SUNDAY SERMON – LORD’S SUPPER SERIES: The Lord’s Supper with Attitude

Please Read 1 Corinthians 11 (1 Corinthians 11:17-22)

As is our custom on the first day of the month we celebrate together the Lord’s Supper – and so our focus this morning turns once again to the Lord’s Supper, and to 1 Corinthians 11.

As you would expect over the course of the last 2000 years there have been many changes to church practices, and the Lord’s Supper is one of the areas that has had its share of changes from the practices of the early church.

Though Scripture does not abound with a large number of references to the Lord’s Supper and to its practice in the early church, it does give us enough information to get an idea of how the church observed this celebration. A quick reading of the relevant passages quickly gives one the impression that the Supper was celebrated in association with a common meal.

‘Now the first day of the feast of unleavened bread the disciples came to Jesus, saying unto him, Where wilt thou that we prepare for thee to eat the passover? And he said, Go into the city to such a man, and say unto him, The Master saith, My time is at hand; I will keep the passover at thy house with my disciples. And the disciples did as Jesus had appointed them; and they made ready the passover. Now when the even was come, he sat down with the twelve. And as they did eat, he said, Verily I say unto you, that one of you shall betray me. And they were exceeding sorrowful, and began every one of them to say unto him, Lord, is it I? And he answered and said, He that dippeth his hand with me in the dish, the same shall betray me. The Son of man goeth as it is written of him: but woe unto that man by whom the Son of man is betrayed! it had been good for that man if he had not been born. Then Judas, which betrayed him, answered and said, Master, is it I? He said unto him, Thou hast said. And as they were eating, Jesus took bread, and blessed it, and brake it, and gave it to the disciples, and said, Take, eat; this is my body (Mt 26:17-26).’

Jesus clearly instituted the Lord’s Supper in association with the Passover observance, but note the use of the words ‘breaking of bread’ in the following passages.

‘And they continued stedfastly in the apostles’ doctrine and fellowship, and in breaking of bread, and in prayers… And they, continuing daily with one accord in the temple, and breaking bread from house to house, did eat their meat with gladness and singleness of heart (Acts 2:42,46).’ ‘And upon the first day of the week, when the disciples came together to break bread, Paul preached unto them, ready to depart on the morrow; and continued his speech until midnight (Acts 20:7).’

With our passage here in 1 Corinthians 11, it is abundantly clear that the Lord’s Supper was celebrated within the context of a normal, common meal of the local church. The rich brought plenty along to the meal, while the poorer people brought what they could – yet all was shared, and held in common together, in an atmosphere of love and unity.

And this we also seek to practice in our own church, though we freely acknowledge that there is no express command to do so, but simply to ‘do this in remembrance of me (1 Cor 11:24,25).’

But there are dangers even with what seems to have been an early church practice, and here in our passage this morning we find ourselves face to face with some of them – so let us take heed lest we also fall into these same errors. Let us see what Scripture has to teach us.

News had reached Paul from the church in Corinth – not good news, but shameful news regarding the church, ‘Now in this that I declare unto you I praise you not, that ye come together not for the better, but for the worse. For first of all, when ye come together in the church, I hear that there be divisions among you; and I partly believe it (1 Cor 11:17,18).’

This news Paul appears to have received from reliable witnesses, for he is prepared to accept what he has heard regarding the church, and therefore he sets out to correct the trouble that has arisen.

Not even the observation of the Lord’s Supper can be regarded as a good thing if it is practiced in the manner of the Corinthian church as mere ritual emptied of its real significance. Going through the motions is not enough; the heart and soul of the celebration must be there if the celebration is to be acceptable to God.

In fact Paul says, ‘When ye come together therefore into one place, this is not to eat the Lord’s supper (11:20).’ Such was the wickedness occurring in the Corinthian church that when they said they were getting together to celebrate the Lord’s Supper, in reality it was not regarded by Paul and God as a true celebration of the Supper at all.

So what was the problem in Corinth? Well what does the passage tell us?

‘For first of all, when ye come together in the church, I hear that there be divisions among you; and I partly believe it (11:18).’

When the people who made up the church in Corinth got together it was not a good thing, for there were various divisions or schisms (Gk) among them. These meetings were probably being held in private homes, or in the open. Though they met under the name of the Church in Corinth in the assigned place, there were these cliques which prevented a true display of unity in the church, so there was no real togetherness at all.

