Good morning, everyone. You can turn in your Bibles to 1 Corinthians 11. 1 Corinthians 11. As you're turning there, tonight we'll be observing the Lord's Supper. And in so doing, we'll be coming together as a church, Lord willing, for the better and not for the worse. and observing an ordinance that finds the end of its observation not in the study of or the glorying in bread and wine, but rather the study of and the glorying in of Jesus Christ and the glorious gospel of our blessed God.
You see, the bread is broken in remembrance of Christ in the giving of himself upon Calvary's tree, his body broken for us, and the wine, it is drank. And it is that symbol, that emblem of the shed blood of the Savior. And so this morning we want to look at the importance of the Lord's Supper as we look to observe it this evening. You may have asked yourself this, maybe you haven't, but maybe at some point you have asked yourself this in the past and coming to our church, and we've said this before at The Lord's Supper, why there are no images, why there are no icons, why there are no crosses bedecked with silver and gold or however persons decorate crosses upon the walls and that hang from ceilings.
Why are there no such thing in this church? Remember that the Lord's Supper is a picture of the gospel and the preaching of the word. By so doing, we set forth Christ to the eyes of faith as crucified before us. Calvin says, just to introduce before we read, Paul declares that by the true preaching of the gospel, Christ is portrayed and in a manner crucified before our eyes.
Of what use then were the erection in churches of so many crosses of wood and stone, silver and gold, if this doctrine were faithfully and honestly preached? Christ died. that he might bear our curse upon the tree, that he might expiate our sins by the sacrifice of his body, wash them in his blood, and in short, reconcile us to God the Father. From this one doctrine, the people would learn more than from a thousand crosses of wood and stone. As for crosses of gold and silver, it may be true that the avaricious give their eyes and minds to them more eagerly than to any heavenly instructor.
And then he goes on to speak about the Lord's Supper. In fact, baptism and that other ordinance with regards to crosses of silver and gold. Even were the danger less imminent still, when I consider the proper end for which churches are erected, it appears to me more unbecoming their sacredness than I well can tell. To admit any other images than those living symbols which the Lord has consecrated by his own word, I mean baptism in the Lord's Supper.
So hopefully you see the importance of these ordinances. And as we move now to a reading of 1 Corinthians 11, 23 to 25, you see the importance of the Lord's Supper in the life of Christ's church. Well, let's go to our Bibles then. 1 Corinthians chapter 11, beginning in verse 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.
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. 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. For as often as you eat this bread and drink this cup, you proclaim the Lord's death till he comes. Amen. Well, let us go again to the Lord in prayer.
Heavenly Father, we rejoice in this new day given to us. We rejoice in the Lord's day. We pray that you would help us now in this act of worship, the preaching of your word, that you would be glorified in our midst. We do pray, Lord, that you would help preacher in the pulpit to open up accurately the things of your word. speaking rightly the things of your revealed truth.
We do pray that you would bring him much aid, and we would ask that you would bring aid to those in the pulpit, that as we engage in this act of worship, they would be strengthened, your saints, the Christians gathered in these pews this morning, would be strengthened in their Christ, and for your glory's sake, that we'd be able to leave this place having heard from our God, having heard from our Christ, and seeking to live in light of such a glorious gospel. And we pray again that you would come upon the wings of victorious grace, that you would make dead sinners alive, that by your grace and for your glory, you would put new hearts within those who entered in these doors outside of Christ, that you would remove hearts of stone, replace them with hearts of flesh, that praise our Savior, that sing the praises of amazing grace, and that seek to glorify their precious God. And we do pray now in the name of our Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ. Amen.
Well,
Introduction
in 1 Corinthians 11, as you well know, the Apostle Paul is dealing with improper conduct at the Lord's Supper. Here he deals with the horizontal aspect of the Lord's Supper. 1 Corinthians 10, he deals with the vertical aspect of the Lord's Supper. The Corinthians were not to engage in idolatry. They were not to participate in meals where the meat has been sacrificed to idols because in the Lord's Supper, they have a feast set before them where they participate in the body and in the blood of our Lord Jesus Christ and where our exalted Savior, by His Spirit, spiritually nourishes His people.
Here in 1 Corinthians 11, he's correcting the conduct of the Corinthian church where they had gluttons and drunkards putting themselves sinfully and selfishly before those others in the congregation. And they were not gathering together as a church for the better, but much rather for the worse, engaging in sinful conduct. And they were not in that then observing the Lord's Supper. And we have here the Apostle Paul rehearsing the institution of the Lord's Supper.
