Communion Service

Introduction
Today we are going to partake of communion. You may ask, “What is communion
and why are we setting aside time to do this?” These are good questions and I think
questions deserving of real answers. My desire today is to briefly but carefully help
you to understand the Doctrine of Communion. Hopefully we will then understand
the significance and special nature of this sacred event. The best way; however, to
get a complete understanding of Communion (also called The Lord’s Supper) is to
start at the place in scripture where it was first instituted. Let’s begin by reading from
Matthew 26:17-30;

Scripture Focus
17 On the first day of the Feast of Unleavened Bread, the disciples came
to Jesus and asked, "Where do you want us to make preparations for you
to eat the Passover?” 18 He replied, "Go into the city to a certain man
and tell him, 'The Teacher says: My appointed time is near. I am going to
celebrate the Passover with my disciples at your house.' " 19 So the
disciples did as Jesus had directed them and prepared the Passover. 20
When evening came, Jesus was reclining at the table with the Twelve. 21
And while they were eating, he said, "I tell you the truth, one of you will
betray me." 22 They were very sad and began to say to him one after the
other, "Surely not I, Lord?" 23 Jesus replied, "The one who has dipped his
hand into the bowl with me will betray me. 24The Son of Man will go just
as it is written about him. But woe to that man who betrays the Son of
Man! It would be better for him if he had not been born.” 25 Then Judas,
the one who would betray him, said, "Surely not I, Rabbi?" Jesus
answered, "Yes, it is you." 26 While they were eating, Jesus took bread,
gave thanks and broke it, and gave it to his disciples, saying, "Take and
 eat; this is my body.” 27 Then he took the cup, gave thanks and offered
it to them, saying, "Drink from it, all of you. 28 This is my blood of the
covenant, which is poured out for many for the forgiveness of sins. 29 I
tell you, I will not drink of this fruit of the vine from now on until that day
when I drink it anew with you in my Father's kingdom." 30 When they
had sung a hymn, they went out to the Mount of Olives.

Jesus was about to be crucified and was sharing the Passover meal with the disciples.
The Passover was a time the Jews set aside to remember their deliverance from
Egypt.
Moses had been sent by God to lead the people out of the Egypt but
Pharaoh resisted and God sent 10 plagues. The last of these plagues was
when the angel would pass through Egypt and take the life of the first-
born son of every family. The only way to escape the death of your
firstborn son was to take the blood of a lamb and put on the doorposts
of the house. When God came through Egypt and He saw the blood he
would “Passover” that house and the first-born was spared.
At the Passover meal the people were to eat three things: roasted lamb, unleavened
bread (bread with no yeast) and bitter herbs. As Jesus sat with His disciples these
three things were on the table. Using these foods He began to prepare the disciples
for the Crucifixion that was just around the corner.

Jesus picked up the bread and broke it. Then He explained to the disciples: just as this
bread is broken I too will be broken. Then He picked up the cup of wine and explains:
this wine is symbolic of my blood that is going to be shed for the sin of all mankind. In
these words Jesus instituted what is commonly called The Lord’s Supper.

What Are We Remembering?

Today when you pick up a piece of this bread and a cup of juice it is supposed to
remind you of Jesus Christ. The bread is to remind us of He who was broken on the
Cross. He was without sin but He took our place on the Cross. The Apostle Peter tells
us:
“He himself bore our sins in his body on the tree, so that we might die to
sins and live for righteousness; by his wounds you have been healed.” (1
Peter 2:24)
When we eat the bread and hear the crunch of its crust we are reminded of the
brutal crushing of the Lord Jesus Christ as the nails were driven into His hands and
feet. We are remembering that it was supposed to be ME on that cross because I am
guilty but instead the sinless perfect Lamb of God took my place!

The juice reminds us of the blood that poured from the body of Christ as it was being
broken. The blood of Jesus Christ was shed for the remission (cancellation) of your sin
and mine.
...and without the shedding of blood there is no forgiveness.” (Hebrews
9:22)
When you are baptized in water in the Name of Jesus Christ you’re sins are washed
away by the blood of Jesus Christ. You are also brought into covenant with God
through baptism. As you drink of the juice we are reminded of the blood of Christ
that has taken away my sins.

