THE LORD’S SUPPER

Dr. W. A. Criswell

1 Corinthians 11:23-26

9-14-86    7:30 p.m.

 

 

Toby Snowden is the leader of our College and Career and much of our adult work, and he is leading us now as we ask God's presence in this holy communion and family breaking of bread.  Toby Snowden. 

TOBY SNOWDEN: Oh, Lord, our Lord, how excellent is Thy name in all the earth.  Father, we praise You for the wonderful and the mighty and the great God that You are.  We thank you that we can enter this place of worship tonight to celebrate the joy that we know in Jesus, and it's our prayer that there would be no idle bystander tonight, but we would truly all participate in this act of worship. 

May everything that is done be pleasing in Your sight, and Lord, especially, we pray tonight and that at the time of invitation, there would be a great harvest and response. 

This our prayer in Jesus' name.  Amen. 

SPEAKER: Good evening to you.  Let's take our hymnals as we stand and sing together Number 40, “All Hail the Power In Jesus’ Name.”

Everyone standing.  Hymn Number 40 in our hymnals.  Let's all sing together.

(Several different hymns were sung.)

  SPEAKER: Amen.  Thank you so much.  Please be seated. 

Amen.  And welcome to our Sunday evening worship here at First Baptist, Dallas.  This is a time in our service when we welcome those that are a guest.  Now, tonight we want to welcome our honest guests, only those guests that are honest. 

And to be an honest guest tonight, you are not a member of this local body.  And if you're one of our honest guests, you ‑‑ we want you to stand in a place of honor, and if you'll stand right now, all those that are visiting with us, are one of our guests, would you stand right now? 

Our men are coming ‑‑ great ‑‑ to greet you.  And then I'm going to place in your hand a packet of material, all of our guests all over the house. 

We're delighted that you're here tonight.  As soon as you receive your packet of material, you may be seated and begin to fill that part of the card out that you'll place in the offering plate.  And be sure, honest guest, to put that ribbon on your coat or your dress, because there'll be some other folks who want to greet you. 

Now, First Baptist people, you saw where they were standing.  So in a few moments when we greet one another, let's make sure we greet them in the Lord as they're worshiping with us. 

And on behalf of our pastor and our staff, we're delighted that you're here.  And we're praying God'll bless you richly for worshiping with us tonight. 

A couple of announcements I want to call your attention to.  One has to do with, the Dallas City Council will make their final decision on the church zoning ordinance. 

For those of you that live in the metroplex, you're familiar with this.  And you're invited as a member and as a Christian -- and a concerned Christian -- on September the 17th at noon at the Dallas City Council chamber to go and represent the Christians of Dallas, as this Council will be making a decision on the church zoning ordinance. 

And now I want everyone to get their aerobic exercise and lean over in the pew and pick up one of these envelopes.  Everybody lean over.  One of these envelopes, lean over. 

It says, "Two thousand new churches and missions in Mission, Texas."  Now, that didn't hurt.  Come on now, lean over.  Get that envelope.  Our church has a goal, this month, during the month of September, to give a hundred and fifty thousand dollars to state missions. 

Now, folks, that money is used to reach people all over this great state.  Take this envelope and pray about what God would want you to give.  Our goal is a hundred fifty thousand dollars.  We could meet that very quickly if every person gave.  And we'll see folks all over our state come to know the Lord. 

We're supporting our state mission offering this month in Mission, Texas, so they too can believe.  Thank you. 

And guests, remember in just a moment to place that card in the offering plate as it comes by. 

(Musical interlude.)

SPEAKER: Amen.  Thank you, wonderful orchestra.  We love you and appreciate you. 

Let's take our hymnals now and sing together Number 465.  We will sing of our Redeemer.  465, everyone standing as we sing together. 

(Hymn sung.)

SPEAKER:  Amen.  Now turn to Number 109 -- 109, as we prepare for the Lord's Supper.  Our orchestra will be leaving at this time.  Let me tell all of those deacons who will be serving the Lord's Supper that you will take your places right after the offertory prayer, "Amen," is said. 

As our orchestra leaves as we prepare now for the Lord's Supper, let's sing this wonderful hymn, “Blessed Redeemer.”  The first and last stanzas. 

(Hymn sung.)

SPEAKER: Amen.  Would you please be seated.  Lower the kneelers in front of you.  We'll all kneel together now as we go to the Lord in prayer, everyone kneeling.  Lee Hunt will lead our offertory prayer. 

