Simple Church #4 - More than a Meal: The Lord's Table (Has Low Audio due to tech issues)

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Okay, how's that sound okay one two all right
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Which God shares with us the benefits of Christ's work on our behalf
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We began this series About the most foundational of the means of grace, which is the
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Word of God that God's Word when it is read when it's heard when it's preached has transformative power in the lives of his people
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It's God's Word that gives shape and meaning and purpose to the other means of grace that we considered in this series
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We to be then moved on to the subject of prayer Prayer being are speaking to God and him dispensing the grace that we so desperately need for our growth in boldness
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For we talked about baptism the act that pitches our union with Christ in his death
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Burial and resurrection and our inclusion in the body of Christ We saw that far from baptism does being a private thing between us and God baptism really is
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God's Testifying to us that we have become part of his body because of our union with Christ We also spent a lot of time
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Answering the question of who should be baptized and how it is that reflecting on the promises of God pictured in our baptism strengthens our faith
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Well today we come to the final of the ordinary means of grace
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And we come to one that in my opinion doesn't get as much emphasis as it should
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In most evangelical churches in our land, you'll find some semblance of commitment to God's Word.
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It might vary in consistency It might vary in its application, but by and large
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Evangelical people recognize the Bible is at least somewhat important We at least value prayer individually
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Corporate prayer. I don't think any of us will actually say out loud that prayer isn't important Even the act of baptism.
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Well baptism is a public event. What church doesn't have a good public event. So even baptism will at least
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Say has some importance We come to the
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Lord's Table Well, I think I find myself agreeing with Dr. Keith Matheson. Keith Matheson is a professor at Reformation Bible College He works for Living and Ministries In his excellent little book,
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The Lord's Supper answers a common question says this He says quote, I've spoken with many
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Christians over the years and I do not think my experience of the Lord's Table being just routine
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Is terribly unusual There are many Christians sitting in the pews of churches across this nation
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Around the world for whom the Lord's Supper is part of the Christian routine
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They partake faithfully and while and they think about Jesus while they are partaking But they do not understand everything that is going on during the observance
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Well this afternoon, I agree with Dr. Matheson, I think many of us don't fully appreciate What's going on when we come to as we will at the end of our service today
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This thing we call the Lord's Table. This is more than a meal.
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It's the fact that I've titled our message this More than a meal Yes, it is a meal.
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It's a simple meal. That's all the two elements in it But I would argue that it is more than that In fact,
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I would say to us That this is one of the most spiritually critical things which the church does
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For a moment, one of the mysterious things you notice is just how much eating happens with God Start with me in Genesis chapter 18 for a moment.
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In Genesis chapter 18 You have the story of God appearing to Abraham with two visitors. We know the two visitors would be two angels
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And it's interesting what happens in that context when God appears with Abraham to Abraham, excuse me, with these two visitors
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Abraham prepares a meeting And God and these visitors eat with Abraham And it's in that context that God gives the promise once again that he will have a son and in fact, he names the son
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So this you're going to call his name Isaac, Lord's Table In Exodus chapter 24 verses 9 through 11, you have that wonderful scene of Moses the priest and 70 of Israel's elders going up the mountain into Yahweh's presence and as they go into Yahweh's presence
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What does the text say? That as they're up there they eat and they drink in the presence of Yahweh Right in the next chapter,
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Exodus chapter 25, God gives instruction for this interesting set of loaves called the bread of the presence 12 loaves for the 12 tribes illuminated by the light of the light of this lampstand which symbolized
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God's presence It's interesting that in God's presence there is food present
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And in Deuteronomy chapter 14, God commands the nation of Israel to bring their time before him
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The interesting thing is that one, the time is not money in that passage, it's food That's a whole other subject for another time as to whether the
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Bible teaches timing, but now It's interesting, Deuteronomy chapter 14 verse 26,
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God tells his people that listen If the place that I tell you to bring the time is too far, find the nearest place where there's a lead light, go there
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And exchange the food for money, spend that money, Deuteronomy 14 verse 26
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Spend the silver or anything you want, cattle, sheep, goats, wine, beer or anything you desire.
