← Back to sermon library

Chapter 30 I'll read, and then 
we'll just go over the chapter as a whole, just noting the particular 
details or contours that our forefathers described with reference 
to the supper. So beginning in chapter 30 at 
paragraph 1, the supper of the Lord Jesus was instituted by 
Him the same night wherein He was betrayed, to be observed 
in His churches unto the end of the world for the perpetual 
remembrance and showing forth the sacrifice in His death, confirmation 
of the faith of believers and all the benefits thereof, their 
spiritual nourishment and growth in Him, their further engagement 
in and to all duties which they owe to Him, and to be a bond 
and pledge of their communion with Him and with each other. 
In this ordinance, Christ is not offered up to his Father, 
nor any real sacrifice made at all for remission of sin of the 
quick or dead, but only a memorial of that one offering up of himself 
by himself upon the cross, once for all, and a spiritual oblation 
of all possible praise unto God for the same. so that the popish 
sacrifice of the mass, as they call it, is most abominable, 
injurious to Christ's only sacrifice, the alone propitiation for all 
the sins of the elect. The Lord Jesus hath in this ordinance 
appointed his ministers to pray and bless the elements of bread 
and wine, and thereby to set them apart from a common to unholy 
use, and to take and break the bread, to take the cup, and they 
communicating also themselves to give both to the communicants. 
the denial of the cup to the people, worshiping the elements, 
the lifting them up, or carrying them about for adoration, and 
reserving them for any pretended religious use, are all contrary 
to the nature of this ordinance and to the institution of Christ. 
The outward elements in this ordinance, duly set apart to 
the uses ordained by Christ, have such relation to him crucified 
as that truly, although in terms used figuratively, they are sometimes 
called by the name of the things they represent. To wit, the body 
and blood of Christ, albeit in substance and nature, they still 
remain truly and only bread and wine as they were before. That 
doctrine which maintains a change of the substance of bread and 
wine into the substance of Christ's body and blood, commonly called 
transubstantiation by consecration of a priest or by any other way, 
is repugnant not to Scripture alone, but even to common sense 
and reason. Overthroweth the nature of the 
ordinance, and hath been and is the cause of manifold superstitions, 
yea, of gross idolatries. Worthy receivers outwardly partaking 
of the visible elements in this ordinance do then also inwardly 
by faith, really and indeed, yet not carnally and corporally, 
but spiritually receive and feed upon Christ crucified and all 
the benefits of his death. the body and blood of Christ 
being then not corporally or carnally, but spiritually present 
to the faith of believers in that ordinance, as the elements 
themselves are to their outward senses. All ignorant and ungodly 
persons, as they are unfit to enjoy communion with Christ, 
so are they unworthy of the Lord's table, and cannot, without great 
sin against Him, while they remain such, partake of these holy mysteries, 
or be admitted thereunto. Yea, whosoever shall receive 
unworthily are guilty of the body and blood of the Lord, eating 
and drinking judgment to themselves. Amen. So we're looking at what 
are called corporate means of grace. We have seen baptism in 
the Lord's Supper. There's a general brief chapter, 
chapter 28, just introducing those two particular ordinances. 
Chapter 29, of course, last time we looked at, Pastor Cam taught 
from chapter 29 of baptism, and then today of the Lord's Supper. If you go back to chapter 14 
for just a moment in terms of saving faith, There are a list 
there or identification of the means of grace. Notice in 14.1, 
the grace of faith, whereby the elect are enabled to believe 
to the saving of their souls, is the work of the Spirit of 
Christ in their hearts, and is ordinarily wrought by the ministry 
of the Word, by which also, and by the administration of baptism 
and the Lord's Supper, prayer, and other means appointed of 
God, it is increased and strengthened." So these are means of grace, 
the corporate things that God has given to the people of the 
Lord so that our faith may be increased, that we may be sustained, 
that we may be encouraged. In fact, in paragraph 1 of chapter 
30, it says, confirmation of the faith, of believers, and 
all the benefits thereof. And it indicates for us how come 
it's so important that we attend to this. One, it's commanded 
by God, but it's also, too, something that's beneficial and encouraging 
for our hearts and for our walk with the Lord. So essentially, 
how this chapter proceeds. Paragraph 1 is a general introduction 
to the Lord's Supper. We'll look at that in just a 
moment. And then there is a detailed explanation of the Lord's Supper 
in paragraphs 2 to 8. And there we see the nature of 
the supper in paragraph 2, the celebration of the supper in 
paragraphs 3 and 4. Thirdly, we see the elements 
of the Supper in paragraphs 5 and 6, and then finally the recipients 
of the Supper in paragraphs 7 to 8. So, that's the detailed explanation 
in terms of the Supper. But let's look first at paragraph 
1. Note the institution of the Supper. The Supper of the Lord 
Jesus was instituted by Him the same night wherein He was betrayed. This is important, just like 
we saw in chapter 29. Notice in paragraph 1, baptism 
is an ordinance of the New Testament ordained by Jesus Christ. The 
confession highlights or underscores that Christ is the covenant head, 
Christ is the covenant mediator, Christ has the authority to command 
how his people are to observe not only the Lord's Supper but 
also baptism. In other words, these aren't 
suggested activities, they are not optional activities, they 
are not something that we are free to change or manipulate 
or to distort or to twist to serve our particular ends, but 
rather we take them from the hand of Christ and we obey as 
Christ commanded. So the supper of the Lord Jesus 
was instituted by him the same night wherein he was betrayed. 
