The Lord's Supper - December 29, 2024

The Lord's Supper December 29, 2024 [WELCOME] [CONNECT] [OFFERING] It is the last Sunday of the year, and as we've done over the past several years, we have observed the Lord's Supper to close out the year. One of the questions I want to answer this morning is "Why do we observe the Lord's Supper?" I'd say the primary reason we do so is because Jesus commanded it. Here is what He said in Matthew 26:26-29: 26 NOW AS THEY WERE EATING, JESUS TOOK BREAD, AND AFTER BLESSING IT BROKE IT AND GAVE IT TO THE DISCIPLES, AND SAID, "TAKE, EAT; THIS IS MY BODY." 27 AND HE TOOK A CUP, AND WHEN HE HAD GIVEN THANKS HE GAVE IT TO THEM, SAYING, "DRINK OF IT, ALL OF YOU, 28 FOR THIS IS MY BLOOD OF THE COVENANT, WHICH IS POURED OUT FOR MANY FOR THE FORGIVENESS OF SINS. 29 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." If you are familiar with the Gospels of Matthew, Mark, and Luke, you would know that Jesus instituted the Lord's Supper right before His arrest, during the Passover Meal. What this does is connect Passover with the Lord's Supper. The Passover is a meal that the Jewish people observe to commemorate the 10th plague in the book of Exodus where the Lord "passed over" the firstborn of Isreal, eventually leading to their release from slavery - referred to as "the Exodus." One author wrote that, "Jesus instituted the Lord's Supper on this night to signify that this new exodus was about to begin. This act indicated that the time of redemption had come." There are also additional reasons we observe the Lord's Supper. This is revealed to us through the Apostle Paul. He tells the Corinthians in 1 Corinthians 11:23-26: 23 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, 24 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." 25 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." 26 FOR AS OFTEN AS YOU EAT THIS BREAD AND DRINK THE CUP, YOU PROCLAIM THE LORD'S DEATH UNTIL HE COMES. So, aside from obedience, Paul reveals that there were two additional reasons to observe the Lord's supper. First: * To remember. o What are we remembering? o I think there are at least two things to remember: * What Jesus has done. * Last week, we reviewed a single verse that sums up what Jesus did for us. Mark 10:45 says: FOR EVEN THE SON OF MAN CAME NOT TO BE SERVED BUT TO SERVE, AND TO GIVE HIS LIFE AS A RANSOM FOR MANY. * This means that Jesus paid the penalty for our sin, which is death, which is summed up in yet another verse, Romans 6:23, which says: FOR THE WAGES OF SIN IS DEATH, BUT THE FREE GIFT OF GOD IS ETERNAL LIFE IN CHRIST JESUS OUR LORD. * We are called, as we participate in the Lord's Supper to remember what Jesus did. * As we remember what Jesus did, we should also reflect on ... * What we have done. * There is a confessional aspect to the Lord's Supper. * In the same passage to the Corinthians that we just read, Paul continues with these words in verses 27-29: 27 WHOEVER, THEREFORE, EATS THE BREAD OR DRINKS THE CUP OF THE LORD IN AN UNWORTHY MANNER WILL BE GUILTY CONCERNING THE BODY AND BLOOD OF THE LORD. 28 LET A PERSON EXAMINE HIMSELF, THEN, AND SO EAT OF THE BREAD AND DRINK OF THE CUP. 29 FOR ANYONE WHO EATS AND DRINKS WITHOUT DISCERNING THE BODY EATS AND DRINKS JUDGMENT ON HIMSELF. * We like to touch on this passage specifically during our Lord's Supper services because it gives us an understanding of who is excluded from participating in the Lord's Supper. * Paul gives a strong warning. He states that one cannot participate in an unworthy manner. * What does that mean? * I think there are at least two criteria that would be considered "unworthy." o You are not a Christian. In other words, you have not accepted the offer of salvation by confessing faith in Christ as Lord. o Maybe you're here today and have not placed your faith in Jesus yet, we ask that, when we take the bread and the cup, you do not participate in that part of the service. But please - we invite you to take part of every other part of our service, and our prayer is that you will place your faith in Jesus. o Next, you are unrepentant. The text here, particularly verse 28, speaks to self-examination. Unrepentant speaks to a sin or lifestyle of sin that has been unaddressed and unconfessed. For those who are Christians, we have been forgiven of sin, but we know that we still participate in sin. One of my favorite verses on confession comes from 1 John 1:9, where the Apostle John says: IF WE CONFESS OUR SINS, HE IS FAITHFUL AND JUST TO FORGIVE US OUR SINS AND TO CLEANSE US FROM ALL UNRIGHTEOUSNESS. o Then, in verse 29, Paul tells us that another reason we observe the Lord's