SUNDAY—LORD’S SUPPER

 In 1968 Willie Rordorf, in his book The History of the Day of Rest and Worship in the Earliest Centuries of the Christian Church, wrote the following about Sunday and the Lord’s Supper.  “In the ancient church it was unthinkable for a Sunday to pass without the local church gathering for a celebration of the Lord’s Supper.  Sunday was absolutely nothing without the Lord’s Supper; the Lord’s Supper formed the focal point of the worship around which all other parts of the service found their place.  At other times there were also gatherings for common prayer or for a common meal, but only on Sunday for the Lord’s Supper” (PP. 303, 305).                           

TWO MISTAKES

One mistake is making too much of a mystery related to the Lord’s Supper.  No, as we give thanks and partake of the Supper, the emblems do not actually become the real body and real blood of the Lord.  This doctrine is called transubstantiation.  Two, there is a danger in just going through the acts of eating the bread and drinking the fruit of the vine without faith, thought and feeling.  This is legalism and a tradition without real meaning.  Brothers and sisters, this may be our real danger.  We can go through the motion every Sunday and not worship the Lord in spirit and truth.  If we don’t remember the Lord and commune with Him as we eat of the Lord’s Table then we do not really worship.  If we need to repent then let’s do it and begin to worship in such a way that will bless us and praise the Lord.

UNWORTHY

The “unworthy” in 1 Corinthians 11:27 refers to the manner in which we partake of the Lord’s Table.  We should remember the Lord’s Supper should never be entered into with a spirit of carelessness and thoughtlessness, but with reverence and spiritual purpose.  One should allow the songs and prayers which usually precede the Supper to help him have the right frame of mind as he approaches this part of the worship.  Then he should make a supreme effort to keep his thoughts centered on Christ.  Also he should allow this to be a period of weekly rededication to Christ in which he renews his determination to let his manner of life be worthy of the good news of Christ (Phil. 1:27).

COLLEGE STUDENTS

A college professor wrote, “During the last few years I have asked more than 350 college students to evaluate their own activities in worship.  As preliminary background we named the five avenues through which Christians worship-singing, prayer, listening to God’s Word, giving of our means, and eating the Lord’s Supper.  It has been interesting to note that a vast majority of the students indicate that their worship is most meaningful in the eating of the Lord’s Supper.  In this activity they feel a higher degree of personal dedication to God, and a greater degree of intimacy with God than in any other act.  I think you will share something of their feeling.  All of us feel the spiritual uplift of this special act of communion with God.”

   HEBREWS 10:25 & Acts 20:7

As we consider the total teachings of Scriptures about the assembly and worship of the early disciples, we are reminded of Hebrews 10:25 which states. “Not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as is the manner of some, but exhorting one another, and so much the more as you see the Day approaching.”  I am sure one of the major reasons why early Christians were to be in the assembly was to partake of the Lord’s Table.  Acts 20:7 says, “And upon the first day of the week, when the disciples came together to break bread…”  Christians still practice the same.  Be in your place on Sunday.  Come with a Bible in your hand and a smile on your face and a spring in your step.  I’ll look for you.

-Pat Casey