“Three Keys to Worship Through the Lord’s Supper”

For I pass on to you what I received from the Lord himself. On the night when he was betrayed, the Lord Jesus took some bread and gave thanks to God for it. Then he broke it in pieces and said, “This is my body, which is given for you. Do this in remembrance of me.” In the same way, he took the cup of wine after supper, saying, “This cup is the new covenant between God and his people—an agreement confirmed with my blood. Do this in remembrance of me as often as you drink it.” For every time you eat this bread and drink this cup, you are announcing the Lord’s death until he comes again. So anyone who eats this bread or drinks this cup of the Lord unworthily is guilty of sinning against the body and blood of the Lord. That is why you should examine yourself before eating the bread and drinking the cup. For if you eat the bread or drink the cup without honoring the body of Christ, you are eating and drinking God’s judgment upon yourself. That is why many of you are weak and sick and some have even died. But if we would examine ourselves, we would not be judged by God in this way. Yet when we are judged by the Lord, we are being disciplined so that we will not be condemned along with the world.

ETS: The Apostle Paul instructs the Corinthian believers about the proper manner in which to partake of the Lord’s Supper.

ESS: Believers are to partake of the Lord’s Supper with the proper reverence for its symbolism and witness.

OSS: Believers will seriously examine themselves, confessing sin and seeking cleansing for their sin.

PQ: What are the keys to effectively partaking of the Lord’s Supper?

UW: Keys

TOPIC: “Three Keys to Worship Through the Lord’s Supper”

INTRODUCTION:

This morning we come to the observance of one of the two ordinances that the Lord commanded that we keep. This observance is the Lord’s Supper. It is a memorial meal. Although it has no saving grace that it imparts, it is a strong witness in symbol of what the Lord Jesus Christ did for us. It is an act of worship for the believer.

There are three keys to experiencing true worship in the observance of the Lord’s Supper.

I. EXPLAINATION (VS.24-25).

A. The Bread (v. 24).

1. Represents His broken body.

a) What did Jesus experience in the crucifixion?

(1) Beaten with the cat of nine tails.

(2) Crown of thorns placed upon his brow.

(3) Mocking at the hands of the soldiers and religious leaders.

(4) Betrayal by those who ran (apostles).

(5) Nailed to the cross.

(6) Bones torn from joints.

(7) Forsaken by the Father

(8) Intense need (thirst due to dehydration)

(9) The sins of the whole world placed upon Him

(John 1:29; 2 Corinthians 5:21) .

John 1:29 NLT

The next day John saw Jesus coming toward him and said, “Look! The Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world!

2 Corinthians 5:21 NLT

For God made Christ, who never sinned, to be the offering for our sin, so that we could be made right with God through Christ.

(10) He endured the wrath of God for that sin.

B. The Cup (v. 25).

1. Represents His shed blood.

a) Through the Old Testament, blood sacrifices were required to atone for sin

(Heb. 9:22)” In fact, according to the law of Moses, nearly everything was purified with blood. For without the shedding of blood, there is no forgiveness. ”

Hebrews 9:22 NLT

In fact, according to the law of Moses, nearly everything was purified with blood. For without the shedding of blood, there is no forgiveness.

(1) The blood of the Lambs, bulls and turtledoves spilled in sacrifice for sin.

b) Jesus shed his blood on the cross in payment for our sins.

(1) The foreshadowing through the Old Testament sacrifices fulfilled in His death.

C. One Sacrifice for all.

1. His was the one sacrifice that paid for all sins.

2. His was the sacrifice that was good for all time.

Hebrews 9:26 NLT

If that had been necessary, Christ would have had to die again and again, ever since the world began. But now, once for all time, he has appeared at the end of the age to remove sin by his own death as a sacrifice.

II. EXPECTATION (VS. 26)

A Jesus is coming again.

1. He has promised that He will come again (John 14:3).

John 14:3 NLT

When everything is ready, I will come and get you, so that you will always be with me where I am.

a) To rapture His bride (the church) (1 Thess. 4:13-17).

1 Thessalonians 4:13–17 NLT

And now, dear brothers and sisters, we want you to know what will happen to the believers who have died so you will not grieve like people who have no hope. For since we believe that Jesus died and was raised to life again, we also believe that when Jesus returns, God will bring back with him the believers who have died. We tell you this directly from the Lord: We who are still living when the Lord returns will not meet him ahead of those who have died. For the Lord himself will come down from heaven with a commanding shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trumpet call of God. First, the believers who have died will rise from their graves. Then, together with them, we who are still alive and remain on the earth will be caught up in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. Then we will be with the Lord forever.

b) To rule and reign on the Earth (Revelation 19:15).

Revelation 19:15 NLT

From his mouth came a sharp sword to strike down the nations. He will rule them with an iron rod. He will release the fierce wrath of God, the Almighty, like juice flowing from a winepress.

2. This memorial meal is to take place until His return.

a) Demonstrating that we believe his promise to return for us.

b) We do not know when that will be (Mark 13:33).

Mark 13:33 NLT

And since you don’t know when that time will come, be on guard! Stay alert!

III. EXAMINATION (VS. 27-32)

A. Examine your attitudes (v.27).

1. Examine your attitudes toward the things of God

(See Mal. 1:6-10).

Malachi 1:6–10 NLT

The Lord of Heaven’s Armies says to the priests: “A son honors his father, and a servant respects his master. If I am your father and master, where are the honor and respect I deserve? You have shown contempt for my name! “But you ask, ‘How have we ever shown contempt for your name?’ “You have shown contempt by offering defiled sacrifices on my altar. “Then you ask, ‘How have we defiled the sacrifices?’ “You defile them by saying the altar of the Lord deserves no respect. When you give blind animals as sacrifices, isn’t that wrong? And isn’t it wrong to offer animals that are crippled and diseased? Try giving gifts like that to your governor, and see how pleased he is!” says the Lord of Heaven’s Armies. “Go ahead, beg God to be merciful to you! But when you bring that kind of offering, why should he show you any favor at all?” asks the Lord of Heaven’s Armies. “How I wish one of you would shut the Temple doors so that these worthless sacrifices could not be offered! I am not pleased with you,” says the Lord of Heaven’s Armies, “and I will not accept your offerings.

2. Examine your attitudes toward the people of God

(1 John 3:14)

1 John 3:14 NLT

If we love our brothers and sisters who are believers, it proves that we have passed from death to life. But a person who has no love is still dead.

3. Examine your attitudes toward the commands of God (Luke 646).

Luke 6:46 NLT

“So why do you keep calling me ‘Lord, Lord!’ when you don’t do what I say?

B Examine your heart (vs. 28-29).

1. Examine your heart for your love relationship with God

(John 21:17)

John 21:17 NLT

A third time he asked him, “Simon son of John, do you love me?” Peter was hurt that Jesus asked the question a third time. He said, “Lord, you know everything. You know that I love you.” Jesus said, “Then feed my sheep.

2. Examine your heart for sin that is unconfessed.

(Psalms 66:18)

Psalm 66:18 NLT

If I had not confessed the sin in my heart, the Lord would not have listened.

C Judge your own sin through confession (vs. 30-32).

1. Confess and forsake your sins and receive cleansing.

(1 John 1:9)

1 John 1:9 NLT

But if we confess our sins to him, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all wickedness.

CONCLUSION:

A- Partake of the Lord’s Supper

B- Invitation to those who need to make decisions.

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