We see that in Matthew's Gospel, to be sure. Matthew chapter 26, 
Paul the Apostle reflects on that as well in 1 Corinthians 
chapter 11. What Paul instructs the Corinthians 
in, in 1 Corinthians chapter 11, is something he had received 
from the Lord. Again, this has what we would 
call dominical significance. The word dominical refers to 
the dominion of or the lordship of Jesus Christ. He is the head, 
with reference to the administration of the new covenant sacrament. 
So we don't ask Moses, and we don't ask Abraham, who are the 
recipients, with reference to baptism in the supper. We ask 
the Lord Jesus. Now notice the observance of 
the supper. In paragraph 1, it is to be observed 
in his churches unto the end of the world. So it's to be observed 
in his churches. Now, I know it's commonplace 
for persons to disregard this, but when you read the letter, 
Corinthians, specifically 1 Corinthians, where Paul gives detailed instruction 
concerning the supper, he's writing to the church. This is a corporate 
or a churchly ordinance. It's something for the people 
of God to enjoy with one another. It's not only for the benefit 
of their communion with God, but as the Confession goes on 
to say, their communion with each other. And this is brought 
out very clearly, not as much in 1 Corinthians 11, where it's 
assumed but in 1 Corinthians chapter 10. We have common fellowship 
in our Lord Jesus Christ. And then notice, it is to be 
observed in his churches unto the end of the world. And so 
this is something the church needs to be engaged in until 
the end of the world. In other words, we don't have 
the right to put it aside or to say that it's not for us. 
I think the Salvation Army does not observe the sacrament of 
the Lord's Supper, do they, with baptism? Neither baptism? Oh, they do the Lord's Supper, 
but not baptism. And then, of course, there's 
a group called hyper-preterists that think we're in heaven already, 
so therefore there's no need to take the Supper. But for the 
rest of us, we need to obey the Lord Jesus Christ and observe 
it in His churches unto the end of the world. And if you read 
1 Corinthians 11, you'll see Paul's emphasis not only on the 
present sort of observation of what's happening, but the past 
recollection of who Jesus is, but then there's this future 
orientation. Specifically in 1 Corinthians 
11, at verse 26, he says, for as often as you eat this bread 
and drink this cup, you proclaim the Lord's death till he comes. So the implication is, you do 
this till he comes. In other words, you don't have 
the right to suspend this particular ordinance. John Gill said, it 
leads forward to expect and believe He will come again to put us 
into the full possession of the salvation He is the author of. 
when there will be no more occasion for this ordinance nor any other, 
but all will cease and God will be all in all." So in other words, 
these things are given to us on this side of heaven. They 
are given to us for the purposes that we're about to see here 
in paragraph 1. But once we are in heaven, there 
will be no more need for baptism and the Lord's Supper. We will 
be in the presence of God, who is all in all. These are things 
given to us to nourish, to encourage, to help us along as pilgrims 
in this lower world. Once we've achieved, by God's 
grace, life in the higher world, then there is no longer a need 
for these ordinances. And this is what the Confession 
highlights. Now, notice the purpose with reference to the supper. 
It says in the first place, for the perpetual remembrance. Now, 
obviously, the remembrance is of our Lord Jesus. Again, in 
1 Corinthians 11, at verse 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. 
In the same manner, he also took the cup after supper, saying, 
This cup is the new covenant in my blood, this too, as often 
as you drink it, in remembrance of me." So when we gather together 
tonight for the supper, one of the particular emphases is to 
remember Jesus. It would be those who would say, 
well, we hear about Jesus every sermon. We oftentimes hear the 
preaching of the gospel. Well, God in His goodness knows 
that we are physical beings, and God's given us these physical 
elements to help nurture our spiritual faith along. It's a 
blessing, it's a goodness, it's a kindness, it's a mercy from 
our God, but the focal point is to remember the Lord Jesus 
Christ. John Murray made this observation. He said, it is the Lord we are 
remembering. So frequently, believers become 
so introspective that preoccupation with themselves excludes preoccupation 
with Christ. I think that's a very important 
statement because I think it is the case that the Lord's Supper 
does call us at least to a degree of introspection. Specifically 
here in 1 Corinthians 11, the Apostle highlights the need for 
us to examine ourselves. 1 Corinthians 11.27. 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. But 
let a man examine himself, and so let him eat of the bread and 
drink of the cup. For he who eats and drinks in 
an unworthy manner eats and drinks judgment to himself, not discerning 
the Lord's body." So Paul does tell us specifically to do a 
bit of introspection. In other words, examine yourselves. 
