Why We Take the Lord's Supper
1 Corinthians 11:23-32
Sermon by Rick Crandall
(Prepared August 1, 2023)
MESSAGE:
*Do you know the first food ever eaten on the moon? Believe it or not, it was the Lord's Supper. Apollo 11 Astronaut Buzz Aldrin took the Lord's Supper with him on that first moon landing. The moon lander touched down at 4:17 p.m. EDT, on Sunday, July 20, 1969, and Buzz had brought along a tiny communion kit given to him by his church. It had a silver cup and wine container about the size of the tip of his finger.
*Two and a half hours after landing, he radioed, "Houston, this is Eagle. This is the LM (Lunar Module) pilot speaking. I would like to request a few moments of silence. I would like to invite each person listening in, whoever or wherever he may be, to contemplate for a moment the events of the last few hours, and to give thanks in his own individual way."
*Buzz Aldrin later wrote, "In the radio blackout, I opened the little plastic packages which contained the bread and the wine. I poured the wine into the cup our church had given me. In the one-sixth gravity of the moon, the wine slowly curled, and gracefully came up the side of the cup. Then I read the Scripture (where Jesus said), 'I am the vine, you are the branches. Whosoever abides in me will bring forth much fruit.'
*The moon lander's metal body creaked. I ate the tiny piece of bread and swallowed the wine. I gave thanks for the intelligence and spirit that had brought two young pilots to the Sea of Tranquility." (1)
*Why did Buzz Aldrin think it was important to take the Lord's Supper on the moon? -- For the same reasons why it's important for us to take it here today.
1. FIRST: WE TAKE THE LORD'S SUPPER TO REMEMBER.
[1] AND ONE THING GOD WANTS US TO REMEMBER THAT JESUS TOOK THE PUNISHMENT WE DESERVED.
*Verse 23 helps us remember, because there Paul said, "I received from the Lord that which I also delivered to you: that the Lord Jesus on the same night in which He was betrayed took bread." Paul heard these truths straight from Jesus, and He reminds us that the Lord's Supper was first served on the night Jesus was betrayed.
*Betrayal is an ugly thing. And thank God, we didn't betray Jesus. Judas Iscariot did that. But our sins put Jesus on the cross too. That's why in vs. 24, Paul wrote that when Jesus had given thanks, He broke the bread and said this to His other disciples: "Take, eat; this is My body which is broken for you; do this in remembrance of Me.''
*The Lord's body was broken for you, and for me. Wayde Wilson explained: "Jesus Christ carried much more than the cross. He carried the weight of the whole world's sins on his shoulders. Every sin you can think of was added to the weight. Your sin was added to that weight." Jesus died for our sins! (2)
*Dr. W. A. Criswell was one of the best known preachers of the 20th century. He was the pastor of First Baptist Church in Dallas Texas for 50 years.
*One time Dr. Criswell told the church about a dream he had. And in this dream, Dr. Criswell saw Jesus. The Lord's back was bare, and there was a Roman soldier lifting up his hand to hit Jesus with that awful whip laced with bits of metal and broken bone. In the dream Dr. Criswell reached out to grab the soldier's arm to hold it back. When he did, the soldier turned in astonishment and looked at Dr. Criswell. Then Dr. Criswell looked at the soldier's face, and saw that the soldier was him! (3)
[2] GOD WANTS US TO REMEMBER THAT JESUS TOOK THE PUNISHMENT WE DESERVED. HE ALSO WANTS US TO REMEMBER THE PRICE JESUS PAID.
*And the price was the precious blood Jesus shed when He died on the cross for our sins. Paul points us to the price in vs. 25, where in the same manner Jesus also took the cup after supper, saying, "This cup is the new covenant in My blood. This do, as often as you drink it, in remembrance of Me.''
*In Old Testament times, millions of lambs and other animals were sacrificed as offerings for the forgiveness of sins. Their blood was never enough to save us from our sins. Instead, they all pointed to the ultimate sacrifice that God's Son would make on the cross for our sins. So, John 1:29 tells us that when John the Baptist saw Jesus coming toward him, John said: 'Behold the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world!'"
*And 1 Peter 1:18-19 tells all Christians, "You were not redeemed with corruptible things, like silver or gold, from your aimless conduct received by tradition from your fathers, but with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot." The New Living Translation says, "You know that God paid a ransom to save you from the empty life you inherited from your ancestors. And the ransom He paid was not mere gold or silver. It was the precious lifeblood of Christ, the sinless, spotless Lamb of God."
