The Bible and Catholic Mass #1B

Welcome to The Truth Pulpit with Don Green, Founding Pastor of Truth Community Church in Cincinnati, Ohio. Hello again, I'm Bill Wright. It is our joy to continue our commitment to teaching God's people God's Word. Today Don is continuing with the second part of a message we started last time.

So let's get right to it. Open your Bible as we join Don now in The Truth Pulpit. Now, my brothers and sisters in Christ, friends and visitors, we have a word to describe people who eat human flesh and human blood.

We call them cannibals. And I can assure you from God's Word that the disciples would not have practiced cannibalism on that night of the Lord's Supper. Impossible, absolutely impossible. Let's approach it this way. Would these disciples who were steeped in the Old Testament think that they were celebrating the first mass when Jesus handed them the bread and the wine?

No way, absolutely no way. Turn in your Bibles to Leviticus chapter 17. In Leviticus chapter 17, in verse 10, God explicitly forbids the drinking of blood, particularly as it is connected with an atoning sacrifice. Verse 10, any man from the house of Israel or from the aliens who sojourn among them who eats any blood, I will set my face against that person who eats blood and will cut him off from among the people. For the life of the flesh is in the blood and I have given it to you on the altar to make atonement for your souls for it is the blood by reason of the life that makes atonement. Therefore I said to the sons of Israel, no person among you may eat blood, nor may any alien who sojourns among you eat blood. So when any man from the sons of Israel or from the aliens who sojourn among them in hunting catches a beast or a bird which may be eaten, he shall pour out its blood and cover it with earth. For as for the life of all flesh, its blood is identified with its life. Therefore I said to the sons of Israel, you are not to eat the blood of any flesh. For the life of all flesh is its blood.

Whoever eats it shall be cut off. This was the Old Testament pattern of the sacrificial system that Israel had known for 1,500 years. This is what the disciples had grown up on was these Old Testament scriptures and this is what they knew and they knew the significance that God attached to blood and God said don't drink it. There is absolutely no way, there is absolutely no way that these 12 men in the presence of the Son of God could think that he was handing them his literal blood to drink and take it without asking any questions or raising any objections. But Lord, what about Leviticus 17? There is no way that that happened. And the reason that it didn't happen that way is because Christ wasn't giving them literal blood to drink and they knew it.

They knew that he was speaking in symbols just like we do. Think about it this way. You've all got pictures on your phones, most of you do, and you meet somebody new and you say here let me show you something. You pull out your phone, you pull up a picture and you say this is my wife, this is my husband. Now everybody understands that that image on the phone is not your literal wife. This is a picture that represents your spouse. Everybody understands that. We talk about this is ordinary communication. No one looks at that and say oh you're married to that image on your phone?

You're married to those images? It's absurd. No one thinks that way. No one communicates that way. Well listen, it was the same way 2,000 years ago. People understood symbols when they were being used and didn't foolishly take them as something literal that was never intended and which would have contradicted the text of scripture which Jesus came to fulfill.

No way. Now, go to the other side of the cross. In the New Testament, you can bookend the point that I'm just making here in Acts chapter 15. You'll remember that there were questions about what the relationship of the Mosaic law to the new Gentile Christians that were coming into the church. The Gentile Christians needed instruction on how to move forward now that they had come to Christ. And there was a big council in Jerusalem where these issues were hashed out.

And the church leaders wrote to the Gentiles in Acts 15 and in verse 28 they make this interesting comment to us. Remembering this, beloved. In fact, let's back up.

I hadn't planned to do this. Love it when this happens. Acts chapter 2. Back up to Acts chapter 2 for just a moment. Acts chapter 2 in verses 41 and 42 where we read about what the early church was doing. In Acts chapter 2 verse 41, those who had received his word were baptized and that day they were added about 3,000 souls. They were continually devoting themselves to the apostles teaching and to fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer. They were celebrating communion. This was part of what they were doing in the early church. And so the chapters of Acts go along. Gentiles come into the church.

