Proclaiming His Death - June 1st, 2025

2025 Lord's Table Series - Sermon Brief 2

Title: Proclaiming His Death

Text: 1 Corinthians 11:26

1 Corinthians 11:26 (KJV) 26 For as often as ye eat this bread, and drink this cup, ye do shew the Lord’s death till he come.

Central Idea of the Text (CIT): Paul instructed the church that observing the Lord’s Supper proclaims the reality and significance of Christ’s atoning death until His return.

Proposition: The Lord’s Supper serves as a continual proclamation of Christ’s sacrificial death, reminding believers and testifying to the world.

Statement of Purpose:

Major Objective (MO): Evangelistic

Specific Objective (SO): I want my hearers to appreciate the Lord’s Supper as a declaration of the gospel and to be inspired to share the message of Christ’s atonement with others.

Outline

Introduction

Brothers and sisters, as we prepare to come to the Lord’s Table tonight, please remember that this is not a “sacrament” in the Catholic sense of a means by which grace is conferred through a priest. Rather, it, according to the Bible, is an ordinance our Lord Jesus Himself gave to His disciples (Luke 22:19–20; 1 Corinthians 11:23–26) as a solemn memorial of His death and a public proclamation of His resurrection. As we look at this “Picture,” we are reminded that Jesus Christ gave His life willingly to purchase our redemption. Everyone who approaches this Table should do so reverently and with a clear conscience.

Have you truly trusted Christ for yourself? Romans 10:9–10 teaches that if you confess (agree) with your mouth “Jesus is Lord” and believe (trust, rely on Him) in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved. It is not enough simply to know “in theory” that Jesus is God’s Son—each of us must personally place our faith in Him apart from any ritual or family tradition. If you have never made that personal commitment, in a few moments during this service, we will have a time for you to pray to the Lord. Let me be very clear, this is different from going into a confessional booth, and confessing your sins to a human priest. The Bible says that there is One Mediator (i.e., priest) between God and men, the Man Christ Jesus. There’s nothing in the Bible that teaches any other man can absolve your sins. Jesus is waiting to hear you pray directly to Him. He promised, “Him that cometh to Me, I will in no wise (i.e., in no way) cast out. Please, during the time of prayer later as we tarry and wait for each other to be right with God, and before we partake of the Bread and Wine, take a moment for yourself to pray and ask the Lord to forgive your sins and be your Savior. If you need help with any of this, please, during that prayer time, just lift your eyes quietly to me, and I will gladly come and help counsel you to ensure you fully understand the way of the Lord more clearly. If I am not available, or you cannot seem to get my attention, just quietly move from your seat, and speak to either Pastor Ward, or Bro. Tim, and we would be delighted to help you from the Bible before you approach this observance of the Lord’s Table.

Have you been baptized according to Scripture? In our church, baptism by immersion is the biblical symbol of your death to sin, burial with Christ, and newness of life (Romans 6:3–4). If you were baptized as an infant to “wash away original sin” or by pouring/sprinkling, that did not accomplish the same identification with Christ’s death and resurrection. If you have never been immersed in water after trusting Christ, we would love to help you follow the Lord in believer’s baptism so you can be in obedience to Him before you partake of His Table.

Are you willing to identify openly with Jesus and His Body? Partaking of the bread and cup declares to this church family—and to the world—that you belong to Jesus, who died for our sins and rose again. If you come merely out of habit or family custom, but your heart is not united to Christ in faith and obedience, Scripture warns that you may eat and drink judgment upon yourself (1 Corinthians 11:27–29). We do not want anyone to do that.

We welcome you—all who have trusted Christ, been baptized as a believer, and who desire to honor Him by remembering His sacrifice—to eat this bread and drink this cup. If you are uncertain about any of these points, please feel free to speak privately with one of our elders or pastors before coming forward. May the Lord give each of us grace to examine ourselves and partake in a worthy manner, discerning the Lord’s body (1 Corinthians 11:28).

A. The gospel is a message of hope and salvation, rooted in the death and resurrection of Christ.

The Gospel in Ten Words: “Christ Died for Our Sins and Rose from the Dead.”

