Dr. Ray Pritchard Christian Blog and Commentary

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Unworthy

  • Dr. Ray Pritchard
    Dr. Ray Pritchard is the president of Keep Believing Ministries, an Internet-based ministry serving Christians in 225 countries. He is the author of 29 books, including Stealth Attack, Fire and Rain,… More
  • Published Jul 11, 2007

We have just posted a new version of an old sermon called Unworthy

I first preached this message 20+ years ago when I pastored in Garland, Texas. I preached it again in my early years in Oak Park, IL. I hadn’t thought about it in years until I had a conversation with a total stranger who stopped me more or less out of the blue and asked me about the Lord’s Supper. That led me to revise the sermon a bit. Although I realize there have been huge disputes about the Lord’s Supper, this message does not delve into those debates. My concern is entirely pastoral—the attitude we bring when we come to the Lord’s Table. I hope some are comforted and others are challenged. Here is the beginning of the sermon:

"There are two dangers we face whenever we come to the Lord’s table. The first danger is that we will feel that we are not worthy to be here. And the second danger is that we will feel that we are worthy. The first danger is the sin of despair. The second danger is the sin of presumption. Those who are guilty of the sin of despair are sometimes new Christians—people new to the faith and new to the church. Or they are people who have been away from God for a long while and now are coming back to him. Or they may be Christians who struggle with doubt or fear or discouragement and feel that they are therefore somehow disqualified from taking communion."

"On the other hand, the people who are guilty of the sin of presumption are almost always the very best people in the church. They are the people who know the Bible, who know the gospel, who know the grace of God. They are the ones who’ve been in the church almost from the day they were born."

You can reach the author at ray@keepbelieving.com. Click here to sign up for the free weekly email sermon.


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