The Manifestation of Fellowship

Grace, mercy, and peace unto you from God our Father, and our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.

Over this last summer we have undergone a long journey to go through Luther’s Small Catechism, to hit the highlights, and learn more deeply about what we believe, teach, and confess. Today we finally make it to the end.

We started this journey by first discussing the 10 commandments, which tell us ultimately to love God and love our neighbor. We then went into the Creed of which all Christians are baptized in - the Apostle’s Creed. There we found a summary of Christian doctrine about the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit, but also in it we discussed how we are a church are a part of the creed, especially in the third article where it talks about the Holy Spirit. Because after all the church is the creation of the Holy Spirit. From there we talked about how we become Christians, which is found in Baptism. In baptism we are adopted as a son and heir united with Christ of which we then can address God properly as our Father. Those are the very familiar words which we come before God in prayer when we pray, “Our Father.” And now united together as a church that believes together, prays together, and now today we learn that we eat and drink together.

Everything that we have discussed has been completely and clearly explained in Scripture. There has been no lie or deceit, only truth and clarity. After all we have a God who desires to be known, which is why the Father sent His son into the flesh so that all the world can hear, see, and behold God Himself in their midst and learn from Him directly. As Hebrews chapter one clearly explains, “LONG AGO, AT MANY TIMES AND IN MANY WAYS, GOD SPOKE TO OUR FATHERS BY THE PROPHETS, BUT IN THESE LAST DAYS HE HAS SPOKEN TO US BY HIS SON.”

Brothers and sisters in Christ, the Word of God, Jesus Christ has brought us all here today to hear the purity of His word and to receive the blessed sacrament of which we will receive today - the Lord’s Supper.

THE LORD’S SUPPER IS THE END WHERE UNITY IN THE CHURCH IS FOUND.

And this is the end of which we have read before in Acts 2. “AND THEY DEVOTED THEMSELVES TO THE APOSTLES’ TEACHING AND THE FELLOWSHIP, TO THE BREAKING OF BREAD AND THE PRAYERS.” The teaching of the Apostles bonded them together in fellowship which resulted in participation in the Lord’s Supper and in prayer.

The Church that communes together believes together.

And this is found in our Epistle reading for today. “THEREFORE, MY BELOVED, FLEE FROM IDOLATRY. I SPEAK AS TO SENSIBLE PEOPLE; JUDGE FOR YOURSELVES WHAT I SAY. THE CUP OF BLESSING THAT WE BLESS, IT IT NOT A PARTICIPATION IN THE BLOOD OF CHRIST? THE BREAD THAT WE BREAK, IS IT NOT A PARTICIPATION IN THE BODY OF CHRIST?” Paul, writing to the church in Corinth was appalled by the fact that there were some who practiced idolatry and Christianity. This was done by the fact that food that was ritually sacrificed to demons in idolatrous practices. The people were eating this food and participating in these practices in some someway. And by virtue of eating the food they were participants in idolatrous worship. In other words there was the perception that by eating that food they were believing, teaching, and confessing all that was a part of that idolatrous worship.

Idolatry in this form is not too common in our American context today, but it is out there. There are foods that are sacrificed to idols, but it is not much of a concern because it’s done so privately not publically. Does that mean that this text has no meaning for us today? By no means. This text is just as relevant today as it was when it was written. After all, what is idolatry? idolatry is anything that is not of God. It can be as drastic as participating in another religion, such as Judaism, Buddhism, or Islam, but it can also be a slight of hand such as taking God’s word and saying with the serpent in the garden, “DID GOD REALLY SAY” or “YOU SHALL NOT SURELY DIE.” Even saying something that is contrary to the Word of God is idolatry. It is a violation of the first and second commandments, “YOU SHALL HAVE NO OTHER GODS,” and “YOU SHALL NOT MISUSE THE NAME OF THE LORD YOUR GOD.” Our God does not lie or deceive. He is rather straight forward, truthful, and plain with all that He has taught us by His word. And we ought to seek after the good, right, and salutary teaching of our Lord as we live on earth, and flee from where it is taught wrongly so that we are not, as St. Paul says, “participants with demons.”

