Means of Grace - The Lords Supper

Good morning, turn with me in your Bibles to 1 Corinthians 10

As we continue our series on the means of grace, we look this morning to the second sacrament or ordinance we see in the New Testament, namely The Lord’s Supper (communion, the table, The bread and cup, etc).

Last week, I introduced the sacraments and we spent our time looking at the first sacrament - Baptism

We explored the idea that the sacraments are signs that communicate to us a spiritual reality. Like a wedding ring, they serve as a visible language to communicate a deeper truth. Or as other have put it, they are visible words.

The gospel that we so cherish and love is in a sense put out before us to see.

And in that, there is a reality that the spirit of God bestows the grace of Christ upon us to spiritually strengthen us and shape us more into the image of Jesus.

What is interesting to me, that I more apparently realized in my study of this, is the amount of resources dedicated to the sacrament of Baptism, and the lack there of dedicated to The Lord’s Supper.

Perhaps you find that true in your own life.

The things I mentioned last week you had already thought about or contemplated or understood.

But what I think is true, and it is a shame, is the lack of understanding that the church as a whole has today surrounding this glorious sacrament.

Like Baptism, there can be two extremes that some can fall into

To overemphasize - and make communion a savior is a bad idea.

Obj “eat of my body”

But I fear that we may fall into the other category, and underemphasize its weight and significance. We can view the table as a sort of tack on thing we do, or it is merely ritualistic.

So what is happening when we come to the table?

Ultimately, what we need to know when we come to the table is that we are participating in a meal.

At the table, Christ spiritually nourishes believers be giving them himself

Notice Jesus says “This is my body,

Like a physical meal that sustains you and strengthens you and fuels you, coming before the Lord’s table is a means by which the spirit spiritually feeds you on Jesus Christ

Look with me at 1 cor 10

Turn with me to 1 Cor 11.

To give you some context, Paul is addressing the corinthian church. There are a lot of issues in this church and Paul is correcting them and instructing them in what is right. Up to this point, Paul has done this “yes but” argumentation with the church. He commends them and then corrects them

Yes, this is good, BUT heres what you need to know

1 Corinthians 11:2–3 “Now I commend you because you remember me in everything and maintain the traditions even as I delivered them to you. But I want you to understand that the head of every man is Christ, the head of a wife is her husband, and the head of Christ is God.”

But when it comes to the Lord’s supper, he says in verse 17, “I do not commend you…”

The reason is because there are divisions and factions within the church. There were wealthier people who were eating lavishly and getting drunk and there were poor people who didn’t have enough to eat.

So Paul rebukes them because the cross stands on level ground. Standing before the cross, there is no status, there is no wealth, there is no superiority or inferiority. Standing before the cross, we are stripped bare and all stand in desperate need of a glorious savior.

So Paul rebukes them for their hypocrisy and tells them they may be eating a supper, but it is not the Lord’s supper

I will read from verses 23-34 and then we will look at 6 descriptors of this meal.

1 Corinthians 11:23–34 “For I received from the Lord what I also delivered to you, that the Lord Jesus on the night when he was betrayed took bread, and when he had given thanks, he broke it, and said, “This is my body, which is for you. Do this in remembrance of me.” In the same way also he took the cup, after supper, saying, “This cup is the new covenant in my blood. Do this, as often as you drink it, in remembrance of me.” For as often as you eat this bread and drink the cup, you proclaim the Lord’s death until he comes. Whoever, therefore, eats the bread or drinks the cup of the Lord in an unworthy manner will be guilty concerning the body and blood of the Lord. Let a person examine himself, then, and so eat of the bread and drink of the cup. For anyone who eats and drinks without discerning the body eats and drinks judgment on himself. That is why many of you are weak and ill, and some have died. But if we judged ourselves truly, we would not be judged. But when we are judged by the Lord, we are disciplined so that we may not be condemned along with the world. So then, my brothers, when you come together to eat, wait for one another— if anyone is hungry, let him eat at home—so that when you come together it will not be for judgment. About the other things I will give directions when I come.”

