Members Gathering

1 Corinthians chapter 10.

1 Corinthians 10 · chapter mention

We're going to take a break over the next two weeks, today and next week, from our exposition of John's Gospel account,

!

Participation in it to steady our souls in these types of times.

So, if you are curious why, this is why.

Yesterday morning, I woke up at 2 a.m. and could barely swallow.

I had quite a sore throat.

I thought, perhaps I had strep, which doesn't seem to be the case.

I'm feeling much better now.

Me and Ms. Susan were joking about needing to eat a Popsicle while I was up here talking with you.

The sustaining grace of a Popsicle to get me through the sermon.

Hopefully, that won't be a challenge, but do bear with me if I need to mute my mic and give a little cough here from time to time.

We do this kind of sermon series.

We kind of hop around, and bit by bit, we answer a question about why we do what we do.

We're a little different as a church, and there's some things that are unique about us, perhaps to every other fellowship,

although most typically, the thing that we're explaining is something that the church has done for centuries,

and we just find ourselves a little bit odd in our day.

Why we do what we do.

And then it follows.

Why do we do what we do the way that we do what we do?

And this time, I want to speak to you about our members gathering.

So we have two times that we gather on Sunday mornings, right?

If you remember here, you should know this.

Maybe you're being reminded that we do this.

Presently, we are all participating in what we call the public gathering of the church.

That word gathering is the word that we use because it's the most biblical word to speak about the church.

The Greek word ekklesia, which is often translated to the word church, means gathering.

So when we're communicating this, we're communicating to our church.

This is when our church gets together.

We do all kinds of other things, meetings of various kind, which no one's required to come to.

They're just other great things that we do together.

But when the church, the gathering of God's people comes, this is when we come together.

So this public gathering, but you also may have noted on your bulletin that there is a time,

if you've never been with us before, that we gather before this time that we call our members gathering.

It is during this time, the primary thing that we're doing is taking the Lord's Supper together.

We do this every single week.

So to understand why we do this, why we do what we do, and why we do what we do the way we do what we do,

that comes out of my mouth too easy.

We need to do that.

We need to begin with an understanding of what we believe the Lord's Supper pictures

and what we believe about the nature of the church.

So I have two texts for our reading, and I'll depart from them for a bit, but then we'll come back to them.

1 Corinthians chapter 10, verses 16 and 17, and then 1 Corinthians chapter 11, verses 23 through 29.

1 Corinthians 10:16 1 Corinthians 11:23–29

So I'll read them both now.

The cup of blessing that we bless, is it not a participation in the blood of Christ?

The bread that we break, is it not a participation in the body of Christ?

Because there is one bread, we who are many are one body, for we all partake of the one bread.

And then chapter 11, beginning in verse 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.

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.

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 person examine himself then,

and so eat of the bread and drink of the cup.

For anyone who eats and drinks without discerning the body

eats and drinks judgment on himself.

Join me in a word of prayer for our time.

Father, we thank you for your word to us this morning.

And as we consider this issue,

we take up thinking about the Lord's Supper together

and thinking about why we celebrate it the way we do as a church.

I pray that you would lead us in the truth.

We humbly recognize that we need your help to do so.

Not one of us is going to be helped this day

apart from the powerful working of your spirit in our lives.

And so we ask that you would do that.

That you would broaden our vision for the Bible

and for the church

and for your great mercy to us in Christ.

We pray this in his name.

Amen.

Amen.

We, as people, do a lot of eating.

Eating is necessary to sustain our lives.

Stop eating for very long,

and you will not remain alive.

It's ordinarily important to eat,

but I bet you can't remember

much of what you ate this past week.

Maybe something that was particularly good

or maybe that hurt a lot when you ate it,

but you've probably forgotten

most of the meals you've had,

even recently.

We don't eat mindfully,

and frankly, that's okay.

You don't have to remember what you ate

for the food to do its job

of nourishing your body.

If you've ever prayed this,

I have at times before.

I just think it's funny that we pray

that food would nourish our bodies

because that's what it does,

with or without prayer.

Food nourishes our bodies.

Some foods better than others.

