Lord's Supper

Notes:

1. People to be seated around the round tables.

2. At each table there will be a bowl of water and a towel to be used during the time of self-examination.

3. At each table there will be a handout for each person with the verses of prayers from the New Testament that will be used during the prayer time at the tables.

4. We will begin with the lights up and then turn them down at the appropriate point in the service.

Indescribable [G]

Your Grace is Enough [A]

[People sit]

Pastor Dana:

This morning we will be celebrating the Lord’s Supper together. Jesus instituted this object lesson and He has passed it on down to us through the eyewitness accounts of those who were there that night in the upper room with Him and through the inspired words of Scripture.

The Lord’s Supper is so rich that we cannot possibly ever exhaust all that God has for us as we partake together in this observance. There are many facets to the celebration of the Lord’s Supper. It is to be a reminder to us of what Jesus did for us in the past as He died on the cross and rose from the dead to pay the penalty for our sins and make it possible for us to have a relationship with God. It should also cause us to look forward with great expectancy to the day when Jesus will return to this earth to take His followers to be with Him for eternity.

But there is one other aspect of the Lord’s Supper that we often tend to overlook. It is also to be a time that furthers the relationships that we have among each other as brothers and sisters in Christ. And that is the aspect of the Lord’s Supper that we want to focus on this morning. One of the ways that we are going to do that is by praying for each other this morning. As we do that, we’re going to use the Scriptures as our guide. So it seems only appropriate to begin with this prayer that is recorded for us in Romans 15. Will you join me as we pray this prayer together?

May the God who gives endurance and encouragement give you a spirit of unity among yourselves as you follow Christ Jesus, so that with one heart and mouth you may glorify the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ…May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.

Romans 15:5-6, 13 (NIV)

In Jesus’ name we pray,

Amen

[Turn down lights]

Pastor Pat:

It is very important that we enter into this time with our hearts properly prepared before God. Actually, that is something that we should do every time we enter into God’s presence. That is a principle that we find throughout Scripture, including this passage from the Psalms. Let’s read it out loud together:

Who may ascend the hill of the LORD? Who may stand in his holy place? He who has clean hands and a pure heart, who does not lift up his soul to an idol or swear by what is false. He will receive blessing from the LORD and vindication from God his Savior. Such is the generation of those who seek him, who seek your face, O God of Jacob.

Psalm 24:3-6 (NIV)

Right now I want to encourage you to take a few minutes to meditate on those words and to prepare your hearts. Maybe there is some unconfessed sin in your life that you need to get right with God. Or perhaps you just need to clear your mind of any other thoughts that might distract you from entering into God’s presence this morning. Then in a moment, we’ll sing the song “You are My King” as an act of acknowledgement and thanks to God for His provision of forgiveness. You’ll notice that there is a bowl of water and a towel on your table. As we sing, I want to encourage you to pass the bowl of water and the towel around your table and allow each person to dip their fingers in the water and then wipe them dry as a symbol of coming before God with clean hands and a pure heart.

You Are My King [D]

Dana:

In just a moment, we will be distributing the bread and the cup to the tables. If you are a Christ-follower and have made the decision to commit your life to Jesus as your Savior and Lord, then we invite you to take those elements as they are passed and to eat and drink at the appropriate time in the service. You do not need to be a member of this church to do so. However, if you have never made that decision, we ask that you just pass the elements on by as they come to you and refrain from eating and drinking. It is our prayer that these symbolic elements will be a great testimony to you about the importance of committing your life to Jesus, but at the same time, the Bible is quite clear that the taking of these elements is to be reserved only for those who are Christ-followers.