it was bringing for what? Sharing with nobody. And so there was people going hungry and there was people that was getting gluttoning themselves. Other words, they filling their bones full, they was making theirselves sick. But then also you have the ones that was actually getting drunk because they was drinking other wine and they was actually getting drunk and they were supposed to have been there for the Lord's Supper. And Paul says, do you think that I'm going to praise you for that? What, have you lost your mind? He said, no, I won't go. I ain't going to praise you for that. You're coming for the wrong reason. You're making it worse instead of better. You've not got the right mindset. You've not got the right attitude. You've not got anything going on that needs to be going on in your mind because you've got it displaced, You've got it messed up.
The Meaning of the Bread
And he says, you know, for I have received the Lord that which also I delivered unto you, that the Lord Jesus, at the same night which was betrayed, took the bread and he goes on and gives ordinances. We'll go back to. But then let's skip down to verse 27.
He says, Wherefore, whosoever shall eat of the bread and drink of the cup of the Lord unworthily shall be guilty of the body and blood of the Lord. What he's talking about, there is anybody that's partaking of the Lord's Supper in an unworthy manner. In other words, not realizing what the body and the juice, the drink, the new covenant or the New Testament is about. In other words, he's saying, when we partake of the bread, we're understanding that this is the Lord's body that was broken for us.
And he said, as often as you do this, do this in remembrance of me. In other words, remember what I've done on the grace at Calvary. In other words, remember what I've done. I paid the price for you, that you can have everlasting life.
Remembering the Cross
I went to the grace for you. I died for you. All the many weapons that I got. Other words, the lashes, the cat, o' nine tails, all the many things, the crown of thorns that I received upon my head when they jerked the hair out of my beard, when they dispensed my face, I done it all for you. Isaiah 50:6+1 John 3:16 tells us that for God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish.
Scripture Quote
But have everlasting life. John 3:16
Understand that when God loves us so much that he sent his son as a baby in a manger that we celebrate at Christmas time. But understand he didn't come to be cuddled and didn't come to be adored in that sense as a baby who he come that he could pay the price for you and me. That was his ultimate goal, Calvary. And he done that unashamedly. He done that willingly because the Bible is clear on that. He says he willingly laid down his life for us. He willingly paid that price so that me and you could have everlasting life. That's what he wants you to remember. That when he paid the price that his body, no matter how broken it might have seemed on the grace even when they pierced his sides, there was still not one bone broken. Isaiah 53:5 Because the scripture says it the one be and it's fulfillment of the scriptures, there wasn't one bone broken. Psalm 34:20 Now, the physical part of it, it says that he was beaten beyond recognition. Other words, you wouldn't know who Jesus was if you just walked up on him because of what he went through for me and you. Isaiah 53:2–3 He wants us to remember that. He wants us to remember.
Isaiah 7:14
Isaiah 7:14 is suggested as background because Daryl references Jesus' coming as a baby, though he didn't explicitly cite the verse.
How many of you ever seen the Passion of Christ? How many of you were Mel Gibson? It's a Hollywood movie and I encourage you to watch it. And even at the best they done at it, they still miss the mark on what truly happened to Jesus. Romans 3:23 Because in the end you could still recognize who Jesus was. But if you watch that and you watch the cat o' nine tails, that's good imagery. I want you to think for a minute when you get that cat o nine tails, it's a whip about that long and it's got shards of clay or shards of something glass in the end of it tied into the string. And when it's Obadiah across you, it's not meant to sting, it's meant to rip flesh. And so when he Obadiah the cat o9 tails across his back and ripped, it ripped the flesh off of his bones. Isaiah 53:5 That's what it's designed to do. Understand? The Roman crucifixion was not meant just to kill you. It was meant to torture you, to put you through pain. That's what the Roman crucifixion was. That's why when they talk about nails in his hands, it's actually right here. And there's nerves and stuff right here that intensifies the pain. The Romans was about pain. They were about torture. And they've done that so that a criminal, if you Put it right here. You can just rip the nail out. You can pull free right here. You ain't pulling free. No one's going to pull free. They had to pull the spikes out. They done it in the feet. It wasn't in the top of the feet. It was done in the ankles or done up here. Some people think it was like this, but a lot of people says that on the Roman crucifixion, your ankles was on each side and it was through the side. In other words, through the bone, or you couldn't be free from it.
