THE LORD’S SUPPER/COMMUNION

The Lord’s Supper is like baptism in that both are symbols or reminders. Baptism is not our literally dying in the water and being literally resurrected. It is a picture of our salvation. In the same way, the Lord’s Supper is a picture of His sacrificial death to secure salvation for us.

Jesus never asked His disciples to remember His birth. But He did instruct them to remember His death and resurrection. He gave the church two visible symbols (called “ordinances”) as reminders of His death. These two ordinances are: Baptism and the Lord’s Supper. The Lord’s Supper is an object lesson that represents a great spiritual truth for believers.

I.                 What Is The Lord’s Supper? (1 Corinthians 11:23-26)

A.  It is a simple act of obedience.

“The Lord Jesus, on the night He was betrayed, took bread…” (v.23)

B.  It is a reminder.

“…and when He had given thanks, He broke it and said, ‘This is my body, which is for you; eat it in remembrance of me.” (v. 24)

C.   It is a symbol.

“in the same way, He took the cup, saying, “This cup is the new covenant in my blood; drink it to remember me.” (v. 26)

D.  It is a statement of faith.

“For whenever you eat the bread and drink the cup, you proclaim the Lord’s death until He comes back.” (v. 26)

II.             Who Should Take The Lord’s Supper?

Only Those who are already believers. Mark 14:22-26

“For anyone who eats and drinks without recognizing the body of the Lord eats and drinks judgment upon himself.” – 1 Corinthians 11:29

How Do I Prepare Myself For The Lord’s Supper?

“Therefore whoever eats the bread or drinks the cup of the Lord in an unworthy manner will b guilty of sinning against the body and blood of the Lord. A person ought to examine himself before he eats of the bread and drinks of the cup.” – 1 Corinthians 11:27-28

By…

ü Self-examination—1 Corinthians 11:27

ü Confessing my sins—1 John 1:9

ü Recommitment—Romans 12:1

ü Restoring Relationships—Matthew 5:23-24

III.         When And How Often Should The Lord’s Supper Be Observed?

Jesus never said when or how often believers should observe the Lord’s Supper. Churches differ on the frequency of the Lord’s Supper. Some churches observe this ordinance every week, and some once a month or once a quarter. The book of Acts seems to indicate that the early church partook of the elements frequently and also that the event was tightly woven into the sermon (‘apostle’s doctrine’), fellowship together, and prayer time.