Lord’s Supper

A Sacred Table: How to Rightly Observe the Lord’s Supper

At Northwest Baptist Church, we believe the Lord’s Supper is more than a memorial. It is not just something we do to remember Christ—it is a sacred act where we gather as one body to proclaim His death, to be strengthened by His grace, and to look forward to His return. It is a time when heaven meets earth in a profound and spiritual way. But as the Apostle Paul teaches in 1 Corinthians 11:17–34, this sacred moment can be approached either rightly or wrongly—and the difference matters more than we may realize.

A Beautiful Gift Abused

In Paul’s letter to the Corinthians, he is writing not to commend them, but to correct them. They had twisted the Lord’s Supper into something unrecognizable. Rather than being a time of gospel unity and reverent reflection, it had become a place of division, pride, and selfish indulgence.

The early church would often share a meal together before observing the Lord’s Supper—a “love feast.” But instead of expressing love and fellowship, these meals became an opportunity for the wealthy to indulge while the poor were left out. Some were even getting drunk, while others went hungry. The body of Christ was divided at the very table that was meant to display their oneness. Paul rebukes them strongly: “When you come together, it is not the Lord’s Supper that you eat.”

They had missed the point entirely. The Lord’s Supper is a “means of grace”—a God-ordained avenue for spiritual nourishment. Along with the preaching of the Word and prayer, it is one of the ordinary ways God strengthens our faith and draws us closer to Himself. It reminds us that we are all beggars at the same table, equally in need of mercy, equally dependent on grace. There is not a richer bread for the elite and a cheaper cup for the poor. We all come to the same table, to partake of the same Christ.

What It Means to Eat in an “Unworthy Manner”

In verse 27, Paul gives a sobering warning: “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.”

This verse has been misread by many. Some believers avoid the Supper altogether, thinking they must somehow make themselves “worthy” beforehand. But Paul is not talking about our personal worthiness—we’re all unworthy. That’s the very reason we come! The issue is not if we are worthy, but how we partake.

To eat in an “unworthy manner” is to take the Lord’s Supper casually, thoughtlessly, or selfishly—without considering what it means. In Corinth, it meant treating the sacred as common, using it as a means to separate instead of unite, to indulge instead of remember. Paul says when we do that, we’re aligning ourselves with those who crucified Christ. Like the Roman soldiers who beat and mocked Jesus without knowing who He truly was, we too can dishonor Him when we come to the table with no thought of the cost, no recognition of His sacrifice.

Examine Yourself

So how do we come in a worthy manner? Paul tells us in verse 28: “Let a person examine himself, then, and so eat of the bread and drink of the cup.”

Self-examination is not about morbid introspection or doubting our salvation every Sunday. It’s about pausing to reflect on our hearts—are we genuine? Are we harboring sin? Are we distracted? Are we submitting ourselves to Christ? The Greek word Paul uses for “examine” was often applied to the testing of metals—like a coin maker weighing a coin to see if it’s pure and authentic.

Here are some diagnostic questions we should ask before we eat the bread and drink the cup:

Do I genuinely hate my sin, or do I simply regret the consequences?

Is there a growing pattern of repentance and obedience in my life?

Do I love Jesus and seek to follow Him?

Do I love God’s people—even when it’s hard?

Do I see the fruit of the Spirit—love, joy, peace, patience, and more—growing in me?

This isn’t legalism—it’s worship. We’re not earning a place at the table. We’re preparing our hearts to receive what has been freely given. The Supper is not a mindless ritual, but a holy act of remembrance, repentance, and rejoicing.

A Word to the Unbeliever

Because the Lord’s Supper is a covenant meal, it is reserved for those who belong to the covenant people of God. It is for those who have repented of sin and placed their faith in Jesus Christ. Paul is clear: “Let a person examine himself, and so eat.” An unbeliever cannot examine themselves in light of the gospel because they have not believed the gospel. They cannot remember Christ’s death as their substitute if they have never trusted Him as their Savior.

That’s why we urge those who are not yet believers to let the elements pass. But don’t let the moment pass without considering what they represent. Jesus died and rose again so that sinners could be saved. If you will turn from your sin and believe in Him, you will be welcomed, not only to the table, but into eternal life. Even Jesus dismissed Judas before instituting the meal. Judas had walked with Christ, but he was not truly His. The Supper is not for the curious or the close—it’s for the converted.

A Warning—and a Comfort

Paul explains that some in Corinth were sick, weak, and even dead because of how carelessly they treated the Lord’s Supper. This is not symbolic language—this was real judgment from God. He takes His Son seriously, and we should too.

But for the true believer, this warning is also a comfort. Why? Because it means God is involved. He disciplines those He loves. He corrects us, not in wrath, but in grace. He does not leave His children to continue in sin. And when we judge ourselves rightly—when we confess, repent, and remember Christ—we are not condemned but cleansed, renewed, and strengthened.

So we step into the courtroom of our hearts. We become both the witness and the lawyer. We present the evidence of our sin, our need, our failures. But then we look to the Judge. And what do we find? We find that the Judge is also our Savior. He has taken the sentence upon Himself. He has declared us righteous, not because of what we’ve done, but because of what He has done.

Remember and Rejoice

After self-examination comes celebration. The Lord’s Supper is not a time to beat ourselves up over sins that Christ has already paid for. Once we’ve confessed and repented, we don’t stay in guilt—we move to gratitude.

We remember Jesus—His body broken, His blood poured out, His return promised. And we rejoice. Because we are no longer condemned. We are no longer slaves to sin. We are free. We are forgiven. We are one with Christ and one with each other. We come as a family to the same table, eating the same bread and drinking from the same cup.

So come, Christian. Come with reverence. Come with joy. Come again and again until He comes. And know that each time you eat this bread and drink this cup, you proclaim His death—and you are strengthened by His life.