Devotional - 99-03-24 - The Lord's Supper

Encore from 98-03-20

Hi everyone. Because Easter is approaching, I felt this devotional about the Lord's Supper would be a poignant reminder of His sacrifice for us.

1 Corinthians 11:24-27(NKJV) And when He had given thanks, He broke it and said, "Take, eat; this is My body which is broken for you; do this in remembrance of Me." In the same manner He also took the cup after supper, saying, "This cup is the new covenant in My blood. This do, as often as you drink it, in remembrance of Me." For as often as you eat this bread and drink this cup, you proclaim the Lord's death till He comes. Therefore whoever eats this bread or drinks this cup of the Lord in an unworthy manner will be guilty of the body and blood of the Lord.

Christmas Eve I was out of town and took my two oldest children to a Church for a Christmas Eve service. Toward the end of the service Communion or the Lord's Supper was served. As the Church's Elders were administering the sacrament, some disturbing events took place. The most disturbing was when a male Elder, who was back to back with a female Elder as they were passing the bread, leaned back and patted her on the rear. They both were giggling and carrying on. This really took away from me the meaning of the Lord's Supper that night and was a horrible example for my kids.

Let's look at seven points to remember about the Lord's Supper.

1. It is a Divine Command. Christ said, "Do this..." We should be breaking down the church doors whenever communion is served at our church. To neglect to observe this sacrament is to be disobedient to God's will.

2. It is a Blessed Privilege. The table we come to is the Lord's table, not ours. Jesus is our host. Think about it, we who killed Him are invited to His table by His grace. We who sin against Him and dishonor Him are welcome to His table. What a privilege we have!

3. It is a Necessary Memorial. The Lord's Supper reminds us of the cost of our Salvation. It reminds us of the price Christ paid for us. It reminds us of HIS faithfulness to go to the Cross in our place. We should be hanging from the Cross not Christ.

4. It is a Willing Testimony. By taking part in a Communion service, we are willingly testifying to others our belief in Jesus Christ being the Savior of the World and our personal Savior.

5. It is a Humbling Confession. We are confessing that we can not save ourselves. We are not worthy of His Grace. We are admitting that without Christ we are nothing. The Lord's supper is for imperfect people, perfect people don't need it.

6. It is an Act of Faith. The Lord's Supper not only looks back to the Cross, but it also looks forward to the Crown. Forward to His return. Our hope is in His return. When Jesus left the table, He went out to die for us. His disciples went out only to deny Him, to be prayerless, and to desert him. We do the same.

7. It is an Awesome Warning. To eat the bread and drink of the cup in an unworthy manner carries a grave warning in verse 27. Please note, this verse does not say if we are unworthy then we should not partake in the sacrament. We are ALL unworthy. Verse 27 is saying do not treat the Lord's Supper as a mere ritual. Never be nonchalant or make a mockery of the elements. Do not be frivolous and careless, but rather focused and committed.

My prayer for you is that the Lord's Supper will take on a new meaning for you. The next time you participate in Communion, hold the bread in your hand and think about what Christ has done for you. Pray fervently for the forgiveness of your sins and become worthy to partake in the sacrament in a worthy manner.

1 John 1:9 (NKJV) If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.

It is HIS faithfulness that saved us, not ours.

David

david@cfdevotionals.org
http://www.cfdevotionals.org