Kyle Jones | The Lord's Supper

Good morning to you guys. It's good to see you today.

If you're visiting with us today, I want to say, welcome to

you. My name is Kyle service lead,

Pastor here and I'm glad you're here like to hear if you have

your Bible with you would you please open to 1st Corinthians?

11:20 in chapter 11, we are next week going to begin a new series

called the law and the gospel and subtitled that you must be

born again. And we're going to take a look

at the interaction between Nicodemus and Jesus and John.

Three. So I encourage you to read that

passage this week, John chapter 3, the interaction there between

John 3 · chapter mention

Nicodemus and Christ and then we'll dive into a series on that

on what's taking place. I think it'll be will be really

helpful today though, we're going to do a one-off sermon as

we might call it on the Lord's supper.

We're going to take a look at the Lord's Supper.

Today, I've never had a chance to actually preach a message on

the Lord's Supper. So I'm excited to be able to do

that. But here's what I want you to

know. If you're taking notes, you can

you can write this down, it'll be on the screen for a little

bit, so if I read it so fast, you can see it.

But the Lord's Supper strengthens our Union with

Christ. And communion with fellow

Believers. It, strengthens our Union with

Christ and communion with fellow Believers.

Let me pray for us as we get ready to dive into this.

Heavenly father we thank you Lord for your word, we thank

you. Lord that we have it for our

instruction. We have it for wisdom.

Lord, we have it for strengthening, we have it.

Lord given to us and such a way that not only reading words on

paper, but by the power of your spirit alive in us, we are Being

made more and more into the image of Christ.

As we read these words as we study these words.

And so we can't open this book without asking for the spirits

help to understand it. And so, that's what we do.

We plead with you, Holy Spirit, to help us today, to understand

the words that are here, to convict us, where we need

conviction to Grant repentance where we need repentance to give

us instruction where we may find a lack of wisdom.

Help us to walk as faithful men and women help us to walk Us.

Faithful, boys, and girls to your word to your commands.

In Christ's name, we pray these things, amen.

Amen. I want to give you a very brief

history of feasting in scripture.

The Lord institute's to ordinances during his time on

the earth. One of which is baptism the

other is the I'd suffer or you might have, you might know it as

communion, but it's baptism. The Lord's Supper in baptism,

you are meant to observe, or baptism.

Is meant to be observed, One Time by every believer, as a

public Declaration of their faith, in Jesus Christ for the

Forgiveness of their sins, and their commitments, to follow him

with their whole life. Let me pause it.

A really awful place there and made it sound like Prism is for

the Forgiveness of sins, but you in baptism what you're saying is

I have placed my faith in Jesus Christ for the Forgiveness of my

sins. And now I'm committing to follow

him with my whole life that make more sense.

We want to want to recognize that baptism.

Does not save you. Baptism is not a part of the

process of Salvation. Baptism is simply the

acknowledgement that as a believer in Jesus Christ.

I have been saved by him and I want everyone to know it.

So baptism depicts. The burial of the old man the

raising to life of the new man in Christ Jesus and that's what

the Apostle Paul says in Romans chapter 6, is he as he's

Romans 6 · chapter mention

explaining the significance of the death, the Resurrection, the

death burial, resurrection of Christ to the believer.

And he says that in baptism you were buried with him in baptism

and you're raised to walk in newness of life just as Christ

was resurrected from the grave. And so it's meant to be one of

the very first acts of Radiance to Christ as a new Believers.

One of the first acts of obedience you do as a new

believer. So that's baptism very briefly.

That's baptism the Lord's. Supper then is meant to be

observed repeatedly by every believer throughout their

Christian Life, they're meant to do so alongside fellow Believers

within the local church as a sign of continuing fellowship

with Christ and with one another as his body.

And so the question at least that I have is, why why use a

meal? What's the significance of a

meal? Or feasting has deep roots in

scripture. And we here in the South, we

like feasting, right? We want Mills, we're okay with

Mills. The only complaint I've ever

heard about the Lord's Supper, is that, I think Mill enough,

right? It's it's tiny, it's small, its

bits and pieces, where's the mill?

