Good morning to you guys. It's good to see you today.
If you're visiting with us today, I want to say, welcome to
you. My name is Kyle service lead,
Pastor here and I'm glad you're here like to hear if you have
your Bible with you would you please open to 1st Corinthians?
11:20 in chapter 11, we are next week going to begin a new series
called the law and the gospel and subtitled that you must be
born again. And we're going to take a look
at the interaction between Nicodemus and Jesus and John.
Three. So I encourage you to read that
passage this week, John chapter 3, the interaction there between
Nicodemus and Christ and then we'll dive into a series on that
on what's taking place. I think it'll be will be really
helpful today though, we're going to do a one-off sermon as
we might call it on the Lord's supper.
We're going to take a look at the Lord's Supper.
Today, I've never had a chance to actually preach a message on
the Lord's Supper. So I'm excited to be able to do
that. But here's what I want you to
know. If you're taking notes, you can
you can write this down, it'll be on the screen for a little
bit, so if I read it so fast, you can see it.
But the Lord's Supper strengthens our Union with
Christ. And communion with fellow
Believers. It, strengthens our Union with
Christ and communion with fellow Believers.
Let me pray for us as we get ready to dive into this.
Heavenly father we thank you Lord for your word, we thank
you. Lord that we have it for our
instruction. We have it for wisdom.
Lord, we have it for strengthening, we have it.
Lord given to us and such a way that not only reading words on
paper, but by the power of your spirit alive in us, we are Being
made more and more into the image of Christ.
As we read these words as we study these words.
And so we can't open this book without asking for the spirits
help to understand it. And so, that's what we do.
We plead with you, Holy Spirit, to help us today, to understand
the words that are here, to convict us, where we need
conviction to Grant repentance where we need repentance to give
us instruction where we may find a lack of wisdom.
Help us to walk as faithful men and women help us to walk Us.
Faithful, boys, and girls to your word to your commands.
In Christ's name, we pray these things, amen.
Amen. I want to give you a very brief
history of feasting in scripture.
The Lord institute's to ordinances during his time on
the earth. One of which is baptism the
other is the I'd suffer or you might have, you might know it as
communion, but it's baptism. The Lord's Supper in baptism,
you are meant to observe, or baptism.
Is meant to be observed, One Time by every believer, as a
public Declaration of their faith, in Jesus Christ for the
Forgiveness of their sins, and their commitments, to follow him
with their whole life. Let me pause it.
A really awful place there and made it sound like Prism is for
the Forgiveness of sins, but you in baptism what you're saying is
I have placed my faith in Jesus Christ for the Forgiveness of my
sins. And now I'm committing to follow
him with my whole life that make more sense.
We want to want to recognize that baptism.
Does not save you. Baptism is not a part of the
process of Salvation. Baptism is simply the
acknowledgement that as a believer in Jesus Christ.
I have been saved by him and I want everyone to know it.
So baptism depicts. The burial of the old man the
raising to life of the new man in Christ Jesus and that's what
the Apostle Paul says in Romans chapter 6, is he as he's
explaining the significance of the death, the Resurrection, the
death burial, resurrection of Christ to the believer.
And he says that in baptism you were buried with him in baptism
and you're raised to walk in newness of life just as Christ
was resurrected from the grave. And so it's meant to be one of
the very first acts of Radiance to Christ as a new Believers.
One of the first acts of obedience you do as a new
believer. So that's baptism very briefly.
That's baptism the Lord's. Supper then is meant to be
observed repeatedly by every believer throughout their
Christian Life, they're meant to do so alongside fellow Believers
within the local church as a sign of continuing fellowship
with Christ and with one another as his body.
And so the question at least that I have is, why why use a
meal? What's the significance of a
meal? Or feasting has deep roots in
scripture. And we here in the South, we
like feasting, right? We want Mills, we're okay with
Mills. The only complaint I've ever
heard about the Lord's Supper, is that, I think Mill enough,
right? It's it's tiny, it's small, its
bits and pieces, where's the mill?
That's kind of where we're at in the South.