Now remember, remember and follow with me here. We're making some contrary to fact statements here. If, if what the Catholics teach is true and that from the very first Last Supper, the church understood that they were drinking the literal blood of Christ and eating the literal flesh of Christ when they broke bread, then they knew all along, they knew all along that they were eating flesh and drinking blood, right? If what the Catholics say is true. Now, when you get to Acts chapter 15 in verse 28, the council at Jerusalem wrote to these Gentile Christians in order to give them a sense of liberty. It seemed good to the Holy Spirit and to us to lay upon you no greater burden than these essentials that you abstain from things sacrificed to idols and from blood and from things strangled and from fornication.

If you keep yourselves free from such things, you will do well, farewell. How could they have possibly said that? How could they possibly tell Gentiles being incorporated into the church that was practicing communion on a regular consistent basis, don't drink blood if they were drinking blood at communion? It's impossible.

There is no way that that's true. And so you see before the cross and after the cross, these statements against drinking blood that diametrically oppose and refute the Catholic perversion of what they do. And so with such clear biblical guidelines, there is no way the disciples would have passively agreed to drink blood if that's what they thought they were doing. Now, there is another utter absurdity to the Catholic view of the Last Supper.

Think about it this way. These disciples had walked with Jesus and been at his side for some three odd years. For three years, they walked with him.

In fact, they make a point, the Apostle John makes a point in 1 John 1 that they handled his flesh. They knew his flesh. They had interacted with him. They had enjoyed intimate communion with him. They had heard him speak.

They had literally rubbed shoulders with him and touched him. And here they are at the Last Supper. Jesus is physically present with them in his incarnate body.

Just as he always had been over those prior three years. Could they have possibly thought that his body was present with them as I stand before you here today with arms and legs and a head and all that? Could they have possibly thought Jesus is with us here, but now also his body is here in this bread as well? This is contrary to all human thought. This is contrary to all human reason. No one thinks that way. They could not possibly have thought that his body was there across the table and also that they were holding it in their hands with a piece of bread that looked like bread, smelled like bread, and tasted like bread.

There is no way they thought that. And that means that there is no way that the Catholic version and interpretation of the Lord's Supper is true. It is not possible.

It is not possible. And why do I get animated about this, beloved? Listen, in Galatians chapter 1, the apostle Paul said, if anyone preaches to you a different gospel, let him be accursed. You must understand that the Catholics are teaching a different gospel. It cannot be reconciled with biblical truth. We cannot have it both ways.

We can't be flabby and sentimental and say, but I don't want it to be that way. Can't we all just consider, we all love Jesus. Let's just all be together and call ourselves Christians and not get too precise about doctrine.

No, we cannot do that. Not when they are teaching lies as though they represent the truth of God. Not when those lies are a different gospel that lead people into damnation.

We don't have the freedom to be generous on this. The most loving thing that we can do is to be clear, decisive, and direct and state these things for what they really are. Nothing else is going to honor God at this point. And so, yeah, we'll be clear and dogmatic despite the postmodern truth is relative, not absolute, spirit of our age. James McCarthy says this in his book, The Gospel According to Rome, which I'm happy to acknowledge that I rely heavily on this work and this series.

James McCarthy says this, pages 134 and 135. He says, the Roman Catholic interpretation of Christ's words at the Last Supper requires the eating of human flesh. One would think that such an absurdity would be enough to throw out the Roman Catholic interpretation. But to the contrary, the church presses its point saying that the Lord likewise instructed his disciples to drink his blood, end quote.

He's right. So, examining the Catholic view of the Last Supper, the disciples would not have practiced cannibalism. Secondly, second way to examine this is to address, remember what I said, they say the whole point of the mass to them is that this is a way to have Christ present with us now that he has departed and ascended into heaven.

And so they say the mass is the means by which that is done. Now, Jesus was very clear on something. This is our second subpoint of examining their view of the Last Supper. Brothers and sisters in Christ, Jesus did not give the mass for their future comfort. Jesus did something far better. Jesus gave the Holy Spirit for their future comfort. Jesus gave the Holy Spirit for their future comfort, not the mass. And we'll look at that in just a moment.