That's kind of where we're at in the South.

We want more food. Not less food, but feasting has

deep roots in scripture, especially when it comes.

To redemption in the beginning before the fall of mankind.

Adam and Eve. Enjoyed perfect fellowship with

God. They enjoyed the presence of

God. In every move they made, he was

always with them and they feasted literally on his

creation. He gave them the plants and and

all of their produce for their sustenance.

And so every meal that they enjoyed was enjoyed in the

presence of Christ. It was enjoyed or in the

presence of God. It was enjoyed.

With their Covenant. God and that is until the aid of

that one tree which he said not to eat of, right?

The tree of knowledge of Good and Evil.

God forbid that. And in his forbidding, they

disobeyed they disobeyed God. And took of the tree of, which

God said do not eat. And so from there, they're cast

out of the Garden of Eden less they eat of the tree of life

which is an important distinction because in Genesis

Genesis 3 · chapter mention

chapter 3, you have Genesis chapter 2.

Genesis 2 · chapter mention

It's mentioned also but you This tree of life that shows up and

God is creating put in the midst of the garden.

He cast them out of the garden, says less.

They eat of the tree of life and live forever.

In their sins is what he's getting at the forever in this

Fallen State. God didn't want that to happen

so he cast them out. He guards the gardens where no

one can get into it until a future dates and wrote and

Romans Revelation, 21 and 22. We have the appearance of the

tree of life again in the new heavens and new earth where

Christ has brought together. Either his people for a final

Feast, I'm kind of getting ahead of myself in my notes here, but

there will be a feast and you will eat one day of the Tree of

Life in the new heavens and new earth and which you will live

eternally in the presence of God.

Amen. So from Genesis to Revelation,

you have feasting, you see it as early as Cain and Abel who were

offering food sacrifices, as obedient worship to God, just

before God deliver the Israelites from Egypt.

During The Exodus, he instituted the Passover meal.

The Israelites were instructed to eat unleavened bread and 2,

and the cook to slaughter and cook a lamb.

And after they spread the blood of the Lamb over the doorpost,

they would enjoy this meal together.

Now, the purpose of spreading, the blood of the doorpost was so

that the angel of death, the final plague that God was

bringing to Egypt, would pass over their home.

It's What's called the Passover feast Passover meal.

And so he would pass over their home, as he put to death the

firstborn from every son, firstborn son of every family

and he even mentions animals livestock there.

And so God commands though the Israelites to keep this Feast to

continue remembering this. Why?

So that, they remember their deliverance from Egypt.

So they remember the Covenant that God made with them.

So if they remember their Redemption by his strong hand,

and again at the end of all time, there's this wedding

supper of the Lamb that we are patiently awaiting at our hearts

are filled with hope as we wait this moment where we will be

reunited with Christ in glory surrounded by other brothers and

sisters from across time. We will join with us in feasting

with the Lord Christ. When he institute's, the Lord's

Supper in Matthew 26, he mentions there.

That he will not drink again from the fruit of the vine until

the day when he drinks it, new with his people in his father's

Kingdom. So Christ is forgoing the cup.

Now, awaiting the day that he returns in glory and we are

reunited together forever. Amen.

Really incredible. And so that time that moment

where we eat with Christ will be a time of great rejoicing in the

presence of our Lord Jesus. There are many other examples of

Feasts throughout scripture surrounding many great events

and we just don't have time to meet.

You can do a whole series just on the feast you see and their

significance. But what we do understand

through what we see in Scripture that God time and again

instituted, holy Mills for remembrance and ongoing

spiritual strength for his redeemed, people for remembrance

and ongoing spiritual strength. This was the purpose of many of

these Feast, many of these Mills that were shared, one of the

great joys of the supper of the Lord's.

Supper, as we receive it today is that we can eat and drink in

the presence of the Lord alongside each other as we are,

As We Gather in the Name of Christ for worship, we know that

he is spiritually present with us, as Christ himself, said

where two or three are gathered in my name, I am there in their

midst, Matthew 18:20. That is also true as we receive

Matthew 18:20

the Lord's Supper today. We know that the presence of

Christ is with us. Amen, me read to you, Paul's

instructions. For the Lord's.