We want more food. Not less food, but feasting has
deep roots in scripture, especially when it comes.
To redemption in the beginning before the fall of mankind.
Adam and Eve. Enjoyed perfect fellowship with
God. They enjoyed the presence of
God. In every move they made, he was
always with them and they feasted literally on his
creation. He gave them the plants and and
all of their produce for their sustenance.
And so every meal that they enjoyed was enjoyed in the
presence of Christ. It was enjoyed or in the
presence of God. It was enjoyed.
With their Covenant. God and that is until the aid of
that one tree which he said not to eat of, right?
The tree of knowledge of Good and Evil.
God forbid that. And in his forbidding, they
disobeyed they disobeyed God. And took of the tree of, which
God said do not eat. And so from there, they're cast
out of the Garden of Eden less they eat of the tree of life
which is an important distinction because in Genesis
chapter 3, you have Genesis chapter 2.
It's mentioned also but you This tree of life that shows up and
God is creating put in the midst of the garden.
He cast them out of the garden, says less.
They eat of the tree of life and live forever.
In their sins is what he's getting at the forever in this
Fallen State. God didn't want that to happen
so he cast them out. He guards the gardens where no
one can get into it until a future dates and wrote and
Romans Revelation, 21 and 22. We have the appearance of the
tree of life again in the new heavens and new earth where
Christ has brought together. Either his people for a final
Feast, I'm kind of getting ahead of myself in my notes here, but
there will be a feast and you will eat one day of the Tree of
Life in the new heavens and new earth and which you will live
eternally in the presence of God.
Amen. So from Genesis to Revelation,
you have feasting, you see it as early as Cain and Abel who were
offering food sacrifices, as obedient worship to God, just
before God deliver the Israelites from Egypt.
During The Exodus, he instituted the Passover meal.
The Israelites were instructed to eat unleavened bread and 2,
and the cook to slaughter and cook a lamb.
And after they spread the blood of the Lamb over the doorpost,
they would enjoy this meal together.
Now, the purpose of spreading, the blood of the doorpost was so
that the angel of death, the final plague that God was
bringing to Egypt, would pass over their home.
It's What's called the Passover feast Passover meal.
And so he would pass over their home, as he put to death the
firstborn from every son, firstborn son of every family
and he even mentions animals livestock there.
And so God commands though the Israelites to keep this Feast to
continue remembering this. Why?
So that, they remember their deliverance from Egypt.
So they remember the Covenant that God made with them.
So if they remember their Redemption by his strong hand,
and again at the end of all time, there's this wedding
supper of the Lamb that we are patiently awaiting at our hearts
are filled with hope as we wait this moment where we will be
reunited with Christ in glory surrounded by other brothers and
sisters from across time. We will join with us in feasting
with the Lord Christ. When he institute's, the Lord's
Supper in Matthew 26, he mentions there.
That he will not drink again from the fruit of the vine until
the day when he drinks it, new with his people in his father's
Kingdom. So Christ is forgoing the cup.
Now, awaiting the day that he returns in glory and we are
reunited together forever. Amen.
Really incredible. And so that time that moment
where we eat with Christ will be a time of great rejoicing in the
presence of our Lord Jesus. There are many other examples of
Feasts throughout scripture surrounding many great events
and we just don't have time to meet.
You can do a whole series just on the feast you see and their
significance. But what we do understand
through what we see in Scripture that God time and again
instituted, holy Mills for remembrance and ongoing
spiritual strength for his redeemed, people for remembrance
and ongoing spiritual strength. This was the purpose of many of
these Feast, many of these Mills that were shared, one of the
great joys of the supper of the Lord's.
Supper, as we receive it today is that we can eat and drink in
the presence of the Lord alongside each other as we are,
As We Gather in the Name of Christ for worship, we know that
he is spiritually present with us, as Christ himself, said
where two or three are gathered in my name, I am there in their
midst, Matthew 18:20. That is also true as we receive
the Lord's Supper today. We know that the presence of
Christ is with us. Amen, me read to you, Paul's
instructions. For the Lord's.