And we want to note a number of things with regards to the importance of the Lord's Supper, the importance of that precious ordinance this morning. First off, by way of introduction, notice that we see it first in verse 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. You see, The observance of the Lord's Supper or the importance of the Lord's Supper is rarely considered here, but there is a significance to the importance of the Lord's Supper scene in the fact that it's instituted on the very night in which he was betrayed.
You see, he knew the road that he was about to travel. He knew that He was about to go to that cursed tree. The Lord Jesus Christ knew that the crown did not come without the cross. He knew that there was no glory without hammer and nails and the piercing of flesh.
And it's very glorious, it's amazing that on the very night in which He was betrayed, you see, He knew that He was about to be delivered up into wicked hands. He knew that the next day he was to be brought before a trial of blasphemy and murderous rage. He knew that he was going to be delivered up upon that cursed implement of Roman execution. And yet he takes the time in calm and resolute diligence to institute this supper, which is a remembrance of that which he was about to undergo.
Hopefully you see the importance here. You see, our Savior was not anxious. He was not marked by this sinful anxiety, but rather he is marked by a resolute diligence, his march unto the cross. And he takes the time with his friends, with his disciples to institute this feast of remembrance and this feast of spiritual nourishment.
But we want to notice the importance of the Lord's Supper under four headings, simply from a verse, simply from language that is repeated in this text, do this in remembrance of me. The four things we want to notice this morning. First is the
The Lord's Supper as Divine Command
importance of the Lord's Supper is seen in its nature as a divine command.
The Lord's Supper as Remembrance
Secondly, the importance of the Lord's Supper is seen in its character as a remembrance.
Remembrance of Christ Himself
Thirdly, the importance of the Lord's Supper is seen in its character as a remembrance of Christ. And then lastly, the importance of the Lord's Supper is seen in its quality as a means of grace. I may be pausing to take many drinks this morning because it's a hot day in Chilliwack, so please bear with me. And the fan is pointed away from me because it flips the pages of the Bible, and that isn't conducive to preaching from a Bible.
So just bear with me as we move through and move now first to then. The importance of the Lord's Supper is seen in its nature as a divine command. Notice in the text the language that we have here, first in verse 24 and then in verse 25. Take, eat.
This is my body which is broken for you. Do this in remembrance of me. This cup is the new covenant in my blood. This do as often as you drink it in remembrance of me.
The Lord's Supper is given by divine commandment. You see, when we gather tonight to observe the Lord's Supper, again, Lord willing for the better and not for the worse, we gather together and we observe something that is not given in the flavor of a divine recommendation. It's not given in the tenor of a divine suggestion. But rather it comes to us by the divine commandment of our incarnate Lord who gives it by a positive and sovereign institution.
And you see, we are not as Christians under the heavy arm of a despot or a tyrant who's commanding this imposition heavy to bear and hard to handle. No. What is the command? Come, take, eat.
This is my body. What is the command? Come, take, drink. This is my blood.
The glorious commandment. You see, we are not under the heavy-handed impositions of men. We are not under the heavy-handed impositions of our own wicked hearts, self-imposed religion and false humility, but rather we come to the Lord's Supper and we have a gracious requirement given to us, don't we? A delightful and a favorable command given from on high for the good of the people.
Do this in remembrance of me. Oh, the heavy burden of God. No, of course not. Oh, the gracious requirement of our God, the delightful and favorable ordinance given by his commandment.
Christ's Yoke Is Easy and Light
Turn with me to Matthew for a moment. And as you're turning there, the preacher does not come with a knife pointed at those who are unable to join us for the Lord's Supper. For some, God has found his hand of providence upon you, and it has come in the flavor of sickness, disease, whatever it may be. So the preacher does not come with knife to cut you.
But rather, there can be those within the context of the Christian church who slight or neglect or think the Lord's Supper a light thing. And it is heavy. It is a glorious and weighty thing. given to us that we might as Christians joyfully observe. Notice in Matthew 11, notice in Matthew chapter 11 in verse 19 and what we're doing or verse 29, what we're doing right now is hopefully you see the connection, the gracious commands given by our sovereign and glorious Christ.
Notice in Matthew 11, these 29, this language ought to be close and dear to your heart. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light. Doesn't that speak to the fact that our God, our Christ, is not a tyrant, not a despot, but a loving Lord, gracious master? a sovereign king who brings delightful and favorable things to his people, I am gentle and lowly in heart.