*We were all born as slaves to sin and death. But Jesus Christ came into the world to set us free. That's why Hebrews 2:14-15 speaks about Jesus and says, "Inasmuch then as the children have partaken of flesh and blood, He Himself likewise shared in the same, that through death He might destroy him who had the power of death, that is, the devil, and release those who through fear of death were all their lifetime subject to bondage." Every one of us was born as a slave to sin and death. But on the cross, Jesus paid the price to set us free, and the price was His precious blood.
*One preacher put it this way: "The cross was the place where God's grace, and our sin collided with a crash. But all of the wreckage was suffered by God. The sinner walks away free: Free from sin's penalty, free to walk with God, free to live for all eternity in His heaven." (4)
*Jeffrey Ebert saw a picture of this sacrificial love in his mother. It happened many years ago when Jeffrey was 5, and they were in a horrible wreck. This was long before cars had seat belts and air bags. Jeffrey's family was driving home that night on a two-lane country road. And Jeffrey was sitting on his mother's lap, when a drunk driver swerved into their lane and hit them head-on.
*Jeffrey said, "I don't have any memory of the collision. I do recall the fear and confusion I felt as I saw myself literally covered with blood from head to toe. Then I learned that the blood wasn't mine at all, -- but my mother's.
*In that split second when the two headlights glared into her eyes, she instinctively pulled me closer to her chest and curled her body around mine. It was her body that slammed against the dashboard, her head that shattered the windshield. She took the impact of the collision so that I wouldn't have to.
*It took extensive surgery for my mother to recover from her injuries. In a similar, but infinitely more important way, Jesus took the impact for our sin." And the blood of Jesus Christ sets us free, when we receive Him as our Lord and Savior. (5)
[3] GOD WANTS US TO REMEMBER THAT JESUS PAID THE HIGHEST POSSIBLE PRICE TO SAVE US FROM OUR SINS. HE ALSO WANTS US TO REMEMBER THE POWER JESUS DISPLAYED.
*I say that, because after Jesus died on the cross for our sins, by His power He rose again from the dead! That is why in vs. 26 Paul was able to say, "For as often as you eat this bread and drink this cup, you proclaim the Lord's death till He comes."
*Our living Lord is surely coming again, and Jesus has the power to give everlasting life to everyone who will receive Him as their Lord and Savior. So through the Lord's Supper, we remember the punishment we deserved, the price Jesus paid, and the glorious power He has over death.
2. WE TAKE THE LORD'S SUPPER TO REMEMBER THE LORD, BUT ALSO TO REVEAL THE LORD.
*Again in vs. 26, Paul said, "For as often as you eat this bread and drink this cup, you PROCLAIM the Lord's death till He comes." The KJV says we "show the Lord's death till He comes," and the idea is to announce or report something. The idea is to make something publicly known.
*Taking the Lord's Supper is one way to show the most important thing people can ever know, and that is the good news about Jesus Christ. God wants us to reveal the good news about the cross of Christ every way we can. God wants us to demonstrate His love with our actions, and declare it with our words. That's why we should give testimonies about what God has done in our lives. That's why we should invite people to church. That's why we have great things like VBS and Orange.
*But there are other important ways to proclaim the good news of salvation. Baptism is one of those ways, and the Lord's Supper is another. Lanis Kineman gave the example of a dad who went to church one Sunday with his wife and 3-year-old son.
*In that service, the church took the Lord’s Supper. But Dad was not a Christian, so when the bread and cup came to him, he passed them on down the pew. Their little boy noticed that his mother and all the other big people beside them took the Lord’s Supper. But his dad was left out, and the little boy did not like that. So this 3-year-old yelled out at the top of his voice, "My dad didn't get any snacks!" God used that little boy’s concern to touch his father’s heart. And the very next Sunday, that dad trusted in the Lord. (6)
*Have you ever done that? Trust in Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior today. Then join us as we witness about Jesus through the Lord’s Supper.
3. WE TAKE THE LORD'S SUPPER TO REVEAL OUR LORD, BUT ALSO TO REVIEW OUR LIVES.
*That's why Paul wrote these crucial words in vs. 27-28:
27. Therefore whoever eats this bread or drinks this cup of the Lord in an unworthy manner will be guilty of the body and blood of the Lord.