There were groups that were alienated from one another, some followed Paul, some Cephas, and others Apollos (1:10-12); then there were the typical Jewish and Gentile factions; and then the rich and poor cliques – things were in a bad way in Corinth. There may even have been the Rich Paul Group, the Poor Paul Group, the Rich Apollos Group, and so on.

What a rabble it must have been, especially when they were together under the one roof? Can you imagine the display that would have occurred as one group separated themselves from another and so on.

There was no true display of unity in the Lord Jesus Christ at all, but instead there were these fragmented, bickering cliques intent on maintaining their divisions along party lines. In short, there was no true unity. What a laughing stock this must have been to the outside world. And all this when they were supposed to be celebrating the means by which they were formed into one united church, even the Lord’s Supper – what a sham.

In Australia churches can be divided along political lines, liberal/labour, republican/monarchist; as well as the typical cultural breakdowns of young/old, rich/poor, European/non-European, etc.

But what is achieved in such meetings where such cliques are present? Is there really anything achieved at all? Is not serious harm done to the church through dishonouring God, through an improper witness, and through causing serious harm to fellow believers?

Is there anything to be praised in such behaviour? Absolutely not. There is nothing to be proud about with such divisions – but how often are people proud about their little cliques, and the part that they play in them. These things do no good at all.

Brethren we must take serious heed to the message of the apostle Paul in this passage, so that our observation of the Supper is not similarly degraded. We need to guard ourselves against bad attitudes that would cause us to separate from one another into little cliques and divisions, for these are not a true expression of the unity that exists in the body of Christ.

What a tragic thing it is when the professing body of Christ comes together to celebrate the Lord’s Supper, when it is yet being torn apart by internal bickering and strife. Such behaviour seems to have more in common with the world than with the true church. Yet this is exactly what it is like when those in the church are self-centred, showing no concern for others, and thereby staining the true witness of the Church and its God.

Yet Paul recognizes that there must be divisions in the church, ‘For there must be also heresies among you, that they which are approved may be made manifest among you (11:19).’

Here the word used for divisions is different to the previous one. Before it was schisms, here it is a word translated as heresies. It is a word that means separations of choice. Paul is saying that these separations of choice must occur in order to prove the genuineness of the professing body of Christ, and to show those who are not truly of the true church.

The real Christians are to separate themselves by an act of choice away from the ungodly, and not to participate in ungodliness at all. ‘Be ye not unequally yoked together with unbelievers: for what fellowship hath righteousness with unrighteousness? and what communion hath light with darkness? And what concord hath Christ with Belial? or what part hath he that believeth with an infidel? And what agreement hath the temple of God with idols? for ye are the temple of the living God; as God hath said, I will dwell in them, and walk in them; and I will be their God, and they shall be my people. Wherefore come out from among them, and be ye separate, saith the Lord, and touch not the unclean thing; and I will receive you (2 Cor 6:14-17).’

The true Christian will stand the test of time and not give in to ungodly behaviour, and will thereby be recognized as a genuine believer.

Well how is this so? Professing Christians need to think about their attitudes and behaviour. The way professing Christians respond to each other, and how they deal with the various disputes that arise will help to prove who is the real Christian and who is not the real Christian.

What Paul is doing here is issuing a real challenge to the professing church at Corinth – here is the time to stand up and be counted! Are you the true church, or are you impostors? If true, then correct the sinful behaviour, and be proven to be true.

‘When ye come together therefore into one place, this is not to eat the Lord’s supper. For in eating every one taketh before other his own supper: and one is hungry, and another is drunken (11:20,21).’

The sort of behaviour that Paul describes here is obviously inappropriate for the Lord’s Supper. Though the stated purpose of their gathering together was to celebrate the Lord’s Supper, these people did not gather together in order to remember what the Lord had accomplished in His life and death at all, but to push their own agendas. Here was an opportunity to further emphasis the parties that existed, and to push their own self-centred attitudes.

How was this done – it was accomplished by the snobbiness of the rich, and through the humiliation of the poor at the meal table. When it came time to celebrate the Supper and to share the meal together the rich separated themselves from the poor, and gluttonised themselves on what they had brought for the meal.

