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DAY 5 – COMMUNION / LORD’S SUPPER (Acts 2:42-47)
(See also: Matt. 26:26–29; Mark 14:22–25; Luke
22:14–23)
23 For I received from the Lord that which I also
delivered to you: that the Lord Jesus on the same night in which He was
betrayed took bread; 24 and when He had given thanks, He broke it
and said, “Take, eat; this is My body which is broken for you; do this in
remembrance of Me.” 25 In the same manner He also took the cup after
supper, saying, “This cup is the new covenant in My blood. This do, as often as
you drink it, in remembrance of Me.” 26 For as often as you eat this
bread and drink this cup, you proclaim the Lord’s death till He comes.
The word communion is
significant and biblical, found in 1 Cor. 10:16: The cup of blessing which we bless, is it not the communion of the
blood of Christ? The bread which we break, is it not the communion of the body
of Christ?
In observing this memorial, we
actually see three aspects of our own salvation, Biblically defined as
Justification, Sanctification, and Glorification.
We see justification, or the fact that we have been forgiven of our
sins by Jesus’ sacrifice on the cross. Jesus stated “This is My Body” and “This
is My Blood”. By the atoning death, we have been made right with God, by the
forgiveness of our sins. As a result, we “proclaim His death” every time we
observe the Lord’s Supper.
Secondly, “as often as we eat
and drink” the Lord’s Supper, we see our sanctification,
or God’s setting us apart to be dedicated to the work of service. That is why
we are called to examine ourselves prior to partaking. Every time that we eat
the bread and drink the cup, we should be seeking to be more like Christ than
we were the previous time.
Thirdly, we are to observe the
Lord’s Supper “until He comes.” Jesus promised that He would not eat or drink
of it, until the kingdom of God comes (Luke 22:16, 18). We are looking forward
eating with Christ “the Marriage Supper of the Lamb” in our glorified, sinless
and perfect bodies in heaven someday (Rev. 19:9). That is glorification.
In the Lord’s Supper we
remember we were saved (Justification), that we are being saved
(Sanctification) and that we someday will be ultimately saved (Glorification).
Who Should Take the Lord’s
Supper?
Communion is for believers who
are walking rightly with the Lord. This does not mean a person must be sinless
to partake (none of us can achieve that in this lifetime), but communion gives
the Christian the incentive to confess and forsake all sins in preparation to
take the Lord’s Supper. Baptism is a one-time symbol of our salvation.
Communion is a repeated symbol of our need for forgiveness. Christians are
already baptized before they participate in communion.
“Therefore whoever eats
this bread or drinks this cup of the Lord in an unworthy manner will be guilty
of the body and blood of the Lord.” (1
Cor. 11:27)
How Do I Prepare Myself
for the Lord’s Supper?
1. By self-examination
“But let a man examine
himself and so let him eat of the bread and drink of the cup.”
(1
Cor. 11:28)
2. By discerning the
seriousness of the occasion
“For he who eats and
drinks in an unworthy manner eats and drinks judgment to himself, not
discerning the Lord’s body. (1
Cor. 11:29)
3. By recommitting our
lives
“For if we would judge
ourselves, we would not be judged. But when we are judged, we are chastened by
the Lord, that we may not be condemned with the world.” (1 Cor.
11:30-31)
4. By being restored with
relationships with other believers
“Now in giving these
instructions I do not praise you, since you come together not for the better
but for the worse. For first of all, when you come together as a church, I hear
that there are divisions among you, and in part I believe it...Therefore when
you come together in one place it is not to eat the Lord’s Supper...Therefore,
my brethren, when you come together to eat, wait for one another.” (1 Cor.
11:17-18, 20, 33)
When and How Often Do We
Observe the Lord’s Supper?
Jesus never said when or how
often believers should observe the Lord’s Supper. Our church observes it about
every two months.
Click here for Week 1, Day 6 -- How to Join
Click here for Week 1, Day 6 -- How to Join
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