In Search of the Lord's Way. "The Lord s Supper"

Transcription

1 "The Lord s Supper" Each Lord s day, God s family gathers to remember and proclaim the death of our Lord Jesus by partaking of the Lord s Supper. Hello, I m Phil Sanders. And this is a Bible study, In SEARCH of the Lord s way. What s the Lord s Supper and why do we partake of it each week? Well, stay tuned for a study of God s Word. Welcome to In Search of the Lord s Way. We re here to search God s Word for the Lord s will. We believe the way to follow God is to go back to His Word and find out what s written there and it comes from God. We know the Bible is always true, and it alone reveals what God s will is for our lives. So we want to spend this time with you studying the word of God. Thanks for taking this time with us. The night before Jesus death, it was filled with great emotion. Jesus ate the Passover with His disciples and washed their feet. Before the night was over Judas left their gathering to betray Jesus for thirty pieces of silver. When Jesus predicted someone would betray Him, all His disciples claimed they would never deny Him. But that night in the garden of Gethsemane, Jesus heart became troubled with great sorrow even to the point of death. That night Jesus determined that He would do the will of the Father and endure the pain of the cross as a sin offering for us. Now, before morning Judas gave Him the kiss of a traitor and Peter denied Him three times. The next day Jesus was falsely tried, scourged and crucified. Jesus knew all things and all these things would happen. In the midst of all this turmoil, Jesus instituted a simple memorial feast to draw attention to the gift of His body and blood for the forgiveness of sin. Remembering the death of the Lord Jesus by eating unleavened bread and drinking some fruit of the vine each Lord s day moves our hearts to love the Lord and remain faithful to Him. In churches of Christ, the Lord s Supper is a part of our worship every Sunday, because we want always to remember what He has done. Well, we offer the information on this program free. If you d like a printed copy or a CD of our study, mail your request to, P.O. Box 371, Edmond, OK or by to searchtv@searchtv.org. Or you can call our toll-free telephone number: Now, if you call, we won t hassle you or put you on a mailing list unless you request it. We also stream this program on our website at The Edmond church will now worship in song, we ll read from Matthew 26:26 to 29 and consider the Lord s Supper. Our reading today comes from the gospel according to Matthew chapter 26 verses 26 to 29. And this is when Jesus is with His disciples and He instituting the Lord s Supper. While they were eating, Jesus took some bread, and after a blessing, He broke it and gave it to the disciples, and said, Take, eat; this is My body. And when He had taken a cup and given thanks, He gave it to them, saying, Drink from it, all of you; for this is My blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many for forgiveness of sins. But I say to you, I will not drink of this fruit of the vine from now on until that day when I drink it new with you in My Father s kingdom. That s a reading of God s holy word. Let s pray together. Oh, Father we are so grateful that the Lord Jesus was willing to give His body and His blood that we might have the forgiveness of sin. Help us to devote ourselves to You and to do Your will. In Jesus name we pray, Amen. 2/17/2019 The Lord s Supper 1

2 We, we don t know the day when Jesus was born; we know little about his youth; but we know much about His death on the cross. Through the centuries people devised some yearly holidays, but there is nothing from God in the Bible about celebrating those things. Jesus Himself, however, asks us to remember His death. He asked us to eat unleavened bread and drink fruit of the vine in memory of His body and blood, a simple meal full of meaning. And this is how He wanted to be remembered and appreciated. Christians should live their lives with the cross in their hearts. The apostle Paul said in 1 Corinthians 2 and verse 2, For I determined to know nothing among you except Jesus Christ, and Him crucified. He admitted in Galatians 2 and verse 20, "I have been crucified with Christ; and it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me, and delivered Himself up for me. Later he said in Galatians 6 and verse 14, But may it never be that I should boast, except in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, through which the world has been crucified to me, and I to the world. We must never forget the blood of Jesus cleanses us from sin. The Lord s Supper is a simple, memorial meal focusing on the death of Jesus Christ. The Lord s Supper isn t, as some say, a new sacrifice of Jesus in the sense of the bread being His actual body or the fruit of the vine His actual blood. This mistaken belief led to a number of unscriptural practices, including the beginning of a special class of priests. The Bible in 1 Peter 2 clearly teaches that all Christians are priests. Making a class of priests separate from the other people is not Biblical. The Lord s Supper isn t a means by which we receive the forgiveness of sins. Our communion with Christ in the Supper causes us to remember the cross and the love of God, but it doesn t convey forgiveness. Remembering the sacrifice of Jesus prompts us to repent but simply eating does not loose us from our sins. God transforms us from sinners to Christians by His grace when we confess our faith, and God unites us with Christ when we re baptized into Christ according to Romans 6 and Titus 3. The Lord s Supper is a memorial feast for Christians. They observe it after becoming one with Christ at baptism. The purpose for this meal is to remember the sacrifice of our Lord Jesus on the cross. While His blood was shed for many for the forgiveness of sins (Matthew 26 and verse 28), the Bible does not say God s forgiving grace is applied to our souls when we eat the bread or drink the cup. Christians find their forgiveness in the blood of Christ when they confess their sins, repent of them, and ask God s forgiveness according to James 5:16 and 1 John 1 verse 9. Now, Christians partaking of the Lord s Supper look closely at the cross of Christ. This remembering of His sacrifice will no doubt humble them and lead them to confess their sins and ask God s forgiveness. The bread and the cup move us to look at the body and the blood of Jesus. And one who loves Christ can hardly think of His painful but loving sacrifice for our sins and not be filled with sorrow for past sins. This sorrow leads to the desire to change, and that s repentance. The purpose of the Lord s Supper, then, is to remember Jesus. Paul explains the significance of the unleavened bread and the fruit of the vine in 1 Corinthians 11:23 to 26. The Bible says: 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, 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. For as often as you eat this bread and drink the cup, you proclaim the Lord s death until he comes. 2/17/2019 The Lord s Supper 2