28. But let a man examine himself, and so let him eat of that bread and drink of that cup.
*The key truth in vs. 28 is that whenever we take the Lord's Supper, we must search our hearts. Often, we can't see the sin in our hearts, but God wants us to see how ugly and hurtful our sin is. That's why God wants us to examine our hearts, repent of our sins, and confess all of the known sins in our lives.
4. WE TAKE THE LORD'S SUPPER TO REVIEW OUR LIVES, AND TO RENEW OUR LIVES.
*The purpose of reviewing our lives is to renew our lives. Let me say that again: The purpose of reviewing our lives is to renew our lives. That's why Paul wrote these crucial words in vs. 29-32:
29. For he who eats and drinks in an unworthy manner eats and drinks judgment to himself, not discerning the Lord's body.
30. For this reason many are weak and sick among you, and many sleep.
31. For if we would judge ourselves, we would not be judged.
32. But when we are judged, we are chastened by the Lord, that we may not be condemned with the world.
*One thing we really need to see in these verses is that God chastens His disobedient children. Sometimes Christians are so disobedient that God has to make us weak and sick. At the extreme, sometimes God has to shorten a Christian's life to stop the sin.
*Of course, there are many other reasons why people get sick and die. And much of it is a mystery. But mostly it's because we live in mortal bodies in a fallen world. And if you live long enough, you are going to get sick. That's 100 percent guaranteed. So, we have to be very careful about judging why people are sick.
*Think about the man in John 9 who was born blind, and miraculously healed by Jesus. John 9:1-3 says, "Now as Jesus passed by, He saw a man who was blind from birth. And His disciples asked Him, saying, 'Rabbi, who sinned, this man or his parents, that he was born blind?' Jesus answered, 'Neither this man nor his parents sinned, but that the works of God should be revealed in him.'"
*Also think about Paul's faithful fellow worker Epaphroditus in Philippians 2. There Paul tells us that his friend was "sick almost unto death; but God had mercy on him, and not only on him but on me also, lest I should have sorrow upon sorrow." And why was this godly man, Epaphroditus so sick? Paul said: "For the work of Christ he came close to death, not regarding his life."
*We have to be careful about judging other people. But God surely chastens His disobedient children. And He does it, not to hurt us, but to help us seek renewal from the Lord.
*If you have never received Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior, you need to get saved! You need to put your trust in Jesus. You need to receive Him as the Lord and Savior of your life. Then you will never be condemned with the world.
*But Christians: God's Word, and our life experience both teach us that we need to be renewed. That's why Romans 12:2 tells us: "Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God."
*And Ephesians 4:21-23 tells Christians that "if indeed you have heard Him and have been taught by Him, as the truth is in Jesus: that you put off, concerning your former conduct, the old man which grows corrupt according to the deceitful lusts, and be renewed in the spirit of your mind."
*Christians: We all will need times of spiritual renewal. Sometimes we tend to get tired in the Christian life. That's why in Galatians 6:9, Paul warned: "Let us not grow weary while doing good, for in due season we shall reap if we do not lose heart." God knows that we tend to get spiritually tired. The fire starts to grow cold. Maybe we are too busy with other things. Maybe we are neglecting the Word of God and prayer. We may be sick, discouraged, or under a lot of stress. Someone may have let us down or hurt us badly. Maybe we let someone else down, and we are worn out with guilt.
*There are many reasons why we will need renewal. God knows that, and by His Holy Spirit, He is ready to give the renewal we need. The Lord's Supper can help because it leads us to confess our sins. The Lord's Supper can help, because it turns my focus from me to my Savior. The Lord's Supper can help because it puts our focus on the cross of Jesus Christ.
CONCLUSION:
*Let this Lord's Supper put your focus back on our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. Let the Lord use these small things to bring a big renewal in your life.
*And if you have never trusted in Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior, please believe that the Lord loves you. He died on the cross for your sins, and He rose again from the dead. Call on the Lord to forgive your sins and save you, "for 'whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.''' You can do that right now, as we go to back God in prayer. Then let the Lord's Supper help you worship our living Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.
INVITATION
LORD'S SUPPER
*Now we have the privilege and blessing of taking the Lord's Supper together. And as we observe the Lord's Supper, please know that it is for everyone who has received Jesus Christ as their Lord and Savior. So, if you have trusted in Jesus, we invite you to share.