So a crucifixion was meant to torture and cause pain and to cause suffering, but ultimate death was from suffocation. And you say suffocation. Wouldn't the pain or whatever cause that? But understand on the grace what they done is they pushed up in order to get a breath. Isaiah 53:5 When they slumped back down, they couldn't breathe. Now, I don't know about you, but having nails, spikes, pierce through your ankles or through your feet, push up on them. That's the only way they could get a breath. Push up or pull up, get a breath. Then when you shut like that, suffocation. That's why when you read about the crucifixion, that's why when Jesus gave up the breath, that the Roman soldiers went around and they was breaking the legs of the criminals on the grace beside them. Luke 23:39–43 That's the reason they broke the legs. It wasn't so they could put more punishments to keep them from getting more regrets or that they would die. But when they come to Jesus, why did they not break his leg? They stuck to the spirit inside because they said he was already dead. John 19:34 They wanted to make sure. And blood and water gushed out. Jesus Christ paid that price. Jesus Christ paid that price for you. Jesus Christ paid that price for me. He paid it for all of mankind. So that we could actually be free, that we can have an eternity in heaven, that we don't have to pay the price for sin. Because he paid that ultimate sacrifice. He was. He wants you to remember that this day, every time you partake of the Lord's Supper, as often as you do it, he wants you to remember. 1 Corinthians 11:25 Remember what he done for you. That's why it's a time of reverence. That's why it's a time of seriousness. Because God wants you to know that His Son paid it off. His Son does not have to go back to the grace for anymore and will not go back to the grace He paid it once and for all. He wants us to remember how important it is to remember the sacrifice that he's paid, to remember how much love that he had for you, to remember how much he gave up when he sent his son. A love that you can't even imagine.
Psalm 22:16–18
Psalm 22:16-18 relates to the crucifixion imagery Daryl is using and is offered as background context.
Scripture Quote
John 15:13 says, Greater love hath no man than he that lays down his life for another, for a friend. John 15:13+1
In other words, Jesus is saying, the greatest love that I could show is to lay down my life. Now we can lay down our lives for our friends through how we help them, through how we do things, we can lay down our life and greater love. He wants us to understand that it's the greatest love.
Self-Examination and Love
Now everybody gets confused because he said, you know, let a man examine himself. He said, wherefore whosoever shall eat and drink this cup of the Lord unworthily shall be guilty of the body and the blood of the Lord.
But then he switches ears. He said, but let a man examine himself and so let him eat of that.
1 Corinthians 11:28
In other words, when we examine our own life, when we do a self examination of where we're at, in other words, are you truly saved? 2 Corinthians 13:5 If you're not saved, do not partake of the Lord's supper because you're basically mocking him, you're basically making fun of him. You're basically having no reverence for him. You're basically saying, he didn't do nothing, he didn't pay for me. If you're not truly saved, let the cup pass from you, let the bread pass from you, don't partake of it.
And he says, for he that he eateth and drinketh unworthily eateth and drinketh damnation, otherwise judgment to himself, not discerning the Lord's body. Why do you think he said it twice? In other words, he's chasing it up because who is the body of Christ? We, the church are the body of Christ. And he said, hey, if you revert back to what was going on in Corinth when the people, they could care less about one another, they had selfish ambitions, they had self centeredness desires, and they're not worried about one another. And he said, when you examine your own heart, when you understand that you're going to break judgment on you if you have fault against your brother or sister, if you don't love your brother and sister in Christ, that's not saying you're best friends. But if you don't love your brother or sister, in other words, if Deb won't sit on the same pew as Doug because she has fought against him, you better not Take the cup you better not take of that Lord's supper. Because he said, if you have fault against your brother, then something's wrong. You're not where you need to be. Because the love that God has, that love that should be flowing through you is not flowing through you. 1 John 4:12 Somewhere along the lines it's got stifled, it's got hindered up, it's got miscomplace. And I don't know if that's a proper word, but I'm using it mis. Complace sounds good to me. Misplaced, I guess, would be a better word. But anyhow, God wants us to know that we have to have love for one another.
