Sermon Tone Analysis

A Lord’s Supper Worship Service

 

*Central Idea: Individuals In Community*

*Theme Song: /In Christ Alone/*

 

#.

*Prelude: *Chairs arranged in circle (semicircle is fine) around a round table with candles; readers up in front row so mic is easy to pass; Megan prelude on piano—finish with /In Christ Alone/

#. *First Set: *(Nate, Meghan, Tim, vocalists) Hallelujah, Majesty, Rock of Ages (10 mins)

#. *Greeting~/Announcements~/Offering* (Misty begin playing during offering)

#. *Release youngest children to Sunday School* (remind teachers this might take a little more time—not sure).

Special day for two oldest classes.

Inviting them to celebrate with us from now on because we—their parents—believe they are trusting in Christ alone for eternal life.

Going to participate today by reading Scripture also (sit together in front).

Let’s pray.

#. *Teaching~/Reading~/Special Music *(30 mins; harp accompaniment throughout): In Rev 3, Laodicea “lukewarm” thought they were rich, Jesus: “Pitiful, poor, blind…” Repent!” Sounds harsh, but in v.19 He makes it clear He was saying this because He loved them!

Read vs.19-20.

I love that picture.

A meal.

Close relationship.

Not about getting saved, but getting close to Jesus.

Open the door!

They—and we—must choose to let Him in.

It’s a common picture in the Bible—a meal.

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Passover

                                                    i.

God Himself established the Passover for the Jewish people as a memorial of when He brought them out of slavery.

He knew it would not be long before they forgot this great thing He had done for them so He gave them a way to help them remember.

*                                                  ii.

**Reader 1 (Nathan Masson): Exodus 12:21-27*

                                                  iii.

Every year, families sat down to this special meal and the youngest child would ask, “What does this Passover meal mean?”

It had meaning.

It wasn’t just food.

It meant something.

It was a reminder.

It helped the people remember what God had done for them—a memorial (illus: Lincoln memorial: IN THIS TEMPLE; AS IN THE HEARTS OF THE PEOPLE; FOR WHOM HE SAVED THE UNION; THE MEMORY OF ABRAHAM LINCOLN; IS ENSHRINED FOREVER).

“In this meal (Lord’s Supper)…the memory of Jesus…”

                                                 iv.

Notice—in Exodus 12—that individual families brought individual Passover lambs, marked individual doors with blood, but the entire nation had to observe the feast together on the same exact day.

This meal was both individual as well as national (community).

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Lord’s Supper

                                                    i.

Jesus celebrated the Passover.

Jesus was a Jewish boy and probably when He was little He had asked the question, “What does this mean?”

Just a few hours before He died on the cross, He celebrated the Passover.

*                                                  ii.

**Reader 2 (Abigail LePage): Luke 22:14-16.*

iii.

But that time was different.

Jesus said something amazing!

The Passover was about Him! Yes, it was a memorial to help the Jewish people remember what God did back in Egypt, but it also pointed forward to the day when He—the true Passover Lamb of God—would die on the cross and take away the sins of the world.

The bread was a symbol of His body.

The blood a symbol of His blood.

*(WT in place!)*

*                                                 iv.

**Reader 3 (Helena Masson): Luke 22:17-20.

*

                                                   v.

So, the Passover—along with many other prophecies and pictures (also called types or symbols) let us know that Jesus was the promised Savior.

The promised Messiah of the Old Testament.

*                                                 vi.

**Special Music: Nate, Meghan, Tim and Thomas—/Jesus Messiah/ (4 mins)*

                                               vii.

So, when we celebrate the Lord’s Supper we are recognizing that Jesus was the promised Messiah who was to die for sinners.

We look back to the Cross—not the Exodus from Egypt.

We remember that Jesus died to save us from our sins.

The Apostle Paul put it this way in 1 Corinthians 11:26: “For as often as you eat this bread and drink the cup, you proclaim the Lord’s death until He comes.”

We don’t do it to be saved or to get our sins forgiven.

We do it */because /*we’re saved.

*/Because /*our sins have been forgiven through the death of Christ.

So, it doesn’t make any sense to do this unless you are trusting in Christ.

It’s a very small snack if you’re not “proclaiming His death.”

Kids, please don’t think eating this bread and drinking this juice saves you or gets you into heaven.

Trusting in Christ alone does that.

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Agape Feast                                                     i.

Apparently, the first Christians celebrated the Lord’s Supper and then ate a full meal—called an “Agape Feast” (Love Feast)—a big meal.

ii.

But, when the Apostle Paul wrote to the church in Corinth, he scolded them for how they were doing this.

Their “love” feasts were loving at all—they were selfish.

The Corinthians were being selfish instead of thinking of everyone else.

Paul said they weren’t waiting for each other—some didn’t even get anything to eat!

He said it was shameful.

He said, “I will not praise you!”

*                                                 iii.

**Reader 4 (Hannah LePage): 1 Corinthians 11:17-22*

                                                 iv.

So then, Paul told them the right way to celebrate the Lord’s Supper and then he told them this:

*                                                   v.

**Reader 5 (Gabe Chenault): 1 Corinthians 11:33-34a.*

vi.

Perhaps the reason the elements of the Lord’s Supper eventually did not include an entire meal but just a reminder was because of that letter to the Corinthians.

It’s not about filling your belly, but filling your mind with right thinking about Jesus and His people.

Filling your heart with gratitude and asking God to forgive you of your sins.

It’s not really about the food at all!

It should not only remind us of what Jesus did for us, but also that we are His “body”—His people and we should not have divisions and factions among us.

We should be united and work together because no matter what differences we have, we have Jesus in common.

#.

Wedding Supper of the Lamb                                                     i.

The Apostle John tells us that when Jesus returns in the future, we will celebrate another meal: The wedding or marriage supper of the Lamb!

*                                                  ii.

**Reader 6 (Elizabeth Masson): Revelation 19:7-9*

                                                  iii.

When we celebrate the Lord’s Supper, we proclaim His death “until He comes”.

We look forward to the day when we will get to celebrate a great feast with Jesus—live and in person!

Not just remembering Him, but seeing Him face-to-face!