Here's the point. At this point, the Catholic teaching has identified a legitimate aspect of our Savior's ministry for us and to us. And specifically to those disciples that were used to his presence. When Jesus departed, that left a great vacuum.

It left a hole in things. He is the Lord and it was his presence that enabled the whole ministry to take place. And they loved him and for him to be taken away was a major loss. And so the question is, okay, so what is done, how did the Lord provide for his people to compensate for his literal physical absence until he returns again from the skies to be with us forever? Catholics say, well, he gave us the mass so that we have him represented and literally, literally in, I'm not being real precise with my language now, literally with us in this bread and wine which is his literal flesh and blood. That's how the Catholics say he is with us. This is the compensation for his absence. Well, the only problem with that is is that Jesus was very explicit on how he was going to compensate for his absence and he assured his disciples that he would provide for them in his absence. But beloved, it was not through a ritual that you could go to daily or once a week or once a year depending on how faithful a Catholic you want to be, how devoted you want to be to the Eucharist. That's not it.

Make no mistake that that's not it. Jesus was explicit on how he would be with us and if you will turn to the Gospel of John, I'll show you a handful of passages where he made it very plain. John chapter 14. John chapter 14 in verse 16. Jesus said, I will ask the Father and he will give you another helper that he may be with you forever. That is the Spirit of Truth whom the world cannot receive because it does not see him or know him, but you know him because he abides with you and will be in you. I will not leave you as orphans.

I will come to you. Jesus is telling them, I realize when I depart you're going to be in a position that is like being an orphan, but understand I'm not going to leave you in that vulnerable position. I am going to send the Holy Spirit who will be with you and who will indwell you in my absence. Look at verse 26. He says, The helper, the Holy Spirit whom the Father will send in my name, he will teach you all things and bring to your remembrance all that I said to you. John 15 verse 26. When the helper comes, whom I will send to you from the Father, that is the Spirit of Truth who proceeds from the Father, he will testify about me and you will testify also because you have been with me from the beginning. And finally, John 16 verse 12.

He says, I have many more things to say to you, but you cannot bear them now. But when he, the Spirit of Truth, comes, he will guide you into all the truth, for he will not speak on his own initiative, but whatever he hears he will speak and he will disclose to you what is to come. He will glorify me, for he will take of mine and will disclose it to you. All things that the Father has are mine, therefore I said that he takes of mine and will disclose it to you.

Beloved, do you see the vast infinite difference of what we are saying here? On the one hand, you have the promise of this ritual, this cannibalistic ritual, as being that which would be the presence of Christ while he is away in heaven. The truth of the matter is, is what Jesus did was that the Holy Spirit was sent by the Father to be the comfort, the helper, the advocate of believers, to indwell them when they believed and to lead them and to sanctify them and to supply them with all spiritual power, the very power of the resurrection, to dwell within them as they live the Christian life. That's the reality of the presence of God in the life of the believer. It is the indwelling Holy Spirit rather than a presence in physical elements delivered in a ritual. 1 Corinthians 12 verse 13 says, For by one Spirit we were all baptized into one body, whether Jews or Greeks, whether slaves or free, and we were all made to drink of one Spirit. We drink of the Spirit. We have the Spirit within us, the eternal Holy Spirit, the third person of the blessed Trinity, entitled to equal worship and devotion as God the Father and God the Son. That's who Christ gave.

And that is a gift of infinite value. And so, as you know, the Holy Spirit came upon the disciples as they were gathered together in Acts chapter 2. It's the Holy Spirit that Christ has sent, one of like essence with himself that is with us, not a ritual. Blessed be the holy name of our Lord Jesus Christ who did not leave us as orphans but gave us of the very essence of God to be with us during our brief sojourn on this earth. Now, thirdly, Christ was only offered once for sin. We'll talk about this a whole lot more next week.

I'm just going to state it briefly here now. Remember that we said earlier that the Catholics look at their mass as being a sacrifice of Christ. To speak it with greatest precision, they say it's a continuation of the sacrifice of the cross. It's an ongoing sacrifice. Well, that cannot be true.