B. Every observance of the Lord’s Supper boldly declares this gospel truth.

All Christians are unworthy to share the Lord’s Supper, but His grace has provided for them in their unworthiness. The tragedy is that some partake in an unworthy manner, not discerning the Lord’s body. Paul urged Christians to examine themselves and respect the corporate body of Christ as they share the Supper of the Lord.

Christ instituted both ordinances. Both portray publicly and visibly the essential elements of the gospel, and both symbolize realities involving divine activity and human experience. Baptism is a once-for-all experience, but the Lord’s Supper is repeated many times. Baptism follows closely one’s profession of faith in Christ and actually in the NT was the declaration of that faith. The Lord’s Supper declares one’s continuing dependence on the Christ proclaimed in the gospel, who died, was buried, and rose for our salvation.

In observing the ordinances, believers are presenting in a unique way the gospel of Christ and committing themselves fully to its demands. Calling on Christ the Savior and Lord to provide strength and leadership for the people of God individually and collectively, believers will leave the observance of the ordinances to give faithful service in His world.

[Cornerstone Bible Publishers, “Ordinances,” in The Master Study Bible: Cornerstone Encyclopedia of Bible Knowldege (KJV) (Cornerstone Bible Publishers, 2001), 376–377.]

C. Today, we explore how the ordinance proclaims Christ’s death and calls us to proclaim it in our daily lives.

I. The Purpose of Proclamation (v. 26)

A. The Lord’s Supper is a visible sermon, testifying to Christ’s sacrifice.

1. The ordinance portrays the centrality of the gospel through the bread and cup (Luke 22:19-20).

Luke 22:19–20 KJV

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.

2. It serves as a regular reminder of the sacrifice that secured our salvation (Hebrews 9:26).

Hebrews 9:26 KJV

26 For then must he often have suffered since the foundation of the world: but now once in the end of the world hath he appeared to put away sin by the sacrifice of himself.

Our Lord makes little of physical death, but he makes more of moral and spiritual death.

~ Oswald Chambers (Lecturer and Missionary)

Hebrews 9:27–28 KJV

27 And as it is appointed unto men once to die, but after this the judgment: 28 So Christ was once offered to bear the sins of many; and unto them that look for him shall he appear the second time without sin unto salvation.

B. Proclamation extends beyond the church walls, pointing to the redemptive power of the cross.

1. Believers’ participation declares Christ’s atonement to the watching world (1 Corinthians 1:18).

1 Corinthians 1:18 KJV

18 For the preaching of the cross is to them that perish foolishness; but unto us which are saved it is the power of God.

2. It reinforces the urgency of sharing the gospel with those who have not yet heard (Matthew 28:19).

It is curious how forgetful we are of death, how little we think that we are dying daily, and that what we call life is really death, and death the beginning of a higher life.

~ Max Müller

Matthew 28:19 KJV

19 Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost:

Illustration: Consider a national anthem sung before a significant event. It unites and declares shared values to all who hear. Similarly, the Lord’s Supper unites believers in proclaiming Christ’s redemptive work. John got a glimpse of this unifying anthem in heaven:

Revelation 5:9–13 KJV

9 And they sung a new song, saying, Thou art worthy to take the book, and to open the seals thereof: for thou wast slain, and hast redeemed us to God by thy blood out of every kindred, and tongue, and people, and nation; 10 And hast made us unto our God kings and priests: and we shall reign on the earth. 11 And I beheld, and I heard the voice of many angels round about the throne and the beasts and the elders: and the number of them was ten thousand times ten thousand, and thousands of thousands; 12 Saying with a loud voice, Worthy is the Lamb that was slain to receive power, and riches, and wisdom, and strength, and honour, and glory, and blessing. 13 And every creature which is in heaven, and on the earth, and under the earth, and such as are in the sea, and all that are in them, heard I saying, Blessing, and honour, and glory, and power, be unto him that sitteth upon the throne, and unto the Lamb for ever and ever.

