Communion Service

Let all the church say, "Praise the Lord." >> Praise the Lord. >> We can do even better. Praise the Lord, everyone. >> Praise the Lord. So good to see you in the house of the Lord on this Wednesday night, this very special night. As we enter into our communion service, I want to uh first of all say thank you First Apostolic Church and this assembly for your faithfulness and your attendance to the house of the Lord, your commitment in ministry. We are blessed beyond measure to have so many wonderful saints of God who God has equipped and talented uh to do uh particular works in the kingdom of God. And tonight is a very special time that we uh commemorate as scripture tells us to do uh the uh death and the burial and the resurrection of our savior. And we will be uh studying just a bit tonight. So, I want to move right into our study. I would take you tonight to the book of Matthew, the 26th chapter. The book of Matthew, the 26th chapter. And I'm going to read just a few verses here uh to set a um a foundation for our study. Matthew 26, we're going to begin reading at verse number 17. Now the first day of the feast of unleaven bread, the disciples came to Jesus, saying unto him, "Where wilt thou that we prepare for thee to eat the Passover?" They were following the celebration of uh the Passover just before the Old Covenant deliverance from Egypt. And he said unto them, "Go into the city to such a man, and say unto him," The Master saith, My time is at hand. I will keep the Passover at thy house with my disciples. And the disciples did as Jesus had appointed them. And they made ready the Passover. Now when the evening was come, he sat down with the twel. And as they did eat, he said, "Verily, I say unto you, that one of you shall betray me." And they were exceedingly sorrowful, and began every one of them to say unto him, Lord, is it I? And he answered and said, "He that dipth his hand with me in the dish, the same shall betray me." It's one of you folks that that are eating with me tonight. And the Son of Man goeth as is written of him. But woe unto the man by whom the son of man is betrayed. It had been good for that man if he had not been born. Then Judas which betrayed him answered and said, "Master, is it I?" And he said unto him, "Thou hast said." And as they were eating, Jesus took bread, blessed it, and break it, and gave it to the disciples, and said, "Take, eat. This is my body." Many took the cup and gave thanks and gave it to them, saying, "Drink ye all of it, for this is my blood of the new testament, which is shed for many for the remission of sins." You can find the events of this Passover celebration feast as it started in the synoptic gospels of Mark and Luke. You can read in Mark 14 and Luke 22 of these same events being repeated from a different writer and a different point of view. But I wanted to set a little foundation tonight to understand what led to what we now call the Lord's supper. For understand custom now had become an every year feast of a celebration of remembrance of deliverance. It was a a very positive event while sacred. It was celebrating the Passover that death would not come to those who had the blood of Old Testament sacrifice and tradition on their doorposts. That deliverance was coming for God's people in Old Testament covenant. And they were celebrating this. Now, we're living in a new dispensation and in that transition time. And I think it not by accident that our Bible studies of the last few weeks, all of you who have been here, that we talked about some important transitional things from Old Testament to New Testament. very much so including the message of John the Baptist that John the Baptist preached repentance. We talked about all of those things that brought a new dispensation in when we talked about incarnation. Jesus being born and being made flesh to be that supreme sacrifice. A new dispensation is being ushered in. And you see, when we study the preface that brings us to what we're doing tonight, we'll find that there were some interesting facts that took place. If you look at the parallel or synoptic presentations of this event, you'll find that Jesus sent Peter and John. He said, "Go find a man carrying a water pot." Now understand this was quite unusual in their culture for a man to be carrying a water pot. This was normally the job of a woman, but it was distinguished. And I I'll not try to read more into that than you might want to appear as a figurative or some type of parallel. But there was something unique that Jesus gave them direction. He said, 'Go find a man carrying a water pot and follow him and tell him that the master is needing a place to have the Passover. And Peter and John did as they were instructed. And sure enough, they found this man. The Bible does not give his name. scholars try to uh surmise who it was, but I would not go beyond the word. The the Bible simply says a a certain man or a distinguished uh he said in the passage that we we read of such a man. So either a certain man or such a man whoever it was Peter and John said the master needs a place. And you can also read in Mark 14:15, Jesus told them before they ever found him, it said, "He will show you a large upper room furnished and prepared there make ready for us." I just cannot help but