This Do In Remembrance Of Me.

Luke 23:14-20; 1 Corinthians 11:17-26

October 29, 2017

Lakeview Baptist Church

Institution of the Lord’s Supper

Luke 23:14-20 And when the hour came, he reclined at table, and the apostles with him. 15 And he said to them, “I have earnestly desired to eat this Passover with you before I suffer. 16 For I tell you I will not eat it until it is fulfilled in the kingdom of God.” 17 And he took a cup, and when he had given thanks he said, “Take this, and divide it among yourselves. 18 For I tell you that from now on I will not drink of the fruit of the vine until the kingdom of God comes.” 19 And he took bread, and when he had 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.” 20 And likewise the cup after they had eaten, saying, “This cup that is poured out for you is the new covenant in my blood.[1]

Earlier in this service, we participated in one of two Baptist Ordinances, baptism. Now we will participate in other Baptist Ordinances, the Lord’s Supper.

In the Baptist Faith and Message of 2000, section “VII. Baptism and the Lord's Supper” states:

Christian baptism is the immersion of a believer in water in the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. It is an act of obedience symbolizing the believer's faith in a crucified, buried, and risen Saviour, the believer's death to sin, the burial of the old life, and the resurrection to walk in newness of life in Christ Jesus. It is a testimony to his faith in the final resurrection of the dead. Being a church ordinance, it is prerequisite to the privileges of church membership and to the Lord's Supper.

The Lord's Supper is a symbolic act of obedience whereby members of the church, through partaking of the bread and the fruit of the vine, memorialize the death of the Redeemer and anticipate His second coming.

Matthew 3:13-17; 26:26-30; 28:19-20; Mark 1:9-11; 14:22-26; Luke 3:21-22; 22:19-20; John 3:23; Acts 2:41-42; 8:35-39; 16:30-33; 20:7; Romans 6:3-5; 1 Corinthians 10:16,21; 11:23-29; Colossians 2:12.

Illustration

As a church observed the Lord's Supper one Sunday evening, a seven-year-old boy whose family never took him to church whispered to the couple who had brought him, “What are they doing?”

The Apostle Paul, writing his first epistle to the church in Corinth, Paul answers that question. What is the significance of the Lord’s Supper?

The Lord’s Supper is an Act of Worship (1 Cor. 11:17–26)

17 But in the following instructions I do not commend you, because when you come together it is not for the better but for the worse. 18 For, in the first place, when you come together as a church, I hear that there are divisions among you. And I believe it in part, 19 for there must be factions among you in order that those who are genuine among you may be recognized. 20 When you come together, it is not the Lord’s supper that you eat. 21 For in eating, each one goes ahead with his own meal. One goes hungry, another gets drunk. 22 What! Do you not have houses to eat and drink in? Or do you despise the church of God and humiliate those who have nothing? What shall I say to you? Shall I commend you in this? No, I will not.

23 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, 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.” 25 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.” 26 For as often as you eat this bread and drink the cup, you proclaim the Lord’s death until he comes.

27 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. 28 Let a person examine himself, then, and so eat of the bread and drink of the cup. 29 For anyone who eats and drinks without discerning the body eats and drinks judgment on himself. 30 That is why many of you are weak and ill, and some have died. 31 But if we judged ourselves truly, we would not be judged. 32 But when we are judged by the Lord, we are disciplined so that we may not be condemned along with the world.

33 So then, my brothers, when you come together to eat, wait for one another— 34 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. [2]

“Do this in remembrance of me” (1 Cor. 11:24) suggests that the Lord’s Supper is a living memorial to Christ.

Illustration – Each year on Memorial Day, wreaths are placed on the Tomb of the Unknowns at Arlington National Cemetery in Arlington, Va., also known as the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier and he has never been officially named. The Tomb of the Unknowns stands atop a hill overlooking Washington, D.C. On March 4, 1921, Congress approved the burial of an unidentified American soldier from World War I in the plaza of the new Memorial Amphitheater. The Tomb sarcophagus was placed above the grave of the Unknown Soldier. West of the World War I Unknown are the crypts of unknowns from World War II, Korea and Vietnam.

