05-19-2019 -Keith Cozort – Worship: Lord’s Supper Part 2 – (AM Sermon)

Certainly appreciate you being here. Our number is down a little bit from what it normally is, but we appreciate the fact that you are here. And again, if you are visiting with us, we want you to know that we’re honored by your presence. Want to thank all of those who assisted with the Memorial service for sister Wanda bar yesterday. And Bernal asked me to pass on his appreciation to the congregation here for everything that we did for him.

And he said he will be writing a thank you note, but he wanted to let you know, as soon as possible how much he truly appreciated everything as far as being able to use the building for the service, but then the means, And As well as your thoughts and your prayers. And I want us to continue our study concerning the Lord’s supper.

If you remember, from last week when we started this study, we studied concerning what is meant by the breaking of bread. We studied concerning the fact that we are to worship God in breaking of bread. And we studied concerning the fact that what does the Lord’s supper consists of? All of those things probably are things that you were well aware of. And yet I felt it was necessary for us to cover those particular things,

because it is so important for us to remind ourselves as it relates toward those things. But also we’ve got a, another generation that’s coming along that needs to hear those things as well. And so the need for us to be studying this series of lessons concerning worship, as well as reminding ourselves this morning, this was not actually something that I originally planned on covering in this series.

But as I was doing some reading a couple of weeks ago, I thought, you know, I really need to go ahead and to address this because there is so much confusion concerning it. And therefore I want us to notice what the Lord’s supper is not because there is a great deal of disagreement in the religious world as to what the Lord’s supper is.

And as we would teach what it is not. And so I want us to go through and we’re going to notice a couple of terms that we don’t use. We don’t use because they’re not in the Bible, but it is a reference that many in the religious world use as it relates the Lord’s supper. But let me suggest to you that the Lord’s supper is not the,

the Eucharist. You may or may not have heard of that particular word, but it is used often in the denominational world. And again, the Bible does not refer to the Eucharist at all. There are in fact four different terms that are used in the new Testament as it relates toward the Lord’s supper. And I want us to notice those. The first one is of course,

the Lord’s supper in first Corinthians chapter 11. And in verse 20, as the apostle Paul is writing to the church at Corinth concerning the Lord’s supper and their abuse of the Lord’s supper. He says there in verse 20, when you come together, therefore into one place, this is not to eat the Lord’s supper. And so here he is, he’s condemning them for the way that they are doing things.

They are calling it, the Lord’s supper. When in fact it is not, they have interjected a regular meal into the observance of the Lord’s supper, and yet he refers to it as the Lord’s supper. But he says that this is not really what you’ve come together for. There is eating that is involved certainly. And yet our Lord instituted the Lord’s supper and speaks concerning the fact that he is to be remembered by it.

As we partake of that. And as brother Phil was bringing out, even this morning that the fruit of the vine represents his blood, that was shed there on the cross. The bread represents his body that was hanging there on that cross of Calvary. And those are the things that Jesus used in order to represent himself and to encourage the brethren, to remember him as they partake in for took of those things.

And so Paul speaks concerning the Lord’s supper. When you back up to chapter 10, he speaks concerning the communion chapter 10 verses 15 through 17. Paul says, says, I speak to the wise men, judge II. What I say the cup of blessing, which we bless, is it not the communion of the blood of Christ, the bread which we break?

Is it not the communion of the body of Christ for we being many are one bread and one body for, we are all partakers of that one bread. And so Paul says refers to it as the communion, that it is such that when we are partaking of the unleavened bread and the fruit of the vine, we are actually communing with our Lord. When we are doing that,

Jesus said he would eat of the bread or the fruit of the vine again, until it was in his kingdom. And certainly that was the case, but it is also the case that when we partake of the bread, the unleavened bread and the fruit of the vine, we are actually communing with him in doing such also it is referred to as the breaking of bread,

the breaking of bread. If you go back to acts chapter two, the Lord’s church is first established there. Luke records for us concerning those things that the Christians did, the disciples did after they were converted on the day of Pentecost. And he says in verse 41, then, then they, that gladly received his word were baptized. And the same day there were added unto them about 3000 souls.

And they continued steadfastly in the Apostle’s doctrine and fellowship and in breaking of bread. And in prayers, the breaking of bread here is referring to the Lord supper. In fact, we have four avenues of worship that are spoken of here. The Apostle’s doctrine teaching or preaching is that which has included fellowship, which means joint participation, such as the collection is being referred to the breaking of bread.