You will find rest for your souls." You know, and this shouldn't come as weird to your ears, but you see, there should be this sense in which we approach the Lord's Supper, well, even before that, the Lord's Day. But for our topic this morning, the Lord's Supper, as something we look forward to, you've worked long in this week You're out in the workplace, mothers, maybe you're in the home, that's hard work. Children, all the labors that come with working in the household, wherever you find God has placed you in the world, you've worked a hard week. Is there anything greater than availing of the rest that the sovereign Christ sets before us in the feast?
The old boys would talk about God setting it before us for our entertainment. Our entertainment. Not the fiddling or the playing of banjos and the banging of tambourines and light shows and those sorts of things, but entertainment in the sense that it is to grab our attention and thrust the eyes of our faith, gazing upon an exalted Savior who 2,000 years ago gave himself for guilty sinners. He had descended from the majesty on high, came into our lower world of shame and ignominy, given himself for guilty sinners, was crucified upon Calvary's tree, rose again by power and in great victory in the third day, ascended to the right hand of the majesty on high where he ever lives to make intercession for his people, And in that He sets before us a feast wherein we remember His death till He comes again, wherein we're fed by the exalted Christ, by His Spirit, growing in the grace and in the faith of our Lord Jesus Christ.
It is for our entertainment and for our rest. Let nothing else catch your fancy as glorious and as high and as special as the rest that we have on the Lord's Supper. After a hard week, look forward to gathering together with your fellow saints to take, to eat, to remember, to proclaim, to be nourished by the risen and exalted Christ. Gil says on Matthew 11, 29 to 30, they are good and amiable and lovely.
Speaking of the yoke and the burden, the yoke and the burden of Christ. They are good and amiable and lovely in their own nature and are cheerfully complied with. An abundance of spiritual pleasure and delight is enjoyed in them by believers when they have the presence of God, the assistance of his spirit and the discoveries of his love. You see, commandments, precepts, statutes, laws, these things may come to the ears of unbelievers and find unwelcome and unfriendly ears to receive them.
But these things come from on high to the ears of believers. And what is the case? They are cheerfully complied with. They are joyfully received.
We embrace them as those saints of Christ who were once dead in our trespasses and in our sins, wholly in opposition to his law, wholly in opposition to the exalted Christ. Yet he deemed God well to, in his appointed and accepted time, to make us alive in Christ. By grace we have been saved. And by the supplies of the Spirit, having the presence of God, knowing the discoveries of His love, we cheerfully comply with His light yoke and His light burden.
Come, take, eat. This is my body. This is my blood.
Confession on Positive Institution
London Baptist Confession of Faith speaking with regards to the commandment nature of this ordinance. Again, not a divine requirement. not a cosmic suggestion. Baptism and the Lord's Supper are ordinances of positive and sovereign institution appointed by the Lord Jesus, the only law giver, to be continued in his church to the end of the world. It would later say, or previously in fact, on the doctrine of worship and the Sabbath day, the reading of the scriptures, preaching, and hearing the word of God, teaching and admonishing one another in psalms, hymns and spiritual songs, singing with grace in our hearts to the Lord, as also the administration of baptism and the Lord's Supper are all parts of religious worship of God.
Now note to be performed in obedience to him with understanding, faith, reverence and godly fear. We see its command nature, the nature of it as a divine command. Back in our text of 1 Corinthians 11, if you'll turn back there with me, it's of course in the language, do this, and we should see that, shouldn't we? Christ says, do this, and as those who are follower of the Lamb, we do that.
We also see it in the language of verse 23, where Paul writes, 1 Corinthians 11, 23, For I received from the Lord that which I also delivered to you. Where do we see the divine command nature in this? Well, it's twofold. First off, Paul received it from the Lord.
Paul was given by the resurrected and glorious Christ this ordinance to be observed in the churches till he comes again. He did not receive it from men. He did not conjure it up in his own heart, of course. We have previous revelation of Christ himself ordaining it, instituting it prior to his death on the night in which he was betrayed.
But he received it from the Lord and he also delivered it to the Corinthians. It comes by apostolic mandate, by the authority of Christ to the Corinthian church and by extension to ministers and saints since then and unto the end of the world. a divine commandment. And we ought to note, we ought to note that the Great Commission, you see, what do we read in the Great Commission? Matthew 28.
Christ has been given all authority in heaven and on earth. It's been given to the Savior. This one, who who only days ago was a bloody massacre on Calvary Street, who was the recipient of spittings and mockings and bruisings and whippings. He had the Roman nails hammered into his hands and his feet.
