THE LORD'S SUPPER

1 CORINTHIANS 11:2

A. THE LORD'S SUPPER
  1. What it is not:
    1. It is not just another sacrifice as claimed by some. Christianity has but one altar - Heb. 13:10; and one sacrifice - Heb. 10:12
    2. It is not a eucharist, as taught by Rome - John 6:63
  2. What it is:
    1. It is a memorial of the great sacrifice made but once on the cross of Calvary - "Do this in remembrance of me" - Luke 22:19; 1 Cor. 11:24
    2. Of the death of our Lord - "while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us" - Rom. 5:8; 6:10
    3. Of God's love - "For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish but have everlasting life" - John 3:16; "Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends" - John 15:13
    4. It is a communion of the saints with the Lord - "The cup we bless, is it not the communion of the body of Christ" - 1 Cor. 10:16
    5. It is the divine charter of our hope - "For as often as ye eat this bread, and drink this cup, ye do shew the Lord's death till he come." - 1 Cor. 11:22-28
B. WHO SHOULD PARTAKE OF THE LORD'S SUPPER?
  1. All who believe that Christ died for them:
    1. If I believe that Jesus died for me, I will gladly partake of the emblems of His broken body and His shed blood.
    2. Not to take part in this memorial service would be a denial of the faith.
  2. All who remember the great reason for His death:
    1. He died for our sins - 1 Cor. 15:3
    2. He loved me and gave himself for me - Gal. 2:20
  3. All who are not ashamed to claim redemption through His blood: Rom. 1:16
C. HOW SHOULD WE PARTAKE OF THE LORD'S SUPPER?
  1. Erroneous ideas:
  2. Closed communion theory:
  3. Bad feeling between the brethren:
  4. A safe rule to follow:
    1. "Let a man examine himself, and so let him eat of that bread, and drink of that cup" - 1 Cor. 11:28
    2. Self-examination excludes examination by the brethren.
    3. "For if we would judge ourselves, we should not be judged" - 1 Cor. 11:31
  5. What many people forget about the Lord's supper:
    1. That staying away from communion will not improve our standing before God, no more than it would have helped the Israelites had they disobeyed God's direction to keep the passover the night they left Egypt - Ex. 12.
    2. Many good people forget that communion is, in a way, a shelter against an accusing conscience.
    3. They forget that communion symbolizes God's means to make atonement for our sins.
    4. If we feel that we are unworthy of participating in this memorial service, then it is important that we make things right with our fellow men, and so eat of that bread and drink of that cup; not stay away from communion.
  6. Other facts to consider in connection with the Lord's supper:
    1. Jesus was desirous to take part in it - Luke 22:15
    2. Can we do less?
    3. Jesus says, "Do this in remembrance of me."
    4. How can I claim that I love Him if I refrain from the great memorial of His love for me?


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