As we sup together
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· 51 viewsA time of reflection on the Lord's Supper
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How about an appetizer first?
How about an appetizer first?
We know the Lord instituted the Lord’s Supper
19 And when He had taken some bread and given thanks, He broke it and gave it to them, saying, “This is My body which is given for you; do this in remembrance of Me.”
Jesus told them, Paul recounted it in our passage tonight and we will get there shortly, but let’s start with some history
One of the early teaching, believed to be written late 1st Century (AD 50-120) by anonymous author called
(Slide) The Didache - The Lord’s teachings to the heathen by the 12 Apostles
though at a later date it was added by
It was discovered in 1800 in a monastery in Constantinople in it was compiled the teaching of Jesus and the apostles, within it, there was reference to the Lord’s supper too.
(Slide) in Article IX you can read the following
1. And concerning the Eucharist, hold Eucharist thus:
2. First concerning the Cup, "We give thanks to thee, our Father, for the Holy Vine of David thy child, which, thou didst make known to us through Jesus thy Child; to thee be glory for ever."
3. And concerning the broken Bread: "We give thee thanks, our Father, for the life and knowledge which thou didst make known to us through Jesus thy Child. To thee be glory for ever.
(Slide) 4. As this broken bread was scattered upon the mountains, but was brought together and became one, so let thy Church be gathered together from the ends of the earth into thy kingdom, for thine is the glory and the power through Jesus Christ for ever."
5. But let none eat or drink of your Eucharist except those who have been baptised in the Lord's Name. For concerning this also did the Lord say, "Give not that which is holy to the dogs."
This was taken from www.didache.com
Though there has been much dispute about the document itself the fact remains that the Lord’s Supper was a practice of early Church.
(Slide) Other writers such as Justin Martyr (150ad) state that Christians met on the first day of the week and partook the Lord’s Supper together (apology I, 67)
(Slide) Barnabas, Irenaeus, clement of Alexandria, Origen all early Apostolic Fathers mention the Lord’s Supper was observed weekly, on the first day of the week. This is from B.W. Johnson’s “People’s N.T.”
Historically we know that from 1Cor11:17-22 it was abused
17 But in giving this instruction, I do not praise you, because you come together not for the better but for the worse. 18 For, in the first place, when you come together as a church, I hear that divisions exist among you; and in part I believe it. 19 For there must also be factions among you, so that those who are approved may become evident among you.
20 Therefore when you meet together, it is not to eat the Lord’s Supper, 21 for in your eating each one takes his own supper first; and one is hungry and another is drunk. 22 What! Do you not have houses in which to eat and drink? Or do you despise the church of God and shame those who have nothing? What shall I say to you? Shall I praise you? In this I will not praise you.
So it became a ritual that was not reverenced and had become just something they did and was meaningless.
Then there is
27 Therefore whoever eats the bread or drinks the cup of the Lord in an unworthy manner, shall be guilty of the body and the blood of the Lord.
So doing it, taking it, observing it in the right manner for the right purpose is vitally important and it is an important part of our worship.
(Slide) When done with the right heart for right reason it can be, should be, will be:
(Slide) A true act of spiritual worship
(Slide) A source of fellowship and great blessings
(Slide) A key element in serving the Lord with Gladness.
So let’s look at some things about the Lord’s Supper and see what we can learn so we can get more out of this portion of our worship in the assembly.
I. The Lords Supper in our Assembly
I. The Lords Supper in our Assembly
23 For I received from the Lord that which I also delivered to you, that the Lord Jesus in the night in which He was betrayed took bread;
23 For I received from the Lord that which I also delivered to you, that the Lord Jesus in the night in which He was betrayed took bread; 24 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.”
1Cor11:23
25 In the same way He took the cup also after supper, saying, “This cup is the new covenant in My blood; do this, as often as you drink it, in remembrance of Me.”
It is a REMEMBRANCE or MEMORIAL
You can see that from the passage of Paul retelling the 1st Lord’s Supper. We take the bread in memory of his body, given for us. We drink the cup, in memory of His blood shed for us.
We therefore commemorate the Lord’s death.
28 for this is My blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many for forgiveness of sins.
Whose death makes the covenant possible
16 For where a covenant is, there must of necessity be the death of the one who made it.
Whose blood sealed the covenant for the forgiveness of sins
7 In Him we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses, according to the riches of His grace
The Jews celebrated the Passover with blood regarding their deliverance from Egypt, we celebrate the Lord’s Supper in remembrance to our delivered from our sins.
It is a PROCLAMATION
We proclaim the Lord’s death and its sufficiency
26 For as often as you eat this bread and drink the cup, you proclaim the Lord’s death until He comes.
We are proclaiming what we believe, we do it often so we don’t forget until He comes (returns for His church).
