Why Do We Come To The Lord's Table?

Why Do We Come To The Lord’s Table?

Communion Meditation

Thursday evening, August 6, 2015

Refreshing Waters Renewal #26

Joplin Missouri

Why do we come to the Lord’s Table?

• Some partake of the Lord’s Supper because it is what they have always done.
• Others may do it because they like the taste of the bread and the Welch’s Grape Juice.
• Those are the wrong reasons.
• 1 Corinthians 11:27-30 (NKJV) says, 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.  (28)  But let a man examine himself, and so let him eat of the bread and drink of the cup.  (29)  For he who eats and drinks in an unworthy manner eats and drinks judgment to himself, not discerning the Lord's body.  (30)  For this reason many are weak and sick among you, and many sleep (die).

Eleven reasons we come to the Lord’s Table:

• Because Christ the slain Lamb of God who lives forevermore has sanctified (made us holy) us by His blood.
• Because we love God and Christ. We have a deep love for them because They saved us. And, we love God and Christ because They first loved us, (1 John 4:19).
• Because we desire to remember Christ. This do in remembrance of Me, (1 Corinthians 11:24-25). We want to remember what it cost God and Christ to redeem us.
• Because we want to thank God and Christ for sanctifying us ( 1 Corinthians 11:24). We want to offer the sacrifice of praise to God, the fruit of our lips, which is giving thanks to Him, (Hebrews 13:15).
• Because we want to commune with the Lord often so we can proclaim His death till He come (1 Corinthians 11:26).
• Because we are reminded that this is the New Covenant in Christ’s blood, (1 Corinthians 11:23-26). This is very practical in the sense that we can hold the bread and cup in our hand and be reminded of the suffering of Christ on the cross while we partake of these emblems. Christ took our place and received in His body the wrath of God. In Christ we are given grace that empowers us and forgiveness that washes away our sin.
• Because Christ is the Living Bread who came from heaven to enliven us for the His kingdom (John 6:51).
• Because Christ redeemed us with His precious blood (1 Peter 1:18-19).
• Because we have been justified by Christ’s blood and saved from God’s wrath through Him (Romans 5:9).
• Because Christ has made peace between God and man through the blood of His cross (Colossians 1:20).
• Because Christ loved us and washed us from our sins in His own blood (Revelation 1:5).

Close with the reading of Hebrews 2:1-13. This passage has given me great comfort over the past three year as I preached through the Epistle to the Hebrews.

Hebrews 2:10-13 (NKJV)

For it was fitting for Him, for whom are all things and by whom are all things, in bringing many sons to glory, to make the captain of their salvation perfect through sufferings.  (11)  For both He who sanctifies and those who are being sanctified are all of one, for which reason He is not ashamed to call them brethren,

(12)  saying: "I WILL DECLARE YOUR NAME TO MY BRETHREN; IN THE MIDST OF THE ASSEMBLY I WILL SING PRAISE TO YOU."  

(13)  And again: "I WILL PUT MY TRUST IN HIM."

And again: "HERE AM I AND THE CHILDREN WHOM GOD HAS GIVEN ME."

Prayer for the Loaf and Cup

God Is Revealing His Righteousness and Wrath

Romans 1:16-19 (NKJV)  For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ, for it is the power of God to salvation for everyone who believes, for the Jew first and also for the Greek.  (17)  For in it the righteousness of God is revealed from faith to faith; as it is written, "THE JUST SHALL LIVE BY FAITH."  (18)  For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who suppress the truth in unrighteousness,  (19)  because what may be known of God is manifest in them, for God has shown it to them.

Two Observations:

1. God is revealing His righteousness through the Gospel of Christ from faith to faith. We are not ashamed of the Gospel of Christ because it is the power of God to salvation for everyone who believes Christ. This is why we are eager to preach the Gospel of Christ. We declare the Scriptures of God because faith comes by hearing and hearing by the word of God/Christ, (Romans 10:17, NKJV & NASB).

2. God is revealing His wrath from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men who suppress the truth in unrighteousness. When the Holy Spirit guided the Apostle Paul to write this Epistle to the Christians in Rome during the first century God was revealing His Gospel and wrath. He is still doing this today. As men suppress the truth of God, He then reveals His wrath. Why does He do this? Because what may be known of God is manifest in them, for God has shown it to them.  We are created in the image of God. We have a desire to know our Creator. Men who do not want to know God suppress the truth in unrighteousness. Romans 1:18-32 show us the downward spiral of a culture that does not retain God in their knowledge. God gives them over to a debased mind, to do those things which are not fitting, (Romans 1:28, see verses 24 & 26).  So let us exalt Christ and His Word because it is the power of God unto salvation.

Peace, Perfect Peace

Heart of Joy

http://odb.org/2015/05/05/heart-of-joy/

Dwelling With God by Fred Blakely

Listen to Fred Blakely - April 10th, 1983 - Dwelling With God by Word Of Truth Fellowship #np on #SoundCloud https://soundcloud.com/wotruth/fred-blakely-april-10th-1983-1

Joni Eareckson Tada: Beauty in Christ

God's Son Christ Is So Much Better Than The Angels

Hebrews 1:5-7

For to which of the angels did He ever say:

“YOU ARE MY SON, TODAY I HAVE BEGOTTEN YOU?”

