Many believers partake in the communion service in their local churches, everyday, on a weekly or on a monthly basis. However, many don’t really know how sacred this practice is. My brother, my sister, it is important for you to know what the Lord’s Supper means to you as a believer. The first thing to know is that the Lord’s Supper is an Ordinance, in other words, it is a prescribed practice. Jesus only gave the church two ordinances, or religious rites, which we are to be practiced. One is the Lord’s Supper and the other is Baptism!
Now you might wonder why the Lord’s Supper is practiced in various ways in different churches, as three major ways appear to be observed in Christian churches: the “Closed Communion” where the church allows only the members in good standing to participate; another way is that of the “Open Communion” that is mostly seen in the catholic church, as everyone present is encouraged to participate in the Lord’s Supper; the third way is the “Close Communion” which invites everyone present to participate, but only after they have been warned of the consequences of partaking in the Lord’s Supper in an unworthy manner, and the believers are urged to self-examination before they can participate if they wish. In other words, only those who are in close communion with the Lord are encouraged to participate in the Lord’s Supper because they are conscious that they are declaring their faith in the death, burial, resurrection and return of the Lord Jesus.
Now, with this in mind, let’s consider what the Apostle Paul told us by reading today’s passage (1 Corinthians 11:23-32) to understand that the Lord’s Supper is sacred… my friend, before you take part in the Lord’s Supper, you always need to search your heart and confess and repent of your sins. Jesus inaugurated the first Lord’s Supper before He went to the cross and He intends for His people to follow His example. It is sacred simply because Jesus set the example…Stay blessed in Jesus’ name.