Thoughts on What We Do in Celebrating the Lord's Table

I would like you to begin our time in the scriptures together this morning by turning to Romans

! chapter 6 verse 23 many of you probably know it by heart you know it by memory but if i were to take

! what is the bible focus of our time together this morning and kind of press it together into a single

text this would probably be my choice how many of you know Romans chapter 6 verse 23 by heart you

Romans 6:23

take a stab at it and you'll get there okay for the wages of sin is death what happens when we sin

the outcome is eventual death but the gift of God is eternal life in Jesus Christ our Lord

I trust that's a verse that that you know I mean that that if you were to kind of compress your life

down into one central statement about who you are and what counts as supremely important that that

that text would be one of those that you hold on to because at the heart of our life and our existence

is this issue of whether or not we are in relationship with Christ and were it not

for the fact that God sent his son to die on the cross for my sins and for your sins the truth of

the matter is is that we would not have the privilege and the hope of relationship with the

Lord Jesus Christ what we are doing this morning and you see these elements up here you see the the

bread and the cup what we're doing is we call the Lord's table or communion love feast is another

term that the scripture uses and and I as I was praying earlier in the week last week actually thinking

about the particulars of what we're going to look at this morning I thought it'd be appropriate for us

to kind of take some time and and allow the scriptures to inform us remind us again of what we're doing

there's a lot of different opinions about what happens in communion some people have the idea that

taking communion is something that in some senses makes or breaks their relationship with Christ

I remember talking with an individual who said to me boy I I'm I'm feeling a little uncertain about my

spiritual state not well that's a curious thing to say to a pastor and so a natural and logical why is that well I

haven't taken communion I

I want to tell you something taking communion doesn't make you better or make you worse

there's nothing in the act itself necessarily

that has a saving effect

it's not like when you die you get to say to Jesus well I get to come in because I took communion yesterday

on the other hand there are some who believe that that communion is something that is something we

shouldn't celebrate all the time after all when you celebrate something regularly guess what happens

becomes too familiar I I don't buy into that and I'll get that point in a minute but but I want you to

understand when we think about what we do when we come to this table the best way to figure out what's

actually taking place is to do what is to open the Bible everybody said that well that's what we're

expecting pastor we really want to look at scriptures and see what the Bible has to say

so turn in your Bible to first Corinthians chapter 11 and we are going to take a broad look

1 Corinthians 11 · chapter mention

at verses 23 through 34

as we look at the passage we pick up there in verse 23 and I will read the passage till we come to verse 26 it says for I

received from the Lord that which I also delivered to you that the Lord Jesus on the night when he was betrayed took bread

and when he'd 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 he also 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 drink this bread

help me here as you eat this bread and drink this cup you proclaim the Lord's death till he comes

let's take a minute and pray

our father

we are desperate for your help

we don't want to be so presumptuous that we think the matter of understanding the sweetness of the scripture

is something that is left merely to our intellectual apprehension we rely

upon the word that you've given us and we rely upon the indwelling Holy Spirit

we ask that you would do a work in the hearts of your people this morning that would be something that is memorable

affecting

and leaves a a mark

for the days to come

that as a result of our attention to the word and as a result of the enabling of the Holy Spirit that we who know Christ

would grow to be more like him and would be individuals who in this

dark and failing world

stand out as lights joyful in the confidence we have in complete forgiveness for all of our sins and the certainty of our eternal destiny

!

We ask this in Jesus name

Amen!

So as we begin our passage we want to recognize that when we take the Lord's table

one of the things that we do is that we value reminders at the very beginning look there in verse 26

it says this

For as often as you eat this bread and drink this cup you proclaim the Lord's death

till he comes

One of the ongoing questions that that floats around in different circles is how often should you practice the Lord's table?

How often should you have communion? How often should a congregation be involved in in taking the bread and the elements?

And there are some

There are some groups of people that take it every Sunday

There are some that take it once a quarter

There are some that even take it less than that and I remember in one case asking a

A group of pastors, so why is it that you celebrate once a quarter?

And the answer was this a very interesting answer to me a curious one

It said well, if you take it too often it becomes familiar

I

I remember being a little befuddled by that

So how is it that taking something less often that you're supposed to do to remind yourself of things?

