Lord's Supper message

Introduction

JUNIOR CHURCH DISMISSED

Todays message is going to be different than any I have preached and will be a little more interactive than probably any I ever will preach.

Today we are looking at the Lord’s Supper passages Paul wrote about in 1 Corinthians. We will examine this passage, take the Lord’s Supper, and see what type of impact it should have on our lives.

Let’s start by reading the passage. Follow as I read

1 Corinthians 11:23–26 KJV 1900

For I have received of the Lord that which also I delivered unto you, That the Lord Jesus the same night in which he was betrayed took bread: And when he had given thanks, he brake it, and said, Take, eat: this is my body, which is broken for you: this do in remembrance of me. After the same manner also he took the cup, when he had supped, saying, This cup is the new testament in my blood: this do ye, as oft as ye drink it, in remembrance of me. For as often as ye eat this bread, and drink this cup, ye do shew the Lord’s death till he come.

PRAY!!

As we get ready to take the Lord’s Supper a little history might help us focus here.

On March 20, 1531 in the Netherlands a Baptist named Sicke Snyder was beheaded for being baptized as a believer.

In the Criminal Sentence Book of the Court of Friesland, it reads: "Sicke Snyder, on this 20th of March, 1531, is condemned by the Court to be executed with the sword; his body shall be laid on the wheel, and his head set upon a stake, because he has been rebaptized, and perseveres in that baptism.”

Twenty years later across the English Channel from 1555 to 1558 (the reign of bloody Queen Mary), 288 Protestant Reformers were burned at the stake.

Of these, 1 was an archbishop, 4 were bishops, 21 were clergymen, 55 were women, and 4 were children.

They included John Rogers, John Hooper, Rowland Taylor, Robert Ferrar, Nicholas Ridley, Hugh Latimer, John Philpot, and Thomas Cranmer.

Why were they burned by the Roman Catholic Queen?

There was one central issue: the meaning of the Lord's Supper.

Here are the words of John Charles Ryle to explain:

The doctrine in question was the real presence of the body and blood of Christ in the consecrated elements of bread and wine in the Lord's Supper. Did they, or did they not believe that the body and blood of Christ were really, that is corporally, literally, locally, and materially, present under the forms of bread and wine after the words of consecration were pronounced? Did they or did they not believe that the real body of Christ, which was born of the Virgin Mary, was present on the so-called altar so soon as the mystical words had passed the lips of the priest? Did they or did they not? That was the simple question. If they did not believe and admit it, they were burned.

I mention these two facts - the martyrdom of those who held that only believers shall be baptized, and the martyrdom of those who denied that the physical body of Christ was really there in the form of bread and wine - to show that there was once a time when the ordinances of baptism and the Lord's Supper carried meanings that were very important - worth dying for, and some thought, worth killing for.

One of the glad things about being a Baptist is that during the history of our existence, we have never been on the killing side of martyrdom.

One might say, "What's the big deal?"

Rather than asking “What’s the big deal?’, let us humble ourselves and realize that while we may enjoy freedom of religion in this country, so that no one is burned or beheaded for religious reasons, we may also have lost all sense of the weight and wonder of what Christ has given us in the ordinances of his church.

It would do us well to admit that we live in an age marked by shallowness and superficiality.

It may be that we have lost the capacity to feel weighty truth at all.

What we do today is not of any light matter.

We embark upon fulfilling the command that Christ gave to the church.

Observing the Lord’s Supper is of great regard and importance!

Boys and girls this is not a time to play, color, draw, talk or anything else.

At this time I want us to sing a great old song that helps us to further focus our thoughts and our hearts tonight.

Sing old Rugged Cross verse 1 and 2

I. One Purpose

The Lord’s Supper has one purpose,

1 Corinthians 11:24–26 KJV 1900

And when he had given thanks, he brake it, and said, Take, eat: this is my body, which is broken for you: this do in remembrance of me. After the same manner also he took the cup, when he had supped, saying, This cup is the new testament in my blood: this do ye, as oft as ye drink it, in remembrance of me. For as often as ye eat this bread, and drink this cup, ye do shew the Lord’s death till he come.

The purpose for observing the Lord’s Supper is singular.

It is to remember the sacrificial death of our Savior.

We do show the Lord’s death.

Nothing more, nothing less.

Today we should have but one goal in this service; it is for you and I to remember Jesus and the price he paid for our sin.

This is a time of remembrance.

This is a time of reflection and commemoration.

Our Savior wanted to make sure that we never took our focus off of what Christianity is all about.

Christianity is about one thing, the restoration that is available by the redeeming sacrifice of Jesus Christ.

Make it your goal today to put your focus on the Lord Jesus Christ.

Turn Your Eyes Upon Jesus vs. 1,3

II. Self Examination

But in order for us to obey the Lord and fulfill this ordinance he has given to his church we must prepare ourselves to do so.

1 Corinthians 11:27–30 KJV 1900

Wherefore whosoever shall eat this bread, and drink this cup of the Lord, unworthily, shall be guilty of the body and blood of the Lord. But let a man examine himself, and so let him eat of that bread, and drink of that cup. For he that eateth and drinketh unworthily, eateth and drinketh damnation to himself, not discerning the Lord’s body. For this cause many are weak and sickly among you, and many sleep.

No one that take the Lord’s Supper is worthy of doing so, but all of us are commended to take the Lord’s Supper in a worthily manner.

We are told to examine ourselves so as to not be guilty of the body and blood of the Lord.

Self-examination must first take place in our hearts before we take the Lord’s Supper.

The first thing that a person must be sure of is that he/she is saved.

You must be sure you are a child of God, that you are a part of the family of God.

