Intro: Jesus
left His church 2 ordinances. One is Baptism and it is the immersing of
the believer in water as a symbol of the new life of Christ on the inside.
The other is the one, which we are going to celebrate this morning. The
Lord’s Supper. This too, is a symbolic observance. Yet it is one
that holds get meaning for the child of God. In the Lord’s Supper,
we can find the reason for our very existence as believers, and hope for
our future as well.This
morning, I would like to talk to you about The Lord’s Supper and
give you a little insight into what it symbolizes and what is expected
of us as we come to the Lord’s Table. Our time at His table should
be a blessed one and can be so if we understand just what it is that we
are doing. Today, I am going to preach for a while on the subject of Our
Time At The Lord’s Table.
I.
v. 24-26 IT IS A TIME OF REMEMBRANCE
A. v. 24-25 Remember
An Agonizing Lord – (The bread and the juice represent the body
and blood of the Lord Jesus. The body that was broken and the blood that was
shed.) Ill. The cruel death that He died to save our souls! In dying, He opened
wide the gates of salvation and now whosoever will can enter freely. As you
swallow the bread and the juice, please remember just what He did for you at
Calvary – Isa. 52:14.
B. v. 26 Remember
An Achieving Lord – When Jesus died, He didn’t stay that way
for long! Thank God 3 days later, He arose from the Dead and conquered death,
hell and the grave, insuring eternal life for all who will receive Him by faith!
(Ill. Matt. 28:1-6) (Ill. This is why the Lord’s Supper is nothing more
than a symbol. Jesus is alive and well this morning! Yes He died, but now He
is evermore alive!)
C. v. 26 Remember
An Appearing Lord – After Jesus rose from the dead, He ascended
back to Heaven and took up His place at the right hand of the Father, Heb. 10:12.
His promise then was that He would return some day for His people – John
14:1-3; Acts 1:9-11. (Ill. Every time we take the bread and the juice, we are
to remember that He died, He lives and one day soon, He is returning to take
us to be with him in Heaven!) (Ill. I Thes. 4:16018; 1 Cor. 15:51-52.)
II. v. 27-30 IT IS A
TIME OF REPENTANCE
A. v. 27-30 From
Our Sins – These verses paint a very solemn portrait of the Lord’s
Supper service. It seems the Lord takes it very seriously! He expects us to
deal with our sins before we partake of the bread and the juice! That is why
we have a time of altar prayer before the elements are given out. God hasn’t
changed His mind! (Ill. The situation at Corinth. It wasn’t being taken
seriously and people were sickly and dead because of their taking the Lord’s
Supper lightly.) (Ill. If you have sinned, there is forgiveness in Jesus –
1 John 1:9)
B. v. 17-22 From
Our Selfishness – (Ill. The attitude and practice at Corinth.)
The Lord’s Supper is a time when we are to remember the selflessness of
Jesus and make that trait paramount in our own lives. In other words, we are
to place others ahead of ourselves. It is a good time for the saint to remember:
1. Those
who lack in the fellowship – Gal. 6:22.
Those who are outside Jesus and lack salvation – Isa. 51:1 (Ill.
These people need an insider to tell them about Jesus!) (Are you casting your
net?)3. That
without Jesus we are nothing – 1 Cor. 15:10; John 15:5
III. v. 31 IT IS A TIME
OF RENEWAL
A. Our Vows
– What have you promised the Lord that you haven’t carried out? (Ill.
Eccl. 5:1-5) Before the bread and juice are taken this morning, look closely
at the things you’ve promised the Lord. Have you done them like you said
you would? Examine yourself, judge yourself, and He won’t have to judge
you for your error!
B. Our Vision
– This time at the Lord’s table is a great time for us to remember
why we are here anyway. We should all take this time to ask the Lord to renew
our vision of:
1. A World
Lost Without Jesus. (Ill. The horrors of the lost man – Eph. 2:12)2.
A Lord Worthy Of Our Best Service, Faithfulness and Worship.3.
A Church With A Future Only As Large As Our Commitment.
C. Our Victory
- This is a great time to bring your defeats, your trials, your valleys, your
hurts and struggles to the Lord and let Him remind you that He hasn’t forgotten
you. That He is working everything out for your good – Rom. 8:28. That
in Him you always walk in victory – 1 Cor. 15:57. That in Him, you are
more than a conqueror – Rom. 8:37.
Conc: Before we have our time
at the Lord’s Table, let’s spend some time at the Lord’s
Altar! The invitation is three-fold today:1.
If you are unsaved and God has dealt with your heart, I invite you to come
to Jesus now and receive Him as your Savior.2.
If you are saved, but there are things in your life that are hindering your
walk with God, bring them to this altar this morning and let Him take care
of those needs. Get rid of those weights that slow your progress for Jesus.3.
If you are in a storm today, come to Jesus and let Him remind you of your
great victory in Him.Whatever
the need, bring it to Jesus today and He can and will meet it. Will you
come?
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