Communion - Mt 11,28-29

Lord’s supper devotion

In the last week if we are honest we know we have failed in some way. Whether in word or thought or deed we have sinned. Knowing this we may feel unworthy to come to the Lord’s table.

As Christians when we aware of our sin we can feel like Jesus should say to us go away from me. But in reality what Jesus says is “Come to me.”

Sometimes we can treat drawing near to God in the same way we treat a dentist appointment. When you know you have a dentist appointment you try and make sure your teeth are as clean as possible. You try and remove as much staining as possible. You make sure you floss properly. You brush your teeth twice on the morning of your appointment and you have chewing gum in the car on the way there.

We try to make our teeth clean to prepare to see the dentist.

Sometimes when we approach God we can try and do the same with our sin. Try and clean ourselves up. When actually we need to come to him for cleansing. We need to trust in Jesus’ righteousness and rely on his blood to make us clean.

To continue the dentist illustration its like we admit we cannot get our mouths clean and the dentist doesn’t require a squeaky clean mouth in order to see us. The reason we go to the dentist it so he can clean our teeth and remove stains and plaque that we simply cannot do ourselves.

This is how we ought to approach God when we are aware of our sinfulness. Not try and clean ourselves but come to him for cleansing. Come to him for forgiveness. Let him change us.

Listen to what Jesus says to those who are weary and burdened with their sin.

In the words of Matthew 11:28–29 ““Come to me, all of you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, because I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls.”

How can Jesus give us rest for our souls?

Here we have a reminder in the bread and the cup.

His body was put on the cross. He bore our sins in his body on the tree. He has paid our debt of sin. There is no more condemnation.

His blood was shed. The blood of Jesus Christ cleanses us from all sin. We are forgiven through his blood.

So how do we approach God in light of what the bread and the cup proclaim?

Yes in humility, yes in repentance, but also in dependence on the cleansing and forgiving work of the Lord Jesus Christ.

We bring our weariness and burden of sin to Christ and he gives us rest.

This is the same way we approach the Lord’s table. We don’t come to the Lord’s table because we feel worthy but rather because we know we are unworthy and we need what the bread and the cup represent we need the cross. When we take the bread and the cup we are saying Lord Jesus I rely on your death on the cross to take away my sin. I rely on your blood to make me clean.

If you are a believer in the Lord Jesus this evening then please feel free to partake with us as we take the Lord’s supper. If you are not a Christian then please allow the bread and the cup to pass by. But I encourage you to admit your own need of forgiveness and cleansing and maybe next time we do this you can join in with us because you have come to Jesus for rest.

As the servers come forward I will read from the words of 1 Cor 11 before we give thanks for the bread.

Read 1 Corinthians 11:23–24 “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, and when he had given thanks, broke it, and said, “This is my body, which is broken for you. Do this in remembrance of me.””

Pray

Please eat the bread when you receive it.

Read 1 Corinthians 11:25–26 “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.” For as often as you eat this bread and drink the cup, you proclaim the Lord’s death until he comes.”

Pray

Please hold on to the cup and we will drink together when everyone has received theirs.

Let us drink in remembrance of him.

Announce closing hymn. There is a redeemer.