“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. That is why many of you are weak and ill, and some have died. But if we judged ourselves truly, we would not be judged. But when we are judged by the Lord, we are disciplined so that we may not be condemned along with the world.” [1]
The ordinances of the church too often have become battlegrounds between the churches. Gravely misunderstood as we move through this third millennium since our Saviour’s Advent, these church rites are frequently twisted to fit the fertile imaginations of mortal minds. Too often these rites have been stretched to meet our biases instead of moulding us to fit the Lord’s ideal. Surely it is time that we who name the Name of Christ return to the ideals of the New Testament in our observance of these ordinances. Surely we who instruct are required to provide sound instruction.
You well know quite well that the ordinances of the church are two. The initial ordinance is baptism, which is administered to those who have received Christ as Master of their life and as a testimony of their transformation. We cannot, then, baptise infants or those who are incapable of confessing faith in Christ, but rather we baptise those who have by faith accepted His sacrifice in their place. The continuing ordinance is the Communion Meal. Called to by various terms (Communion, the Lord’s Supper, or The Eucharist), the ordinance was delivered to the churches to be observed on a continuing basis. It is the Lord’s Supper, since the Lord gave the ordinance and since He is the One who determines who is invited to the meal. It is the Communion Meal since it is a declaration of fellowship or communion of believers—communion both with one another and communion with the Lord Jesus. It is the Eucharist, the Meal of Thanksgiving, as we give thanks for the love of God and rejoice in our freedom from condemnation in Him.
Join me this morning in a brief examination of this second ordinance, the continuing ordinance, the Lord’s Supper. To accomplish the stated aim of gaining an understanding of the Lord’s will, I invite you to open your Bible to Paul’s first letter to the Church of God in Corinth. As I have often stated on the Communion Sunday, Corinth was a congregation that had severely distorted the observance of the Communion Meal, thus inviting the rebuke of God’s Apostle. Fortunately for us, the rebuke Paul delivered serves to instruct us so that we may know how to please the Lord as we worship.
THE ORIGIN OF THE OBSERVANCE — “I received from the Lord what I also delivered to you” [1 CORINTHIANS 11:23a]. Paul hearkens back to the institution of the Meal. The Lord’s Supper originated in God’s direction to His people concerning the manner in which they should worship the Christ. We have in this meal an ordinance given by the Risen Son of God Himself. It is vital that we observe it according to His directions if we seek to honour Him. He has informed us what He expects as we come to this time of worship. We must not imagine that we can craft some new observance and honour Him.
The meal has roots in the Passover. It was at the conclusion of His final Passover observance that our Lord would celebrate with the disciples that He instituted a new observance. Matthew writes, “As they were eating…” [MATTHEW 26:26]. The disciples would have known by heart the ritual associated with the Pascal Meal. Every Jew from earliest childhood watched this ritual and each was instructed in its significance. They did not often, however, realise that the ritual was pointing forward to the final Passover; and it is that one great sacrifice which we have in view in the Communion Meal.
On one occasion I worked with a Jewish Evangelism Team in the city of San Francisco. While visiting the homes of Jewish people in the city, I knocked on one door and having introduced myself, I asked if the family was Jewish. The man pointed to the mezuzah on the door and proudly affirmed that he was Jewish. Since the Passover was approaching at that time, I asked if he had a lamb.
“A lamb!” he scoffed. “This is the city. You can’t have a lamb in the city.”
“You can’t observe the Passover without a lamb,” I reminded him. “You are to keep the lamb penned up, observing it carefully for any defects. Then, only if the lamb is proven to be perfect may you slaughter it and your family must eat the entire lamb.”
He was intrigued by my implied challenge since these facts were well-known to him. With a quizzical expression, he asked me, “Do you have a lamb?”
It was the opening for which I had prayed. I told that gentleman of the Lamb of God who provided a sacrifice for all who will receive it. I pointed to Yeshua the Messiah who is God’s Passover. Though I did not see him embrace Jesus as His Messiah, he invited me to tell him more and promised that he would discuss the matter with his rabbi. Other homes in which I visited during those days did see people turn to the Messiah, discovering that though they no longer kept the Passover as God dictated under the old covenant, a better provision has been made in order that none need fail to honour God.