For this same reason we believe that the Lord’s Supper is truly our Lord’s body and blood. “THE LORD JESUS ON THE NIGHT WHEN HE WAS BETRAYED TOOK BREAD, 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.” 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.” Here, the words of Jesus are plain. “This is my body…This is my blood” is as straightforward of a statement that can be made. Is, means is. The bread and wine here do not represent the body and blood of Christ, nor does it loose it’s substance as bread and wine and become the body and blood of Christ. Rather, it is what it is - the body and blood of Christ. We ought not try to rationalize it to make it make sense. We ought to take our Lord at His word alone. This is His body and blood and we eat and drink it. Everyone who partakes in the Supper get’s the body and blood of Christ. There are no exceptions.

And this is the same body and blood that was betrayed. It is the same body and blood that those saints who have gone before us ate and drank. It is the same body and blood that was crucified and shed. It is the same body and blood that was risen from the dead and ascended into Heaven.

Therefore, when we partake in this meal we are joined together as one. The body and blood that you eat and drink here is the same body and blood that I eat and drink with you. It is the same body and blood that enters into all of us, and by it we who are many are one. Paul writes, “BECAUSE THERE IS ONE BREAD, WE WHO ARE MANY ARE ONE BODY FOR WE ALL PARTAKE OF THE ONE BREAD.” There is unity at the Lord’s Supper, but that unity does not start at the Lord’s Supper. Rather our unity finds it end here at the Lord’s Supper.

The pharisees in the Scriptures understood this. It was for that reason that they did not share meals with sinners. They understood that if a meal was share with sinners and that they would be united with sinners. Where they had it wrong was in the fact that there was no mercy to be shown. There was no desire to restore and uplift. There was no real hospitality. There was no forgiveness.

And it is for the forgiveness of sins and the strengthening of faith that our Lord instituted this blessed meal. Matthew records, “DRINK OF IT, ALL OF YOU, FOR THIS IS MY BLOOD OF THE COVENANT, WHICH IS POURED OUT FOR MANY FOR THE FORGIVENESS OF SINS.” The forgiveness that you receive was won by the body and blood of which you eat and drink. The Lord’s Supper is a tangible word. It is not an abstraction. It is not just was word. It is a promise and sacrifice that we can taste. This meal is something that we all need often because we too often forget it’s promise and benefits.

Luther in the Large Catechism puts it this way. “Suppose you say, “What shall I do if I cannot feel this need [to receive the Lord’s Supper] or if I do not experience hunger and thirst for the sacrament?” Answer: For those in such a state of mind that they cannot feel it, I know no better advice than that they put their hands to their bosom to determine whether they are made of flesh and blood. If you find that you are, then for your own good turn to St. Paul’s Epistle to the Galatians and hear what the fruits of your flesh are: “Now the works of the flesh are obvious: adultery, fornication, impurity, licentiousness, idolatry, sorcery, enmity, strife, jealousy, anger, quarrels, dissensions, factions, envy, murder, drunkenness, carousing, and things like these.” For this reason, if you cannot feel the need, at least believe the Scriptures. They will not lie to you, since they know your flesh better than you yourself do…In short, the less you feel your sins and infirmities the more reason you have to go to the sacrament and seek its help and remedy.” This meal is for sinners like you and me, and our Lord bids us to come and receive that forgiveness and proclaim the fulness of Him as one church body.

But this is not a meal to be forced upon you or anyone else. It is a gift from God for your benefit. Rather you ought to come on your own free will and examine yourselves rightly. But it is our duty as pastors to instruct you as to the reason why you should come. It is our duty as pastors to provide care and instruction before one receives the Supper, for we are stewards of it. And as stewards of it we as pastors will be held on the day of judgment for those who come and commune at this altar. After all it is not our supper to do as we please, but it belongs to the Lord. And the Lord bids those who come have unity in their faith in Him believing all that He says.

Therefore, “AS OFTEN AS YOU EAT THIS BREAD AND DRINK THIS CUP YOU PROCLAIM THE LORD’S DEATH UNTIL HE COMES.” And that which we proclaim is that the Holy Lamb of God was slain. “The body of God’s Lamb we eat, a priestly food and priestly meat; on sin-parched lips the chalice pours His quenching blood that life restores. With cherubim and seraphim our voices join the endless hymn, and ‘Holy, holy, holy” sing to Christ, God’s lamb our Priest and King” (LSB 624). “Is this for me? I am forgiven and set free! I do believe that I receive His very body and His blood. O taste and see the Lord is good” (LSB 629)

Amen, and amen.

The peace that passes all understanding keep your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus.