Sermon Tone Analysis

Holy Communion

… for many for the forgiveness of sins

!!! /(06 March 2005, am)/

!!! Announcements

!!! Bible presented

!!! Doxology                                      /Hymn 293:5 (Tune 217 – only one verse, followed by “AMEN”)              /               

!!!

Call to worship

Sing to the Lord, praise His name; proclaim His salvation day after day.

Declare His glory among the nations, His marvelous deeds among all peoples.

(Psalm 96:2-3)

!!!!!! Blessing

Grace and peace to you from Him who is, and who was, and who is to come, and from the seven spirits before His throne, and from Jesus Christ, who is the faithful witness, the firstborn from the dead, and the ruler of the kings of the earth.

(Revelation 1:4-5)

!!! Hymn No 24:                               /“Sing to God new songs of Worship”/

!!! Prayer of Adoration, Invocation, Thanksgiving, and Lord’s Prayer

!!! Tithes, offering and dedication

Remaining seated, all sing:

!!! Hymn No 611:                            /“Come, you thankful people, come”/

!!! /(only as many verses as needed)/

!!! Prayer for others

!!! Choir

!!! Scripture Reading                     /Matthew 26:17-30/

!!! Prayer

We plead with you, O Lord, to enlighten our minds and to strengthen our wills, that we may know what we ought to do and be enabled to do it, through the grace of your Holy Spirit and through the merits of your Son, Jesus Christ our Lord.

AMEN

!!! Sermon                                          /Poured out for many for the forgiveness /

!!! /of sins/

!!!!!! Introduction

My dear brothers and sisters in the Lord,

Our Saviour commanded us to celebrate the Holy Communion as a perpetual feast until He comes again.

We most do it in his remembrance.

Gathered here this morning we believe that Jesus Christ is in our midst as He promised.

We also believe that Christ is present as we read the Word and celebrate the sacrament.

We don’t believe as the roman church that the wine and bread really becomes the body and blood of our Lord; but we on the other hand don’t see it as purely as hollow symbol without meaning.

In these symbols we celebrate the actual presence of the Lord, and we understand the dynamic meaning of what these symbols symbolise.

!!!!!! ; The actual presence of the Lord

In the everyday understanding of the word memory, or memorial, we think of something that is intended to remind people of a person who has died or an event in which people died, for example a statue, speech, or special ceremony.

We think of these special people as people who do not live anymore.

They lived in the past.

We have good memories of them and we celebrate their lives because it might have a special influence on our lives because of the good example set by these people.

But when we celebrate the Lord’s Supper in memory of the Lord it is different.

Our Lord did die on the cross, but the important aspect of this proclamation is that He rose again.

; He conquered death.

We don’t have a monument of Jesus, or a cenotaph with an inscription of Christ on it.

There is no grave to go to.

That grave was opened and is empty now!  ; Our Lord is alive!

We worship a living Saviour.

And that is what we celebrate today.

But more than that:  God instituted the sacraments of baptism and Holy Communion for his church as signs and seals of his ceaseless presence with his church.

In very real terms we believe that ; the Lord is here today.

At the table He is the host and we the guests.

We don’t invite Him to be with us; He invites us to commune with Him!

As certainly as we take the bread in our hands and eat it, as certainly as we take the wine and drink it, so we know for sure that the Lord is the living Saviour.

He is not present in body, but as surely as the disciples were blessed by his presence that night, so surely are we blessed by his presence this morning.

!!!!!! ; The dynamic meaning of the symbols

Our verse this morning talks about the blood of our Lord poured out for many for the forgiveness of sins.

The Heidelberg Catechism helps us to understand what a sacrament is: 

; The sacraments are holy visible signs and seals, appointed of God for this end, that by the use thereof, He may the more fully declare and seal to us the promise of the gospel, viz., that He grants us freely the remission of sin, and life eternal, for the sake of that one sacrifice of Christ, accomplished on the cross.

; By the use of the sacraments God declares and seals to use visibly the invisible glories of salvation.

Through these signs He declares more fully the promise of the Gospel.

What are the promises of the Gospel?

He grants us freely forgiveness of sin and eternal life!

Why?

Because of the sacrifice of Christ accomplished on the cross.

This is why we have to celebrate Holy Communion over and over again.

; This is salvation illustrated.

I see with my eyes, the bread of the Lord broken, and I drink from the cup.

By faith I believe the promise that the Lord feeds and nourishes my soul to everlasting life, with his crucified body and shed blood as assuredly as I receive and taste with my mouth the bread and cup of the Lord, as certain signs of the body and blood of Christ.

I may know that when I take these signs in my hand and believe what they signify, it becomes a guarantee that God accepted the sacrifice of ; Jesus Christ in my place as if I was nailed to the cross to receive punishment for my sins.

But the glorious truth is that Jesus stepped in for me because my sacrifice would not be enough.

; But now, looking back on the magnificent sacrifice, I accept the gift and I die at the feet of Jesus.

; Every time we come to sit at the table we celebrate the death and resurrection of Christ, our Lord, but here we also come to die more and more.

!!!!!! Conclusion

Here we celebrate; here we proclaim the glorious message:  Our Saviour is in our midst.

He is alive.

He calls us to repentance and a new life.

This message is not for the small band of disciples only:  this message is for the lost in all parts of the word.

It is for the forgiveness of sins of many.

May God continue his call to the lost even this day.

If you hear his voice this morning, do not harden your heart.

Don’t doubt is call:  look at the bread and wine – it is the body and blood of the Lord Jesus Christ.

Take it, eat and drink and believe that the Lord gave his life as a complete ransom for your soul.

AMEN.

!!! Prayer of Confession of sin

Almighty God, we confess that we all like sheep have gone astray; we have turned everyone to his own way.

We have followed the passions and desires of our own hearts, we have broken your good and just laws, we have left undone those things we ought to have done, and we have done the very things we ought not to have done.

But we plead with you to have mercy upon all who confess their sins, restore those who truly repent, according to your promise declared to us through Jesus.

Grant that for Jesus’ sake we may, from now on, live a godly, righteous, and holy life, to the glory of your great name.

Amen.

!!! Forgiveness

Come now, let us reason together, says the Lord.

Though your sins are like scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they are red as crimson, they shall be like wool.

(Isaiah 1:18)

!!! Hymn no 357:                              /“And now, O Father”/

!!! Public Confession of Faith and Baptism

1.       Hunt family:

a.    Warren David Hunt

b.    Roslyn Janice Hunt

1.         Ashleigh Hunt (DOB 12~/10~/92)

2.         Mitchell David Hunt (DOB 29~/08~/94)