The Lord’s Supper is the second of two sacraments that our Lord Jesus instituted during his time that he walked the earth. (Baptism being the first.) These means of grace funnel God’s love into hearts of sinful mankind.
There are five things that we receive in the Lord’s Supper. The first two are easy! The bread and the wine are given to all communicants. By faith we trust that in with and under the bread and the wine we also receive Jesus’ body and blood, the very body that was given into death for our sins, the very blood that was shed on the cross for us. The fifth thing we receive is the forgiveness of sins.
We do not welcome everyone to come to the Lord’s Supper. This is a members only meal. That isn’t because we’re exclusive; it’s because our God is exclusive. This is really for the salvation and safety of souls. Our God tells us that a man ought to examine himself before he eats of the bread and drink the cup. (1 Cor 11:28)
God says this so that someone doesn’t abuse the Lord’s Supper by receiving it thoughtlessly or in unbelief. How much more severely do you think a man deserves to be punished who has trampled the Son of God under foot, who has treated as an unholy thing the blood of the covenant that sanctified him, and who has insulted the Spirit of grace? (Hebrews 10:29) The “so what” of it all is important. If you receive the Lord’s Supper without examining yourself you can take it to your spiritual harm. How? If you’re living in an open sin or unbelief, but then attend the Lord’s Supper might you be confirmed in your sin and/or unbelief and walk away not the spiritually wiser, that much closer to hell? Yes!
Would you be able to understand that the arrow only points down? That is to say the Lord’s Supper is NOT something that we do for God. God doesn’t need you to come to the Lord’s Supper. We have nothing outside of Jesus that we can offer God. The Lord’s Supper is something that our God does for us! It’s a wonderful way that our faith is strengthened.
Want to hear more about how to examine yourself for the Lord’s Supper? Watch this week’s lesson – Lord’s Supper from our study, Worship Windows.
Please click HERE for the Bible class slides.
Please click HERE for the other lessons from our series Worship Windows.