Supper, the Paul is writing to the Corinthians.

The Corinthian Church is notorious for having everything

upside down. They're notorious for getting

everything backwards, getting everything wrong and largely.

It was due in this specific case, it's due to their own

selfishness. Their own idea of what on how to

enjoy the Lord, how they are to live.

They're following their own stomachs so to speak.

And So what had happened is the Corinthian Church was doing so

they were receiving the Lord's Supper.

Kind of it was very sinful, there were some who had plenty

and they weren't sharing with those who had nothing.

And so those who had nothing we're going without and those

who had plenty were over indulging becoming gluttonous,

they were using the Mills and opportunity for gluttony The

Lord's Supper was received with wine.

They're using the opportunity to become drunkards also so their

gluttonous and their drunkards as they're receiving, the

Lord's, Supper in a mill. That's meant to be inclusive of

the whole body, the whole local church there.

And not only that, but they were going on ahead without others.

Some were running behind or weren't showing up on time, or

they were starting earlier just doing it without one, another

not making announcements. And so, you had all kinds of

factions for me. In the church at Corinth and all

of this Paul is now going to rebuke them on and First

Corinthians 11. He begins his rebuke there.

We're going to just pick up where he talks about how to do

it, right? And then we'll read some verses

after that on the warning for not getting it right?

And then we'll receive the Lord's Supper today.

And First Corinthians 11, 11 23 he says for I received from the

Lord Lord would also delivered to you at the Lord.

Jesus on the night. When he was betrayed, he 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.

And so, what Paul is quoting here is something he the

received personally from the Lord somehow Paul was not

present on the night. Christ was betrayed Paul was one

of the early persecutors of Christians and so he wasn't

there that night with the disciples as the receiving it.

So either received it personally from the Lord which he She says,

I received from the lord. It's also possible that he just

means he received it from the Lord, as the apostles received

it from the Lord, and He to as an apostle has received this

instruction. And so, what he's doing though,

is saying here's how this supper came about and here is its

purpose. Here is its intention and here's

how to observe it correctly. So Jesus Christ on the night, he

was betrayed, he sitting there with his disciples in the upper

room and It's the time of year for the Passover feast that same

Feast we talked about earlier, a lamb had been prepared.

The bread is present the, the compass there and and they are

ready to receive this. And so Christ takes the bread

and he breaks it. And he says this is my body

which is for you. Do this in remembrance of me and

then he takes the cup and he says, this is the cup of the New

Covenant. In my blood do this, as often as

you drink it in remembrance of me.

And so Christ is now saying this old Covenant is passing away and

this is the cup of the New Covenant.

The old Covenant was a covenant built largely on works and it

was a covenant that Israel failed time and time again.

To follow. Israel was always guilty of

Disobedience to God. That's why they endured so much

hardship throughout the Old Testament.

And so Christ now sitting with his disciple says, this is the

Covenant. This is the cup of the New

Covenant in my blood and so no longer was it going to be about

the blood of goats or Lambs it was going to be the blood of

Christ which this New Covenant was built on.

It's as far as often in verse 26.

We read for as often. As you eat this bread and drink

the cup you proclaim, the Lord's death until he comes as a writer

by the name of David. Matthew Mathis David Matthews.

He also rides some things. None of which are Christian.

So, Not even that Christmas song.

Okay? David Mathes offers a helpful

outline for how we think about the Lord's supper and he, he

mentions these four categories, the past, the present, the

future, and the gravity past, the present, the future in the

gravity. And so I'm just going to I'm

going to use his outline here because I thought it was really

helpful in the past. What he's saying, is we

rehearse, the gospel as we come to the table, as we come to

receive the Lord's supper together.

One of the things that we are doing is rehearsing the Hospital

Jesus Christ. And so what we see here with

Paul is as he's instructing the Corinthians on the supper, the

Apostle Paul twice says do this in remembrance of me which is

what Christ told the disciples there in the Last Supper in Luke

22. So the Lord's Supper is no less

than a memorial meal that recounts, the Covenant of Grace

that we've received in Christ. And we received it in Christ

because it was Dated on the cross of Calvary.