But there is a meal

unlike any other meal,

unique in every way,

a meal that is meant

to nourish our souls.

This meal should always be eaten mindfully,

and the whole point of the meal

is that we would remember it

and, more importantly,

all that it means.

As I walk throughout my week,

I want to think back

to the previous Lord's Day

and that meal

and everything that it signifies

for us.

Some treat the Lord's Supper

as a private, mystical experience

between them and God,

or perhaps some sort of

small, devotional time.

But the Bible shows us

something far richer

about this meal.

The Lord's Supper

is a corporate,

covenantal,

gospel-proclaiming meal

that marks off the church

and strengthens

our unity in Christ.

It is significant.

Today I want to show you

why the Lord's Supper matters

and why we dare not take it lightly,

why we do not take it

outside the context

of a local church,

or should not,

and why we ought not neglect

to gather to take it.

We'll go back to our text

in 1 Corinthians,

but let's first look

at the record of the institution

of the Lord's Supper.

You can find this

in a number of places

in the Gospel.

Let's look at Luke chapter 22.

Luke 22 · chapter mention

This is verse 14

and following.

Luke records,

And when the hour came,

Jesus reclined at table

and the apostles with him.

And he said to them,

I have earnestly desired

to eat this Passover with you

before I suffer.

For I tell you,

I will not eat

until it is fulfilled

in the kingdom of God.

And he took a cup

and when he had given thanks,

he said,

Take this

and divide it among yourselves.

For I tell you

that from now on

I will not drink

of the fruit of the vine

until the kingdom of God

comes.

And he took bread

and when he had given thanks,

he broke it

and gave it to them,

saying,

This is my body

which is given for you.

Do this

in remembrance

of me.

And likewise,

the cup

after they had eaten,

saying,

This cup that is poured out

for you

is the new covenant

in my blood.

All of that should

sound familiar to you

from our reading

from 1 Corinthians chapter 11.

1 Corinthians 11 · chapter mention

Paul is citing

this information,

the institution

of the Lord's Supper.

He has earnestly desired

to eat this Passover,

this last supper,

before he would pay

for the penalty

of the sins

of the world.

So the institution

of the Lord's Supper

was the changing

of the Passover meal,

which was a meal

meant to mark out

God's peeper

under the Old Covenant

or Testament,

and Jesus makes it

into another

kind of meal.

So to understand

all of this

a bit further,

we need to understand

something of the

Passover meal,

the significance

of that meal.

The Passover originates

in God's great act

of redemption

for the people

under the Old Covenant,

his deliverance

of Israel

from slavery

in Egypt.

I hope you're familiar

with this,

but just in case you're not,

it's important for us

to get this right.

In Exodus 12,

after nine devastating plagues,

Pharaoh still refuses

to release the Israelites.

God announces a final

act of judgment,

the death of every

firstborn in the land

of Egypt.

There's a judgment

of death given.

But he also provides

a means of substitution

and protection

for his people.

Each Israelite household

is to take a lamb

without blemish,

a male a year old.

Exodus 12,

and verse 5.

Kill it at twilight

and apply its blood

to the doorposts

and lintel

of their homes.

So either side

and above the door

of their homes.

Exodus chapter 12

Exodus 12 · chapter mention

and verse 7.

God declares

in Exodus 12, 13,

the blood shall be a sign

for you on the houses

where you are.

And when I see the blood,

I will pass over you

and no plague

will befall you

to destroy you.

That night,

the Lord struck down

all the firstborn

of Egypt,

from Pharaoh's house

to the slave

in the dungeon.

Exodus 12, 29,

and 30.

But he spared

every Israelite home

covered

by the blood

of that lamb.

The Passover then

was first and foremost

an act of divine salvation

through substitution.

See, that lamb

was killed

in place of

the firstborn

and its blood

marked out

that reality.

That lamb died

in the firstborn's stead.

God commanded

that this meal,

this meal that they had

after they had done this,

they hunkered inside,

they ate a meal,

there's some instructions

given for the taking

of that meal,

was to be celebrated

every year

as a memorial

of this redeeming work.

Exodus 12, verse 14.