He endured the hot sun, the sweat, he endured beyond that. The crushing, the bruising of his father. But what victoriously and by divine power, he's raised again the third day. And he appears to his disciples and he says, all authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me.
Go, therefore, and disciple the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe everything that I have commanded to you. And so we move along in revelation. And what do we find? We find that going on.
The Christians are by the apostles, by those authorized by God, instructed concerning the observance of the Lord's Supper, and they comply, not as as in a heavy handed ordinance, but cheerfully, joyfully, with the abundance of spiritual pleasure and delight. Hansard Nullus, there's a name for you. He, in the 17th century, wrote these words with regards to the Lord's Supper, its importance as a divine command. Oh, dear friends.
Be not wanting to your precious souls, either in slighting or neglecting the ordinances of God. Why should you cry, Oh, my leanness, my barrenness, et cetera? How unkindly do ye deal with Christ to slight and neglect or refuse his gracious invitations to heavenly banquets at his table? Now, this may come to your heart and it may cut you, but I want to console you if you are those who are providentially hindered from joining.
And I believe you know who you are. There are those who are unable to join us. And God in his kind providence is loving and merciful. You can remember, you can observe, you can contemplate the Savior and his dying work being hindered from joining us.
But hopefully this comes. These words come and they Do cut to the heart in a wholesome manner and you say in your soul as a Christian. Yes. My Lord has given us this feast.
Not as a heavy handed despot, but as one who is lowly in heart, gentle. He's given this to us. It's an emblem of his body broken. It's symbolic of his blood shed.
Why am I not there? Secondly, the importance of the Lord's Supper is seen in its character as a remembrance. The importance of the Lord's Supper is seen in its character as a remembrance. Notice the text, and it is repeated, take, eat, this is my body, which is broken for you, do this in remembrance of me.
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. What are the first motions of the Christian soul? Some of the first motions of the Christian soul, but a solemn and a joyful reflection upon things done by his God for him. You see this in the Psalms, don't you?
Time and again in the Psalms, what do we have but the psalmist rehearsing the glorious conquering acts of the one and only, the living and true God.
Retrospective Praise in the Psalms
Turn with me to Psalm 107. In gathering together for the Lord's Supper, Christians do what they ought to do best. And that is reflect upon the grace and the mercy of God. Reflect upon the redeeming glory of their Christ. upon the mighty deeds of God.
Notice in Psalm 107. In Psalm 107, verse one. Oh, give thanks to the Lord, for he is good, for his mercy endures forever. Let the redeemed of the Lord say so, whom he has redeemed from the hand of the enemy.
You see, there is a commandment by the psalmist given. What are we to be marked by as Christians? But remembrance. Let the redeemed of the Lord say so, whom he has redeemed from the hand of the enemy.
Not only are we to be retrospective as Christians, that simply means those who look back upon a past event, a past thing. But we are to say so. We are to speak. We are to proclaim.
Let the redeemed of the Lord say so, whom he has redeemed from the hand of the enemy. What are we doing at the Lord's Supper, but doing what the psalmist does time and again, doing what the saints in the Old Testament did time and again in their songs, doing what the New Testament saints did time and again, reflecting with a wholesome retrospect upon the glorious redeeming activity of our blessed God, his glorious Christ. What does the what does the apostle do in Ephesians chapter one? That is a doxological retrospective, that means words of praise in looking back upon the work of God.
What does he do? He brings before us the triune God in his glory, the triune God, praise to the father for the work of father, son, Holy Ghost. Christians are retrospective. They remember do this in remembrance of me.
And you see, we need to have this. We need to have remembrance generally and the Lord's Supper specifically because we're so prone to wander, so prone to leave the God that we love. If I can commend any if I can commend any sermon to you on the Lord's Supper, many good ones. Many good ones.
To read the Spurgeon's Sermon on 1 Corinthians 11, 23 to 26, specifically on the language of remembrance. The remembrance of Christ is the name of the sermon. We are Christians, and in that, by the very identification and nature of being a Christian, we are those who remember, who look back with great joy upon the saving and conquering and redeeming activity. of the triune God for his own glory and for our own good. The Confession, chapter 30, verse 1 of verse 1, chapter 30 and paragraph 1, says that the Lord's Supper is a perpetual remembrance and showing forth of the sacrifice of himself in his death.
