Proclaim the Lord's death until He comes.

The tradition of Mother’s Day began with Ann Jarvis wanting to honor her mother’s desire to have a day set aside in recognition of mothers. In 1908, Ann’s hometown of Grafton WV, hosted the first Mother’s day celebration. In 1914, President Woodrow Wilson signed a bill recognizing Mother’s Day as a national holiday (https://www.cnn.com/2018/05/13/us/mothers-day-anna-jarvis-trnd/index.html).

I read an article this week giving 8 reasons not to recognize mothers this Mother’s Day, during the Sunday worship service. The common thread holding the 8 reasons together was intolerance. By recognizing mother’s, particularly making them stand, the church is being intolerant of the feelings of all women in the congregation.

This article immediately reminded me of a conversation, which I had in a restaurant a couple of years ago. The Saturday, before Mother’s Day, a woman I know sat down, as I finished my meal. She said, as a pastor, I hope you have decided not to recognize mothers tomorrow, but instead to recognized women. This lady argued that I would be discriminating against unmarried women and women without children, if I singled out mothers in the service.

Let me say something about tradition. Tradition is not bad, when you remember where to focus your attention. Have you ever considered why Mother’s Day is singular instead of plural? Now men, I know you probably didn’t know that, because you don’t read the front of the card, that carefully. Ann Jarvis was very particular start of this tradition. Ann Jarvis said, Mother’s Day is a day to honor “the best mother who ever lived, yours?

Today, I want to honor the best mama ever, Josie May Hardee Thomas, my mother. I remember well tow traditions my mama handled down to Danny and me. Mother’s Day was always a special event for my mama. As little boys, she taught us why the color of the flowers she pinned on us and herself were so important.

But more important she taught us, at an early age, that the Lord’s Supper focused on Jesus, His death of us, and the unity of the church gathered in corporate worship.

We can always find ways to point out discrimination. As Christians, we are commanded by Jesus to remember His unifying life, death, resurrection, and promised return.

In our text today, Paul commands the church at Corinth and HSBC to remember the Lord’s Supper focuses our attention on Jesus’ sacrifice life, death, resurrection, and promised return. Paul says, “as often as we eat the bread and drink the cup, you proclaim the Lord’s death, until He comes” (1 Cor. 11:26).

There is no room for discrimination, when we partake of the Lord’s table, because we are untied by the body and blood of our Lord Jesus.

Turn in your Bibles to 1 Corinthians 11:23–32. Read; then pray. I want to discuss three truths my mama taught me about the Lord’s Supper

First truth my mama taught us was that:

The Bible Still Matters.

My mama always taught us that it is ok to follow tradition, as long as tradition follows and honors the Bible. I believe she got the idea from the Bible. Paul says,

1 Corinthians 11:23 NASB95

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;

Galatians 1:15–17 NASB95

But when God, who had set me apart even from my mother’s womb and called me through His grace, was pleased to reveal His Son in me so that I might preach Him among the Gentiles, I did not immediately consult with flesh and blood, nor did I go up to Jerusalem to those who were apostles before me; but I went away to Arabia, and returned once more to Damascus.

Galatians 1:18 NASB95

Then three years later I went up to Jerusalem to become acquainted with Cephas, and stayed with him fifteen days.

Whether Paul learned how to partake of the Lord’s table supernaturally from Christ or from the other Apostles, he does not clearly say. But hPaul does make clear that he learned this tradition, from Jesus’ teaching, God’s inerrant, infallible authoritative Word. Which leads me to teh 2nd truth my mama taught me about the Lord’s supper.

Second Truth

Jesus Invites Us All to Join Him, at His Table.

Paul recounts Jesus non-discriminating invitation to join him for fellowship, through the body and blood he gave to make us worthy of His invitation. Everybody is invitation but only a few attend. Jesus was betrayed by Judas, and other followers.

Paul lays out 4 actions Jesus took when He shared Supper with his disciples.

1 Corinthians 11:24 NASB95

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.”

Jesus commanded the disciples to remember 2 symbolic ideas about the bread. It represents His Body and His body was given as a sacrifice for our sins.

