Devoted ... to the breaking of bread (Acts 2:42).

When it comes to sharing the Lord’s Supper there are a number of questions that can be raised.

What?

What is it that we are sharing?  Is this actually Jesus’ body and blood?  I don’t think that would make any sense.  Remember that Jesus was sitting in front of the disciples when He said, ‘this is my body’ and ‘this is my blood’.  They could see His body and they could see the elements and they knew that he was using these bread and wine as a picture of his body and blood.

That being said, just because they are only symbols of Jesus’ body and blood should not make our attitude towards this meal any less reverent.  In the context of church discipline, the Jesus who is always with us said that he is with them when two are three are gathered.  I think that we should see this as a special time before the Lord.

Who?

This is a believer’s meal.  This is for those who have been born again.  This is for those who are in a living relationship with Christ.  But the apostle Paul warns us to examine ourselves before we partake (1 Cor. 11:28).  Are we walking in obedience?

Now all of us sin.  If we say that we don’t we are not born again (1 John 1:8).  We fall every day.  But there is a great difference between wrestling with sin and living in sin.  If you are not truly seeking the enabling of the Holy Spirit to overcome your sin, if you are unwilling to let Jesus rule your sex life or your willingness to forgive, then don’t take the Lord’s Supper.  It is dangerous for you.  You might get ill or even die, as God lovingly disciplines you (1 Cor. 11:30).  Don’t take the Lord’s Supper if you are not serious about letting God change you.

How often?

We share it on the second Sunday of every month.

Mark Dever says that there is no prescription of how often it should be shared.  The impression I get from reading the New Testament letters is that they shared it often.  Maybe that is a discussion for another day?

When?

In Wexford Bible Church they do it in the middle of their services.  I like that.  I do think that we need to be wary of being too prescriptive in how we structure our services.  We do the Lord’s Supper at the end.  One thing that is really important however is that we don’t rush it.  I know I have been time conscious and guilty of moving too quickly through the Lord’s Supper.

Theological problems

As you can already see there is a lot of potential debate about taking the Lord’s Supper.  One of the huge issues concerns the nature of how a person is made right with God.  In Roman Catholic theology, grace is seen as infused.  That means that when you take the ‘sacraments’ you are receiving grace.  The hope then is that at the end of your life you will have enough grace to be considered right with God.  Therefore, when we say, ‘don’t partake in the Lord’s Supper if you are not yet a Christian, it can be confusing, because taking the Lord’s Supper is something that you do in order to become a Christian.’  It is a different way of viewing both grace and salvation.

We believe that grace is imputed.  That means that becoming a Christian is not a process.  There is a moment when you were in the dark and come into the light.  There is a moment when you are converted or born again.  At that moment you receive saving grace.  You are as right with God the second you become a Christian and you are having walked with Jesus for decades.  The apostle Paul describes a great exchange where, ‘God made him to be sin who had no sin so that in him we might become the righteousness of God’ (2 Cor. 5:21).

I want us to look in five directions as we celebrate the Lord’s Supper:

1.       Look back.  Each of the four gospels tells us that the last supper was a Passover meal.  At the original Passover a lamb was killed so that God’s people could be rescued from slavery.  Jesus is our Passover lamb (1 Cor. 5:7).  He dies so we could be freed from the power and consequences of sin.  Look back to that cross.  This is how we know what love is, Christ died for us (1 John 3:16).

2.       Look up.  I think it is important that we remember that the Jesus who is always with us is with us as we remember His death and that He takes this event very seriously.

3.       Look in.  Because this is such a serious occasion we look in.  We examine ourselves.  Are we willing to let Jesus challenge our tongue?  How do we speak to and about people?  Are we quick and ready to forgive?  Do we grieve when our gentleness not evident to all?  Do we hide our sexual sins, including what we look at with our eyes, or do we turn to others for help as we confess our sins to each other?  Are we asking God for opportunities to speak to the lost?  Are we asking Him to teach us to pray?

4.       Look around.  I know that after Covid we are all a bit more cautious about shaking hands and hugging, but I think it is really important that we are at peace with each other, and it is a good thing to greet each other by saying, ‘peace be with you.’

5.       Look forward.  At the last supper Jesus told the disciples that ‘I will not drink with you again this fruit of the vine until I drink with you in the kingdom of God’ (Matt. 24:29).  This meal is to fill us with hope.  One day we will dwell in the house of the Lord forever and we will share in the wedding feast of the lamb.  As we share ask God to help us overcome our doubts and be confident of this future.