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You are to feast there In the presence of Yahweh your God and rejoice with your family
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Deuteronomy Psalm 23, excuse me, we all know it, the shepherd's psalm Again there's this connection with food and the presence of Yahweh Psalm 23 5,
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I've read it multiple times, I'm sure You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies
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You anoint my head with oil, my cup overflows Isaiah 25,
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Isaiah looks into the future and sees Yahweh preparing a meal for his people
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Isaiah 25 verse 6, on this mountain, Yahweh your host will prepare for all the peoples a feast of choice meat
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A feast with aged wine, prime cups of choice meat, fine vintage wine
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Maybe, okay Kofi, that's good, but maybe that's just a metaphor in the Old Testament Well, we cross over into the
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New Testament, we'll cross the book of Revelation with me for a moment And in Matthew chapter 8 verse 11,
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Jesus says this And this is just one place of multiple where he talks about a feast that is laid
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In the presence of God, in the kingdom of God Matthew 8 verse 11, Jesus says I tell you that many will come from east and west to share in the banquet with Abraham, Isaac and Jacob in the kingdom of heaven
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When we get to the Bible's final book, Revelation chapter 19 We read a portion of it for our scripture call to worship, excuse me, this morning
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Revelation chapter 19 verses 6 through 9 God in his word says
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Blessed are those invited to the marriage feast of the lamb. Here's this picture once again of a feast in the presence of God He also said to me these words of God are true
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As you read the Bible it becomes apparent that there is this intimate connection between being in the presence of God and food
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And guess what's the missing link in this little gastro theology that I'm pulling together this afternoon
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I would argue it's this thing we often call the Lord's More than anything
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I would argue that the Lord's table was more than just a symbolic Reminded us of a dead man's sacrifice.
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In fact, it's there in your study guide. Here's my big idea for this message The Lord's table is a sacrament given to us by Christ for the strengthening of our faith
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And the deepening of our communion with him and each other More than just a memorial we actually partake of Christ by Faith I want to consider three questions about the
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Lord's table that I hope will kind of open up If people can't understand what this table is, I think
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I said it in yesterday's email, but if you didn't get it, I might go along today In fact, I am more than likely going to go along today
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And I if you need to leave work and I fully understand that But I need to take some time because this is not a simple subject to get our heads around So three questions
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Question number one, let's just start with what is the
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Lord's table? Well a good place to start I would venture to say is well for us to define what the
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Lord's table is Now thankfully, we don't have to try and reinvent the wheel here Our fathers in the faith, you know,
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I'm very fond of quoting not because they are an authority equal to scripture but because I love their mature reflection on scripture as the word of God.
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This is how they define the Lord's table It's there in that little blue box in your study bag if you have one Here's how they define the
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Lord's table Quote the Lord's supper is a sacrament of the new covenant
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In which by giving and receiving bread and wine according to the pattern set up by Jesus Christ his death is shown forth
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Those who worthily take part Feed on his body and blood to their spiritual nourishment and growth in grace
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Have their union and communion with him confirmed And testify renew their thankfulness and commitment to God and their mutual love to one another as members of the same
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Mystical body as always I like to break things down the second half of that definition.
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We'll think about in our next question But for now Just know with me a few points as we think about the
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Lord's table two of them in particular First of all, our fathers in the faith referred to the Lord's table as a sacrament
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They referred to it as a sacrament I touched on this last week as we talked about the
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Sacrament of baptism. I didn't get to get too deep into this So allow me a moment to dig a little deeper into what exactly a sacrament is
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I have to be careful because i'm speaking to you and I call the
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Lord's table a sacrament As our fathers in the faith were for some i'm keenly aware
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That that sounds a little too close To roman catholicism for their liking
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I mean after all we coming from the stock of apostolic reformation. We have an inbuilt dislike for the catholic church and so if we hear something that sounds a little too much like that our natural tendency is to kind of Switch the brain off i'm not listening to that.
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I know who I am Calling it sacrament for some people is that you're thinking that there's something mystical that goes on when we partake of this bread
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And this cup or worse. There's something just meaninglessly ceremonial About answer that on two levels.