It is, later in paragraph 2, a memorial of that one offering up of himself by himself upon the cross. You see, the Lord's Supper helps us because we can be wayward, because in the week prior to the Lord's Supper, we can be such who bring everything else before our memory, save for a bloody Christ upon Calvary's tree, save for that glorious one resurrected, that one ascended, that one whoever lives to make intercession for his people. Spurgeon himself said that he often found his heart cold and in languor. And it was stuff like the Lord's Supper.
Stuff, no doubt, opening up his Bible, where his mind is pricked by a sovereign God to reflect upon Christ and Him crucified, Him and His redeeming activity. Its character as remembrance brings to the fore the importance of the Lord's Supper, because Christians are to be those who remember the redeeming activity of their God. And brethren, hopefully, you know, there are a lot of things that we can remember. Our memories are there, they're functioning, they're operating.
There are things that can bring smiles to our faces, aren't there? Remember, the children were young. Those who have older children, those who have teenage children right now, you can remember fondly when they were younger. The smile crescents on your face.
Oh, the days when they were three and a half. You can remember things, family, friends, whatever it is. You have fond memories, and that's a wholesome thing. God gives us our memories to stir and arouse us unto a lawful contemplation on those things that He has blessed us with in our lives.
But you see, if there is anything that casts a shadow darkening every other memory, if there is anything that casts a darkening shadow so that our contemplations are focused solely upon that which casts that shadow, it is the cross of the Lord Jesus Christ and the Lord's Supper is set before us. as that, as a remembrance, which brings us then to the next in the text, to the next point with regards to the importance of the Lord's Supper. Thirdly, the importance of the Lord's Supper is seen in its character as a remembrance of Christ. So if we are to be marked as Christians by remembrance, what is the chief object of our retrospection? Should it not be then that one who is the namesake of our high and holy religion?
Yes, the importance of the Lord's Supper is seen in its character as a remembrance of Christ. The text itself is explicit. Take, eat. This is my body which is broken for you.
Do this in remembrance of me, Christ said. 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. We're remembering the Savior. We're remembering our Christ.
Remember Christ in His Person
First off, remember Christ in his person. Do you take the Lord's Supper tonight whenever you take the Lord's Supper? Remember Christ in his person. Have your have your thoughts cast back, if you will, to the year that King Uzziah died.
The prophet Isaiah saw the Lord high and lifted up the train of his robe filling the temple. Isn't that a glorious thing to dwell upon with the minds God gave us? Our pre-incarnate Christ. in that pre-incarnate glory. Do you know, brothers and sisters, that our Christ had to be, the glory of our Christ had to be hid by the wings of the seraphim who flew.
Remember, with two they covered their eyes. With two they covered their feet. This place is holy ground. With two they flew.
They cried out day and night, holy, holy, holy is the Lord of hosts. Whole earth is filled with his glory. You know that our pre-incarnate Christ. Has the essence undivided, same as God, the father, we are not not such who entertain some Christological heresy where the son of God, the second of the blessed triune is somehow less than the father, but rather he is the brightness of his father's glory, the express image of his person.
He is infinite, eternal and unchangeable in all of those perfections that we ascribe to God. rightly in accordance with his word. He is immutable. He is impassable. And yet this Christ comes.
That one who is in the form of God, who is in the form of God, eternally existing in the very form of God. That one who had equality, has equality with God the Father. What did he do in time and in history? He humbled himself.
He came in the form of a bondservant. taking upon the likeness of men. Brethren, hopefully your mouth's present when you think about your child drawing you a picture of you holding their hand in the park and you have three arms. Hopefully your mouth presents with a smile. But you see, with a solemn and joyful reflection upon the pre-incarnate glory of Christ and then His incarnate ignominy and humility, hopefully your smile presents.
Hopefully joy fills your heart. Hopefully you are filled with a glorious remembrance of your Savior, your condescending God who came in the fullness of the times, took upon Himself man's nature with all the essential properties and common infirmities thereof, yet without sin. Remember the person of Christ.
Remember Christ in His Life and Death
Now, remember Christ in his life, you see the confession that Christ is altogether lovely and chief among 10,000 is not solely confined to reflections upon Christ in his now exalted glory. He's altogether lovely to us and chief among 10,000, isn't he? When he's in a feed truck. I apologize that you had to see that.
He's in a feed trough. Altogether, lovely chief among 10,000, you see the very one who made the animals, the very animals who feed in that feed trough is found himself laid there in. A glorious condescension of our Christ. In his birth, the very one who hung the stars in place, is hanged upon a nursing breast.
