The Lord's Supper

Introduction

Introduce Self

Dismiss Children

Continuing in our three week series of Feasts, faith, and Faithfulness today.

Going to be taking a hard look at the Lord’s Supper.

Over the last month or so I’ve taken a deep dive study into this and it lead to a great place. A place of better understanding the church Jesus established, and an appreciation for the relationships that should be between believers.

When you hear that phrase there is probablyy an image of a small wafer and a little cup of juice or wine.

Howver, that would have been an oddity to the first century church. Which I believe we all knew. We all understand that culture will dictate church methodology and philosophy. And that’s perfectly fine but the methodology and philosophy cannot detract from the purpose.

That’s one of the quetions I had to answer, what is the purose of the Lord’s Supper. And I don’t just mean as a method of rememberance, I’ll explain tht tlater, I mean of the method in which we do it. Why do we have it so formal?

So, I started studying it.

And I want to share with you what I found today by helping you understand what I have been able find that has encouraged me and challenged me as a Christian.

Let me start by asking you a couple of questions

Character: Negative, divisive, contakerous

I like words. I use them often. Sometimes more often than I should.

Have you ever herd the word contrakerous?

It mean: bad-tempered, argumentative, and uncooperative

Have you ever met someone that was contakerous? Maybe a negaative nancy or divisive dave?

A person that will find something wrong with anything?

Coffee is too hot, ice is too cold, sky is too blue…Know what I mean?

If we are honest, we have each had a day or longer where we hve found ourselves there. Seeing all the problems in everyone and everything.

We get that way when get lost in ourselves and focus on us.

Galatians 5:19–21 “19 Now the works of the flesh are manifest, which are these; Adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lasciviousness, 20 Idolatry, witchcraft, hatred, variance, emulations, wrath, strife, seditions, heresies, 21 Envyings, murders, drunkenness, revellings, and such like: of the which I tell you before, as I have also told you in time past, that they which do such things shall not inherit the kingdom of God.”

Galatians 5:19–21 CSB

19 Now the works of the flesh are obvious: sexual immorality, moral impurity, promiscuity, 20 idolatry, sorcery, hatreds, strife, jealousy, outbursts of anger, selfish ambitions, dissensions, factions, 21 envy, drunkenness, carousing, and anything similar. I am warning you about these things—as I warned you before—that those who practice such things will not inherit the kingdom of God.

Now we can summarize much of that by saying the works of the flesh are contentious and lead to contention.

Now, we take that understanding and partner that with

Proverbs 13:10 “10 Only by pride cometh contention: But with the well advised is wisdom.”

Pride. Pride brings contention into our lives.

Pride comes from a focus on self, a lack of understanding about their person, and as believers, it’s a sign that we have forgotten where all that we are and have comes from.

When we allow this pride to creep into our hearts something must be done about it. If we keep pride in our hearts it will only lead to greater problems.

Agitated: Church hopping, kingdom not advancing, peronal relationship hurt

When pride remains in the hert of a beleiver it creates bitterness.

Bitterness is defined as anger and disappointment at being treated unfairly; resentment

We may also call that jealousy. What does that sound like? “They like them more than me” “They don’t like me becuase I’m not them” “If they don’t do it my way, they must not like me as a person”

Pride, bitterness, jelousy, comes down to identity. Where do you find your identity. Is your life about you or is it about others.

General Booth, the founder of the salvation army was unable to make an annual gathering one time and sent a letter. In the letter he wrote

Dear Delegates of the Salvation Army Convention: OTHERS! Signed, General Booth.

A preacher from days gone by wrote this poem to go along with it when he would mention it.

Lord, let me live from day to day In such a self-forgetful way That even when I kneel to pray, My prayer shall be for others. Others, Lord, yes, others; Let this my motto be. Help me to live for others That I may live like Thee.

When we are living for others, that is our prayer. Howver, when we live for self we ar eliving from a place of pride and bitterness with those around us, it can lead to people church hopping or looking to other churches, or churches from their past, believing thats the ebst and nohing was ever wrong then.

It cna lead to look to other friends thinking that becuase they aren’t the people you are ccurrenttly friends with you won’t have the same problem. Yet, what you will find is people be peopleing no matter who they are or where they are. And lest we forget, sometimes, you are the one peopling.

It leads to divisive attitudes and actions.

The word divisive has the same meaning as when the israelites would rend their cclothes and separte them. It’s the type of attitude that leads to gossipping behind peoples back, by ttelling people how you don’t like how tthey do things without ever talking to them bout it. It’s speaking ill of their character or Christianity without ever approaching them. IF we are followers of Jesus we are called to approach people individually with those converns, not to tell them off but to help them and us undertand what they are doign so that if help is needed we can provide it.