The Lord’s supper, as well as prayers. The only thing that’s not spoken of here is concerning singing. And yet we know that they did do that because we have record of that in Ephesians chapter five, verse 19, Colossians chapter three, verse 16 and other passages as well. But here it is referred to as the breaking of bread. Now here in this text,

it is also going to refer to the fact that they are going to verse 46, continue daily with one accord in the temple and breaking bread from house to house, did eat their meat with gladness and singleness of heart. That breaking bread here is that of just a common meal, doing it daily from house to house. It’s not the Lord’s supper that’s been referred to there.

And so you have to look at the context many times to understand which it is that’s being referred to because the Lord’s supper is only taken on the first day of the week. We know that when you turn to acts chapter 20, this is going to show us that very point that’s made acts chapter 20. And in verse seven, when the apostle Paul is in the city of Troas,

he Luke says, and upon the first day of the week, when the disciples came together to break bread, Paul preached unto them ready to depart on the Morrow and continue to speech until midnight. And so the breaking bread here is on the first day of the week. It is that, which is the Lord’s supper. And the disciples came together in order to partake of this in order to break bread.

And Paul is going to preach under Them. His preaching Will continue until midnight anyway, but here we have it referred to as breaking of bread. Then we also have, again in first Corinthians chapter 10, it referred to as simply the Lord’s table, first Corinthians chapter 10. And in verse 21, Paul says you could not drink the cup of the Lord.

And the cup of devils ye cannot partake of the Lord’s table And of the table of devils. And so That he is referring to the Lord’s supper when he refers to the Lord’s table, therefore, including both the unleavened bread and the fruit of the vine when he refers to that. But getting back to the Eucharist, the Eucharist, the word itself means to give things to God,

Give thanks. And It is true that Jesus did give things, but he gave things at times other than when he instituted the Lord’s supper. For example, in Mark chapter eight and in verse six, Okay. Mark chapter eight. And in verse six, when Jesus is going to feed the 4,000 men besides women and children, verse six, and he commanded the people to sit on the ground and he took the seven loaves and gave thanks and break and gave to his disciples to set before them.

And they did set before or set them before the people. And so here, the Lord gave things. We it’s the same thing that we do, or hopefully we do before we eat a meal. We give thanks unto God for providing this for us, for blessing us in this particular way. And that’s what Jesus is doing here. This is not the Lord’s supper.

He’s not instituting the Lord’s supper here. He’s just thanking God for the meal, even though it was very sparse compared to the number of people that are here, but it is going to be enough with the Lord miraculously, being able to extend that when you turn over to Matthew chapter 26 And in verse 26 here, Jesus is instituting the Lord’s supper With his disciples.

And it says, It says here in verse 26, and as they were eating, Jesus took bread and blessed it and break it and gave it to the disciples and said, take eat. This is my body. He blessed it. That’s meaning he offered. Thanks for that. And with Such, he’s going to thank the father for the bread, the unleavened bread,

as well as the fruit of the vine as he is the Lord’s supper. But the Lord’s supper itself includes more than just giving. Thanks. And so this word is not used in scripture, but neither is it correct in the idea that’s being expressed here? The Lord’s supper is not a sacrament, either. The word sacrament is again used by many in the denominational world,

and yet it is not found in the scriptures. Either. The word sacrament itself means a visible sign of invisible grace instituted for our justification. And so with this is the idea that this is a visible thing that we do for an invisible We stole of grace of on us. And thereby we become justified by doing such sacrament. Again, the word itself is not found in scripture.

There is one particular translation or version, if you will, that does include it, but it’s a mistranslation. It’s a mistranslation of a Greek word, which should have been translated as mystery. And instead they put the word sacrament there it’s incorrect in the passage. It’s a pudding, but it’s also incorrect. As far as the translated is concerned. In fact,

it was the council of Trent in 1547, a D that determined that there were seven sacraments and those seven sacraments included baptism and the Lord’s supper, according to what they taught. But of course the Lord’s supper was that, which was a part of worship long before 1547. Another thing that the Lord supper is not is it is not for the forgiveness of sins,

and it does not give forgiveness of sins. This too is taught extensively in the denominational world. That it’s for the idea of securing forgiveness by partaking of the Lord supper there. When you partake of the Lord’s supper, your sins are forgiven as a result of doing that. That of course is not what the new Testament teaches. It was not that which Jesus spoke about in the instituting of the Lord’s supper.