Supper, the Paul is writing to the Corinthians.
The Corinthian Church is notorious for having everything
upside down. They're notorious for getting
everything backwards, getting everything wrong and largely.
It was due in this specific case, it's due to their own
selfishness. Their own idea of what on how to
enjoy the Lord, how they are to live.
They're following their own stomachs so to speak.
And So what had happened is the Corinthian Church was doing so
they were receiving the Lord's Supper.
Kind of it was very sinful, there were some who had plenty
and they weren't sharing with those who had nothing.
And so those who had nothing we're going without and those
who had plenty were over indulging becoming gluttonous,
they were using the Mills and opportunity for gluttony The
Lord's Supper was received with wine.
They're using the opportunity to become drunkards also so their
gluttonous and their drunkards as they're receiving, the
Lord's, Supper in a mill. That's meant to be inclusive of
the whole body, the whole local church there.
And not only that, but they were going on ahead without others.
Some were running behind or weren't showing up on time, or
they were starting earlier just doing it without one, another
not making announcements. And so, you had all kinds of
factions for me. In the church at Corinth and all
of this Paul is now going to rebuke them on and First
Corinthians 11. He begins his rebuke there.
We're going to just pick up where he talks about how to do
it, right? And then we'll read some verses
after that on the warning for not getting it right?
And then we'll receive the Lord's Supper today.
And First Corinthians 11, 11 23 he says for I received from the
Lord Lord would also delivered to you at the Lord.
Jesus on the night. When he was betrayed, he 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.
And so, what Paul is quoting here is something he the
received personally from the Lord somehow Paul was not
present on the night. Christ was betrayed Paul was one
of the early persecutors of Christians and so he wasn't
there that night with the disciples as the receiving it.
So either received it personally from the Lord which he She says,
I received from the lord. It's also possible that he just
means he received it from the Lord, as the apostles received
it from the Lord, and He to as an apostle has received this
instruction. And so, what he's doing though,
is saying here's how this supper came about and here is its
purpose. Here is its intention and here's
how to observe it correctly. So Jesus Christ on the night, he
was betrayed, he sitting there with his disciples in the upper
room and It's the time of year for the Passover feast that same
Feast we talked about earlier, a lamb had been prepared.
The bread is present the, the compass there and and they are
ready to receive this. And so Christ takes the bread
and he breaks it. And he says this is my body
which is for you. Do this in remembrance of me and
then he takes the cup and he says, this is the cup of the New
Covenant. In my blood do this, as often as
you drink it in remembrance of me.
And so Christ is now saying this old Covenant is passing away and
this is the cup of the New Covenant.
The old Covenant was a covenant built largely on works and it
was a covenant that Israel failed time and time again.
To follow. Israel was always guilty of
Disobedience to God. That's why they endured so much
hardship throughout the Old Testament.
And so Christ now sitting with his disciple says, this is the
Covenant. This is the cup of the New
Covenant in my blood and so no longer was it going to be about
the blood of goats or Lambs it was going to be the blood of
Christ which this New Covenant was built on.
It's as far as often in verse 26.
We read for as often. As you eat this bread and drink
the cup you proclaim, the Lord's death until he comes as a writer
by the name of David. Matthew Mathis David Matthews.
He also rides some things. None of which are Christian.
So, Not even that Christmas song.
Okay? David Mathes offers a helpful
outline for how we think about the Lord's supper and he, he
mentions these four categories, the past, the present, the
future, and the gravity past, the present, the future in the
gravity. And so I'm just going to I'm
going to use his outline here because I thought it was really
helpful in the past. What he's saying, is we
rehearse, the gospel as we come to the table, as we come to
receive the Lord's supper together.
One of the things that we are doing is rehearsing the Hospital
Jesus Christ. And so what we see here with
Paul is as he's instructing the Corinthians on the supper, the
Apostle Paul twice says do this in remembrance of me which is
what Christ told the disciples there in the Last Supper in Luke
22. So the Lord's Supper is no less
than a memorial meal that recounts, the Covenant of Grace
that we've received in Christ. And we received it in Christ
because it was Dated on the cross of Calvary.
