July 24, 2005
Morning Sermon Outline
“The Lord’s Table, Supper & Communion”
1 Corinthians 10:14-21; 11:20
I. When we speak of the Lord’s Table, we place emphasis on our Lord’s presence –
1. When we come to the Lord’s Table, we come into the presence of a Great King, we should come with reverence – Revelation 20:16
2. When we come to the Lord’s Table, we come into the presence of a different King, we should come humbly – Luke 22:24-30
3. When we come to the Lord’s Table, we come into the presence of a gracious King, we should share such grace with others – 2 Samuel 9:1-13; Luke 14:21-23
4. When we come to the Lord’s Table, we come into the presence of an awesome King, we should come worthily – Matthew 22:11-14; 1 Corinthians 11:27
Chrysostom calls it, “The dreadful table of the Lord:”
II. When we speak of the Lord’s Supper, we place emphasis on our Lord’s provision –
1. His death on the cross accomplished all we needed to be saved from our sins, let us depend upon His provision – John 19:30; 1 John 1:7-10
2. His provision of the supper speaks to our need to be reminded of what He has done for us, let us remember – Deuteronomy 8:11-17
3. His provision of the supper speaks further to the future supper we will enjoy with Him in Heaven, let us rejoice – Luke 22:30; Revelation 19:7-9
III. When we speak of Communion, we place emphasis on our Lord’s Person -
In communion, our Lord not only allows us into His presence, He not only provides us with all His blessings, but ultimately our Lord gives us Himself –
1. It is the communion of the blood of Christ – 1 Corinthians 10:16
2. It is the communion of the body of Christ – 1 Corinthians 10:16
3. Communion implies an intimate fellowship, we are even the Bride of Christ – 1 Corinthians 10:16; Revelation 21:2; 21:9 and 22:17; Ephesians 5:22-32
4. In this intimate relationship the bread and the wine are tokens of Christ’s sweet love for us, they should also inspire us to love Christ and to love one another – John 15:11-17; John 13:34-35
The sacrament being a communion, shows that it is symbolum amoris [a symbol of love], a bond of that unity and charity which should be among Christians. 'We being many are one body.' I Cor 10:17. As many grains make one bread, so many Christians are one body. A sacrament is a love-feast. The primitive Christians, as Justin Martyr notes, had their holy salutations at the blessed supper, in token of that dearness of affection which they had to each other. It is a communion, therefore - there must be love and union. The Israelites did eat the Passover with bitter herbs; so must we eat the sacrament with bitter herbs of repentance, but not with bitter hearts of wrath and malice. The hearts of the communicants should be knit together with the bond of love. 'Thou braggest of thy faith' says Augustine, 'but show me thy faith by thy love to the saints.' For, as in the sun, light and heat are inseparable, so faith and love are twisted together inseparably. Where there are divisions, the Lord's supper is not properly a communion but a disunion. Thomas Watson