Jesus kept the Passover and at the end of that last Passover He introduced something novel. The disciples must have been startled at what Jesus did. The remains of the Passover were yet on the table when Jesus reached out His hand and took bread. Lifting His eyes to heaven He gave thanks and broke the loaf. Then He gave the bread to His disciples and with these words invited them to eat it: “Take, eat; this is my body” [MATTHEW 26:26]. Dr. Luke adds the information that the Master instructed the disciples that they were to continue this observance as they remembered Him [LUKE 22:19b].
If breaking the bread seemed odd to the disciples, Jesus’ next move must He confused them more still. He reached out and took the cup, and after giving thanks and offered it to them with these words: “Drink from it all of you. This is my blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many for the forgiveness of sins. I tell you, I will not drink of this fruit of the vine from now on until that day when I drink it anew with you in My Father’s kingdom” [MATTHEW 26:27-29]. Whatever could the Master be doing?
The disciples had witnessed the Master honour that which the Father had instituted through Moses. But after that observance, those same disciples had also seen the Master display divine prerogative as He gave them an act which superseded the ancient rite. In doing this, Jesus was bringing that act to the fulness intended by God Himself. The Lord’s Supper was, then, given by the hand of God and we who have been born into the Family of God through faith in Christ are enjoined to remember the Saviour through this meal which He instituted. Jesus Himself has given us the example of how we are to worship Him through this Meal. And the Meal is to be an act of worship!
In the text before us today, the Apostle Paul informs us that he received knowledge of the Meal through divine communication. Christ Himself instructed the Apostle in the significance of the Meal and in the manner in which it was to be observed. Mark in your minds, then, that this is a divinely instituted meal. We dare not change either the purpose or the observance itself if we will please God.
THE DECLARATIONS OF THE OBSERVANCE — “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” [1 CORINTHIANS 11:23b-26].
Throughout the years of my service before the Lord and to His people, it has not been unusual for people to approach me asking if they may participate in our Communion Service. The fact that they ask demonstrates an uneasiness about making the assumption that they can partake of the Meal. Nevertheless, I make a sincere effort to discover the purpose behind anyone raising this question. I have discovered through my years of service that people commonly hold a sacerdotal view of the meal. Western churches trained people to think of the Meal as a vehicle that will somehow make them acceptable to God. They see the Meal as a means of making them more holy—as though partaking of the Meal will somehow confer grace on them or perhaps it will serve as a means of fitting them for heaven by taking away the stain of sin. Undoubtedly, some who inquire simply don’t want to feel excluded, they don’t want to be embarrassed.
Individuals who were baptised in a communion which teaches that baptism is necessary for salvation will assume, quite naturally, that the continuing ordinance is likewise necessary for maintaining the state of grace. Already, they suppose they have received grace through their baptism. However, from a biblical point of view, since baptism is a testimony of grace and not a means of receiving grace, this Communion Meal must also be seen as a testimony of relationship and not as a means of enhancing relationship. Knowing that people would distort the declarations of the meal the Spirit of God gave us instruction through the Apostle so we would know what we are to do and the manner in which we are to keep this observance.
The Meal itself is simple in design. The Meal consists of the eating of bread and the drinking of wine together with those whom we fellowship. It would seem that the early practise was to observe the Communion at the conclusion of a potluck meal which was known as the ???????. The ??????? was similar to any potluck meal we might observe in our own church. The people would unite for a common meal, each one bringing whatever they were able to contribute and all alike shared in the ??????? meal.
This is the background to the Apostle’s rebuke which begins in VERSE SEVENTEEN. “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” [1 CORINTHIANS 11:17-22].
It is healthy for the church to see the Meal as Communion, and as one means to assist in that understanding to plan for a potluck meal during which the Lord’s Supper is observed as a testimony of fellowship. That is the meaning of the word “communion.” The word ????????? which is used in 1 CORINTHIANS 10:16 was actually translated “communion” in older English translations of the Word. Thus, we read in those older translations that the “cup of thanksgiving” and “the bread we break” are identified as a “communion” in the blood and body of Christ. Thus, it is apparent that participating in the Meal is to be seen as a declaration of fellowship in His Body.
