The Breaking of Bread

Text

READ Acts 2:41-47

Acts 2:41–47 NASB95

So then, those who had received his word were baptized; and that day there were added about three thousand souls. They were continually devoting themselves to the apostles’ teaching and to fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer. Everyone kept feeling a sense of awe; and many wonders and signs were taking place through the apostles. And all those who had believed were together and had all things in common; and they began selling their property and possessions and were sharing them with all, as anyone might have need. Day by day continuing with one mind in the temple, and breaking bread from house to house, they were taking their meals together with gladness and sincerity of heart, praising God and having favor with all the people. And the Lord was adding to their number day by day those who were being saved.

The Breaking of Bread

The early church was continually devoting itself to “the breaking of bread.”

When you hear this, you might wonder… “What exactly does that mean?”

Is Luke talking about having meals together?

After all, eating meals in the ancient world was common. It was a kind of social glue that connected people together. There’s something about gathering at a table and sharing (or having fellowship) with others over something as enjoyable and life-giving as food.

And Jesus was always eating with others. Some of Jesus’ most memorable miracles and teachings took place around a table as people ate.

So, it would make sense if that was what Luke had in mind here. It would make sense if we understood this to be that the church in Acts regularly gathered together for meals. And in fact, we talked last week about how that is something they did.

But is that what Luke means here… when he says that “They were continually devoting themselves… to the breaking of bread”?

And the answer is “No.”

It doesn’t seem like it. Just look at verse 46 for part of the reason. There, Luke seems to separate the “breaking of bread” from “taking their meals” as if these are two distinct things.

So, what is the “breaking of bread”? And how does it differ from a simple meal?

What is the Breaking of Bread?

If we go back to Luke’s Gospel, there is an interesting story about Jesus on the road to Emmaus.

TELL THE STORY

“When He had reclined at the table with them, He took the bread and blessed it, and breaking it, He began giving it to them. Then their eyes were opened and they recognized Him; and He vanished from their sight.” Luke 24:30

“They began to relate their experiences on the road and how He was recognized by them in the breaking of the bread.” Luke 24:35.

In other words, there seems to be a sense that this breaking of bread can somehow reveal Christ for who he is. There’s something supernatural about the very act of Jesus “breaking bread” here.

And in 1 Corinthians, Paul gives a lot of instructions on corporate worship and how it should be conducted. There, he talks about a meal that the church has during worship - called ‘The Lord’s Supper.’ And in his discussion, he asks, “Is not the bread which we break a sharing in the body of Christ?”

And if we keep reading Acts, we’ll discover that Paul breaks bread at a Sunday morning worship service in Troas.

When we look at all of this evidence along with what we find in Acts 2, it seems pretty apparent that there was a meal at the center of the early Christian worship service.

It’s likely that, at this time, it was a full meal - this would be people’s breakfast or dinner. Paul says in 1 Corinthians that they should eat their fill.

But, as time went on, and as the church grew… this meal became less extravagant. And even though it was no longer a complete meal… its core remained a central part of Christian worship for over 1600 years.

And what is that core? ‘The Lord’s Supper’ or ‘Communion’ or ‘The Eucharist.’

Why Communion?

Now, all of this leads us to an important question: Why did almost all Christians for nearly 2,000 years center their worship services around this meal?

What made it so significant and important?

Paul gives us some insight into the reason why in his first letter to the Corinthians...

I would encourage you to read all of 1 Corinthians 10-11 if you’d really like to dig into the reasons why. This morning, I just want to highlight one main thing.

Paul explains the way we receive communion… and then he makes this statement: “For as often as you eat this bread and drink the cup, you proclaim the Lord’s death until He comes.”

Paul says that this meal - this eating of bread and drinking from the cup - “proclaims the Lord’s death.”

But what does he mean by this?

From everything else Paul says in 1 Corinthians, I think it’s fairly simple. The entire gospel - from beginning to end - is summed up and illustrated in The Lord’s Supper.

In order to understand, let’s go back in time and see what a first century worship service would have been like....

First Century Worship

It’s Sunday morning and the sun has just peeked about the eastern horizon, but you and your family are already gathered for worship.

You see, every Sunday is a celebration of Easter. And just as Christ was raised early in the morning on that first Easter day, so the church gathered for worship at the same time.

You find yourself in the lower floor of someone’s house - probably one of the wealthier members of the congregation who’s opened his home to the church.

One of the elders stands, walks to the front of the congregation and leads them in singing a psalm or two. These songs of worship are part of a 1,000 year heritage of worship music. But they didn’t just sing the old traditional songs. They wrote new songs, praising and worshiping Jesus.

Then, an elder would rise and open one of the scrolls - he’d read something from the Old Testament or from the Gospels. He’d tell the story of Jesus.

And then maybe he - or someone else - would preach, explaining what the Gospel means and encouraging the congregation to live out the gospel.

Everyone would rise, and there would be prayer.

And then, bread and wine would be brought out. Someone would bless God for these gifts and give thanks. And just as the gospel had been proclaimed in word. Now it would be proclaimed in action.

BREAD - Broken just as Christ’s body was broken - a picture of this. And when we consume it, it gives life and nourishment. In the same way, when we’re united to Christ by faith, we receive his life and are spiritually nourished.

WINE - Poured out just as Christ’s blood was poured out - it becomes a picture of this. It calls to mind the sacrifice that Christ gave for our sake - his suffering and death. And we’re reminded of the power of that blood to wash our sins away - to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.

OFFER - Then, an offer is made to come - and not to take communion, but to receive it. And we’re faced with a decision. Will we respond in faith? Or will we refuse Christ’s offer of salvation?

And this opportunity is the same one that we responded to when we first placed our faith in Jesus. RENEWAL OF VOWS

We stand and come - not to take communion, but to receive it. As we make ourAnd when we stand here, we hold out ou

Communion Liturgy

On the night in which he gave himself up for us,    he took bread, gave thanks to you, broke the bread,    gave it to his disciples and said: “Take, eat; this is my body which is given for you. Do this in remembrance of me.”

When the supper was over, he took the cup    gave thanks to you, gave it to his disciples, and said: “Drink from this, all of you;    this is my blood of the new covenant,    poured out for you and for many    for the forgiveness of sins. Do this as often as you drink it,    in remembrance of me.”

And so, in remembrance of these your mighty acts in Jesus Christ, we offer ourselves in praise and thanksgiving    as a holy and living sacrifice,