Sermon: “As Often As Ye Eat This Bread”
Text: Acts 20:1-7
Aim: to explain why we observe the Lord’s Supper each Sunday.
Thesis: to understand the importance of the weekly observation of Communion we do not look at a particular proof text, but rather at all the New Testament teaches about the meaning of the Lord’s Supper.
Introduction:
This is the Lord’s Day, and that means God’s people will be gathered today around the Lord’s Table to remember Jesus. Some will gather under a spreading tree on the plains of Kenya, and others will meet in a rented building in downtown Buenos Aires. In the United States large assemblies will take communion in beautiful church auditoriums – in China today, small groups will huddle around kitchen tables, behind locked doors, and drawn curtains. From a tent in Saudi Arabia to a ship in the Pacific, in great cathedrals and tiny prison chapels, all over the world today believers will enact the same simple ceremony: they will take unleavened bread and fruit of the vine, and together they will remember their Lord. And God’s people have done this week after week, century after century, in one bright chain of devotion that reaches back almost 2000 years, of one thing you can be certain – on the first day of the week, somebody somewhere will be taking bread and wine, and remembering Jesus.
We understand the “WHY” of Communion – it is a reflection of the Cross, a reminder of the sacrifice of Jesus on our behalf. What some have wondered, however, is the “WHEN” of communion. WHY DO WE OBSERVE IT EACH SUNDAY? Other groups set the Lord’s table once a month, once a quarter, even once a year! Why weekly?
I’d like to explain that this morning, because it is a good question. When Jesus instituted the memorial, he said to “Do this in remembrance of me” (Luke 22:19), but he didn’t specify any frequency. When Paul described the institution of the Lord’s Supper, he comments “For as often as ye eat this bread, and drink this cup, ye do show the Lord’s death until he comes” (1 Corinthians 11:26), but he doesn’t say how often.
And there is no single proof-text explicitly commanding, “The Lord’s Supper must be a part of your worship every Sunday” – it’s simply not there. How, then, do we know what is appropriate? We must look to the meaning of the memorial, and the way it was practiced by those early Christians. When we do, we learn four things:
BODY:
IT WAS ASSUMED THAT ON THE LORD’S DAY CHRISTIANS WOULD TAKE THE LORD’S SUPPER!
I believe the reason we don’t have a specific verse about the “when” of communion is because the issue never came up in the first century! The early church understood the significance of the FIRST DAY OF THE WEEK:
It was the RESURRECTION DAY! (Luke 23:1, Mark 16:1, John 20:1). The greatest event in human history – the one thing that changed everything – the cornerstone of our faith and the foundation of our hope – is the resurrection of Jesus on a Sunday morning some 2000 years ago. That’s why we worship on a Sunday, not a Sabbath – because this is the Lord’s Day!
It was the day Jesus appeared! (John 20:19, 26). Note: Luke 24:13f – it was on a Sunday that Jesus appeared to two disciples on the road to Emmaus – was not recognized by them until “he took bread, gave thanks, broke it and began to give it to them. Then their eyes were opened and they recognized him” (verse 30-31). This was the first post-resurrection communion meal with Jesus!
It was the birthday of the CHURCH! (Acts 2/Leviticus 23:15f).
The first day of the week had such significance that in Revelation 1:10 it is called “the Lord’s day.” And the Lord’s Supper was so intimately associated with that day that the church understood if it was the Lord’s Day, it was the occasion for the Lord’s Supper!
An example: In Acts 20:7, we are told that Paul arrived in the city of Troas. On the first day of the week when the disciples “were gathered together to break bread, Paul discoursed with them…..” This verse indicates that a primary objective in their meeting together on that day was not necessarily to hear Paul; it was to participate in the communion service. The Christians did not have an opportunity to listen to Paul’s encouraging words very frequently. However, these Christians’ coming together was not totally out of respect for Paul. Their coming together was to remember the Lord by participating in the communion service.
An analogy: the Ten Commandments directed the people of Israel to
“Remember the Sabbath, to keep it holy.” Question – which Sabbath? It doesn’t specify!
IT WAS THE PRACTICE OF THE EARLY CHRISTIANS.
Acts 2:42 “They devoted themselves to the apostles doctrine, to the fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer.”
Note that it was a matter of devotion – not an option or extra, not an haphazard or occasional observance!
One of the earliest Christian writings outside the Bible is a document called the Didache, from the early second century. In it we find this comment: “Come together each Lord’s day of the Lord, break bread, and give thanks.”
Likewise also Justin Martyr, who was born around the turn of the first century and died for his faith in 165 A.D., tells us that “On the day called Sunday there is a gathering together in the same place of all who live in a city or rural district.” There follows an account of a service of Scripture reading, preaching and prayer; and Justin continues, “When we cease from our prayer, bread is presented and wine mixed with water. The president of the brethren in the same manner sends up prayers and thanksgiving according to his ability, and the people sing out their assent saying the ‘Amen’. A distribution and participation of the elements for which thanks have been given is made to each person.” A contribution is collected, and then, Justin explains, “We all make our assembly in common on the day of the Sun, since it is the first day, on which God changed the darkness and matter and made the world, and Jesus Christ our Savior arose from the dead on the same day.” [Source: Apology 1, 67]
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If this was the unanimous practice of the early church, why have so many denominations abandoned the weekly observation of the Lord’s Supper? George Mellone, an evangelical scholar, explains that it came about because of two EXTREMES, one Catholic and one Protestant:
You might be wondering what could have frightened the church from participation in the Lord’s Supper. It is difficult to trace the origins of this problem, but we can see by the medieval period that church leaders had altered the affirmation of Christ’s real presence at the Eucharist and substituted for it a view that the bread and wine became the substance of Christ’s body and blood. This was later known as transubstantiation. Some eleventh-century theologians actually maintained that if “you bite the bread you have bitten the body of Christ.” To them, Jesus’ words in John 6:52-59 ere literally fulfilled in the Eucharist. Therefore, Christians needed to be extremely cautious about handling the body and blood of our Lord. Hence, a protectorate priest class became necessary to handle the feeding and monitor the frequency.