Meal of Invitation

Meal of Remembrance (commemoration)

Meal of Communion (Participation)

Meal of Examination

Meal of Proclamation

Meal of Anticipation

Meal of invitation

Not our meal

Instituted and given by Christ

His bread, his cup, his hosting

We are merely the servers

Not first, what we do at the table, but rather, what Christ is doing for us at the table

Church we have been invited by the king of kings to come and to sit and to dine with him

ILLUS (big events have cost per plate)

Think about the cost of that invitation

Invitation means access

Meal of Remembrance/Commemoration

The Lord’s Supper is that it is a meal of remembrance. Jesus commands us to do this in remembrance of Him.

Now when, we remember someone, it is not just a recollection of their name and face. It is a recalling of all of who they are.

So what are the ways that we remember Christ?

First, his death - “proclaim the lords death until he comes”

They remind us of the broken body of Christ. That on the cross his body is broken for us.

That in the cup we are reminded of his blood. That the wages of sin is death and that blood had to be spilled on our behalf.

We are reminded of his resurrection. That Jesus defeated death, sin, and the devil

We are reminded of all the blessings that are bestowed upon us in Christ

Ephesians 1:3–10 “Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in Christ with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places, even as he chose us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and blameless before him. In love he predestined us for adoption to himself as sons through Jesus Christ, according to the purpose of his will, to the praise of his glorious grace, with which he has blessed us in the Beloved. In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses, according to the riches of his grace, which he lavished upon us, in all wisdom and insight making known to us the mystery of his will, according to his purpose, which he set forth in Christ as a plan for the fullness of time, to unite all things in Christ, things in heaven and things on earth in him.”

When you remember Christ, remember all that you have in Him

Reminded of self-giving sacrificial love (opposed to corinthians selfishness)

“On the night he was betrayed” & “which is for you”

Either Judas betraying

Or God’s handing over/delivering

Romans 8:32 “He who did not spare his own Son but gave him up for us all, how will he not also with him graciously give us all things?”

Either way, we see the selflessness of Jesus

He did not go begrudgingly to the cross, he went to the cross because he loves you

Ephesians 5:2 “And walk in love, as Christ loved us and gave himself up for us, a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God.”

Remember his sacrificial love

Now, we may think, why bread, why cup, why this meal? Why is this the symbol we participate in to remember Jesus

See this meal is the fulfillment of another meal, the passover meal

You’ll remember in exodus when God tells moses he has heard the cries of his people and promises to deliver them from slavery.

He tells moses to go to Pharoah and tell him to let God’s people go but Pharoah will not let the people go. So God sends 9 plagues down on Egypt and Pharoah will still not let the israelites go. So God sends a 10th plague. He tells Moses that all of the firstborn in the land of egypt will die. That he will go to every house and take the firstborn

But he instructs moses to tell the Israelites to take a lamb without blemish and slaughter that lamb, and then take some of the blood from that lamb and put it on the doorposts of their house and when God sees the blood applied he will not take their firstborn but will passover them

And just that happens. God passes over those whos blood is applied to their doorpost.

God tells them that they are to continually have this passover feast as reminder of God’s faithfullness.

Exodus 12:24–27 “You shall observe this rite as a statute for you and for your sons forever. And when you come to the land that the Lord will give you, as he has promised, you shall keep this service. And when your children say to you, ‘What do you mean by this service?’ you shall say, ‘It is the sacrifice of the Lord’s Passover, for he passed over the houses of the people of Israel in Egypt, when he struck the Egyptians but spared our houses.’ ” And the people bowed their heads and worshiped.”

At the table we, like the Israelites, look to Jesus as our passover lamb who was slain for us. He is the lamb without blemish whos blood was spilled. And by faith, his blood has been applied to our accounts so that the judgement and wrath of God is passed over us and we are safe.