Look at your heart. See if there are sins that you 
are harboring instead of confessing. See if there are sins that you 
are not dealing with, but rather you're attempting to cover them. 
You do need to examine yourselves, but very often, when it comes 
to this, we go overboard and we become preoccupied with ourselves 
instead of being preoccupied with Christ. So there's a balance 
there or a fine line there. And one of the things I appreciate 
when Pastor Kim leads the supper, he always says that if you examine 
yourselves and you find sin to be present, deal with it. You 
don't have to deal with it on the top of Mount Sham. We are 
not Catholics. You don't have to deal with it 
in the confessional booth with a priest. You don't have to deal 
with it in some extra sort of a way. You can in the comfort 
or discomfort of your church pew, however you so judge those 
pews. I think that some judge them 
discomfortable or uncomfortable because they bring cushions. 
But regardless, you can confess your sins. You're no more fit 
to be forgiven of your sin on top of Mount Shem than you are 
sitting in the church pew. You know, I remember a series 
of sermons on the atonement by Albert N. Martin, and he said 
that at times, Protestants become functional Catholics. They become 
functional Roman Catholics. In other words, they confess, 
or they sin against their wives, and then they confess their sins 
to their wives, but then they go about and brood, and they 
sort of agonize, and they engage in sort of a Roman Catholic practice 
of whipping themselves. you know, really showing just 
how upset and how hurt they are. Well, that is to reject the blessing 
of God's offered grace in and through the Redeemer. We are 
forgiven. And I know that's tough for us 
to understand. Probably one of the most difficult 
things I suggest as believers is coming to not only appreciate, 
but to really embrace the reality of 1 John 1.9. If we confess 
our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us. Not if we 
shimmy up to the top of Mount Shem and there confess our sins, 
He's faithful and just to forgive us. But He can do that when we 
sit in a church pew, when we do look into our own hearts before 
the supper comes, when we do see, wow, I've not dealt with 
this sin. God, please forgive me. Help 
me to resist it. Please fill me with the Spirit 
so that I won't engage in that activity. Why does that not fall 
under 1 John 1.9? If we confess our sins, He's 
faithful and just to forgive us. Or Psalm 130. If you, Lord, 
should mark iniquities, O Lord, who can stand? But there is forgiveness 
with you that you may be feared. or the text that we're going 
to look at tonight by way of meditation for the supper. The 
one who covers his transgressions will not prosper, but the one 
who confesses and forsakes them will find what? They'll find 
mercy from God. In other words, God is a God 
of mercy. He's a God of grace. He's a God 
of kindness. So let not the supper become 
a time of preoccupation with yourself. It is to be a time 
of preoccupation with Christ. Notice, secondly, in terms of 
the purpose of the supper. It is the showing forth the sacrifice 
in his death. It's not engaging in a sacrifice. It's not engaging in an act of 
atonement. But rather, this particular ordinance, 
in a very particular way, does demonstrate or show forth the 
sacrifice in his death. In other words, when we eat this 
bread and we drink this cup, We proclaim the Lord's death 
till he comes. And the significance of that 
is for our sins. So it is a showing forth the 
sacrifice of the Lord Jesus. Notice thirdly, it is for the 
confirmation of the faith. And again, I think that this 
is where we oftentimes stumble because we think we need to be 
fit to come to the table. Now, the confession will deal 
with unworthy recipients, ignorant and ungodly. Ignorant doesn't 
just mean there that you don't know algebra. But we think that 
the supper is a reward for our obedience. We look back at our 
week and we say, wow, I didn't do very well in my Bible reading, 
so I'm not going to go to the Lord's Supper on Sunday night. 