surmise that Jesus would take them to an upper room for what we call the last supper or the Lord's supper, but it would also be in the upper room where the 120 would be assembled together when the power of the Holy Ghost would fall. There's a connection taking place here. There's something important here that we need to understand. If you go over in Acts the first chapter, the 13th verse, you'll find out that the 120 assembled in the upper room. Jesus had told him to wait there. For you see, this new dispensation, this new covenant, this new birth was being ushered in. So, it brings us to where we are tonight. four all didn't get to be there on that first Lord's supper, but Paul would eventually begin teaching the Corinthian church to observe the Lord's supper. He would begin teaching the church the importance of commemorating this event. If you look with me to 1 Corinthians the 11th chapter, we'll read a few verses there. For Paul is now instituting the Lord's supper in the church. He said in verse 23, "For I have received of the Lord that which is also which I also deliver unto you." That the Lord Jesus 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. This do in remembrance of me. Underline, italicize, bold face, all caps in your mind. Do this in remembrance of me. There's something we need to recall tonight. Verse 25. After the same manner also he took the cup and when he had slept he said saying this cup is the new testament in my blood. This do ye as oft as you drink it in remembrance of me. For as often as you eat this bread and drink this cup you do so the Lord's death till he comes. From that part of the early church even until now, it is important that we remember the death, burial, and resurrection of our savior and that the church celebrate this communion service. How often do you do it? Scripture says as often as you do. Now, I would make a few statements here to clarify. taking the Lord's supper. We do not practice nor believe and scripture does not bear out some of the doctrines that teach that the the fruit of the vine that we take actually becomes blood supernaturally and the bread actually becomes his body. This is a symbolic act with spiritual significance. I've given the comparison that when we baptize someone in Jesus' name, that's not holy water up there. That's good old Kub water. But when we take on the name of Jesus in obedience and when we celebrate his death, burial, and resurrection, there is a supernatural experience that's taking place, the necessity of being baptized. And he said, "As often as you do, do it in remembrance of me." We must do what we do tonight for the right reasons. Not of some ritual, not of some form, not of some tradition, but we're here tonight to recall with joy and glory that he died for us. But he rose again that our sins would be forgiven and remitted. Yes, a new dispensation. We are remembering what Jesus did at Calvary without hesitation. We commemorate his broken and bleeding body, his supreme sacrifice that we would have salvation and abundant life now. And it's also a time that we should reflect on our walk with him every day. It's a time for examination. It's a time that we look at ourselves. Now, I do want to point out something to the church. It's important for everybody to realize when the Apostle Paul instituted the Lord's Supper in the Corinthian church, he didn't even begin a chapter with it. I mean, he didn't start talking about it till verse 23 of that 11th chapter. You see, he dealt with some other things in the church that were supremely important as well. If you begin reading that entire chapter of First Corinthians, the first thing he dealt with was headship, proper obedience and proper relationship of the headship of the husband, with Christ, with the wife, with the husband. He dealt with that proper relationship before he ever got to communion. He dealt with the glory and the power of a woman's long uncut hair. He dealt with the shame of a man having long hair. He dealt with the idea of being contentious or having a contentious spirit and attitude. You can read all of this in 1 Corinthians the 11th chapter. He dealt with divisions in the church. He dealt with gluttonous and drunken behavior in observing the Lord's supper. He made sure that all in the church would understand that this was a very sacred, solemn celebration. And he mentioned all of those things before he started instituting the specifics of the Lord's supper celebration and communion in the church. So, I have a few things and we have taught this time and time again, but we must always be reminded just as we're reminded of the plan of salvation of what we're doing tonight. It's a solemn, sacred occasion. Just as on that first Lord's supper, they met and were celebrating deliverance of God's people. But Jesus took the conversation to a much more somber tone. For as they were celebrating the deliverance and old covenant law, Jesus said, "One of y'all are going to betray me." And the tone of the supper suddenly turned serious. For the disciples that were assembled knew that Jesus didn't make, as we would describe it, offthe-wall undescerning statements. Jesus already knew he was flesh, but he was also God. Yet to them, he made this statement and they all began to inspect their own lives and they started asking, "Is