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First of all sacrament is not a roman catholic word, but the church is used long before There was a roman catholic church
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In fact the apostolic reformers had no qualms with using that word So much so that they even give us a definition of what it is
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So again, what's the larger catechism question 162? A sacrament is a holy ordinance instituted by christ in his church to signify seal and exhibit the benefits of his mediation
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To those who are within his covenant to strengthen and increase their graces Their faith, excuse me and all other races to increase their sense of duty to obedience to testify to and give sweetness to their love
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With one another and to distinguish them from those who are outside the covenant of grace
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I want to come back to that first part that they say this idea of the sacraments signifying sealing and exhibiting the benefits of The sacraments practicing in the lord's table.
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They're given to us by god and they have a dual function built into them Follow me here for a moment
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You have the physical sign the physical thing that we are able to see so we're baptism it's the water in the lord's table
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It's the bread and the cup But behind this physical sign And it's important to know it's behind this physical sign.
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We don't say that this becomes a spiritual reality But behind this physical sign we can see
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Is a spiritual reality that the sign points us to Let me see if I can make this simple
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So a lot of people talk about baptism he said that baptism pictures are union with christ everyone remember that Can you see?
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union with christ You can't You can't see it's not a tangible blow that comes over you when you become a christian
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Symbolizing that you are now connected to christ that for most of us doesn't happen. You can't see that reality
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But what does baptism do? According to god's word it Pictures to us it signifies to us the spiritual reality that has already taken place.
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It's not that baptism unites you to christ But it points you to the fact that you have been united to christ
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You can't see union with christ, but you don't always need it, but you can see water and it's the same thing When we talk about the lord's table, you cannot see
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You can't see The benefit of the lord's table the spiritual reality behind it, but There's such a tight relationship between the sign and the thing signify
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There's such an intimate relationship such that the former the thing that we can see in this case the bread and the cup
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Signifies it testifies to it confirms. That's what they mean by it's sealed and it exhibits it demonstrates publicly the fact
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Of christ's body and blood that is shed for us So the lord's table is a sacrament, but let's talk more specifically about the lord's table.
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It's a sacrament that involves I know it stays in the obvious here bread and wine After the last supper jesus took the passover meal the event that signified the deliverance of god's people
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It's interesting. It's a meal in word commands people to do this thing constantly Well, jesus takes that passover meal and he does the following Told me to matthew 26
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As they were eating just and broke it gave it to the disciples and said take and eat it this is my body
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Then he took a cup and after giving thanks he gave it to them and said Drink from it all of you for this is my blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many for the forgiveness of sins
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But I tell you I will run you from this root to the vine from now From now on excuse me until that day when
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I drink it new with you in my father's kingdom so jesus who is the head of the church, he
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Takes the physical side of bread and it tells us explicitly that this speaks to his body, by the way, if you know church history
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You know people have fought tooth and nail. But what does that phrase? This is my body and what is actually me?
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And it was natural reading is jesus is not saying the bread is his body as much as it symbolizes it points to his body
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So you have the physical side of bread And you have the physical side of the fruit of the vine as jesus describes it
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Which speaks to The blood according to jesus and if I can make a side note for a moment jesus ordained
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Bread and wine literally in the original language the fruit of the vine. That's what jesus ordained as the elements to be used
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Brothers and sisters, we don't get to remix this according to our preferences I remember being in college and being in my christian union and our christian union decided to have communion
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I will have a whole lot to say about that in a few moments. Thank you so much They decided to have communion and since we didn't
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I mean we're coliseums so Since we didn't allegedly have the body to get
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The actual elements guess what they decided to use as the elements that day Try coke and french bread.