And then we receive this New Covenant.

Because Christ becomes, the final sacrifice Christ is the

great high priest. Christ is the one who now reigns

forever in heaven Christ, there is now an end to the sacrifice

which there would have been no end to had Christ.

Not come at Christ, not come. We would still be offering bulls

and goats and doves and all sorts of other animals for

repair. Needed forgiveness of sins.

We would have to be Christ died. Once for all his Hebrew, says,

the nth there's coming into that, and the perfect sacrifice

has been made, which is the god, man.

Jesus Christ, the son of Mary, Son of God, and so is Christ

gives himself up for us. We receive in him, grace and

mercy, where we should have received wrath and condemnation

in Christ as we place our faith in him.

We Sieve life, whereas we should have received death, but Christ

took death for us so that we might have life.

And so the Lord's Supper gives us a rhythm in church life and

in a local church to remember and to recall and to proclaim

the Redemption of Sinners that is found only in the death

burial and resurrection of Jesus Christ.

It's found only by faith in Christ alone.

It's very similar to baptism in the sense.

The supper is a, it's a visual representation of the Gospel.

The broken body and Spilled blood of Christ for Sinners.

And the Lord's Supper is an act of New Covenant renewal its

continuing Fellowship, its ongoing perseverance in our

Embrace of the gospel. And David Mathes offers this, he

says it helps us hold fast to the word.

According to First, Corinthians 15 to, and to continue in the

faith, stable, and steadfast not shifting, from Hope to the

gospel. In the Colossians 1:23.

Colossians 1:23

So one of the misconceptions I think of the supper is that you

have to have it all together. Spiritually before you can

receive the supper. Now this comes with the idea of

fencing the table. If you've grown up in church,

you may have heard this terminology of fencing the

table. Now, they have fencing.

The table is that you set a hedge of protection, in a sense

around the table that only those who receive the Lord's supper or

Those who are walking Faithfully with the Lord.

But as with anything, we can be too strict in fencing.

We can be too concerned with exactly who qualifies and who

doesn't. And so we can end up limiting

the Lord's Supper to only the religious Elite.

Or those who, look religiously Elite.

And this is not the idea of First Corinthians 11.

I'll get into those verses later.

That really get at this idea of how we fix the table correctly.

But for now, what you must understand about, the Lord

suffers that, you're rehearsing the gospel.

And as you receive the Lord's Supper, you're remembering that

Christ died for your sins. Christ died for your sins.

Amen. And you're proclaiming that

until the Lord's, Lord comes your proclaiming his death until

he comes again, which means we're not forgetting the

resurrection, which means we're not forgetting that Christ is

going to come again as the Lord of lords, the king of kings and

set everything, right? Amen.

There will be a judgment of the living and the dead those who

are under the righteousness of Christ, because they Place their

faith in him, will go on to eternal life.

Life and those who are under the Judgment of God because they

placed their faith in their own righteousness, will go on to

condemnation in Hell forever. These were the two realities

that we come to as we look at the Lord's, Supper Christ died

for the sins of all who will call on his name.

And Christ is coming again to set everything, right?

But what this means for us, Is that all of us who were

depending on the grace of God, for salvation must not forget

the grace of God as we come to the table.

And so it can't be true that you have to have everything together

because none of us ever has everything together.

None of us is ever walking without sin.

None of us is ever walking perfectly with God, right?

My alone in this. Okay, I am never walking

perfectly with the Lord and so I'm going to receive the supper

today, whether you guys do or not, right?

But I suspect you will because you're depending on the same

grace of God that I'm depending on You're depending on the same

Mercy from God, that I'm dependent upon.

And so when you come to the table, it's a declaration that

not by my strength. Not by my will not by my

righteousness, but by the righteousness of Christ Alone in

my saved, amen. And so, you're exercising a

dependence Upon Jesus Christ and not yourself.