And so there were the poor, left with next to nothing to eat, made to look as unimportant nobodies, being humiliated by the rich. If they were lucky they could have the leftovers from the rich. There was nothing praiseworthy in this display, nothing at all.

What a wasted opportunity, for here was a time when the rich could demonstrate the love of Christ for one another in both word and deed. Yet it had degenerated into a time to further selfish self-interest.

‘What? have ye not houses to eat and to drink in? or despise ye the church of God, and shame them that have not? What shall I say to you? shall I praise you in this? I praise you not (11:22).’

The answer to the meal problem was simple, let everyone eat at home so that all get enough to eat if this is the way you want to carry on – yet this really was just a symptom of a greater problem, that of despising the body of Christ.

By their actions the Corinthian church was in fact tearing down not only the profession of their lips, but the very thing which they allegedly came to celebrate – the unity of the church through the atoning sacrifice of the Lord Jesus Christ.

They were meant to be the Body of Christ in Corinth, united together by one faith in the one Lord and one sacrifice for sin, and this Supper was to be an expression of that fact and unity. They were supposed to share the same salvation, the same Christ, yet what did this behaviour declare to the watching world?

If they were the true body of Christ then these cliques must be corrected, for they belonged one to the other.

What can be done in order to prevent these cliques from forming within our own church – even the simplest of things. We must not allow ourselves to hear the gossip of others, or to allow the root of bitterness and resentment to take a hold within us. Brethren refuse to allow those things that would divide us to do so, to even get a foot hold among us. Those things that breed division you must keep away from.

We can make a conscious effort to reach out to those who appear on the fringes of the church, who perhaps don’t seem to fit, who perhaps we don’t feel comfortable with, and let them know by both word and deed that they are indeed a vital part of the Church of Christ here – that they are equal with us before the Lord, and that is how we will regard them in both word and in deed.

We must not allow ourselves to think more highly of the better off, or of the more presentable peoples, but rather to regard each member as one in Christ with us. There are no class distinctions, no racial distinctions, etc.

And if there is the beginnings of any such cliques and wrong attitudes towards others in the church, then we must repent from them, and develop by God’s grace a right attitude toward all.

There are many practical things that we can do, but the chief thing is to grasp the reality of the truth that we are members of the one body, that Christ has formed us into one body, that we belong to each other, and that we need each other. True practice flows from true understanding and true doctrine.

‘For as the body is one, and hath many members, and all the members of that one body, being many, are one body: so also is Christ… But now are they many members, yet but one body. And the eye cannot say unto the hand, I have no need of thee: nor again the head to the feet, I have no need of you. Nay, much more those members of the body, which seem to be more feeble, are necessary: And those members of the body, which we think to be less honourable, upon these we bestow more abundant honour; and our uncomely parts have more abundant comeliness. For our comely parts have no need: but God hath tempered the body together, having given more abundant honour to that part which lacked: That there should be no schism in the body; but that the members should have the same care one for another. And whether one member suffer, all the members suffer with it; or one member be honoured, all the members rejoice with it. Now ye are the body of Christ, and members in particular (12:12,20-27).’

It is only as we carry this truth into our own lives that we can rightly celebrate the Lord’s Supper as an expression of our unity together in the Lord Jesus Christ, and in His sacrifice for us. It is only by the recognition and a practical commitment to this truth that we can rightly come together as a church and actually observe the Lord’s Supper.

If not, whatever it is that we do, it is not an acceptable observance of the Lord’s Supper.

So let me plead with you this day, and as we come now to the observance of the Supper itself, be careful to not despise the body of Christ – but give careful heed to the celebration of the Lord’s Supper in the context of a truly united local church in the Lord Jesus Christ, remembering Him and that which He has done for us. Come to the Lord’s Supper with attitude, the right attitude of love and unity together in Christ.

This sermon was preached on Sunday 20/01/2002 Am, by Kevin Matthews -  from particularbaptist.com

SUNDAY SERMON – LORD’S SUPPER SERIES: The Institution of the Lord’s Supper

Please Read 1 Corinthians 11 (1 Corinthians 11:23-26)

This morning we turn our attention to the Lord’s Supper, this being the day on which we come together as a church to actually celebrate the Lord’s Supper together.

I do not know what your experience of past Lord’s Supper’s has been, but I do know what mine have been like, and I have been far from satisfied with what has been practiced on most occasions.