How is it that that taking it less often becomes more special now?

remember to

God in the old testament gave explicit commands as to how often the passover was to be celebrated

How often did you do that once a year?

There were other specific times in which the nation of israel had particular feast days that had particular

focuses

When jesus gave instruction regarding the matter of the lord's table

It is very interesting that he did not give to his people at that time any express directions as to how often we're to take it

And so when we think about this question recognize that what the text tells us

Informs us of his thought how often should we take it?

The answer is whenever

Whenever you choose in our fellowship. We have broken that down and there's no arbitrary

Kind of mandate necessarily, but the rule of matter is that we generally take it about once a month

Any of you that pay careful attention and I wouldn't give you extra points if you do

But if you pay careful attention you notice that we generally do it about once a month

We don't do it always on the same day. Sometimes we do it sunday morning

Sometimes we do it sunday night sometime we do it wednesday sometime we do it sunday school and the reason for the variety in part

Is to provide a little bit of diversity to kind of make you think in different frames and kind of challenge you

Outside the space of well today is communion. I got turned my brain off. I know what we do pastor's going to go to first corinthians 11 again

You know, it's like we've been there

I want you to understand

that we

value

reminders

And we value the fact that scripture tells us that we can do this whenever so

That being said remembering our lord's death for our sins is an important part of our relationship and that's what we're doing this morning

We're reminding ourselves that jesus died in our place

To those who would say well

Here we are doing the same thing again

And I think probably that uh

Repetition has kind of dulled my sensibility

I would encourage you to recognize that it's not repetition that is at the heart of your spiritual struggle

The fact that you find a lack of affection at the moment is reflective of where your relationship is

Not of the regularity with which you do it

Case in point

I

I tell judith my bride of 44 years

That I love her

All the time

It's not like I tell her once a week or once a quarter or once a month and uh, she should suffice with that

Not only do I tell her every evening when we go to bed the last thing I say is judith

I love you and she if she has not dozed off because I dawdled getting to bed

She will say and then and by the way when I get there and she's dozed off I

There are extra noises that go along with kind of waking her up for it

Say I love you too, you know

There's nothing wrong, right?

Here's the deal

My affection for my bride means that I tell her I love her often

And there's nothing lost

In the regularity and so I want you to understand

That when you come to this table and you remind yourself of the love of the lord jesus for you

Do not think that that here we go doing this again

It's a little bit like saying I love you to the most important person in the world and there's benefit in doing it

The elements certainly make his love clear

And our love is stirred in response and I trust that as you walk away from here this morning

Having taken the bread and taken the cup that one of the things that is very clear in your heart is this

Jesus loves me and that will never never change

Let me tell you something

I cannot think

Of many

Spiritual truths

That are more important than that to the believer

Let me say it slowly

I cannot think

Of hardly any other spiritual truth for the believer that is more important than comprehending the unbelievable love of christ for you

And so when you take that bread and you take that cup one of the things that I want you to say in your heart this morning is

Jesus loves me

I understand being amazed that he does

I'm when I stop and think about me

I just can't get over it

He loves me

And this morning the elements certainly make his love clear

There's another thing that happens when we take communion we value the gospel

We value the gospel

The bread and the cup are

Something to be understood

In relationship to what the gospel actually is

The fact

Is here

In physical

Manifestation and evidence

And so when we take the bread

Jesus died for me

And we take the cup

He made a new

How many of you understand what the word covenant means

It means promise

He made another promise

By the way

What was the first promise God made?

Does anybody know?

How many of you

How many of you know what the old promise or the old covenant was?

The first promise that was made

He made it to Israel

And he said this

You keep my law

And I will do thus and so

How did that go for Israel?

What's the answer?

They did real well didn't they?

It's like when I bump into people and I say

Why are you getting to heaven?

And they say well I've kept the ten commandments

I think really?

I've never met anybody

Anybody

Other than Jesus

That keeps the ten commandments right?

They're just kind of brain dead when they make that statement

The fact is is the old covenant

The old promise wasn't kept

And God says I will make a new covenant

I will make a new promise with you

And that promise in essence in Jeremiah is this

I will be your people and you will be

I will be your God and you will be my people

Can we stop doing this little inversion thing Tim?

