Sermon Central
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The Meaning Of The Lord's Supper
Contributed by Darrin Fish on May 7, 2014 (message contributor)
Summary: On the cross, Jesus took all of our mistakes, shortcomings, and sins. He took the blackest and darkest things we have ever done. And in return, we are clothed with His perfection and holiness. And this offer is made to everyone.
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Have you ever found yourself doing something and for the life of you you don’t know why?
Story of the little girl asking why do you cut the ends off the roast?
A lot of times in life we end up doing things for the wrong reasons
• And the reason is because no one has ever stopped and asked why.
• We develop habits / traditions based on nothing more than false information.
• Now every Sunday
• We have a time of communion where we partake of the bread and the wine
• And these symbols remind us of Jesus’ sacrifice for our sins.
• So this week as I was thinking about our church and the new members worshipping with us,
• I thought it would be a good time to refresh our memories
• On why we take communion every week
Acts 20:7 says, “On the first day of the week we came together to break bread.”
• Early historians recorded that the early church observed communion every week.
• Smaller groups (House churches) possibly took communion every day,
• But the church as a whole took communion every Sunday.
• Following that example we also provide communion every week.
• We simply want to practice the example that we learned from the early church
But one of the complaints that I hear about taking communion every week
• Is that it becomes too common. (Losses it’s meaning)
• If you take communion every week it isn’t as special.
• With that in mind, I want us to look at why
• Other than the fact that the early church did it
• That we take communion.
First of all, we take communion because…
JESUS STARTED IT
• I don’t mean for that to sound like a little kid saying “he started it!”
• What I mean is that the origins of communion come from Jesus Himself.
In fact, communion is also called “The Lord’s Supper” because of the fact that Jesus started it.
Paul writes in
1Co 11:23 For I received from the Lord what I also passed on to you: The Lord Jesus, on the night he was betrayed, took bread,
1Co 11:24 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.”
1Co 11:25 In the same way, after supper he took the cup, saying, “This cup is the new covenant in my blood; do this, whenever you drink it, in remembrance of me.”
God, knows that we don’t have the greatest memories.
• Throughout the entire Bible we see that God was always setting up memorials / Ways for His people to remember things
.
• Whenever a significant event would happen, the patriarchs would build an altar.
• When the people of Israel crossed the Jordan River they set 12 stones by the river bank to serve as a memorial to that event.
• Whenever their children walked by and saw the stones the parents would tell them about God’s miraculous entrance for them into the Promise Land.
A significant memorial for the Israelites was Passover.
• Passover was a meal that celebrated the people’s escape from Egypt.
• During the meal they would eat bitter herbs to remind them of their years in slavery.
• They would eat sweet honey to remind them of how good the Lord is.
• It was during this celebration that Jesus met with His disciples and started the Lord’s Supper.
Every family would set an additional place setting for the Messiah.
• This was a reminder that they were looking forward to the One who was coming.
• It is from this place that scholars believe that Jesus took the bread and the cup.
• Strong significance.
The primary purpose of communion is…
A SYMBOLIC REMINDER OF CHRIST’S DEATH
• Two times in these verses Jesus said to do this, “In remembrance of Me.”
• We have all been frustrated / embarrassed at times about forgetting something.
• Isnt it embarrassing when you know someone
• But you can’t remember their name.
Sometimes it’s a good thing that we don’t remember everything
• If the memory of a bad accident stayed in our minds perfectly,
• we would never get back in a car.
• If the memory of failure didn’t fade,
• We might not be willing to try again.
Think about how terrible it would be if the memory of a loved one that died
• Didn’t fade a with time?
• Now We never forget them,
• But if some of that immediate pain didn’t leave us
• The grief would be unbearable.
The Lord’s Supper is the most meaningful memorial that has ever been established.