Exodus 12:14

This day shall be

for you

a memorial day

and you shall keep it

as a feast

to the Lord

throughout your generations

as a statute

forever.

Each generation

was to teach

their children

the meaning

of the feast.

Exodus 12,

Exodus 12:26

verse 26 and 27.

When your children

say to you,

what do you mean

by this service?

You shall say,

it is the sacrifice

of the Lord's Passover.

For he has passed

over the houses

of the people of Israel

in Egypt

when he struck

the Egyptians

but spared

our houses.

So the Passover

was not only

an act of deliverance

but also

a defining

identity marker

for God's people.

They ate it

every single year

after that first

Passover meal

was taken.

It reminded Israel

that they were

a delivered people

belonging to

a delivering

God.

And that's

this meal

that Jesus

is having

with his

apostles.

Bobby Jameson

wrote in his book

Understanding the Lord's Supper

quote,

the Passover meal

was a living

reenactment

of Israel's redemption.

A memorial

that shaped

their identity

as the people

whom God saved

by substitution.

End quote.

The Passover

was to be celebrated

in homes

with family.

It's the way

it was originally

done.

The very first

Passover

was a meal

eaten in haste.

That's why

the unleavened bread

with readiness.

They were supposed

to be in their

clothes

because they were

supposed to have

deliverance

in their minds

as they took

the meal.

The next day

the Israelites

would march

out of Egypt.

So,

Jesus

at the Passover

the last

supper

takes these symbols

of the old

covenant meal

the bread

and the cup

and he

shows them

that he

fulfills them

in himself.

It's his body

and it's

his blood.

Just as Israel

was redeemed

by the blood

of a spotless

lamb

so now

God's people

are redeemed

by the blood

of his spotless

son.

1 Peter 1

1 Peter 1:18

verse 18

and 19

The Passover

celebration

pointed forward

it's typological

it points forward

to a greater

deliverance.

It points

to Jesus Christ

the true

and better

Passover lamb.

When John

the Baptist

sees Jesus

you may remember

this in our study

of John

he declares

John 1

John 1:29

verse 29

Behold

the Lamb

of God

who takes

away

the sin

of the world.

And the Apostle

Paul explicitly

identifies Christ

with the Passover

sacrifice.

1 Corinthians

1 Corinthians 5:7

5

verse 7

For Christ

our

Passover

lamb

has

been sacrificed.

And

finally

at this

last supper

the Passover

meal

we read about

in Luke

Luke 22 · chapter mention

chapter 22

Jesus

reinterprets

the bread

and cup

to reveal

their ultimate

meaning

and

he redefines

the familial

nature

of the meal.

You cannot

miss this.

He is not

having

this meal

back with

his biological

family.

The very last

one where he

institutes

the Lord's

Supper

he's having

with the

apostles.

He's having

this meal

with his

followers.

So

this is the

background

and substance

of what we

are set to

consider today.

So

to further

our thinking

I'm going to

make five

statements about

the Lord's

Supper.

And this will be

back in

1 Corinthians

1 Corinthians 10 · chapter mention

chapter 10

and chapter

11.

Five statements

about the

Lord's Supper.

Number one

the Lord's

Supper

proclaims

the gospel.

We've said

a bit about

that already.

Look with me

at 1 Corinthians

11 and

verse 26.

There Paul

says for us

often as you

eat this bread

and drink

the cup

you proclaim

the Lord's

death

until he

comes.

Every time

we take

the Lord's

Supper

we're putting

on a bit

of a play.

It's some

pageantry.

It's a

visible

representation

of the

gospel

of Jesus

Christ.

I'll add

it's a

Bible commanded

play.

We don't

do other

kinds of

plays.

This we're

supposed to

do when

we come

together.

We

proclaim

but what

is it that

we proclaim?

The Lord's

death?

Until he

comes is

what Paul

says here

and that's

certainly

true

but it's

not only

that.

We proclaim

his death

but there's

some implicit

proclamation

happening here

as well.

We proclaim

his

sacrificial

work but

also his

life.

Thoughts of

his death

cannot and

should not be

separated from

thoughts of

his perfect

law-keeping

life.

And we

proclaim his

resurrection.