This pride aand bitterness will hurt personal relationships and that is what makes a church a churcch. Not the branding, not the decor, not the building, it’s the people. And as a churcch reacches more people the culture changes as different personalityies and background are introduced and remain. With pridde and bitterness we can hang on to the wrong things rather than embracing the people.

Solution: Lord’s Supper, reminder of His Love, Our Unity, and your responsiblity

This is where the Agape feast from last week and the Lord’s Supper came in. Not so much the participation in the events but the hearts behind the events.

You see, if you reduce them down to the event then you have a potluck with bread and wine. Eating together doesn’t impact hearts. Anyone can sit across the table from someone they don’t like and be cordial.

But the intent of the Agape feast and the Lord’s Supper was to remind people they were not alone and that they are united by the love of Jesus and the good news of His resurrection.

Guide: Jesus, Paul, The people around you

We have only to look at Jesus and God’s Word to see the truth of this. then have the people around us come alongside us to live it out.

When jesus instituted the Lord’s Supper it was at passover. A Jewish festival that was about bringing people together.

We often here it referred to as communion. representing the community aspect of it.

Jesus said to break bread and drink wine in rememberance of Him. Paul said to enjoy it together with solid relationships and to conider the people around you and the people around you are the ones those relationships re built on.

What do you do? How do yyou take your time with other belivers and use it as a means to help with the pride aand bitterness that can creep into any one of our hearts?

Journey: The Lord’s Supper

We already said the Lord’s Supper was first instituted bvy Jesus att the what we call the Last Supper. The time he had with his diciples before he was crucified.

Luke 22:14–20 “14 And when the hour was come, he sat down, and the twelve apostles with him. 15 And he said unto them, With desire I have desired to eat this passover with you before I suffer: 16 For I say unto you, I will not any more eat thereof, until it be fulfilled in the kingdom of God. 17 And he took the cup, and gave thanks, and said, Take this, and divide it among yourselves: 18 For I say unto you, I will not drink of the fruit of the vine, until the kingdom of God shall come. 19 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. 20 Likewise also the cup after supper, saying, This cup is the new testament in my blood, which is shed for you.”

now, there is a very well known church that teaches when you take a peice fo brad or wafer, and a cup of juice or wine, and speak some magic words over it it will transform into the literal body and blood of Jesus.

Now, if I were to tell yyou that I have a piecce of bread, and I’m going to speak words over it, and it will transform into anotther substance entirely, what would you call that outside of a church setting?

Magic. Right. Yet, when it happens in church we call it transubstation. Yet, when you read what Jesus said in context, we find that he is speaking metaphorically and doing what He did throughout His teachings on earth and using somehing we ccna see and understand to represent a spiritual truth.

His body would be broken like this bread…his blood would be poured out like this juice...

And we observe the Lord’s Supper to remember Jesus.

When remembering the Lord’s sacrifice for us it’s not just that we hve forgiveness of sin becuase of it. It’s remembering Him, His life, and his purpose as a whole.

He came to redeem all of mankind because they could not redeem themselves. He came to redeem you beccuase you cnnot redeem yourelf.

You have life because God gave it to you. You have slvation, because God gave it to you. You are who you are, where you are, and with the people around you becuase of the grace of God in your life.

how can you not live humbly in light of these truths? How much pride do you have to have in yyour heart to look at God and say “I am who I aam and I wont’ change for you” To look at fellow believers, maybe even your own family or spouse, and say “Well, that’s jut who I am.”

to look at another believer and have a divisive attitude? To believe that only you are right and others can’t be...

This is exactly what is happening in Corinth when Paul writes about the Lord’s Supper. Look what he says

1 Corinthians 11:17–20 “17 Now in this that I declare unto you I praise you not, that ye come together not for the better, but for the worse. 18 For first of all, when ye come together in the church, I hear that there be divisions among you; and I partly believe it. 19 For there must be also heresies among you, that they which are approved may be made manifest among you. 20 When ye come together therefore into one place, this is not to eat the Lord’s supper.”

1 Corinthians 11:17–20 CSB

17 Now in giving this instruction I do not praise you, since you come together not for the better but for the worse. 18 For to begin with, I hear that when you come together as a church there are divisions among you, and in part I believe it. 19 Indeed, it is necessary that there be factions among you, so that those who are approved may be recognized among you. 20 When you come together, then, it is not to eat the Lord’s Supper.

He says I’m not praising you for the way your behaving. You hve divisions among you. let’s paue here for just a moment.