C. The Supper reminds us of the urgency of sharing the gospel before Christ’s return.

1. The phrase “till He come” reminds us of the limited time to fulfill our mission (John 9:4).

John 9:4 KJV

4 I must work the works of him that sent me, while it is day: the night cometh, when no man can work.

2. It calls us to live as witnesses, eagerly anticipating His return (Titus 2:13).

Titus 2:13 KJV

13 Looking for that blessed hope, and the glorious appearing of the great God and our Saviour Jesus Christ;

THEOLOGICAL IMPLICATIONS OF THE LORD’S SUPPER

The New Testament gives clear testimony that the early Christians held the Lord’s Supper in high esteem. They believed the meal contained profound implications in its meaning and observance. From the New Testament evidence, several interdependent themes emerge that are associated with and identified by the observance of the Lord’s Supper.

First, the Lord’s Supper is a proclamation of the gospel (1 Cor. 11:26). As was the case with baptism, this ordinance is a visual sermon that proclaims the meaning of the death of Jesus Christ. The meal is a visible proclamation of the substitutionary death of Jesus Christ. The breaking of the bread represents visually the sacrifice of Christ’s body for our sake (“this is My body, which is given for you,” Luke 22:19). The fruit of the vine poured out speaks visually of the shedding of the blood of Jesus for the sins of the world (Heb. 9:22; Mark 14:24). The eating and drinking of the elements of the supper are symbolic in themselves because these acts speak of the personal aspect of Christ’s sacrifice—“he died for me.”

The Lord’s Supper is a remembrance and reenactment, recalling the sacrificial death of Jesus. Participants in the Lord’s Supper are to remember Jesus, especially his sacrificial death on the cross. As the partakers “remember” what Christ has done, they also reenact in a commemorative way the events of the crucifixion. The ordinance is thus a visual retelling of the events of Jesus’ earthly life, climaxing in his death. The recounting of the life and death of Christ is our obedient response to Christ’s command, “Do this in remembrance of Me” (Luke 22:19). Believers ought to respond with gratitude upon their remembrance of these events from the life of Christ (the Eucharist). Believers are to thank God for the elements of the Lord’s Supper of which they partake and for the sacrifice of Christ for the forgiveness of their sins.

The Lord’s Supper is an event in which we declare that we have received by faith the new life that only Christ can give. Just as we must regularly eat food to sustain our physical lives, so also does the reception of the elements remind us that Christ is the source of our spiritual life. The Lord’s Supper symbolizes our faith in Christ and his atoning work as the source of spiritual vitality.

Second, the eating and drinking of the elements of the Lord’s Supper occurs in a context in which loyalty to Christ is contrasted with loyalty to idols (1 Cor. 10:16–21). Paul emphasized that partaking of the bread and cup constitutes a confession of allegiance to Christ and therefore demands a separation from and renunciation of all idolatrous allegiances. In this manner, the Lord’s Supper becomes a repeated, personal recommitment to Jesus as Lord. The eating and drinking of the elements symbolizes this renewal as well as his life and death.

A third tenet of the Lord’s Supper is communion, or fellowship. The ordinance of the Lord’s Supper is an expression of the unity of the church of Christ (1 Cor. 10:17). The supper is an ordinance of the church and must be observed in a congregational context. All figuratively partake of the single body and blood of Christ. Although the church is made up of many members, it nevertheless remains one organism. Baptists believe that those who participate in the supper in a local church declare their personal and corporate union with Christ as well as their fellowship with one another. The sharing of the cup and the bread underscores that the many are one in Christ.

The Lord’s Supper is also a reminder of the future return of Jesus Christ (1 Cor. 11:26). Jesus promised that he would not “drink of this fruit of the vine” until the day when he drinks it anew with his disciples in his Father’s kingdom (Matt. 26:29). The ordinance thus anticipates and proclaims the Lord’s second coming. The supper also proclaims that the same Lord who died, was raised, and ascended to the Father will return in triumph, blessing, and judgment.184

184 Garrett, Systematic Theology, 611–12.

[R. Stanton Norman, The Baptist Way: Distinctives of a Baptist Church (Nashville, TN: Broadman & Holman Publishers, 2005), 147–149.]

Transition: Having seen the purpose of proclamation, let us now examine the transformative power of the message itself.