I'll absent myself from church because it's awkward if I don't 
take from the plate or if I don't take from the wine. But I really 
didn't have a good week. I doubt that's what Paul means 
when he says examine yourself. When he says, examine yourself, 
he is saying, look for sin that is undealt with in terms of you 
and God, and very specifically in terms of sin that is undealt 
with in terms of your relationship with one another. Remember the 
context in 1 Corinthians 11. They had a meal in concert with 
the supper. And at that particular meal, 
it was occasion for some to be given to gluttony and drunkenness, 
while others had nothing. Now, the point is that this is 
an expression of our fellowship and our union together, our one 
loaf-ness in terms of our approach to the Lord God Almighty. So 
if we have outstanding sins with God and outstanding sins with 
others, then we need to deal with that. But having dealt with 
that, the supper isn't a reward for your obedience. The supper 
is to function as a confirmation of the faith of believers and 
all the benefits thereof. Perhaps we stumble because we 
absent ourselves from the means that God's ordained to nourish 
us and to confirm our faith. I think that oftentimes the supper 
is treated as a reward for those who are doing well. I've often 
said, and I hope that I'll always say it, the supper isn't our 
service to God, it's God's service to us. It's a very unique and 
wonderful opportunity for the householder, who is God, to serve 
us a meal, give us something to participate in for our well-being 
and for our edification. If you come over to our house 
or I go over to your house, it pleases the householder to provide 
a bounty for the persons that are visiting with specific ends 
in view, for their nourishment, for their encouragement, for 
their strengthening, and the same ought to be true, or the 
same rather is true with reference to the supper. The church is 
the household of God, and as such, God the householder provides 
for us this particular meal so that He can confirm the faith 
of believers and all the benefits thereof. Notice it goes on to 
say their spiritual nourishment and growth in Him. And this is 
why this particular means is employed. We need food and we 
need drink to be physically nourished. We need food and we need drink, 
specifically Lord's Supper food and drink, to be spiritually 
nourished. It's a tangible reminder of our 
absolute dependence upon God and the way that He nourishes 
us and He caused us to grow. And then notice, it ought to 
promote obedience, their further engagement in and to all duties 
which they owe to him. In other words, it's not the 
case that we come to the supper for having offered up all of 
these duties. It's not the case that we come 
to the supper and receive it as a reward because of all of 
our performance in the previous week. Rather, the supper functions 
to send us into the week with more of a resolve to obey and 
honor the Lord God Almighty. In other words, as we remember 
what Christ did for us, that empowers the life of sanctification. I've often thought the best means 
to employ in terms of pursuing holiness is to consider your 
justification, to consider the Christian gospel, and use that 
as an impetus to go therefore and glorify and honor the Lord. 
some say all sanctification is, is just to ponder your justification. I don't think that's true, but 
I certainly think that sanctification includes pondering your justification. In other words, when you understand 
what God in Christ has done for you, that's the impetus to go 
and to obey and to honor and to glorify God Almighty. And then notice finally, and 
to be a bond, and pledge of their communion with him and with each 
other. 1 Corinthians chapter 10. I trust you're in 1 Corinthians 
11. Verse 15 in chapter 10, 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. So you see, there is this vertical 
dimension wherein our communion with Christ is strengthened, 
but there's the horizontal, and that's one of the emphases in 
terms of it being a churchly ordinance. It's not done on your 
own. It is done in the context of 
the local church. Intriguingly, baptism is an ordinance 
for the party baptized. That's what the Confession of 
Faith says, very specifically. Baptism is an ordinance of the 
New Testament ordained by Jesus Christ to be unto the party baptized. So with reference to baptism, 
it's for the baptizee. With reference to the supper, 
it's for the church. Now, we do baptism so that the 
whole church can witness and the whole church does participate 
in terms of being spectators at what is happening with reference 
to the baptism. But remember the Ethiopian eunuch. He wasn't baptized in the church. 
Again, I'm not suggesting we don't baptize in the church. 
But baptism is for the party unto the party baptized. whereas 
the supper is for the church. It is to be observed in His churches 
and that enhances or that increases or that furthers that bond and 
pledge of their communion with each other. And that is one of 
the problems that Paul addresses in 1 Corinthians 11. You're supposed 
to gather together, you're supposed to be expressing love for one 
another, but some are eating and drinking to the point of 
gluttony and drunkenness, and others have nothing. That's a 
problem because it compromises this one body aspect that is 
to be reflected when we participate in the one bread. Now note, secondly, 
the detailed explanation of the supper. You have the nature of 
the supper in paragraph two. And you have a negative statement, 
a positive statement, and then what's called a polemical statement. Note first the negative statement. 
The Lord is not offered to his father. The Lord is not offered 
to his father. There is no genuine sacrifice 
of atonement happening. This differentiates us from Roman 
Catholicism, and you have to appreciate how much Roman Catholicism 
is in this particular chapter, because that is precisely what 
they teach. The whole doctrine of transubstantiation 
that will later be dealt with in this particular chapter maintains 
a change of the elements into the actual body and blood of 
Jesus. Once that change has occurred, 
then they are engaged in a sacrifice of atonement, an unbloody but 
nevertheless sacrifice of atonement. That's not what the purpose of 
the supper is. It is not for us to engage in 
a sacrifice. Notice the confession goes on 
to say, nor any real sacrifice made at all for remission or 
forgiveness of sin of the quick or dead. So this is what it's 
not. Now notice what it is. The ordinance 
is a memorial of Christ's once-for-all offering of himself. In fact, 
turn to Hebrews 9. You'll see how this truly devastates 
the notion of transubstantiation and the idea that Christ is being 
sacrificed again to his Father. Notice in Hebrews 9, specifically 
at verse 25, Not that he should offer himself often as the high 
priest enters the most holy place every year with blood of another. 
