Sermon Notes by Glen Kowal COMMUNION IN A WORTHY MANNER
1 Corinthians 11:17–34
Introduction
Communion is one of the most sacred moments in the Christian life.
But in Corinth, it had drifted far from what Jesus intended.
Paul starts in verse 17 with a shocking statement:
“Your meetings do more harm than good.”
Why?
Because communion — a moment meant to unite, to humble, to remember Christ — had turned into something entirely different.
There were: divisions; cliques; pride; wealth disparity; selfishness
and a party-like atmosphere
The poor were being humiliated, the wealthy were indulging, and Christ was no longer the center.
Three simple, powerful principles:
Keep it simple
Keep it special
Keep it spiritual
Let’s walk through each of these together.
1. KEEP IT SIMPLE | 1 Corinthians 11:18–22 \ Acts 2:42–47 | Acts 20:7
The Corinthians made communion complicated.
It became a full meal, a social mixer, a chance to show status.
It lost the purity and focus Jesus intended.
But the early church in Acts gives us a different picture:
“They devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching, to fellowship, to the breaking of bread, and to prayer.” (Acts 2:42)
Communion was simple.
Reverent.
Shared.
Unified.
We forget.
We drift.
We get distracted.
Weekly communion keeps us anchored. It brings us back to Jesus.
Communion needs to be Christ-centered.
2. KEEP IT SPECIAL | 1 Corinthians 11:22–26
“Do this in remembrance of Me.”
Communion is a moment to remember — not a habit, not a ritual,
not a routine, but a sacred moment of remembering Christ.
Jesus wanted His disciples to never forget:
His body broken
His blood poured out
His suffering
His love
His covenant
Is our bond with Jesus unbreakable?
On His side — absolutely.
On ours — not always.
We lose focus.
We forget what matters.
We drift into selfishness the way the Corinthians did.
So Jesus gave us communion as a reminder, a moment that brings us back to the cross.
The Bible does not command, but Jesus does command,
“Do this in remembrance of Me.”
And because we struggle to remember, we need to make it special.
3. KEEP IT SPIRITUAL | 1 Corinthians 11:27–32' 1 Corinthians 10:14–22
1 Corinthians 2:2
Paul warns the church not to take the Lord’s Supper in an unworthy manner. He’s not talking about perfection — he’s talking about intentional spirituality.
Communion is a moment to examine our hearts:
Is my life in line with Jesus?
How am I doing spiritually?
How is my purity?
Am I pouring my life into Christ?
Am I following Him with heart, soul, mind, and strength?
Communion is a spiritual reset.
There’s a saying from Oprah: “What you dwell on is what you become.”
If we dwell on ourselves…
If we dwell on negativity…
If we dwell on frustration…
If we dwell on the world…
That’s what our heart becomes.
Communion is a time to dwell on Jesus.
When we drink the cup and take the bread, we should be asking:
How will I draw closer to Jesus this week?
How will I dwell on Him more deeply?
How will I live more like Him?
At the table, God is forming an unbreakable bond with us.
He will never break His end.
Communion helps us not break ours.
Communion should fill us with humility, reverence, and gratitude. It should make us more like Christ.