And then we receive this New Covenant.
Because Christ becomes, the final sacrifice Christ is the
great high priest. Christ is the one who now reigns
forever in heaven Christ, there is now an end to the sacrifice
which there would have been no end to had Christ.
Not come at Christ, not come. We would still be offering bulls
and goats and doves and all sorts of other animals for
repair. Needed forgiveness of sins.
We would have to be Christ died. Once for all his Hebrew, says,
the nth there's coming into that, and the perfect sacrifice
has been made, which is the god, man.
Jesus Christ, the son of Mary, Son of God, and so is Christ
gives himself up for us. We receive in him, grace and
mercy, where we should have received wrath and condemnation
in Christ as we place our faith in him.
We Sieve life, whereas we should have received death, but Christ
took death for us so that we might have life.
And so the Lord's Supper gives us a rhythm in church life and
in a local church to remember and to recall and to proclaim
the Redemption of Sinners that is found only in the death
burial and resurrection of Jesus Christ.
It's found only by faith in Christ alone.
It's very similar to baptism in the sense.
The supper is a, it's a visual representation of the Gospel.
The broken body and Spilled blood of Christ for Sinners.
And the Lord's Supper is an act of New Covenant renewal its
continuing Fellowship, its ongoing perseverance in our
Embrace of the gospel. And David Mathes offers this, he
says it helps us hold fast to the word.
According to First, Corinthians 15 to, and to continue in the
faith, stable, and steadfast not shifting, from Hope to the
gospel. In the Colossians 1:23.
So one of the misconceptions I think of the supper is that you
have to have it all together. Spiritually before you can
receive the supper. Now this comes with the idea of
fencing the table. If you've grown up in church,
you may have heard this terminology of fencing the
table. Now, they have fencing.
The table is that you set a hedge of protection, in a sense
around the table that only those who receive the Lord's supper or
Those who are walking Faithfully with the Lord.
But as with anything, we can be too strict in fencing.
We can be too concerned with exactly who qualifies and who
doesn't. And so we can end up limiting
the Lord's Supper to only the religious Elite.
Or those who, look religiously Elite.
And this is not the idea of First Corinthians 11.
I'll get into those verses later.
That really get at this idea of how we fix the table correctly.
But for now, what you must understand about, the Lord
suffers that, you're rehearsing the gospel.
And as you receive the Lord's Supper, you're remembering that
Christ died for your sins. Christ died for your sins.
Amen. And you're proclaiming that
until the Lord's, Lord comes your proclaiming his death until
he comes again, which means we're not forgetting the
resurrection, which means we're not forgetting that Christ is
going to come again as the Lord of lords, the king of kings and
set everything, right? Amen.
There will be a judgment of the living and the dead those who
are under the righteousness of Christ, because they Place their
faith in him, will go on to eternal life.
Life and those who are under the Judgment of God because they
placed their faith in their own righteousness, will go on to
condemnation in Hell forever. These were the two realities
that we come to as we look at the Lord's, Supper Christ died
for the sins of all who will call on his name.
And Christ is coming again to set everything, right?
But what this means for us, Is that all of us who were
depending on the grace of God, for salvation must not forget
the grace of God as we come to the table.
And so it can't be true that you have to have everything together
because none of us ever has everything together.
None of us is ever walking without sin.
None of us is ever walking perfectly with God, right?
My alone in this. Okay, I am never walking
perfectly with the Lord and so I'm going to receive the supper
today, whether you guys do or not, right?
But I suspect you will because you're depending on the same
grace of God that I'm depending on You're depending on the same
Mercy from God, that I'm dependent upon.
And so when you come to the table, it's a declaration that
not by my strength. Not by my will not by my
righteousness, but by the righteousness of Christ Alone in
my saved, amen. And so, you're exercising a
dependence Upon Jesus Christ and not yourself.
Now there are wrong ways and I'll get into those, there are
wrong ways to approach the table, the wrong ways to receive
the Lord's supper and we'll get into those in a moment.