That is absolutely false. What did Jesus say before he drew his last breath on the cross? John 19, 30. He said, it is finished.

It's done. Catholics say, no, it's not. Say, no, it continues every time we perform a mass day after day after day for 2,000 years.

This sacrifice has been continuing. And look, it's maddening sometimes to read their catechism because of the way they speak out of both sides of their mouth. And they'll say things like, this is a continuation of the once for all sacrifice of Christ. I'm paraphrasing at that point.

But that's the gist of their teaching. And so at the one hand, they know that they can't say, well, we're repeating the sacrifice because that's just too clear in Scripture that that's not the case. So they just say it's continuing.

Well, if it's continuing, then you know what? In basic human language, it's not finished. Fact of the matter is that the sacrifice was finished after the three hours of darkness. The temple curtain was torn from top to bottom. It was done. It was over.

There was no more to be done because Christ in His infinite perfection offered a sacrifice of infinite perfection to satisfy the wrath of God against your sin, to pay the perfect and final price for your sin. Imagine this. Imagine this. This just occurred to me.

I don't know if this illustration goes well or not, but I think it will. Imagine that you go and you buy a car at a car lot. You give them $10,000 for your car, and everybody understands that's the final payment for the car, and the car now belongs to you. And then the dealer shows up at your house the next day and says, I want to continue the payment. You say, well, wait a minute. I gave you full payment back then.

He said, well, no, this is just a continuation of that full payment that you've already given. You'd say, man, you are nuts. You're crazy. Get out of my house. Something's wrong with you. If a payment is finished, you don't keep making it.

You wouldn't give that guy a check. Catholics say, well, it's continuing. Jesus said, but it's finished. And the book of Hebrews and Romans and 1 Peter and other places say again and again and again that this sacrifice of Christ was made once for all. Listen as I read Hebrews 10 beginning in verse 11, and we'll probably draw upon Hebrews more next week. Hebrews 10 verse 11 says, Every priest stands daily ministering and offering time after time the same sacrifices which can never take away sins. Here the writer of Hebrews is talking about the Old Testament priests which, when this was written, were still offering their sacrifices according to the Mosaic law. But in verse 12 he says, But he, referring to Christ, having offered one sacrifice for sins for all time, no continuation, there's no room for it, sat down at the right hand of God.

You know why he sat down? Because the work was done. Waiting from that time onward until his enemies be made a footstool for his feet, for by one offering he has perfected for all time those who are sanctified. One sacrifice done for all time. You know, part of the reason why Catholics never have assurance of salvation, no true and final assurance of salvation, two reasons. One, if they believe what their church says, they're not saved, and so they wouldn't have any assurance on that ground. But secondly, even just looking at the whole system that they say that this sacrifice is being continued in the endless repetition of the mass, there's no finished work.

It's never final. As John MacArthur said, Which mass are you trusting in to take away your sins? Which sacrifice is it? Was it Calvary? Was it the one when you were eight?

Was it the one that you were 15? There's mass confusion, even if they can't articulate it in their own minds as to why that's the case. When you don't have a finished sacrifice, you don't have a finished salvation, and therefore you don't have a final assurance. And you see, and here's part of the utter wickedness of the whole system.

When you say that this sacrifice must continually be made and you must come and partake of it if you would continue to be saved, what you're doing is rather than calling people to Christ and letting them rest in them, they're saying you have to come through the Catholic Church because it's there that you find the true body and the true blood of Christ. And it forces people into bondage to them because if they want their souls saved, they have to go through that sacrifice, that false sacrifice that the Catholic Church says they have exclusive control over. It's wicked.

It's bondage. It's demonic. So, what have we said here tonight? We have explained the Catholic view of the Lord's Supper, John 6, Last Supper narrative passages in the gospels.

We've examined it. Can't possibly be true because the disciples wouldn't have drunk literal blood if they thought that's what they were doing. Secondly, as we said, Jesus gave the Holy Spirit to be his presence, not the mass. And thirdly, Christ was only offered once for sin.

