Worship In The Lord's Supper Part 2

Introduction

Greetings...

As we have been examining the “Fundamentals” of the Scriptures, with the goal of securing our foundation upon the bedrock of Christ and His Word we have looked at a number of “milk” items beginning with worship.

Thus far we have examined worship closely and in recent weeks we have been looking at the formal acts of worship.

Prayer

Singing

Giving

And last week started studying the Lord’s Supper by looking first at it’s shadow the Passover Feast.

As I mentioned last week, today we are going to study...

Our authority for the Lord’s Supper and the godly principles of partaking of it.

With this in mind let us examine our lesson for today.

Authority For The Lord’s Supper

Jesus clearly authorized our partaking.

After partaking of the Passover meal () Jesus institutes the only religious “memorial feast” in the New Testament.

There were many “memorial feasts” in the Old Testament.

The Passover, Feast of Unleavened Bread, First Fruits Feast, Feast of Weeks...

In the New Testament there is only the “memorial feast of Jesus” or the “Lord’s Supper.”

Matthew 26:26–29 ESV

26 Now as they were eating, Jesus took bread, and after blessing it broke it and gave it to the disciples, and said, “Take, eat; this is my body.” 27 And he took a cup, and when he had given thanks he gave it to them, saying, “Drink of it, all of you, 28 for this is my blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many for the forgiveness of sins. 29 I tell you I will not drink again of this fruit of the vine until that day when I drink it new with you in my Father’s kingdom.”

I know of no one that doubts this or tries to say Jesus didn’t authorize this feast.

The question has always been “when” to partake and more recently what emblems to partake of.

Jesus authorized unleavened bread & grape juice.

To understand this one must grasp proper biblical hermeneutics (science of studying the Bible).

God authorizes through four means only in the Bible.

Direct Statements, Examples, Implications, and expedience.

When it comes to what emblems to use during the Lord’s Supper we know Jesus used unleavened bread and grape juice thus the example authorizes.

The Passover required no leaven in the house.

Exodus 12:15 ESV

15 Seven days you shall eat unleavened bread. On the first day you shall remove leaven out of your houses, for if anyone eats what is leavened, from the first day until the seventh day, that person shall be cut off from Israel.

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Why is this passage significant?

First because it tells us the type of bread the Passover had and Jesus used when He established the Lord’s Supper.

It had to be unleavened bread.

Second because it tells us the type of grape liquid the Passover had and Jesus used when He established the Lord’s Supper.

It had to be unleavened wine i.e. grape juice.

This is why we never see the liquid in the cup called “wine” but rather “fruit of the vine” (; ; ).

People can used leavened bread and fermented wine all they want just like they could use stake and potatoes and coke as well, but none of that is authorized.

They only authority we find is that of unleavened bread and grape juice.

Jesus authorized a weekly memorial.

Once again when we find authorization for how often they eat and drink the memorial feat by way of example.

When we look at the New Testament church we are left with only one conclusion and that is that they were partaking of it on each and every Sunday.

Notice that actions of the apostle Paul in Troas.

He waited seven days just to worship with the brethren with the focus being on “breaking bread together” i.e. partaking together of the Lord’s Supper.

Acts 20:6–7 ESV

6 but we sailed away from Philippi after the days of Unleavened Bread, and in five days we came to them at Troas, where we stayed for seven days. 7 On the first day of the week, when we were gathered together to break bread, Paul talked with them, intending to depart on the next day, and he prolonged his speech until midnight.

Ac 20:6-7

Also notice the only other example of the Lord’s Supper in the New Testament.

We find that the church in Corinth was meeting every first day of the week.

1 Corinthians 16:1–2 ESV

1 Now concerning the collection for the saints: as I directed the churches of Galatia, so you also are to do. 2 On the first day of every week, each of you is to put something aside and store it up, as he may prosper, so that there will be no collecting when I come.

When we look closer we find that the church in Corinth was meeting every first day of the week to partake of the Lord’s Supper, but they were doing it all wrong, which Paul was trying to correct.