He then would have had to suffer often since the foundation of 
the world. But now once at the end of the ages, he has appeared 
to put away sin by the sacrifice of himself. And as it is appointed 
for men to die once, but after this the judgment, so Christ 
was offered once to bear the sins of many. To those who eagerly 
wait for him, he will appear a second time, apart from sin, 
for salvation. So you see, if your doctrine 
of the supper includes a re-sacrifice of Christ, then you are flying 
straight against the words of the apostle in the book of Hebrews. 
Over and over and over again, Hebrews points out the once for 
all sacrifice of our Lord Jesus Christ. This should put to death 
the notion of the idea, or the notion rather, that we are sacrificing 
afresh the Son of God. It goes on to say, but only a 
memorial of that one offering up of Himself by Himself upon 
the cross once for all and a spiritual oblation of all possible praise 
unto God for the same. This idea of oblation means sacrifice, 
but it's a spiritual one. We give praise to God. In other 
words, when we come to the supper, certainly there's that moment 
of examination or that time of examination where we We reflect 
upon our own sin, and by the grace of God we confess that 
sin unto God, and we receive from His hand the mercy and the 
forgiveness of God. And then we reflect on what Christ 
has done. We reflect upon the glory of 
the cross. Do this in remembrance of me, 
His life, His death. His resurrection, His obedience 
for us, His suffering for us, and all of that ought to promote 
praise and worship and glory. So when we engage in the supper, 
yes, we're obeying Christ in terms of this particular ordinance, 
but we are praising Christ in terms of this particular ordinance. 
It's a means for us to be refreshed, renewed, and reminded, and another 
reason to return praise unto our God. And then notice the 
polemical statement targeting the Roman Catholic Church. Popish 
there means Roman Catholic. So that the popish sacrifice 
of the mass, as they call it, is most abominable, injurious 
to Christ's own only sacrifice, the alone propitiation for all 
the sins of the elect. So it is abominable and it is 
injurious In other words, there's no positive remedial benefit 
that one receives from the Roman Catholic Mass. It is most abominable. In that same series of sermons 
I mentioned earlier by Pastor Anne Martin, he speaks of the 
abomination of the Roman Catholic Mass. And he uses some very vivid 
and very powerful language that if you can find those messages 
on atonement, you'd probably be very encouraged to hear. but 
as well to understand what's happening in terms of the Roman 
Catholic Church and what they do with reference to the Mass. 
Now notice the celebration of the Supper in paragraphs 3 and 
4. You have the proper, paragraph 
3, and you have the perverse, paragraph 4. Properly, it involves 
praying over the elements. That is something, hopefully, 
we engage in. It involves breaking the bread, 
and it involves giving both the bread and the cup to themselves 
and to all other communicants. Now, this will be addressed in 
just a moment in terms of the perverseness, but one of the 
things that is typical, at least when I was growing up of Roman 
Catholicism, is the withholding of the cup from the laity. In 
other words, the laity, the non-priests, didn't get the cop. I don't know 
if that's changed. I don't know if it's different 
now. I haven't been in a Roman Catholic church in many, many 
years, though I think last time we visited California, I looked 
up my old elementary school on Google Earth, and it's changed 
quite a bit. I think we were in California 
once, and I walked in, and it was much, much smaller than I 
had remembered. When I was a kid, it was this 
massive, huge building. Now it's probably about the size 
of our, not now, it didn't change, but in my conception from childhood 
to adulthood, and maybe it reflects my better theology now it looks 
so small, but it was commonplace to withhold the cup from non-priests. No, that's just not the case. That's not what's supposed to 
happen. And that's why our confession addresses these particulars, 
because it's an abuse of the ordinance. Notice in paragraph 
4, the perverse celebration, the denial of the cup to the 
people. Remember when I did serve as 
an altar boy in a different church, the priest offered the wine to 
the altar boys. And that was the first time, 
at least lawfully, I knew that all altar boys would take the 
wine. Unlawfully, altar boys had a 
reputation for chugging back the wine after church or before 
church or whenever they could get away with it. But the denial 
of the cup to the people, notice as well, worshiping the elements, 
the lifting them up or carrying them about for adoration. Now 
there is a particular vehicle in place for the Roman Catholic 
Church to do this. When the priest makes the change, 
he takes the bread, he takes the wine, he says a prayer, he 
does whatever he does, and now he has the power to change this 
bread and wine into the actual body and blood of Jesus. Then 
he will take that host, that's what the round piece of bread 
is called, he'll take that host and he raises it up. And when 
he raises it up, an altar boy rings a collection of bells. 
