Communion
SUMMARIES ON THE LORD'S SUPPER
1 Corinthians 11:26 implies that the body and blood (bread and cup) proclaim the Lord’s death. The full meaning of the bread involves dying to self (cross) and living for God (resurrection). The full meaning of the cup involves being delivered from death (cross) into life (resurrection). Thus we have the death and resurrection seen in each element of the Lord’s Supper.
The cross and the Holy Spirit
When we present the Lord’s Supper with understanding, the Holy Spirit will brood over the truths of the cross being proclaimed. The Holy Spirit is convicting us of our sin. He is pointing out the truths of the cross. He is applying pressure on us to confess our sins and take them to the cross (by faith apply the truths of the cross to a particular sin or death problem).
Deliverance into godliness and life
The great rewards and goals of the Gospel are life and godliness. Let us relate these two themes to the Lord’s Supper and the cross. Jesus delivered us from sin so that we can be godly. Godliness is the goal of the bread. Also, Jesus experienced death for us so that we can experience life. Life is the goal of the cup.
The taste of the Bread and the taste of the Cup
The cup of the Lord’s Supper is a delicious drink. It is called in Scripture, "the cup of blessing." Whether it is wine or grape juice, this drink is physically pleasing to sip. This fact is not accidental. This delightful drink, this cup of blessing, stands for a delightful message: He suffered death for me that I might have life.
Understanding the CUP of the Lord's Supper
Most Bible believing Christians understand that the cup of the Lord’s Supper stands for the blood of Jesus shed for the forgiveness of our sins. What relief and peace we have in understanding that our sins are forgiven. Apart from Christ, we stand guilty and deserve to pay the penalty for our sins; we deserve to go to hell, a place of eternal punishment.
Understanding the Bread of the Lord's Supper
Scripture tells us that Jesus bore our sins in His BODY (bread) on the cross so that we (1) have been set free from sin, (2) can live for righteousness. This, in a nutshell, is the meaning of the bread of the Lord’s Supper. Now, there are other meanings to the bread, but the above is the fundamental and primary meaning.
Understanding the unique meaning of the Bread and of the Cup
The bread and cup of the Lord’s Supper are clearly the two most ingenious symbols the world has ever known. These two symbols have unique, definite meanings that literally summarise the entire Christian life.
DELIVERANCE FROM SIN AND DEATH
After Adam and Eve sinned, God looked down from heaven at man’s condition and saw two things that He did not like. He saw man doing stupid things on the earth, i.e., sin. And, He saw the horrible consequences man suffered and will suffer because of his sin, i.e., death. Sin and death are equally repulsive in God’s sight. Then God sent His Son to die for man ....
The bread of affliction
The unleavened bread is called the bread of affliction in the Old Testament. This is the very bread that Jesus had in His hands when He said, "This is My body which is given for you ...."(Luke 22:19) It was called the bread of affliction because the Hebrews came out of Egypt in haste.
Is it manna or unleavened Bread?
I want to point out the difference between the manna which the Bread of Life message is based on, and the unleavened bread which is the basis for the bread of the Lord’s Supper. Not only are these two different kinds of bread, but they stand for two different aspects of the Christian experience.Let us look at some scriptures that link the Bread of Life message of the N.T.
The unleavened bread primarily means SANCTIFICATION & RIGHTEOUSNESS
The meaning of the unleavened bread, as can be clearly seen in 1Corinthians 5:6-8, relates to getting the sin out of one’s life; i.e., sanctification. The leaven is a type of sin, In Exodus 12:19-20 the Hebrews were instructed to purge the leaven out of their houses. This is a picture of the Christian purging the sin out of his life.
The two pictures of the cross
There are two great pictures of the cross in the Exodus story. The first picture is well known. The blood of the Passover lamb applied to doorposts of the Hebrew houses is clearly understood to be a picture of the forgiveness we now have because of the blood of Jesus. The Hebrews applied the blood to the doorposts so that the death angel would see the blood and pass over..
The feast oF the Passover and the feast of unleavened Bread
Most people understand that the Lord’s Supper is related to the Passover. The truth is that this is only part of the picture. The Lord’s Supper is actually related to two feasts of the Lord; namely, the Feast of Passover and the Feast of Unleavened Bread. I want to show here in this chapter that the cup of the Lord’s Supper relates directly to the Feast of Passover.
The Body is for doing, the Blood is for living
Step back for a moment and just think about a body and blood; any body and any blood. What comes to mind when you think about blood? We know that the Bible teaches in the Old Testament that the life of the flesh is in the blood. Blood is all about life. The blood supplies each member of one’s body with sustenance, support, nourishment, or just plain life.
Communing with His Body and Blood
When we die to self or reckon ourselves dead to some sin, and are lead by the Spirit instead, we are communing with the body of Christ. Whenever we exercise the authority of the blood over some area of condemnation or death (lack, sickness, alienation, boredom, etc.) and believe a promise for life and blessing in its stead, we are communing with the blood of Christ.
A FULL SERMON - A Call For Courage In The Cause For Truth
My desire is that God would use my words to inspire you with courage in the cause of truth. My prayer is that he will grant you to overcome all fear of speaking the truth of Scripture, and that you will have the boldness to speak it openly and clearly when it is unpopular or even dangerous. “Jesus had love, to suffer for me, that I might have faith, to suffer with Him"
Search My Heart, O God
David prays a very admirable prayer in Psalm 139:23-24 saying, "Search me, O God, and know my heart; Try me and know my anxious thoughts; And see if there be any hurtful way in me, And lead me in the everlasting way." David is quick to understand and admit that he is prone (as we all are) to hidden sins (see Psalm 19:12), errors of heart of which we are not yet aware.
The Lord's Supper As Worship
Let us deal with the place and meaning of the Lord's Supper in worship. The Lord's Supper expresses the value of Christ by reminding us of him. Christ gave us this simple "Lord's Supper" to help us keep him in memory, especially his blood and body given up in death. the Lord's Supper expresses the value of Christ by nourishing our life in Christ.