The Lord’s Supper was instituted during the Passover meal, which is commemorated in Exodus 12:14–27. The Passover was to become a tradition handled down from parents to children, from one generation to the next. Likewise the Lord’s Supper is to be taught to the next generation of believers.

Paul says that the significance the Passover finds fulfillment in the Lord’s Supper. Paul says:

1 Corinthians 11:25 NASB95

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.”

Jesus took the cup, and by implication gave thanks. In 1 Corinthians 10:16, Paul calls it the cup of thanksgiving. Jesus offered it and he said, do this, as often as you drink it, in remembrance of Me.”

Holman New Testament Commentary: I & II Corinthians C. The Central Focus of the Lord’s Supper (11:23–26)

Paul emphasized by repetition the one element that was absent from every Gospel account: Do this … in remembrance of me. Paul saw the honor and remembrance of Christ as central to the Lord’s Supper.

Richard Pratt.

The symbolic significance of the cup is that it represents the new covenant made possible by the shed blood of Christ.

Jeremiah 31:31 NASB95

“Behold, days are coming,” declares the Lord, “when I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel and with the house of Judah,

After the Jews, were exiled for breaking their covenant agreement by sinning in disobedience toward God, God would make a new covenant. The new covenant would be everlasting and based on tHe obedience of Jesus and not our failed attempts of reconciling ourselves to God.

Jesus Sacrificial, substitutional shedding of blood fulfills the covenant promises that make it possible for people like us to enjoy forgiveness and dine in fellowship with Jesus and one another.

The Blood of Jesus Washes away any Differences Society says will Separates us.

1 Corinthians 10:16 NASB95

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?

Remember when You Eat the Bread and Drink the Cup, You Proclaim the Lord’s Death until He Comes

Failure to remember we are proclaiming the Lord’s Death and our forgiveness disgraces the body and blood of Christ Jesus, Which leads me to the 3rd truth my mama taught me.

Third Truth my mama taught us was that:

We have been Made Worthy to Partake of the Lord’s Supper; therefore, We Should Not Take It in an Unworthy Manner.

Failure to remember we are proclaiming the Lord’s Death and our forgiveness disgraces the body and blood of Christ Jesus.

1 Corinthians 11:27 NASB95

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.

The purpose of the Lord’s Supper is to remember and honor Jesus’ work of salvation on our behalf.

Holman New Testament Commentary: I & II Corinthians D. Take Great Care (11:27–34)

To sin against the body and blood is to sin against the very hope of salvation. They also sinned against the body and blood of the Lord by sinning against Christ’s church, or more particularly against the poor Christians who were not granted admission to the Lord’s Supper. To sin against those for whom Christ shed his blood and gave his body is to sin against Christ himself.

To avoid Disgracing and sinning against the body and blood of Christ Paul gives us 3 mandates (commands):

1 Corinthians 11:28 NASB95

But a man must examine himself, and in so doing he is to eat of the bread and drink of the cup.

Examine our motives and actions before we come to the Lord’s Supper to see if they honor the unity Jesus died in order to bring to His table.

Eat the Bread in remembrance of Jesus’ work of salvation. Don’t put off until tomorrow what you should confess today.

Drink the cup, regularly proclaiming Jesus’ death forgives all and cures all.

1 John 1:6–9 NASB95

If we say that we have fellowship with Him and yet walk in the darkness, we lie and do not practice the truth; 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. If we say that we have no sin, we are deceiving ourselves and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, He is faithful and righteous to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.

When confronted with disunity and conflict and discrimination my mama taught us to always one question, before we come to the Lord’s table. “What is my part in this problem? then showed us to take this action: Lord show me part in this problem and forgive me!

I could say a lot more about the Lord’s Supper, but time doesn’t allow it.

Paul says

1 Corinthians 11:34 NASB95

If anyone is hungry, let him eat at home, so that you will not come together for judgment. The remaining matters I will arrange when I come.

Today, I honor the greatest mother who ever lived, my mama, because my she taught us to honor the greatest Savior who lives, my Jesus.

The partake in the Lord’s supper.

Examine yourself and then take the proper action to eat and drink the Supper in a manner worthy of proclaiming the Lord’s death until He comes.

You need to confess sin and trust Jesus’ work of salvation.

You should be baptized in obedience. Jesus only gives us two command on proper worship in church.