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You know i'm ashamed to say to you guys, but I know in our scripture
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I would argue that that was kind of a mockery of what jesus instituted
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Jesus is the lord of the church He gets to determine everything about it and we don't get to tinker with the elements of the meal that he ordained
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Any more than we get to baptize somebody in game show slime instead of water
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Jesus ordains his sacrament and he specifically says that it is simple bread and the fruit of the vine
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Now some people argue about should it be alcoholic or not? I don't think that's necessarily the point personally
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Because jesus explicitly says we read in 1926 29 that he's referring to the fruit of the vine
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That's my personal take on that other than they disagree and that's fine But that's what the lord's table the lord's table is it's a sacrament and it's a sacrament that involves bread and wine so far so good now we get to the slightly more controversial part
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Question number two. What does the lord's table do for us? Does the lord's table do for us as god's people now again
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We are typically taught from the earliest That the lord's table is the memorial that we remember christ as we come to this table and that we renew our love and commitment
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To him every time we partake of that now that much is indeed true So in new chapter 22 verse 19, jesus says this is my body which is given for you do this in remembrance of me
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So it's not less than that It absolutely is a commemoration of the fact that jesus was going to the cross to bear the sins of god's people and he does
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Command us to partake of this in remembrance of him. So it's definitely a commemoration of his death
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The question is is that all? That the lord's table is I would say no
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I would actually say that multiple things are happening when we partake of the lord's table
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In particular, I see four things happen First of all, I would argue this may be the most
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Controversial all the points I make that this is a real feeding on christ
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It is a real feeding on christ Turn back with me to first group in chapter 10 where we started in our scripture reading for this message
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First group in chapter 10 I want us to dive in here for a moment because i'm going to argue that paul communicates to us from this passage
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That the lord's table is a true feeding on christ First group in chapter 10 is the tail end of an argument that begins all the way back in chapter 8
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And it's really to do with the issue of food sacrifice to idols and the liberty of the christian
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So in chapter 8 verses 4 through 6 paul kind of starts his argument and says that listen We all know that idols have no real existence since there is only one true god.
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There are not multiple gods out there Paul also notes verse 7 that not everyone has this knowledge
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And so for them they if they eat food that is offered to idols They really believe it's offered to an idol thus they defile their conscience
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Paul then says chapter 8 verses 8 through 13 Those who have the knowledge that this thing that is offered to idols is not really offered to an idol well
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Just because you know that you don't have the right to make other people stumble because of that your responsibility as a stronger person
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Is to bear with the weaker person That takes me to chapter 9 where paul sets his own example both in terms of whether he gets paid for ministry
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And also in terms of his approach to various people groups say that he himself understood the liberty that he had and yet kept that liberty in check for the sake of brother or sister
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That brings us to chapter 10 and in chapter 10 paul starts to talk about this thing of idolatry
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Because at the heart of all of us clinging to our rights and refusing to give up our liberties for others
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Is idolatry mostly idolatry of self And so paul verses 1 through 13 of chapter 10 talks about the idolatry that was modeled in israel's past at this point
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Is this that listen they had all kinds of great spiritual privileges and yet they abused every one of their privileges
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And so god judged them be careful. The same thing can happen to you
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That brings us to our text in verse 14 So first of all
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The cup of blessing that we bless
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Is it not a sharing in the blood of christ The bread that we break is it not a sharing in the body of christ
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Paul is still talking about idolatry. That's still his main point in chapter 10 But as paul is very wants to do he's going to use one truth as a master teacher to delude it.
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It's another truth He's going to use one principle to help us understand an even bigger principle
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And so he uses the principle of the lord's table and what it is As a warning against participating in idolatry
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So he says listen the cup of blessing that we bless is it not a sharing
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In the blood of christ the bread that we break is it not a sharing? in the body of christ The key term here is this word sharing that appears by some of your bibles will say a participation
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Say my name is the word that we actually get more fellowship from what does paul mean when he says that the cup and the bread
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Are a sharing a participation In the blood and body of christ respectively
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I would argue the word here has a due meaning to That it's vertical And he says that participation in this table is participation in christ himself
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And it's horizontal because that participation happens with other beliefs
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To make this point paul goes back to the feast of the old testament. So look at verse 18 He says consider the people of israel
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Do you know those who eat the sacrifices participate in the altar? Israel has these sacrificial meals.
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We read about one of them in 214 Paul's point is that listen the people who sacrifice don't they participate in what the altar is designed to do?
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The meal itself the sacrificial meal they have was not a sacrifice Neither is this meal of the lord's table a sacrifice.