Let's get over that one

I will be your God

You will be my people

I will put my law in your heart

God says I'm going to do this work of conversion

And this work of grace

And you're going to be a different person than you used to be

By virtue of my power

And so when we take the elements

We are engaged in reminding ourselves of the truth of the gospel

And I want you to think about that

Now let's understand that the gospel isn't something that is just for unbelievers

Is the gospel needed for unbelievers?

Absolutely

And by the way

Everybody smile so you understand this

You can't have the gospel without first of all bringing people to grips with bad news

What is the bad news?

All men are pretty good

They're going to make it somehow or another

And all the paths just get there anyway

How's that?

If that is the news

There's no need for Jesus

Do you understand that?

The bad news is that all men are sinners

And stand justly condemned before a holy God

And as the scripture says in Romans chapter 3 verse 10

Romans 3:10

There is none righteous

No not one

There's not a single person who will be able to stand before God

The holy judge and say

Hey aren't you glad I showed up because I'm good?

No

None righteous

No not one

And the gospel is something that is not only for the unbeliever

But is something that the believer should wrap his heart around every single day

When you think about the gospel

I want you to turn over in your Bible

You're in 1 Corinthians chapter 11

1 Corinthians 11 · chapter mention

Just kind of skip to the back of the book

Go to 1 Corinthians chapter 15

1 Corinthians 15 · chapter mention

And we find there in verse 3 and 4

That the apostle gets on the roll

About the subject of the resurrection

But the frame in which he starts is the gospel

Now let's look at verse 3

For I delivered to you as of first importance

Do you know what he's saying?

This is the most important thing

This is the most important thing

So let's try this so we understand the comparison

You can go theoretically about three weeks without food

Three days without water

And three minutes without oxygen

So what we would say is that oxygen is of what?

First importance

Get your hands around this

The gospel remains supremely important for the believer

And it is something that we ought to refresh our heart with

On a regular basis

What is the gospel?

I want you to recognize there in the passage

It says that Jesus died for our sins

What does that mean?

Well for one thing it means that I was a sinner

And Jesus died in my place

I love that fact

Because what it tells me is that

God sent his son the Lord Jesus Christ

To pay the penalty for my sins

And Jesus died to satisfy the debt

And the judgment of God against me

While it is true

That jealousy

Lying

A brutal foreign power

All of these things were really wrapped up

And the issue of what was going on in the world

That Jesus came into

The fact of the matter is

Is that that's not why Jesus came

To deliver the people of Israel

From a foreign invading and occupying force

He came to deliver people from the burden of their sin

And to help them find victory

Over the battle that they had

With what was going on inside

And I want you to understand

When you take the bread

And you take the cup

One of the things that I trust you are saying

Is that Jesus died in my place

He died my death

He has satisfied the judgment of God

Against my sin

And as Romans chapter 8 verse 1 says

Romans 8:1

There is now therefore

What?

No condemnation to them

Who are in Jesus Christ

Christ Jesus

We look at the passage

And we also understand this

It says that he was

He was buried

That he was raised

On the third day

In accordance with scripture

So what is the significance

Of his death

Burial and resurrection

By the way

Next Sunday morning

We are going to go

Wall to wall

With that truth

That is going to be the center

Of the message

Of the resurrection Sunday

Because next Sunday

We celebrate the fact

That Jesus is not still

In the tomb

You can't go to some city

Over in the Middle East

And find out

Well that's where he's buried

He's not there

And you know what

He's coming back again

I like that

I'd like it to be today

And if it's not going to be today

I'll settle for tomorrow

Right?

But the truth of the matter is

Is that Jesus died for my sins

And he rose again

And the reality of it is

His resurrection

Makes it clear

That my debt

Has been satisfied

Situation came up

Not long ago

At a call

Tim

Have you paid this bill?

Well the truth of the matter is

Is if I paid a bill

It would be a real surprise

My wife takes care of that

And so what I did

Was I called her up

I said

Honey

I just got a call

From somebody in Florida

Have you paid this bill?

She says yes

She says here

Let me pull it up

How many of you like electronics?