But let's keep let's keep tracking with where we're
headed. So that's the past.
We're rehearsing the past. We're rehearsing the gospel.
We're rehearsing. What Christ has done on the
cross? What he did in his resurrection,
how we've received New Life in him?
And the present were proclaiming his death.
First Corinthians, 11:20 6, we read therefore, as often as you
eat this bread and drink the cup you proclaim, the Lord's death
until he comes. And so in this moment as we
receive the Lord's Supper were, proclaiming the death of Christ,
right? As we hold a piece of bread,
which is meant to remind us of the broken body of Christ as we
hold a cup, which is meant to remind us of the spilled blood
of Christ, we are remembering That and we are currently
presently. Proclaiming his death.
We were saying the Lord did die. The Lord did receive my
punishment. The Lord did take my place on
the cross, the Lord took my sin. He who knew no sin became sin
for me that I might become the righteousness of God.
Amen, this is what we're proclaiming.
As we Proclaim his death, the gospel proclamation of this is
meant to strengthen you. And it is a means of Grace to
those who receive it. In the 1689 confession of Faith
written in 1689. Chapter 30 paragraph. 7 says
this, it says worthy recipients, who outwardly partake of the
elements. In this ordinance, the bread and
the cup Worthy, recipients, who partake of this, also, by faith
inwardly receive and feed on Christ crucified and all the
benefits of his death. So, outwardly, we're taking of
the bread and the cup inwardly. We are receiving the benefits of
Christ crucified, amen! Which means we're receiving
righteousness. We're reminding ourselves of
this. Righteousness, were receiving
presently spiritually. The righteousness of Christ were
being strengthened in Ridley. It goes on to say this, they do
so really, and truly, yet not physically and bodily.
So the reason that's in there is the Catholics, the Roman Roman
Catholicism has a doctrine of transubstantiation.
They believe that as the priest holds up the cup, Up in the
bread and says, a special blessing over it that the bread
and the cup literally literally become the body and the blood of
Christ Jesus. And so you're a feasting on what
looks to you like Bread and Wine but you are feasting on the body
and blood of Christ. Now, the problem with that is
it's the it's a doctrine of of re crucifixion, you're having to
crucify Christ. Every time you receive the
supper, we don't crucify. For Christ again.
Amen, this is contrary to what scripture tells us to do
especially in Hebrews. We don't we don't recruit safai
Christ and so they wrote this in an attempt to say this is not we
don't mean this physically in bodily, what we mean is
spiritually. The body and blood of Christ are
not present bodily or physically in the ordinance but spiritually
to the faith of Believers, just as the elements themselves are
present to their outward senses. So as you taste the cup as you
taste The bread as you chew that down.
And as you as you drink the cup, you're sensing that physically,
right? I mean your your taste buds are
working your eyesight's working. You're feeling it in your hands,
as it's happening. Physically, you sense what's
taking place? Spiritually though, there is
something just as real taking place in you, you're receiving
the benefits of Christ crucified, you're being
strengthened in your spirit, your being reminded.
Of the the Cross of Christ and of his death, you're proclaiming
to yourself. I'm not worthy if this Christ
died for me, he made me righteous where I am.
Unrighteous I'm depending In This Moment On the grace of God,
the mercy of God, which I see in the face of Jesus Christ.
Amen. And so we don't come haphazardly
become saying, let me receive spiritual nourishment today.
It's much in the same way we ought to approach.
The singing of songs in church or singing songs about the
gospel. We ought to got to think about
those things. And as we're taking in that as
we're seeing it out loud, that it's renewing us to some degree.
It's strengthening our Spirits as we hear the word proclaimed
as we hear the gospel preached, hopefully correctly, rightly
you're being strengthened in your spirit.
You're being fortified, you're going on the perseverance in
Christ. And so, in this way, the supper,
the Lord suffrages, his baptism just as we won't go there.
But just, as baptism is also, the supper is a powerful tool.
This ordinance is a powerful tool for strengthening your
faith for deepening, your faith for sustaining your faith,
especially as you do it in the presence of other believers.
