Luke 22:7-20 LEST WE FORGET
Introduction: The Lord's Supper service is all about remembering and
honoring the Lord Jesus Christ. Therefore, lest we forget the significance
of what Jesus has done for us and what the Lord's Supper service means
to us, we need to spend some time looking into the wonder of this great
event.
I. A WORD ABOUT THE BACKGROUND
1. Address The Context Of The Passage: Jesus used the backdrop ofthe Passover observance as a canvas upon which He painted the truth
of the new covenant. In this passage, we are given the details necessary
to understand all we need to know about this event we know as the
Lord's Supper, of the Communion.
2. Address The Purpose Of The Lord's Supper - (v. 19) - The Lord'sSupper is not a memorial service! Memorial services are held for those
who are dead. The Lord's Supper is exactly what the Lord says it is right
here, and that is it is a "time of remembrance." It is a time for the church
to call to mind the Person of the Lord Jesus Christ. It is to be a time of
reverence, yet at the same time it should be a time of extreme
celebration. Above all, it must be a time of worship and of focus upon
the Person of Jesus, alone. Every other thought should be stricken from
the mind and He should be allowed to be the centerpiece of the Lord's
Supper celebration.
(Ill. This is the way things ought to be. In the beginning of the church, we
find the believers observing the Lord's Supper on a regular basis, Acts 2:42.
Unfortunately, it wasn't many years until the Lord's Supper had been
corrupted by the church. Let turn now to 1 Cor. 11:17-34 and look at what
happened in the early church. Even though these things happened nearly
2,000 years ago, there is still the danger that we might permit some of the
same errors in our day. Therefore, let's take a few minutes to look at the
events in Corinth and how they speak to us today.)
3. Address The Problems Surrounding The Celebration In The Early
Church
A. Notice Paul's tone as he addresses the Corinthians, v. 17. He uses
the word "declare". This word means "command." Paul comes to
them in power and tells them that he is about to set the record
straight. I can almost feel the wrath of the great Apostle as he writes
these words.
B. Notice the abuses that were present in the church and in the observance of the Lord's Supper in particular. Again, please note that
there is always the danger that we will fall into the same trap into
which the Corinthians fell. There are 4 abuses catalogued here that
need to be mentioned this morning.
1. V. 18-19 There Were Cliques And Divisions In The Church -When divisions, cliques, factions, and parties exist in any church,
then there is disorder in that church. It always means that there is
pain, anger, disturbance, rumors, gossip, pride, selfishness,
misunderstanding and misrepresentation in the church. The
bottom line is that minds are not fixed on Jesus as they should be.
There is no peace with God, or with one another. (Note: Why
does God allow cliques and divisions? So that genuine believers
might shine more brightly. You see, when there are divisive and
cliquish people in the church it proves that they are not genuine
believers, verse 19. When the false believers act as they do, it
causes the true Christians to be more visible.)
2. V. 20 - There Was Self Deception - When they came together in
this divisive and cliquish atmosphere, they only thought they were
partaking of the Lord's Supper. In truth, they weren't
"remembering and honoring" the Lord, they were putting self on
display. Everything they did was for their own benefit. (Ill. That
spirit is also evident today! Many just go to church an go through
the motions to be seen of men. Sadly, this is the same spirit in
which they approach the Lord's Supper.
3. V. 21 - There Was Selfishness And Neglect Of Others - When
the Corinthian believers gathered for the Lord's Supper, there was
no sense of fellowship or communal celebration. The church
broke apart along its internal fault lines. It became a case of every
men for himself. God help the church that ever loses sight of one
another.
4. V. 22 - They Abused The Sanctity Of The Church And Shamed
The Poor - There was a bad spirit surrounding the entire meal.
There was no sense of community and brotherly love on a
horizontal level, and there was no genuine worship of God on a
vertical level. The church had degenerated into nothing more than
a social club. That must never be allowed to happen here.
4. The Penalty Associated With Partaking Of The Lord's Supper
Unworthily - v. 27-30
A. What Does It Mean To Partake "Unworthily"? - Paul was addressing the
Corinthian church about their sins. It was there sins
which caused them to partake of the Lord's supper in an unworthy
manner. What were their sins?
1. V. 18 Division
2. V. 19 Heresy
3. V. 20 Self-deception
4. V. 21 Selfishness and indulgence
5. V. 21 Drunkenness
6. V. 21 Neglect of the poor
7. V. 22 Irreverence and carelessness in protecting the sanctity
of the church.
8. A general spirit of irreverence and thoughtless surrounding their entire approach to the Lord's Supper.
The bottom line is this, it would appear that having sin in one's heart and life
is what is meant by partaking unworthily, Psa. 66:18.
B. How Then Can Anyone Be Counted Worthy? - Since our only worthiness can be found in the Lord Jesus, it is only when we are
counted worthy by Him that we are found worthy to partake of the
Lord's Supper. There are 3 basic necessities for being counted
worthy and they are:
1. That we walk in constant confession.
2. That we walk in constant repentance.
3. That we walk in constant praise of His Person, His grace and His work!
C. What Are The Consequences Of Partaking Unworthily?
1. V. 22 We become guilty of the Lord's death - That is, we are
held accountable for His death. When we partake of the Lord's
Supper unworthily, we are guilty of 5 terrible sins:
a. We insult Christ.
b. We offend Christ.
c. We trample Christ under foot.
d. We treat the death of Christ as a meaningless thing.
e. We shame the name of Christ.