Now, finally, point number three, and this is very, very brief. Sometimes you just kind of need to cleanse your palate and remember what the truth is. And here we're just going to gently remind ourselves of the sweetness of what the biblical truth is about communion and about the Lord's Supper. Scripture tells us, Scripture explains Scripture and tells us exactly what Jesus was doing. Look at 1 Corinthians 11. We look at this passage every time we celebrate communion here at Truth Community Church, or quote from it anyway. Point number three here tonight, remembering the biblical view of the Last Supper. The biblical view is that the bread and the cup are symbols by which we remember the sacrificial death of Christ for sinners like us on the cross. 1 Corinthians 11, verse 23. 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 the supper, saying, This cup is the new covenant in my blood. Do this as often as you drink it in remembrance of me. In remembrance of me. It's a memorial, not a sacrifice. And notice, by the way, if you adopt a hyper-literal approach like the Catholics do, Jesus said, This cup is the new covenant in my new blood. To follow their line of interpretation, the literal cup was literally the new covenant.

You know what? We better go find it. The reason we don't have to go find it is because he's speaking in metaphors, speaking in symbols that are evident and obvious.

Now, beloved, we'll say more about this next week. I want to close with this from Lorraine Bettner, whose work on Roman Catholicism is a classic. Mr. Bettner says this, and I quote, In all the pagan religions of the world, it would be hard to find an invention more false and ridiculous than that of the mass.

To assert that an egg is an elephant or that black is white would be no more absurd or childish than to assert that the bread and wine, which retain the properties of bread and wine, are actually and totally the body and blood, the deity and humanity of Christ. God help us. God help us to lovingly, graciously be instruments to bring the truth to those who are in such darkness and believe such demonic doctrines. And God help us to be faithful to the cross of Christ by which sinners were atoned, by which a perfect atonement was made once at one point in time, sufficient for all of your sins. Let's pray together.

Our God and Father, we have spoken candidly, we have spoken directly, not to mock anyone, but just to make the issues clear. Help us as we move forward, as so many here will interact with Catholics in the future. I pray, Father, that the clarity of understanding that comes from your Word would animate their discussions and that you would bless them with extraordinary power from your indwelling Holy Spirit to speak the truth and to be instruments of the gospel to those who so desperately need to hear it in this dark system of religion that is such a blasphemy against the true Christ. And Father, we pray that as this message goes out in days to come, Father, that you would just help it find the audience that you've intended for it.

Lord, we speak in this corner of the world. We pray that you would take this wherever you will, knowing that 500 years ago, you took these exact same kinds of truth from the exact same scriptures that we look at today, and you changed the world, Father, because these things are true. Father, help us to live like it's true and to ever give our life and heart and our deepest affection and loyalty and obedience to this great Word of God, which reveals the great gospel of the great Lord Jesus Christ who brings a great salvation to miserable sinners like us. Oh, God, bless your Word now and bless us as we go. In the name of Jesus, we pray.

Amen. That's Don Green here on The Truth Pulpit. And here's Don again with some closing thoughts. Well, my friend, just before we close today's broadcast, I just wanted to give a special word of greeting and thanks to the many people that listen to our podcast internationally.

It's remarkable to me. The last report that I saw listed 83 different countries that in one way or another are listening to us. And I just want to send a special word of greeting to those of you that are in lands that are distant from my own home here in the United States. You know, we've seen people from every continent, except maybe Antarctica, and people from countries like Ireland and Australia and Singapore, Canada, the UK, India.

I have friends in all of those countries. And whether you've met me face to face or whether you only know me as a voice through your favorite device, I just want to say God bless you. Thank you for your interest in the Word of God. And may the Spirit of God work deeply in your heart as you continue to study God's Word. Thank you for being with us. Thank you for your prayers. God bless you. My prayers and love are with you as well. And we'll see you next time on The Truth Pulpit. That's Don Green, founding pastor of Truth Community Church in Cincinnati, Ohio. Thank you so much for listening to The Truth Pulpit. Join us next time for more as we continue teaching God's people God's Word.