Supper is ... * To anticipate Jesus' return. o Paul uses the phrase "PROCLAIM THE LORD'S DEATH UNTIL HE COMES," but at its root is anticipation. o Jesus, just a couple chapters before He instituted the Lord's Supper spoke about His return. Here is what He said about that Day in Matthew 24:36-39: 36 "BUT CONCERNING THAT DAY AND HOUR NO ONE KNOWS, NOT EVEN THE ANGELS OF HEAVEN, NOR THE SON, BUT THE FATHER ONLY. 37 FOR AS WERE THE DAYS OF NOAH, SO WILL BE THE COMING OF THE SON OF MAN. 38 FOR AS IN THOSE DAYS BEFORE THE FLOOD THEY WERE EATING AND DRINKING, MARRYING AND GIVING IN MARRIAGE, UNTIL THE DAY WHEN NOAH ENTERED THE ARK, 39 AND THEY WERE UNAWARE UNTIL THE FLOOD CAME AND SWEPT THEM ALL AWAY, SO WILL BE THE COMING OF THE SON OF MAN. o I have a confession to make. I used to misinterpret this passage. o I used to believe that this meant that like the times of Noah - what is described in Genesis 6:5 that THE WICKEDNESS OF MAN WAS GREAT IN THE EARTH, AND THAT EVERY INTENTION OF THE THOUGHTS OF HIS HEART WAS ONLY EVIL CONTINUALLY. o But that is not what Jesus is speaking about here. o We tend to forget that when Jesus returns, He will return as Judge. o He used the example of the flood - which was judgement on the whole earth - to illustrate what His return would also look like. o So, why are we anticipating this? o The Apostle Peter addresses this in 2 Peter 3. He states in verses 12-13 the following: 12 WAITING FOR AND HASTENING THE COMING OF THE DAY OF GOD, BECAUSE OF WHICH THE HEAVENS WILL BE SET ON FIRE AND DISSOLVED, AND THE HEAVENLY BODIES WILL MELT AS THEY BURN! 13 BUT ACCORDING TO HIS PROMISE WE ARE WAITING FOR NEW HEAVENS AND A NEW EARTH IN WHICH RIGHTEOUSNESS DWELLS. o In other words, when the Lord returns, He will make all things new. o Righteous judgement is a cleansing process, just like we saw in the example that Jesus uses with the flood. I mentioned earlier that one of the questions that I wanted to answer was "Why do we observe the Lord's Supper?" which implies there is at least one more question to answer. That question is "How do we observe the Lord's Supper?" We have already answered part of that with Paul's command to observe in a worthy manner, but there is another aspect that we overlook sometimes. Here is that truth: * We observe the Lord's Supper as an act of worship. o Worship is an outward expression of our love and adoration for something or someone. o We already talked about remembering. o We already talked about anticipating. o And, as noted, Paul also addressed the idea of proclaiming. o Those are all outward expressions our love and adoration for Jesus. o It appears that the early church participated in a meal every time they gathered. Some take this to mean that this meal was the Lord's Supper, which is why some churches will observe it every week. o It's important to note, however, that the early church likely did participate in this meal every time they gathered as it would have been their primary way of communicating the Gospel, as they did not have the New Testament as we do today. o Others, like us, do not see that observing it weekly is a biblical command, only that we are commanded to observe this sacrament. o This is why we tend to observe - at least - quarterly. o To be clear - there's nothing wrong with observing the Lord's Supper every week at all. o Our approach is that we want there to be an entire service dedicated to the observance because we want to emphasize its importance. o We also do not want to become ritualistic in any way when it comes to its observation or participation. o We explain and we teach it, so that we are prepared to participate in it. o We want there to be anticipation and a reverence towards the observance. o This is why we have decided today to close with worship music. o Before we take the elements and worship through the Lord's Supper, I want to read a quote from John Piper who states this about the Lord's Supper as worship: The Lord's Supper is worship because it expresses the infinite worth of Christ. No one is more worthy to be remembered. No one is more worthy to be proclaimed. And no one can nourish our souls with eternal life but Christ. So let us come and remember, and proclaim and eat. Let's pray. [worship team to come up] At this time, I'd like to invite you to come up and collect the bread and the cup as we prepare to partake of the elements. Once you get back to your seats, take a few minutes to meditate and/or confess in preparation. [O THE BLOOD] [AMAZING GRACE] [VIDEO] *Congregation to take bread and the cup during the video* [REVELATION SONG] [COME JESUS COME] [HOLY, HOLY, HOLY] CLOSING PRAYER - PAT 2