Sermon Tone Analysis

*“Come to the Table”*

* *

* *

*1.

Come gratefully*

 

“For I received from the Lord what I also passed on to you: The Lord Jesus, on the night he was betrayed, took bread, and when he had given thanks, he broke it and said, ‘This is my body, which is for you; do this in remembrance of me.‘

In the same way, after supper he took the cup, saying, ‘This cup is the new covenant in my blood; do this, whenever you drink it, in remembrance of me.’”

1 Cor.

11:23-25 NIV

 

*2.

Come expectantly*

 

"For whenever you eat this bread and drink this cup, you proclaim the Lord's death until he comes.”

1 Cor.

11:26 NIV

* *

*3.

Come humbly*

 

“Therefore, whoever eats the bread or drinks the cup of the Lord in an unworthy manner will be guilty of sinning against the body and blood of the Lord.

A man ought to examine himself before he eats of the bread and drinks of the cup.”

1 Cor.

11:27-28 NIV

 

 

*Ideas*

 

* Use Come to the table outline (LS file)

* Use Steps to Celebrating the Lord’s Supper (LS file)

* Use 2004 LS sermon (LS file)

 

 

\\ Intro:

 

Welcome…

 

Thanksgiving debrief…

 

How many of you were really thankful on thanksgiving when you went to the table??

 

/Thankful for Family/

/ /

/Thankful for Food…/

/ /

/Thankful for Football…/

/ /

/Thankful for Shopping…/

/ /

It’s part of the holiday of Thanksgiving…coming to the table…

 

I love to come to our table on Thanksgiving…

·    Turkey…

·    Rolls

·    Pumpkin Pie…

·    Cranberry…

 

I like to come to another table at Thanksgiving…The Lord’s Table

 

Celebrate Thanksgiving by coming to the Lord’s Table…before I turn the corner into the Christmas season…I like to spend some time celebrating thanksgiving…

 

How to come the table….

There is a right way and a wrong way!

In 1 Cor 11 we find the right way and the wrong way…

 

When the Lord’s Supper was celebrated in the early church, it included a feast or fellowship meal followed by the celebration of Communion.

In the church in Corinth, the fellowship meal had become a time when some ate and drank excessively while others went hungry.

There was little sharing and caring.

This certainly did not demonstrate the unity and love that should characterize the church, nor was it a preparation for Communion.

Paul condemned these actions and reminded the church of the real purpose of the Lord’s Supper…about focusing on Christ!!!

 

Sometimes we can be as immature as the Corinthians…like the little boy…

 

There was a little boy with a quarter to give during a Sunday offering.

This Sunday, however, happened to be Communion Sunday and as the elements were being passed, the boy’s parents told him not to take any.

/“You’re not old enough,”/ they explained.

Later when the offering plate came by, however, the boy’s parents urged him to put in his quarter.

Loudly he proclaimed, /“If I can’t eat, I won’t pay!”/

/ /

There is a right way and a wrong way to come to the Lord’s Table…

 

The Corinthians demonstrated the wrong way…selfishness and carnality

 

Christ describes the right way…

/ /

/ /

 

 

 

 

How to come to the Lord’s Table…

 

*1.

Come gratefully*

 

Paul says in 1 Cor 11:23-25…

 

“For I received from the Lord what I also passed on to you: The Lord Jesus, on the night he was betrayed, took bread, and when he had given thanks, he broke it and said, ‘This is my body, which is for you; do this in remembrance of me.‘

In the same way, after supper he took the cup, saying, ‘This cup is the new covenant in my blood; do this, whenever you drink it, in remembrance of me.’”

(1 Cor.

11:23-25)

 

The word "gave thanks" is eucharisteo (/yoo-khar-is-teh’-o)./

In calling it the "Eucharist" we are reminded that this is a meal of thanksgiving to God.

It is a time when we can say "Thank you, God, for all you've done for me."

Giving thanks for two things…

 

The Bread and the Cup…2 symbols…

 

A little girl named Kathy who usually stayed in children's church on Sunday mornings, went with her parents to the regular adult service.

When Communion was served, she turned to her mother and whispered loudly, /"The snack in children's church is much better.

And we get a lot more juice."/

Communion is not about getting a good snack…it is about remembering!!

 

 

Jesus used two symbols to help us  remember His death: the bread and the cup.

Each has deep meaning for those who love our risen Lord.

*First of all consider The Bread.

*

 

When Jesus and his disciples had the last supper together, they were actually celebrating the Passover meal.

This is what the Lord's supper is founded upon, and Jesus incorporated some of the symbols from this Jewish ceremony into the Last Supper.

At one point in the Passover meal, the leader breaks a loaf of unleavened bread and says, /"This is the bread of affliction which our fathers ate in the land of Egypt."/

Jesus gave that symbolism new meaning when he said "this is my body."

He wasn't speaking literally; he was speaking symbolically.

The bread symbolizes his body that is about to be crucified; it symbolizes his life that is about to be taken.

He is referring to the crucifixion; he is referring to his death.

In order for us to be saved, it was necessary for the son of God to die.

When we partake of the bread, we are reminding ourselves of the sacrificial death of Jesus upon the cross.

He died for us, for our sins.

Through his death paid the price for our sins, because we could not pay it for ourselves.

So when you partake of the bread today, remember what it symbolizes: the fact that Jesus' body was crucified for you; he died on the cross for your sin.

*Let’s also consider The Cup of juice.*

The fruit juice symbolizes the blood of Christ.

In the Old Testament we see again and again that blood is required for reconciliation to God.

The book of Hebrews says,

...without the shedding of blood there is no forgiveness.

(Hebrews 9:22)

 

In the old covenant, people could approach God only through the priests and the sacrificial system.

Jesus’ death on the cross ushered in the new covenant or agreement between God and us.

Now all people can personally approach God and communicate with him.

The people of Israel first entered into this agreement after their exodus from Egypt (Exodus 24), and it was designed to point to the day when Jesus Christ would come.

The new covenant completes, rather than replaces, the old covenant, fulfilling everything the old covenant looked forward to (see Jeremiah 31:31-34).

Eating the bread and drinking the cup shows that we are remembering Christ’s death for us

 

Thus, the Old Testament sacrificial system was just a temporary picture of what was ultimately required: the Blood the sinless, spotless Lamb of God: Jesus Christ.

The Bible says we are justified through his blood (Romans 5:9); we have redemption through his blood (Ephesians 1:7);

 

We have peace with God through his blood (Colossians 1:20) and that the blood of Jesus purifies us from all sin.

(1 John 1:7)

 

As the old hymn says, "There is power in the blood."

This serves to remind us that salvation is not free.