Communion
The Seriousness of The Lord’s Table
Malachi 1
Malachi 1:6-9 “A son honors his father, and a servant his master. If then I am a father, where is my honor? And if I am a master, where is my fear? says the Lord of hosts to you, O priest, who despise my name. But you say, ‘How have we despised your name?’ (7)By offering polluted food upon my alter. But you say, ‘How have we polluted you?’ By saying that the Lord’s table may be despised. (8)When you offer blind animals in sacrifice, is that not evil? And when you offer those that are lame or sick, is that not evil? Present that to your governor; will he accept you or show you favor? says the Lord of hosts. (9)And now entreat the favor of God, that he may be gracious to us. With such a gift from your hand, will he show favor to any of you? says the Lord of hosts.
“What’s wrong?’
You don’t know who you are dealing with.
V.5 Your own eyes shall see this, and you shall say, “Great is the Lord beyond the border of Israel!”
V.11 For from the rising of the sun to its setting my name will be great among the nations, and in every place incense will be offered to my name, and a pure offering. For my name will be great among the nations, says the Lord of hosts.
V.14b For I am a great King, says the Lord of hosts, and my name will be feared among the nations.
You give me your leftovers.
V.6-10 “A son honors his father, and a servant his master. If then I am a father, where is my honor? And if I am a master, where is my fear? says the Lord of hosts to you, O priest who despise my name. But you say, “
‘How have we despised your name?’ (7)By offering polluted food upon my alter. But you say, ‘How have we polluted you?’ By saying, that the Lord’s table may be despised.
(8)When you offer blind animals in sacrifice, is that not evil? And when you offer those that are lame or sick, is that not evil? Present that to your governor; will he accept you are show you favor? says the Lord of hosts. (9)And now entreat the favor of God, that he may be gracious to us. With such a gift from your hand, will he show favor to any of you? says the Lord of hosts.
(10)Oh that there were one among you who would shut the doors, that you might not kindle fire on my alter in vain! I have no pleasure in you, says the Lord of hosts, and I will not accept an offering from your hand.
You have spiritual lethargy.
V.12-13 But you profane it when you say that the Lord’s table is polluted, and its fruit, that is, its food may be despised. (13)But you say, ‘What a weariness this is,’ and you snort at it, says the Lord of hosts. You bring what has been taken by violence or is lame or sick, and this you bring as your offering! Shall I accept that from your hand? says the Lord.
God is transcendent.
God is holy and righteous.
Substitutional Sacrificial System.
Covenant is God’s arraignment for you to receive what He has planned for you.
1 Corinthians 10:16 The cup of blessing that we bless, is it not a participation of the blood of Christ? The bread that we break, is it not a participation in the body of Christ?
“Koinonia” means fellowship, communion ——- sharing the life of Jesus.
Warning:
1Cor. 10:20b-21 I do not want you to be participants with demons. (21)You cannot drink the cup of the Lord and the cup of demons. You cannot partake of the table of the Lord and the table of demons.
1Cor. 11:27-30 Whoever, therefore, eats the bread or drinks the cup of the Lord in an unworthy manner will be guilty concerning the body and blood of the Lord. (28)Let a person examine himself, then, and so eat of the bread and drink of the cup. (29)For anyone who eats and drinks without discerning the body eats and drinks judgement on himself. (30)That is why many of you are weak and ill, and some have died.
Here is what it means to share (Koinonia) the life of Jesus.
Colossian 2:9-15 For in Him the whole fullness of deity dwells bodily, and you have been filled in Him, who is the head of all rule and authority. (11)In Him also you were circumcised with a circumcision made without hands, by putting off the body of the flesh, by the circumcision of Christ, (12)having been buried with Him in baptism, in which you were also raised with Him through faith in the powerful working of God, who raised Him from the dead. (13)And you, who were dead in your trespasses and the uncircumcision of your flesh, God made alive together with Him, having forgiven us all our trespasses, (14)by canceling the record of death that stood against us with its legal demands. This he set aside, nailing it to the cross. (15)He disarmed the rulers and authorities and put them to open shame, by triumphing over them in him.