The Lord’s Supper looks forward as well as it looks back, It looks back to the Cross and forward to the Heavenly home with the Lord.
It is a COMMUNION
16 Is not the cup of blessing which we bless a sharing in the blood of Christ? Is not the bread which we break a sharing in the body of Christ?
We commune with the Lord and with each other when we share the Lord’s Supper together.
What a great reminder of the blessings we have in Christ through His blood
7 but if we walk in the Light as He Himself is in the Light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus His Son cleanses us from all sin.
9 If we confess our sins, He is faithful and righteous to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.
Fellowship, cleansing, forgiveness! Those are pretty good blessings.
17 Since there is one bread, we who are many are one body; for we all partake of the one bread.
Since we commune with each other and with Christ through the blood, we do through the bread also. - all of this brings us closer to God and closer to each other in the unity of celebrating together.
(Slide) So now how do we get more from this, what can we do to get more?
II. Suggestions on how to get more
II. Suggestions on how to get more
1co
27 Therefore whoever eats the bread or drinks the cup of the Lord in an unworthy manner, shall be guilty of the body and the blood of the Lord. 28 But a man must examine himself, and in so doing he is to eat of the bread and drink of the cup.
1Cor10:
27 If one of the unbelievers invites you and you want to go, eat anything that is set before you without asking questions for conscience’ sake.
27 If one of the unbelievers invites you and you want to go, eat anything that is set before you without asking questions for conscience’ sake. 28 But if anyone says to you, “This is meat sacrificed to idols,” do not eat it, for the sake of the one who informed you, and for conscience’ sake;
29 I mean not your own conscience, but the other man’s; for why is my freedom judged by another’s conscience?
29 For he who eats and drinks, eats and drinks judgment to himself if he does not judge the body rightly.
(Slide) Make it a time of REVERENCE
(Slide) Take it in a worthy manner - We are not worthy to partake, but we can take it in a wortherly manner (like KJV says) knowing
(Slide) Take it in view of Christ’s sacrifice - the shame, the humiliation, the totality of Christ’s sacrifice on the Cross for us so we can have our sins forgiven. We take it knowing this! For we do not want to
(Slide) Don’t bring condemnation on yourself - taking it flippantly, without understanding why we take it you are bringing condemnation on yourself
(Slide) Make it a time of REFLECTION
(Slide We oftentimes draw closer, draw near and reflect on passages that refer to the partaking of the Lord’s Supper or of the Lord’s suffering (i.e. Psm22, Isa53)
(Slide) Draw near as we reflect in special song, special prayers before partaking
(Slide) Observe with RESPECT
Reflect on your own personal spiritual condition too
28 But a man must examine himself, and in so doing he is to eat of the bread and drink of the cup.
(Slide) Have I fully accepted God’s grace and am walking in it by faith daily? - 2Cor5:18-6:1 though written about the apostles can be applicable to us.
(Slide) Am I living for Jesus who died for me? -2Cor5:14-15; Gal2:20
(Slide) Am I guilty of willfully sinning? -Heb10:26-29
(Slide) there sins that I need to repent of? - Heb6:4-6
This Lord’s Supper while it is a time of fellowship, a time of reflection and a time of reverence it is also a very private, intimate time between you and the Lord, reflecting on His death for you and your life for Him now.
(Slide) Make it a time of REUNION
As the disciples came together, as the early church came together, we come together
7 On the first day of the week, when we were gathered together to break bread, Paul began talking to them, intending to leave the next day, and he prolonged his message until midnight.
As they celebrated together, we celebrate together as a body of Christ
33 So then, my brethren, when you come together to eat, wait for one another.
When we partake together as a family we are demonstrating that we are one.
16 Is not the cup of blessing which we bless a sharing in the blood of Christ? Is not the bread which we break a sharing in the body of Christ?
As Jesus longed to do it with the disciples we should long to do it with each other with Jesus in our midst. When we sup together
13 But now in Christ Jesus you who formerly were far off have been brought near by the blood of Christ. 14 For He Himself is our peace, who made both groups into one and broke down the barrier of the dividing wall,
15 by abolishing in His flesh the enmity, which is the Law of commandments contained in ordinances, so that in Himself He might make the two into one new man, thus establishing peace, 16 and might reconcile them both in one body to God through the cross, by it having put to death the enmity.
We are reconciled as one body through Christ, we sup together to remember the unity we have through the death of Christ for us!
So this week on the Lord’s Day, keep these things in mind.
OK, so we looked at how we can get more from the Lord’s Supper, we can serve the Lord with gladness even that much more!
Lead to invitation
To take the supper with the Lord you need to know the Lord first . . . (expand)