The Lord's Table — Duane Troyer

Greetings in Jesus name. I too am thankful for the ability to gather out here under the sunshine amongst the sound of the birds and the grazing sheep and All the Or the many good things from the Lord.

A few weeks ago One of the brothers Requested or suggested that That we need a teaching on Communion and What it is and What why we do it the way we do it. And so I've been thinking about that for the last several weeks.

The Lord’s Table in 1 Corinthians 10

And I'd like to give a teaching on that today. I have I have a lot of notes, but I'll try to get through them in a timely Timely way. I'm gonna read here in 1st Corinthians 10 to start with starting in verse 16.

Let me start in verse 14 it says. Therefore my beloved flee from idolatry. I Speak to wise men. You judge what I say is not the cup of blessing which we bless. Walter's this sound right? Does it sound sounds good?

Okay. Yeah, it's fine with me. Is not the cup of blessing which we bless a sharing in the blood of Christ. Is not the bread which we break a sharing in the body of Christ. Since there is one bread. We who are many are one body for we all partake of one of the one bread.

Look at the nation of Israel are not those who eat the sacrifice as shares in the altar. What do I mean then that a thing sacrificed to idols is anything or that an idol is anything. No. But I say that the things which the Gentiles sacrificed a sacrifice to demons and not to God.

And I do not want you to become shares in demons. You cannot drink the cup of the Lord and the cup of demons. You cannot partake of the table of the Lord and the table of demons. Or do we provoke the Lord to jealousy?

Are we not stronger than he we are not stronger than he are we. I'll stop right there that that little passage Is somewhat of an outline. I I? would like to talk about The what and the how and the when and the where and the who and the why hopefully the wise just kind of come through the whole thing that's I learned this saying.

When I was young that said I keep six honest serving men. They taught me all I knew their names are what and why and when how and where and who? And. But but often the biggest question of them all is like why sometimes we can answer all the others and and if we don't have The why and I don't have a large part of this message designated to why but I hope it I hope it comes through from the beginning to the end.

And this little passage outlines it like he says he says there in verse 16 is not the cup of blessing which we share in the blood of Christ is not the bread. Which we break a sharing or some that I think the King James translation uses communion some use fellowship for the word sharing here.

Which we break the communion in the body of Christ. And So. And so let me just start with saying that communion Is a word that we often use for this for this thing, which might otherwise be called the Eucharist or The word Eucharist means Thanksgiving or the Lord's Supper or the bread and the wine or the bread and the cup or The the the scriptural in scriptures the word communion is is the word koinonia.

Which is which more often gets translated as fellowship than communion? Sometimes it gets translated as communion and sometimes in fellowship. And so just just kind of bear that in mind like communion and fellowship scripturally speaking Is the same word is the same Greek word?

And But I kind of feel like Okay, and it means it means common sharing or or partnership or participation. I think the word communion is derived from two words that mean common union. But I feel like in our by our day or at least in our circles like The two the two words communion and fellowship have taken on a slightly different meaning there.

They're very close but they're like if if someone says I long for fellowship at least I and I think probably most of us would get the impression that this guy longs for Longs for for daily or at least close to daily or weekly or whatever.

Interaction with people like fleshing out life together. Working with each other eating meals with each other. Having activities with each other. Ministering praying all these things with each other. That's that's usually the impression I get when somebody says They long for fellowship.

When somebody says they long for a communion the impression I get usually is that they They are saying They desire to participate in In in the ritual or sacrament that is called the Lord's Supper or or the Eucharist or we call it communion.

I don't think it's wrong that we use that word. I just think when we read scripture, especially we have to keep in mind that What that the scriptural writers who wrote in Greek used the word koinonia.

Whenever we read the word communion, which which is only in scripture a few times. But but what I want to talk about and today is Is what we would call communion. It's it's that thing that Jesus instituted When he kept that last Passover with his disciples.

The the subject of of the more broader term of fellowship is Is another subject in itself and it's not it's not separate from this, but it's just I specifically want to talk about this other thing that the Lord instituted so Let's let's take a look at what happened there.