3 Now, the Lord s Supper is also called communion, because we commune with Jesus Christ when we partake of the Supper (1 Corinthians 10 and verse 16). The Bible explains this communion in Matthew 26:27 to 29: And he took a cup, and when he had given thanks he gave it to them, saying, Drink of it, all of you, for this is my blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many for the forgiveness of sins. (Jesus said) 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. Now, to commune is to share a deep spiritual relationship with someone. The Lord s Supper is a means by which Christ draws close to His church or kingdom family. The Bible says in 1 Corinthians 10:16 to 17, Is not the cup of blessing which we bless a sharing in the blood of Christ? Is not the bread which we break a sharing in the body of Christ? Since there is one bread, we who are many are one body; for we all partake of the one bread. Eating the bread and drinking the fruit of the vine unites the church together with Christ as we focus on what the Lord Jesus has done for us. In the Lord s Supper, we look backward to the cross. We think of what His body went through on the cross for our sakes. We remember how He gave His body to be scourged, whipped until His flesh was raw and bleeding. We remember His crown of thorns on His brow, the nails that pierced His hands and feet. We remember the agonizing pain that filled His body from head to toe. We remember His blood poured out as a sacrifice for the forgiveness of our sins. We know that we are loosed from our sins by His blood (Revelation 1 verse 5). We know that we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses (Ephesians 1 verse 7). His blood washes away our sins and reconciles us to God. We remember the spear that pierced His side, and out came blood and water (John 19 verse 34). The Lord s Supper reminds us the blood poured out for us so that we might enter into a covenant with God. In the Lord s Supper, we look forward to the second coming. 1 Corinthians 11:26 says, For as often as you eat this bread and drink the cup, you proclaim the Lord s death until He comes. Now, each Lord s day when we partake of the bread and cup, we reaffirm our faith in the second coming of the Lord Jesus. We know He will come again for those who are washed in His blood to bless and glorify them, and He will judge those who turn away from Him. In the Lord s Supper we look inward at how we partake of the bread and fruit of the vine (1 Corinthians 11:27 to 30) says, Because some did not partake of it in a manner worthy of the Lord they became weak and sick, and a number sleep. The Bible reveals the reason for their weakness, Therefore whoever eats the bread or drinks the cup of the Lord in an unworthy manner, shall be guilty of the body and the blood of the Lord. But let a man examine himself, and so let him eat of the bread and drink of the cup. For he who eats and drinks, eats and drinks judgment to himself, if he does not judge the body rightly. For this reason many among you are weak and sick, and a number sleep. Christians who take the Lord s Supper must discipline their hearts and not become distracted by other things. They must examine themselves to see if they re thinking as they should. Christians need to focus on what Christ has done for them at the cross and not allow the mundane things of life to interfere with their thoughts. Remembering Christ each Lord s Day keeps us strong and faithful. Ignoring the cross opens the door to temptation that leaves us weak and sick. In the Lord s Supper, we look upward with joy and thanksgiving for the sacrifice of Jesus. Jesus asked the Father to bless the bread and the cup. We also ask God s blessing. We re sorry that we ve sinned against God, which made the death of Jesus necessary; but we re thankful that He willingly paid 2/17/2019 The Lord s Supper 3