it going to be me that's going to betray you?" You see, we know the rest of the story and the end of the story how Judas would betray our savior for 30 pieces of silver. But I ask everyone in the house tonight, what's your price? As we look into our own hearts, what price would you put on betraying your walk with the Savior? There should be no price. There should be nothing that could ever cause us to betray our walk with him. So tonight, it's a time to commemorate or to recall and show respect, to bring to mind what was taking place. And here's what's important to realize. Hebrews 9 and12 gives us insight to the difference in that Old Testament blood sacrifice and where we are now. Hebrews 9:12 said, "Neither by the blood of goats and calavs, but by his own blood he entered in once into the holy place, having obtained eternal redemption for us." Hebrews 10:9 said, "Then said he, lo, I come to do thy will, oh God. He taketh away the first, that he may establish the second." There's a new covenant taking place. No longer every year would sins be pushed ahead with the sacrifice of animals, but Jesus came incarnate. He became flesh that he could die once and for all for all of our sins. He became the supreme sacrifice that there would need to be no more sacrifices. Verse 10 said, "But by the which will we will we are sacrificed through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all." Now let me pause here for let there be no mistake. Taking communion is not as some has taught for the remission of postbaptismal sin. This is not a remitting of sin issue. This is a remembrance issue. You see, your sins are remitted according to the plan of salvation. When Peter said, "Repent and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission or the remitting the washing away of your sins." This is why it's so important to understand when verse 10 said that he offered his body once and for all. You only need to be baptized one time >> in the name of Jesus. >> You don't come back and repent and say, "Baptize me again in Jesus name." Scripture bears out. You get baptized once in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of your sin and that settles it. >> Verse 11. And every priest standeth daily ministering and offering o offering oftenimes the same sacrifice which can never take away the sins. But this man after he had offered one sacrifice for sins forever. You see that's the example of the death, burial, and resurrection. When we're baptized in Jesus name and we rise up a new creature, that's once and for all. You see, the idea of remembering is more than just recalling the events. There's a lot of things you remember, but it should be a stirring up of our mind to relive with Jesus, his life, his death, his resurrection as humanly possible. Oh, there's a list, a laundry list that we should remember that he left heaven to be born in human body. He became poor that we might be rich. He bore the our sins in his body on the tree of crucifixion. He willingly took his place at Calvary. He shed his blood for our redemption. He conquered death for us forever. He ascended back to heaven to finish his redemptive work. And he will be and is our high priest forever. That's what we commemorate tonight. And we also as we remember it, bring it home purposely to ourselves individually. It's not a night of looking at everybody else and pointing a finger at someone else. It's how does this apply to me individually. 1 Timothy 1:15 said, "This is a faithful saying and worthy of all acceptation that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners of whom I am chief." Isn't that beautiful the way Paul worded that? He said he came to save sinners and I'm the chief of sinners. He let everyone know that he came for every one of us. But you see, does this mean me? Well, have you been obedient to the salvation plan? Does his sacrifice move you? Does it cause you to want to worship him? Does it thrill your soul that we're living in this dispensation of his grace, of his saving power? It's a time for every one of us, not just collectively, but individually, to recall how it applies to me. Just think of where you came from and think of where you'd be without Jesus. There's none of us clean in this house. The praise team so beautifully sang the words, "There's nothing too dirty that he can't make worthy. I'm thankful. It's not on the merits of anything I've done. I don't deserve it. I'm so unworthy." But he loved me and came for me. Hallelujah. Hallelujah. Glory. Glory. Glory. And you see tonight is a time of identification. We are making a public statement that we're identifying ourselves with Christ. Many times the early church even as they celebrated had to do it in secret. Even around this world tonight there are Christians because of persecution. We think we suffer a little persecution. No. Every once in a while, we get a little bit of inconvenience. We don't know what persecution is really like yet. >> There are Christians around this world that do not have the freedom to come and worship as we worship. Yet, if they have to in secret, they will celebrate our savior. And they celebrate knowing that it may mean their very fleshly lives. So tonight we publicly identify with Christ. Sure, a lost person can go through the motions and do the physical act of