In his baptism, the very one who by his sovereign power carved the riverbed of the Jordan out of dirt that he made out of nothing. The very one who put the water that flowed in that Jordan is found contained within, fulfilling all righteousness. He's in the wilderness. And as Spurgeon says, I love what he says with regards to Christ. in the wilderness.
He says this, when the champion lion of the pit and the mighty lion of the tribe of Judah fought together. Do you remember your Christ on this day where we observe the Lord's Supper tonight when we are observing it? Think upon your Savior going toe to toe in single combat against the evil one, the father of murder and lies. What does he do?
He exits the desert victorious. The devil has nothing on our Christ, nothing on our Savior. We fast forward in the life of Christ. And what do we find?
Well, in fact, throughout the life of Christ, he is opposed. Yes, by his foes, but even sometimes by his friends. He came into the world and the world esteemed him not. He came to his own and his own did not revere him.
There were times where even his friends opposed him. Lord, let it never be that you must go to the cross to be crucified and rise again the third day. People lopping off ears in his midst, people opposing his messianic charge to that cross. He's the recipient of opposition.
We move forward to not yet his death, but we move forward to that time just before his death. What do we see? An intimate friend betraying him. What do we see but Him on His hands and His knees in the garden, crying out, Father, if it is possible, let this cup pass from me.
Nevertheless, not my will, but Thine, be done. When you take the Lord's Supper tonight, think about this. You taste bread because He tasted death for you. Christian, you take that bread and you taste it because He tasted death for you.
You drink that wine. And you drink that back because he drank the cup of the wrath of God to its dregs for you, Christian. Remembering Christ specifically in his work, culminating in his death is the central focus of the Lord's Supper, isn't it? You see, when we consider the death of Christ and Remembering him.
You can think, if you will, of of with eyes of faith. Casting your eyes upon the crucified savior, you see, we're not to have vain imaginings, not to have vain imaginings as Christians, but with eyes of faith, considering Christ crucified, hanging upon that Roman gibbet of execution. and thinking about the Lord's Supper as that commanded observance. Christian, are you going to walk by your Christ with eyes of faith, glance for a moment, throw the double guns and say thanks and walk on? Are you going to stay in the presence now of the exalted Christ and come and observe, take and eat, take and drink while he feeds you in his sovereign power by his spirit for your growth as a Christian? in this lower world.
Brethren, I feel that we must to put away the demons, to exercise the demons of a lack of remembrance, to exercise the demons of bringing so many things before the eyes of memory and casting off that one that is holy to be remembered without exclusion. Lord's Supper is an absolute help. It's an absolute help. Because remember, we're not remembering ourselves, are we?
That can be the temptation. That can be something that rises up in our hearts, is that the do this in remembrance of me, you read your eyes, you cast your eyes upon that part of the text and, okay, yeah, I need to engage in some introspection now. I need to remember if I have done, if I have done. If I have done, if I have put off, if I have put off, if I have put off, yes, examine yourselves.
Yes, examine yourselves. But the remembrance is targeted upon the one who is holy to be remembered. Christ Jesus, the Lord. You know, yes, you are to peruse memories for there the witness. have faithfully recorded their names, but quickly flies, Spurgeon says to the Lamb of God, who takes away the sins of the world because he is the one who has taken away those sins.
He's died for you. He's risen again. And he has given you this feast so that you might remember not yourself and your previous week, but that you might remember him and his saving and in his redeeming glory. Gil writes, it may be observed that the Lord's Supper, which is a feast, is a commemoration of the ratification of the covenant of grace by the blood of Christ and wherein and whereby the faith of God's people is strengthened and confirmed as to their interest in it.
The importance of the Lord's Supper, brethren, is seen in that it is a remembrance of Christ. Do not put off a remembrance of your Savior. Put on that remembrance. Gather as you are able with the saints of Christ to observe such a one and such a death.
The Lord's Supper as Means of Grace
Lastly, then, and finally, the importance of the Lord's Supper is seen in its quality as a means of grace. In its quality as a means of grace. And
Fellowship with Christ, Not Demons
we need to back up for a moment to 1 Corinthians 10. As we jet, yes, out of our immediate text, but to something of context there where Paul is dealing with another issue. He's dealing not now with improper conduct at the Lord's Supper, one to each other, but rather improper conduct in the world, engaging in participation in pagan ritualistic meals, which is idolatry. Notice what we read in 1 Corinthians 10, beginning in verse 14.