Sometimes

She sent me

A text

With a picture of the canceled check

And I thought

Woo!

Ha ha!

Called the guy back up

I said

Well yeah

I've got a canceled check here

In fact

In fact

She's got your endorsement

On the back

See when Jesus rose from the dead

It was like

Paid in full

Right?

Done

Settled

How do I know

That there is complete forgiveness

For all of the sin

That I've committed?

It's because Jesus rose from the dead

I get pumped about that

And I want you to understand

This morning

When we take these elements

We take this bread

And we take this cup

We remind ourselves

Of what Jesus has done

And there shouldn't be a day

Pass

There shouldn't be a day

Pass

Without a thought

Of the blessing

Of what Jesus did

Do you follow that?

I won't tell you all

Of what I say to Judith at night

But

I tell her

Thank you for marrying me

You know

It's like

I would live in a cave

I mean

I would live in squalor

Do you know what squalor is?

I would live in just

An abject misery

Were it not for the fact

That God in his kindness

Gave me the bride

That she did

Or he did

She did

Woo!

Let's try

He and he only

Male

Not gender neutral

But anyway

How many

How many mistakes

Am I allowed deacons?

I'm just checking

Because I'm getting up there

Heaven help me

How many of you

Are praying for me anyway?

You're doing that?

You probably ought to start now

Because I'm bumping

Up against the line here

Okay

Well back we go

The truth of the matter is

Is that

I live with a thankful spirit

For what Jesus has done

In giving me the bride

That he gave me

But let me tell you something

That doesn't compare

To the blessing

Of who I have in Christ

And what I have in Christ

And it's not only

When I come to this table

That I should remind myself

Of that

There's something else

That we value

Going back to

1 Corinthians chapter 11

1 Corinthians 11 · chapter mention

We value public testimony

I want you to put

Your little finger

On the word proclaim

Okay

The word proclaim

I've talked about this before

But it's a word in the Greek

That carries the idea

Of public announcement

And as I was studying

This week

I was struck by

By doing a little bit

Of research

In the Greek itself

To understand

That it's not just

An announcement

Kind of a generic announcement

But it's an announcement

That carries with it

The implicit issue

Of the value

And supremacy

Of the gospel itself

It's an announcement

That by the way

In which the word

Is used in the Greek

It's the idea

Of something being announced

From a higher place

To a lower place

And when we announce

The gospel

We are announcing

The glory of Christ

Down to our fallen

And broken lives

And to the world

Around us

And so there is

A sense

In which

When we take

The Lord's table

We are

We are announcing

The supremacy

Of Christ

And we're announcing

The significance

And the sufficiency

Of the gospel

Do you understand that?

I believe

Jesus died for me

And this is the best news

In the world

Now listen to me

How can you say that

And not believe it?

Do you follow that?

Let me give you

An illustration

Just so you follow along

I have been

To several

Graduations

Of two of my sons

Went into the military

And two of my grandsons

Have been in the military

So far

And so

I kind of like

Military graduations

And one of the things

That goes with

Military graduations

Is a lot of flag business

How many of you

Understand that?

Flag this

Flag that

And you stand

And you sing

The national anthem

And I'm all into singing

I mean how many

Figures that out?

I mean I like to sing

I don't always get

The words right

But I do sing

And I even

A judgmental person

That I am

I'm kind of looking around

And I see people

They're not singing

Well I'm thinking

Maybe they're not citizens

I mean if you're not a citizen

Don't sing the song

Yeah

Yeah just chewing gum

But if you are

A citizen

And particularly

If you're in the military

When you're singing

When everybody else

Is singing the national anthem

What do you think

They expect from you?

I mean as the camera

Is panning through

The audience you know

And your CO

Is going to be

Kind of reading

See who's not involved

Is like

What was the deal with you?

You're not into this?

So let's come back around

When we take communion

What we're doing

Is actually giving

Public testimony

To what we believe

About Jesus

Huh?

You with that?