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We're not Roman Catholics We don't believe that this lord's table is another sacrificing of christ Jesus is the one who will sacrifice
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But paul's point when he says that this is a sharing in the blood and the body of christ is that we are
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Participating in the blessings made possible by this sacrifice So it's not so much that we are partaking of christ's sacrifice once again as much as by faith
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We are participating in the blessings that come to us through this sacrifice
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The american theologian bb warfield in his article the fundamental significance of the lord's supper he says this quote
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The sacrificial feast is not the sacrifice in the sense of the act of offering It is however the sacrifice in the sense of the thing offered that is eaten in it
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And therefore it presupposes the sacrifice in the sense of the act of offering and implies that this offering has already been performed
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The lord's table as a sacrificial feast is accordingly not the sacrifice that is the act of offering of christ's body and blood
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It is however The sacrifice that is the body and blood of christ that were offered which is eaten in it
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And therefore it presupposes the sacrifice as an act of offering and implies that this has already been performed once for all
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Paul's point is really profound But the lord's table isn't a sacrifice in itself, but it's a participation a very real participation in the one true sacrifice of christ
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That's why i'm going to say jump down to verse 21 He can say verse 50 says 21. You cannot drink the cup of the lord
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And the cup of demons You cannot share in the lord's table and the table of demons
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The reason he can say that it's very simple. You cannot say i'm partaking of christ's sacrifice and the benefit of that sacrifice and then turn around And go partaking of that which is offered to demons
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Paul's mind it's inconceivable, but we can say in chapter 11 if you want to turn over there
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Chapter 11 verse 27 So So then whoever eats the bread or drinks the cup of the lord in an unworthy manner will be guilty of sin against the body and blood of the lord
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That person examined himself in this way that you eat the bread and drink from the cup Or whoever eats and drinks without recognizing the body eats and drinks judgment on himself
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Paul's point is that you are mocking christ's sacrifice when you partake of this in an unworthy manner
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Can I pause for a moment and say this is why it's so dangerous When churches let people who are in unrepentant sin partake of this meal
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That's why paul can say listen a person who eats this without recognizing what this is.
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You are eating and drinking judgment elsewhere in that text
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Explicitly not only drinking judgment. They're drinking damnation on themselves Think about this with me for a moment how many churches have tanked out of just out of nowhere
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It seemed like the church started imploding Because sin was tolerated Even at this table and god is not mocked
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I have to wonder how many churches have split because people in the church Actively hated each other and they're
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Hating each other or their leaders and then they like nothing that ever happened came to this table
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I say it every week when we partake of this table. This table is not for perfect people.
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We acknowledge that But it's also not for people who willfully wallow in their sin
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Church history tells the story the libertines were known as an omnipotent
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But they were extremely hedonistic
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But basically says listen So what did they decide to do
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Well one sunday they roll up into church And they decide as a group swords in hand to rush the lord's table
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And history tells us that calvin literally if you've ever seen the pictures of the church, you can still see it today
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Um And as it were stretches out his hands and says you will have to look off my arms
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Before you partake of this table. Why because he understood That something serious is happening here that this lord's table is a real
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Feeding on christ and we are not going to bring damnation on ourselves by allowing something who is an unrepentant sin
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To partake of this that's what paul could say listen for this reason some of you are weak And he says some of you are dead or in my old pastor peter masters used to put
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Some of you god terminated your earthly assignments They were still believers
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But the discipline of the lord took a very sudden and very final form why because they were mocking this meal
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Which is a participation in christ's sacrifice for sin
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I've labored this point somewhat because understanding this makes the rest of the story not just simple to Understand beloved it makes it logical if this is a real feeding on christ
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Then it follows that secondly. It's a means of nourishing the soul of the believer
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It's a means of nourishing the soul of the believer That the believer enjoys spiritual communion with christ a communion that is communicated to us through these elements
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His faith is strengthened John chapter 6 is one of the most beloved chapters in all the bible
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It's the passage where jesus refers to himself as the bread of life In fact, i'll read it to you. John chapter 6 47 to 51 truly.
