Sermon Tone Analysis

How about an appetizer first?

We know the Lord instituted the Lord’s Supper

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

So it became a ritual that was not reverenced and had become just something they did and was meaningless.

Then there is

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

1Cor11:23

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.

Whose death makes the covenant possible

Whose blood sealed the covenant for the forgiveness of sins

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

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

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

Fellowship, cleansing, forgiveness!

Those are pretty good blessings.

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

1co

1Cor10:

(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

(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

As they celebrated together, we celebrate together as a body of Christ

When we partake together as a family we are demonstrating that we are one.

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

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 . . .

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