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 of that bread, and drink of that cup. For he that eateth and drinketh unworthily, eateth and drinketh damnation to himself, not discerning the Lord’s body. For this cause many are weak and sickly among you, and many sleep. 1 Corinthians 11:27-30

As we continue to look at Paul’s teachings on Communion, look at what he says here “Whoever shall eat this bread and drink this cup of The Lord unworthily, shall be guilty of the body and blood of The Lord” Wow, think about that! If you partake in Communion with a wrong heart for God, you are guilty of the death of Christ. This should be a strong warning to everyone, to take The Lord’s Table seriously!

I know many Churches have open callings for anyone to partake in Communion, and I think we shouldn’t be a stumbling block or prohibit anyone from coming to Christ, however we also must be aware that allowing non-believers to partake in Communion is bringing judgment upon their soul. 

So how do we know if we are worthy of partaking in The Lord’s Table? As the Apostle Paul says here “Let everyone examine himself” Are you Born Again in Christ? Is Jesus your Lord and Savior? Do you believe he died for your sins and was raised from the dead? These are foundational questions you must examine in your heart, are you truly a believer or just a pretender? If your not sure, don’t partake in Communion until you repent and get right with God

The Apostle Paul says “For he that eat and drinks unworthily, eat and drinks damnation to himself” Again a strong warning from the Apostle, it’s not just a sin to come to The Lord’s table in an unworthy manner, it brings damnation to your soul. We are not playing Church, we are actively participating in the sacrament ordained by The Lord himself. We must take this privilege seriously and honorably.

Paul makes an interesting statement here “For this cause , many are weak and sickly among you, and many sleep (die)” Another Wow statement, Paul is saying there are many bringing curses upon themselves by partaking in Communion in an unworthy manner. Now I know there will be some who would like to make a theological argument against this statement to downplay it, but heed the warning from the Apostle! 

Next time your invited to The Lord’s table, examine yourself, do you have a relationship with Jesus Christ, is Christ your Lord and Savior, The Lord is worthy of all praise, Amen!