The Lord’s supper is a service in order to bring to remembrance the things that Jesus went through in his death for us. And it is the fact that we are to in partaking of the unleavened bread, to remember body there upon the cross and in, in drinking the fruit of the vine to remember the blood that was shed. In fact, it is spoken of to be a reminder to us as it relates toward that in Luke chapter 22 in Luke’s account concerning the institution of the Lord’s supper in verses 19 and 20 Luke says,

and he took bread and gave thanks and break it and gave unto them, say, this is my body, which has given for you. This do in remembrance of me, likewise, also the cup after supper saying this cup is the new Testament in my blood, which is shed for you. And so here, Jesus speaks concerning the fact that these are to be taken in remembrance of him.

Again, when you turn over to first Corinthians chapter 11, where Paul is addressing the Corinthian church concerning their abuse of the Lord’s supper, he says there in first Corinthians chapter 11, verses 24 through 26. And when he had given, thanks, he break it and said, take eat. This is my body, which is broken for you. This do in remembrance of me after the same manner.

Also, he took the cup when he had supped saying, this cup is the new Testament in my blood. This do ye as often as you drink it in remembrance of me, for as often as you eat this bread and drink this cup, you do show the Lord’s death until he go. So Jesus says as according to the apostle Paul, that when we partake of the unleavened bread,

we are to do that in remembrance of him. When we drink of the fruit of the vine, we are to do that in remembrance of him. And Paul says that as often as we do that, then we do show the Lord’s death till he come. It is to be done until he comes again. And it is to be done. So as to make the very point that we do believe that Jesus is coming again,

he’s not one who died and never Rose from the dead, even though there are those who believe that. And so it is to be done in remembrance. It’s uphill. Those of us that are children of God, those of us that are Christians secure our forgiveness by repenting of sins, confessing those sins, as well as praying to God for forgiveness of those sins.

Now, that’s not how we came to receive forgiveness originally, but we’re not talking about that. We’re talking about now that we are Christians, how do we receive forgiveness of sins? And when you turn for, to acts chapter eight, there we have Peter who has gone to Samario having heard that Stephen has been teaching the gospel there in Samaria, and there have been those who have been baptized,

Peter is going to go there. And remember, of course, that Simon, the sorcerer is one of those who has been converted. And yet when Simon sees the miraculous taking place, he desires to have the same power and he desires to be as Peter and John, in that they were able to lay hands on others so that they could receive the miraculous gifts.

That’s what he wants. He doesn’t want just to be able to perform a miraculous gifts gift. He wants to be able to pass it on to others. So as to show himself to be greater than, and they are, well, you learn here in acts chapter eight, beginning in verse 20, Luke tells us, but Peter said unto him, dye money perish with the,

because that was thought that the gift of God may be purchased with money. Thou has neither part nor lot in this matter for the iHeart is not right in the sight of God, repent therefore of this thy wickedness and pray God, if perhaps perhaps the thought of vine heart may be forgiven. The PRI for, I perceive that thou art in the goal of bitterness and in the bond of iniquity,

then answered Simon and said, pray to the Lord for me, that none of these things, which he have spoken come upon me. Peter told him, told Simon the sourcer who is now a Christian, and yet because of his desires to be prominent by being able to pass on the miraculous gifts, even willing to offer money in order to be able to do that.

Peter tells him that his heart is not right in the sight of God and that he needs to repent and pray to God for forgiveness of these things so that he could be forgiven of them. The taking of the Lord’s supper is not that which he gives or bestows the forgiveness of sins. Even though there are many in the religious world today that believed that to be the case.

So the Lord’s supper is not the Eucharist. The Lord’s supper is not a sacrament. Neither does the Lord’s supper give forgiveness of sins to those who partake of it. But how is it that the bread and the fruit of the vine were used as far as worship was concerned in the first century. Some, I think erroneously that bread becomes the literal body of Jesus and the blood or the fruit of the vine becomes the literal blood of Jesus.

Well, we can show that that’s not the case just from one passage, actually, when you go to Matthew chapter 26 and in verse 26 that we read just a few moments ago where Jesus is instituting the Lord’s supper with the apostles. And Matthew says, and as they were eating, Jesus took bread and blessed it and break it and gave it to the disciples and said,

take eat. This is my body. Now wait a minute. What was it that he used? He used the unleavened bread that they had been eating for the Passover meal. He uses that and he has them too, Take it to break it, To bless it. And he says, take eat. This is my body. He’s not died on the cross.

