God forbid that our relationship with God should ever become confined to the past. Oh, I remember the day I came to Christ. Oh, that was so good. In the first few weeks, wow. Okay, that was then, this is now.
How are you doing now? How's the new covenant going today? You see, when we take communion, it's a reminder that we once gave our lives to Christ and they're still His.
And welcome to Connect with Skip Weekend Edition. Today, Skip Heitzig continues to examine the purpose of communion in our series, Church Who Needs It? You know, taking a tour through Washington, D.C. is like taking a tour through history. There are memorials all over the city for various figures and historical events, and they're a great way to remember the past.
But when Jesus told us to remember Him, He didn't ask us to build a monument. And in today's study, Skip explains how we've been called to remember our Lord Jesus. But before we begin, we have a great resource for you this month to build you up further in your faith. Listen to what Sean McDowell said about the book Tactics. This is the book I've been waiting for.
I enthusiastically recommend Tactics. Here's Skip Heitzig to comment on how Jesus spoke out for truth. We might think that Jesus never raised His voice, that He would never call anybody out. However, there was a side of Jesus that was contentious. The Jesus that took tables in the temple and overturned them and took out a whip and drove people out of the temple.
Yeah, that Jesus. Get equipped to defend the gospel and guard against false teachings with Fight for the House, a six-message series through the book of Jude with Skip Heitzig. This teaching series on CD is our thanks when you give to keep this Bible teaching ministry on the air. And when you give $35 or more today, we'll also send you a book by Gregory Kochel called Tactics. Your game plan for communicating the truth about Christianity with confidence and grace.
To give, visit connectwithskip.com or call 800-922-1888. Our teaching today is On Your Mark, Get Set, Grow Part 3. We'll be in Acts Chapter 2 again.
So as you find your place, let's join Skip Heitzig for the start of today's study. The disciples certainly were familiar. When they sat down in that upper room with Jesus, they knew what was coming.
It was a celebratory meal that looked back to Egypt and the deliverance of the Jewish people from the bondage of Pharaoh. But do you remember that Jesus one time said, Do not think that I have come to destroy the law or the prophets. I didn't come to destroy, but to fulfill. To fulfill.
This is where that statement really comes into view. For we are seeing how Jesus was the complete fulfillment of what the Passover initially was to speak of. Jesus in effect transformed the traditional Passover meal to speak of an infinitely greater rescue. What he would do on the cross.
Now, a little explanation is helpful. The Passover meal was structured around four glasses of wine. It would begin where the host would take and the wine was red because it was symbolic of the blood of the lamb that was smeared on the entrances of the homes in Egypt. He'd lift up the wine glass and give the traditional Hebrew blessing.
Baruch atah Adonai Eloheinu melech haolam borei pri hagafen. Blessed art thou, Lord God, King of the universe, who's given us the fruit of the vine. And the evening would commence. Then there would be the second glass of wine.
The second glass of wine would then be lifted, blessed. And with that came the taking of the unleavened bread, what we would call matzah, cracker. And the unleavened bread was dipped in bitter herbs that spoke of bondage of their forefathers in Egypt.
And also dipped in this sweet, thick, fruity paste known as charoset, which reminded them of the mortar that their forefathers made for the cities in Egypt. And it would be dipped, eaten by the host and passed out to the rest. Then they would eat the meal. When the meal was done, the roasted lamb had been eaten, at the end of the meal, the host would lift up the third glass of wine.
This was called the cup of redemption. Unleavened bread would be broken. And again, the traditional Hebrew blessing.
Baruch atah Adonai Eloheinu melech haolam hamotzi lechem min ha'eretz. Blessed are you, Lord God, King of the universe, who's given us bread from the earth. And that is verse 19, where after that, Jesus broke it and said, This is my body, which is given for you.
Do this in remembrance of me. I can just picture the jaws of all the disciples dropping at that point. Then that third glass of wine was held up, the blessing given. And then Jesus, in verse 20, This cup is the new covenant in my blood, which is shed for you.