LEE HUNT: Our dear Lord, our blessed Redeemer, how we thank You tonight for all that You've done for us, for the love that You have for us.  So great that even we can't understand it. 

And we thank You now for this time together as we worship You and as we see the blessed Spirit that You've sent among us. 

We thank You for this particular part of our service, when we return unto You Your tithes and our offerings that You've blessed us with.  You're so good to us. 

And Lord, we do it cheerfully, and we thank You that we have the privilege, and we thank You in Jesus' name.  Amen. 

(Musical interlude.)

DR. CRISWELL: This is the first time that I've asked our congregation to read the passage in 1 Corinthians of the Lord's Supper.  I've always read it from the pulpit. 

This time, all of us read it together.  1 Corinthians, chapter 11.  1 Corinthians, chapter 11.  And we shall read Verses 23 through 26.  1 Corinthians, chapter 11:23‑26. 

Now, all of us together, 23‑26, “For I have received of the Lord that which also I delivered unto you, that the Lord Jesus, the same night in which He was betrayed took bread: 

“And when He had given thanks, He brake it, and said, `Take, eat: this is My body, which is broken for you: this do in remembrance of Me.’ 

“After the same manner also He took the cup, when He had supped, saying, `This cup is the new testament in My blood: this do ye, as oft as ye drink it, in remembrance of Me.’ 

“For as often as ye eat this bread, and drink this cup, ye do shew the Lord's death till He come.” 

In this preliminary moment, could I take occasion to point out something that, to me, is unbelievably unusual about the Christian faith and about the purpose and revelation of God in our experience of faith and grace? 

You notice the Lord does not say, “Do this in remembrance of My incomparable words.” 

Yet, never a man spake like that man.  There are no words in human speech or language or thought comparable to the words of Jesus Christ.  But he never said, “Remember My words.” 

No one was ever wrought as our Lord.  It was never so seen in Israel.  They exclaimed in the days of His flesh.  Yet, He never said, “Do this in remembrance of My marvelous works.” 

And the most amazing of all to me, the glorious resurrection without which there would be no living Lord to come again.  But he never said, “Do this in remembrance of My triumphant resurrection.” 

What he did say was, “This is My body, this is My blood, remember Me.”

Isn't that a strange and unusual thing?  That in the Judeo‑Christian faith we're called to remember the suffering and the blood, the crucifixion.  These are the things that God asks us to remember. 

Was it not so in the Judaic faith?  The Passover commemorated their slavery in Egypt, when they cried unto God for deliverance. 

Is it not true that the nations of the world and the peoples of the world celebrate their great victories?  But in the Judeo‑Christian faith, we celebrate our heartaches, our bloodshed, our slavery, the pouring out of blood, suffering and death. 

That's why I think there is no faith so reflective of the pilgrim life as in the Holy Scriptures.  God delivered us out of slavery in the darkness of Egypt.  And God has redeemed us from the curse of our sins in the suffering and trial of the cross of Calvary: 

“Do this,” He said, “in memory of Me.” 

And for our family in the Lord to magnify and to celebrate this beautiful memorial of the suffering, atoning death of our Lord, pleases Him, honors His name, and binds us in grace and love as a family. 

“And He took bread and blessed it.”  Then he brake it, and they all ate of that one loaf.  Dr. Lamar Cooper is the Dean of Graduate Studies and professor of Old Testament and Hebrew in our preacher's college here in the church.  And he leads us in that prayer of thanksgiving for the offering of the body of our Lord. 

Dr. Cooper? 

DR. COOPER: Our Father, it is universal among the cultures of our world that bread is known as the staff of life.  And because we depend on it so and we recognize its necessity, You've taught us to pray, "Give us this day our daily bread." 

And You've taught us that we must look to You for our daily needs.  Never is that more true when You chose this element as the symbol of Your sacrifice on Calvary.  For, truly, we need that bread which came down from heaven in Jesus Christ our Lord. 

For it's the bread of affliction, the bread of Your affliction on Calvary, that makes it possible for us to sit at Your table, by Your invitation, and to partake and have communion and fellowship one with another; but more importantly, fellowship with You through Jesus Christ our Lord, Who gave Himself for us and in Whose name we pray.  Amen. 

(Musical interlude.)

(End of tape.)