Love One Another
And if you read on over in chapter 13 of 1 Corinthians, and I'm just going to flip over and read it to you real quick, but if you read on over in chapter 13, if you want to find your places, starting in verse one, he says, though I speak with tongues, and being an angels, and have not love, I am becoming a son of brass, or as tingling cymbals. 1 Corinthians 13:1
Scripture Reading
And though I have the gift of prophecy and understand all mysteries and all knowledge, as though I have all faith so that I could remove mountains and have not love, I am nothing. And though I bestow all my goods to feed the poor, and though I give my body to be burned and have not loved, it profiteth me nothing. Love suffereth long, and is kind, love envieth not. Love fondeth not itself, love is not puffed up, doth not behave itself unseemly, seeketh not her own, is not easily provoked, thinketh no evil. Rejoice not in iniquity, but rejoiceth in the truth beareth all things, believeth all things, hopeth all things, and endureth all things. Love never faileth. But where there be prophecies, they shall fail. Whether it be tongues, they shall cease. Where there shall be knowledge, it shall vanish away. For we know in part that we prophesy in part. But when that which is perfect is come, then that which in part shall be done away. When I was a child, I spake as a child, I understood as a child, I. I thought as a child. But when I become a man, I put away childish things. For now we see through glass darkly, but then the face to face. Now I know in part, but then I shall know even as I am also known. And now abideth faith, hope, and love. These three. But guess what? It says the greatest of these are love. 1 Corinthians 13:1–13
You mean love is more important than faith? According to what the Scripture Says it is. You mean love is more important than hope? You better believe that's what it says it is. Love is what's important.
And he said, when we don't love our brothers and sisters in Christ, when we don't love one another as Christians ought to be doing, when we don't love like Christ, he's saying, guess what? There's those among you that are weak, weak and sick and even they're dead. 1 Corinthians 11:30 Other words, they even die because they're not doing what they ought to do and are partaking of the Lord's Supper. And God is bringing judgment on us. And he wants us to understand that if we have fault with one another, we need to confess it before him and we need to make it right. We need to love one another as God loves us. And he says, if we would judge ourselves, we should not be Judges In other words, when we are Judges we're chaste. In other words, we're disciplined of the Lord and we should not be condemned with the world when the Lord disciplines us.
1 John 3:16–18
1 John 3:16-18 is a helpful background passage for Daryl's emphasis on practical, sacrificial love among believers.
But he's saying, hey, if we be honest with ourselves and judge ourselves, if we say, hey, I do have fault against somebody, I don't love my brother and sister like I ought to. God, I'm asking you to help me to show them a love that I should have instead of a hatred, instead of despising one another, instead of all the things that are going on in my life, God, I need you to do it for me. If we judge ourselves, then he's saying, hey, it'd be a lot better for you if we do a self examination. If we look at our own heart and not say, hey, Dee has these problems. God, you know what Dee's problems is? That's what a lot of us do. And I'm using Dede as my wife, except Mermaid, saying, hey, it's a man. God is that woman you give me. That's the problem. Like Adam did with Eve. And then Janice might be saying, duh is the problem. But God said, examine your own heart. Look in your own life. Darrell, what's the problem in your life? Do you have fault with brothers and sisters in Christ? Would you walk another aisle if you seen them in the grocery store? Keep them speaking to them. How many of you ever done that? See somebody down the road and say, oh, our soul, soul, and turn another direction. Anybody? Sometimes it's just because you want to talk for a long time. A lot of times it's because you don't talk because you have fought against or whatever the case May be, but God wants us to look in her own life, examine her own heart, examine ourselves and be worthy of what he's asked us to do.
And he said, and wherefore my brethren, when you come to ganna to eat, carry one for another, in other words, take care of one another. 1 Corinthians 11:33 He said, when you partake of the Lord's supper, there should be enough to go around. It shouldn't be something that you come as a feast, as an agape feast or a love feast. It should be a time of reflection, a time to remember who Jesus Christ is and what he done for you, the price that he paid. 1 Corinthians 11:31–32 And it's the time to understand that we need to love one another as Christ loves us. John 13:34–35 We need to forgive one another as we've been forgiven. Forgive not lest you be or forgive lest you not. I'm getting twisted. Forgive not lest your father forgiven. Other words he's saying if you don't forgive, you ain't going to be forgiven. You got to forgive one another. Matthew 6:14–15 Got to love one another.
Closing Prayer and Invitation
So as we come to this point, before we do, I play this song communion Alive in Christ Forever. That's not the name of the song, that's just. 1 Corinthians 11:28 And we remember the promise made that all will come in faith find forgiveness at the grace we share. So we share in this great. The body of our Savior Jesus Christ. Just like to make us fall. Ram. Sa. Christ as his. Ram. All right, as we come this time, as I said, I want to give you an opportunity before we do.
Take this time and allow yourself pray and ask Jesus to forgive you. Ask Jesus to if you got fault with enough, now would be a great time to pray and ask God to fix that. If you need to be saved, please come and see me. Be more than happy to be to you Jesus Christ I can't say but Jesus came Today would be a great day to be safe, you. Pray and I want you to pray yourself. Examination
Psalm 51:1–4
Psalm 51's penitential language fits Daryl's call for self-examination and asking Jesus to forgive sins prior to communion.