1 Corinthians 11:20 NKJV

20 Therefore when you come together in one place, it is not to eat the Lord’s Supper.

Now here we find two examples of the church partaking of the Lord’s Supper and both are on Sunday and one is clearly showing they were partaking every Sunday.

Once again you can have the Lord’s Supper however and whenever you want if you want to partake of it in an unauthorized manner and in a way that is unpleasing to God.

Summery

Brethren it isn’t difficult to find authority for partaking of the Lord’s Supper with unleavened bread and grape juice on each first day of the week (Sunday) if you know what to look for.

Let us be a people confident in God’s Word and how we are authorized to worship Jesus in His memorial feast.

The Godly Principles Of Partaking

Before we partake we must prepare.

This means making certain we are pure of heart and mind.

1 Corinthians 11:28 ESV

28 Let a person examine himself, then, and so eat of the bread and drink of the cup.

1 Cor 11:

Matthew 5:8 ESV

8 “Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God.

The time and place for asking of remission of sins is before one partakes of the memorial feast of Jesus.

While we partake we must focus.

We are to focus on the body of Jesus while partaking of the bread.

This means focusing on how He was treated prior to the cross and on it.

Matthew 27:27 ESV

27 Then the soldiers of the governor took Jesus into the governor’s headquarters, and they gathered the whole battalion before him.

Matthew 27:26 ESV

26 Then he released for them Barabbas, and having scourged Jesus, delivered him to be crucified.

Matthew 27:26–31 ESV

26 Then he released for them Barabbas, and having scourged Jesus, delivered him to be crucified. 27 Then the soldiers of the governor took Jesus into the governor’s headquarters, and they gathered the whole battalion before him. 28 And they stripped him and put a scarlet robe on him, 29 and twisting together a crown of thorns, they put it on his head and put a reed in his right hand. And kneeling before him, they mocked him, saying, “Hail, King of the Jews!” 30 And they spit on him and took the reed and struck him on the head. 31 And when they had mocked him, they stripped him of the robe and put his own clothes on him and led him away to crucify him.

Matthew 27:36–44 ESV

36 Then they sat down and kept watch over him there. 37 And over his head they put the charge against him, which read, “This is Jesus, the King of the Jews.” 38 Then two robbers were crucified with him, one on the right and one on the left. 39 And those who passed by derided him, wagging their heads 40 and saying, “You who would destroy the temple and rebuild it in three days, save yourself! If you are the Son of God, come down from the cross.” 41 So also the chief priests, with the scribes and elders, mocked him, saying, 42 “He saved others; he cannot save himself. He is the King of Israel; let him come down now from the cross, and we will believe in him. 43 He trusts in God; let God deliver him now, if he desires him. For he said, ‘I am the Son of God.’ ” 44 And the robbers who were crucified with him also reviled him in the same way.

Mt 27:26-

Mt 27:36-

This means focusing on the death of Jesus on the cross of Golgotha.

Matthew 27:46 ESV

46 And about the ninth hour Jesus cried out with a loud voice, saying, “Eli, Eli, lema sabachthani?” that is, “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?”

Mt 27:46

Matthew 27:50 ESV

50 And Jesus cried out again with a loud voice and yielded up his spirit.

Mt 27:

This means also focusing on the resurrection of our Savior on the third day.

Matthew 28:6 ESV

6 He is not here, for he has risen, as he said. Come, see the place where he lay.

Mt 28:

Summery

The Corinthians struggled with understanding the proper focus of this great memorial feast of our Lord and Savior.

Let us make certain we never “eat and drink judgment on ourselves” ().

Conclusion

Worshiping our Lord properly in His memorial is no flippant matter.

Paul would go on to say to the Corinthians that some, because they worshiped wrong in this, had become weak, ill, and even died ().

Invitation

Isaiah 59:1–2 ESV

1 Behold, the Lord’s hand is not shortened, that it cannot save, or his ear dull, that it cannot hear; 2 but your iniquities have made a separation between you and your God, and your sins have hidden his face from you so that he does not hear.

Philippians 2:6–7 ESV

6 who, though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, 7 but emptied himself, by taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men.