The Lord's Supper: A Time Of Celebration

THE LORD’ SUPPER: A TIME OF CELEBRATION

A. WELCOME TODAY, IN THE NAME OF OUR LORD AND

SAVIOR JESUS CHRIST!!

1. We gather here to day to celebrate, to worship, and to proclaim the greatness of our God, and of His Son, Jesus Christ.

B. Today, we want to focus on the Lord’s Supper, what it means for us, and why we re-enact the Lord’s Supper that Jesus shared with His disciples many years ago.

1. What does the Lord’s Supper mean to you?

2. Maybe right now you are thinking of a special memorable experience of a time you celebrated the Lord’s Supper.

- A Communion highlight that meant so much to you.

3. Ask a few to share. (Church members about a memorable communion service from the past)

I. THE ELEMENTS OF THE LORD’S SUPPER

A. Jesus took two of the most common elements in Palastinian life, and sanctified them as symbols of His relationship to those He loved.

1. For the Jews, eating a meal without bread was no meal at all.

2. Christ was keeping with the Jewish custom.

B. John Burkhart, in his book, Worship writes, "it was customary for the head of the house, the host, to begin with a meal, after blessing the bread, by tearing the bread into pieces and sharing it."

1. First, by sharing the Lord’s Supper together, we enact the sharing of a common memory.

2. We are sharing the symbols of friendship, fellowship, commitment, and love for one another in Jesus Christ.

3. William Barclay has said, "The giving of and the sharing of the meal is marked by friendship. Those who sit at the meal are committed to each other, committed to their host, and their host is committed to them."

4. We are also reminded in Acts 2:42 that the Lord’s Supper was viewed as a loved feast, a celebration time of being together to celebrate a common memory.

"...they broke bread in their homes, taking their meals together with gladness and sincere hearts."

5. The Lord’s Supper was not only seen as a solemn occasion for believers to remember all their sins.

- The Lord’s Supper was a time of asking for forgiveness,taking the Lord’s Supper together with other believers of like minds;

- and experiencing unity and joy as a body, celebrating the Risen Lord!!

6. The believers in Acts 2 tightened the binding of the covenant as they were together.

II. THE LORD’S SUPPER A SYMBOL OF THANKSGIVING

A. Second, the Lord’s Supper was symbolized as a thanksgiving offering to Jesus Christ.

1. A thanksgiving service to Jesus Christ for His gifts of creation and redemption.

2. One of the most memorable communion services for me was at Urbana ’76 and ’79.

- We, the conference delegates of the 18,000 people there, shared the Lord’s Supper together on New Year’s Eve.

3. The Communion Table must have been 75 feet long with all the elements on a white table cloth.

4. My first impression was, "It looks like Noah’s Ark!".

5. Then I thought, "Yes, Noah’s Ark. The ark that protected and saved people and animals from destruction.

- The ark; the Ark of the Covenant that symbolized God’s presence with His people; He saved them from destruction.

- That was, and this is the reason for the Passover.

- The Passover Lamb that was shed to purge and to cleanse God’s people from sin.

6. Jesus Christ, the Lamb, our Savior and Redeemer; the Passover; now the Lord’s Supper that we celebrate today!!

7. Again, I quote John Burkhart. He says, "The Lord’s Feast is itself a proclamation, for it enacts an understanding of life that honors

the delicate and intricate relations between grace, gladness, gratitude,

and generosity."

8. As we celebrate the Lord’s Feast today, we celebrate with thankful hearts Christ’s presence, and not His absence.

B. The Passover feast was a meal of anticipation of the coming Redeemer.

1. The Lord’s Supper is a feast in which we celebrate that He is come, yet we too look forward to the return of our Redeemer!!

2. The Lord’s Supper represents the Living Christ!!

3. The Passover represented deliverance from the death angel and Egypt.

- The Lord’s Supper represents Christ’s sacrificial death and our deliverance from sin.

5. The Passover was designed for Israel, God’s People.

- The Lord’s Supper is for God’s People today - those who have been washed by the Blood of Jesus Christ!!

6. The Passover represented the slaying and eating of an animal sacrifice.

- The Lord’s Supper represents Christ’s sacrifice, death, and resurrection as our Unblemished Lamb!!

7. This is symbolized by His Body and Blood, the bread and the cup which is before us today.

III. JESUS EXPRESSED WORDS IN ACTION

A. Third, when Jesus washed His disciples feet, His words were expressed in action.