Professional Documents
Culture Documents
LR
Examine Yourself
(Christianity 101: Lesson 11)
Introduction
A. In Acts 20, we find a basic statement that contains important truth. Acts 20:7
begins with these words: “On the first day of the week, when we were
gathered together to break bread.” The rest of the context follows with the
sermon of Paul and the death of a young man who was raised from the dead.
B. However, the verse we read gives us a couple of important facts about the
worship conducted by the early church.
1. First, we note the time of it. Paul wrote that they met on the first day of
the week. Under the OT, the day of worship had been the Sabbath, or
what we know as Saturday, based upon the creation week and the
command given by God. However, after Jesus arose from the dead on the
first day of the week, that was established as the day of worship. The
early church met then, and we continue to meet on the first day of the
week, or what we know as Sunday.
2. But we also notice something of their focus. They met together “to break
bread.” While that phrase is used of regular, common meals from time-to-
time throughout the pages of the New Testament, it is also used, as it is
here, of a very special time for Christians. Jesus had broken bread with
His apostles on the night of His betrayal as He commanded them to
continue the feast in the kingdom. So, when the early church met, they
met to break bread. They met to partake of the Lord’s Supper. It is not
true that this was the only reason for which they came together. There
are five avenues of worship commanded by the Lord. We have studied
four in our Christianity 101 lessons: singing, praying, giving, and
preaching (or Bible study). Now we come to the fifth. We have studied
the Lord’s Supper before, but it is a part of our worship we need to think
about often. The early Christians knew the importance of these wonderful
moments, and we need to do better about making sure we remember the
importance of the time we spend in communion with our Lord through the
avenue of the Lord’s Supper.
C. Christ Himself had instituted the Lord’s Supper on the night of His betrayal at
the hands of Judas Iscariot. He met with the apostles in the upper room and
taught them many things. For you own study, it’s interesting to note that
John gives us a longer picture of the actual words spoken by Jesus on that
night, and they cover about 20% of the entire book that bears his name.
D. As they ate the Passover feast, as outlined in Exodus __, Jesus took one of the
items of food from that feast and then took the drink used and gave both
special significance to His followers.
E. Today, when Christians meet together to break the bread, we often go back to
Paul’s writing in First Corinthians 11 to discuss the Lord’s Supper and center
our thoughts on that feast. This morning, I want us to take that passage and
break it into parts to think about the basics of the wonderful feast Christ has
given us, through which we remember Him.
Body
II. Next, after addressing the situation, Paul gives the solemnity of
the supper.
A. First, it is serious because it is divinely-given. It is truly the LORD’S
supper, not our own. Paul wrote in verse 23, “I received FROM THE
LORD what I also delivered to you.”
1. It is interesting to note that Paul was not there when Christ
instituted the Lord’s Supper. He was not yet an apostle when that
occurred, thus he was not in that upper room.
2. However, that Paul is making mention of these commands gives us
wonderful hope in at least two things:
a. First, it gives us trust in the consistency of the Scriptures. Jesus
didn’t institute something with the original apostles, and then
change things for Paul later. He didn’t expect something of the
early Christians right after Acts 2, and then expect something
different after the Gospel spread. His message was perfectly
consistent.
b. Next—and more to our point—we gain some insight into the
seriousness of the Lord’s Supper, since it is His and He instituted it.
c. The rest of the verse reminds us that it was on the night that Jesus
was betrayed that this supper was instituted.
3. With those words, Paul immediately makes sure our minds are
focused on the serious nature of that which we are doing.
4. We need to remember, when we partake of the supper, that it is not
ours. Oh, there is a part of it that is for us. We can focus our minds
during that time on the One who died for us, and we can be drawn
closer to Him through those few moments of quietness, but this is
the Lord’s Supper, and the focus is upon Him.
B. Next, it is serious because we see the thanksgiving Christ gave for the
emblems.
1. This is a minor point, but it is worth our notation, that Christ “gave
thanks” (verse 24) before distributing the parts of the supper.
2. One quick note here, then we’ll move on, since this is a minor point:
a. This brief note in the text shows us the attitude of Christ, and it was
a perfectly grateful attitude. He was the Oneinstituting the supper,
and He was the One Who would be dying for the salvation of men,
but He still had the gratitude for this meal.
b. Christ was always grateful to His Father, and we can do no less than
to be thankful to God for everything. When we gather for the
supper, we need to be grateful.
3. While we can think of Christ and be grateful for His sacrifice on the
cross, are we ever grateful for the emblems and the supper that we are
privileged to partake in? We are blessed to have the moments we set
aside to partake of the Lord’s Supper, so let’s be thankful when we
take those moments with our Lord.
Conclusion
1. The Lord’s Supper is a simple, but beautiful reminder of Christ and His
sacrifice.
2. The time is spent in an amazing way. Everyone who partakes is doing so
individually and is thinking of Christ in a personal way. We are thankful for
His life and sacrifice.
3. But it is also a time when, collectively, we are proclaiming to the world that
we truly believe that Christ is, that He really did die for our sins, and that He
is coming again. It is one of the most profound and beautiful sermons we will
ever present.
4. As we close, listen to the words of brother Everett Chambers:
In the Lord’s Supper, we have a weekly reminder that the Christ
will come again and will take us unto Himself that where He is,
there we may be also. The communion serves as reminder that
we should stay ready so that, upon His return, the Lord can take
us with Him to inherit the eternal abode that He went to prepare
for us. To live unprepared is to sabotage the very reason why
we are Christians. Each week, through the Lord’s Supper, we
are reminded of the goal of our salvation and are provided with
the highest possible motivation and example. Worship that
Pleases God, pg. 38