Now there are wrong ways and I'll get into those, there are

wrong ways to approach the table, the wrong ways to receive

the Lord's supper and we'll get into those in a moment.

But let's keep let's keep tracking with where we're

headed. So that's the past.

We're rehearsing the past. We're rehearsing the gospel.

We're rehearsing. What Christ has done on the

cross? What he did in his resurrection,

how we've received New Life in him?

And the present were proclaiming his death.

First Corinthians, 11:20 6, we read therefore, as often as you

eat this bread and drink the cup you proclaim, the Lord's death

until he comes. And so in this moment as we

receive the Lord's Supper were, proclaiming the death of Christ,

right? As we hold a piece of bread,

which is meant to remind us of the broken body of Christ as we

hold a cup, which is meant to remind us of the spilled blood

of Christ, we are remembering That and we are currently

presently. Proclaiming his death.

We were saying the Lord did die. The Lord did receive my

punishment. The Lord did take my place on

the cross, the Lord took my sin. He who knew no sin became sin

for me that I might become the righteousness of God.

Amen, this is what we're proclaiming.

As we Proclaim his death, the gospel proclamation of this is

meant to strengthen you. And it is a means of Grace to

those who receive it. In the 1689 confession of Faith

written in 1689. Chapter 30 paragraph. 7 says

this, it says worthy recipients, who outwardly partake of the

elements. In this ordinance, the bread and

the cup Worthy, recipients, who partake of this, also, by faith

inwardly receive and feed on Christ crucified and all the

benefits of his death. So, outwardly, we're taking of

the bread and the cup inwardly. We are receiving the benefits of

Christ crucified, amen! Which means we're receiving

righteousness. We're reminding ourselves of

this. Righteousness, were receiving

presently spiritually. The righteousness of Christ were

being strengthened in Ridley. It goes on to say this, they do

so really, and truly, yet not physically and bodily.

So the reason that's in there is the Catholics, the Roman Roman

Catholicism has a doctrine of transubstantiation.

They believe that as the priest holds up the cup, Up in the

bread and says, a special blessing over it that the bread

and the cup literally literally become the body and the blood of

Christ Jesus. And so you're a feasting on what

looks to you like Bread and Wine but you are feasting on the body

and blood of Christ. Now, the problem with that is

it's the it's a doctrine of of re crucifixion, you're having to

crucify Christ. Every time you receive the

supper, we don't crucify. For Christ again.

Amen, this is contrary to what scripture tells us to do

especially in Hebrews. We don't we don't recruit safai

Christ and so they wrote this in an attempt to say this is not we

don't mean this physically in bodily, what we mean is

spiritually. The body and blood of Christ are

not present bodily or physically in the ordinance but spiritually

to the faith of Believers, just as the elements themselves are

present to their outward senses. So as you taste the cup as you

taste The bread as you chew that down.

And as you as you drink the cup, you're sensing that physically,

right? I mean your your taste buds are

working your eyesight's working. You're feeling it in your hands,

as it's happening. Physically, you sense what's

taking place? Spiritually though, there is

something just as real taking place in you, you're receiving

the benefits of Christ crucified, you're being

strengthened in your spirit, your being reminded.

Of the the Cross of Christ and of his death, you're proclaiming

to yourself. I'm not worthy if this Christ

died for me, he made me righteous where I am.

Unrighteous I'm depending In This Moment On the grace of God,

the mercy of God, which I see in the face of Jesus Christ.

Amen. And so we don't come haphazardly

become saying, let me receive spiritual nourishment today.

It's much in the same way we ought to approach.

The singing of songs in church or singing songs about the

gospel. We ought to got to think about

those things. And as we're taking in that as

we're seeing it out loud, that it's renewing us to some degree.

It's strengthening our Spirits as we hear the word proclaimed

as we hear the gospel preached, hopefully correctly, rightly

you're being strengthened in your spirit.

You're being fortified, you're going on the perseverance in

Christ. And so, in this way, the supper,

the Lord suffrages, his baptism just as we won't go there.

But just, as baptism is also, the supper is a powerful tool.

