But let a man examine himself, and so let him eat of the bread and drink of the cup. For he who eats and drinks in an unworthy manner eats and drinks judgment to himself, not discerning the Lord’s body. For this reason many are weak and sick among you, and many sleep. (1 Corinthians 11:28-30)

Sleeping In Church

The Corinthian church had many problems as Paul writes in his epistle. Among the challenges the New Testament church faced, the saints began to abuse the memorial of Christ’s sacrifice. Somehow, the Lord’s Supper had become a common thing that was treated like a meal rather than a time of reflection on the death of Jesus. The brethren did not recognize the importance of the bread and fruit of the vine, which symbolized the suffering of the Son of God.

Jesus instituted the memorial on the night of His betrayal. The Holy Spirit directed the early Christians concerning the weekly remembrance of the supper. There was an emphasis on the holiness of the feast, much like the Jews remembered taking the Passover. Jesus used His final Passover to establish the memorial as an anti-type of how the Hebrews were delivered from Egypt. On Passover night, a lamb was slain, and blood was sprinkled on the doorpost and lintel for the eyes of God to see. The Lord promised when He saw the blood, He would “Pass-over” and not kill the eldest in the home.

The Lord’s Supper is the solemn remembrance of when Jesus gave Himself as the Lamb and sacrificed for the sins of the world through His blood. God instituted as part of the early church pattern that on the first day of every week, His children would gather to remember and reflect upon the death of His Son. This time of reflection was part of the worship. It was not to be viewed as an option but a command. Failure to take of the memorial would bring severe judgment from the Lord.

As the Corinthians began to take the memorial as a common thing, the spirituality diminished. The Holy Spirit has shown the memorial was a time for a man to examine himself considering the grace and love of God and the incredible sacrifice of Jesus. Taking the memorial as a part of worship on the first day of the week was a life-changing experience. Failing to take of the supper would bring on the vengeance of the Lord.

The result of the Corinthians abusing the Lord’s Supper is the members began to die spiritually. It is difficult to take of the Lord’s Supper and not be impacted by God’s immense love to give His only begotten Son for ungodly men. Encompassing the whole message of the memorial was to change the hearts of the worshippers. The Corinthians were dull of heart and disinterested. As a result of their hardened hearts, the spiritual vitality of the brethren grew cold and unfeeling. They had become weak in faith, falling ill to the malady of spiritual apathy. The final blow to the heart of the Christian is the complete insensitivity of the memorial, leading to their spiritual death. There were many who were going through the motions of taking the bread and fruit of the vine but were dead inside. The sacrifice of Jesus meant nothing to them. They barely gave a thought to what the memorial should mean.

The danger of sleeping in church is not about dozing off during a sermon. What becomes a greater danger are the hearts of God’s people who gather on the first day of the week and worship with a dead spirit. They are as cold as a dead fish. There is no joy in their worship. When the emblems of the Lord’s Supper are passed, they take the bread and drink the juice and never give a thought to Jesus Christ and His death. They are weak. Some are sick. Many are dead.

God did not give the Lord’s Supper to pass the time of day during an hour of worship service. Those who eat the bread and drink the cup of the Lord in an unworthy (sleeping) manner will be found guilty of the body and blood of the Lord Jesus Christ. That is not a place where someone wants to find themselves. Standing before God with that kind of guilt is an awful place to be. The memorial is a time of reflection, rejoining, recommitment, and resolve to serve God through the sacrifice of Jesus Christ. It is high time many awake from their sleep.