And again:

“I WILL BE TO HIM A FATHER, AND HE SHALL BE TO ME A SON?”

But when He again brings the firstborn into the world, He says:

“LET ALL THE ANGELS OF GOD WORSHIP HIM.”

And of the angels He says:

“WHO MAKES HIS ANGELS SPIRITS AND HIS MINISTERS A FLAME OF FIRE.”

(NKJV)

For the rest of chapter one the Holy Spirit is giving us a testimony about the greatness of Christ and that He is so much better than the angels. The angels are sent forth by God to minister to those who will inherit salvation. They know their place and purpose but mankind distorts what God has revealed about angels. Some in the first century worshiped angels and some do the same thing today. So God says His Son is greater than angels and we are to worship Jesus Christ.

In chapter one we find seven Old Testament quotes that the Holy Spirit uses in this epistle because it is written to Jewish Christians by the Apostle Paul. We will look at four of them in verses 5-7.

Verse 5:  For to which of the angels did He ever say: You are My Son, today I have begotten You?

• There are certain statements of Scripture that God has reserved for His Son.
• This is not said anywhere about the angels.
• God has one begotten Son. This makes His unique. No one has done what Jesus did, is doing, and will do.
• The quote is found in Psalm 2:7.
• Two points are being made: Christ is God's beloved Son and God raised His Son from the dead to live forevermore.

Christ is God's beloved Son.

• Psalm 2:7 (NKJV) I will declare the decree: The LORD has said to Me, You are My Son, Today I have begotten You.
• Isaiah 42:1 (NKJV) Behold! My Servant whom I uphold, My Elect One in whom My soul delights! I have put My Spirit upon Him; He will bring forth justice to the Gentiles.
• Mark 1:11 (NKJV) Then a voice came from heaven, “You are My beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.”
• Mark 9:7 (NKJV) And a cloud came and overshadowed them; and a voice came out of the cloud, saying, “This is My beloved Son. Hear Him!

God raised His Son from the dead to live forevermore.

• Psalms 2:7 (NKJV) I will declare the decree: The LORD has said to Me, You are My Son, Today I have begotten You.
• Acts 13:33 (NKJV) God has fulfilled this for us... in that He has raised up Jesus. As it is also written in the second Psalm: YOU ARE MY SON, TODAY I HAVE BEGOTTEN YOU.
• Romans 1:4 (NKJV) Jesus Christ our Lord was “declared to be the Son of God with power according to the Spirit of holiness, by the resurrection from the dead.”
• Another aspect of Christ being begotten of God is His virgin birth as the Son of God, (John 1:14).

Verse 5:  And again: I will be to Him a Father, and He shall be to Me a Son?

• God never said this to any of His angels.
• The quote is found in 2 Samuel 7:14 (NKJV) I will be a father to him and he will be a son to Me.
• This is an unique relationship between the Father and the Son. In Christ we can call God Father but we are not called “the Son.” In Christ we are children of God, (Romans 8:16).
• The Gospel of Mark records Jesus calling God Father in these passages Mark 8:38; 11:25-26; 13:32; 14:36 (NKJV). In the four Gospels we find Father recorded 193 times in the (NKJV). Except for a few of the references Jesus is the one speaking.
• While Jesus was on the earth He spend many hours in prayer to His Father. This was their sweet fellowship with one another. Luke 5:16 (NASB) But Jesus Himself would often slip away to the wilderness and pray.
• Because Christ is God's Son He has inherited everything that is God's. In Christ we are joint heirs with Him (Romans 8:16-17).

Verse 6:  But when He (God) again brings the Firstborn (Christ) into the world, He says: Let all the angels of God worship Him.

• The quote is from Deuteronomy 32:43, (Brenton) Let all the angels of God worship Him and Psalm 97:7, (Brenton) ...worship Him, all ye His angels. 
• The Septuagint is a Greek version of the Old Testament.
• Hebrews 1:6 (NIV84) And again, when God brings His Firstborn into the world, He says: Let all God's angels worship Him.
• Christ is God's Firstborn in position (Romans 8:29; Colossians 1:15, 18; Revelation 1:5). Also, the word firstfruit is applied to the resurrected Christ (1 Corinthians 15:20, 23).
• In the past when did God bring Christ into the world?
• In the future when will God bring Christ into the world?
• What does God tell His angels to do when He brings the Firstborn into the world?
• The word worship means to revere and adore Christ. Psalm 2:12 says to kiss the Son.

Verse 7: And of the angels He says: Who makes His angels spirits and His ministers a flame of fire.

• The quote is from Psalm 104:4.
• The context of Psalm 104 is that God is the Creator of all things. As we remember from our last lesson Christ and the Holy Spirit helped create all things.
• The Godhead created the angels. 
• Christ's “goings forth are from of old, from eternity” (Micah 5:2 NKJV).
• The angels ministered to Jesus (Mark 1:13; Luke 22:43; John 1:51).
• The angels will come with Jesus when He returns for His Church (Matthew 25:31; 2 Thessalonians 1:7).
• There are many angels around the throne who worship the Lamb who was slain (Revelation 5:11-12).

So God has in these last days spoken to us by His Son. The Father is telling us who His Son is and that we are to look unto Him, the Author and Finisher of our faith. In Christ we can draw near to God with a true heart in full assurance of faith. Christ is so much better than the angels of God.