Often times the Supper is tacked onto the end of a service, as though it were a necessary evil that we have to go through in order to do things right. Generally speaking it seems to be celebrated as an empty ritual, with many people just going through the motions, even relieved when it is over.

As a reforming church, it is important for us to consider the Lord’s Supper and to see whether our approach to it is in need of a change. Are we measuring up to the Biblical Lord’s Supper, or are we pursuing something that is merely a traditional way of doing things?

John Calvin in his commentary on this portion of Scripture says,

‘This passage ought to be carefully studied, for it shows that the only remedy for removing and correcting corruptions is to get back to the unadulterated institution of God.’

And this is our aim here in this place, to reform after the pattern of scripture, and so over the course of this year we will devote ourselves to this passage which is so full of instruction concerning the Lord’s Supper. May the Lord be our Teacher, and His Word our textbook.

1. The Importance of Proper Form

When we come together for the Lord’s Supper are our meetings doing more harm than good? This is a question that we need to ask ourselves in all seriousness. This is something which was actually the case with the Corinthian church, ‘Now in this that I declare unto you I praise you not, that ye come together not for the better, but for the worse. (11:17).’

What a terrible indictment for a church! We need to be sure that this is not the case with us, so we need to examine this passage this morning to see what it has to tell us as regards the way we ought to observe this Supper.

The first thing that strikes the reader of this passage is the importance of proper form. Today we find ourselves in a religious climate in which the form of the Lord’s Supper can be anything, as long as the name is kept on it. It is as though it doesn’t matter what is done as long as it has a Scriptural tag, then its going to be OK.

The Supper has become an institution open to all manner of abuses, and the one which sticks out from all the rest is of course the Roman Catholic Mass, and all its idolatrous and ungodly rite.

But even the more subtle corruptions need to be addressed, for all such separations from the God-given form are sin, and a deviation from the form given by the Lord Jesus Christ.

And what about what was going on in Corinth, for ‘For this cause many are weak and sickly among you, and many sleep (11:30).’ Do you see the importance in getting this right? People were getting sick, and even being killed as punishment for their abuse of the Lord’s Supper. so you see, this is no light matter, it needs to be taken seriously.

Is there then a proper form to follow, a blueprint that we must carefully observe and stick to? The answer is yes there is, ‘For I have received of the Lord that which also I delivered unto you (11:23).’

Previously in I Corinthians 11 the apostle has been dealing with the Corinthian abuses of the Lord’s Supper, which we will deal with at a latter time. Now with that in mind, Paul is seeking to teach the Corinthians the correct manner of celebrating the Lord’s Supper, that which he has already previously told them about.

That which he ‘delivered’ to them concerning the practice of the Lord’s Supper was not something that he had made up on a day when he was feeling particularly inspired as people today regard inspiration, but rather it was received as a direct revelation from the Lord Jesus Christ Himself. ‘But I certify you, brethren, that the gospel which was preached of me is not after man. For I neither received it of man, neither was I taught it, but by the revelation of Jesus Christ (Gal 1:11,12).’

So what he is saying to the Corinthians is that you are not messing with a human invented ritual here, but with that which the Lord of Glory expects you to do as His people, in exactly the way He has instituted it. The practice of the Lord’s Supper is not to be corrupted in any way from its original institution, not to the right nor to the left, for it is not man’s Supper to mess with.

Now to make this even more clear we observe the Lord’s command itself, ‘do in remembrance of me (11:24)’, and ‘this do ye, as oft as ye drink it, in remembrance of me (11:25).’ These words of the Lord Jesus Christ then are not just mere text fillers, they are commands and directions from the Lord to do this in a particular way.

When the church comes together to celebrate the Lord’s Supper it is to be done in this particular way, the very way that the Lord Jesus Christ instituted – there is to be no swerving to the right or to the left. So we need to ask ourselves, what does the Bible say about this new idea that we may be thinking about? Is it acceptable to the Biblical form?

So what is the proper form? This is something that we will discover on our journey through this passage. I don’t intend to give a specific formula in this message, but I will explain the text as we work our way through it so that we can develop the correct form for our Lord’s Supper celebrations. There is more to the Lord’s Supper than just the external ritual, and all these things are important for a correct and proper celebration of the Lord’s Supper.

