Sermon Outlines

By Frederick F. Schwindt, Evangelist

"IN REMEMBRANCE OF ME"

1. It is a command:
   1. "This do" - Luke 22:19
   2. "For as often as ye do this" - 1 Cor. 11:26
2. It is an act of fellowship (communion):
   1. "The cup of blessing which we bless, is it not the communion of the blood of Christ?"
   2. "The bread which we break, is it not the communion of the body of Christ?" - 1 Cor. 10:16
3. It is a memorial:
   1. "Do this in remembrance of me". It is this third way regarding the Lord's supper which we want to consider this morning.

1. It was God's way of manifesting His love for sinful humanity:
   1. "For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son" - John 3:16
   2. "But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us." - Rom. 5:8
   3. "The Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me" - Gal. 2:20
2. God's love shines brightest when seen in the light of the cross of Christ on Calvary:
   1. "Father, forgive them" - Luke 23:34
   2. "This day thou shalt be with me in Paradise" - Luke 23:42, 43
3. It is one of God's means of reconciling the world unto himself:
   1. That is what Paul says - 2 Cor. 5:18-21
   2. Read, also, Rom. 5:10; Eph. 2:16
4. It is a memorial of our only security:
   1. Against the judgment to come - Rom. 5:23-25; 8:31-38
   2. Against our past sins - Rom. 8:1-3; Gal. 3:13; Eph. 2:14-16
5. It is the Christian's Magna Carta:
   1. "It is finished" - John 19:30
   2. "There is now no condemnation" - Rom. 8:1
   3. "A ransom has been found" - Job 33:24
   4. This charter clears the way for the saints to await the return of the Lord with renewed hope -
      1. "Till He come" - 1 Cor. 11:26
      2. "I will not drink of the fruit of the vine, until the kingdom of God shall come" - Luke 22:18; Mark 14:25

1. Mistaken ideas:
   1. "I do not feel worthy to take communion."
   2. "I am not prepared to take part in communion."
   3. "I do not feel right, and so long as I do not feel right it would be wrong for me to take the Lord's supper."
2. Who is worthy to take the Lord's supper?
   1. Everyone for whom the Lord died, and who accepts that sacrifice to make him worthy. Keep the words of Paul in mind - 1 Tim. 1:15
   2. Everyone who believes that the atonement made for us on the cross by the death of Christ is sufficient to make us worthy - Rom. 8:1, 31-38
3. The right approach to the Lord's supper:
   1. "Let every one examine himself."
   2. "And so let him eat." Note, please, Paul's counsel to the communicant, "examine himself" - that means get right with God and men. Remove the things that would make you unworthy. ". . . and so let him eat . . ." - he does not say, "and so let him stay away from communion", "and so excuse himself from obeying the command of the Lord. No! No! He says, "and so let him eat."
   3. A mistaken idea by some--they think that if they discover things in their lives which are not right, it is better for them to stay away from the Lord's table.
   4. But they must remember that the Lord's supper is a shield against their sinful past.
   5. As Israel of old, take refuge behind the banner of the blood of the Lamb of God - Ex. 12:13