Foundational Truths: The Ordinances 1

6th Sept. 2015, first service.

We continue with our Elim centenary celebrations looking at what we believe and why.  Today we begin looking at the Ordinances. 

The Ordinances:  We believe in the baptism of believers in water in obedience to the command of Christ and the commemoration of Christ’s death by the observance of the Lord’s Supper until His return. 

Today and next week we will be looking at the importance of the ordinances, the two things that Jesus left specific instructions to observe, until He returns.  We could argue that there are more, like prayer, making disciples, and so on.  We call these two things ordinances because they point to the orthodoxy of our faith, mainline Christian belief.

Ordinance One: The Lord’s Supper or Communion.

I know in some traditions this is called Holy Communion.  It is called this because of the importance paced upon it not necessarily because the act itself is holy.  In fact, holiness in the Bible in the NT transfers from places to a people, from a Temple to a Living Temple.  There are two holy aspects about communion: Jesus and you - for He makes you holy (2 Corinthians 5:21).

Many times we end up doing things for the wrong reasons because no one ever stopped to ask why? We develop habits and traditions sometimes based on nothing more than false information. 

First of all, we take communion because:

1. Jesus Instituted It

Paul writes in 1 Corinthians 11:23 - 25: For I received from the Lord what I also passed on to you: the Lord Jesus, on the night he was betrayed, took bread, 24 and when he had given thanks, he broke it and said, ‘This is my body, which is for you; do this in remembrance of me.’ 25 In the same way, after supper he took the cup, saying, ‘This cup is the new covenant in my blood; do this, whenever you drink it, in remembrance of me.’

God, Who created us, knows that we do not have the greatest memories.  Throughout the entire Bible we see that God was always setting up memorials for His people.  Whenever a significant event would happen, the patriarchs would build an altar.  When the people of Israel crossed the Jordan River they set 12 stones by the river bank to serve as a memorial to that event.  Whenever their children walked by and saw the stones the parents could tell them about God’s miraculous entrance for them into the Promise Land. 

A significant memorial for the Israelites was Passover. Passover was a meal celebrated to remember their escape from Egypt.  During the meal they would eat bitter herbs to remind them of their years in slavery.  They would also eat sweet honey to remind them of how good the Lord is.  It was during this celebration that Jesus met with His disciples and started the Lord’s Supper. 

The primary purpose of communion is…

2. A Symbolic Reminder of Christ’s Death

Two times in 1 Corinthians 11 Jesus said to do this, “In remembrance of Me.” 

We’ve all forgotten things.  Memory is a strange thing.  Sometimes when you go into a room you cannot recall why you went there.  Other times you’ll be focussing on something and a memory comes to mind that you have not thought of in years.  Memory is a strange thing indeed.

We are not designed to remember everything.  If we vividly remembered every trauma or accident we would be live insular lives, not wanting to repeat the same thing again.

If the memory of failure didn’t fade, we might not be willing to try again.

Other things we never forget.  Our loved ones, precious moments, our first love or first kiss.

The Lord’s Supper is the most meaningful memorial ever established.  You can see the wisdom of God written all over it.  It is so simple.  Any culture can participate. 

“It is vividly symbolic.  The bread reminds us of Christ’s sinless body.  The juice is blood coloured and easily reminds us of the blood shed for our sin. 

It is portable.  You don’t have to travel to some special cathedral to participate.  It can be observed anywhere. 

It is interactive. It is not just something we look at. It is something we do.” (Wade Allen).

Some of the most meaningful communion’s I have ever observed have not happened in the Sunday morning service.  They have been with small groups of friends, in Life Groups, where there is a more intimate feeling.  Passover is a national celebration shared in families.  It seems communion has a tremendous ability to bring about a closeness of fellowship amongst believers.

It must never be seen a merely tradition, just a ritual, although in one sense it is a Christian rite.  It cannot ever be relegated to just something the church does.  

It is a memorial, a remembrance.  It places Jesus at the centre. 1 Corinthians 11:26: “For whenever you eat this bread and drink this cup, you proclaim the Lord’s death until he comes.” 

Every time you and I eat the Lord’s Supper, it is a sermon without words about the cross.

3. It Brings Us Together

Communion is a great leveller.  Around the communion table will be all kinds of people.  Bankers, accountants, nurses, the retired, the unemployed, the educated and the less well educated, the skilled artisan and the DIY disaster zone; communion levels all of that.  We are of equal status.

“Jesus died for each of us because we are all sinners who are hopelessly lost except for the grace of God. That’s what we remember at the Lord’s Supper. A brand new Christian and a believer of 50 years are on the same level at the Lord’s Supper.  It’s level ground at the foot of the cross,” (Wade Allen). 