And at that particular time, the congregation is to be worshiping 
that host, that piece of bread. So if you ever wonder why our 
confession of faith took pains to expose this for the heresy 
that it is, this is why. Because you're calling people 
to worship creature. You're calling people to worship 
something that they think or have been told is the actual 
body of Jesus Christ, and it's not. And so this is what the 
confession highlights in terms of the perversity of the celebration. So the denial of the cup to the 
people, worshiping the elements, the lifting them up, or carrying 
them about for adoration. As well, behind every Roman Catholic 
altar was a tabernacle. So I remember being a kid and 
hearing them call it a tabernacle. I think my doctrine or theology 
of tabernacle has grown a bit, but it's this golden box and 
it was under lock and key and the priest had a key and he'd 
open it up and that's where they would put these particular elements. 
And so that was the tabernacle. That was the dwelling place. 
That is where the local presence of Jesus Christ was. And that's 
another issue that the Confession doesn't get a whole lot into, 
but other authors writing on this particular subject do deal 
with. If you have a doctrine of transubstantiation, you pervert 
the doctrine of the hypostatic union. because you cannot divinize 
the humanity of Jesus Christ. He cannot be everywhere present 
physically. He is not present physically 
to us in the supper. He is present spiritually. He 
is according to his deity, but his flesh is not ubiquitous. His flesh is not everywhere present. His flesh is locally present 
at the right hand of the Father. He is present with us with reference 
to the supper by the power of His Holy Spirit. We believe in 
the real presence of Christ, but not according to His humanity. According to His divinity, by 
the power of the Holy Spirit, we know the nearness of Christ 
at the supper. And then it says, they are all, 
or rather, are all contrary to the nature of this ordinance 
and to the institution of Christ. Now notice, paragraphs five and 
six, the elements of the supper. You have the proper description 
and the refutation of transubstantiation. You see how this sort of detailed 
explanation goes. It gives you the positive. It 
gives you the negative. It gives you what the Orthodox 
believe, what the Orthodox reject. It's what we should practice 
and what we should resist. And I think this is the most 
wonderful construction of a chapter in the Confession. Well, all 
of them are. But notice, with reference to the description 
of the elements in paragraph 5. The outward elements in this 
ordinance, duly set apart to the uses ordained by Christ, 
have such relation to him crucified as that truly, although in terms 
used figuratively, they are sometimes called by the name of the things 
they represent, to wit, the body and blood of Christ. So it's 
not uncommon to refer to the bread and wine as the body and 
blood of Christ. The confession is making this 
distinction. This is a figurative application. It is a figurative identity. It is that which represents the 
body and blood of Christ. When Jesus said, this is my body, 
he didn't mean an exact parallel, because then Jesus would have 
been ingesting his own body. When Jesus says, this is my blood, 
he would have been doing something that is completely contrary to 
the Jewish mind. There was a prohibition against 
ingesting blood. So for Jesus to say, this is 
my blood, drink it, it would have been absolutely repugnant 
to those Jews. Obviously, he meant this represents. Obviously, he meant this is in 
a figurative sense. The fact that, you know, the 
Catholic Church and Lutheranism to a great degree takes that 
is literally is really an offense to the ordinance. So the figurative 
These terms are used figuratively, but then at the end it qualifies 
and says, albeit in substance and nature, they still remain 
truly and only bread and wine as they were before. So you see, 
it's not the case that they change. If we need to, at the end of 
the supper, there's extra wine, we can pour it down the sink. You wouldn't do that as a papist. 
You wouldn't do that ever as a papist. You wouldn't pour the 
blood of Jesus down a common sink. You wouldn't get rid of 
bread in a trash can that rats or mice might eat, because then 
they will ingest the very body of Jesus Christ. There's a story 
where Luther, even after he began his reformation, dropped a goblet 
of wine and got down on his hands and knees and licked it right 
up off the floor. Again, the doctrine is this is 
the blood of the Lord Jesus Christ. You see, you just wouldn't ever 
take those things and dispose of them in a way that was less 
than godly or approved by the church because they have truly 
become the body and blood of Jesus. Now, note the refutation 
of transubstantiation in paragraph six. The first statement defines 
transubstantiation. That doctrine which maintains 
a change of the substance of bread and wine into the substance 
of Christ's body and blood, commonly called transubstantiation by 
consecration of a priest or by any other way, is repugnant, 
not to scripture alone, though it is, and that's certainly highlighted, 
if we understand all that has preceded in this chapter of the 
Confession, if we have understood Paul's argument in 1 Corinthians 
11, if we have understood what Jesus is doing in Matthew chapter 
26, it is repugnant to Scripture to maintain that a priest, an 
unholy man, has the ability to change the bread and wine into 
the actual body and blood of Christ. I think I've heard it 
said, one priest said he had more power than God himself when 
he's on that altar because he has the ability to change these 
things into the very Son of God himself. Well, brethren, that 
just ought not to be. This is a crime against the Scriptures 
and it is a sin against God. But notice the confession goes 
on to say, but it's repugnant even to common sense and reason. In other words, as I mentioned, 
the early disciples would have never thought for a moment that 
when Jesus said, this is my body, they were actually eating his 
body. Or this is my blood, that they 
were actually ingesting his blood. They would have never thought 
that. They should have never thought that. They would understand 
that this is, was figurative. This does represent my body. This represents my blood. That's the clear meaning of Scripture. And notice it goes on to say, 
it overthrows the nature of the ordinance and has been and is 
the cause of manifold superstitions, yea, of gross idolatries. Doesn't Cam tell the story? I'm 
sure he read it. of the Catholic Church where 
a bee found a host or bees got the host and they took it to 
the beehive and they were all bowing down to the host. Anybody 
remember Cam ever mentioning that about the bees? Yeah, that's 
what happened, right? Bees got a host, they took it 
into their hive and then they were bowing down to the host. 