So that's the pattern of it. And whereas the Passover meal spoke of the temporary physical deliverance out of slavery, the Lord's Supper would speak of the permanent, spiritual deliverance from the slavery of sin. So when the early church committed themselves to the breaking of bread, the Lord's Supper, and that meal, what they were doing is recreating that night of Passover in a very stripped down and easy to facilitate form. So the breaking of bread has a pattern. Now turn with me to 1 Corinthians chapter 11.
I know we're covering a lot of ground, and the only regret I have is in a swift study like this, we can't probe deep enough, we're just kind of skimming the surface. But here in 1 Corinthians 11, we understand that breaking bread has a purpose. It has a purpose. And we're only going to read a few verses.
It's a pretty hefty chapter that deals with this, but we want to look at just a few things. Breaking of the bread has a purpose. And there's a purpose by looking back to the past. There's a purpose by dealing with our present. And the third purpose is it takes us to the future. Past, present, and future is the purpose for communion.
First of all, the past. Look at verse 23, 1 Corinthians 11. For I received, oh, and by the way, it is believed that 1 Corinthians was written before Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John. So this becomes the first and primary account of the Lord's Supper in Scripture. For I received from the Lord that which I also delivered to you, that the Lord Jesus on the same night in which He was betrayed took bread. And when He had given thanks, He broke it and said, Take, eat, this is my body which is broken, do this in remembrance of me. So Paul understood that the first purpose for communion was to look back. Retrospect, remember the cross, remember the sacrifice, remember the night Jesus gave this meal significance. This is the remembrance. Isn't it interesting that Jesus didn't say to His disciples ever, Hey, you guys, I want you to remember me, so build a beautiful, huge mausoleum over my grave to remember me. That wouldn't have done any good since He only occupied His grave for a weekend and left being resurrected. Nor did He ever say, build a huge marble column or a statue where I preached the Sermon on the Mount so that every time people go to Galilee, they'll remember me. No, what He said was, I want you to remember me with a meal.
Do this often, and when you do this, you look back and you remember. And I just want to quickly say that as odd as it might seem, communion, which means the unity of believers together, has become so controversial through the centuries that it's actually divided the church. And that is because of the viewpoints that some have had toward communion. There is one belief called transubstantiation.
Now, that's a huge word I know. Transubstantiation is the belief that these elements, the bread and the wine, literally become the actual flesh of Jesus and the blood of Jesus. They turn into blood and flesh, called transubstantiation. Cyril of Jerusalem believed that. Gregory of Nyssa believed that. John Chrysostom believed that, and that is and has been the position of the Roman Catholic Church.
They become the body and blood of Christ. Now, the Reformers didn't believe that. A second viewpoint was postulated by Martin Luther called, here's another word, ready, consubstantiation. They don't turn into his body and blood, but there's a special presence of the body and blood with the elements, with the elements. There's a third viewpoint I happen to hold to that one, and that sees the elements as figurative or emblematic.
This was the position of John Calvin. This was the position of Ulrich Zwingli, and that is we're not looking at the body and blood of Christ when we hold up the elements. They're like lenses.
We're looking through them to see Christ. It's an emblem. It's a figure of what he did. And people get all hung up and say, yeah, but Jesus said, this is my body. It is his body. Yeah, but Jesus also said, I am the door. Does that mean he's a piece of wood with hinges? No, that is a figure of speech, right?
Plainly so. That's easily observed simply to say, I am the way. I am the portal.
I am the means by which anybody and everybody can get to heaven and no other means. So when Jesus said, this is my body, it was figurative and emblematic. It's a look to the past.
Second, it's a look to the present. Look at verse 25. In the same manner, he also took the cup after supper, saying, this cup is, now that's present tense, is the new covenant in my blood.
This do as often as you drink in remembrance of me. You are living in the new covenant. I just want that to become such good news to you. It's now. It's present.
You're in it. It's a whole new deal. It's not ratified by bringing an animal every week to church and getting it slaughtered, and you go, whew, I feel better. It's a once and for all sacrifice that established a new covenant, and you're in it now. And this is what I want to say about the present tense. God forbid that our relationship with God should ever become confined to the past. Oh, I remember the day I came to Christ. Ooh, that was so good. And the first few weeks, wow. Okay, that was then. This is now.