4 the price for our sins. When the Lord has sacrificed so greatly, isn t it fitting that we do everything in our power to please and obey Him? In the New Testament, the early church took the Lord s Supper on the first day of the week. Acts 20 verses 6 to 7 says, And we sailed from Philippi after the days of Unleavened Bread, and came to them at Troas within five days; and there we stayed seven days. And on the first day of the week, when we were gathered together to break bread, Paul began talking to them, intending to depart the next day, and he prolonged his message until midnight. Now, they waited until the last day to break bread, now that s not a common meal, but the Lord s Supper, because it was the first day of the week. They could have eaten an ordinary meal anytime, but the Lord s Supper was not just any meal. They took the Lord s supper when they gathered for this purpose, which suggests that they did not meet at other times for that purpose. The word Lord s in the phrases Lord s Supper and Lord s Day is a peculiar term only used twice in Scripture. The Lord's Supper is mentioned in 1 Corinthians 11:20 and it was regularly eaten on the Lord's day (Revelation 1verse 10). "Breaking bread" in Acts 20 and verse 7 refers to the eating of the Lord's Supper, which occurred on the Lord's Day, which was known as the first day of the week. It s no coincidence that early Christians observed the Lord's Supper on the Lord's Day, the first day of the week, since the term Lord s refers only to these two things in Scripture. Everett Ferguson, an early church historian, said, Both are peculiarly the Lord s, and both belong together, united to each other by the resurrection. The day, as the day of the resurrection, is the day for taking the supper; and the supper, in remembrance of the event of salvation, gives significance to the day. Early church history confirms that the Lord's day, the day of the Supper, was the first day of the week. We have no sure record in the Scriptures of the Lord's Supper being observed in the church on any other day. Ferguson notes, That the Lord s supper was a constant feature of the Sunday service. There is no second-century evidence (he says) for the celebration of a daily eucharist or communion. Now some have questioned the number of cups used in the Lord s Supper. Since the Scriptures refer to the cup, they assume, by using the word cup, that only one container was used in communion. The word cup here is a figure of speech, it s metonymy, where the container is used to refer to the contents. We cannot physically drink a cup or container, but we can drink the contents of the cup. We drink the fruit of the vine in remembrance of His blood, not the container. The fruit of the vine. Now a large congregation like the one at Edmond could not possibly drink out of only one container cup, but they all can drink the same contents, the fruit of the vine. We share the cup of blessing by drinking the same fruit of the vine, remembering the blood sacrificed for our sins. We eat of the same bread, though it may be in many different loaves or many different sections, we eat of the same bread of the same content. We remember the body of Jesus Christ. It s for those reasons that we eat of the bread and drink of the cup together, remembering Him. How many cups is irrelevant. Remembering, remembering by drinking the content and eating the bread is what matters. Let s pray together. Father we are so grateful that You have helped us to understand and to remember Your body the body of Your Son and the blood of Your Son through partaking of the Lord s Supper. Help us to do it with pure hearts focused upon You and what You have done for us. This is our pray in the name of Jesus, Amen. Why do we partake of the Lord s Supper? Well, it reminds us of the love of God and the price Jesus paid for us on the cross. Frankly, I need reminding; and I suspect you do too. I can t look at the cross and desire sin at the same time. Looking, taking a look at the cross humbles me and humbles you 2/17/2019 The Lord s Supper 4

5 as we consider the sins that we ve committed. And this gonna cause us to confess our sins and to repent of them. Perhaps the reason some were sick, weak and dying at Corinth was because they didn t think about the cross during this time. The Lord s supper will strengthen our devotion to Christ. It ll tell the world that we believe in Jesus Christ and proclaim His death until He comes. Now, each time we partake of the bread and the cup, we should examine ourselves and focus on Jesus Christ. While eating the bread, we focus on the Lord s body given for us; and while drinking the cup, we concentrate on the Lord s blood that was shed for the forgiveness of our sins. The Lord s Supper is an act of worship involving the heart, the mind, and the soul. It s a memorial of love and thanksgiving. We also realize that in communing, that we re communing with our Lord (Matthew 26:29). He s present with us at the Supper. And we re remembering His body and blood. The whole church eating one loaf and drinking one cup show the fellowship and unity of brothers and sisters in their devotion to the Lord who sacrificed himself for them. Christians take the Lord s Supper to declare their love for Him. Do you love the Lord Jesus? Have you become a Christian? To become one, believe Jesus is the Son of God, repent of your sins, confess Jesus Christ is God s Son, and be baptized into Christ for the forgiveness of your sins. Today is the best day for you to become a follower of Jesus Christ. Well we hope you ve been blessed by today s study of the Lord s Supper. If you want a free printed copy or a CD of today s message, mail your request to, P.O. Box 371, Edmond, OK or by to searchtv@searchtv.org. Or, you can call our office toll-free at We won t hassle you for money. We also appear on YouTube. Check out our channel, Searchtvministry. All one word. We re here to help you get to heaven and not to take advantage of you. Our programs appear on our website at And we offer free Bible Correspondence courses and study sheets to go along with our programs. You can download them free at our website or call and request them. They ll help you study God s Word with us. Please attend worship at one of the churches of Christ in your area. They love guests, and you ll be glad you visited. Well we ll be back next week, Lord willing. So keep searching God s Word with us and tell a friend about the program and invite them to watch. God bless you and we love you from all of us at In Search of the Lord s Way. 2/17/2019 The Lord s Supper 5