One other element was present in this pre-reformation theology: the belief that a person needed to be worthy before partaking in the sacrament. Thus fear and a sense of unworthiness combined to lessen the frequency with which the laity actually took part at the Lord’s table. It was no longer a daily or weekly event, but more likely only a yearly celebration. It was not important to participate in the Mass, only to be present at it. The yearly intake of spiritual vitamins was all that was necessary for immortality. As you can see, the church was eventually theologically and emotionally disenfranchised from the Lord’s Supper. As part of the Reformation drive in Geneva in 1536, John Calvin attempted to reinstitute the Lord’s Supper as part of the church’s weekly life. This was met with opposition from church officials. However a compromise of quarterly Communion was arranged. This practice is still common in some churches today; however, most evangelical churches practice Communion on a monthly basis. This again is not because of any particular scriptural merit, but simply as a compromise to the per-reformation taboo of frequent Communion. (George Mellone, Furnace of Renewal, IVP, 1981, p. 67-68).
When we return to the practice of weekly communion, we are returning to the devotion of the early disciples. That, in essence, is the “argument” for regular observance of the Lord’s Supper. However, I must confess – when it comes to something as personal and meaningful as our communion with the Savior, I think we need to go beyond the level of an “argument,” don’t you? I can build a logical case for weekly communion – I can’t give you a specific “proof-text,” mainly because I don’t think the question ever came up in the first-century – but I can demonstrate, both from the Bible and from history, that that’s what they did. But even if I completely satisfied every quibble and question, I still would not have touched your heart – and what good is communion if it doesn’t touch the heart? So, let me give two more reasons for weekly communion:
III. THIS MEMORIAL WAS A PERSONAL REQUEST OF JESUS!
Cf. the statue of Jesus in Eureka Springs – impressive, but cold! It is a MONUMENT – but the Lord’s Supper is a MEMORIAL, a living memorial – not of stone and brick, but of hearts and souls! It is communion, between the Savior and the saved!
READ Luke 22:15-20. “eagerly desired to eat……do this in remembrance of me.” The Lord’s Supper began during the LAST SUPPER – that is, the last meal Jesus ever had before going to the Cross. It is, thus, the last request of a dying man. He knew what was coming – and he was willing to die. BUT it is obvious he did not want it to be in vain – if he was going to pay the price, he wanted us to appreciate the sacrifice! So he commands – “Remember me.” QUESTION – how would YOU honor the request of a dying man, if that man died for you?
THIS MEMORIAL IS PRECIOUS TO GOD’S PEOPLE.
It is the FOCAL POINT of our worship:
Acts 20:7 “came together to break bread.…”
1 Corinthians 11:20-33 “when you come together to eat….”
We need to restore this precious jewel of Christian worship!
Some worry that if the Lord’s Supper is observed each Sunday, it will become “commonplace” or “routine.” That IS a legitimate concern; after all, Paul warns against it in 1 Corinthians11!
However, the same could be said of our prayer life, and yet the Bible still says to “Pray without ceasing”!
If our communion with the Lord is not what it should be, which would make more sense to cut back on communion, or to re-examine ourselves? The change that is required is not in the Lord’s Supper – it is in us!
Years ago I invited a friend to come to our Friend Day. He was from a different religious group, and had never attended a worship service in the churches of Christ. He sat on the pew beside me, and as communion was being served I noticed out of the corner of my eye that my friend was weeping. My first reaction was one of dismay, because I assumed he had somehow been offended. When I questioned him after the service, however, he responded: “Oh, no, Dan, you don’t understand. In my church we only take communion twice a year. I have begged and begged our church leaders to take it more often, but they won’t do it. That is my time with my Lord, and it is precious to me.” It was not until then that I realized just what a blessing we have in the weekly observance of the Lord’s Supper!
MY CONCLUSION: If it is the LORD’S DAY, we should observe the LORD’S SUPPER!
Ten weeks ago Gina and I and Michael all converged on Washington, D.C. to visit our son Daniel. We were there for a long weekend, so we had time to take in the sights – and there are truly some sights to see in our nation’s capital.
One day we drove out to Arlington Cemetery. It is a hallowed place because so many heroes are buried there: men and women who gave the “last full measure of devotion” in the service of their country.
We were late in the afternoon, so we had to almost sprint up the steep hills of the cemetery, past row after row of white tombstones standing like silent sentries to remind us of the sacrifices of freedom. We were in a hurry to get to the top of the hill because we wanted to reach the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier in time to see the changing of the guard.
It is an impressive, solemn, reverent ceremony – the soldiers guard the tomb 24 hours a day, seven days a week, 52 weeks a year. In rain or shine, snow or heat – they faithfully pace back and forth, marking vigil at the tomb. Why spend so much time and effort? Because they are participating in a living memorial to the sacrifices of all the men and women of our armed forces who have paid the ultimate price to ensure our freedom.
In the same way, that is what we do each Sunday as we take communion. It is a memorial – a way of remembering that our Lord died for us so that we could live with him forever. Don’t you think that in our worship assembly each Sunday we ought to take the time to pause, and observe the Lord’s Supper, and worship him? If Jesus is our Savior, why wouldn’t we want to remember him?
–Dan Williams