How are you doing now? How's the new covenant going today? You see, when we take communion, it's a reminder that we once gave our lives to Christ, and they're still his.
He's still in control. That's why I don't like the bumper sticker. I'm not really crazy about a lot of bumper stickers, and probably my least favorite says God is my co-pilot. And if you have that on your car, forgive me for saying that.
No notes in the agape boxes, please. Just get a different bumper sticker, would you? God won't be your co-pilot. He wants the keys. He's driving that baby. He wants the pink slip.
He's not gonna be, okay, I'll come along for the ride. Uh-uh, he's in charge. And communion is a reminder that presently my life is governed by him. So we look to the past. We look to the present.
And third, we look to the future. Verse 26, as often as you eat this bread and drink this cup, you proclaim the Lord's death until he comes. You see, communion reminds us that there's something more up ahead. It's not just a past event.
It's not just a present hope. The one who came and died and left and is now absent in the flesh is coming back in the flesh physically to rule and to reign. Jesus even alluded to that, and we read it. I will not drink of the fruit of the vine until I drink it anew with you in my Father's kingdom. Just think of that. The next time Jesus Christ breaks bread and distributes drink, you'll be with him.
You'll do it at the marriage supper of the Lamb. And I think that as believers, we can get so bogged down with what's happening now and what's going on with economy and what's happening with Korea and Iran and oh, no. And we get so bogged down, we go, wait, wait, wait, time up. Jesus is coming. Oh, oh.
C.S. Lewis said, since Christians have largely ceased to think about the next world, that they have become so ineffective in this world. I think you become most effective when you live right on that edge. I'm responsible now, but Jesus is coming. Communion reminds us of that. And the fourth characteristic about this activity is that breaking bread requires preparation. This is unlike any other meal. You don't really have to prepare for going to McDonald's or going to lunch, you just show up.
But not with this one. Verse 27, therefore, whoever eats this bread or drinks this cup of the Lord in an unworthy manner will be guilty of the body and blood of the Lord. Let a man examine himself, and so let him eat of the bread and drink of the cup, for he who eats and drinks in an unworthy manner eats and drinks judgment to himself, not discerning the Lord's body.
For this reason, many are weak and sick among you and many sleep. For if we would judge ourselves, we would not be judged, but when we are judged, we are chastened by the Lord that we may not be condemned with the world. So communion requires self-examination, where we pause and we look inwardly and we consider how we're doing with God, we consider our motivations, we confront our own personal sin, we confess that sin to him, and there's repentance of that sin. That's called personal inventory, and from time to time we all need to take personal inventory. Communion helps us take personal inventory. There's an old business statement that says a man who doesn't take inventory will eventually become bankrupt. So as to not become spiritually bankrupt, we take spiritual inventory.
Now I want to clear up an issue. Verse 27 speaks about an unworthy manner, not an unworthy person. And I have to bring that up because inevitably there's somebody out there who feels unworthy to take communion. I'm so unworthy to be here. I'm so unworthy.
Stop right there. That's what the cross is all about. Jesus died for unworthy people. Grace means blessing conferred to unworthy people. You don't get worthy and take communion, but you can take the Lord's Supper in an unworthy manner.
What is that? Well, if you come to the Lord's Supper conveniently, that is, you ignore the command by and large when communion is announced. It's like, ah, whatever.
No big deal. It's not a priority in my life. After all, I'm first.
I worship me. Well, that would be an unworthy manner. Or if you were to come to the Lord's Table ritualistically, your heart's really not in it, you'll do it. You'll go through the motions.
But the emotion is absent. If you come superstitiously thinking, man, I've so blown it, I just got to get communion because if I get communion, that's how I'll get saved or grace will be conferred to me if I take communion. Or if you come sinfully, if you come to the Lord's Supper with bitterness in your heart, with hatred in your heart, with sin in your life that you refuse to repent of and you take communion, that's an unworthy manner. Now, having said that, one of the basic underlying points that Paul is making isn't to avoid communion.