Take a moment to make one crucial observation: THIS IS A CHURCH OBSERVANCE. The Lord’s Supper is a congregational observance; it is not an individual observance. The Apostle has written, “When you come together as a church…” [1 CORINTHIANS 11:18] The Greek text reads rather differently in this instance; translating somewhat literally, we read, “When you come together ???????????????.” It was as the congregation came together in assembly, as the congregation united in worship, that they observed the meal. From the way this is written, it is apparent that I cannot simply decide that I will have a Communion Meal by myself. I cannot in concert with a group of fellow saints decide to hold a Communion observance. It is a church ordinance and the entire church must be invited to participate in order that the declarations set forth in our text might be made.
The church does have the right to dismiss from this building announcing that the Lord’s Table will be observed at some other place so long as each of the members is welcome to participate there. The church can announce that it will commemorate the Lord’s death at a certain place and that any of the Body wishing to join in that commemoration is welcome to come. The meal cannot simply be held for a few to the exclusion of the most, however, as it is in assembly that the ordinance is to be observed.
When we come to the Lord’s Table WE DECLARE OUR FELLOWSHIP WITH CHRIST, but we also declare our fellowship with one another. By participating in the meal we declare on holy oath before the Lord that we are in fellowship with one another and with Him. We invite Him to examine us to discover any duplicity in that avowed fellowship. Therefore, this is what it professes to be—Communion, a declaration of fellowship.
We are to examine ourselves in part to insure that there is no fracture in our fellowship with one another. If I am angry toward a fellow worshipper and there has been no attempt to repair the breach and I nevertheless attempt to partake of the meal, I am inviting the Lord’s discipline. If I hold a grievance in my heart against some fellow saint I invite the Lord’s discipline. This is the reason for the Apostle’s question, “Are we stronger than the Lord” [see 1 CORINTHIANS 10:22]? Dare we imagine that we can ignore His instruction without invoking His loving intervention to hold us to account?
‘Ere the Meal is observed there is opportunity for and encouragement to engage in personal examination. If you should discover that you harbour hostility or malice or even irritation in your heart against another believer, go to that believer now and make it right. If it is not possible to speak to that believer at this moment, resolve in your heart to repair the damage at earliest opportunity. If the injury is deep and the anger holds sway over you, refrain from the Meal until you have resolved the issue, for we are to be in fellowship, sharing our lives and caring deeply for one another from the heart.
This is also A MEAL OF REMEMBRANCE. Jesus, as He broke the bread, commanded that we do this in remembrance of Him [LUKE 22:19], and in our text Paul iterates the command which the Lord delivered to His disciples on the night He was betrayed [VERSE 24]. As the bread is broken we are reminded that the body of our Lord was broken for us. As we see the wine in the glass we are reminded that His blood was shed for us. Above all else, this is a Meal of Remembrance. The one who worships the Risen Son of God is called to remember our Saviour’s great love for His own—a love which led Him to give Himself in our place. Jesus said, “Greater love has no one than this, that he lay down his life for his friends” [JOHN 15:13].
While each of us participating in this Meal will doubtless focus on the sacrifice of our Lord, I challenge you to remember that His sacrifice was above all else evidence of His great love for us. In the encyclical we know as Ephesians, Paul urged believers to live a life of love. Take note that the basis for this enjoinder is the singular fact that “Christ loved us and gave himself up for us, a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God” [EPHESIANS 5:2b]. That is a humbling thought: “Christ loved us and gave Himself up for us.” We must ever remind ourselves of His great love for us, and nowhere is that more essential than at the time we are worshipping at the Table of the Lord.
It is not cruelty that compels me to caution that one who has never trusted Christ cannot remember His sacrifice. Sadly, that individual has never received the sacrifice which is offered for all who will receive it. The Meal is set before you, and if you have not been born into the Family of God, let the bread and wine serve to convict you of your need and to convince you of the love God has for you.
The Word declares: “God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through him. Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only Son of God.” [JOHN 3:16-18].
The Lord’s Supper is a Communion—a declaration of fellowship, and it is a Meal of remembrance. It is also a MEAL OF ANTICIPATION. Paul said we were to keep this observance “until He comes” [VERSE 26b]. Jesus, on the night He instituted this Meal avowed, “I will not drink of this fruit of the vine from now on until that day when I drink it anew with you in My Father’s kingdom” [MATTHEW 26:29].
