At the Lord's Table

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Series: Worshipping Together at His Table

Description

Basic Acts of Worship #1 Worship at the Table 1 Cor. 11

Intro: Basic == simple, beginning level
== pertaining to the base or basis
== Foundational
t/s – next three Sunday… Our Basic Acts of Christian Worship

Worship = singing, praying, giving, raising hands or bowing heads…

Two Basic Acts of Christian Worship: Baptism & Lord’s Supper

t/s – Next Sunday… Observe the Lord’s Supper…

The Lord’s Supper is an Act of Worship (Giving God His Desire)
• Not, What does It Do for Me?
• What Does It Do for Him?

1 Corinthians 11: 20-26 (establish context)
-- mid fifties == Lord’s supper central to worship!
-- divisions between rich and poor came to surface!
READ

Gathered at the Lord’s Table…
We Give Him Our Obedience
Exp – “Received from Lord…. Delivered to you…”
• Jesus designed and established this act of Worship. (Gospels)
• “Lord” (3X repetition) … Jesus is Lord! == Obedeince
• Vs. 20 – “Lord’s Supper” (what the church called the Act!)

When we gather at the Lord’s Table, we demonstrate our humble submission, simple obedience to Jesus as the Reigning and Returning.

“Ordinance” == A Commandment…. “DO THIS”

ILL – Tell story of 1 Samuel 15:22

App – Our Obedience is a pleasing aroma to Him.
“Lord’s Supper” – Why? Our Lord Told us to!
We Give Him Our Unity
Exp – Chapter 10 – Paul uses the word, koinonia, --- fellowship, communion, --- to describe the Lord’s Supper!
• A very tangible expression of our Real Common Bond!
• “Fellowship” is not a warm fuzzy feeling…Theological Reality

Note: The problem at Corinth… “Not the Lord’s Supper!”

Ill – I find great pleasure when my children are Together around
the Table!

App – “When you come together to eat…” (33)
-- Serve, Worship, Share Good News, Meet needs…Together!


We Give Him our Thanks
Exp – Vs. 24 – Paul follows Luke, “when He had given Thanks”
“Eucharist” = To give Thanks… An Act of Thanksgiving
We gather at the Table to Give Him Our Thanks.

ILL – We know Our Lord Values Gratitude…Luke 17 story

a) Remembering (vs. 25)
The historical foundation of our faith
1 Cor. 15: 3-5 (Notice similar language)

b) Rejoicing
To Give Thanks is to Value His Good Gift of Salvation.

c) Receiving
To Give thanks involves an humble acceptance of the Gift

ILL – I wanted to buy my brother’s lunch… objections, etc…
 I knew he decided to accept my offer when he said, “Thank You.”

App – “Jesus, you gave your life on the Cross for my sin, Thank You.” (Salvation is Gift Offerd….Received)
Concl.

Ocassionally I am asked,

“Can I participate in the Lord’s Supper if I am not a Christian?”

Why?

Why Obey a dead man from centuries ago?
(Risen, Reigning, Returning Lord!)


Why express Unity with a group of People so fundamentally wrong?



Why Give Thanks for a Gift you have not Received?



Paul, “Therefore when you meet together, it is Not to eat the Lord’s Supper!”

Invitation

Receive and Give Him Thanks!