Therefore, my beloved, Flee from idolatry. I speak as to wise men. Judge for yourselves what I say. 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? For we though many are one bread and one body, for we all partake of that one bread." Now, you see, when we gather together for the better and not for the worse this evening, we're gathering together as a communion of believers engaging in a horizontal aspect of fellowship, to be sure. The church is commanded to gather together within the context of the church. to remember the Lord's death till he comes again. But you see, the communion in view here is a fellowship, a communion, a participation, a sharing in the body and blood of Christ, vertically speaking.
We are communing, we are fellowshipping, we are sharing, we are participating with the risen and exalted Christ and celebrating his death till he comes again. How do we know this? Because it's set in opposition to fellowship with demons. Notice in verse 18, observe Israel after the flesh.
Are not those who eat of the sacrifices partakers of the altar? What am I saying then? That an idol is anything or what is offered to idols is anything? Rather that the things which the Gentiles sacrifice, they sacrifice to demons and not to God.
And I do not want you to have fellowship with demons. You cannot drink the cup of the Lord in the cup of demons. You cannot partake of the Lord's table in the table of demons. Or do we provoke the Lord?
To jealousy, are we stronger than he? You see what Paul wanted them to understand is that why would you want to participate in a meal where there is fellowship with demons when at the Lord's table you have fellowship with your God and with his Christ? Flee from idolatry and embrace with a Christian vigor and a joy the celebration that he has set before you. He set before you a feast, so don't forsake it. but rather come, take, eat, take, drink, and in so doing, you have fellowship with your God, with His Christ, and by supplies of the Spirit, you're spiritually nourished, growing in the grace and in the knowledge of Christ Jesus the Lord.
Weaver writes, believers receive spiritual nourishment and assurance of Christ's presence through their remembrance and faith of the once for all work of Christ on the cross. Bromley writes, in the supper we do inwardly that which we represent outwardly. You see, as clear and as simple and as obvious That as the bread and the wine are to the outward senses, so the shed body or the broken body and the shed blood of our Lord are present to our souls as we feast upon Christ and him crucified. That's the language of our confession.
That we feast upon Christ and him crucified, not physically, not in that papal abomination of the mass. But rather, He feeds us in His exalted and ascended state by His Spirit, these being emblematic. The bread and the wine do not change. The bread and the wine remain bread and wine.
But we take in inwardly, or we take in externally, outwardly, that which we are being fed, that which represents what we are being fed spiritually. We're being nourished by the risen and exalted Christ. As we move towards a close, Barcelos writes, the Lord's Supper is a means of grace at which Christ is present by his divine nature and during which the Holy Spirit nourishes the souls of believers with the benefits wrought for us in Christ's humanity, which is now glorified in heaven and at the right hand of the Father.
Application
And so in closing. Brothers and sisters, three things. Three things, obey Christ. Sometimes the applications of a text come very simply.
Two words, obey Christ. Why? Because we're confronted in the text with that language, do this. Do this.
This, do. Remember, these are not the words that come from a heavy-handed despot or a tyrant imposing upon us things that we cannot bear. Bread and wine, come. Take, eat, obey your Christ.
You see, I believe that we can very often take the pot. I don't mean we, but I mean we as as as Christian people, those who profess faith in the Lord Jesus Christ, we can heap before us all matter of self-imposed religious things whereby we'll remember Christ and all the while forsaking the thing that he himself has instituted by himself, the Lord's table. Oh, but you see, I do such and such and I do such and such and I do this and you know, I don't come because I remember him in another way. Again, you're providentially hindered.
This night does not cut to your heart. But in obedience to God. That is disobedience to forsake this blessed feast that he sets before us. Come take and eat.
The words are not wrapped in a riddle hidden in a conundrum. Having to be deciphered after you complete a Rubik's Cube. Do this in remembrance of me. Come and take and eat.
Don't let my eyebrows fool you. If I look angry, I'm not angry. I want to stress and impose upon you wholesomely this delightful and favorable ordinance of our Lord. There's no bread and wine here.
I keep pointing there because tonight it'll be there and I'm used to doing that. Obey your Christ. joyful compliance, cheerful compliance. Come take and eat. Remember your Christ.
Remember your Christ. You see, we were not there when our Christ was crucified. We were not there. And yet.
Brothers and sisters, he is as if crucified before our eyes when he is by faith partaken of at the Lord's table. It's a picture, the gospel, it's a picture of our Christ crucified, shedding his blood for guilty sinners. Remember him. Remember him.