If a person is not saved he/she should turn to Jesus in faith, trusting Him as their Savior before taking the Lord’s Supper.

Another thing that is important in the taking of the Lord’s Supper is that a person is in right fellowship with Christ and His church.

It is not possible to be right with God and not right with the local church, the institution to which he gave the ordinances and for which he shed his own blood.

If a person is not right with God as best as he knows to be, he should take the time and get right before taking the Lord’s Supper.

The Scriptures make it clear that the responsibility of examination is upon each of us as individuals.

The Bible says, “let a man examine himself, and so let him eat of the bread, and drink of that cup.”

It is incumbent upon you, it is your responsibility to make sure that YOU confess your sins and are right with the Lord as best you know how.

If a person fails to do so and partakes unworthily, then the Scripture is clear that in the case of the Corinthian believers, that some of them were cursed with sickness and some even died as a result of not discerning the Lord’s body.

The Bible says, “(29) For he that eats and drinks unworthily, eats and drinks damnation to himself, not discerning the Lord's body. (30) For this cause many are weak and sickly among you, and many sleep.

Do not become a casualty by participating tonight unworthily, confess and forsake anything that has come between you and the Lord.

Time of Examination

Would you please bow your heads and close your eyes for a time of self-examination right now?

As a child of God, will you right now make sure that you are in good fellowship with your Heavenly Father?

Will you ask Him to reveal to you any sin that you need to confess and forsake and would you repent of that sin and make things right with God our Father?

Psalmist prayed: 139:23-24 Search me, O God, and know my heart: try me, and know my thoughts: And see if there be any wicked way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting.

We are going to take several moments right now asking God to search us for anything in our lives that is outside of his will for us.

This is a time to confess wrong words, wrong actions and wrong attitudes.

Prayer claiming forgiveness and cleansing.

Heavenly Father, we claim the promise of Scripture that if we confess our sins that you are faithful and just to forgive of our sins and cleanse us from all unrighteousness.

Lord, thank you for the forgiveness and cleansing that is complete in Christ. Amen.

III. Taking the Lord’s Supper

(hand out the bread and the juice)

The Lord’s Supper was instituted in fulfillment of the Passover.

The Passover festival that the Jews celebrated to commemorate their deliverance from Egyptian bondage required unleavened bread.

In the Bible, leaven symbolizes sin and our Lord’s body was without sin.

Unleavened bread or bread without yeast in it most accurately pictures the body of Christ.

Will you look at that little wafer you hold in your hand?

And will you remember the body that was broken on your behalf.

And with a deep sense of gratitude will you thank God for his broken body?

Dear God thank you for the broken body of the Lord Jesus. Amen.

The Bible says,

Luke 22:19–20 KJV 1900

And he took bread, and gave thanks, and brake it, and gave unto them, saying, This is my body which is given for you: this do in remembrance of me. Likewise also the cup after supper, saying, This cup is the new testament in my blood, which is shed for you.

*Sit down and eat.*

Jesus gave his disciples drink from fruit of the vine.

We use grape juice.

We do not use fermented wine.

Fermentation is to juice what leaven is to bread.

It is corruption, it symbolizes sin and our Lord’s blood does contain any sin.

It is pure blood, it is perfect blood.

It is the blood of God.

It is the only thing in the world that washes away sin.

To use fermented wine is to use a substance that would symbolize blood that contains sin and I believe that would be a sin.

Jesus’ blood is pure and so we use 100% grape juice; as pure as we can get it, to picture pure blood.

(There is a fountain, accapella)

And will you look at that little cup.

And will you remember the blood that was shed for you; and will you with a great sense of indebtedness thank God for the shed blood of Jesus Christ?

Oh God, thank you for the blood of our Savior that was shed so that we might have our sins washed away and spend eternity with our God. Amen.

(20) Likewise also the cup after supper, saying, This cup is the new testament in my blood, which is shed for you.

*Sit down and drink.*

I mentioned earlier that the Lord’s Supper was instituted with the Passover festival as it’s backdrop.

The setting is that of the celebration of the Passover festival.

It was a joyous and festive time as God’s people celebrated the commemoration of their freedom over 3,300 years ago by God from slavery in Egypt.

It commemorates the story of the Exodus in which the Israelites were freed from slavery in Egypt.

It is a festival and celebration of deliverance.

The Bible says in Joh_8:32 And ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.

Joh_8:36 If the Son therefore shall make you free, ye shall be free indeed.

As believers in the risen Savior we have been freed from the power and punishment of sin.

If you are here this morning and you don’t have a relationship with Christ. You don’t know God and His love. You want to experience a life change that can only come from the power of God. I’m going to say a prayer in a moment. You pray after me only if you want to and if you mean what you sya from your heart, you can be saved. It’s not the prayer that saves or the words, it’s what you believe in your heart.

Christians…Let’s go each day remembering the sacrifice that was made for us. Remembering the broken body and the spilled blood. Remembering then unity that is to be found in the gospel. The purpose in our lives because of the gospel..

Live each day in light of these truths.

Everyone please bow your heads and close your eyes and spend some time responding to the message today.

For those that want to trust Jesus as their savior, please prayer after me

“Dear God, I know I’m a sinner, I believe you sent Jesus to die ont he cross and rose him from the dead. I put my faith right now in Jesus and ask you to come into my life and change me from the inside out. Amen.”

look, If that’s you this morning your saved. You have the Holy Spirit of God inside of you and you can make that change like David did.

If you prayed that I want you tell us about it. Pull out the connection card in your bulletin and mark on the back “Put my faith in Christ” and let us know. Don’t be shy don’t be embarrased. We all started where you are today and anyone here that has been saved is praying you’ll grow into an evend eeper relationship with God than we have.