II. The Power of the Message

A. Christ’s death is the foundation of the gospel.

1. His atoning sacrifice satisfied God’s wrath and reconciled sinners to Him (Romans 3:25).

Romans 3:25 KJV

25 Whom God hath set forth to be a propitiation through faith in his blood, to declare his righteousness for the remission of sins that are past, through the forbearance of God;

2. The Supper reminds us of the cross’s centrality in our faith and message (1 Corinthians 2:2).

1 Corinthians 2:2 KJV

2 For I determined not to know any thing among you, save Jesus Christ, and him crucified.

If they are proclaiming the Lord’s death in what they do at the Lord’s Supper, they will not overindulge themselves, despise others, shame them, or allow them to go hungry.

~David E. Garland

B. The gospel transforms lives.

1. The message of the cross brings forgiveness and new life to all who believe (2 Corinthians 5:17).

2 Corinthians 5:17 KJV

17 Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new.

2. Participating in the Supper reaffirms our identity as redeemed people, called to live for His glory (Galatians 2:20).

Galatians 2:20 KJV

20 I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me.

Illustration: Imagine a person lost in darkness who suddenly sees a light guiding them to safety. The gospel is that light, transforming those in spiritual darkness into children of light. The Supper continually reminds us of this transformative power.

Ephesians 5:1 KJV

1 Be ye therefore followers of God, as dear children;

We cannot expect successfully to imitate Christ, unless we contemplate His person, any more than a painter can reproduce a landscape without his studying it and drinking in the spirit which pervades the whole. We must take time to sit at His feet, studying His character as revealed to us in the Gospels, and being transformed, as it were, unconsciously into His image. What we want is not more knowledge of truth, but more practical carrying it out.

R. H. SCHOFIELD.

[D. L. Moody, One Thousand and One Thoughts from My Library (New York; Chicago; Toronto: Fleming H. Revell, 1898), 306–307.]

C. The message empowers believers to persevere.

1. The remembrance of Christ’s sacrifice strengthens us to endure trials and opposition (Hebrews 12:1-3).

Hebrews 12:1–3 KJV

1 Wherefore seeing we also are compassed about with so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which doth so easily beset us, and let us run with patience the race that is set before us, 2 Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith; who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God. 3 For consider him that endured such contradiction of sinners against himself, lest ye be wearied and faint in your minds.

2. It inspires hope as we look forward to His return and the completion of our salvation (Philippians 1:6).

Philippians 1:6 KJV

6 Being confident of this very thing, that he which hath begun a good work in you will perform it until the day of Jesus Christ:

Transition: As we grasp the power of the gospel message, we are naturally led to consider its implications for our daily lives and witness.

III. The Practice of Proclamation

A. Proclaiming through personal testimony.

1. Our lives should reflect the transformative power of the gospel (Matthew 5:16).

Matthew 5:16 KJV

16 Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven.

a. Believers are called to live as Christ’s ambassadors (2 Corinthians 5:20).

2 Corinthians 5:20 KJV

20 Now then we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God did beseech you by us: we pray you in Christ’s stead, be ye reconciled to God.

b. The Supper reminds us to examine our lives and ensure our witness aligns with His message (1 Corinthians 11:28).

1 Corinthians 11:28 KJV

28 But let a man examine himself, and so let him eat of that bread, and drink of that cup.

2. Sharing the gospel is an act of love and obedience (Romans 10:14-15).

Romans 10:14–15 KJV

14 How then shall they call on him in whom they have not believed? and how shall they believe in him of whom they have not heard? and how shall they hear without a preacher? 15 And how shall they preach, except they be sent? as it is written, How beautiful are the feet of them that preach the gospel of peace, and bring glad tidings of good things!

B. Proclaiming through corporate worship.

1. The observance of the Lord’s Supper is a communal declaration of Christ’s death and resurrection.

The whole of the New Testament is proclaiming the blood of Christ, the death of Christ upon the cross, on Calvary. It is the heart and centre of the Christian evangel, the good news of salvation.

~ David Martyn Lloyd-Jones (Welsh Preacher and Writer)

a. It unites the body of Christ in a shared confession of faith (1 Corinthians 10:17).

1 Corinthians 10:17 KJV

17 For we being many are one bread, and one body: for we are all partakers of that one bread.

b. It demonstrates the church’s commitment to uphold and proclaim the gospel.