Have a quote here from Wayne grudem's Systematic Theology.
And he says this, he says participation and the Lord's
Supper is very clearly. A means of Grace, which the Holy
Spirit uses to bring blessing to his church.
We should expect that the Lord would give spiritual blessing as
we participate in the Lord's, supper and faith.
And in obedience to the directions laid down in
scripture. And in this way, it is a means
of Grace which the Holy Spirit uses to convey blessing to us.
There was a Spiritual union, among Believers.
And with the Lord, that is strengthened and solidified at
the Lord's supper, and it is not to be taken lightly.
Amen. Amen.
Next, I want to talk about the future.
It's in the past, the present, the future.
What are we saying about the future?
As we receive the Lord's Supper? When you receive the Lord's
Supper by faith, you were receiving, spiritual,
nourishment, and growth. As we said at the beginning of
this, the Lord's Supper strengthens our Union with
Christ and our communion with fellow Believers.
And what we're saying in the Lord's Supper is that for as
often as you eat this bread and drink the cup, you proclaim the
Lord's death, what until he comes, we're not only looking at
the past, we're not only looking at the present, we're looking at
our future hope that Christ is Returning.
We're saying until he comes again.
Mathis, is helpful here? He says, here at the table we
hear the voice of Christ. We have our savior zir we
commune with his body. We receive a fresh, his gospel.
We respond in faith. We knit our hearts together in
the bread and cup we share and in doing.
So we look not only to the past and remember what he's done.
Not only to the present or future are growing Union with
him, but also to the Future and the full Feast the come.
You see the full Feast to come in my best understanding the
Lord's Supper is meant to be a meal, it's meant to me a bit.
Meant to be a meal because it foreshadows a meal.
It foreshadows a time. When all believers will dwell
together in the new heavens, and new earth, and receive this with
their savior, And so that's that's one of the Great Hopes as
we receive this as a local body, I had a brother text me this
morning, he pastors a church and the Falcon area and he texted me
this morning, I guess he saw my post on Facebook earlier and he
just said I'm praying for you guys.
Today, we here at our church of receiving the Lord's supper
together to and what a cool thing to think that we have
brothers and sisters. You know, a few miles from here,
receiving the Lord's. Supper also there may be others
in the town now who are receiving This meal together
today. Also, there's Brothers across
the world who brothers and sisters across the world, who
receive this Mill regularly also, we are united with all of
them because we too are saved by the grace.
Of God through Jesus Christ. We become his body as we Feast
on his body. Amen.
We walk in the New Covenant of his blood as we drink his blood.
and so we are not alone and so I do think this is meant to be a
meal and I think that tradition has somehow got us into thimble
cups and bits of bread but And there may be ways to recover the
Lord's. Supper this, it's worth
exploring, it's worth talking through.
It's worth were thinking through.
But the Theologian, John frame. He offers a good reason for us
to continue using small cups and bits of bread.
He makes a good case for why this is helpful.
He says, we eat only little bits of bread and drink little cups
of wine for. We know that our fellowship with
Christ. In this life, cannot begin to
compare with the glory that awaits Us in him.
So if In else. It's like so many other things
in life. It's a foreshadowing.
It's a for Taste, if you will. Of that day when our taste will
be when we will taste and see that the Lord is good perfectly,
you know. and so that day is coming, we remember the future
as we receive I'll talk to you for a second about the gravity
of the Lord's Supper. Blessing or judgments are on the
table. When you see the bread and the
cup, their blessing, your judgment and First Corinthians
11:27 3:30. Let's read this.
Whoever therefore eats the bread or drinks the cup of the Lord,
and an unworthy manner will be guilty concerning the body and
blood of the Lord. Let a person examine himself
then and so eat of the bread and drink of the cup for anyone who
eats and drinks without Discerning the body eats and
drinks judgment on himself. That's why many of you are we
can deal and some have died. Wow.
What's up?
It's pretty sobering passage, you know.
So this is why churches feel the need pastors often feel the need
to fence the table. It's why many churches will say
only members can take the suffer because they feel like, in some
way we've got control over, who takes the supper with us.