If someone were to ask you today, “what do you mean by this service?” You can tell them it is a sacrifice of the Lord, for he has passed over his people and spared us

So when we go to the table, we remember, not simply a recalling of facts but an intimate personal treasuring of what God has done for us in Christ. And in that we see Christ afresh

More than mere factual recall - It’s a reflection that grounds, shapes, strengthens, humbles, encourages

Illus: Remember where you came from

Now while it is a meal of remembrance, it is not only a memory

Jesus says “this is my body”

What do we do with this? Is Jesus literal

Rome - Yes

Some - Only symbolic

Us - Spiritual presence with Christ

1 Cor 10

We go to him

His supper

He is host

We are brought up to his presence

Meal of Communion

Next, we see that the supper is a meal of communion

Because while it is a meal of commemoration it is als so much more, it is important we realize this is not a funeral brunch. Christ is alive and is present with his people.

Look briefly at chapter 10 with me

“participation”

If you’re still in Chapter 10, you can see in verse 16 Paul says this cup of blessing that we bless and the bread that we break is a “participation” in the body and blood of Christ

Some translations render this “communion” which is where we get the term “communion” that is an often used term for the Lord’s supper.

It could be translated as “fellowship”

Why I say vertical communion is notice where this participation or communion is directed

“is it not a participation(communion) in(of) the blood of christ”

“is it not a participation(communion) in(of) the body of christ”

So what does this mean?

This is a present communion

He says the bread we break, IS a participation. Meaning now. When we break the body and drink the blood we are in communion of fellowship now

Present communion in(of) the blood and body of Christ

Meaning, when we take the bread and the cup, we are in a sense, stepping through the doors of glory into the dining room of the king and fellowshipping with him. Christ is with his people in a mysterious way at the table that strengthens their union and fellowship with him

Which is why Paul says in 10:21 - you cannot drink of the cup of the lord and the cup of demons. Because in those cups you are communing with the very one they represent.

Horizontal

Participation in(of) body -> one body, one bread(loaf)

Notice how Paul says “you”.

“Delivered to you” in verse 23

“which is for you” verse 24

“you drink”

“you eat” v 26

“you proclaim” v 26

Those “you’s” could be yooper translated as “yous”… They are plural. The southern ESV might say “yall”

This is not an individualistic ceremony that we are partaking in, this is a communal feast that we enjoy together.

We see the familial nature of the table and how in Christ we are members of God’s family and brothers and sisters with one another.

This is why division is so harmful in the body of Christ. This is why Paul rebukes the corinthians so sharply. Because in their divisions and factions they are demonstrating the antithesis of what the table is meant to communicate. Family, unity, solidarity.

As we eat together, we are reminded that we are in the family of God. We are reminded that yes, while we are pilgrims and sojurners walking through a land that is not our home, we are side by side with blood bought family in this

Battle fellow soldiers??

So we come to this meal, to fellowship and commune with one another and together we fellowship and commune with Jesus

Fourthly, this meal is a meal of examination

Look at verse 27.

1 Corinthians 11:27–32 “Whoever, therefore, eats the bread or drinks the cup of the Lord in an unworthy manner will be guilty concerning the body and blood of the Lord. Let a person examine himself, then, and so eat of the bread and drink of the cup. For anyone who eats and drinks without discerning the body eats and drinks judgment on himself. That is why many of you are weak and ill, and some have died. But if we judged ourselves truly, we would not be judged. But when we are judged by the Lord, we are disciplined so that we may not be condemned along with the world.”

What does that mean? What does it mean to “examine ourselves”

It’s interesting that Paul says “therefore” when turning our attention to examination. His prior rebuke, followed by his corrective instruction, seems to be the basis by which he calls us to examination.

So, I believe it would be appropriate to say, since, the Lords Supper is a meal of memory, and since it is a meal of communion & fellowship with one another and with Christ himself, let us not come to this meal in an unworthy manner.

What Paul is saying here is “You have been bought with a price, you have been washed in the blood, you have been united to Christ by faith, and you come to this table of communion in such a way that you have turned the table on its head.

Rather than the table being a symbol of selfless sacraficial love as demonstrated to us by Christ, it has become a table of division and disunity in the body.

Which is why there is a call to examination. Are you coming to the table in an unworthy manner. Are coming to the table to drink from the cup of christ or the cup of demons.