Come take and eat. Oh, but the heat. Oh, but the cold. Oh, but the rain.
Oh, but the snow. Oh, but the beach. Oh, but my dinner. Oh, but the game.
Oh, but your Christ stricken, smitten and afflicted. See him dying on the tree. We come and we observe and we remember and we do so with Christian hearts, joyful, cheerfully. Casting our contemplations on one so glorious, so worthy of adoration, so worthy of not sliding and neglecting. so worthy of cheerful compliance unto his lowly and gentle heart in instituting a meal for us, a feast for Christians.
And lastly, be nourished by Christ. Be nourished by Christ. Again, this quote from Hansard Nollis. Oh, dear friends, be not wanting to your precious souls, either in slighting or neglecting the ordinances of God.
Remember what God is doing at the Lord's Supper. He's feeding His weary people. Just as the hungry and the thirsty need bread and wine, just as the hungry and thirsty need solid food and drink, so too the hungry and the thirsty Christian, weary in this lower world, beset by all manner of evils, beset by the world, attacked by the devil, dwelling with that that that heart in their bosom just as they need spiritual nourishment or they do need spiritual nourishment. And so, brothers and sisters, why should you cry?
Oh, my leanness. Why should you cry? Oh, my barrenness. How unkindly do you deal with Christ to slight and neglect or refuse his gracious invitations to heavenly banquets at his table?
He sets before us that feast. And in that act of cheerful remembrance and cheerful obedience, He feeds His people. He comes to the weary soul. He strengthens.
He feeds. Avail of that, my brothers and sisters. Cry nothing of leanness and cry nothing of barrenness, but cry in thanks to your God. Praise Christ.
Hallelujah, what a Savior. You came and you gave and you give us this ordinance that you might be obeyed and remembered and availed of. And very finally, very finally, You know what this Lord's Supper does? It points us and it shows us a God who says, I, even I, am he who blotteth out thine own transgressions for my namesake.
You know what he says after that? He says, put me in remembrance, if you will. What he's saying is, he's not saying remember me. He's saying, put in my remembrance anything that I am still remembering concerning your sin.
Am I actually remembering and imputing iniquity to you? Or have I truly forgotten? You see, in the Lord's Supper, what are we remembering? We're remembering the non-remembrance of our God.
I, even I, am He who blots out your own transgressions for my namesake, and I will remember them no more. If you're here today and you're beset by the guilt of sin, you're an unbeliever, you come in these two doors this morning, it's good that you're here. It's good that you're here. If you've heard anything this morning, know that there is a God in high heaven who cannot look upon sin with favor.
He cannot look away from it without punishing it. He does not wink upon it and say, go your merry way. But he must punish. All have sinned and have fallen short of the glory of God.
That means you have sinned day after day, time after time, opposed this sovereign majesty, opposed our God and trampled on his law, rejected his Christ. There is blessed remedy. There is blessed salvation. There is blessed everlasting life to be found in the one, the Lord Jesus Christ, who was the praise of angels, who condescended to live a life of obedience for all those who believe in him, who could not obey, who died a death wherein God punished him for those sins they have committed.
All those who believe he bore in his own body. The believer sins upon that tree. Believe on him and you will have everlasting life and you can come to the feast. and obey with cheerful compliance. Come to the feast and you can remember with precious remembrance.
Come to the feast and you will be nourished by this Christ who died for sinners and rose again. Brethren, come. Take, eat. That is His body.
Take, eat. That is His blood. Come and rejoice in a Savior crucified for guilty sinners and find blessed solace in the King of Kings and Lord of Lords. Let us pray.
Closing Prayer
Heavenly Father, we rejoice in your word. We thank you for what it proclaims to us with regards to our Lord Jesus Christ. We rejoice in such a Savior. We thank you so much that you did send him in the fullness of the times, born of a woman and born under the law, that he might redeem those who are under the law. that we might receive adoption as sons.
We rejoice in His body broken for us, His blood shed for us. We pray, Lord God, that you would give us hearts that are always in remembrance of our Savior, such a Christ. We pray that you would give us hearts that are always reflecting upon His perfect and saving work. We do pray, Lord God, that you would give us hearts that seek to cheerfully comply with such a blessed and gentle commandment.
Take, eat, take, drink, and do this in remembrance of me. We pray that you would bring us back together, that we would tonight come together for the better and not for the worse. That we might obey, that we might remember, and that we might be nourished by such a Savior and by such a God. And we pray in Christ's precious name, amen.