This isn't to push people away from it. It is communion. It's something we take together and we should take boldly. Just make sure you deal with stuff that needs to be dealt with first. That's all.
Having said that and done that, then move into it with confidence. There's a Scottish theologian named John Duncan who was an elder at a Presbyterian church in Edinburgh, Scotland, and he was passing out communion one day. He was part of the team doing that. There was a girl in the church that he knew quite well.
When the elements came to her, she turned her head and pushed them away as if to say, I'm unworthy. Well, he knew her. He knew her spiritual walk and he knew that she had a tender conscience and he just pushed the tray right into her face and said, take it, Lassie. It's for sinners. You take it. It's for sinners. Now, if you've never given your life to Jesus Christ, if you've never honestly surrendered your life to Him, why not do it right now? Right now, you say, Lord, I trust you. I give you my life and I receive Jesus as my Lord and my Savior. I want to know Him. I want to be cleansed by Him.
You just do that. And if there's issues in your life that need to be dealt with, deal with them and then take it. But if we are forgiven sinners, which we are, some people are opposed to that term, sinner. Oh, such a bad word. Hey, I embrace it. I am a forgiven sinner.
Am I joined by anybody else? Anybody else out there a forgiven sinner? Okay, so if you're a forgiven sinner, you know what that means? It means that you and I should become forgiving sinners, forgiving sinners. I've been forgiven by God like a huge debt. Yeah, but that person hurt me. Okay, so just think of the cross for a minute and look up at Jesus dying for you and go, but that person hurt me. If you've been a forgiven sinner, now be a forgiving sinner. And part of the whole follow-up to last week's fellowship and messy people being around us, extend that forgiveness.
I want to close with this before we take these elements. This sums it up best. The neighborhood bar is possibly the best counterfeit there is to the fellowship Christ wants to give His church. The bar is an imitation, dispensing liquor instead of grace. Escape rather than reality. But it is an accepting and inclusive fellowship.
It is unshockable. You can go into a bar and tell people secrets and they usually don't tell others or even want to. The bar flourishes not because most people are alcoholics, but because God has put it into the human heart the desire to know and be known, to love and be loved.
And so many people will seek a counterfeit at the price of a few beers. With all my heart, I believe that Christ wants His church to be unshockable. A fellowship where people can come in and say, I'm sunk, I'm beat, I've had it.
Alcoholics Anonymous has this quality, but our churches too often miss it. Let's not miss that. Having been forgiven, we forgive.
Having been accepted, we accept. It doesn't mean we turn a blind eye. It doesn't mean we compromise any of the truth, any of the doctrine, any of the holiness, any of the principles. But we are willing to walk with people as they are brought to the cross and we bring them through to wholeness. So when you go to church, what are you devoted to? Are you devoted to getting out on time or to ministering and fellowshipping with people who need the hope and joy we have when we gather together at church? Well, just one of the many points Skip Heitzig is making in this series, Church Who Needs It?
And I'll tell you how to get a copy of it here in just a moment. But right now, Skip would like to invite you on a trip of a lifetime. Nothing tops studying the scriptures in the real life locations where it all took place. That's why I'm eager to announce our upcoming trip to Israel in 2022. And if you register by November 30th using promo code ConnectIsrael, you'll receive $150 off the tour price.
Find out more about the tour at inspirationcruises.com slash C-A-B-Q. Thanks, Skip. That's all the time we have for today. But if you'd like a copy of today's teaching, On Your Mark, Get Set, Grow Part 3, we'd be happy to send you one for just $4 plus shipping. Simply call us at 1-800-922-1888.
And anything else you'd like to give above that amount will certainly help support the expanding outreach of this ministry. Just visit connectwithskip.com. Next time, we'll learn the pros and cons of routines and how they affect our growth as a Christian right here on Connect with Skip Weekend Edition, a presentation of Connection Communications. Make a connection. Make a connection at the foot of the crossing.
Cast all burdens on His word. Make a connection. A connection. A connection. Connecting you to God's never-changing truth in ever-changing times.
Whisper: medium.en / 2023-07-16 21:54:15 / 2023-07-16 22:03:35 / 9