This ordinance is a powerful tool for strengthening your

faith for deepening, your faith for sustaining your faith,

especially as you do it in the presence of other believers.

Have a quote here from Wayne grudem's Systematic Theology.

And he says this, he says participation and the Lord's

Supper is very clearly. A means of Grace, which the Holy

Spirit uses to bring blessing to his church.

We should expect that the Lord would give spiritual blessing as

we participate in the Lord's, supper and faith.

And in obedience to the directions laid down in

scripture. And in this way, it is a means

of Grace which the Holy Spirit uses to convey blessing to us.

There was a Spiritual union, among Believers.

And with the Lord, that is strengthened and solidified at

the Lord's supper, and it is not to be taken lightly.

Amen. Amen.

Next, I want to talk about the future.

It's in the past, the present, the future.

What are we saying about the future?

As we receive the Lord's Supper? When you receive the Lord's

Supper by faith, you were receiving, spiritual,

nourishment, and growth. As we said at the beginning of

this, the Lord's Supper strengthens our Union with

Christ and our communion with fellow Believers.

And what we're saying in the Lord's Supper is that for as

often as you eat this bread and drink the cup, you proclaim the

Lord's death, what until he comes, we're not only looking at

the past, we're not only looking at the present, we're looking at

our future hope that Christ is Returning.

We're saying until he comes again.

Mathis, is helpful here? He says, here at the table we

hear the voice of Christ. We have our savior zir we

commune with his body. We receive a fresh, his gospel.

We respond in faith. We knit our hearts together in

the bread and cup we share and in doing.

So we look not only to the past and remember what he's done.

Not only to the present or future are growing Union with

him, but also to the Future and the full Feast the come.

You see the full Feast to come in my best understanding the

Lord's Supper is meant to be a meal, it's meant to me a bit.

Meant to be a meal because it foreshadows a meal.

It foreshadows a time. When all believers will dwell

together in the new heavens, and new earth, and receive this with

their savior, And so that's that's one of the Great Hopes as

we receive this as a local body, I had a brother text me this

morning, he pastors a church and the Falcon area and he texted me

this morning, I guess he saw my post on Facebook earlier and he

just said I'm praying for you guys.

Today, we here at our church of receiving the Lord's supper

together to and what a cool thing to think that we have

brothers and sisters. You know, a few miles from here,

receiving the Lord's. Supper also there may be others

in the town now who are receiving This meal together

today. Also, there's Brothers across

the world who brothers and sisters across the world, who

receive this Mill regularly also, we are united with all of

them because we too are saved by the grace.

Of God through Jesus Christ. We become his body as we Feast

on his body. Amen.

We walk in the New Covenant of his blood as we drink his blood.

and so we are not alone and so I do think this is meant to be a

meal and I think that tradition has somehow got us into thimble

cups and bits of bread but And there may be ways to recover the

Lord's. Supper this, it's worth

exploring, it's worth talking through.

It's worth were thinking through.

But the Theologian, John frame. He offers a good reason for us

to continue using small cups and bits of bread.

He makes a good case for why this is helpful.

He says, we eat only little bits of bread and drink little cups

of wine for. We know that our fellowship with

Christ. In this life, cannot begin to

compare with the glory that awaits Us in him.

So if In else. It's like so many other things

in life. It's a foreshadowing.

It's a for Taste, if you will. Of that day when our taste will

be when we will taste and see that the Lord is good perfectly,

you know. and so that day is coming, we remember the future

as we receive I'll talk to you for a second about the gravity

of the Lord's Supper. Blessing or judgments are on the

table. When you see the bread and the

cup, their blessing, your judgment and First Corinthians

1 Corinthians 11:27

11:27 3:30. Let's read this.

Whoever therefore eats the bread or drinks the cup of the Lord,

and 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. That's why many of you are we

can deal and some have died. Wow.

Wow. What's up?

It's pretty sobering passage, you know.

So this is why churches feel the need pastors often feel the need

to fence the table. It's why many churches will say

only members can take the suffer because they feel like, in some

way we've got control over, who takes the supper with us.