If I hve offended you, whose responsibility is it to make that right?

Matthew 18:15 “15 Moreover if thy brother shall trespass against thee, go and tell him his fault between thee and him alone: if he shall hear thee, thou hast gained thy brother.”

Matthew 18:15 CSB

15 “If your brother sins against you, go tell him his fault, between you and him alone. If he listens to you, you have won your brother.

It’s your’s. Jesus said, it’s yours. So if I’ve offended you, come to me and let’s chat. If I don’t know I’ve offended you I can’t do anyhing about it. If you don’t know you’ve offended someone you can’t do anything about it. It’s the responsiblity of the offending party to make it right.

The divisions in corinth was becuase there was divisions and they weren’t being made right by the offending parties. There was also the wealthy bringing in food and eating it or getting drunk so the poor went without. They were beign selfish.

The Lord’s Supper was a time of gathering otgether and humbly remembering who you are in Christ, who others are in Christ, and loving them for that.

Now as we move forward in this text I hve to confess, this was one of those times when I waas reading and studying a passage that I thought I had down and the Lord allowed me to see a truth here I had missed before.

Paul said “it is good that there is divisions among you...”Wait..what? Conflict is a good thing? There should be divisions in the chrucch? Wait…why paul? Whyy is it good?

So that those who conducct themselves in a godly manner are approved or made public. Those who seek to love like Jesus even wheny our being unlovable. Those re the ones who will be the servants o fthe church. Those are the ones who God elevates.

You say…pastor tha’ts pretty direct

James 4:6–7 “6 But he giveth more grace. Wherefore he saith, God resisteth the proud, but giveth grace unto the humble. 7 Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.”

God resists those that are proud in heart. The Lord’s Supper should be a humbling reminder of our helpless and hopeless each of us are without God, the scrifice of Jesus, and the enabling of the Holy Spirit.

Is all of that brought about and reccognized when we take this wafer or this sip of juice? No.

remember, that woudl be odd to the first century church. What did they do? What method did they use and why did ti change over time?

with the Lord’s Supper being combined with the Agape Feast it would seem both were jut what they are called. A feast and a supper.

A time of fellowship over a meal with bread and fruit of the vine to specifically recall who Jesus is and what jesus did.

How did we come to the place where we just have a solem moment in a service with a wafer and a small cup of juice?

Well...

Without going into to much detail, between the 2nd aand 4th century the number of people who followed the way, the way of Jesus, was exploding. That resulted in even the upper class of society foloowing Jesus. It also crossed cultural lines. And wheny ou have a faith based on the heart and not on a system, you find that it can be right and look different.

However, some began to formalize the faith into a system of worship. They held councils, they made deccisions, and channged the way people were to conduct themselves in the practices of the faith.

The issues Paul spoke about were not just iolated to Corinth. They were in other areas a well. A man anmed ignataus wrote abotu them as well as a guy names Justin martyr.

Both wrote about the Agape feast and Lord’s Supper being totgether and about some of the things going on.

When the councils got together and what appers to be tthe early foundation of what would become the Catholic church, they separted the two and turned the Lord’s Supper meal into the practice we know of as the Euchrist. Which that word by defnitionn just means thanksgiving...

however it morphed into the magical incanaiton saying, gracec dispensing, prctiec we see in not only the Catholic church but others today.

I never grew up in one of those traditions. I’ve always known it as just a means of remembering Jesus like scripture teaches. However, the methodolgy of observance that we have been using is basically a basttardization of the practice in the catholic church.

I stand up and we pass these little wafers and juice around. Do I think it can’t be done this way? no.

Do I thinkn this is how the early church did things? no. Do I believe this is the practice spoke of in the Bible? No.

And with the answer to that question I had to make a decision as Pastor. Do I continue with tradition or do I look to the Bible for my faith and practice? Can I tell you which one I’m choosing?

This is why next week, following our prayer and praise time here in the autidotirum, we will go down to the big room and enjoy a meal, yes pie, but also unleavened bread and grape juice together. And while I can’t ell you how every Lord’s Supper observance will look, I can tell you I thinkw e are going to save money on wafers and little juice cups going forward.

My instruction to you as your pastor and friend is the same as Paul’s though

1 Corinthians 11:21–32 KJV 1900

21 For in eating every one taketh before other his own supper: and one is hungry, and another is drunken. 22 What? have ye not houses to eat and to drink in? or despise ye the church of God, and shame them that have not? What shall I say to you? shall I praise you in this? I praise you not. 23 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: 24 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. 25 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. 26 For as often as ye eat this bread, and drink this cup, ye do shew the Lord’s death till he come. 27 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. 28 But let a man examine himself, and so let him eat of that bread, and drink of that cup. 29 For he that eateth and drinketh unworthily, eateth and drinketh damnation to himself, not discerning the Lord’s body. 30 For this cause many are weak and sickly among you, and many sleep. 31 For if we would judge ourselves, we should not be judged. 32 But when we are judged, we are chastened of the Lord, that we should not be condemned with the world.