Jesus Institutes the Lord’s Supper at Passover

I'm all for all four Gospels Give an account of this. I'm gonna read mostly out of the one in Luke in Chapter 22 and I might I might I'll try to add some of the things that the other Gospels write that Luke doesn't write.

And I'm mostly I'm not going to talk about the whole event from the beginning of the Last Supper to the till till out into the garden, but but this this little portion between Jesus told his disciples I want you to go prepare the Passover to the time when they went out and walked out toward the garden.

Chapter 22 now the feast of unleavened bread Which is called the Passover was approaching and the chief priests and the scribes were seeking how they might put him to death for they Were afraid of the people and Satan entered into Judas who was called Iscariot Belonging to the number of the twelve and he went away and discussed with the chief priests and officers how he might betray him and They were glad to agree to give him money.

So he consented and began seeking for a good opportunity to betray him to them apart from the crowd. Then came the first day of unleavened bread on which the Passover lamb had to be Sacrificed and Jesus sent Peter and John saying go and prepare the Passover for us so that we may eat it.

And they said to him where do you want us to prepare it and he said to them when you have entered the city a man will meet you carrying a pitcher of water follow him into the house that he enters and You shall say to the owner of the house The teacher says to you Where is the guest room in which I may eat the Passover with my disciples and he will show you a large furnished upper room Prepare it there and they left and found everything just as he had told them and they prepared the Passover.

When the hour came he reclined at the table and the Apostles with him. And he said I have earnestly desired to eat this Passover with you before I suffer. For I say to you I shall never again eat it until it is fulfilled in the kingdom of God.

And when he had taken a cup and given thanks Uh by the way, if you if you read the other gospels, I can't quite figure it out like some of them make it sound like. So i'm i'm pretty sure they ate a full Passover meal they they had lamb they had lamb I think uh unleavened bread bitter herbs uh.

And and whatever else was in this meal. Some of the gospels make it sound like while they were eating this meal He got up and did this thing with the bread in the cup. Some of it make it sound like after the meal.

Uh after the the meal was done. He did he did this thing here um. Take this. And when he had taken a cup and given thanks He said take this and share it among yourselves for I say to you I will not drink of the fruit of the vine from now on until the kingdom of God comes.

And when he had taken some bread and given thanks he broke it and gave it to them saying this Is my body Which is given for you? Do this in remembrance of me. And in the same way he took the cup after they had eaten saying This cup which is poured out for you is the new covenant in my blood.

But behold the hand of the one betraying me is it is Is with mine on the table for indeed the son of man is going as it has been determined. But woe to that man by which he is betrayed. And they began to discuss among themselves which one of it Might be who is going to do this thing.

Uh. Somewhere in there and I I also can't determine for sure. According to john's gospel He washed he washed their feet. Um kind of sounds like it was after supper, but it could almost sound like it was before he broke the bread um.

But it I don't think that's all that significant except I think there is some significance in that. That there was something that jesus did with the bread and the cup that was that was different from the from the meal.

Um, and I might get to some of that later um. And so and so there was foot washing and there was other teachings. They they had this teaching about who's the greatest in the kingdom if you read john's gospel between.

While they were there before they went out on the on uh out to the mount of olives or the garden of gethsemane. There is john. About all the teachings from john 13 verse 21 to the end of john 17. All happened there in the upper room.

There's the teaching about the vine and and and the branches and The the fruit of it and the abiding in him and the promise of the holy spirit and there's the teaching um. There's the teaching That the whole the whole prayer of john 17 of of how his people should be one like he and the father.

That's all in there in the upper room um. They also sang a hymn according to several of the gospels and then they went out to the to to the mount of olives. And so here was this annual Passover a a jewish holiday perhaps the greatest of jewish holidays.

It was uh, the the passover the first passover. Which which was back there in egypt when when the jews were delivered from From the bondage of slavery to the egyptians. This is like a pivotal event in the jewish history.

And so uh It stands to reason that that the holiday they kept every or the the celebration commemoration that they kept every year was was like That the the the pinnacle of of of um Um feasts or the the greatest of feasts that they kept and so here was jesus uh uh.

Passover as a Picture of Christ’s Sacrifice

Oh and just a little i'm pretty sure you're pretty familiar with the passover. But like they they had instructions how to do this. They took a lamb a spotless lamb. No blemishes of the first year. They slew it.