Before they participate in the meal, they should examine themselves in terms of their attitudes toward the body, how they are treating others, since the meal itself is a place of proclaiming the gospel.

~Gordon Fee

2. The Supper serves as a testimony to unbelievers who witness our worship (Acts 2:46-47).

Acts 2:46–47 KJV

46 And they, continuing daily with one accord in the temple, and breaking bread from house to house, did eat their meat with gladness and singleness of heart, 47 Praising God, and having favour with all the people. And the Lord added to the church daily such as should be saved.

Illustration: Picture a lighthouse standing firm on the shore, shining its light to guide ships safely to harbor. In the same way, the church, through the Lord’s Supper, shines the light of the gospel, guiding those in spiritual darkness to Christ.

Salt and Light

How can Christians change the world? The Lord Jesus Christ gave the answer in the Sermon on the Mount. He did not say that we are to maneuver the world. He did not say, “Get elected to high positions in the Roman Empire. See if you can get an evangelical to be emperor.” It could happen, of course. He did not forbid it. But that is not the option he gave. He said, “You are the salt of the earth” (Matt. 5:13), “You are the light of the world” (v. 14).

Salt does a great deal of good, but it does no good at all if it has lost its saltiness. It is only when it is salty that it is effective. So, if we are those in whom the Spirit of God has worked to call us to faith in Jesus Christ, we really must be Christ’s people; and it should be evident that by his grace we are not what we were previously. Our values should not be the same values. Our commitments should not be the same commitments. Our theology should not be the same theology. Rather, there must be a new element in us and, because of us, in the world.

We are also “light.” If salt speaks of what we are, light speaks of what we do. The purpose of light is to shine, to shine out. The Lord said, “No one lights a candle and puts it under a basket. It is to be set up on a hill where all will see it.” We are to be lighthouses in the midst of a dark world. Being a lighthouse will not change the rocky contours of the coast—the sin is still there; the perils of destruction still threaten men and women—but by God’s grace the light can be a beacon that will bring the ships into a safe harbor. That is what it means to be set apart unto God, to be sanctified. We are to be a beacon, knowing that as we are there will be cause for rejoicing, and the evangelical church will be blessed by God and thanked by those who have found the Lord Jesus Christ through its witness.

[James Montgomery Boice, The Gospel of John: An Expositional Commentary (Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Books, 2005), 1317–1318.]

C. Proclaiming until He comes.

1. The phrase “till He come” reminds us of the temporal nature of this proclamation.

a. It points us to the hope of Christ’s return (1 Thessalonians 4:16-17).

1 Thessalonians 4:16–17 KJV

16 For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first: 17 Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord.

b. It encourages perseverance in our witness and worship.

2. The Supper renews our anticipation of the marriage supper of the Lamb (Revelation 19:7-9).

Revelation 19:7–9 KJV

7 Let us be glad and rejoice, and give honour to him: for the marriage of the Lamb is come, and his wife hath made herself ready. 8 And to her was granted that she should be arrayed in fine linen, clean and white: for the fine linen is the righteousness of saints. 9 And he saith unto me, Write, Blessed are they which are called unto the marriage supper of the Lamb. And he saith unto me, These are the true sayings of God.

a. It calls us to live with expectant hearts, ready for His coming.

Instead of being preoccupied with complaining, the church should be occupied with proclaiming the word of life. Complaining turns off the light of the church in the world; proclaiming the word of life shines the light of the life of Christ into the darkness of the world.

~ G. Walter Hansen

b. It inspires us to remain faithful in proclaiming His death and resurrection.

In proclaiming the resurrection of Christ, the apostles proclaimed also the resurrection of mankind in Christ; and in proclaiming the resurrection of mankind, they proclaimed the renewal of all creation with him.

~ Michael F. Bird

Transition: As we leave the Table, let us carry the message of Christ’s death into the world, living as His witnesses and anticipating His glorious return.

Conclusion

A. Reflect: Take time to remember the significance of Christ’s atonement.

B. Proclaim: Commit to sharing the gospel boldly and faithfully.

C. Anticipate: Rejoice in the hope of Christ’s return, which the Supper points toward.