2. V. 28-29 We condemn ourselves - When we fail to examine ourselves, we bring damnation on our lives. This does not mean
that we will go to Hell, it does mean that we will open our lives up
to the chastisement and the judgment of God. When we do this,
it is evidence that we do not have a proper respect (discern) for
the seriousness and holiness of the Lord's Supper service. God
takes this thing very seriously, even if we do not!
3. V. 30 - We face the chastisement and judgment of God - When the Lord's Supper is abused to the level witnessed at Corinth, God
will step in with chastisement. This verse plainly tells us that
sickness and death are the results of abusing the Lord's Supper
service.
5. V. 31 - Address The Procedure For Dealing With Our Sins As Individuals And As A Church - This verse tells us that self-examination
is the only remedy for sin. When we examine ourselves against the
Word of God, we will see our shortcomings. Then, we can confess
them, forsake them and receive immediate cleansing from the Lord, 1
John 1:9.
II. A WORD ABOUT THE BREAD
A. It Refers To A Symbol - Jesus took bread and used it to symbolize His body. When we take the bread, we do not eat flesh, but only a
symbol.
B. It Refers To A Sacrifice - The broken body of our Lord calls to mind the terrible price He paid for our redemption on the cross at Calvary.
There, He endured all the brutality, humiliation and degradation the
human race could dish out. Notice some of what He endured for you
and me.
1. He was Beaten - Luke 22:63-64
2. He Was Scourged - Matt. 27:6; Psa. 129:3
3. He was Spit Upon - Matt. 27:30
4. He was Mocked - Matt. 27:26-29 (Ill. Jesus was delivered to a
"band" of soldiers, Matt. 27:27. This is group of between 400 and
600 soldiers.)
5. His beard was Plucked Out - Isa. 50:6
6. He was Stripped Naked - Matt. 27:35
7. He was Nailed to the Cross and Crucified - Matt. 27:38; John
20:25. (Ill. The horrors of this kind of death.)
(Note: All of this was done for one reason - YOU, Rom. 5:8! That is the gift
that we are celebrating this morning. As we take the bread that symbolizes
the broken body of the Lord Jesus take the time to "stir up your minds by
way of remembrance and actively meditate" upon His broken body.)
Instruct the Deacons to administer the bread to the congregation.
Read: 1 Cor 11:23-24, "For I have received of the Lord that which
also I delivered unto you, That the Lord Jesus the same night in
which he was betrayed took bread: (24) And when he had given
thanks, he brake it, and said, Take, eat: this is my body, which is
broken for you: this do in remembrance of me."
III. V. 20 A WORD ABOUT THE BLOOD
(Again, like the bread, the juice is also symbolic in nature.)
A. The Blood Speaks Of A New Covenant - Ill. In the Old Testament,
the sinner approached God through the blood of a slain animal.
Under the new covenant, the one which Jesus inaugurated, men must
come to God through the shed blood of the Lord Jesus Christ, Heb.
9:11-15!
B. The Blood Speaks Of A New Cleansing - The Bible tells us that
"without the shedding of blood, there is no remission of sin.", Heb.
9:22. It takes blood to save the soul and the only blood that
possesses the power to save the soul is the precious blood of the
Lord Jesus Christ, 1 Pet. 1:18-19. Under the new covenant, only the
blood of Jesus can make the lost sinner clean and prepare him for a
heavenly home. It is simple faith in the shed blood of Jesus that
saves the soul!
C. The Blood Speaks Of A Priceless Compassion - Note: Luke 22:20
- Jesus reminds us that His blood was poured out for us. He did not
die for Himself! He did not go to the cross to liberate Himself, but to
liberate you and me! He died to set us free!
(Notice: As we pass the cup which symbolizes the shed blood of the Lord
Jesus, please allow your mind to actively meditate on the glory and the
power of Hid precious blood which was shed for you.)
Instruct the Deacons to administer the juice.
1 Cor 11:25, "After the same manner also he took the cup, when he had
supped, saying, This cup is the new testament in my blood: this do ye,
as oft as ye drink it, in remembrance of me."
Conclusion: According to 1 Cor. 11:26, "For as often as ye eat this bread,
and drink this cup, ye do shew the Lord's death till he come.", we have just
been part of something very special. We have, as a congregation, preached
a sermon about the death, the resurrection and the return of the Lord Jesus.
If we have carried out this observance in the right spirit, then we have
celebrated our Lord's death and we have centered our minds on Him. As
a result, we are brought closer to Him through worship. Also, we have
delivered the Gospel to the lost and they will now have the opportunity to
come to the Lord for salvation. God's children had the opportunity to come
to the altar earlier and deal with their sins, now my lost friend, you have the
opportunity to do the same. If you need Jesus in your life, I invite you to
come to Him right now and let Jesus save your soul. Will you do that?
Then, may we Christians, who have meditated on the Lord and His
glorious gifts this morning, and have been reminded of His greatness, glory
and gifts and of all He has done for us, come before Him with a spirit of
praise and worship. Wouldn't you like to thank Him for His blessings? Now
would be a great time!
All I am asking anyone here to do today is to listen to the Lord and do
what He is telling you to do right now. Will you do that?