4. Communion Requires Serious Self-examination. 

1 Corinthians 11:27: So then, whoever eats the bread or drinks the cup of the Lord in an unworthy manner will be guilty of sinning against the body and blood of the Lord. 28 Everyone ought to examine themselves before they eat of the bread and drink from the cup. 29 For those who eat and drink without discerning the body of Christ eat and drink judgment on themselves. 

How many times in our experience have we allowed the emblems to pass us by because we do not feel worthy?  This actually cheapens the blood of Jesus, for it infers that there is something you have done that cannot be forgiven.  When we examine ourselves we are praying the prayer that David prayed:

Psalm 139: 23-24: Search me, God, and know my heart; test me and know my anxious thoughts.  See if there is any offensive way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting.

Communion is not the place of condemnation but compassion.  It is the place where the cross of jesus has fresh meaning for us all.  It is the place of forgiveness realised, grace personalised, redemption assured.  

Why do you think it is more ‘spiritual’ to let the emblems pass than to accept the grace God has given you through Jesus?

It is during this moment of self-examination that we do remember our sin.  It is a moment of rededication.  A moment of repentance.  A moment of sober judgment about our condition before we accepted Jesus!  It is a moment we remember we are who we are because of Jesus.  We are sinners, yes.  We are sinners saved by grace.  We are saints!

5. Communion Makes Us Real With Others

Remember what was going on in Corinth? They were not considering each others needs.  There were divisions in the church. 

There were divisions in the church there.  Some have said that on the basis of Matthew 5:23-24 we should not take communion if we have a problem.  I’m not sure it’s that simple.  Let’s look at that together quickly:

Matthew 5: 23-24: ‘Therefore, if you are offering your gift at the altar and there remember that your brother or sister has something against you, leave your gift there in front of the altar. First go and be reconciled to them; then come and offer your gift.”

This verse is not about communion but about worship before the Lord in a wider sense.  It speaks about our offering before the Lord, whereas communion is a reminder that Jesus offered Himself.  

Matthew 5:23-24 speaks of when someone has something against us, we might not have an issue with them at al!  We might not be in sin but we know there’s an issue anyway.

Things should be sorted out amongst believers quickly!  

How is it that we think that at the moment of taking communion Jesus is going to remind us of an argument or dispute with a brother or sister and stop us taking communion?  In truth we have been in dispute with them way before we even left for church.  Sort it out before you get to church, not when the emblems pass.  Sort it out so that your whole worship, the singing, offering, listening to the sermon, and taking communion are righteous before God.  

“The gospel calls the believer beyond himself or herself into a new a radically freeing relationship to Christ, so that in that relationship one may put others - no matter what their social status - before on’s self.  This is Christlikeness: freedom from self and freedom for God and others,” (Marion L. Soards, 1 Corinthians, NIBC, (Hendrickson: Peabody, 1999), 247).

6. Communion is for True Believers Only

1 Corinthians 11:27: So then, whoever eats the bread or drinks the cup of the Lord in an unworthy manner will be guilty of sinning against the body and blood of the Lord.

What is this unworthy manner? We would know that a non-Christian might take communion.  It happens.  Have they committed a dreadful sin against Christ?  They may have taken out of ignorance.  They may not fully appreciate what the emblems are about.  I think God would be gracious there, don’t you? We normally ask a non-believer not to participate, or to accept Christ first, but when the emblems are passed around we do not know the condition of someone’s heart.

Another issue is young children.  How old should a child be before they take communion or understand? Well it’s less to do with age and more to do with acceptance of Jesus.  So we rely on parents.  Parents who know their kids.  But please don’t give them emblems to keep them quiet.  Explain to them them this a special meal.

Paul is writing to the church at Corinth, not to unbelievers.  

“Unworthy participation amounts to coming to the Supper without regard for the result of Christ’s reconciling work that draws the Christian community into a new selfless relatedness… In other words to live in such a way - even religiously -as to deny tie reconciling, unifying effects of Christ’s death casts one into the company of those who crucified Jesus,” (Marion L. Soards, 1 Corinthians, NIBC, (Hendrickson: Peabody, 1999), 246).

In short: if we live like hell Monday-Saturday without genuine change or repentance and put on a communion smile for Sunday, Jesus has a problem with that.  He died for our whole lives, not just the religious bits.  That is a sin against Him because we may as well be crucifying Him again.  

Repent at the table.  Put it right.

Wrapping This Up:

Let’s take communion together.