The Lord's Supper

Lord’s Supper Service

1 Corinthians 11:23-32

Sermon by Rick Crandall

McClendon Baptist Church - Nov. 1, 2009

Scripture Reading (1 Corinthians 11:23-32)

1. As we think about these verses tonight, the first thing we need to do is reflect on our own life...

*Paul points this out in vs. 27-29:

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.

29. For he who eats and drinks in an unworthy manner eats and drinks judgment to himself, not discerning the Lord’s body.

*We reflect so that we will repent... The only way to properly receive the Lord’s Supper is to search our hearts and repent of any sin in our lives... -- All of us need to do this, because all of us have sinned.

*As C.S. Lewis once said: -“A Christian is not one who never goes wrong, but one who is enabled to repent and begin over again after each stumble... -- Because of the inner working of Christ.” (1)

*All of us need to confess, repent and claim the promise Jesus gave us in 1 John 1:8&9:

-“If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.”

*Please join me in a time of silent prayer, as we search our hearts, confess to God and repent of our sins.

2. Tonight we reflect and we remember.

*Two times in these verses Jesus said “Do this in remembrance of Me.” It is always a good thing to remember what the Lord has done for us. And the Lord’s Supper helps us do that.

*Not long ago, I saw the story of something special that happened when the Apollo 11 astronauts first landed on the moon. The moon lander touched down at 3:17 Eastern Standard Time, Sunday, July 20, 1969. Buzz Aldrin had brought with him a tiny communion kit that had been given to him by his church. It had a silver cup and wine vial about the size of the tip of his finger.

*During the morning 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, ’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.

*It was interesting for me to think that the very first liquid ever poured on the moon, and the very first food eaten there, were the communion elements." (2)

*That was a special Lord’s Supper, but in the most important way, no more special than this... -- Because we are here tonight to remember what Jesus did on the cross for us.

(Deacons Come Forward to Serve the Elements)

*Jesus wants us to remember His Body. So on the night before He went to the cross, He took some bread and when he had given thanks, he broke it, and said, “Take, eat. This is my body, which is broken for you. This do in remembrance of me.”

*Jesus wants us to remember. We remember His Body with this bread, because Jesus is the Bread of Life. As He said in John 6:35 & 47-51:

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.”