Many people do not
want to remember the Lord’s death for us very often since they only
partake of the Lord’s supper monthly, quarterly, annually, or not at
all. The excuse is given that they do not want to partake of it more
often because it will become too common place and loose its meaning.
But the very opposite is true. The Lord’s Supper loses its meaning
when we choose not to partake and think about it. This would be like
saying that we should only pray two or three times a year, for if we
prayed more often then prayer would lose its meaning. This would be
absurd. Does the Lord’s death really mean anything to us? But
Jesus requested in Luke 22:19, "Do this in remembrance
of Me." Do we really care to regularly remember the death of
our Lord?
People seem to be
turned off by the death of Jesus and the shedding of His blood. They
don’t care to remember it. But it is His blood that cleanses us from
our sins. As Revelation 1:5 says, "To Him who
loved us and washed us from our sins in His own blood." They
had rather remember Him as a babe in a manger than a crucified
saviour. It is an insult to Jesus to celebrate His manger and then
ignore His cross. Many people seem to be ashamed of the death of
Jesus. Jesus says in Mark 8:38, "For whoever is
ashamed of Me and My words in this adulterous and sinful generation, of
him the Son of Man also will be ashamed when He comes in His glory of His
Father with His holy angels."
This memorial of
our Lord is called "the Lord’s Supper" in 1 Corinthians 11:20 and "the
Lord’s table" in 1 Corinthians 10:21. In 1 Corinthians 10:16 it is
referred as "the breaking of bread" and "communion".
But the church in
the first century met every first day of the week to observe the Lord’s
Supper. We are told in Acts 20:7, "Now on the
first day of the week, when the disciples came together to break bread,
Paul, ready to depart the next day, spoke to them and continued his
message until midnight." Why did they come together on the
first day of the week? Here we see the church in the first century
came together on the first day of every week to break bread, which is the
Lord’s Supper. Their primary reason of coming together on the first
day of the week was to partake of the Lord’s Supper. We cannot be
pleasing to the Lord if we observe the Lord’s Supper only a few times a
year or not at all. In 1 Corinthians 11:26 we are told, "For as often as you eat this bread and drink this cup, you
proclaim the Lord’s death until He comes." Are we really
interested in proclaiming the Lord’s death to the world until He
comes?
People today do not
seem to have a problem with the command to give on the first day of each
week as found in 1 Corinthians 16:1-2, "Now concerning
the collection for the saints, as I have given orders to the churches of
Galatia, so you must do also: on the first day of the week let each one of
you lay something aside." One of the things they were to do
when they came together was to give.
What else was the
church at Corinth to do every first day of the week when they came
together? In 1 Corinthians 11:20 they were condemned for making a
gluttonous feast out of the Lord’s Supper and were told, "Therefore when you come together in one place, it is
not to eat the Lord’s Supper." When did they come together in
one place? Every first day of the week. What were they doing
when they came together every first day of the week? Perverting the
Lord’s Supper by making it into a glutinous and drunken feast. What
were they supposed to be doing every first day of the week?
Partaking of the Lord’s Supper.
Two of the things
the church at Corinth did every first day of the week was to give and
partake of the Lord’s Supper. Why shouldn’t we be like those in the
first century who assembled on the first day of every week to remember the
Lord’s death by partaking of the Lord’s Supper? But many people seem
to have a problem in seeing the importance of partaking of the Lord’s
Supper every first day of the week as the church in the first century did
when it was under inspired apostolic guidance.
When the Jews, who
lived under the Old Testament, were commanded to remember the Sabbath Day,
that is the seventh day of the week, to keep it holy, they kept all 52
Sabbath Days of the year holy. The first day of the week also occurs
52 times each year. When Christians today observe the Lord’s Supper
every first day of the week, they are following the Biblical example of
Acts 20:7 of the disciples who came together on the first day of the week
to partake of the Lord’s Supper.
We also read in
Acts 2:42 concerning the church at Jerusalem, "And
they continued steadfastly in the apostles’ doctrine and
fellowship, in breaking of bread and in prayers."
