Not many families eat together anymore, but the few of us who do and some of the older ones who remember will understand when I refer to that quaint custom when families used to sit down together to eat something called supper.
Now suppose on that far off day that used to be; some member of the family did not eat any supper. The rest might suppose he was just not hungry. But if it happened day after day they would reach the conclusion that he must be sick. His body begins to waste away and they are saddened to learn he is anorexic.
Now if a physically well Christian misses the Lord’s Supper one time in most cases no one is disturbed. If fact, he may not even be missed. If he misses week after week or comes to the table once in a while the obvious conclusion has to be, he is sick. He may regard himself as a well-fed Christian, but He has become an anorexic Christian. He is sick of the Lord’s Supper, sick of the Lord’s word, and sick of the Lord’s people.
Paul comments on this situation in I Corinthians 11:30, “For this cause many among you are weak and sickly and not a few sleep.” The question could be asked, “Does Paul mean they get physically sick and fall asleep if they are indifferent to the Lord’s Supper, or does he mean they are spiritually sick and spiritually asleep?”
My personal view is, what difference does it make? To abuse the Lord’s Supper and get sick physically and fall asleep because of it, would be one of the worst ways to die that I can think of. To be spiritually sick and fall asleep spiritually and die is no improvement.
There is one bright spot in the question. Paul did not say all that are physically sick or spiritually sick would die. He said, “Not a few sleep.” A great many will die or fall asleep. There are a few who will wake up before it is too late.