*But again, the only way to properly receive the Lord's Supper is to search our hearts, repent, and confess our sins to the Lord. All of us need to do this, because all of us have sinned. Christians: God knows that we're not perfect yet. The glorious, infinite, eternal perfection of God is the measuring stick for our lives, and we all fall short of the glory of God. That's why Paul tells us to search our hearts before we take the Lord's Supper. Please join me in this time of silent prayer.
SILENT PRAYER OF EXAMINATION
DEACONS COME FORWARD TO SERVE THE ELEMENTS
*The Lord's Supper is to remind us of the high price that Jesus paid on the cross for our sins.
[1] JESUS WANTS US TO REMEMBER HIS BODY.
*And we remember His body with this bread, because Jesus is the Bread of Life. As Jesus said in John 6:
35. "I am the bread of life. He who comes to Me shall never hunger, and he who believes in Me shall never thirst.
47. Most assuredly, I say to you, he who believes in Me has everlasting life.
48. I am the bread of life.
49. Your fathers ate the manna in the wilderness, and are dead.
50. This is the bread which comes down from heaven, that one may eat of it and not die.
51. I am the living bread which came down from heaven. If anyone eats of this bread, he will live forever; and the bread that I shall give is My flesh, which I shall give for the life of the world.''
*We remember the Lord's body with this bread, because Jesus is the Bread of Life.
PRAYER TO BLESS THE BREAD
PASSING OF THE BREAD
*Again, in 1 Corinthians 11:23-24, the Apostle Paul said:
23. For I received from the Lord that which I also delivered to you: that the Lord Jesus on the same night in which He was betrayed took bread;
24. and when He had given thanks, He broke it and said, "Take, eat; this is My body which is broken for you; do this in remembrance of Me.''
TAKING THE BREAD
[2] THROUGH THE LORD'S SUPPER, WE REMEMBER THE LORD'S BODY.
-AND WE REMEMBER HIS BLOOD.
*In 1 John 1:5-7, the Apostle John tells us:
5. This is the message which we have heard from Him and declare to you, that God is light and in Him is no darkness at all.
6. If we say that we have fellowship with Him, and walk in darkness, we lie and do not practice the truth.
7. But if we walk in the light as He is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus Christ His Son cleanses us from all sin.
*We remember the Lord's blood, because "the blood of Jesus Christ (God's) Son cleanses us from all sin." This cup represents the Blood of Jesus Christ. The Blood that Jesus shed when He died on the cross for us.
PRAYER TO BLESS THE CUP
PASSING OF THE CUP
1 Corinthians 11:25 says: In the same manner He also took the cup after supper, saying, "This cup is the new covenant in My blood. This do, as often as you drink it, in remembrance of Me.''
TAKING THE CUP.
26. For as often as you eat this bread and drink this cup, you proclaim the Lord's death till He comes.
*Praise God! He's coming again!
BENEDICTION
(1) Sources:
-Story found online at EVIDENCE FOR GOD - http://www.godandscience.org/apologetics/communion.html#3LeiI5lJi2nO
-http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Apollo_11
(2) SermonCentral.com sermon "The Wounded Warrior" by Wayde Wilson - Isaiah 53:3-5
(3) W. A. Criswell, EXPOSITORY SERMONS ON GALATIANS - Source: Charles R. Swindoll, THE TALE OF THE TARDY OXCART AND 1,501 OTHER STORIES, Nashville: Word Publishing 2000, c1998
(4) Original source unknown
(5) Jeffrey Ebert in FRESH ILLUSTRATIONS FOR PREACHING & TEACHING - Baker, from the editors of Leadership - Source: "Bible Illustrator for windows" - Topic: Atonement - Index: 304-305 - Date: 7/1998.1145 - Title: "Christ's Blood, Not Ours"
(6) Adapted from CHICKEN SOUP FOR THE CHRISTIAN FAMILY SOUL, by Lanis E. Kineman - Copyright 2000 by Jack Canfield and Mark Victor Hansen - Source: KERUX ILLUSTRATION COLLECTION - ID Number: 6252 - SOURCE: Internet: Chicken Soup of the Day - TITLE: Communion Blooper - AUTHOR: Lanis E. Kineman - DATE: 5/25/2000