And by the way

Don't be a hypocrite

Oh I love Jesus

He's really important to me

Go outside and sit in the car

And grumble

About somebody else

Not good

If Jesus

Has got a hold

Of your heart

In here

I guarantee you

He'll have a hold

Of your heart

Out there

If you're playing

A game in here

Then all that happens

Out there

Is just the real thing

And the purpose

Of coming to this table

In part

Is to refresh

Our consciences

With the sweetness

Of the one

Who has become

Our savior

And given us

Complete forgiveness

For all of our sins

And helped us

To stop being

The skunk

We used to be

And so I want you

To bear public testimony

You boldly announce

That he is the savior

To all others

He is your savior

I would not

Be bothered

If when you took

The bread

And took the cup

This morning

Some of you

Had enough nerve

And I know

It's going to be

Unsettling

For some of you

I wouldn't be bothered

If some of you said

Man I love Jesus

I'm glad

He is my savior

And say it

Loud enough

That someone else

Can hear it

That would be

Textually

Probably

Within the circle

Right

Okay

Well

Here we go

Point four

We value

Self-examination

Now you look

At the passage

And verse 27

Says

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

Let a man

Examine himself

By the way

Who should do

The examination

You come and sit

In my office

And I say

Oh what sins

Have you committed

Today

That's not how

It is in the Bible

Who does the examination

How many of you

Understand the language

Here it says

Let a man

Huh

What

Examine himself

By the way

Your heart

Bears testimony

To what it knows

About you

I want you to

Understand there's

Another piece

In this

It's interesting

Also

And let's just

Take a moment

To recognize

This

That actually

Paul

Takes

27

28

29

30

And 31

That's five

Verses

To deal with

This matter

Of self-examination

In comparison

To the brevity

Of some of the

Other parts

Of the Lord's

Table

This business

Of self-examination

Is actually

Pretty important

I think it's easy

For us to become

Insensitive to our

Struggle with

Indwelling sin

We get

Comfortable

The private

Thoughts that we

Would have

That we'd be

Ashamed of

Voice

Publicly

That we live

With from day

To day

And we become

Quite

Accommodating

With those

Things

You know

The unkind

And ungodly

Things that

You say

That you

Would never

Say in front

Of a deacon

Or a pastor

But you do

Say in the

Safety of

Your own

Home

Or you

Say to

Your wife

With a

Surly

And sour

Spirit

Those

Things

Those are

The kind

Of things

That you

Need to

Confess

And forsake

It is in

The white

Hot light

Of the

Cross

And what

The bread

And the

Cup

Tell us

About his

Death

For our

Sins

That our

Sin becomes

Supremely

Offensive

You know

We're too

Comfortable

With sin

Agreed

Agreed

What kind of

Sins

Did Jesus

Die for

Hello

One bite

Of fruit

His

Sacrifice

For sins

Reminds

Us

It reminds

Us

Of just

How offensive

Sin is

And so

Let me

Say here

That self

Examination

Must also

Be spirit

Enabled

Turn to

John

13

Just for

A moment

John chapter

John 13 · chapter mention

13

Very interesting

Passage

It actually

Touches

On three

Different

Pieces

John chapter

John 13 · chapter mention

13

We find

Jesus

Washing

The feet

Of the

Disciples

Plural

And you'll

Remember that

Peter said

You never

Wash in

My feet

And Jesus

Says

You know

What

Yeah

The thing

That I

Want us

To focus

On here

Is that

When Jesus

Washes

The disciples

Feet

One of

The things

That he

Is indicating

Is that

In the

Life of

The believer

There is

A need

For recurring

Attention

To the

Ongoing

Struggle

We have

With indwelling

Sin

How many

Of you

Have sinned

Today

Just a

Couple

Of you

Okay

The way

In which

We take

Care of

Sin

When it

Happens

Is we

Confess it

And forsake

It and we

Ask him

To help

Us grow

In righteousness

Isn't that

Right

And so

When we

Come to

The table

One of

The things

That we

Ought to

Do is

We ought

To call

On the

Spirit

And ask

Him

To help

To help

You be

Objective

And genuinely

Repentant so

That when you

Take these

Elements you

Take them

With the

Right

Heart

Finally

We value

Togetherness

I want you

To look at

This and

We'll close

Have the

Men come

If you

Look at

1st

Corinthians

11

Verse 33

And 34

Paul makes

A very

Interesting

Statement

That

On the

Face of

It

Would be

A little

Confusing

Listen to

What he

Says

Here

Verse 33

So then

My brothers

When you

Come together

To eat

Wait for

One another

How many

Have you

Ever seen

People eating

At a

Military

!