He's coming

again so he

must be

alive and

we proclaim

his second

coming because

we are

proclaiming his

death until

he comes.

All of

those things

life,

death,

resurrection,

return.

The supper

practiced

properly is a

visible

sermon.

It's a

visible

sermon.

proclamation

of the

gospel.

And notice

that Paul

says,

you

proclaim.

And we

do

individually.

But more

importantly,

much more

importantly,

it includes

the corporate

body.

Remember that

Paul is

writing these

words to

a church.

He's referring

to the church

when he says

you.

If you are

part of a

church,

you're part

of that as

an individual.

But he's

talking

corporately

here.

Clue to

that,

if you go

back to

1 Corinthians

1 Corinthians 10:17

10,

verse 17,

he says,

because there

is one

bread,

we who are

many are

one body,

for we

all partake

of the

one bread.

He's talking

about us

gathered

together,

breaking

something that

pictures

Christ's

sacrifice on

our behalf.

If a little

further proof

will help you

at this point,

you can look

at the language

of the beginning

halfway through

the chapter

of Leaven.

Note the

phrase,

when you

come together.

He's talking

about this

meal.

When you

come together,

he repeats

that phrase

in verse

17,

verse 18,

and then

finally in

verse 20.

So,

we proclaim

together,

as a local

church,

when we

take the

Lord's

Supper,

by faith,

Jesus'

perfect life

grants us

righteousness.

By faith,

Jesus'

death is

sufficient

for our

forgiveness.

By faith,

Jesus'

resurrection

is the

sure foundation

of our

hope,

and by

faith,

Jesus'

return

is the

future

that we

long for.

Now,

we are not

given explicit

instruction about

how often

to do this.

We just

really like to

do it every

week because

of all of

that that I've

just said.

What a good

thing to

proclaim the

gospel in

this way and

the many other

ways that the

gospel can be

proclaimed as

often as we

possibly can.

The Lord's

Supper

proclaims the

gospel.

Number two,

the Lord's

Supper

marks off

the church.

Marks off

the church.

1 Corinthians

10, 16

and 17.

I'm reading

this before.

The cup

that we

bless,

the cup

of blessing

that we

bless,

is it not

participation

in the

blood of

Christ?

The bread

that we

break,

is it not

participation

in the

body of

Christ?

Because

there is

one bread,

we who are

many are

one body,

for we

all partake

of the

one bread.

The supper

is not only

vertical between

you and

Christ,

it is that,

but it is

also horizontal,

binding us

together as

one body.

When we

share one

loaf,

and hear me

at this point,

I don't think

that the

instruction must

be, a church

can be a size

that it

just doesn't

make sense.

We make

gluten-free

bread,

Katie Dome

does this

for us,

and for it

to cook

properly,

it has to

be done

in small

loaves,

so we

have more

than one

loaf on

any given

Lord's Day,

even when

there's not

that many

of us

here.

That's not

the point

being made,

right?

We are

together

at a

meal,

is the

point.

When we

do that,

we declare

that we

belong to

one Lord,

one faith,

one baptism,

one people.

This is why

the Lord's

Supper is

not a

private

devotional

act.

You

could have

some juice

or some

wine and

some bread

by yourself

and it

not be

the Lord's

Supper.

It's not

how you're

supposed to

do it,

but it

is a

church

act.

It's a

responsibility

given to

the church.

In the

New Testament,

the supper

is always

tied to

the gathered

church.

We don't

have nearly

enough time

this morning

to unpack

everything that

could be said

about church

membership,

but I

posit to you

in just a

few brief

moments that

local churches

as a whole,

we're

congregational,

are meant to

do the

careful work

of exercising

the authority

of the keys

given in

Matthew chapter

Matthew 16 · chapter mention

16 and

in chapter

18.

we are

to examine

professing

Christians

professions

and affirm

or deny

those

professions

for the

good of

those people

making the

professions

and for

the glory

of God.

So hear me

carefully.

This is a

work given

to the

church.

If a

church says

something like

anybody who

calls X

home

belongs here,

this kind

of thinking

has to fall

apart at

some point.