That's what I think the confession is talking about there, and hath 
been and is the cause of manifold superstitions, yea, of gross 
idolatries. Now, I don't doubt bees owe religious 
worship to their creator, but not like that. Bees worship God 
by going from place to place, searching out their nectar and 
bringing it back to the hive, not stopping to pick up a host 
and bring it back to the hive so that the body of bees can 
then bow before the host. You see, there's a lot of those 
sorts of things in the Catholic Church that our confession herein 
condemns. And if it were not the case that 
there weren't souls on the line, then probably it would go left 
untouched. but there are people that are 
responsible for the things they believe and for the things that 
they engage in. And if they are worshiping a 
host, if they are bowing down before something creature, that 
is not good. And then note, finally, the recipients 
of the supper in paragraph seven and eight, you have the worthy 
recipients. Verse, or paragraph seven, worthy 
receivers, Outwardly partaking of the visible elements in this 
ordinance, do then also inwardly by faith, really and indeed, 
yet not carnally and corporally. Again, carnally and corporally 
means it's not a physical thing. There's not some benefit to your 
physical health in terms of the bread and the wine that you ingest 
when you come to the supper. It's a spiritual benefit. It's 
a spiritual blessing. but spiritually receive and feed 
upon Christ crucified and all the benefits of his death. You 
see, there is benefit for us, not physical, but rather spiritual. So the worthy recipients receive 
and feed upon Christ crucified and all the benefits of his death, 
and then it goes on to say the body and blood of Christ being 
then not corporeally or carnally, but spiritually present to the 
faith of believers in that ordinance, as the elements themselves are 
to their outward senses. So you see, there is this connection. The elements remind us with reference 
to the Lord Jesus, and our faith is benefited as a result of what 
God has given to us in this particular ordinance. And then, of course, 
the unworthy recipients in paragraph 8, all ignorant and ungodly persons. ignorant. Again, it's not somebody 
that's defective in their understanding of quantum physics, but rather 
ignorant with reference to the Christian religion. No benefit 
apart from knowing Christ with reference to the supper. Do this 
in remembrance of me assumes a certain degree of knowledge 
concerning who Jesus is. It's of no benefit to somebody 
ignorant of the Christian religion. It's not for somebody that is 
not a participant in the Christian religion. It has no significance 
for them. It is not something for them. 
I think it was the Didache, which I think does call for or encourages 
weekly celebration of the supper. And at the time of the supper, 
unbelievers were asked to leave. Imagine doing that in churches 
today. We probably go to jail or prison 
for being exclusive or not being inclusive. But it's not for unbelievers. It's not for those who have no 
vested interest in Jesus Christ. It's not for the ignorant. Notice, as well, it's not for 
the ungodly. Again, all of us could say that 
we are ungodly. Paul says that God justifies 
the ungodly, but the idea here is that they're not dealing with 
their sins. We've got to go back to 1 Corinthians 
11 and ask the question, what does it mean to be ungodly? Godly. It means somebody that's not 
maintaining short accounts with God and with men. It means somebody 
that has unconfessed sin, somebody that is harboring sin, somebody 
that is intending on continuing in a pattern of sin. They are 
not fit for the supper. In other words, deal with your 
sin, come to the supper, and that will encourage you to deal 
with your sin. It's a blessed, wonderful thing. Note the prohibitions. It says, 
they are unfit to enjoy communion with Christ. So are they unworthy 
of the Lord's table. Again, unfit to enjoy communion 
with Christ. We know that with reference to 
the ungodly. We should know that with reference 
to the ignorant. This is eternal life. that they 
may know Thee, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom Thou 
hast sent." This is not highlighting a new believer. This isn't highlighting 
somebody who has only an inkling of understanding as to what Scripture 
teaches. Ignorant in this particular context 
is somebody who has no knowledge of Jesus, who has no knowledge 
of Christianity. We don't give them the ordinance, 
rather we keep it back from them. That's the purpose in this section. And they cannot, without great 
sin against Him, while they remain such, partake of these holy mysteries, 
or be admitted thereunto. And then note the liability, 
and this comes straight from 1 Corinthians. Yea, whosoever 
shall receive unworthily are guilty of the body and blood 
of the Lord, eating and drinking judgment to themselves." The 
precise language of 1 Corinthians 11, where the Apostle Paul goes 
on to say, after the call to examination, sorry, in Hebrews 
11 there, For this reason, 1 Corinthians 
11 30, for this reason, many are weak and sick among you and 
many sleep. 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. Therefore, my brethren, when 
you come together to eat, wait for one another. But if anyone 
is hungry, let him eat at home, lest you come together for judgment, 
and the rest I will set in order when I come." So there were real 
life ramifications and sanctions imposed by God in the church 
at Corinth for those who were participating in the supper in 
an unworthy manner. Well, brethren, I hope and hope 
fully we see the clarity of our confession of faith on this second 
ordinance. We've already treated baptism, 
now the Lord's Supper, in terms of the purpose of the ordinance. 
