JOINING THE LORD’S SUPPER God’s Way

Note the date when we preached this sermon: Nov. 1, 1998. It is an old sermon but one that continues to be relevant and useful. You are free to use this you see fit. You can discuss this with us, without cost to you, by leaving a comment so we now what you are thinking.

JOINING THE LORD’S SUPPER God’s Way
1 Cor. 11:23-34, Sunday, November 01, 1998

Introduction:

Today is Lord’s supper Sunday. We do this once a month, during the first Sunday. The Bible doesn’t tell us the exact and designated times for the Lord’s super. It only tells us about “ as often as you do this” (verse 26). Some churches do this once a quarter, other every six months.

People have either exaggerated the meaning of the Lord’s supper so that it comes out as a magical ceremony while others missed its meaning and importance for our life today. It’s so important that Paul says a participation of those with wrong understanding and motives may actually result to sickness, weakness or even death. Do you know that in the Catholic Renewal movement, the time of the Communion or Lord’s Supper is often a time of healing, and that is with good reason which many Protestants missed.

To understand the Lord’s Supper, we can either look at it in terms of its relationship with the person of Jesus because it is called the Lord’s supper, or we can take a look at it in reference to 3 time-periods- the past, the present and the future.

It is important to really understand this because the level of our maturity is in fact, directly influential as to whether we really understand or not the Lord'’ Supper.

I THE DESIGN OF THE LORD’S SUPPER: 1. 1. 1. 1.REMEMBRANCE OF THE PAST WORK OF JESUS CHRIST.
1.1. Covered our record of disobedience with his own record. Rom. 5:19
1.2. Paid for the required penalty by dying on the cross and becoming separated from the Father. 2 Cor. 5:20-21. Mark 15:34. Rom. 4:25
1.3. Offered justification after his resurrection. Rom. 4:25

2. RECOMMITMENT TO OUR TASK TODAY
V 26 “You proclaim the Lord’s death”

3. RE-AFFIRMATION OF OUR HOPE OF HIS COMING.
V 26 “you proclaim the Lord’s death until he comes”
Implications: The one who died is no longer dead that is why we are waiting for him.

II THE DEMAND OF THE LORD’S SUPPER:
1. Examination of personal life before participation. V 28
1.1. The scope of self-examination-
1.1.1. His personal life “Let a man examine himself”
1.1.2. His relationship with others in the body v 29. “Recognizing the body of the Lord”. The body here more likely refers to the body as the church, which is the major theme of 1 Cor. 11.
1.2. The time of the examination “ before he eats”

III THE DECISIONS WE FACE IN THE LORD’S SUPPER
1. Partaking in an unworthy manner. V 27-incurs disciplinary measures
Weakness v 30
Sickness
Death

2. Partaking correctly- removes possibility of being discipline in difficult ways.
2.1. After right examination.
2.2. Understanding what the Lord has done.
2.3. Doing repentance when necessary.
2.4. Commitment to do his work and to wait for his coming.

Conclusions:
a). The joy of knowing Jesus is greater than all good things we had before (Phil. 3:7-9).

B). The power of the suffering of Jesus, now recorded in your favor- is greater than all your combined sufferings in the past (he was made to be sin).

C). The certainty of His coming again is greater than all of our fears of the future.