Dillon Community Church

Summary

This sermon, delivered by Judy Diehl, explores 1 Corinthians 11 with a focus on two interconnected themes: proper conduct in worship and the meaning of the Lord's Supper. Drawing on the historical and cultural background of ancient Corinth, a city known for its social stratification and honor-shame culture, Judy explains that Paul's discussion of head coverings was not a universal mandate for all women in all times, but rather a call for appropriate, respectful behavior in worship that honored God and fellow believers. The deeper issue was not fashion but pride, and Paul used the everyday symbol of head attire to illustrate profound spiritual truths about humility, mutual honor, and unity in the body of Christ.

The second half of the sermon addresses the Corinthian church's abuse of the Lord's Supper, where wealthy members arrived early and feasted while poorer members were excluded or left with nothing. Paul's sharp rebuke makes clear that to eat the Lord's Supper unworthily is to sin against the body and blood of Christ. True communion requires self-examination and genuine love for fellow believers. What should have been a unifying act of remembrance had become a symbol of division and injustice. Paul's overarching message throughout the chapter is that everything done in the church, whether related to attire, worship, or the Lord's Supper, must be done to the glory of God and in selfless, Christlike love for one another.

Intro Prayer

Heavenly Father, we come before You today as a community of believers who want to grow closer to You and to one another. As we open Your Word together, we ask that Your Holy Spirit be present in this room, softening our hearts and opening our minds. Help us to set aside our own assumptions and pride, and give us ears to hear what You want to speak to us today. May this time together draw us into deeper unity, deeper humility, and a greater love for You and for each other. In Jesus' name, amen.

Ice Breaker

What is one quirky or memorable tradition from your family or church background growing up that you either loved or found a little puzzling?

Key Verses

• 1 Corinthians 11:3
• 1 Corinthians 11:17-22
• 1 Corinthians 11:23-26
• 1 Corinthians 11:28-29
• Galatians 3:28
• Galatians 5:13
• Ephesians 5:21-25

Questions

• Paul opens 1 Corinthians 11 by praising the Corinthians for holding to traditions, but then quickly moves to sharp criticism. Why do you think it is sometimes easier to maintain outward religious traditions than to cultivate the inward attitudes those traditions are meant to reflect?
• The sermon explained that the honor-shame culture of ancient Corinth shaped how people behaved in worship. In what ways do you think our own culture's values, such as status, image, or social media presence, influence how we show up in church today?
• Judy described the 'head' language in verse 3 as a ladder of honor rather than a ladder of superiority. How does understanding headship as an expression of honor rather than hierarchy change the way you think about relationships in the church and in marriage?
• Paul's concern about head coverings was ultimately about not shaming or dishonoring others in the worship community. Are there ways, beyond clothing, that we might unintentionally dishonor or distract fellow believers during worship? How can we be more mindful of this?
• The Corinthian believers were turning the Lord's Supper into an occasion for self-indulgence and social division. In what ways might we, even unintentionally, bring a Spirit of selfishness or indifference into our own times of communion or corporate worship?
• Paul says in verse 28 that everyone ought to examine themselves before eating the bread and drinking the cup. What does genuine self-examination look like for you personally before taking communion? What kinds of things do you think about or confess?
• The sermon made the point that to eat the Lord's Supper worthily, we must treat other believers worthily. How does the way we treat people outside of the Sunday service connect to the meaning of what we do at the communion table?
• Judy concluded by saying that the antidote for pride in the Corinthian church was selfless, Christlike love that modifies individual freedoms for the good of the whole community. Where in your own life do you sense God calling you to lay down a personal freedom or preference for the benefit of someone else in your church community?

Life Application

This week, before your next time of taking communion or gathering with your church community, take 10 to 15 minutes for intentional self-examination. Ask yourself honestly: Is there anyone in my church or small group whom I have treated with indifference, looked down on, or excluded in any way? If the answer is yes, take a concrete step toward reconciliation or kindness before you next share in the Lord's Supper. Let the broken bread and the cup be a reminder not just of what Christ did for you, but of how He calls you to love others.

Key Takeaways

• Paul's discussion of head coverings in 1 Corinthians 11 was not a universal rule for all women in all times, but a culturally specific call for respectful, orderly worship that honored God and fellow believers rather than drawing attention to oneself.
• The concept of 'headship' in this passage is best understood as a ladder of honor, not superiority. Just as Christ honored God by doing what God asked, men and women are called to honor one another through humility and mutual submission.
• The Corinthian church's abuse of the Lord's Supper, where the wealthy feasted while the poor went hungry, was a direct violation of the unity and equality that the cross of Christ represents. Paul's rebuke was among the sharpest in the New Testament.
• To partake of the Lord's Supper worthily means more than personal piety. It requires treating every fellow believer with dignity and love, because indifference to others at the communion table is indifference to the body of Christ itself.
• The overarching theme of 1 Corinthians 11, and indeed the whole letter, is that pride and self-centeredness destroy the church, while selfless, Christlike love builds it up. Everything done in worship must be done to the glory of God and for the good of the whole community.

Ending Prayer

Lord Jesus, thank You for this time together and for the truth of Your Word that challenges and transforms us. Forgive us for the moments when we have let pride, indifference, or self-centeredness creep into our worship and our relationships with one another. Remind us each day that the bread and the cup represent the greatest act of love the world has ever seen, Your body broken and Your blood poured out for us. May that love compel us to lay down our own preferences and honor the people around us. Knit us together as one body, free from division and full of grace. Send us out this week to love one another as You have loved us. In Your holy name, amen.

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*Discussion guide comes from sermon given by Dr. Judy Diehl and material created with Sermon Shots.