One of the great truths obscured by our cynical age is the doctrine of the Lord’s return. Jesus, as He departed this earth, promised that He would come again. The apostolic church lived in the hope of that promise and that hope energised the saints, enabling them to stand in the face of the severest persecution. Paul wrote of the transformation which yet awaits the follower of the Christ. These are his words found in ROMANS 8:18-30.
“I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worth comparing with the glory that is to be revealed to us. For the creation waits with eager longing for the revealing of the sons of God. For the creation was subjected to futility, not willingly, but because of him who subjected it, in hope that the creation itself will be set free from its bondage to corruption and obtain the freedom of the glory of the children of God. For we know that the whole creation has been groaning together in the pains of childbirth until now. And not only the creation, but we ourselves, who have the firstfruits of the Spirit, groan inwardly as we wait eagerly for adoption as sons, the redemption of our bodies. For in this hope we were saved. Now hope that is seen is not hope. For who hopes for what he sees? But if we hope for what we do not see, we wait for it with patience.
“Likewise the Spirit helps us in our weakness. For we do not know what to pray for as we ought, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us with groanings too deep for words. And he who searches hearts knows what is the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes for the saints according to the will of God. And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose. For those whom he foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son, in order that he might be the firstborn among many brothers. And those whom he predestined he also called, and those whom he called he also justified, and those whom he justified he also glorified.”
No doubt you, like me, sometimes grow discouraged as you walk through the world. I read of young mothers who kill their newborn infants, of fathers who abuse their little children for their own gratification, of men and women living only for their own gratification, and I become disheartened. The churches of our Lord are ridiculed and the holy Bride of Christ is treated by the world as though she was a cheap trollop to be used as wicked people desire. Seeing this, I confess that I often grow discouraged. Professed Christians seem unrestrained as they ridicule and even disregard the Word of God. They see service to the Body and before the Lord as a means to seize power over others, and I am driven to cry out to the Saviour, “How long, O Lord? How long until you return and set matters straight?” Those who should declare the Faith without favour often seem content to stand behind the holy desk and deliver spiritual pabulum rather than the Word.
If the injury to the soul is somehow insufficient to cause the saint to lose heart, the opposition of sinners will surely accomplish that dire task. Though many will listen if we go to them with the message of life, others are offended that we would dare shine light on their bondage. I read, “People loved the darkness rather than the light because their works were evil” [JOHN 3:19]. Enslaved by their own passions and in bondage to forces they cannot control, they resent the light which reveals they are chained; and the child of God who speaks in love to them will ofttimes be despised and abused. A few such incidents and the child of God may easily grow discouraged without some refreshment. The Lord’s Supper provides just such refreshment—a soft pillow for the weary head.
Christ has promised to return and as I partake of this Meal I cannot help but remember that we shall not always share in this way. There is a day known but to God when all the ransomed people of God shall be gathered together to Him. One last time we shall sit down to the table and Christ Himself will serve us. Don’t we look forward to that blessed day! It is as though my soul is soiled by the contamination and filth of this world and in my despair I approach this table and renew my hope in His return. He is yet Lord and He shall return to receive us who long for His return to receive us to Himself.
Recall the Apostle’s words found in 1 THESSALONIANS 4:13-18. “We do not want you to be uninformed, brothers, about those who are asleep, that you may not grieve as others do who have no hope. For since we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so, through Jesus, God will bring with him those who have fallen asleep. For this we declare to you by a word from the Lord, that we who are alive, who are left until the coming of the Lord, will not precede those who have fallen asleep. For the Lord himself will descend from heaven with a cry of command, with the voice of an archangel, and with the sound of the trumpet of God. And the dead in Christ will rise first. Then we who are alive, who are left, will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air, and so we will always be with the Lord. Therefore encourage one another with these words.” Rich encouragement resides in the knowledge that Jesus is coming again, and the Meal before us serves to provide that encouragement. Amen.”