They caught the blood. They put the blood on the doorpost and the and the door around the door jamb they ate the lamb its head. It's its legs. It's its entrails um. With unleavened bread and bitter herbs and they were supposed to have their shoes on their feet and their staff in their hand.

They were supposed to be ready for a for a sudden departure um and All these things that there was they were supposed to purge. Their entire dwellings of of any kind of leaven it was not. It was not only not supposed to be in the bread.

They it wasn't supposed to be in their houses. They were supposed to totally get rid of it um. For and and even in the feast afterwards like it was a seven-day feast and for that seven days. No leaven was supposed to be in their houses.

They had to get it out. They could bring it back in after the seven days, but they had to get it out for for that commemoration um. Uh and so. So that's a few things about the passover. So here here was this this this passover feast was coming up.

And jesus wanted to keep this feast one last time Before he died and he wanted to do it with with these 12 disciples uh, these were. These were his most intimate companions they were the ones that for three years he had been fleshing out life with uh.

There was intense partnering. There was intense discipling common sharing and fellowship that they had day in and day out. And now, uh, they're eating this passover. Uh and either either while they were eating the meal or right after he takes this bread.

It says take and eat this this is my body. Uh, he says, uh, this is my body which is given for you. And one of the gospels says he says do this in remembrance of me. Uh, and he and he took the cup and he said drink from it all of you.

This is my blood. Of the covenant which is poured out for many for the forgiveness of sins. I think the disciples Had to make a connection with the words that jesus used With with what jesus had said earlier sometime.

I don't know how long how how how much earlier? Somewhere in those three years, but I don't I don't know where in in the ministry, but but the things that are recorded in john 6 uh. Where jesus said unless you eat my flesh and drink my blood you have no part in me.

And this was such a hard saying that many people left him, but these 12 stuck it out like where else can we go? There's no other place to go and they stuck it out now now jesus used this very very similar language and I I I think there's I think they must have must have been able to draw some kind of connection to that um I've heard I've heard.

Though I haven't been able or haven't I haven't spent a lot of time to research this but I The little bit I done. I haven't found much, but. Somebody once told I think his brother buddy once told me. Um.

That it would have been a common practice When they kept the passover. And they and they and they passed bread to each other to say do this in remembrance of the lamb. They they were they were together to remember The the the first passover and the deliverance out of egypt slavery bondage Into the land flowing with milk and honey.

And so so they were remembering this and they gave this bread around and said Do this in remembrance of the lamb and now jesus gets up. And he passes this bread to his disciples. And he says do this in remembrance of me.

If that's true, I I think that's powerful. I think it I think it would have Like sunk real deep into the disciples. It's a big statement. Jesus is the passover lamb. He is the one who liberates us from slavery for the jews.

In egypt, it was the death of a spotless lamb of the first year that was slain that saved the firstborn from death. And that is what jesus is through his death. We have The hope of eternal life. Death has been swallowed up in victory For the jew.

Without this lamb, it would have meant certain death for every firstborn among man and animals. It would have meant certain death. Uh, but but with the lamb it turned into victory not not only were they saved from death.

They were delivered from this land of bondage and into a land flowing with milk and honey. The disciples got this for sure paul writes in first corinthians about jesus being the passover in first corinthians 5 Verses 6 to 8.

He says your boasting is not good. Do you not know that a little leaven leavens the whole lump of dough? Clean out the old leaven so that you may be a new leaven. Just as you are in fact unleavened for christ our passover also has been sacrificed.

Therefore let us celebrate the feast not with old leaven nor with leaven of malice and wickedness. But with the unleavened bread of sincerity and truth. So so now let's look at a little bit about Kind of the how and the when and the where They're they're all kind of tied together a little bit um.

The Pattern and Frequency of Communion

We start getting these glimpses throughout the new testament uh. About about how the disciples Uh observe this. It I think it's pretty clear That the passover that the jews kept they kept annually that celebration they kept annually uh but but this this this Thing we call communion is not just Like an exact carryover Uh from the jewish passover and now the christians do this thing um let's read first corinthians 11.