The important thing at this point is to be committed to observing the Supper in the way that the Lord has laid down. So this is what I exhort you to do this morning, take seriously the Word of God concerning the Lord’s Supper here in this passage, and let us together seek to grow in, learn in, and reform in, our observation and practice of the Lord’s Supper, according to the Word of God.

And to do so, we will find it necessary to perhaps cast off many traditional conventions that have become associated with the Lord’s Supper, in order that we might return to the Biblical model. But this we must do if we are to give our allegiance to the Lord and His ways, and He will grant us the ability to do so.

2. The Symbolism of the Supper

Essential of course to a right practice of the Lord’s Supper is a right understanding of what the Lord’s Supper actually represents. And this seems to have been the thought in the apostle’s mind. Having rebuked the Corinthians for their conduct at the Lord’s Supper, he then proceeds to explain to them again just what the Lord’s Supper is all about.

And this is something we also need to constantly be reminding ourselves of, so that we don’t fall into the mistake of treating the Lord’s Supper with disregard and irreverence. If we understand the significance of the symbolism here, we will be less likely to allow the abuse of the Supper – assuming of course that we are Christians.

‘For I have received of the Lord that which also I delivered unto you, That the Lord Jesus the same night in which he was betrayed took bread: And when he had given thanks, he brake it, and said, Take, eat: this is my body, which is broken for you: this do in remembrance of me (1 Cor 11:23,24).’

Note that it is not a coincidence that the Lord instituted the Lord’s Supper on the same night in which He was betrayed. This night they would always remember, and the events of this night would add further significance to the Supper and what it was all about.

The time had come for Him to fulfil the will of God in bringing about the redemption of man through the sacrifice of Himself, and this He obviously knew. The significance – He didn’t forget us, and so He institutes a memorial Supper so that we will not forget Him and what He has done for us.

The giving of thanks prior to the Supper I think is also of significance, though we do not have a record of what He actually said. But it is likely that He reflected on the significance of the event then taking place. Note that He also gave thanks prior to the taking of the cup, ‘After the same manner also he took the cup, when he had supped (11:25).’ It is implied there that He also gave thanks for the cup, in the same manner as He did with the bread.

Let me suggest that it is likely that He was giving thanks to God on behalf of man for His gift of salvation through Him to man, and in so doing He gives as an example to follow, though it doesn’t appear to be commanded in the text. And by that I mean the example of giving thanks to the Lord for His salvation in Christ, especially as regards what the various symbols represent prior to our partaking of them.

And so I think that this is something that we should seek to follow, even if there be no direct command to do so – though I think the passage implies its importance in the Supper. Certainly it wouldn’t be a bad thing to do.

When we consider the breaking and eating of the bread as recorded in this passage, what exactly was happening? ‘this is my body, which is broken for you: this do in remembrance of me (11:24).’ Without going into great detail, it quite obviously is not calling the bread the actual body of Christ – how could it be, He was there actually breaking the bread. So I think we can safely dismiss the ridiculous doctrine of transubstantiation, that the bread turns into the actual body of Christ.

Clearly the thought is that of symbolic representation. The bread is nothing more than actual bread, nothing especially special about it at all – but in this Supper it holds great significance, for it is to represent the body of the Lord Jesus Christ and all that He suffered on our behalf. The broken bread is to bring to our minds a sense of thankfulness for all the suffering that He went through in order to bring us to God.

And that’s all it does, there being nothing magical or supernatural involved in it at all. But the eating of the bread is of great spiritual significance, for it symbolises our own personal involvement in the sacrifice of Christ, and that we acknowledge that He did it for us personally. He died a Substitute for us, suffering in our place.

So the Lord’s Supper far from being of little significance is of major significance, for we ‘do this in remembrance of’ Him. And in this we have a major spiritual memorial, as we focus in our minds on what He has done for us, and offer up spiritual worship in response.

And the same is true of the cup, ‘After the same manner also he took the cup, when he had supped, saying, This cup is the new testament in my blood: this do ye, as oft as ye drink it, in remembrance of me (11:25).’ He instituted the second part of the Lord’s Supper in the same manner as He took the bread, with a prayer of thanksgiving concerning what the cup symbolised. He then gave the cup to the disciples to drink from, again symbolising their participation in His death.

