Communion Message
(Memorials are erected to honor great lives)
May 29-30, 1999
Pastor Ralph Huddleston

In 1 Corinthians chapter 11 this is what God's Word says, For I have 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 for you; do this in remembrance of Me. In the same manner He also took the cup after supper, saying, "This cup is the new covenant in My blood. This do, as often as you drink it, in remembrance of Me." For as often as you eat this bread and drink this cup, you proclaim the Lord's death till He comes. 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. But let a man examine himself, and so let him eat of the bread and drink of the cup. It is significant that this is what we call once a year Memorial weekend. And all over our nation there will be celebrating, and commemorating, and remembering those that were called to give their lives. Memorials are erected to honor great lives, to commemorate great deeds, and to keep the memory alive. Unfortunately, for the sake of those lost, those who paid with the ultimate sacrifice, giving of their lives, we'll only remember them once a year. But the good news is that each Lord's Day we gather around the Lord's supper table and we remember the work of the Lord Jesus Christ; His sacrifice, the deed, the deed that so changed our lives. And He even, because of our weaknesses, even provided for us a way that we would remember. It's a command. Praise the Lord each Lord's Day we follow that command, that it might never be forgotten, but there's much more that's involved around the supper table. Here we stop to see and to honor God for who He is, the Father of Jesus Christ, the designer of our salvation, and I believe at Calvary we have the most accurate picture of God Himself. A picture of holiness, a picture of love, and a picture of His grace. Here we see ourselves. You can't stop with just seeing and remembering the work of Jesus Christ. We must, each Lord's Day, remember who we are. That's the most difficult thing for us to do. Who we are. Sinners, whose sins were so great that God had to sacrifice His Son on our behalf. Here we see ourselves for what we are, inadequate. Inadequate to save ourselves. Inadequate to even remember on our own the death of Jesus Christ. Without this table, we might, over time, have let it go by the wayside. For 2000 years, each Lord's Day in so many timetables beginning yesterday and ending tomorrow, folks like this gathering around the same table, remembering the same thing, amen? Here we respond to the vast difference between God's power and holiness and our sinfulness and our weakness. Here we submit to His lordship. We obey His command, do this. We admit our sins, and ask for His continuing patience and forgiveness. Here at this table we worship, we see God, we see ourselves, and we confidently can cry out for help.

Would you join me on my knees as we partake of the communion elements? Heavenly Father, to praise You, to thank You, to lift Your name up, it seems to be so limited in communicating what is in our hearts right now, but we do thank You for Your Son that Your sacrifice wiped us clean. Thank you that by providing this memorial time, as often as we do, that we might remember Him, remember His deed, remember its influence on our lives, and remember through that we have life everlasting. As the days go by we ask that You continue to reveal Yourself to us, that we might know You better. That with each day we would come closer to You in understanding, and appreciating, and reverencing. Thank you Father. Let's partake of the bread together. And then the cup. Thank you Lord Jesus for Your obedience, for Your willingness, even Your eagerness to sacrifice on our behalf, and for that, we raise up Your name above all others. We say praise You Lord Jesus. Praise You Lord Jesus! Praise You Lord Jesus! In Your name we pray. And all of God's people said, amen. Amen. Would you stand with me now and take a few moments to greet those on both sides of you? Let them know that you're glad that they're here today.