Quote of the Week: “No sin, no matter how momentarily pleasurable, comforting, or habitual, is worth missing what God has for us.” –Beth Moore
Here are the completed notes from the Sunday morning service August 23, 2015:
The Lord’s Supper – What is it about? / Should I partake of it?
Scripture: Luke 22:7-20
Introduction
1st – A look at what the Lord’s Supper is not:
- It is not a religious ritual
- It is not Transubstantiation – The intended turning of the break and wine of the Lord’s Supper into the actual and real body and blood of Christ after a prayer by the priest.
- It is not a means of earning God’s favor
Sacrament – Implies that the act itself conveys grace to the believer
There is nothing we can do to earn God’s grace!
G – God’s
R – Riches
A – At
C – Christ’s
E – Expense
I. What is the Lord’s Supper about?
A. A Church Ordinance
Ordinance – A decree or command given by the Lord Jesus Himself
B. An act of Obedience
- Luke 22:19 “This do“
- This is a command from the lips of the Lord Himself
- Not an option for the believer
- Scripture: I Corinthians 11:23-24
- Verse 23 – Very good possibility that this letter was written before any of the Gospels; therefore, this would be the first Biblical record of the institution of the Lord’s Supper
C. A symbolic picture of the death of Christ (vs. 23-26)
- “For you” (verse 24) – Sacrificial death
D. A memorial remembering the Lord’s death (vs. 24-25)
- “In remembrance of Me” (verse 24, 25)
E. An opportunity for deep spiritual meditation on the work of Christ (vs. 24-25)
- To remember is to go back in one’s mind and recapture as much of the reality and significance of the event or experience as one possible can.
- Participate in the heart without just going through the motions
F. A looking forward to Christ’s return (vs. 26b)
- “Till He come” (verse 26b)
G. An opportunity to examine yourself (vs. 28)
- Take caution (verse 29-32)
- Verse 28 – “Let a man examine himself“
- Inwardly – heart attitude, unconfessed / unrepented of sin
- Outwardly – relationship with others, unforgiveness, division
- Upwardly – Relationship with God
II. Should I partake of the Lord’s Supper?
A. Are you a believer?
B. Are you a believer walking in obedience to the Lord?
- The Lord’s Supper is the most dangerous service in the church (verse 29-33)
- “Unworthily” – ritualistically, indifferently, with a bitter spirit, harboring sin or unforgiveness, with an unrepentant heart
C. Are you a believer willing to deal with sin in your life?
- This is the time to take action (verse 29-34)
- “If we would judge ourselves, we will not be judged” (verse 31)
- The Lord gives believers a choice – they may either exercise their own judgment upon themselves or they may await God’s discipline
- Confession of sin
- Repentance (a change of mind = a change of conduct)
- Restoration with another