Again we see the first century church was steadfast or regular in the
breaking of bread which is their observance of the Lord’s Supper.
But later men in denominational groups chose to partake of the Lord’s
Supper less frequently. Should we be any less regular than the
church in the first century? According to what we have seen in the
scriptures, we are to both give and partake of the Lord’s Supper every
first day of the week. Could the Bible be any clearer concerning the
Lord’s Supper?
Another perversion
of the Lord’s Supper occurred when men introduced the absurd doctrine of
transubstantiation in the Decrees of the Council of Trent, which met from
1545 to 1563 A.D. This decree devised by men stated that the bread
and the fruit of the vine are converted miraculously into the literal body
and blood of Jesus when we partake of it. It is sad that men would
dare to pervert the Lord’s Supper into such a mockery.
It is ridiculous to
place literal interpretations on symbolic language. In John 15: 5
Jesus says, "I am the vine, you are the
branches." Here Jesus is using figurative language because we
know He is not a literal vine and we are not literal branches. In
John 10:9 Jesus said, "I am the door." But
again He uses symbolic language. Concerning the Lord’s Supper Jesus said
in 1 Corinthians 11:25, "this do in remembrance of
Me." The Lord’s Supper is designed to help us remember what
the Lord did for us. And as we partake of it as 1 Corinthians 11:26
says, "you proclaim the Lord’s death till He
comes". We are showing the world that we believe that Jesus
died for our sins.
Let’s not pervert
the memorial of what the Lord did for us. But as we partake of the
Lord’s Supper every first day of the week in spirit and in truth, let us
steadfastly "proclaim the Lord’s death till he comes" again.
Questions Lesson 16
Weekly Observance Of The Lord’s
Supper (click on the button of the
answer of your choice)
1) (Luke 22:19) In partaking of the Lord’s
Supper in remembrance of
Christ
We should not partake of it more often than quarterly or
monthly because
it will loose its meaning just as if we pray
too often prayer will loose
its meaning.
We should partake of it regularly (weekly).
We should not partake of it at all.
2)
The Lord’s Supper looses its meaning when we partake of
it
weekly.
3) (Mark 8:38) If we are ashamed of
Christ
He will be ashamed of us when He comes.
He will not be ashamed of us.
He will overlook it.
4)
There are people who are ashamed of Jesus.
5) (Acts 20:7) Why did the church at Troas come
together on the first
day of the week?
To have a good time.
To visit with one another.
To break bread (partake of the Lord’s Supper).
6)
There is not a first day in every week.
7) (1 Corinthians 11:26) Regularly proclaiming the
Lord’s death until He
comes
Happens when we do not partake of the Lord’s Supper.
Happens when we partake of the Lord’s Supper weekly.
Happens when we only partake of it monthly, quarterly or
yearly.
8)
If we are interested in proclaiming the Lord’s death until He
comes, we
will partake of the Lord's Supper weekly
as the church in the first
century did.
9) (1 Corinthians 16:1-2) In this verse what was the
church at Corinth
commanded to do when they came together every first day
of every
week?
Visit with one another.
Greet their visitors.
Take up a collection.
10)
The church at Corinth was not commanded to take up a
collection when they
came together every first day of the
week.
11) (1 Corinthians 11:20) Why was the church at
Corinth being
condemned when they were assembled together on the first day
of
the week?
They were making a glutinous feast out of the Lord’s Supper.
Their worship services were too long.
They were too anxious to leave.
12)
The church at Corinth were suppose to be partaking of the
Lord's
Supper every first day of the week.
13) (Acts 2:42) Besides continuing steadfastly in
the apostle’s doctrine,
fellowship, and prayers what other activity did
the church at
Jerusalem continue in steadfastly?
The worship of saints.
The breaking of bread (the Lord’s Supper).
Not partaking of the Lord’s Supper.
14)
We are to partake of the Lord’s Supper every first day of
every
week.