The Lord's Supper
- INTRODUCTION:
- SCRIPTURE READING:
I Cor. 11:23-34 = "For I have received of the Lord that which
also I delivered unto you, That the Lord Jesus the same night in
which he was betrayed took bread: And when he had given thanks,
he brake it, and said, Take, eat: this is my body, which is broken
for you: this do in remembrance of me. After the same manner also
he took the cup, when he had supped, saying, This cup is the new
testament in my blood: this do ye, as oft as ye drink it, in remembrance
of me. For as often as ye eat this bread, and drink this cup, ye
do shew the Lord's death till he come. Wherefore whosoever shall
eat this bread, and drink this cup of the Lord, unworthily, shall
be guilty of the body and blood of the Lord. But let a man examine
himself, and so let him eat of that bread, and drink of that cup.
For he that eateth and drinketh unworthily, eateth and drinketh
damnation to himself, not discerning the Lord's body. For this cause
many are weak and sickly among you, and many sleep. For if we would
judge ourselves, we should not be judged. But when we are judged,
we are chastened of the Lord, that we should not be condemned with
the world. Wherefore, my brethren, when ye come together to eat,
tarry one for another. And if any man hunger, let him eat at home;
that ye come not together unto condemnation. And the rest will I
set in order when I come."
- FUNDAMENTAL FACTS OF THE GOSPEL OF CHRIST:
I Cor. 15:1-4 = "Moreover, brethren, I declare unto you the
gospel which I preached unto you, which also ye have received, and
wherein ye stand; By which also ye are saved, if ye keep in memory
what I preached unto you, unless ye have believed in vain. For I
delivered unto you first of all that which I also received, how
that Christ died for our sins according to the scriptures; And that
he was buried, and that he rose again the third day according to
the scriptures:"
Note: Each of these facts are perpetuated in the hearts of men by
an act of devotion that is prescribed in God's Word.
- Christ's suffering a death are commemorated in the weekly
observance of the Lord's Supper.
Acts 20:7 = "And upon the first day of the week, when the
disciples came together to break bread, Paul preached unto them,
ready to depart on the morrow; and continued his speech until
midnight."
- Christ's burial and resurrection are symbolized in one's
baptism.
Rom. 6:3-5 = "Know ye not, that so many of us as were baptized
into Jesus Christ were baptized into his death? Therefore we
are buried with him by baptism into death: that like as Christ
was raised up from the dead by the glory of the Father, even
so we also should walk in newness of life. For if we have been
planted together in the likeness of his death, we shall be also
in the likeness of his resurrection:"
- The resurrection day is proclaimed in worship on the Lord's
day. [Acts 20:7]
- THE LESSON OF THE HOUR IS A BETTER UNDERSTANDING OF THE LORD'S
SUPPER:
- The mind of every individual that partakes of the Lord's
Supper needs to look in five directions to partake of it correctly.
- When we assemble to partake of the Lord's Supper we need
to look: Upward; Backward; Outward; Forward; and inward.
- Consider these with me for a few minutes:
- DISCUSSION:
- UPWARD -- IN GRATITUDE.
I Cor. 11:24 = "And when he had given thanks, he brake it,
…."
- Those partaking of the Lord's Supper should thank God for
the bread and the fruit of the vine ;ooking beyond the emblems
and giving thanks for the body and shed blood of Christ.
- Those partaking of the Lord's Supper need to look upward
through the bread and the fruit of the vine to see Jesus the
great gift of God.
1 Cor 10:16-17; 21-22 = "The cup of blessing which we bless,
is it not the communion of the blood of Christ? The bread which
we break, is it not the communion of the body of Christ? For
we being many are one bread, and one body: for we are all partakers
of that one bread. …. Ye cannot drink the cup of the Lord,
and the cup of devils: ye cannot be partakers of the Lord's
table, and of the table of devils. Do we provoke the Lord to
jealousy? are we stronger than he?"
Comment: The Greek word translated "communion" is
koinonia, pronounced (koy-nohn-ee'-ah); Meaning partnership,
or [literally] the participation in as in the fellowship with
and of Christ in that which He has done.
1 Peter 1:18-19 = "Forasmuch as ye know that ye were not
redeemed with corruptible things, as silver and gold, from your
vain conversation received by tradition from your fathers; But
with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish
and without spot:"
John 3:16 = "For God so loved the world, that he gave his
only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not
perish, but have everlasting life."
- Christ prepared his disciples for this before his death at
the last supper in telling them "…This do in remembrance
of me."
Luke 22:19-20 = "And he took bread, and gave thanks, and
brake it, and gave unto them, saying, This is my body which
is given for you: this do in remembrance of me. Likewise also
the cup after supper, saying, This cup is the new testament
in my blood, which is shed for you."
- BACKWARD -- IN MEMORY:
I Cor. 11:24-25 = "And when he had given thanks, he brake it,
and said, Take, eat: this is my body, which is broken for you: this
do in remembrance of me. After the same manner also he took the
cup, when he had supped, saying, This cup is the new testament in
my blood: this do ye, as oft as ye drink it, in remembrance of me."
Note: The word "broken" in verse 24, is not in the original
Greek and was added later to help the reader. However, it can leave
an incorrect interpretation in the passage that the body of Christ
was broken, which is not true, but the bread was that which was
broken.
- The supper is a memorial instituted and designed to keep
alive a precious memory in the hearts of God's children the
price paid for their sins.
- The memory of Christ painful suffering and agony on the cross.
- OUTWARD -- MANIFESTING TO THE WORLD THE UNDYING LOVE OF CHRIST
FOR THE WORLD.
I Cor. 11:26 = "For as often as ye eat this bread, and drink
this cup, ye do shew the Lord's death till he come."