Academy

Have you

Ever seen

That?

They sit

Down

Everything's

You know

It's like

We're

We're

All

Together

And how

Many of

You have

Been in

A home

Where nobody

Eats until

They pray

And then

What happens

It descends

Into bedlam

You know

But until

You pray

What?

Paul is

Not telling

The church

At Corinth

All right

All right

Wait till

Everybody has

A spoon

That's loaded

And then

Do it

That's not

What he's

Saying

What he is

Saying

Is that

We are

One

Body

If you

Were to

Go back

Earlier in

First Corinthians

In verse

21 and

22

You'll see

That the

Problem

The church

Had then

Was not

This matter

Of

Well you

Started five

Minutes

Before I

Did

That wasn't

The problem

They were

They were

Divided

They weren't

Together

And so

This word

That is

Actually

Being used

Here

Is a

Word that

You could

Probably

Better

Translate

So then

My brothers

When you

Come together

To eat

Wait for

One another

Is not

The idea

It is

To receive

One another

To accept

One another

Hey

There is

Nothing

That should

Be more

Unifying

To the

Natural

Struggle

We have

With

Divided

Relationships

Than the

Reminder

Of the

Fact that

Jesus

Is our

Savior

How many

Of you

Understand

That

How many

Of you

Here

Struggle

With your

Attitudes

Towards

Other

People

And some

Of them

Are in

The family

Of god

Taking

The lord's

Table

Should be

Something

That draws

You

Together

Because

Now that

You remind

Yourself

Of what

Jesus

Did for

You

And who

He is

And how

You have

Relationship

With other

People

Because of

The cross

You're drawn

Together

I remember

I remember

Saying to my

Bride

Judith

The other

Day

We were

Working

Through a

Family

Dynamic

And I

Have a

Brother and

A sister

That are

Not saved

And as a

Result of

That we

Have some

Interesting

Moments

Hello

And I

Remember

Saying to

Her

Well

Honey

We have

To work

At that

Because we're

Family

I am

Family

With my

Brother and

Sister

Biologically

I am

Family

With some

Of you

By divine

Appointment

And the

Blood of

Christ

Do you

Understand

That

I am

Your

Brother

And you

Are my

Sister

You are

My

Brother

And when

I take

Communion

One of the

Things that

Jesus wants

Me to

Remember

Is the

Fact that

We are

Family

Because of

Jesus

Okay

I'm going to

Ask the

Men to

Come

And

John

One of the

Things that

We have

Enjoyed

In the

Past

Is

Singing

Together

And I'm

Going to

Have John

Lead us

I want

Pastors

All on the

Inside

This time

Thank you

Sing together

Behold

The Lamb

Who bears

Our

Sins

Away

Slam

For

Us

And we

Remember

The promise

Made

That all

Who come

In

Faith

Find

Forgiveness

At

The

Cross

So

We

Share

In

This

Bread

Of

Life

And

We

Drink

Of

His

Sacrifice

As

A

Sign

Of

Our

Bonds

Of

Peace

Around

The

Table

Of

The

King

Amen.

Amen.

Amen.

Amen.

Amen.

Amen.

Thank you.

Sing together.

In the body of our Savior, Jesus Christ, torn for you,

And remember the wounds that heal the death that brings us life,

Paid the price to make us one.

And when he'd given thanks, he broke it and said,

This is my body, which is for you.

And I will do this in remembrance of me.

I'm still here with you.

I'm still here with you.

I'm still here with you.

I'm still here with you.

Amen.

Amen.

Amen.

Amen.

Amen.

Amen.

Amen.

for you.

Drink and remember

He

drink as cup

that only enter

in to

receive

the life

of God.

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.

Jesus, thank you

for being my Savior.

Let's stand together

as we sing the last verse.

And so with

thankfulness and faith

we rise to respond

and to remember

our soul

to follow

in the steps

of Christ

as His

body

as we share

as we share

as we share

as we share

as we share

We proclaim

And will join

In the feast of heaven

Around the table of the King