When that time comes, ultimately, what Corinthians is
laying out with Paul is laying out here?
Is that it's not, it's up to the church.
It's up to the elders in the church to teach rightly
concerning the summer, but it's up to the members to discern
their own body, to discern their own lives to discern themselves
spiritually. In to say, I am in a place to
worthy. Lee receive the supper today
That doesn't fall on me. I cannot know your heart.
Only God knows your hearts and then only God knows the state of
where you sit currently spiritually with him.
And so again, Mathis offers this, he said great things are
at stake when the church gathers at the table of her Lord,
blessing and judgment are in the balance.
There's no neutral engagement. Our Gospel is the aroma of
Christ to God Among those who are being saved and among those
who are perishing to want, it's a fragrance from Death to death
and to the other, a fragrance from life to life.
That's a second Corinthians 2:15 through 16.
And so he goes on, he says so also the visible sermon of the
supper leads from life to life or death to death, you're still
proclaiming the gospel and so it's either an aroma of death or
an aroma of life. And as with gospel preaching he
says the table will not leave us unaffected but either closer to
our Savior or more callous to him.
And so, it's clear and Corinthians that the way they
were coming to the table. I was wrong, they were being
rebuked for it. So the question becomes when
when can you take communion and when should you refrain from
communion? First of all, we'll cover when
to take, when do you take communion the pattern for
scriptures that you take communion as a believer in
Christ Jesus? When I say a believer in Christ,
Jesus the way, scripture defines a Believers that you've trusted
in the death burial and Resurrection for the Forgiveness
of your sins and you have committed yourself to follow
Christ. And his teachings, you're
committed to obedience And so, you're trying to do that, you're
walking with the Lord, You're depending on the holy spirit for
help throughout your day to overcome sin.
So be aware of sin to know your sins to confess sin, but also to
walk and faithfulness to know wisdom and to know Grace and
peace and joy. To be the Light of Christ in the
world. So you're a believer in Christ.
Which means that you have repented of your sins, you place
your faith in Jesus for the Forgiveness of those sins and
now you are following him by faith.
And so you come to the table in that same manner, you come with
a repentant heart, you come as someone who is desperately
depending on the grace of God. Found only in Jesus Christ.
And that's what the Lord's Supper.
So, loudly proclaims is that God has shown us, great mercy, and
Grace, in the death of his son. And so you come with that
attitude that I'm depending on Christ for my salvation.
I'm depending on Christ for my sanctification that growth in
godliness that growth in Christ likeness.
And I'm depending on God on Christ for my glorification.
I'll Stand One Day in heaven with the Lord because of Jesus.
Amen. That's who we Proclaim.
So when not to take, I think it becomes clear when we Define
when to take when you shouldn't take, you shouldn't take.
If you're in unrepentant, sin. You shouldn't take if you're in
unbelief. Unbelievers are in unrepentant,
sin, unbelievers of not Place their faith in Jesus Christ.
Unbelievers are forbidden scripture here to take, this
would be in an unworthy manner because you are receiving
something that you have no conception for.
You have no idea about you don't understand a right, the gospel
that you're eating and drinking and so you would be coming in a
state of ignorance. An unbeliever would be coming to
the table without understanding. And in.
So doing would take in an unworthy manner.
But there are believers there are people who say they are
believers, people who are Christians, who would say I'm a
Christian trusting in Christ and him crucified for the Salvation
of my sins. if you ask them, I don't know that they would
verbalize that who are not just plain and simple there, they're
likely grew up in church. No Christian.
He's how to say the right things speak the right words and so
they take when the time comes because that's just what they've
always done. But if you're an unrepentant
sin, And you're defiling the stable.
You're not depending on the grace of God, received in the
death burial and resurrection of Jesus Christ.
You're depending on your own righteousness.
Your own conception of righteousness, actually, you're
saying that? Yeah, I need that.
But only for certain parts of me, the parts of me that are in
open Rebellion to God. Well, that's fine. and so, if
you're in unrepentant sin, I don't feel the need to continue
to fight defining that. I think the holy spirit will
inform you, if that's you If that's you then you don't
receive today. Not without repentance.