- When we partake of the Lord's Supper, a child of God is proclaiming
the Savior's death to those about him.
- Christians do show forth the loving remembrance to all the
body and blood sacrifice of Christ to the world.
Ex 13:8 & 14 = "And thou shalt shew thy son in that
day, saying, This is done because of that which the LORD did
unto me when I came forth out of Egypt. ….. And it shall
be when thy son asketh thee in time to come, saying, What is
this? that thou shalt say unto him, By strength of hand the
LORD brought us out from Egypt, from the house of bondage:"
- FORWARD -- THAT IS FORWARD IN ANTICIPATION:
I Cor. 11:26 = "For as often as ye eat this bread, and drink
this cup, ye do shew the Lord's death till he come."
- God's children are a forward looking people -- looking for
a wonderful future with the Lord.
John 17:20-24 = "Neither pray I for these alone, but for
them also which shall believe on me through their word; That
they all may be one; as thou, Father, art in me, and I in thee,
that they also may be one in us: that the world may believe
that thou hast sent me. And the glory which thou gavest me I
have given them; that they may be one, even as we are one: I
in them, and thou in me, that they may be made perfect in one;
and that the world may know that thou hast sent me, and hast
loved them, as thou hast loved me. Father, I will that they
also, whom thou hast given me, be with me where I am; that they
may behold my glory, which thou hast given me: for thou lovedst
me before the foundation of the world."
John 14:1-4 = "Let not your heart be troubled: ye believe
in God, believe also in me. In my Father's house are many mansions:
if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a
place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will
come again, and receive you unto myself; that where I am, there
ye may be also. And whither I go ye know, and the way ye know."
- God's children entertain a great expectation.
- God's children eat with their faces toward the future --
the coming day of the Lord.
- INWARD -- IN SELF INSPECTION.
I Cor. 11:27-28 = "Wherefore whosoever shall eat this bread,
and drink this cup of the Lord, unworthily, shall be guilty of the
body and blood of the Lord. But let a man examine himself, and so
let him eat of that bread, and drink of that cup."
- The Greek word for "examine" is dokimazo, pronounced
(dok-im-ad'-zo); Meaning to test by implication, to approve;
To discern, prove or try.
- This examination of proving self as having done what is necessary
to be approved of God is to be done before the eating of the
supper.
- Look carefully at I Cor. 11:28 --
- "First "let a man examine himself"
- Second "let him eat of that bread, and drink of
that cup."
- The examination should consist of the following:
- Am I in the kingdom? There is where the table is:
Luke 22:29-30 = "And I appoint unto you a kingdom,
as my Father hath appointed unto me; That ye may eat and
drink at my table in my kingdom, and sit on thrones judging
the twelve tribes of Israel."
- Do I know the Lord? If I do not know the Lord, how can
I remember him?
- Am I clean? How unbecoming to eat with a sin stained
life!
Acts 22:16 = "And now why tarriest thou? arise, and
be baptized, and wash away thy sins, calling on the name
of the Lord."
Eph 5:27 = "That he might present it to himself a glorious
church, not having spot, or wrinkle, or any such thing;
but that it should be holy and without blemish."
Rom 6:4 = "Therefore we are buried with him by baptism
into death: that like as Christ was raised up from the dead
by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk
in newness of life."
- Do I have life in Christ? Dead men do no sit at feasts.
Rom 6:11 = "Likewise reckon ye also yourselves to be
dead indeed unto sin, but alive unto God through Jesus Christ
our Lord."
Rom 6:22-23 = "But now being made free from sin, and
become servants to God, ye have your fruit unto holiness,
and the end everlasting life. For the wages of sin is death;
but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ
our Lord"
Rom 8:9-10 = "But ye are not in the flesh, but in the
Spirit, if so be that the Spirit of God dwell in you. Now
if any man have not the Spirit of Christ, he is none of
his. And if Christ be in you, the body is dead because of
sin; but the Spirit is life because of righteousness."
- Have I the desire to eat? Unless we delight in the feast,
it will not profit us, but condemn us.
1 Cor 11:29-32 = "For he that eateth and drinketh unworthily,
eateth and drinketh damnation to himself, not discerning
the Lord's body. For this cause many are weak and sickly
among you, and many sleep. For if we would judge ourselves,
we should not be judged. But when we are judged, we are
chastened of the Lord, that we should not be condemned with
the world."
- Am I aware of the Lord's presence? Christ is at the table
with us.
Matt 26:29 = "But I say unto you, I will not drink
henceforth of this fruit of the vine, until that day when
I drink it new with you in my Father's kingdom."
Matt 18:20 = "For where two or three are gathered together
in my name, there am I in the midst of them."
- CONCLUSION:
- THERE IS MORE TO THE PARTAKING OF THE LORD'S SUPPER THAN I AM
AFRAID MANY OF US CONSIDER WHILE WE ARE PARTAKING OF IT.
- THE LACK OF PROPER RESPECT OF REMEMBRANCE IN THE OBSERVANCE OF
THE LORD'S SUPPER WILL CONDEMN MANY OF US.
I Cor. 11:29 = "For he that eateth and drinketh unworthily,
eateth and drinketh damnation to himself, not discerning the Lord's
body."
- WHERE WERE YOU MENTALLY AS YOUR PARTOOK OF THE LORD'S SUPPER?
- Were you thinking about loving gift Christ gave for you?
- Do you show the proper respect in remembrance of His death
that you have shown for others in remembrance of their death?
- What was you attitude in communing around the table with
the Lord?
- HAVE YOU FULLY AWAKEN YET TO THE REALITY OF THE APPROACHING JUDGMENT
OF THE LORD?
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