It's not a sacrifice. It's not atonement. It's certainly 
not transubstantiation. It is for the reasons set forth 
in paragraph one, for the perpetual remembrance, for the showing 
forth the sacrifice in his death, for the confirmation of the faith 
of believers and all the benefits thereof, their spiritual nourishment 
and growth in Him, and their further engagement in and to 
all duties which they owe to Him, and to be a bond and pledge 
of their communion with Him and with each other." I think that's 
a great summary statement, a general introduction, not only to this 
chapter, but for our understanding with reference to the significance 
of the Lord's Supper. If anybody ever visits the church 
and they ask you, why do you do what you do? Well, this would 
be a great place for you to take them. Secondly, the confession 
takes pains to make sure we understand not only positively how we are 
to proceed, but negatively what we are to resist and reject. And I think that's a helpful 
sort of motif in theological discussion. It's important to 
not only discuss what we are to believe, but we also ought 
to have at least a degree of understanding on what we ought 
not to believe. I remember a preacher saying, 
I spent, you know, 30, 40 years of my ministry telling people 
what to believe, but I never told them what not to believe. 
Now again, we can overdo it, we can be too discerning and 
too polemical, and every sermon or every lesson can be against 
everybody else, but there ought to be a combination. There ought 
to be both a positive and a negative. Here's what we are supposed to 
believe. Here's what we are supposed to reject. And in the 16th century, 
the context, or the 17th century context, they are combating a 
very present, a very real, and a very powerful Roman Catholic 
Church. Our situation is different. I 
don't know that everyone is as familiar with Roman Catholicism 
here in North America as, say, in Latin America. But certainly, 
it is still a powerful institution. And they have not changed when 
it comes to this doctrine of transubstantiation. Your Roman 
Catholic neighbor has a completely different concept of what is 
happening at their version of the Lord's Supper than you do. 
And I think this is another reason to underscore that there is significant 
difference between Rome and Protestantism. Now, as I've often said, the 
confession of faith did not reform the doctrine of God. The reformers 
didn't rework the doctrine of who God is. They didn't rework 
the doctrine of the Trinity. They rather assumed that. They 
were, along with Roman Catholicism, inheritors of a classical Christian 
theistic sort of a tradition. But they did reform the doctrine 
of salvation. They did reform the doctrine 
of the church. And they did reform the doctrine 
of the sacraments. And ultimately, if you take a 
Roman Catholic understanding, it does do damage to your doctrine 
of who Jesus is. because it ultimately divinizes 
the humanity, and you're not supposed to do that according 
to the Scripture and seeking to maintain the hypostatic union. 
And then finally, we ought to praise God and bless God that 
he has provided this to us. I don't always want to be so 
doctrinal that we get lost on the doxological. Tonight, as 
we gather together Let it be for the purpose of praise and 
worship and glory. Yes, examine yourselves. Better 
do it this afternoon, but come to the supper ready to be preoccupied 
with Jesus. There's an old story of a Scottish 
communion service. In those days, I think they did 
it, you know, not as frequently, even as every month, but there 
was gathering, you know, a whole host of people, and the ministers 
would walk, you know, through the people with the cup, and 
there was this woman just sobbing and sobbing, and as the cup got 
closer and closer and closer, the woman is sobbing and sobbing 
and sobbing, and the minister says, it's for sinners. And she took, and she drank. 
And that is something we need to remember. Well, let us pray. 
Our Father, we thank you for the doctrines so carefully laid 
out and distinguished in our confession of faith. Certainly, 
we've received a gift, not only of the supper and our Bible and 
salvation by grace through faith, but these good documents. We know that Christ ascended 
on high, he led captivity captive, and he gave gifts to men. And 
we thank you that we have received the benefits of a good confession 
of faith. Help us to not only know what to believe, but to 
keep us from what we ought to reject. We thank you for your 
graciousness in providing this to your weary pilgrims. And even 
today, God, may you refresh us, may you nourish us, and may you 
strengthen us that we may, with fresh resolve, go into this world 
seeking to glorify and honor you. And we pray this through 
Jesus Christ, our Lord. Amen.