And remember, repentance is not just saying God forgive me and
then going on about your life. Repentance is saying Lord, have
mercy on me a sinner, forgive me of my sins.
Help me turn from those Wicked Ways and to the righteous way
that you have granted. It's not just asking forgiveness
as a child. May ask forgiveness.
In a moment of discipline. Say I'm sorry and then they just
go on and you know when your child's sorry, and when your
child, sorry? Right?
You sense the difference? We're we often approach God and
much the same manner. I'm sorry.
God. Here's the Lord saw.
But that's not repentance. That's just going through the
motions. and so if the Lord's Supper is going through the
motions for you, Because it comes around once every month,
on the second Sunday here at New Life Community Church.
And this is just kind of the regular pattern of things.
If you just going through the motions today, I beg you, I beg
you to reconsider that. Don't just go through the
motions today, think about the cup, think about the bread and
their significance, for your life and Christ do this in
remembrance of Jesus. Proclaim his death over your
life. Remind yourself, and all those
around you, that Christ died for us while we were still sinners.
That we might have real life with him.
Amen, that's one of the beauties of taking the supper together is
that were reminding. One another, with the grace of
God, reminding one another, the mercy of God, you all come from
different backgrounds, different, histories, different
families, different relationships.
You come with all sorts of baggage to the cross and then In
Christ in the grace of God has redeemed.
You and so, we are brothers and sisters in the Lord Jesus.
And we have Fellowship together. We understand one another, in a
way that no one else understands us outside of this.
And so when we come to the table, we don't come just us and
our chair with our cough and our bread focused.
Only on the Lord. We come knowing that I'm in the
presence of many whom, the Lord has saved, and I don't even know
their story, but I know that Grace has become real for them
and they're trusting in Jesus Christ in the same way I am.
And so I'm not alone. I'm a part of the body of
Christ, as a feast on the body of Christ.
Amen. Amen.
Let's receive the Lord's Supper today and you close your Bibles
would stand to your feet. When I offer a prayer now for us
as we get ready to get into the instructions of this, let's
let's pray together. Heavenly Father, we thank you
Lord for what we've received from Christ in this ordinance.
We call communion supper the Eucharist, whatever Lord, we ask
now that you would prep our hearts and Minds for the
receiving of this meal together. Father, help us forbid us from
eating and drinking in an unworthy manner today.
Help us Lord to be mindful of our Disobedience to you that if
you have said not to do this or to do this and we have done the
opposite of your commands. We are in Disobedience to you.
Lord help us to be mindful of that as we stand here today.
Join together with brothers and sisters in the Lord.
Help us not to defile. This moments.
Help us not to fool ourselves into thinking, we are receiving
spiritual nourishments. when we receive rightly from your hand
spiritual discipline, if we drink in an unworthy manner
today, Lord. We we love you and we can't
approach the stable apart from you.
Jesus Christ we can't separate the elements from you.
We can't make this a ritual and a tradition.
It's simply not that. It's not lifeless at all, its
life-giving, it's not bear a fruit.
It's full of fruits. And as we eat and drink today,
if we will do. So, in a way in which we have
submitted ourselves to your reign in our lives, as Lord, if
we were walking as a obediently, as we depend on the Holy Spirit
as we can. If we're aware of our sin and
we're not willingly pushing sins to the back of our minds as we
think about the Lord's Supper today, if we're trying to push
conviction down so that we feel a bit of Peace In This Moment
Lord, if we're not doing those things, if we're coming today,
right lie? Before you Then this is a moment
of spiritual nourishment for us as we see in your word.
It's a matter of great importance and so we ask that
you bless this time that we have.
Now we thank you that in this moment Christ is with us not
physically not bodily in that sense spiritually.
So you're near to us your nourishing us Christ and we
praise you for it. We couldn't go on in this life.
Outlets. And so we thank you Lord for
these holy moments that we have together as a church family.
We ask that you bless them now. You Christ's name we pray.
Amen.