THE LORD’S SUPPER

 

-This is a very important part of the worship service (Acts 20:7) as are all aspects of worship.

-Matt 26: 26-28

-Luke 22: 19-20

-vs 19 - This is to be done in remembrance of Christ.

-The remembrance is vital.

-Time of Passover

-The time in which the Lord’s Supper was instituted is very important.

-Luke 22: 1,8

-The Passover:

-Exodus 11: 4-6

-Exodus 12: 3-14 - The passover is instituted.

-vs 14 - The passover was not a one time observance but was to be continued throughout

their generations as a memorial.

-Involved the sacrificing of a lamb:

-Ex 12:5 - a lamb “without blemish”

-John 1: 29 - “Behold the lamb of God”

-I Pet 1:19

-Christ’s blood was shed as a perfect sacrifice for our sins.

-This is what we need to remember when we partake of the Lord’s Supper.

 

-Remembrance

-In the book of Deuteronomy, the word “remember” and the idea of remembering are important.

-Moses told the people repeatedly to remember:

-Deut 4: 9-10 - Remember the giving of the Law - God’s instructions.

-We need to remember the giving of God’s Word - the N.T. scriptures for us.

-Deut 4: 23 - the Covenant (contract, agreement)

-God has given us a covenant.

-Deut 5: 15  - Past slavery

-We were slaves to sin but through obedience to the Gospel were freed and made the

  servants of righteousness through Christ Jesus.

-Deut 7:18 - the Great Deliverance

-God offers us a great deliverance from the condemnation of sin. - Rom 6:23

-Deut 8: 2-6 - Divine Leadership and Supplies

-God offers us leadership and supplies us with all that we need.

-Deut 9:7 - The Sins of the Past

-By remembering that we have sinned, we do not get a false sense of self-sufficiency  but

  remember and appreciate the grace and mercy of God.

-Deut 24: 9 - Divine Judgements

-We must remember that God will judge us all.

-God’s judgements are justice mixed with grace and mercy.  - Punishment to disobedience

  and reward to obedience.

-When it comes to the Lord’s Supper, proper remembrance is vital.

-”This do in remembrance of me”

  

-Don’t Take Unworthily

-I Cor 11: 23-29

-vs 24 & 25 - remembrance

-vs 26 - When we partake, we remember the death of christ & what His death means to us.

-”as often as” - Shows that this is to be done regularly

-vs 27 - Wherefore - based on what was just said - don’t take it unworthily.

     -Self - examination

-vs 28 - examine - (Vines) - to prove, to test, to approve

-Some say that we should “examine ourselves” in terms of the life we are living.  Are we following

  God’s word or not?  If we are not living the proper lifestyle then we should not partake.

-If we have made some mistakes should we partake?

-Who makes mistakes?  We all do.   So, using this reasoning, should any partake?

-Luke 17:10

-”Unworthily” does not refer to the person partaking but to the manner of partaking.

-If there are things in our lives that are not right, the observance of the Lord’s Supper - the

                  remembrance of the sacrifice of Christ for our sins - should help to motivate us to take corrective

                  action.                               

-This self-examination has to be understood in its proper context - proper remembrance.

-David Lipscomb in his commentary of the book of I Cor states in regards to this

  examination: “Let him ascertain by earnest consideration whether he is in a proper state of

  mind for commemorating and proclaiming the Lord’s death; whether he feels a suitable

  gratitude for the sacrifice it commemorates, and is firmly resolved to observe the injunction

  of its founders”.

-injunction - (Coll Dict) - a judicial process or order requiring the person or persons to

      whom it is directed to do or refrain from doing a particular act; a command

-If we partake of the Lord’s supper and don’t remember the death of Jesus (“not discerning the Lord’s body  -  vs 29) then

  we are not partaking of it worthily.

-Notice verses 29 & 30 - Since many of them had failed to remember the significance of the death of Christ,

  they were weak and sickly.

-weak - (Vines) - astheneo  - “to lack strength” (verb)

-sickly - (Vines) - asthenes - lit. “without strength”, hence feeble and weak (adj)

-rest - (Vines) - koimesis - "a resting, reclining" (akin to keimai, "to lie")

-A failure to remember the sacrifice of Christ for the remission of our sins leads  us directly to spiritual   weakness.

 

-The One Cup Issue

-There are those today who say that the Lord’s Supper is to involve one cup only and that all that partake

  should partake from that one cup.

-Matt 26: 26-28

-vs 27 - He took the cup and gave thanks and gave it to them, saying, “Drink ye all of it”.

-What does the “it” refer to?  The container or the contents?

-Of course Jesus was telling them to drink the contents.

-The emphasis is on the contents and not the container.

-The container has no special significance or representation in the Lord’s Supper.

-It is the contents of the cup that represent the blood of Christ shed for the remission of sins.

-If some want to use one cup only, that is their choice.  But, unfortunatley, some have tried to bind the idea of    one cup only and have caused divisions as a result.

-That is wrong.

-Are those who claim to support the idea of one cup only actually doing so?

-For there to actually be one cup only, wouldn’t all Christians have to gather in one place and all

  partake using one cup?

-By having one cup in one congregation, one in another, one in another and so on, is that truly

  following the idea of one cup?

-How many cups are being used if there is one per congregation?  Many cups - not one.

-And, if Jesus was teaching one cup only when He instituted the Lord’s Supper, should we not be