The Lord’s Supper

Communion with God’s Family

It’s interesting…Jesus never asked his disciples to remember His birth. But he did instruct them to remember his death and resurrection. He gave the church two visible symbols (called, "ordinances") as reminders of his death. These two ordinances are:

  1. Baptism
  2. Lord’s Supper

The Lord’s Supper is an object lesson that represents a great spiritual truth for believers.

WHAT IS THE LORD’S SUPPER? (1 Corinthians 11:23-26)

  • It is a simple act.
    “The Lord Jesus, on the night He was betrayed, took bread…” (vs. 23)
  • It is a reminder.
    “…and when He had given thanks, He broke it and said, ‘This is my body, which is for you; eat it in remembrance of me.’” (vs. 24)
  • It is a symbol.
    “In the same way, He took the cup, saying, ‘This cup is the new covenant in my blood; drink it to remember me.’” (vs. 25)
  • It is a statement of faith.
    “For whenever you eat the bread and drink the cup, you proclaim the Lord’s death until He comes back.” (vs. 26)

WHO SHOULD TAKE THE LORD’S SUPPER?

  • Only those who are already believers in Jesus Christ. (Mark 14:22-26)

HOW DO I PREPARE MYSELF FOR THE LORD’S SUPPER?

“Therefore 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. A person ought to examine himself before he eats of the bread and drinks of the cup.”
–1 Corinthians 11:27-28

  • Self-Examination – 1 Corinthians 11:27
  • Confessing My Sins – 1 John 1:9
  • Recommitment – Romans 12:1
  • Restoring Relationships – Matthew 5:23-24

WHEN SHOULD WE OBSERVE THE LORD’S SUPPER?

  • Jesus never said when or how often believers should observe The Lord’s Supper. The first Lord’s Supper happened on a Thursday night. In the Bible, Christians observed the communion in small groups in homes. So, there is no biblically designated schedule or location for the Lord’s Supper.

  • At The Journey, we observe the Lord's Supper corporately several times each quarter, but communion is made available each week so that attenders can celebrate individually. In addition, at times we allow small groups to conduct the Lord’s Supper from "house to house" under pastoral supervision.

  • For Jesus, the Lord’s Supper was not about a strict set of rules, but about a simple but powerful way of remembering what Jesus did for us through His death and resurrection. It is a sign of how much God really loves us. As such, it is appropriate for believers to keep the spirit and meaning of the Lord’s Supper daily by remembering Jesus sacrifice for us every time we eat a meal together.