We are called to remember christs death, his victory, his ressurection, his forgiveness for our sins, and yet if we are coming to the table to say I remember, but I won’t repent of that sin, we have misused the table (division, unrepentant sin)

While that is good and true, I want make a very clear distinction. The text tells us to examine ourselves so that come in a worthy manner, not to examine ourselves examine ourselves to see if we are worthy. The table is for unworthy men and women. You and I are not worthy!

This is not a word of condemnation for the church but an opportunity for purity.

Don’t believe me? Look at verse 32

1 Corinthians 11:32 “But when we are judged by the Lord, we are disciplined so that we may not be condemned along with the world.”

If you are in Christ, there no longer remains any condemnation for you!

Perhaps for some of you, the table has been a dread, a fear. Worried if in fact you are worthy, can I tell you something, we are unworthy to dine with Christ, yet his righteousness has proved us worthy.

The table ought not be a occasion for fear and dread but rather joy and tribulation! We are feasting with Christ!

Proclamation

Next, we see this is a meal of proclamation

1 Corinthians 11:26 “For as often as you eat this bread and drink the cup, you proclaim the Lord’s death until he comes.”

At first, we may think Paul is giving a new exhortation. He has shown us that we are to partake of the table but now he’s telling us when you do that, also proclaim the lord’s death.

While it is true we ought to proclaim the Lord’s death, that isn’t Paul’s intention in this verse.

He isn’t telling us what to do during the meal, he’s telling us we are doing during the meal.

He is saying, when you eat this bread and drink this cup, you are visibly proclaiming the Lord’s death. This is the idea of gospel pictures.

As you take the elements

As your husband or wife takes the elements

As your neighbor takes the elements

There is a proclamation of the Lord’s death

And it is a proclamation to both believers and unbelievers

Sometimes we can think that gospel proclamation is only for evangelism. That we proclaim the gospel to unsaved people to get them in the door as it were but that’s sort of the entry ticket and then we forget it.

That just couldn’t be farther from the truth. The reality here is the Lord’s supper is for believers. Surely we do proclaim the gospel in the picture of the table to unbelievers who are gathered with us, but the primary audience is each other.

Paul says in Romans that he is eager to come preach the gospel to them.

To the church, to believers.

To those who have already believed the gospel.

Because the gospel is not the thing that gets us in, it is the thing that keeps us and sustains us and sees us through to the very end

Sometimes the thing we so desire to be is the thing that is forgotten or assumed

In our attempt to gospel people we assume the gospel and don’t speak of it

In our attempts to serve Christ we forget him alltogether.

Let us not be a people in which the death of Christ is assumed. Let the gospel continually be proclaimed. Let the wonders of the table perpetually proclaim to us the glories of Christ

Anticipation

Finally, this is a meal of anticipation

Look at the end of verse 26. We do this until he comes back.

There is an expiration date on this meal, church

One day, the father will look to the son and this great king will stand up from his throne. The sky will crack, the trumpet will sound, and Jesus is will come back for his people. He has promised us he will return and so we go to this meal with a forward lean. We take these elements on the edge of our seat. Because we take this meal with eager anticipation for that day

The night before a wedding the bridal party all get’s together and you have a rehearsal. And generally what follows that rehearsal is a meal, rightly called a rehearsal dinner.

And that meal, although a great celebration, is pointing us toward the meal that is to come tomorrow. All the people in that wedding are there. The bridal party, family, even the bride and groom, feasting together yet desperately longing for that meal tomorrow.

Because tomorrows meal will be no rehearsal. See the bride and the groom will be together like this meal but tomorrow will be the marriage feast.

And like that meal, church, we look forward at this one to a greater feast. To the marriage supper of the lamb, where we will feast together with him for all of eternity

So now as we come to the table,

we look back into the past

We are reminded of Christ’s death, the breaking of his body and spilling of his blood

His forgiveness of our sins

The blood that has been applied on our account

The wrath and judgement of God that has passed over us

And we look to the present

That we are the family of God

That we have been adopted

That we are brothers and sisters running this race together

That we have present communion with Christ

That he dines with his church now and spiritually nourishes and strengthens our faith

And we look to the future

Where Christ will return

Where he will raise us from the grave

Where he will create the new heavens and the new earth

Where we will feast with him forevermore

Men come forward