If somebody

showed up on

your front

door,

knocked on

the door,

you open it,

and they

said,

this is my

home,

you'd go,

hmm,

who are

you?

You might

want to

assess to

see if

they're

actually

part of

your

family

or not

before you

welcome

them in

and give

them a

bed.

There may

need to

be,

some kind

of a

process

by which

that would

take place.

Not because

we're

unkind,

but because

we care

about the

souls of

people.

We want

people who

are professing

faith in

Christ to

have confidence

of that

profession.

And so we

come together

as Christians

with trembling

and much

begging for

grace to

help to

see if

professions

are in

fact

credible.

careful,

careful

examination

for the

good of

those

people

and for

the glory

of God

that the

church

would not

be full

of people

who say

they're

Christians

and act

like

devils.

Baptism

is the

admitting

sign.

Welcoming

people into

the church.

We believe

as far as

we can

that you

are in

fact

a

professing

Christian.

You are

in the

faith.

It's

the

admitting

sign

or the

welcoming

sign.

The

Lord's

Supper

is the

renewing

sign

or the

keeping

sign.

Yes,

you

belong.

We welcome

people in

through the

ordinance of

baptism.

We keep

them and

in some

sad and

unfortunate

cases

dismiss

them

through

the

family

meal

we call

the

Lord's

Supper.

We like

the term

ordinance

when referring

to baptism

and Lord's

Supper

as it's

from a

Latin

verb

ordinare

which means

to put

in order.

What are we

ordering?

We're marking

off the

local

church's

boundaries.

Who

belongs

and who

doesn't

belong.

Right?

In a

caring

way.

Right?

Not trying

to be

exclusive

but the

claims of

the gospel

are

exclusive.

Right?

You are

either in

Christ or

you are

not and

we want

to be

careful

about who

we believe

is and

isn't.

The Lord's

Supper

then is

about

individual

assurance

but also

others

assurance.

It's

about

church

membership.

it is

the meal

that marks

off the

people who

belong to

the new

covenant

the

visible

church.

As an

anecdote

my

sweet

wife's

family

has always

spent

Friday

evenings

together.

When her

grandparents

were alive

it was over

at her

grandparents'

house.

They

continue

to do

this.

I

think

that

this

is

going

to

be

a

tradition

that

continues

on.

And

everybody

in the

family

is

expected

to be

at this

family

meal.

Are we

always

there?

No.

Sometimes

things

come up

that can't

be avoided.

But you

should be

there if

you can

be there.

And if

you can't

be,

everyone's

going to

know why.

The answer

can't just

be because

I didn't

feel like

it this

time.

I'm a

good son-in-law.

There's a

reason given

to my

mother-in-law

why I'm

not there.

She's very

kind about

the whole

thing.

If I

just need

some rest

she gets

it.

But it

can't be

because I

just don't

want to

this time.

It's a

good and

healthy

expectation.

And I'm

grateful for

the way we

grow as a

family as I

go and

participate in

these meals on

Friday evenings.

It's analogous.

Not perfect,

but it's

analogous.

it's a faith

family meal.

That's why

if you've

been with

us in

our members

gathering,

we invite

baptized

believers,

members of

Christ's

church to

partake.

Whether it's

this church or

you're a guest

and you're a

member of a

gospel preaching

church.

It's not

about,

the point is

not exclusion,

it's about

clarity.

clarity.

It's about

clarity.

The supper is

a sign of

belonging.

It says,

these are the

people,

as far as we

can,

fraily,

right,

we don't do

it perfectly,

but these are

the people

who belong

to Jesus.

The Lord's

Supper

marks off

the church.

Thirdly,

very briefly,

the Lord's

Supper

nourishes

the faith

of believers.

We could

talk on

and on

about this,

but I

think most

people have

some

understanding

of this

already.

I've read

to you

before,

1 Corinthians

10,

16,

and 17,

you can

look at

it there

if you

would like

to once

again.

The bread

and the

cup

don't

change

substance,

but they

are signs

that

strengthen

faith,

just like

a wedding

ring reminds

a spouse

of the

covenant

that they

have made.

It's a

symbol.