By calling the cup ‘the new covenant in My blood’, Jesus was saying that His death actually realised or ratified the agreement that was made between the Father and the Son concerning the work of salvation. It was a securing of the promised salvation in Christ, rendering it absolutely certain that Christians would be saved, for now their debt is paid in full, for ‘By so much was Jesus made a surety of a better testament (Heb 7:22).’

So with this in mind it is surely clear, that this celebration of the Lord’s Supper is no small thing, and should not be disregarded by Christians. Indeed we should observe all these things that we have now considered for they have been instituted by Christ Himself, and each part holds great symbolic significance, and this we will now further explore by considering the purpose of the Lord‘s Supper.

3.Purpose of the Supper

When considering the purpose of the Lord’s Supper, we are asking the question, ‘why was the Lord’s Supper instituted?’ And what we find in this passage is at least two major reasons, the first of which we have already alluded to, ‘do this in remembrance of Me.’

One of the major reasons as to why we should participate in the Lord’s Supper is because it reminds us of our Lord, and of all that He has done for us. One of the things we find through out the Old Testament is that the people of Israel forgot their God. This Supper is a major aid in keeping the Lord Jesus Christ, and all that He has done fresh in our minds.

But it is more than that – it gives each Christian an opportunity to reflect on just what the Lord Jesus Christ has done for them personally. There is a realisation to be made, that what the Lord Jesus Christ did at Calvary has especial significance for me/you individually, and for us as a church together.

We are to think about all of this, remembering the blessings that have been purchased for us by Christ in His sacrifice.

The practical implication of this is that we need to focus our minds on the great truths of Scripture concerning the Lord Jesus Christ, and of what they teach concerning our place before the Lord when we come together for the Supper.

But there is a further purpose to the Lord’s Supper, ‘For as often as ye eat this bread, and drink this cup, ye do shew the Lord’s death till he come (11:26).’

Through the symbolism and frequent participation in the Lord’s Supper, we symbolically proclaim the Lord’s death to all. This event tells the world that there is real meaning to us personally in the life and death of the Lord Jesus Christ, and that they too ought to regard its significance.

The Lord’s Supper is not for satisfying the pangs of hunger and thirst, it is not to gather together in order to interact socially, but it is to bear testimony to our gratitude for the Lord Jesus Christ, and to testify to the reality and continuing significance of the gospel not only in our own lives, but for the world in general.

What we are in fact doing is symbolically preaching the gospel to all unbelievers who observe our celebration of the Lord’s Supper, and this the Church will continue to do until the end of this world, and until Christ returns.

And this is something we should be very careful about, for what sort of message do we send if we observe something other than the God given form of the Lord’s Supper – is it not a corrupted gospel.

Remember these things as we come to the Lord’s Supper now, and as we continue to consider this passage in future times. May the Lord enable us to get this right, to the praise of His glorious grace and mercy in the Gospel.

This sermon was preached on Sunday 20/01/2002 Am, by Kevin Matthews -  from particularbaptist.com 

Tea Gardens Particular Baptist Church

This is the very beginning of what will eventually and hopefully become the Tea Gardens Particular Baptist Church. Currently all that exists is an idea, or if you prefer, a goal. There is no place to meet and no membership – just myself.

I have started this Blog because I live in Tea Gardens and would like to see a Particular Baptist Church established here. I would like to be able to go to church. I would also like to do that with like-minded believers.

This Blog will be the launching point for realising this idea/goal and eventually become the official Blog of the Tea Gardens Particular Baptist Church – Lord willing of course.

If you live in the area and share this desire, then please make yourself known to me and we can work together to achieve this idea/goal.

If you would like to support the work here – even if you do not live in the area, please fellowship with me (us) via this Blog. Obviously your prayer support and fellowship are needed and welcomed. You can be a partner in this important work.

Where is Tea Gardens?

Tea Gardens is a town located within the Great Lakes council area of the Mid North Coast, New South Wales, Australia. It is right next door to Hawks Nest.

The map at right shows both Tea Gardens and Hawks Nest.

Visit Again

Please return to the Blog on a regular basis for further updates and more information. Not only will this Blog be the church Blog, it will also be the actual website as well.

I hope to post all relevant information to the site here, including a link to a community/social network I hope to set up for supporters of the work and for members of it.