On Memorial Day, 1921, four unknowns were exhumed from four World War I American cemeteries in France. U.S. Army Sgt. Edward F. Younger, who was wounded in combat, highly decorated for valor and received the Distinguished Service Medal, in "The Great War, the war to end all wars," had the honor of selecting the Unknown Soldier from four identical caskets at the city hall in Chalons-sur-Marne, France, Oct. 24, 1921. Sgt. Younger selected the unknown by placing a spray of white roses on the third casket from the left. The chosen unknown soldier was transported to the United States aboard the USS Olympia. Those remaining were interred in the Meuse Argonne Cemetery, France.

The laying of the wreath is a solemn occasion and naturally causes the observer to remember those who gave their lives so that we can celebrate freedom. Each time we observe the Lord’s Supper, we “lay a wreath” in tribute to our Lord.

However, the Lord’s Supper is more than a time for reflecting on the past. It is a time of spiritual intimacy with a living Lord. The Lord’s Supper is an opportunity to express our deep gratitude for our Lord’s sacrifice (1 Cor. 11:26).

The Lord’s Supper Establishes Unity in Christ (1 Cor. 10:17)

17 Because there is one bread, we who are many are one body, for we all partake of the one bread.” (ESV)

In a second-century manuscript, “The Teaching of the Twelve Apostles,” there is a prayer that was used in the early church’s observance of the Lord’s Supper:

“As this broken bread was once scattered on the mountains, and after it had been brought together became one, so may thy Church be gathered together from the ends of the earth unto thy kingdom; for thine is the glory, and the power, through Jesus Christ, for ever.” (Teaching of the Twelve Apostles, 9:4.)[3]

As wheat is gathered and brought together in one loaf, so Christ has incorporated believers from diverse backgrounds into the church

1 Cor. 12:12–13 For just as the body is one and has many members, and all the members of the body, though many, are one body, so it is with Christ.13 For in one Spirit we were all baptized into one body—Jews or Greeks, slaves or free—and all were made to drink of one Spirit.

For the body of Christ, consists of many members.

In 1 Corinthians 10:16–17, Paul reversed this symbolism.

1 Corinthians 10:16–17 The cup of blessing that we bless, is it not a participation in the blood of Christ? The bread that we break, is it not a participation in the body of Christ? 17 Because there is one bread, we who are many are one body, for we all partake of the one bread.[4]

A Time for Spiritual Inventory

1 Cor. 11:27–28 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. 28 Let a person examine himself, then, and so eat of the bread and drink of the cup.”

Even the best of intentions and practices can fall into ruin. That was the problem with the church at Corinth. Some within the church would invite only their circle of friends to have a lavish meal and the poor within the church were totally left out. The Lord’s Supper became “Love Feasts”, which are a great idea, however, they were intentionally leaving others out of their lavish meals. These became a time of indulgence rather than a time of remembrance of Jesus Christ. (1 Corinthians 11:20–22).

Paul calls for a time of self-examination (1 Corinthians 11:28). This is parallel with Jesus’ teaching on the Sermon on the Mount:

Matthew 5:23–24 So if you are offering your gift at the altar and there remember that your brother has something against you,24 leave your gift there before the altar and go. First be reconciled to your brother, and then come and offer your gift.

Let me make an important point here: A person who is out of harmony with other members of the body of Christ, dishonors the teachings of Jesus and the Lord’s Supper.

1 Corinthians 11:29 For anyone who eats and drinks without discerning the body eats and drinks judgment on himself.

Conclusion:

The Lord's Supper is a symbolic act of obedience to Jesus our Savior, whereby members of the church, through partaking of the bread and the cup, memorialize the death of the Redeemer and anticipate His second coming.

Requirements for participation today is simple: a believer who has believer’s faith in a crucified, buried, and risen Saviour, has been baptized by immersion is invited to participate with us today.

Jesus and later Paul, both point to the Lord’s Supper as an observance, in a spirit of repentance and renewed devotion.

I would ask the Deacons to prepare the table.

[1] The Holy Bible: English Standard Version (Wheaton: Standard Bible Society, 2016), Lk 22:14–20.

[2] The Holy Bible: English Standard Version (Wheaton: Standard Bible Society, 2016), 1 Co 11:17–34.

[3] http://www.earlychristianwritings.com/text/didache-hoole.html

[4] The Holy Bible: English Standard Version (Wheaton: Standard Bible Society, 2016), 1 Co 10:16–17.