Communion
Notes
Transcript
Handout
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.
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.
On the front of the communion table we find the words, “Do this in remembrance of Me.”
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.”
There are several names used to identify the ceremony:
Lord’s Supper
Last Supper
Eucharist
Blessed Sacrament
Communion
Sacrament vs. Ordinance
Sacrament - A Means of Receiving God’s Justifying, Sanctifying, and Perfecting Grace
While a sacrament is seen as something in and of itself sacred, an ordinance is a practice that merely demonstrates the participants' faith. The ordinances are observed in remembrance of Jesus, primarily His baptism and the Last Supper (Communion or Eucharist).
Ordinance - A Rite Instituted By Christ That Points To A Greater Spiritual Reality
Ordinance is a Protestant Christian term for baptism, communion and other religious rituals. Some Protestants do not call them sacraments because they believe these rituals are outward expressions of faith, rather than impartations of God's grace.
An ordinance is a visible sign that represent an invisible reality, but does not contain the reality within itself.
Baptism & Lord’s Supper are the only two ordinances that we find in scripture
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.
A Communion Story: The Lord’s Supper In Three Tenses
When we come to observe this ordinance, it should be a time of remembrance. Remembrance in three things: PAST—Show the Lord’s death; PRESENT—Communion with Christ now; and FUTURE—Till He comes.
I. THE PAST TENSE — LOOKING BACKWARD
Looking back to The Lord’s Supper reminds us of our Lord’s death
Looking back reminds us that Christ not only died for us, but He died instead of us
Looking back reminds us that Christ is the perfect sacrifice - there is no alternate sacrifice
In the O. T. worship centered around the sacrifice of unblemished lambs. Jesus was the Passover Lamb. He was God’s provision for our redemption.
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.”
do this in remembrance of Me." He desired to have a few last hours with His disciples to instruct them of some last things. Do This—was the way of showing forth his death.
When we “remember” special occasions, we don’t just sit in an armchair and sigh. We gather together at a significant site, we have a ceremony—we reenact the event. This is part of the human psyche. For that reason, if teenagers die in a tragic automobile accident, they put flowers, banners, and messages at the place where it happened. And when you visit the Wall, the Viet Nam War memorial in Washington where the names of all the people who died in that war are inscribed in the order in which they died, you find flowers dedicated to a person whose name is nearby. And when we have Memorial Day to remember the soldiers who died in wars to defend us, we don’t just sit inside the house and sigh. Dignitaries put flowers on graves.
At the Lord’s table we call to mind the high cost of our Salvation. While it is free to us, it cost Christ dearly—His very body and life’s blood.
II. PRESENT TENSE — LOOKING INWARD
We should strive for communion with Christ now
The word communion is an action word which means: “fellowship, participating in, sharing together, having in common.”
The observance is not simply keeping a dead memory alive. It is entering into the presence of one who lived, died, was raised from the dead by the power of God, and is alive forevermore.
Above all that He is present with us here and now — at the table.
Who May Participate In The Lord’s Supper?
Closed Communion The practice of restricting the serving of the elements of the Lord's Supper to those who are members of a particular church, denomination, sect, or congregation. Though the meaning of the term varies slightly in different Christian theological traditions, it generally means that a church or denomination limits participation either to members of their own church, members of their own denomination, or members of some specific class
Open Communion Churches that offer open communion to other Christians do not require an explicit affirmation of Christianity from the individual/communicant before distributing the elements; the act of receiving is an implicit affirmation. Some churches make an announcement before communion begins such as “We invite all who have professed a faith in Christ to join us at the table.”
Close Communion A person of the "same faith and practice" (generally meaning the same or a similar denomination) may participate in the service whether or not they are a member of the local congregation, but a member of another denomination may not. For example, a Southern Baptist church practicing close communion might allow another Southern Baptist church member, or a Missionary Baptist church member, to participate, but might exclude a Catholic, on the basis that the Baptist members are of the "same faith and practice" but that the Catholic is not.
Jesus wanted to have communion with His disciples. He wanted them to think often of Him.
28 Let a person examine himself, then, and so eat of the bread and drink of the cup.
We are a fellowship of believers. When we sit at the Lord ’s Table, it is as if we were present with Jesus during that final meal. Most definitely, He is with us.
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.
19 Now the works of the flesh are evident: sexual immorality, impurity, sensuality, 20 idolatry, sorcery, enmity, strife, jealousy, fits of anger, rivalries, dissensions, divisions, 21 envy, drunkenness, orgies, and things like these. I warn you, as I warned you before, that those who do such things will not inherit the kingdom of God. 22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23 gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law. 24 And those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires.
III. FUTURE TENSE — LOOKING UPWARD (TILL HE COMES) LAST SUPPER
We look forward to the last supper
26 For as often as you eat this bread and drink the cup, you proclaim the Lord’s death until he comes.
Jesus spoke of His coming kingdom. He was preparing the disciples for the work ahead. They did not fully understand what Jesus was telling them, but they were faithful.
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.”
6 Then I heard what seemed to be the voice of a great multitude, like the roar of many waters and like the sound of mighty peals of thunder, crying out, “Hallelujah! For the Lord our God the Almighty reigns. 7 Let us rejoice and exult and give him the glory, for the marriage of the Lamb has come, and his Bride has made herself ready; 8 it was granted her to clothe herself with fine linen, bright and pure”— for the fine linen is the righteous deeds of the saints.
When we partake of the Lord’s Supper, we are to remember the promise of His return.
We have our instructions from Jesus the same as the disciples had their instructions. Are we as faithful as they were?
CONC: The word describing the ordinance means: Thanksgiving. It is important that we offer thanks to God for Jesus as we sit at His table.
OUR REPONSE:
Look Backward And Remember
Look Inward And Repent
Look Upward And Rejoice
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.”