Prayer
Father, as we thank you for this time and before we partake of the Lord's Supper, I want each one to just realize Father, they stand with you. Father. Died in our lives Father, where we fall short, I know that we fall short many times Father. If we say we have no sin, then we're liars. The truth is not in us. 1 John 1:8–9 And Father, I know that we have sinned and I know that Father, we have sometimes unconfessed sin. And I just pray God that each one will do a self examination. But Lord, I believe what Paul's talking about. If we have fault with one another, if we don't love one another with the love that comes from you. I just pray God that you would help us to do that. You say that's hard to do, Father. I know that it's hard to do, but I also know that it's easy to do with you. Because Lord, even though we may not be best friends, if they needed something, we'd still be there for them. Father would help them in time of need. Pray for them, Lord, encourage them, build them up. Help us Lord, just to reflect upon this this morning. Help us to understand your truths. And Father, I just pray that no one, no one would partake of your suffering. Unworthy Lord, that they know, that they know that they're saved, Lord. They don't have religion, don't just have church going fellowship. But Lord, they have salvation through the only begotten son, Jesus Christ. 1 John 1:8–9 Lord. It's scary in today's time because so many people think that they have it. Father, help us to know the truth this morning. Help us to realize that, Father, may thy Holy Spirit convict us where need be. May the Holy Spirit help us make decisions in the right direction. In Christ name I pray and ask these things.
As you continue to pray or ask God to forgive you or whatever the case may be, I want you to plenty of time if you need to be sighted, Jesus. Now. See passes these out. Just hang on to pray for it. And if you never hang on board, Savior The only way that you're not allowed to take the world Supper up is if you're unsaved or if you have fault against your brother or sister in Christ. 1 Corinthians 11:28 Other than that, it don't matter if you're a member here. Some people you may have heard say you got to be baptized. Matthew 5:23–24 I believe that that's another ordinance. I said there's one or two. baptism is the other one. And I don't believe that you have to be baptized in order to take more supplements. I believe it's you should get baptized if you've been saved and never been baptized. baptism is very important in this, Lord. So we show the death, burial and resurrection of our sins and we come out a new person. Romans 6:3–4 We die to the old and we come out anew. So I encourage you to partake in the Lord's Supper if you're saved and if you confessed your false one another.
And I put this up here, I don't know where it come from, but I know it come from Israel. This is crab apple. Looks just like. Okay, well, it's real similar to the Acadia Acadia bush over in Israel, which is made which crown of thorns come from? It's very similar to it. I've got one at home, it's a real one. And we got those over in Israel and they grew wild over there. And this is similar, so it's a good representation of what it is. Matthew 27:29 But those actual bushes, as these are dry with heat, they become so hard like nails. So when you think about this, you're dressed into the brow of our Lord Jesus Christ. For our sins, the sins of the whole world. We just want to thank you. Forgive us Lord, when we Philemon he says. And when he had given thanks, he said, take eat. This is my body which is broken for you. This door and her memories with me. Does everybody understand what comes in New Testament New covenant. In other words, the Old Testament had to have animal sacrifices. Animal blood sacrifice. New covenant. The New Testament is Jesus blood paid for remission of our sins total. There is no place we don't go to animals no more. It. Cream it. After the same manner he also took the cup. But tomorrow will you ask for us? 1 Corinthians 11:23–25 Dear Heavenly Father, Lord, I know this cup here of juice represents your blood. Lord, I want to thank you for that. Lord, I want to thank you for giving us a chance, given us the hope that we might be able to spend eternity with you. Lord, we do this in remembrance of him dying on the grace and going through what he done. Lord, again I want to thank you for the blood of Jesus Christ to wash away our sins, Lord, and to give us a chance. Hebrews 9:22 In Jesus name. I do pray he said after the same manner when he had supped, saying this is come from the New Testament My blood this do ye as often as you drink it in remembrance of me. After that says that they sung a song in dismiss. So we're going to sing Amazing grace and I don't know if it's in this, but 57. Oh, okay, 57. We'll sing amazing grace and it will be dismissed. I will sing everybody at 4 o' clock, let's sing amazing grace. How sweet.
Exodus 12:1–14
Exodus 12 provides Passover background that illuminates the Lord's Supper imagery Daryl is unpacking from the Old Testament sacrificial system.