In verse 23 i'll start it says for I received from the lord. This is paul writing Paul was not one of the 12 right? He was not he was not there at the at the At the passover, but this is what he says for I received from the lord.

That which I also delivered to you that the lord jesus in the night in which 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 He took the cup also after supper saying This cup is the new covenant in my blood do this 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 until he comes. Therefore whoever eats the bread and drinks the cup of the lord in an unworthy manner shall be guilty of the body and the blood Of the lord.

But a man must examine himself and in so doing he is to eat the bread and drink the cup. For he who eats and drinks eats and drinks judgment to himself. If he does not judge the body rightly for this reason many among you are weak and sick and a number of you sleep.

But if we judged ourselves rightly we would not be judged. But when we are judged we are disciplined by the lord so that we will not be condemned along with the world. So then my brethren when you come together to eat wait for one another and if anyone is hungry Let him eat at home so that you will not come together for judgment the remaining matters.

I will arrange when I come. Uh again here there seems to be the the the If we would have to read a large portion of corinthians to get to get all this. But there was there was a lot of disorderly going on in the corinthian church and paul was trying to set things straight.

It seems like they were having a meal. They they were having meal a meal together. But there was some kind of disorderliness people the people were coming there for this For to fill themselves up um. And and by doing that it appears almost like maybe some people some people got their bellies full and there was not enough left for the others and um, uh.

And and he says this is not this is not okay. If you guys are hungry eat at home. Uh, I have received from the lord that this is what you should do when you come together um. That that you take this bread in this cup and you you prefer one another and you wait you wait on one another um the reason I the reason I think It's significant some of these these these hints and clues that we have is Of of of the this cup and this wine being something separate from a meal because there are people.

There are groups there have been down through the ages. There have been people who have concluded that The communal meal is simply eating eating with each other like when we eat with each other we're we're communing with each other um.

There is some sense in which it is true when we're eating with other people that we're fellowshipping with there there is some kind of sharing there we're sharing a meal together, but. But there is something separate here.

Um I think there's something uh There's something other than an ordinary meal. We don't uh. He says here he says here that as often as we do this We proclaim the lord's death until he comes. We're not necessarily proclaiming the lord's death every time we eat a meal Breakfast lunch a supper with whenever we eat that with other people.

That's not necessarily what we're doing. This here is something separate. Okay, this this is something different from that I I think the people That have come to the conclusion that that's what communion is Is just is just eating eating meals with each other.

Um, I I think they're off. I think they err I I don't think that's what it means. How often? Um Like I said this this this passover lamb was an annual Thing once a year and I think for that reason Down through the ages some some groups have come to the conclusion that it should be once a year um um some people have Stepped it up a notch to have it twice a year um just just to make it more often or or some people do it monthly or um and we we here Do it weekly we we take every first day of the week we if if there's nothing amongst us that is not.

Uh, not peaceful. We we take this Every week and i'll try to explain why I think we have that preference. Um though though I will admit That from scripture alone, I I can't make a clear-cut case for this um I I think I think the local church the local congregation at least has some liberty to decide those things.

Uh, but but I think we have clues and I think we ought to try to follow the patterns that that we do have um. Good examples from in the early church and and the apostles uh There's clues that we have that that they got together the first day of the week to do this.

One of them is in acts 20 verse 7. It says on the first day of the week When we were gathered together to break bread Paul began speaking to them intending to leave the next day and he prolonged his message until midnight.

Now I know that could be read in different ways like I. Though I though I think there's a clue there that says on the first day of the week when we were gathered together to break bread I think that's a clue.

I think that's a clue of a of a practice that they had. I know you could read this to say on the first day of the week. When we were gathered together to break bread paul began talking like as if as if it was.

We were together that day and and once we were all together to break bread uh paul began this talking but. And and even the breaking bread like I I think that's a term that doesn't I may be wrong about this, but I don't think it always means this this this lord's supper thing when uh I think I think that term sometimes got used for just common meals.

Again, i'm not sure like in acts 2 where where where they had this intense Fellowshipping with each other that the church was young the disciples were preaching the people were coming to jerusalem. They were sharing all things common.