I'm wearing

a silicone

one right

now because

the one

that my

wife gave

me on

our wedding

day got

lost in

the bottom

of a lake

in a

desk drawer,

and I

wear a

silicone

ring.

It's a

different

ring,

but it

means the

same thing,

and it

reminds me

of the

commitment

that I've

made to

her.

In that

same way,

they're

symbolic

for us.

When you

eat the

bread,

you are

reminded

Christ's

body was

broken

for me,

more

importantly,

for us.

When you

drink the

cup,

you are

reminded

Christ's

blood was

shed

for me,

more

importantly,

for us.

When you

take it

with your

brothers and

sisters,

you are

reminded

Christ's

salvation

has

united us

as a

divine

reality,

we are

united

because of

what Christ

has

accomplished.

This meal

is meant

to feed

our faith,

to re-anchor

us in

grace,

to strengthen

our assurance

that Jesus

truly is

enough.

The Lord's

Supper

nourishes

the faith

of believers.

Fourth,

the Lord's

Supper

calls us

to

self-

examination.

Look in

chapter 11

of 1 Corinthians

27,

28,

and 29.

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

person

examine

himself

then,

and so

eat of

the bread

and drink

of the

cup.

For

anyone

who eats

and drinks

without

discerning

the body

eats

and drinks

judgment

on

himself.

I

reject

altogether

that what

Paul is

calling us

to in

these

verses

is

self-scrutiny

concerning

the failing

of the

previous

week

or

months.

Some

churches

take the

Lord's

Supper

once a

year

or

year.

If we

were

capable,

if,

and we're

not,

if we

were capable

of sorting

through

every detail

of the

week,

we would

still fail

to realize

every action,

every misplaced

emotion,

every

solid

intention.

It's just

not possible.

You are

more sinful

than you

realize.

You can't

take an

honest

assessment

of it

all and

repent of

every

little

minutia.

It's

not

possible.

Should we

repent

when taking

the

supper?

Of

course.

Because

there is

plentiful

mercy for

sinners found

in the

completed work

of Jesus

Christ.

We should

be moved

to repentance

as we

think about

the gospel

and its

benefits

to us.

You should

be repenting

all the

time.

Repentance

and faith,

repentance

and faith.

It's an

opportunity,

another one,

to do

that very

thing.

But Paul

is not

saying that

you are

meant to

determine

whether your

performance

warrants

the reward

of the

supper.

That is not

what's being

communicated here.

And sadly,

that's what's

been taught.

there is a

particular issue

he is

speaking to

and I

say to

you that

the call

for self

examination

is more

stark when

the actual

context is

considered.

This

self

examination

thing,

I am not

dismissing

it.

It's

important.

We

should be

self

examining,

but is

it a

work when

we realize

the context

of what

Paul is

talking about

here.

So what's

happening

in this

church?

We need

to go up

a little

bit in

the text

of verse

17.

He says,

But in

the following

instructions,

I do not

commend you,

because when

you come

together,

it is not

for the

better,

but for

the worse.

For in

the first

place,

when you

come

together

as a

church,

I hear

that there

are

divisions

among

you,

and I

believe

it in

part,

for there

must be

factions

among

you,

in order

that those

who are

genuine

among you

may be

recognized.

When you

come

together,

it is

not the

Lord's

Supper

that you

eat.

For in

eating,

each one

goes ahead

with his

own meal,

one goes

hungry,

another

gets

drunk.

What?

Do you

not have

houses to

eat and

drink in?

Or do you

despise the

church of

God and

humiliate

those who

have

nothing?

What shall

I say

to you?

Shall I

commend

you in

this?

No,

I will

not.

It's

on the

heels of

that,

that he

is talking

about this

self-examination.

So,

to our

best guess

what's going

on here

is that

slaves who

are getting

off of

their work

later than

others

are not

being waited

for.

People are

going ahead

without them.

They're eating

the meal.

They're drunk

and others

are having

to do

without.

And he's

saying to

them,

that is not

the Lord's

Supper

because it's

not being

done

in

unification

with

others.

And his

words are

strong,

strong words.

So,

it's in

that context

that he

then 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.

So,

what's the

worthiness

that's supposed

to be going