I. in the Lord's Supper We Preach the Lord and His Past Significance
I. IN THE LORD'S SUPPER WE PREACH THE LORD AND HIS PAST SIGNIFICANCE
A.The juice reminds us of the BLOOD OfJesus and Represents His Life
B.The bread reminds us of the Body Of Jesus and Represents His Love
II. IN THE LORD'S SUPPER WE PREACH THE LORD AND IN HIS PRESENT SIGNIFICANCE
A.In Christ, there is PARDON
B.In Christ, there is PEACE
C. In Christ, there is POWER
III. IN THE LORD'S SUPPER WE PREACH THE LORD AND IN HIS PROPHETICAL SIGNIFICANCE
A.Till is a WAITINGword.
B. Till is a WONDERFUL word.
Some of the most important moments in life are marked by something symbolic. Some of the most
significant things we do are marked by something symbolic. When a couple is married they exchange
rings with each other. The rings symbolize the couple’s commitment and vows of love and devotion to and for each other.
When we pledge allegiance to the flag we put our hand over our heart. That is a symbolic act.
In the Christian faith there are two symbolic acts that are significant: baptism and the Lord’s Supper.Baptism is asymbolic event in which an individual professes his personal faith in Jesus Christ. It is first in the symbolic acts.
The other symbolic act is the Lord's Supper.
In the Lord’s Supper, theelements are significance and the meaning of them important for those who understand them; however, for those who do not understand the bread and the juice, the symbols may be confusing and even seem to be foolish.
Those of us who believe in Jesus Christ as the Son of God and as our personal Savior observe this symbolic meal with a great deal of emotion and meaning.
We do not believe that there is any mystery or magic in these physical elements that we are to partake of. However, it is a time of serious reflection.
There's no prescribed timetable as tohow often we are to observe the Lord's Supper; however, no matter how often we may observe this meal, verse 26says that we actually, "ye do shew the Lord's death”as often as we eat this bread and drink this cup.
This event is a symbolic proclamation of the Lord’s death. When we come together as congregation of believers and partake of this bread and partake of this cup, we symbolicallypreach the Lord’s death.
I. IN THE LORD'S SUPPER WE PREACH THE LORD AND HISPAST SIGNIFICANCE
What is the supper about? It is about the Lord and our remembrance of Him and what He did on the cross for us.
A.The bread reminds us of the Body Of Jesus and Represents His Love (John 3:16)
Jesus Christ was God in a human body. The Word was made flesh, fully human and fully divine, and dwelt among us.
Centuries have come and gone and today Jesus still remains the central figure of the human race.
All the armies that ever marched; all the navies that ever sailed; all the parliaments that ever sat; all the kings that ever reigned, put together, have not affected the life of man on this planet so much as that one solitary life.
Romans 5:8
Let me tell you about the Russian Czar, Nicholas I. He was a mighty leader but a benevolent man.
The Czar discovered that one of his friends had a son that was in a great deal of trouble. The son was placed in a position in the army where he collected much money. The young man had a fault and a flaw in his character. He loved to gamble. He not only gambled his own money, but he gambled the Czar's money. Over a period of time he gambled away a great deal of the Czar's money.
After many years he had a change of his ways and attitude and determined that he would make up what he had lost; however, he soon discovered that he couldn't do it. One night when he was tallying up all that he owed he realized that he owed more than he could ever pay.
He decided that the only way out was to take his life. So sitting in the barracks he wrote down all that he owed and then wrote down the words, "so great a debt, who can pay it?"
In his despair he took a revolver, placed it on the table and determined that he would take his life at midnight. He put his head on the table and somehow went to sleep. In one of those twists of fate, the Czar, Nicholas I, happened to be inspecting the barracks' of his soldiers and happened to come to that young man's room that night. He discovered him there asleep, saw the gun on the table, read the note.Immediately he realized what had happened, and in a moment of compassion he took a pen and wrote under the man's question only one word, his own name, “Nicholas.”
The next morning the young man woke up startled, looked down and read the note. He realized what had happened - that the Emperor had come into his room the night before and had forgiven him of his great debt. Sure enough, days later the moneyarrived at the young man's barracks. His debt paid! His sin forgiven!
You and I have sinned against God; we have a debt we can never pay, but Jesus paid it for us. O, His love for us!
B.The juice reminds us of the BLOOD Of Jesus and Represents His Life
Leviticus 17:11–“For the life of the flesh is in the blood: and I have given it to you upon the altar to make an atonement for your souls: for it is the blood that maketh an atonement for the soul.”
Jesus took care of all our sin on the cross. He did so by shedding His blood for our sin.
Ephesians 1:7 – “In whom we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of his grace”
II. IN THE LORD'S SUPPER WE PREACH THE LORD AND IN HISPRESENT SIGNIFICANCE
The text says, "...as oft as he eat this bread, and drink this cup."
Inour eating and drinking we symbolize our continuing dependenceupon Jesus Christ.
If there is anything essential to life, it is eating and drinking.
In like manner, if we are to live life as a Christian we must continually depend on Jesus Christ. We are to never get far from the cross, and what Jesus did for us there.
We have our church house; we have our bulletins; we have our song books. BUT IT ISHE THAT WE STILL NEED TODAY.
Colossians states it this way, Christ “is our life.”
This symbolic meal proclaims the life of Jesus in the present, and our eating of these physical elements symbolizes the necessity of our dependence upon Him even now.
You never get beyond Christ.
Jesus Christ is all I need, all I need, all I need
Jesus Christ is all I need. He is all I need.
Everything in Jesus, and Jesus everything. Psalm 87:7"all my springs are in thee." Jesus is the fount of all my blessings!
A.In Christ, there is PARDON
B.In Christ, there is PEACE
C. In Christ, there is POWER
Jesus is my sufficiency, my security, my significance, and my satisfaction.
Far too many Christians are living below where they ought to be. The biggest reason for this is simply they have never discovered what theyhave in Christ today.
John 6:53 -“except ye eat……ye have no life”– tense of the verb suggest a definite action completed…. done deal. One single appropriating action of faith is described by which a man partakes of Christ to receive life….…. once for all. ThisisENTRANCE INTO eternal life!
Compare with verse 56, “He that eateth” – continueth to eat….every day the soul is to feed upon Christ. This is where the enjoyment of Christ comes from. This is the ENJOYMENT OF eternal life!
III. IN THE LORD'S SUPPER WE PREACH THE LORD AND IN HISPROPHETICAL SIGNIFICANCE
Verse 26 says, "For as oft as you eat this bread, and drink this cup, you proclaim the Lord's death till He comes." Jesus, who died in the past and who lives in the present, is coming in the future.
What He did and what He is doing will one day be completed and climaxed when He comes back to this world.
The Lord’s Supper is a standing provision against man’s forgetfulness of what Jesus has done and what He is yet going to do for us!
“Till” is more than just an abbreviation “Till” is more than mere speculation; it is eager anticipation!
There is a historical purpose in the Lord's Supper,and there is a prophetical purpose in the Lord's Supper. The Lord's Supper is the proclamation of what has happened and the promise of what will yet happen.
A.Till is a WAITINGword.
B.Till is a WONDERFUL word.
When we partake of the Lord’s Supper we proclaim that there is hope for the future.
Till is not a matter of doubt but of fact. He is coming again.
Conclusion
At a communion service in Scotland years ago, a pastor noticed a woman in the congregation did not accept the bread and the cup for the elder, but instead sat weeping. The pastor left the table and went to her side and said, "Take it, my dear, it's for sinners."
And indeed it is, but if is for sinners saved by the grace of God!
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VBC May 2011