They were going from house to house. It says breaking bread daily um. Either it was saying they were just sharing their meals with each other. Which is what I think it's saying or then they were taking they were taking the lord's supper on a daily basis um.

But I I so so anyway, I I think there's a clue there in that verse in acts 20 verse verse 7 but It's kind of hard to make a case for as a standalone verse. Hmm we We get into uh We get into the early church writers and the very early church writers and we start seeing this they had this common practice they they when possible when When severe persecution didn't prevent this when when when they were able like they'd get together the first day of the week.

It's it's when they came together to break bread. To commemorate the lord's death to lay in alms whatever the lord had provided for the week um We we start seeing that. We start seeing that in in the early church really early on um I'll read a few a few things out of the didache On the lord's own day.

This is the 14th article on the on the lord's own day assemble In common to break bread and offer thanks but confess your sins so that your sacrifice may be pure. However, no one quarreling with his brother may join your meeting until they are reconciled your sacrifice must not be defiled for here We have the saying of the lord in every place and time offer me a pure sacrifice for I am a mighty king Says the lord in my name spreads terror among nations.

In article 9 it says regarding regarding the eucharist give thanks as follows. First concerning the cup. We give thanks our father for the holy vine of david thy servant. Which thou has made known to us through thy servant to thee be the glory forever.

Next concerning the broken bread. We give thanks to thee Oh father for the life and knowledge which thou has made known to us through jesus thy servant to thee be glory forever as this broken bread was scattered over the hills and then.

And then when gathered became one mass. So may the church be gathered from the ends of the earth into thy kingdom for thine is the glory and the power through jesus christ forevermore. Let no one eat and drink of your eucharist, but those baptized in the name of the lord to this too.

The saying of the lord is applicable. Do not give what is do not give the dogs what is sacred um so. So because of because of these things I think because of these clues because the pattern that we see early on in the church, I Personally though though I have to call it a strong preference not a clear command from the lord like we uh.

We desire to take it often weekly, uh the first day of the week. Um. By the way, I have no desire in in in trying to um. Tell you when I say when I want to talk about what communion is. I have no desire to talk about.

Whether it's transubstantiation Constantiation receptionism memorialism all the terms that get used. Um I just I just think these words aren't in scripture and like all the things that are that that that are at least to some extent a mystery from the lord like I would just so much rather prefer to just take the words as they're recorded and believe them with a childlike faith.

One of my favorite quotes is from conrad grebel. He said I believe the word without a complicated interpretation. And from that belief I speak. If jesus said take the take. Eat this is my body and take.

This is my take and drink. This is my cup or this is my blood. I have no problem believing that. Um, where else should I go? Um if. If one of them says you're doing this in remembrance of me, I have no problem with that.

Um, if uh. And and and i'm i'm not saying there's no importance in in any of this i'm just saying that I I uh, uh I would prefer I just want to I just want to stay away from the the the um, uh. What's paul say the endless words and um.

Arguments that that cause strife. Um I think I think people are prone to be either very super mystical or or or uh. Very super logical and that's why some of this some of this bickering kind of thing happens like um for some it's approached by by by such a mystical approach that it errs on the side of superstition and from some such a hard logical approach that it That it errs on the side of just cold logical mathematical exactness.

I think the truth is somewhere in between there, you know in in in the 1500s um when the anabaptists rose up and the the catholics were the the whole catholic church was a a superstitious bunch and and they they um, they they believed and taught as Doctrine that when this when this bread is blessed that it it is the the body uh on the flesh of christ, they taught it to such an extent that like you know that The individual couldn't touch it.

The priest had to put it in the person's mouth. People weren't it was too holy too sacred for a man to touch it or or they they did this. They did this weird like they they did this practice where they would take this bread.

And they would bless it and now that it's blessed and it's become it's become uh, uh, uh the actual flesh of christ. Like people would bow to it and they would put it on a they would put it on a thing and they'd walk down the streets.

And and and people would bow to it. And this was one of the ways they they hunted heretics. They had guys watching and whoever didn't bow to this was likely a heretic. And they'd catch them and question them and examine them because of.

Because of how far out superstitious people can get like there's no wonder that the anabaptists in in refuting and countering that Wrote some things that I would sometimes think air. Air on the other side of like just just making it sound like it is it is merely symbolic um I totally believe it's symbolic.