When that time comes, ultimately, what Corinthians is

laying out with Paul is laying out here?

Is that it's not, it's up to the church.

It's up to the elders in the church to teach rightly

concerning the summer, but it's up to the members to discern

their own body, to discern their own lives to discern themselves

spiritually. In to say, I am in a place to

worthy. Lee receive the supper today

That doesn't fall on me. I cannot know your heart.

Only God knows your hearts and then only God knows the state of

where you sit currently spiritually with him.

And so again, Mathis offers this, he said great things are

at stake when the church gathers at the table of her Lord,

blessing and judgment are in the balance.

There's no neutral engagement. Our Gospel is the aroma of

Christ to God Among those who are being saved and among those

who are perishing to want, it's a fragrance from Death to death

and to the other, a fragrance from life to life.

That's a second Corinthians 2:15 through 16.

2 Corinthians 2:15–16

And so he goes on, he says so also the visible sermon of the

supper leads from life to life or death to death, you're still

proclaiming the gospel and so it's either an aroma of death or

an aroma of life. And as with gospel preaching he

says the table will not leave us unaffected but either closer to

our Savior or more callous to him.

And so, it's clear and Corinthians that the way they

were coming to the table. I was wrong, they were being

rebuked for it. So the question becomes when

when can you take communion and when should you refrain from

communion? First of all, we'll cover when

to take, when do you take communion the pattern for

scriptures that you take communion as a believer in

Christ Jesus? When I say a believer in Christ,

Jesus the way, scripture defines a Believers that you've trusted

in the death burial and Resurrection for the Forgiveness

of your sins and you have committed yourself to follow

Christ. And his teachings, you're

committed to obedience And so, you're trying to do that, you're

walking with the Lord, You're depending on the holy spirit for

help throughout your day to overcome sin.

So be aware of sin to know your sins to confess sin, but also to

walk and faithfulness to know wisdom and to know Grace and

peace and joy. To be the Light of Christ in the

world. So you're a believer in Christ.

Which means that you have repented of your sins, you place

your faith in Jesus for the Forgiveness of those sins and

now you are following him by faith.

And so you come to the table in that same manner, you come with

a repentant heart, you come as someone who is desperately

depending on the grace of God. Found only in Jesus Christ.

And that's what the Lord's Supper.

So, loudly proclaims is that God has shown us, great mercy, and

Grace, in the death of his son. And so you come with that

attitude that I'm depending on Christ for my salvation.

I'm depending on Christ for my sanctification that growth in

godliness that growth in Christ likeness.

And I'm depending on God on Christ for my glorification.

I'll Stand One Day in heaven with the Lord because of Jesus.

Amen. That's who we Proclaim.

So when not to take, I think it becomes clear when we Define

when to take when you shouldn't take, you shouldn't take.

If you're in unrepentant, sin. You shouldn't take if you're in

unbelief. Unbelievers are in unrepentant,

sin, unbelievers of not Place their faith in Jesus Christ.

Unbelievers are forbidden scripture here to take, this

would be in an unworthy manner because you are receiving

something that you have no conception for.

You have no idea about you don't understand a right, the gospel

that you're eating and drinking and so you would be coming in a

state of ignorance. An unbeliever would be coming to

the table without understanding. And in.

So doing would take in an unworthy manner.

But there are believers there are people who say they are

believers, people who are Christians, who would say I'm a

Christian trusting in Christ and him crucified for the Salvation

of my sins. if you ask them, I don't know that they would

verbalize that who are not just plain and simple there, they're

likely grew up in church. No Christian.

He's how to say the right things speak the right words and so

they take when the time comes because that's just what they've

always done. But if you're an unrepentant

sin, And you're defiling the stable.

You're not depending on the grace of God, received in the

death burial and resurrection of Jesus Christ.

You're depending on your own righteousness.

Your own conception of righteousness, actually, you're

saying that? Yeah, I need that.

But only for certain parts of me, the parts of me that are in

open Rebellion to God. Well, that's fine. and so, if

you're in unrepentant sin, I don't feel the need to continue

to fight defining that. I think the holy spirit will

inform you, if that's you If that's you then you don't

receive today. Not without repentance.