taking communion. But Jesus said it this way in Mark 8:38. Whosoever therefore shall be ashamed of me, and of my words, in this adulterous generation, and sinful generation, of him also will the son of man be ashamed, when he cometh to the glory of his father, with the holy angels. We don't do this in secret. Now, there will be times that we will have those who are ill and infirmed that we will go and personally have a communion service with them. those who are incarcerated and can't be in the house of God. But we have the freedom to be here tonight. And unashamedly, I want to be able to stand up and say, "I'm one of his." I want to be able to stand up unashamedly and say, "I'm taking his body. I'm taking his blood in remembrance of who he is. I'm not ashamed of Christ. I'm not ashamed of what he did for me. And I proclaim it to all that would hear. And then I ask us all, what did you expect to get out of this service? What are your expectations? You see, my expectations and your expectations should follow what John said in John 14:1. Let not your heart be troubled. You believe in God, believe also in me. For in my father's house are many mansions. If it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you. What am I expecting? I'm expecting heaven out of this deal. >> I'm expecting there to be more than just this old life. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again. He's coming back for his people and receive you unto myself that where I am, there ye may be also. I'm not going to be alone. We're going to be all together someday in heaven with Jesus. This is not some fairy tale. This is where I plan on being. This is what I'm living my life for. I'm excited about it. Oh, hallelujah. I'm rejoicing about it. We read this at funerals, but it shouldn't make anybody sad. 1 Thessalonians 4:14, for if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, we do. Even so, them also which sleep in Jesus will God bring with him. Here's the hope of those loved ones that's gone before us. That ought to get you excited all over again. It's just a temporary separation. For this we say unto you by the word of the Lord, that we which are alive and remain unto the coming of the Lord shall not prevent them which are asleep. For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, with the trump of God, and the dead in Christ shall rise first. >> Then we which are alive and remain. Brother Jones, you planted a bunch of saints, but they gonna get a head start on us if we're still here. Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And so shall we ever >> be with the Lord. >> I may supposed to only be teaching tonight, but I got news. I'm excited. This is not a sad, somber service. Yes, we show reverence, but we should come with great expectations. I'm expecting to go to heaven. That's why we do what we do. I want to take everybody with me that I possibly can. H. So if we have expectations, I would remind us it's also a night of self-examination. Verse 27 of 1 Corinthians 11 said, "Wherefore, whosoever shall eat this bread and drink this cup of the Lord unworthily shall be guilty of the body and the blood of the Lord." This should not frighten us, but it should cause us to reflect on the seriousness of this that it's not a ritual and a tradition. But let every let a man examine himself. Look at me. I got to look at me. Don't you look at anybody else. Oh, I know such and such and so and so. Take your eyes off of anybody else. Their repentance is between them and God just as yours is. But let a man examine himself, and so let him eat of that bread and drink of that cup. For he that eateth and drinkketh unworthily eateth and drinkketh damnation to himself, not discerning the Lord's body. This is a warning that you should not partake with unrepentant sin in your life. It's dangerous to do so. It's a warning to the backslider that when we come to the Lord's supper table, we are opening our lives to the judgments of God. It's a warning against taking this lightly. Paul had to address this to the church. Some had turned the communion time into a gluttonous drunken feast. Communion should never be relegated to a ritual or a custom. I told you before, it's not a forgiveness ceremony. We must not partake with bitterness and hatred in our hearts toward anyone. So what would we do? Before we take of the communion tonight, we're going to have an opportunity and we're going to pray together the prayer of repentance. For you see, the apostle Paul said, "I die daily." You know what that means? He said, "I repent daily." Is what that meant. without appearing too frivolous. I will repeat my statement again. If you got speckles on your shoulders, that's not angel death. You may need head and shoulders. We all have sinned. And you're not going to accidentally have unrepentant sin. Some are so afraid. Well, is there something I don't listen? When you repent, you pray prayers that say, "Oh God, let the words of my mouth and the meditations of my heart be acceptable in your sight. Oh God, look down inside me. If you find any evil way, take it out." A prayer of repentance. You see, God hears that prayer. Repentance in the natural sense is a lot like when mama's got dinner on the table, she says, "Wash up. It's about time." Repentance is a time of washing and cleansing.