For as often as we eat this bread!1 Cor. 11:24-26 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.

As there are 5 acts/steps in becoming a New Testament Christian (hear, believe, repent, confess & be baptized) there are

also 5 acts/steps in New Testament worship!

“And they devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and the fellowship, to the breaking of

bread and the prayers!”(Act. 2:42)▪The five acts/steps are

(preaching/teaching and singing, fellowship/includes giving, breaking of bread/Lord’s Supper and prayer

Tonight we want to focus on the Lord’s Supper!

▪Many times we can answer “what” we do but not “why” we do it! It is important for us to always keep in mind that the “why” is even more important than the “what!”

▪We learn God’s will for us today in three ways!▸Commands▸Examples▸Implications▪With the Lord’s Supper we have all 3!

I. Looking Backwards!(1 Cor. 11:23-25)

▪We partake of the Lord’s Supper looking “back” to the offering of the Lord!▸It is only by the blood of Jesus that we can be

made right again! (Heb. 10:1-10)▸Rev 1:5 and from Jesus Christ, the faithful

witness, the firstborn from the dead, and the ruler over the kings of the earth. To Him who loved us and washed us from our sins in His own blood,▸Heb 10:10 By that will we have been sanctified

through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all.

Lookin back to the command that was given!

▪Lk. 22:19-20 And He took bread, gave thanks and broke it, and gave it to them, saying, "This is My body which is given for you; do this in remembrance of Me." Likewise He also took the cup after supper, saying, "This cup is the new covenant in My blood, which is shed for you.

▪We partake in obedience to the command of Jesus (Lk. 22:19-20; 1 Cor. 11:23-25)

Looking back to the example that was given!

(Act. 2:42; 20:7)▪“And they devoted themselves to the

apostles’ teaching and the fellowship, to the breaking of bread and the prayers!” (Acts 2:42)

▪“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.” (Acts 20:7)

II. Looking Forwards!(1 Cor. 11:26)

▪We are to be looking forward to the Lord coming again!▸1 Cor. 11:26 For as often as you eat this

bread and drink this cup, you proclaim the Lord's death till He comes.

▪It is important for us to notice the “duration” of this partaking!▸Duration = the length of time something

continues or exists (Oxford)▪“As often and until He comes!”

Knowing that the Lord has gone on from this life, we look “forward”

to Him coming again!▪This is what Jesus wanted the Apostles to

understand!▸Jn. 14:1-3▪This is what Paul wanted the church at

Thessalonica to understand!▸1 Thess. 4:13-18▪Jesus is coming again! Coming to take us

home with Him!

III. Looking Inwards!(1 Cor. 11:27-29)

▪Paul makes it clear that there is a need for self examination as we partake of the Lord’s Supper!▸There is a right way and a wrong way, a

unworthy way and a worthy way!▪The “key” is found in verse 29! “For

anyone who eats or drinks without discerning the body eats and drinks judgment on himself!”

▪I can’t do this for you and you can’t for me!

I do not believe this means the one partaking must be perfect, we partake

because we are not perfect and need the body and blood of Jesus!

▪What makes the partaking unworthy is when we fail to discern this!

▪If we sinned this past week, we don’t give up and stop partaking, but we keep getting up and trying to do better giving thanks for the body and blood of Jesus!

IV. Looking Outwards!(1 Cor. 11:26)

▪1 Cor. 11:26 For as often as you eat this bread and drink this cup, you proclaim the Lord's death till He comes.

▪There is an outwards showing of the Lord’s death as we partake of the Lord’s Supper! We are proclaiming that Jesus died for our sins!

▪The Lord’s Supper gives us an opportunity to teach others about the body and the blood of Jesus that was given for the sins of men!

There are two things we need to take notice of in this verse!

▪First the “direction” we are to “show forth!”

▸This is an outward showing to the world around us!

▪Second the “duration” of this showing/ the partaking of the Lord’s Supper is to be “until He comes!”

▸We are to continue to do this each Lord’s Day and we await His coming!

V. Looking Upwards!(1 Cor. 11:23)

▪1 Cor 11:23 For I received from the Lord that which I also delivered to you: that the Lord Jesus on the same night in which He was betrayed took bread;

▪Here is (1 Cor. 11) Paul is correction their improper partaking of the Lord’s Supper!▸1 Cor. 11:17-22▸After addressing what they are doing wrong,

he moves on to what they need to be doing to get it right!

This is not just Paul’s opinion, this is a command given to him by

the Lord!(See also Mt. 26:26-28; Lk. 22:17-20)▪It would do us good to always look upwards

in all that we do!▸Col 3:17 And whatever you do in word or

deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through Him.▸Mt 28:19 "Go therefore and make disciples

of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit”

Conclusion:▪May we never take for granted how

blessed we are to be able to partake of the Lord’s Supper each Sunday!▪We need to keep in mind that our

souls are at stake! May we never partake in an unworthy manner, denying the body and blood of the Lord!▪If you are here and not yet a Christian,

then today is the day to trust Jesus with your salvation!