THE WARNING ASSOCIATED WITH THE OBSERVANCE — “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. That is why many of you are weak and ill, and some have died. But if we judged ourselves truly, we would not be judged. But when we are judged by the Lord, we are disciplined so that we may not be condemned along with the world” [1 CORINTHIANS 11:27-32].
The Meal serves as a means of self-diagnosis for the follower of the Risen Lord. Examining ourselves enables us to be restored to fellowship with Christ and with His people. We can renew our walk with the Saviour and thus renew the joy of sharing our lives as members of the assembly of the righteous. Examining ourselves will remind us of His great love for us. And when we are reminded of His love for us, we are thus led to give thanks. Our hearts are then filled with gratitude to the Saviour for His mercy and for His love. Examining ourselves, and recognizing all that the Master has done for us, our hope is renewed and we are equipped to again confront the world as befits those who are redeemed. We are strengthened as we confront our brokenness and as we refresh our souls through witnessing in a fresh way the powerful love of Christ the Lord.
We are not made more holy if we partake of the Meal, but we are fitted to better serve the Master. Anyone who views the Meal as a sacrament must be cautioned against thinking that this act in some way makes them acceptable to God. We are not somehow saved if we participate in the Meal, but if we are saved we are invited to join in the Meal. The directions Paul provided are not given to debar any from the Meal, but they are given to lead us to approach the Lord’s Table in a manner worthy of Him who calls us.
On occasion an individual will keep himself or herself from the Meal, thinking, “I am not worthy to share in that Meal.” Come, sinner, join with other sinners who have been made perfect in Christ. None of us is worthy to be called a child of God nor even to come before Him, but the One who redeems us invites us to come in an attitude worthy of His calling. The word unworthy is not an adjective but an adverb. It is not the person who is in view but the attitude of the person which is in view, and that is the reason the Master calls us to examine ourselves. I do not mean to be cavalier in inviting you to the Meal, but I call you to see this observance as the means by which our Lord confronts us in our sin and calls us to receive His restoration.
Some among us today cannot legitimately partake of the Meal because they are estranged from other believers. You harbour bitterness toward some fellow saint—perhaps even a member of this particular congregation. Set aside your bitterness. Before you partake of the Meal you may find it necessary to go to that one in whom you are offended and seek forgiveness. Take the initiative so that you can enjoy the Communion of saints and so that you may truly declare your fellowship with the Lord of Light.
Among us may be some fellow believer, a follower of the Risen Saviour who has grown so discouraged by events that she doubts she can ever again partake of the Meal. Lift up your eyes, my sister! Encourage yourself, my brother. Christ is coming again, and this Meal reminds each of us of that rich truth. Refresh your spirit by looking again to the Living Lord who has conquered death having gone down into the tomb to make it a pleasant place to await the resurrection. This Risen Lord of Glory is surely coming again, and you can take heart in that knowledge. Your faith can be bolstered as you see with fresh eyes the promise of the Master. Jesus our Master is coming again!
Others here today realise, perhaps for the first time, that they cannot partake of the Meal because they have yet to know the Saviour as Master of life. But why would such a one not come to Christ for life? Why would one who has yet to believe delay receiving the Risen Saviour as Lord of life? You who are yet unsaved, do you not see the love our Lord has for you that He should give Himself for your sin? In Scripture we hear the voice of the Living God declaring, “We see him who for a little while was made lower than the angels, namely Jesus, crowned with glory and honor because of the suffering of death, so that by the grace of God he might taste death for everyone.” [HEBREWS 2:9]. Even now where you sit, confess your sin to Him and receive Him as Lord of life so that you might join the saints of God in remembering the love of Christ for us sinners.
Perhaps you are asking what you must do in order to be saved. God calls you, “If you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. For with the heart one believes and is justified, and with the mouth one confesses and is saved. For the Scripture says, ‘Everyone who believes in him will not be put to shame.’ For there is no distinction between Jew and Greek; for the same Lord is Lord of all, bestowing his riches on all who call on him. For ‘everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved’” [ROMANS 10:9-13].
Perhaps you hesitate, saying, “What if I participate and my motives are unworthy? What then, preacher? What if I am yet angry with a fellow saint and I still participate? What if I refuse to humble myself and seek restoration of fellowship with a fellow believer? What will God do? What if I refuse to listen to the Word and continue to think that I will somehow make myself more holy or somehow be saved through sharing in this rite? What will God do? What if I fail to recognise that the Lord Himself is present with us and simply go through the motions of participating? When then, pastor?”