And remember, repentance is not just saying God forgive me and

then going on about your life. Repentance is saying Lord, have

mercy on me a sinner, forgive me of my sins.

Help me turn from those Wicked Ways and to the righteous way

that you have granted. It's not just asking forgiveness

as a child. May ask forgiveness.

In a moment of discipline. Say I'm sorry and then they just

go on and you know when your child's sorry, and when your

child, sorry? Right?

You sense the difference? We're we often approach God and

much the same manner. I'm sorry.

God. Here's the Lord saw.

But that's not repentance. That's just going through the

motions. and so if the Lord's Supper is going through the

motions for you, Because it comes around once every month,

on the second Sunday here at New Life Community Church.

And this is just kind of the regular pattern of things.

If you just going through the motions today, I beg you, I beg

you to reconsider that. Don't just go through the

motions today, think about the cup, think about the bread and

their significance, for your life and Christ do this in

remembrance of Jesus. Proclaim his death over your

life. Remind yourself, and all those

around you, that Christ died for us while we were still sinners.

That we might have real life with him.

Amen, that's one of the beauties of taking the supper together is

that were reminding. One another, with the grace of

God, reminding one another, the mercy of God, you all come from

different backgrounds, different, histories, different

families, different relationships.

You come with all sorts of baggage to the cross and then In

Christ in the grace of God has redeemed.

You and so, we are brothers and sisters in the Lord Jesus.

And we have Fellowship together. We understand one another, in a

way that no one else understands us outside of this.

And so when we come to the table, we don't come just us and

our chair with our cough and our bread focused.

Only on the Lord. We come knowing that I'm in the

presence of many whom, the Lord has saved, and I don't even know

their story, but I know that Grace has become real for them

and they're trusting in Jesus Christ in the same way I am.

And so I'm not alone. I'm a part of the body of

Christ, as a feast on the body of Christ.

Amen. Amen.

Let's receive the Lord's Supper today and you close your Bibles

would stand to your feet. When I offer a prayer now for us

as we get ready to get into the instructions of this, let's

let's pray together. Heavenly Father, we thank you

Lord for what we've received from Christ in this ordinance.

We call communion supper the Eucharist, whatever Lord, we ask

now that you would prep our hearts and Minds for the

receiving of this meal together. Father, help us forbid us from

eating and drinking in an unworthy manner today.

Help us Lord to be mindful of our Disobedience to you that if

you have said not to do this or to do this and we have done the

opposite of your commands. We are in Disobedience to you.

Lord help us to be mindful of that as we stand here today.

Join together with brothers and sisters in the Lord.

Help us not to defile. This moments.

Help us not to fool ourselves into thinking, we are receiving

spiritual nourishments. when we receive rightly from your hand

spiritual discipline, if we drink in an unworthy manner

today, Lord. We we love you and we can't

approach the stable apart from you.

Jesus Christ we can't separate the elements from you.

We can't make this a ritual and a tradition.

It's simply not that. It's not lifeless at all, its

life-giving, it's not bear a fruit.

It's full of fruits. And as we eat and drink today,

if we will do. So, in a way in which we have

submitted ourselves to your reign in our lives, as Lord, if

we were walking as a obediently, as we depend on the Holy Spirit

as we can. If we're aware of our sin and

we're not willingly pushing sins to the back of our minds as we

think about the Lord's Supper today, if we're trying to push

conviction down so that we feel a bit of Peace In This Moment

Lord, if we're not doing those things, if we're coming today,

right lie? Before you Then this is a moment

of spiritual nourishment for us as we see in your word.

It's a matter of great importance and so we ask that

you bless this time that we have.

Now we thank you that in this moment Christ is with us not

physically not bodily in that sense spiritually.

So you're near to us your nourishing us Christ and we

praise you for it. We couldn't go on in this life.

Outlets. And so we thank you Lord for

these holy moments that we have together as a church family.

We ask that you bless them now. You Christ's name we pray.

Amen.