He’s not given himself As of yet. This is before he is betrayed by Judas. And so he says, take II. This is my body. Well, it’s going to represent his body, but it is not literally his body. And yet there are those in the denominational world today who hold that when we actually eat the Lord’s supper and we eat the unleavened bread,

it literally becomes the body of Christ. That’s not what the scriptures teach at all. When you turn to Luke chapter 22, Again, Luke chapter 22, and in verse night, 19 there, Luke says, and he took the bread and gave thanks and break it and gave unto them, say, this is my body, which has given for you.

This do in remembrance of me. So again, Jesus has not died yet. This is an, an in anticipation of his death, something that was. So from that, he was going to do that. He could look upon it as actually having already taken place, but they are not eating his literal body. And that bread that they ate did not become his literal body.

First Corinthians chapter 11, once more, as Paul is writing to the church at Corinth concerning this correcting the matters as it relates to the Lord’s supper there. And in verse 24, Paul says, let no man seek his own, or excuse me, that’s chapter 10, verse 24 of chapter 11. And when he had given, thanks, he break it and said,

take eat. This is my body, which is broken for you. This do in remembrance of me. Now Jesus has died. He has been resurrected from the dead. He has ascended up to the father, but this that they are eating is the bread. It’s not his body, but he represents his body. And so it is that we need to remember those things that we often use figurative language as,

or use metaphors in our language. As we speak concerning things, a husband might say that my wife is my right arm. Well, she’s not literally my right arm, but she is so valuable to me that it is as if she were my right arm. Well, that’s the same idea that Jesus is using when he speaks in this way, he’s using a word picture to represent what is really here.

Jesus uses metaphors often, often, as you read concerning his speaking, the spoke during the first century, John chapter 10, and in verse nine, for example, Jesus says, I am the door. Well, Jesus, wasn’t literally a door, but he speaks use that. He uses that in such a way as to speak concerning the representation of it’s through him.

That one comes into the house or into the place of their destination. I am the door verse 11 of John chapter 10. I am the good shepherd. Well, he wasn’t literally a shepherd and yet in a representative way, using it as a metaphor, he certainly was a shepherd leading his sheep, leading the people, the disciples that followed after him,

John chapter 15. And in verse five, Jesus says, I am the vine. Well, he’s not literally the vine, but he’s using that as a metaphor. Well, in the same idea, he speaks of this as the unleavened bread, Brene his body and the fruit of the vine as being his blood. It’s not literal. It’s used as a metaphor concerning his body and his blood and what he did for us,

some are also erroneous in their thinking, as we have just been noticing concerning the fruit of the vine, being the literal blood of Jesus. And again, when you look at the various passages where Jesus speaks concerning this, he takes the cup and he commands them to drink of it. The fruit of the vine, Matthew chapter 26 verses 27 and 28,

Luke chapter 22. And in verse 20, again, this is, this cup is the new Testament in my blood. This do ye as often as you drink it in remembrance of me and in first Corinthians chapter 11, verse 25, Jesus says, according to the apostle Paul, again, this cup is the new Testament in my blood. This do ye as often as he drink it in remembrance of me.

And so again, it is a metaphor. It’s not literally the, of Christ. It’s great juice. It’s the fruit of the vine. It’s exactly what Jesus used. And so the cup is the fruit of the vine. Unfortunately, there are those who hold to the idea that the cup that Jesus is talking about is the container. That’s not what he speaks of.

The cup is what is in that container, the fruit of the vine. And he brings that out again, the use of a metaphor, the cup representing what it contains the fruit of the vine. And so the fruit of the vine is that, which is to remind us, it is to remind us of that matchless love that Jesus had for each and every one of us,

even those of us that are removed from the events that take place there in the first century, by 20 centuries ourselves. Yet he did it for each and every one of us so that we could remember his death there upon the cross, the significance of that death. Because without that, we could not receive the remission of sins. We could not be forgiven of even one single sin.

If he had not died and given himself upon the cross for us, he was the perfect sacrifice. And he gave himself as the perfect sacrifice that through the shedding of his blood, we could have the hope of eternal life, Lord supper. It is not the Eucharist. It is not a sacrament. It is not that which bestows forgiveness of sins, but it is that which represents to us Jesus,

his body and his blood that he gave there on the cross that he shed there on the cross so that we through that sacrifice could have the hope of life eternal. The Lord’s supper. It is such that it looks many different ways as we partake of that Lord supper. It looks upward in Thanksgiving, first Corinthians chapter 11, verse 24, and all of these actually come from first Corinthians chapter 11,

when Paul says in verse 24, and when he had given, thanks, he break it and said, take eat. This is my body, which is broken for you. This do in remembrance of me, Jesus is in heaven having ascended up on high. And therefore we are remembering him. As we partake of this, we look upward in Thanksgiving for what he has done for us.