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I tell you anyone who believes has eternal life. I Jesus I am the bread of life your ancestors ate the manna in the wilderness and they die
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This is the bread that comes down from heaven so that anyone may eat of it and not die
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I am the living bread that came down from heaven If anyone eats of this bread, he will live forever the bread that I will give for the life of the world is my flesh
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Just in case anybody was unclear jesus got even more plain than that john chapter 6 53 to 58
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So jesus said to them truly. I say to you unless you eat the flesh of the son of man and drink his blood
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You do not have life in yourself. Can I pause and ask you to put yourself in the audience the first time they heard
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Jesus goes on the one who eats my flesh and drinks my blood just in case you missed it the first time
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The one who eats my flesh and drinks my blood has eternal life and I will raise him up on the last day Because my flesh is true food and my blood is true drink
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The one who eats my flesh and drinks my blood how many times is that now? I would say this is number three the one who eats my flesh and drinks my blood remains in me and I am him
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Just as the living father sent me and I live because of the father So the one who feeds on me will live because of me
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This is the bread that came down from heaven. It is not like the man of your ancestors. They died
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The one who eats this bread Will live Jesus refers to himself and the sacrifice that he will make as to be eaten and he particularly says
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You read it three times Believer is to eat his flesh and to drink his blood while we don't believe that these physical elements are the
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Flesh and the blood of christ. I don't think that this language of the body of blood Which is picked up in the communion narratives and picked up in first corinthians should be ignored
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As one writer puts it quote the context of john 6 shows that to eat And drink christ's flesh and blood is not a carnal act a physical act but rather a spiritual act of trusting in christ
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George chapter 6 22 to 59 parallels the eating that leads to eternal life with belief making the two things identical the lord's supper signs and seals this belief
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Showing that the one in whom we believe is both god and man having a true human body
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We need the humanity of christ. No less than we need his deity and the physical elements of the supper impress this on our hearts
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And minds and it's a real feeding on christ the means of nourishing the soul of belief
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Thirdly, it's a means of renewing our commitment to christ Every time we come around this table
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We are saying in the act of eating and drinking that we are committed to christ and to christ alone for eternal life
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That's what we can say. You can't claim commitment to christ By coming to his table and then going through the same forgiveness pick one
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For christ it's a means of nourishing the soul of the believer.
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It's a means of renewing our commitment to christ Fourthly it's a means of renewing our fellowship with one another i'll be honest.
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This is why Myself and lots of pastors Have an issue with communion that's done at home or done in small groups
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And it's not done as part of the gathering assembly. Of course, we recognize that there are exceptions for the sick and the shut in Of course, we get that But by and large the practice of god's people through the ages that we partake of this
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As part of the gathered assembly our gathering around this table
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Is designed to strengthen our bonds with one another or at least it should
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We started this message by reading from first matthew chapter 11 What does one say about the church at Corinth?
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I think if you put it nice they were probably of all the new testament letters We spent a bunch of time in galatians
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I'll put it to you that These are some of the most calm divisive
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Self -centered and frankly spiritually miserable people in the yesterday So couldn't see past themselves that even at the lord's table
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Even as they come to the table with jesus so to speak They were still finding ways to divide from each other
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Well, we know better than the caribbean. Are we as bad as them? Yeah, we can be if I may take a moment of privilege
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Can I make a point that the caribbeans? Had an excuse at least
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But we don't Think about it. Did the caribbeans have first green beans 11 up until the point that paul writes this?
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No, they didn't You and I do beloved isn't it terrifying
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I don't know if you've seen this i've seen this But isn't it terrifying when relations 515 becomes a reality
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You know places 515 if you buy and devour one another watch out or you will be consumed by one another
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You want to know what's off the menu for christians? christians
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Do you want to know who is on the menu for christians? Let me get very specific to redeemer for a moment
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What if our church was so united around this table? We were so united and satisfied by its rich fare
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That we had no appetite for each other in the negative sense What if our mouths were so full from this table and the spiritual reality that it represents that our mouths had no room for?
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Murmuring complaining and our own opinions. I don't mean by accident that this section of first Chapter 11 is followed up by a discussion of spiritual gifts and didn't say exactly the same thing
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Paul is designed not to tear us apart but to bring us together that's why
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It's often practiced in some churches and I agree with this that they tell people that listen if you've got a Disagreement with somebody in the church if you're not on good terms with someone in the church, don't partake of this
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And i'll be honest there have been days where I got to church I was fine I was ready
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And i'll give you a real example actually happened well back before the church was called There was one song
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I was running the slides and stuff And so we're going for worship service one of the songs that was given
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I had completely the wrong words not verses in the wrong word completely the wrong words
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Some of you who worked with me have probably gathered that I get greedy especially when
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I have been asking all week Can I get the words for this song? Can I get the words for this song? Can I get the words for this song?