Historically there have been three major views about what happens to the bread and
juice during the Lord’s Supper:
1. Transubstantiation: that the bread and juice become real flesh and real blood.
2. Consubstantiation: that the presence of the Lord comes to be with us when
eating the bread and drinking from the cup.
3. Memorialism: that the bread and cup are only symbolic reminders of Christ.
Now we do not believe that the bread and juice LITERALLY become the flesh and
blood of Christ (Transubstantiation). We believe in the taking of the Lord’s Supper we
will experience, by faith, the presence of Christ with us (Consubstantiation). The
bread and the juice are symbols of the sacrifice that has set us free. Remembering
that sacrifice should cause us to give thanks unto the Lord and become aware of His
presence with us RIGHT HERE –RIGHT NOW.

The Lord’s Supper Is A Time To Examine Our Lives.

The Apostle Paul writes:

“A man ought to examine himself before he eats of the bread and drinks
of the cup.” (1 Corinthians 11:28)

When we set aside time to share in the Lord’s Supper we are not just fulfilling a ritual
of the church. This time today is set aside for reflection and self-examination. Before
we take communion we will spend some time in prayer. Why do we do this? Before
Paul declared that a man ought to examine himself he said,

“Therefore, whoever eats the bread or drinks the cup of the Lord in an
unworthy manner will be guilty of sinning against the body and blood of
the Lord.” (1 Corinthians 11:27)

We must understand that in reality NONE of us are truly worthy to participate in the
Lord’s Supper. When Paul speaks of taking it in an unworthy manner he is talking
about people who rush in and participate without thinking of the real meaning of
what is happening. This is why we are going to take some time to examine our
motives before moving ahead. Paul basically is saying that if eat the bread and drink
from the cup without taking time to reflect on the seriousness of the Cross; we are
entering into the guilt of those who crucified Him in the first place!

So how do we act in an unworthy manner? The scripture gives us 7 ways to

unworthily participate in the Lord’s Supper:
1. Having envy or strife in your heart (1 Corinthians 11:18)
2. See the Lord’s Supper as mere ritual with no real spiritual significance (v. 19)
 3. Irreverence to God and the Church (v. 22)
4. Disrespect of the poor and needy (v. 22)
5. Unbelief in the significance of Christ’s sacrifice for humanity (v. 27-30)
6. Not having repented of sins (v.27-30)
7. Not examining our life and relationship with Christ (v. 31-32)

I am not the one to judge who can or cannot participate in the Lord’s Supper.
However, I think that after we have taken time to pray, repent of sin and ask the Lord
to examine our hearts we will know whether or not we should participate.

Let me Sum It All Up.

Let me kind of put this whole thing in a nutshell for us this morning before we pray.
The Lord’s Supper is a process of:

1. Looking Back. We look back to the cross and the sacrifice made by Jesus on our
behalf.
2. Looking Within – We examine our life, actions, motives and spiritual condition
and seek God in repentance.
3. Looking Outward. Participating in communion helps us to put into perspective
our need for the body of Christ. No man is an island – we need each other –
and we need to look out to a lost world in need of the saving blood and body
of our Lord.
4. Looking Ahead. Participating in communion helps us to look ahead too the
return of Jesus Christ when we will have true communion with the risen Christ.

PRAYER TIME
COMMUNION
1 Corinthians 11: 23-26 For I received from the Lord what I also passed
on to you: The Lord Jesus, on the night he was betrayed, took bread,
24
and when he had given thanks, he broke it and said, "This is my body,
which is for you; do this in remembrance of me." 25In the same way, after
supper he took the cup, saying, "This cup is the new covenant in my
26
blood; do this, whenever you drink it, in remembrance of me." For
whenever you eat this bread and drink this cup, you proclaim the Lord's
death until he comes.