I just I look at the words of jesus and I just don't want to stand here and say it is merely symbolic. Uh, i'd rather just receive these words the way the disciples said when when he said this thing that turned others away and I said We have we have nothing to say against you.

Who May Partake in the Lord’s Table

There's no other place to go. Now I want to get into the who. And this is the difficult one this particular aspect of communion uh is is deeply intertwined With what we believe about so many other things um It is intertwined with what we think communion is which which we're discussing today it It is deeply intertwined with what we think the church is which is a subject in itself with what we think it means to be a christian.

Which could be another sermon which which uh, it is. It is it is totally and and very much affected by our view of Denominationalism within the church. Uh what we believe about church secondary church membership um.

And and a whole host of things. Should we Should should we decide and judge. Who can eat at the lord's table like think about that for a little bit this is the lord's table. Can we can we judge that can we decide and have a say in who eats there.

That's a huge thing it's a hard thing it causes much fear and trembling. And I feel like people look for an easy way out of this. Because it is such a hard thing and so and so you have A thing called open communion which.

And you have a thing called closed communion. An open communion is that thing where It is open To whoever wants to come and partake of it. Whoever says they are right with god and feels right about it can come And partake of this of this lord's table.

That would be the one easy way out of making these of making any judgments. The closed communion is another easy way out and we decide That Our communion is only for those In our in our in our. If we have a denomination if we have a local congregation, it's it's those in our local congregation.

Possibly some exceptions to uh Maybe a visiting preacher from another denomination. There's various degrees to to how those things work out. But but like the idea that it is only for those who we are.

Who who we are in intense? fellowship with all the time. So so and by saying that people are usually not saying that. At least with their mouth they are usually not saying that oh, we're we're not saying there's no other christians.

These are just the ones that we'll take communion with um. Some very cultic groups might might say like these are the only ones it's found here and nowhere else. Um. But but that couldn't be said of a lot of people who practice what I would describe as closed communion.

We've rejected those conclusions. We've rejected the ideas of denominational lines. We've rejected the idea of secondary church membership we believe That the lord's table should be open To all those lord.

And closed to all those who aren't that principle Ought to guide us Through the decisions that we have to make. Jesus taught like in john 10 he taught things like my sheep hear my voice. And I have I have other sheep and i'll bring them in and there'll be one one fold and one shepherd.

He doesn't he doesn't intend there to just be A whole bunch of different folds who can do things Who can decide these things for themselves, but but he want he wants his people to be one fold under one shepherd.

Jesus taught things like if we if we reject one of these little ones. We've rejected him. That's very serious. He says whatever we've done to the least of these my brethren we've done it to him. The didache says.

Anyone coming in the name of the lord must be welcomed. But after that test him and find out. You will use your discretion either for him or against him. So so it should be with much fear and trembling that we forbid someone From participating in the lord's table.

Judging Sin Within the Congregation

At the same time We have other instructions and other scriptures in first corinthians 5. It says for. For I on my part though absent in the body but present in the spirit have already judged Him who has so committed this as though I were present In the name of our lord jesus when you are assembled and I with you in the spirit with the power of the holy spirit Of our lord jesus.

I have decided to deliver such a one to satan. For the destruction of his flesh flesh so that the spirit may be saved in the day of the lord. Jesus. Your boasting is not good. Do you not know that a little leaven leaveneth the whole lump of dough?

Clean out the old leaven so that you may be a new lump just as you are in fact unleavened for christ. Our passover also has been sacrificed. Therefore let us celebrate The feast not with old leaven nor with the leaven of malice and wickedness, but with the unleavened bread of sincerity and truth.

I wrote you in my letter not to associate with immoral people. I did not mean at all with the immoral people of this world. With covetous and swindlers or idolaters for then you would have to go out of the world.

But actually I wrote to you not to associate with any so-called brother. If he is an immoral person or covetous or an idolater or reviler or a drunkard or a swindler. Not even to eat with such a one.

For what have I done with? For what have I to do with judging outsiders? Do you not judge those who are within the church? But those who are outside god judges remove the wicked man from among yourselves.