Communion Message
(What is your attitude?)
June 26-27, 1999
Pastor Ralph Huddleston

1 Corinthians 11:23. 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. This Scripture verse demands that we at least answer two questions. First, why do we observe the Lord's Supper? Why do we? As often as we can, why do we observe it? It's a command. In verse 25, do this. It's an imperative indicating that it's a divine command that is to be obeyed by continual observance or frequent remembrance. It wasn't our idea. It's His command. It also awakens us to Jesus Christ. He said in remembrance of Me. It's not just a memory, but an active calling to mind to remember His person, His life, His death, His work, and to remember that He's coming again. It also reminds us of the one way of salvation. All believers eat from the same bread and they drink from the same cup. We have only one Savior and all of us come to the Father the same way regardless of what neighborhood, what city, what state, what country that you've come from. We all come to the Father in the same way. It's also a witness to the world of our devotion to Jesus Christ. Observing the Lord's supper demonstrates that we believe in Him and that we yield ourselves to Him, and to His ways. Having answered that, how do we prepare for such a huge responsibility? Verse 27, we're told not to observe it unworthily. This refers to the manner of participation not the person, because all of us are unworthy. Alright, then how are we to observe the Lord's Supper? Verse 28, it begins; examine ourselves spiritually. We're aware of our physical pains and our physical weaknesses, but we need to examine ourselves around this table, spiritually, and then confess our sins and be cleansed of our attitudes, of our words, of our actions that so offend God. It's a kind way of saying our sins. Such an ugly taste in His mouth that it wounds Him, that it grieves Him. Then approach the Lord's Table in the spirit of yieldness to Christ. Answering that question, both questions, there's one more that Scripture would ask us, God's Word would demand of us; what is your attitude towards Jesus Christ. Is He the Lord of your life? Have you completely yielded to His will? And nothing short of His being Lord will bring honor to His name. Nothing short of it. Total lordship.

Would you bow your knees with me as we examine ourselves spiritually? Father as I examine myself, would You look into my heart and examine it way down deep? That You would put up in front of my face my sins that I might be confronted by them, that I might have to deal with them once and for all. Wash me clean Father, in the precious name of Jesus Christ, by His broken body and His spilled blood, wash me clean. I repent of my sins. Lord Jesus, thank you. Thank you that You continue to command us to gather like this around Your table, to be confronted by Your Spirit, but also to be reconciled to You. Thank you Jesus. As we take the bread, as we hold it, continually remind us doing this in remembrance of You, the price that You paid on our account. Let's partake of the bread together. Let's raise the cup together. Lord Jesus, as You once took the cup, and You blessed it, and You passed it to us, we remember that it is by this blood, this spilled blood, that we are washed whiter than the driven snow. Always give us remembrance of that. Let us never forget the price, the huge price, that You were willingly, and even eagerly willing, to pay. Let's partake of the cup. Lord Jesus, You have made us worthy; by Your actions You have made us worthy. You have made us righteous. We yield to You as our Savior. We yield to You as our Lord. Continue to mold us and make us into Your likeness, in Your precious name that we pray, and everybody said, amen. Amen. Stand with me and greet those folks that have come today to worship together. Let them know you're glad that they are here.