1 Corinthians 11:21–32 CSB

21 For at the meal, each one eats his own supper. So one person is hungry while another gets drunk! 22 Don’t you have homes in which to eat and drink? Or do you despise the church of God and humiliate those who have nothing? What should I say to you? Should I praise you? I do not praise you in this matter! 23 For I received from the Lord what I also passed on to you: On the night when he was betrayed, the Lord Jesus took bread, 24 and when he had given thanks, broke it, and said, “This is my body, which is for you. Do this in remembrance of me.” 25 In the same way also he took the cup, after supper, and said, “This cup is the new covenant in my blood. Do this, as often as you drink it, in remembrance of me.” 26 For as often as you eat this bread and drink the cup, you proclaim the Lord’s death until he comes. 27 So, then, whoever eats the bread or drinks the cup of the Lord in an unworthy manner will be guilty of sin against the body and blood of the Lord. 28 Let a person examine himself; in this way let him eat the bread and drink from the cup. 29 For whoever eats and drinks without recognizing the body, eats and drinks judgment on himself. 30 This is why many are sick and ill among you, and many have fallen asleep. 31 If we were properly judging ourselves, we would not be judged, 32 but when we are judged by the Lord, we are disciplined, so that we may not be condemned with the world.

Don’t consume it unworthily. Don’t come together to worship Jesus and remember him if you haven’t made things right with other believers around you. If you are harboring biterness and unwillingly to humbly reconcile, don’t participate on the 19th. If you hve unconfessed sin betweeny ou and God, confess it or don’t particiapte on the 19th. Becuase tthat, the unreconciled relationship is what it means to take the Lord’s Supper unworthily. To disregard the body of Christ, the church, is wht Paul is wriitng about.

To be negative, divisive, and contankerous, that is the unworthy manner Paul speaks of.

Resolution: Embracce the people around you with love. Embracec healthy confrontation b/c you have the same prupose.

What do you do? You choose to reconcile. You choose to humbly approach the people who ahve offended you and seek to show the love of Jesus by having your reltionship restored.

By making the decision to do tht you will see and understand what is meant by Jesus when he says “you have gained a brother.” In my life I’ve had two people in the last few weeks that hve brought up how I have offended them or there was a perceived offence. A perceived offense is when the actions or words are perceived to be offensive when none was meant. That is often the case iwth Christians becuase I don’t thinnk ay followers of jesus walk around and think “Man, I wonder how I can offend someone today?”

Tthey brought it o my attention, we spoke and talked through it all and at the end both said “I understand you better now.” And I understand them better. And our reltioship is stronger than ti was before.

Who do you need to reconcile with? How has pride or bitterness creeped into your heart adn weighed you down? Do you not remember that you are a child of god? Created by Him and for Him. Indwelt by the Holy Sprit. Made afor a prupose and to not only show love but to be loved by the one who formed you in the womb?

Impact: Negative: Division, poor kingdom impact, broken homes and friendships. Positive: Restoration, Kingdom advancement, being a place known by our love

Will you, as a follower of Jesus, choose to remain in your pride and bitterness, sttubborn and agnry unwiling to adjust who you re becuase of who He is causing division in the church, your home to remain broken and or your friendships to be continually tossed to the side?

Will you ramin a gosspier and backbiter becuase things don’t go your way and you don’t care enough about the person to go and speak to them? Creating an atmosphere and culture of discontent and frustration as you serve out of sense of obligation or elf importance?

Will you choose to take the lord’s supper where you spend time reflecting on the broken body of our Sacvior and His shed blood while also looking across the table or the room to a person that you harbor ill will or hurt feelings towards?

is that what Jesus desired for his epople? Is that what he church is supposed to be?

Or

or, will you decide to seek restoration and reconcilation? Will you choose to humbyl love and be loved? Will you accept people tht are different thany ou? Will you choose to live in light of the God who loves you, the Jesus who died for you, and with the people He has around you?

What would happen if you did that? Could your marriage imporve? Your reltionhips with otthers? Could your church advance the kingdom in great way? programs, systems, nd things only go so far but that is not wht brings gospel ransformation to the individuals around us an the community we inhabit. It is the love of Jesus that we are known by.

Time of Response