It is an awesome word which the Apostle has written, and our unbelief does not change the impact of those arresting words. “Anyone who eats and drinks without discerning the body eats and drinks judgment on himself” [1 CORINTHIANS 11:29]. To refuse the Lord’s instruction, to come before Him with our own ideas of what the Meal means, is to invite His judgement. Our Lord is gracious, and we are not struck down instantly on every occasion because we act in ignorance. But can we claim ignorance if we know His will and choose to disobey His will? Can we, after this word today, insist that we do not know what Christ the Lord would have us do?
Paul speaks of weakness and sickness, even of death resulting from the actions of some who, though knowing better, chose to ignore the Lord’s instruction. How much of our spiritual and physical afflictions is the result of divine judgement? That one under judgement knows that the Lord’s hand is against him. I seek to spare you today as I urge you to see the Lord’s call to enter into a fresh relationship with Him, walking in fellowship with Him and with His church and in renewed confidence in His love. I invite each one hearing my voice at this time, to ensure that they are looking to Christ as the Saviour of their soul. I invite each one who hears me at this time to renew the rich fellowship of the Master, and to remove every barrier to fellowship with your brothers and sisters. I invite each one listening at this time to lift their eyes in anticipation of the return of our Saviour so that they may be ready for His return.
Whenever we observe the Lord’s Table, the continuing Ordinance, the invitation that is extended serves as a call for each one who is present to examine his or her heart. Should you need to restore fellowship—whether with the congregation or with some fellow follower of the Risen Lord—seize this opportunity to deal with the matter. Perhaps you need to get up from your seat now and go to another to ask forgiveness, asking that fellowship be restored. Don’t imagine that for the sake of decorum it is better to avoid acting if the Spirit of God is prompting you to act. For Christ’s sake and for the health of the Body, do whatever is necessary to restore fellowship with your fellow believer now.
Perhaps that one in whom you have been offended is not present. Before the Lord, resolve that when you leave this place you shall go to that one to seek forgiveness and to restore fellowship. Act on your resolve and do what is necessary to honour the Saviour. If you restore fellowship with a fellow Christian, you will restore fellowship with the Saviour and again enjoy that peace which He alone can give.
Should you be discouraged by the press of life, take advantage of this time to cry out to the coming King asking that He encourage your heart. Confess your disappointment to Him and plead with Him to encourage your heart, reminding you that what you now see shall not always prevail. Evil will not ultimately win the day. Christ will prevail and He shall receive us to Himself. He has promised to return and because He is shortly coming we must prepare ourselves to serve until He has fulfilled His promise. Ask that He might remove discouragement and distress and that you might again walk in renewed hope. As you are renewed in hope you will be a source of rich encouragement to others. As you are thus blessed you shall bless others.
If, as you have been confronted by the message you have discovered that you are yet unsaved, I point you to a Saviour who will remove all your guilt and give you a place in His family. I present to you the only One who can remove your sin and make you pure before the Living God. I urge you to place your faith in Him. If you are uncertain what to do, I would urge you to hear God’s Word to you. “If you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. For with the heart one believes and is justified, and with the mouth one confesses and is saved. For the Scripture says, ‘Everyone who believes in him will not be put to shame.’ For there is no distinction between Jew and Greek; for the same Lord is Lord of all, bestowing his riches on all who call on him. For ‘everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved’” [ROMANS 10:9-13].
Having heard this call I invite you, in the quietness of your heart to simply pray. Perhaps you would say, “Lord Jesus, I know I am a sinner and unworthy of your love. I do believe that You died because of me and I accept Your sacrifice in my place. Forgive me of all my sin, for You alone can forgive my sin. Receive me into Your family and give me the confidence which comes from Your love. Amen.” May the Lord Himself, the Saviour Whom we worship in the Communion Meal, fill your heart with grace and love. Amen.
[1] Unless otherwise indicated, all Scripture quotations are from The Holy Bible: English Standard Version. Wheaton: Standard Bible Society, 2016. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
