The Lord’s Supper

The Wedding Rehearsal

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By Ty Haguewood

This past summer, I had the opportunity to officiate my brother’s wedding. This was the first time that I was officiating a wedding so you can imagine how nervous I was. The entire process was a new experience for me. I haven’t even been to that many weddings before.

Their wedding was in Cabo de San Lucas, Mexico, which was beautiful. The wedding ceremony was on a Saturday evening which left the wedding rehearsal to be on Friday evening. I never understood why we needed a wedding rehearsal. Weddings are easy, right? Wrong! There are so many aspects to a wedding ceremony. The wedding rehearsal served as the preparation and final walk through of the official wedding ceremony. Keep thinking along those lines.

If you grew up in church or even attended church, you most likely have an understanding of the Lord’s Supper. As I planned and prepared to lead the church in the Lord’s Supper, I was struck by the reality that most have a weak view of the Lord’s Supper. For many the Lord’s Supper is just something we do that involves coming forward, eating crackers and drinking juice. The Lord’s Supper is so much more than that!The Lord’s Supper is when we remember what Christ has done.

If we stopped there, we could walk away with a weaker perspective on what it means to come to the table. Believers have something great ahead of us. The book of Revelation, chapter 19, speaks of the Wedding Supper of the Lamb where there will be a beautiful wedding between Christ and His purified Bride (the Church).

This will be a HUGE celebration that we do not want to miss.

The Lord’s Supper is the wedding rehearsal, for believers, preparing us for the Wedding Supper of the Lamb. The Lord’s Supper helps believers remember all that Christ has done, but it should also give us hope of what is to come. If we have repented and believed, we can rest assured that the Lord’s Supper is just a small glimpse of the celebration that we will be a part of on the day of the Wedding Supper of the Lamb.

Let us come to the table with a spirit of expectation, knowing that soon we will be in Heaven worshiping our God together. On that day, we will shout in one accord: “Hallelujah! For the Lord our God the Almighty reigns.”  – Revelation 19:6

 

Communion with a Heart of Worship

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By Karen Polich

The act of observing The Lord’s Supper is a personal experience. Pastor Michael M. Cook shared three components of true biblical communion.
1. Preparation. This is key. Without preparing our hearts, we are not able to bring a heart of worship.
2. Commitment. Partaking in the Lord’s Supper publicly demonstrates our love for Christ. It is an opportunity to share that commitment with other believers.
3. Remembrance. The Lord’s Supper serves as a memorial for Christ’s sacrifice. He willingly gave all for each of us.

In 1 Corinthians Paul writes powerful words of the beauty involved in worshiping through communion.

1 Corinthians 11:23-28 (NIV)
23 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.” 26 For whenever you eat this bread and drink this cup, you proclaim the Lord’s death until he comes.
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.

 
It is not intended to be a ceremonial ritual or flippant engagement. The early church in Corinth had taken what was special and turned it into a thoughtless task. (Read more of 1 Corinthians 11.) How often do we approach God with mindless habit instead of a joyous heart? In preparing for communion, we are reminded of all Christ has done, is doing and will do for us. The Lord’s Supper allows us to bring an open heart before our Lord for true worship.

Preparing for the Lord’s Supper

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By Karen Polich

The new covenant is final. Gone are the old ways of ceremony and sacrificial offerings. Through Jesus Christ we are no longer bound to this. Jesus came as the fulfillment of God’s plan to reconcile His people. He served as the ultimate sacrifice.

And by that will, we have been made holy through the sacrifice of the body of Jesus Christ once for all. Hebrews 10:10

Sunday, Albuquerque’s First Baptist Church will spend time together honoring our Lord and Savior through the Lord’s Supper.

The Lord’s Supper represents what Jesus offered. We live in complete forgiveness of sin, once and for all, through Christ. We should approach the observance of the Lord’s Supper with reverence and worship. What greater gift than the gift of salvation? To be truly reconciled with God through Jesus Christ is the ultimate picture of grace.

It is a time of reflection. Where is your heart with God? Take an honest look at your relationship with your Lord. Are there things you need to lay at Christ’s feet? Forgiveness is free. There are no strings attached and no need to “earn” your way. Christ is there with outstretched arms, waiting for you.

I am the way, truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me. John 14:6

It is a time of worship. We serve a mighty God! Hidden in Christ, we stand before Him in perfection. (Colossians 3:1-4)  Having examined your heart, it is time to focus on what Christ has done for us and give Him the glory He deserves. Let your heart give thanks and praise to the One who sits at God’s right hand. Jesus is worthy of our praise.

The Lord’s Supper is a time for all believers to worship together, forgiven and free from the bondage of sin. In preparation for Sunday, spend time in prayer and read Hebrews 10:1-10.

For more information about worship service times, visit our website, www.fbcabq.com.

 

The Lord’s Supper – Preparing Your Heart

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Sunday brought the observance of The Lord’s Supper. How will you prepare your heart?

Focus on a very important implication rooted in the phrase “new covenant”; accepting God’s forgiveness. In the Old Testament, Proverbs 4:25 suggests we are not to be followers that hang our heads in shame but who look straight ahead with confidence.

God wants to forgive you. Part of the new covenant in Christ is anchored in the blood sacrifice for our sins…to cleanse every one of them. Imagine a giant blackboard with all of your sins written across it and God comes along with a giant eraser and erases it all. It’s like an Etch a Sketch: you turn it upside down and shake it; turn it back up and the slate is clean. That’s good news, isn’t it?

WE NEED ONLY TO ACCEPT GOD’S FORGIVENESS. We may know about God’s forgiveness intellectually, but we need to believe it, deep down inside, accepting in faith that it is true, because it is!

Our problem is that we want to keep reminding God of things He’s already forgotten. It’s forgiven and forgotten. You’ve already dealt with it. Someone once asked Eleanor Roosevelt, “How did you accomplish so much with your life?” She replied, “I never waste time with regrets.”

Why would a person continue to carry a burden that God has removed forever? If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness. 1John 1:9

Why would someone take up what has been forgiven? As far as the east is from the west, so far has He removed our transgressions from us. Psalm 103:12

Why would someone remember guilt when God has buried it completely? Because of the Lord’s great love we are not consumed, for His compassions never fail. They are new every morning; great is Your faithfulness. Lamentations 3:22-23

How wide and how deep is God’s grace? His grace is beyond measure. There is rest and restoration in God’s forgiveness.

Don’t waste time with your regrets. Accept God’s forgiveness and forgive yourself.

We have a God of greater encouragement than any discouragement or struggle we could ever have. – Pastor Michael Cook

God has a plan and purpose for your life. Forgiveness does not change the past, but it does enlarge the future. He desires for you to be successful and will cleanse you from all sin. Will you choose forgiveness today?