Sermon Tone Analysis

Introduction

Have you ever wondered why we do certain things we do?

Why do we practice the things we do in our church service?

Too often we do things because “we have always done it like that.”

Well, why have we always done it like that?

We have been talking about spiritual habits over the last few weeks.

We have talked about the importance of bible study, prayer, applying God’s word to our lives and practicing our faith in a community of believers like our church.

Just as there are spiritual habits that we must practice individually, there are two spiritual habits that our church should be a part of on a regular basis.

One is baptism.

We have several folks in our church that have come to the point in their lives that the have asked Jesus to be Lord of all and want to follow Him in baptism.

We are working with families to have that scheduled in the next few weeks.

The other spiritual habit that we are about as a church is partaking of the Lord’s Supper.

Some churches practice the Lord’s Supper once or twice a year.

Some do it quarterly, and some celebrate this each Sunday as a regular part of their worship service.

Here , our church has practiced traditionally 4-5 times a year sometimes more.

There are several reasons that we do this.

One is because we are commanded by our Lord to do so.

Jesus said to do this in remembrance of me.

Jesus initiated the very first Lord’s supper the night before he was arrested, tried, and crucified.

Jesus took the loaf and the cup, ingredients in a common meal that day, and transformed them into a meaningful spiritual experience for believers.

We find evidence in scripture of this continuing in the churches that were established after the resurrection of Christ and obviously continues today in many ways.

We have done the traditional method many churches utilize today with a cracker or some type of bread representing the body of Christ.

We have also celebrated with a loaf of bread and a chalice.

I have administered the Lord’s Supper in weddings, with youth groups on the beach, on camping trips, with families as one of their family members is dying, and I have administered the Lord’s Supper in a parking lot.

Wherever we can worship, there we can participate in the Lord’s supper.

Basically, all you need is a place, the elements, and the people to partake.

Right?

There are a few more requirements and that is the subject our our message today.

1 Corinthians 11:23-3

Paul’s Understanding

Paul writes that he received this from the Lord and has been instructed to pass along to the church in Corinthians.

This is not the first time Paul made this claim.

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How did Paul receive this from Christ when did not know Jesus prior to His crucifixion?

Most likely, Paul’s statement could be worded, “I received a tradition that goes back to the Lord.”

After all, he ministered with Peter and Peter had a great influence in his life.

Paul also could have received this interpretation of the Lord’s Supper from the risen Lord.

Nevertheless, there is an undesigned coincidence between Luke’s version of the Lord’s Supper and Paul’s account of this ordinance of the Lord’s Supper.

To me, this is further proof of the geniuses of the way God is at work!

Paul gives us the AUTHOR of this ordinance.

He refers to the the Lord Jesus.

The beginning of this ordinance was the night He was betrayed.

Remember when that was?

It was the night just prior to His arrest and the next day of His trial and crucifixion took place.

The ordinance itself consists of the bread representing the body of Christ, the blessing, the cup of the new covenant which consisted of wine representing the blood that was shed for us.

Paul gives us 4 distinct viewpoints that you and I should recognize every time we participate in this beautiful time of worship.

First, We Look Back...

Jesus said to do this in remembrance of me.

We first look back to remember THAT Jesus died.

Jesus did indeed die.

It is remarkable that we are asked to remember not only that Jesus died, but how He died.

It is not the life of Christ nor His teachings that saves the sinner, but it is His death that does so!

We must remember WHY Jesus died:

Isaiah 53:

1 Peter 2

Christ died to be our substitute.

We must also remember HOW He died:

Romans

Second, We Look Ahead...

The second coming of Christ is the Blessed Hope for the Church and for the Christian.

Those of us in Christ are not all that we should be, but one day, we will be so much more.

We need to look ahead for the return of Christ and live daily as if His return is could happen anytime.

Third, We Should Look Within...

1 Corinthians 11:

We don’t need to be worthy to take the Lord’s Supper, but we do need to take the Lord’s Supper in a worthy manner.

This means we need to examine our own hearts.

Evidently the Corinthians were busy examining the hearts of others and not themselves?

As we come to the Lord’s table to participate in this Lord’s Supper, are you examining your own heart or are to busy looking at the hearts of others?

We need to judge our own sins.

What do you need to confess before the Lord as you prepare

The Corinthians had failed to do so.

Too often we participate in spiritual habits because they have become part of the routine.

We take their meaning for granted.

We are called to remember and look within.

Fourthly, We Should Look Around...

1

One of my favorite TV shows is Blue Bloods.

It is a drama about a family that has a grandfather, a father, 2 sons that are all cops or former cops, and a daughter that is a prosecuting attorney, and 3 grandkids all wondering what if they should stay in the family tradition of police work.

In every show, there is at least one scene of all them gathered around the table, usually for a Sunday dinner where they may have differences to discuss but the one thing they all have in common is the sense and unity of family.

When you and I come to this table, we are demonstrating the unity of our church family.

The Lord’s Supper is a family meal, and the Lord of our family desires that His children love one another and care for one another.

It is impossible for a true Christian to get closer to his or her Lord while at the same time he or she is separated from his or her fellow believers.

1 John 4

Today, as we approach the Lord’s table, let’s take the time to

Look Back

Look Ahead

Look Within

And Look Around

The Lord’s Supper is a time of thanksgiving and joyful anticipation of seeing the Lord Jesus Christ.

Even though our Lord was about to suffer and die, He paused to give thanks.

The Lord’s Supper