We look backward in memory of what he did for us on the cross verses 24 and 25. We are also ones who are to look outward in showing the Lord’s death to others. That truly he did die on the cross for us. We know that that is the case. And thereby when we gather around, when we assemble around this table, we remember his death and we proclaim his death to others,

but it also looks forward. First Corinthians chapter 11, verse 26, it looks forward till he comes again. His second coming, let me also suggest to you that it also looks inward because we are to examine ourselves to make sure that we are partaking of the Lord’s supper, worthily in a worthy manner, which the first grin the Corinthian church in first Corinthians was not doing,

they were not doing it in a worthy manner. They were not doing it worldly. We are to do it worthy. And therefore we have to examine ourselves to make sure that we do it that way. If we are not remembering the Lord’s death, when we partake of the word supper, if we’re thinking concerning the roast, that’s in the oven, or if we’re thinking concerning playing on the golf course or whatever it may be,

then our mind is not right. And therefore we are not partaking of it worthy when that’s the case. Our mind is to be centered upon the death of our Lord. When we partake of the unleavened bread and the fruit of the bine in that Supreme sacrifice that he made for us, the Lord’s supper is so very important. Well, let me make this point in closing.

When you look at acts chapter 20 and in verse seven that we read a few moments ago, Luke says upon the first day of the week, when the disciples came together to break bread, Paul preached unto them ready to depart on the Morrow and continued to speak until midnight. He says the disciples came together to break bread. We need to understand the Lord.

Supper is not the most important part of our worship. There are those who have the idea, even within the body of Christ. If I come on the first day of the week, and as long as I partake of the Lord’s supper, I don’t have to worry about doing anything else. And in fact, sometimes we have those that actually live that out.

They stay as long and until they partake in the Lord’s supper and then they up and leave the Lord’s supper. There is used as a of speech, a<inaudible>, which stands for the whole of the worship, which is the very reason that we’re taking our time studying concerning worship and how that it includes the preaching and the teaching of the word of God.

It includes the singing of Psalms hymns and spiritual songs. It includes the breaking of bread and taking of the cup of the Lord’s supper. It includes that of the collection. It includes that of prayer. All of that is The worship. It’s not just the Lord’s supper and by the way, some say, well, well, that’s what it says. The disciples came together to break bread.

Yes. But that stands for all of it. And yeah, If you take that as literal, as some tried to do that, that’s the only thing that’s really important. As far as our worship is concerned. Did you notice it didn’t even mention the cup? It didn’t mention the fruit of the vine at all. Just mentioned the bread. And so in trying to take it,

literally what you ended up do is dividing it and you ended up causing more problems than you have solved by doing such. Is it important? Absolutely. It is to be a part of our first day of the week worship. Yes, but it’s not the most important thing in our worship, but it is important. In fact, there is no one particular thing that is most important by the way,

Paul preached to them as well. Another Avenue of worship on that first day of the week, you’re one is outside the body of Christ. The emphasis that we are trying to make is that we must learn the scriptures to see what they have to say. And then we must put those into practice in our life. The same thing is true. As it relates toward becoming a Christian,

there are all different kinds of ideas out there as to how one becomes a Christian. But what is important is what does the Bible teach? And the Bible teaches that in order to become a Christian, one must hear the word, John six, verse 45. It must believe that word. Mark 16 verse 16 must be willing to repent acts two verse 38 must be one who is willing to confess his faith in Christ before others,

Matthew chapter 10, verse 32, and one who must be baptized to be immersed in water in order to receive the remission of their sins. In order to be saved, one, doesn’t become a Christian until they’ve been saved. One is not saved until after he has been baptized conditioned upon those other requirements of hearing the word, believing it repenting and confessing of one’s faith.

When one is baptized scripturally, He is then added to the church, becomes part of the body of Christ added to the Lord’s army, added to the family of God. And the Lord himself is going to do the adding. If you need to do that, reaching an age of accountability, we encourage you to do it before it is eternally too late.

If you’re one is already a member of the body of Christ, but you’ve gone back into the world and brought reproach upon the church where you come back and repentance, praying to God for forgiveness and begin again, walking in the way of righteousness. If we can help you in any way, would you come as together, we stand and as we sing.