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If Laura didn't tell you I texted her in the middle of the service said I am this close to walking out of the room And we're going to have a little stable that day.
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So they pass around the elements and I did take it That's fast. You know what? I found And of course
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I was asked what happened and it's simple. I was annoyed But I was not so annoyed that I was going to mock this
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By pretending that everything was fine No, this happened we need to talk about it and we need to talk about it before the next time we have a little stable
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So I don't miss out on this What if we took the little table that seriously that we would settle petty squabbles, maybe it's not somebody in this church
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Maybe it's something another believer somewhere else. What if we were willing to you know, I value this so much
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I'll go and squash whatever issue it is.
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It might not even be your fault But i'll do whatever it takes so that I can participate in the rich benefits that are afforded to us in this
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So we've asked what is the lord's table we've asked what does the lord's table do for us finally quickly How can we benefit from the lord's table?
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How can we benefit from the lord's table when we come to the table with proper self -examination?
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We come to the table with proper self -examination. Did you catch that little bit first movie chapter 11 verse 28
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Let a person examine himself In this way, let's him eat the bread and drink from the cup
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This is not the morbid self -examination of the legalist This is not the flippant self -examination of the self -sufficient
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No brothers and sisters. This is the honest self -examination of the one who knows their need for christ
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The way a hungry man knows his need for food. This is my second one
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Come to the table fully aware of your need Come to the table fully aware of your need
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For we live in an age that has taught us two terrible things about need number one. Nobody's really needing and two
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It's okay to act like you don't need it Jesus says in matthew chapter 5 verse 3 that blessed are the poor in spirit for the kingdom of heaven is theirs
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I would always think about how the new living translation translates and renders this verse god blesses those who are poor
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And realize their need for him Because the kingdom of heaven is theirs
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There's a reason why in our reformation tradition churches typically place the lord's table after the preaching of the word
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Precisely because god's law shows us our need And then it drives us to his gospel for our satisfaction
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A satisfaction that we celebrate and participate every time we come to this table
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So beloved let's come to this table come to this table fully aware of your need
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And we don't end with on yes, we examine ourselves. Yes, we come fully aware of our need but finally
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We come to this table Rejoicing in the satisfaction of jesus for one last one.
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We're going to bring you back to john chapter 6 as we close After jesus has put himself on the menu as it were
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For some of the folks that right there was a step too far john chapter 6 verse 66 from that moment
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Many of his disciples turned back And no longer accompanied him They're like this is way too much.
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Okay, you've lost your ever -loving mind kiss flesh and drink his blood.
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What on earth is he on about? 67 So jesus said to the 12 everyone else is gone
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You can just kind of picture the scene. Everyone's just scattering and walking away And then jesus comes to the 12th
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You don't want to go away too Peter kind of always speaks to the group.
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Sometimes it doesn't work out so well But this time it did Lord to whom
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Will we have the words of eternal life to come to believe and to know
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That you are the holy one Peter knew that only one man was worthy of full allegiance
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Even if at times he said things that were a little weird to merely human beings
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Peter knew that only one man had the word who would who could once more satisfy our souls at the point of our deepest need
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And that's what we come to participate in in a very real sense every time we partake of this table
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We are recognizing That as we again, I didn't plan this one on something it just seems to work today
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We read about the marriage supper of the lamb in revelation chapter 19 Our assurance of pardon pointed us to taste and see that the lord is good
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Of the fact that we have become true and living participants with the living god in the person of his son jesus
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I don't know about you that I should cause us great joy and rejoicing and assurance that as the heidelberg catechism says that as surely as my lips taste the cup and my
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Tongue tastes the bread that I have true and eternal life in jesus christ
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Beloved this is way more than it's a meal. It's a meal. It's a memorial Oh, it's so much more than that true benefits of the salvation
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He has rolled for and heavenly father. We are so thankful for that salvation