Luke 22:7 Then came the day of unleavened bread, when the passover must be killed. 8 And he sent Peter and John, saying, Go and prepare us the passover, that we may eat. 9 And they said unto him, Where wilt thou that we prepare? 10 And he said unto them, Behold, when ye are entered into the city, there shall a man meet you, bearing a pitcher of water; follow him into the house where he entereth in. 11 And ye shall say unto the goodman of the house, The Master saith unto thee, Where is the guestchamber, where I shall eat the passover with my disciples? 12 And he shall shew you a large upper room furnished: there make ready. 13 And they went, and found as he had said unto them: and they made ready the passover. 14 And when the hour was come, he sat down, and the twelve apostles with him. 15 And he said unto them, With desire I have desired to eat this passover with you before I suffer: 16 For I say unto you, I will not any more eat thereof, until it be fulfilled in the kingdom of God. 17 And he took the cup, and gave thanks, and said, Take this, and divide it among yourselves: 18 For I say unto you, I will not drink of the fruit of the vine, until the kingdom of God shall come. 19 And he took bread, and gave thanks, and brake it, and gave unto them, saying, This is my body which is given for you: this do in remembrance of me. 20 Likewise also the cup after supper, saying, This cup is the new testament in my blood, which is shed for you. 21 But, behold, the hand of him that betrayeth me is with me on the table. 22 And truly the Son of man goeth, as it was determined: but woe unto that man by whom he is betrayed! 23 And they began to inquire among themselves, which of them it was that should do this thing.

• Paul makes it clear that we as a church are to have the Lord’s supper

I Corinthians 11:20 When ye come together therefore into one place, this is not to eat the Lord’s supper. 21 For in eating every one taketh before other his own supper: and one is hungry, and another is drunken. 22 What? have ye not houses to eat and to drink in? or despise ye the church of God, and shame them that have not? What shall I say to you? shall I praise you in this? I praise you not. 23 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: 24 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. 25 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. 26 For as often as ye eat this bread, and drink this cup, ye do shew the Lord’s death till he come. 27 Wherefore whosoever shall eat this bread, and drink this cup of the Lord, unworthily, shall be guilty of the body and blood of the Lord. 28 But let a man examine himself, and so let him eat of that bread, and drink of that cup. 29 For he that eateth and drinketh unworthily, eateth and drinketh damnation to himself, not discerning the Lord’s body. 30 For this cause many are weak and sickly among you, and many sleep. 31 For if we would judge ourselves, we should not be judged. 32 But when we are judged, we are chastened of the Lord, that we should not be condemned with the world. 33 Wherefore, my brethren, when ye come together to eat, tarry one for another. 34 And if any man hunger, let him eat at home; that ye come not together unto condemnation. And the rest will I set in order when I come.

• We do not believe in transubstantiation The belief that the elements of communion actually turn into the body and blood of Jesus.

• We do not believe the Lord’s Supper is a sacrament. A sacrament confers grace, i.e., one is saved or in some way helped through participation in the rite. An ordinance does not convey grace. It is symbolic and memorial only.

The Lord’s Supper is talked about in several passages of Scripture: Matthew 26:26-29, Mark 14:22-25, Luke 22:14-20, Acts 2:42,20:7, I Corinthians 10:16-21, 11:23-24.

• How often are we to take the Lord’s Supper

I Corinthians 11:25 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.

• No clear direction here
• Could it be taken too often or too little

• What is being pictured in the Lord’s Supper

• What is meant by the terms closed, close, and open communion

• The Lord’s Supper is to be observed for the following reasons

• To remember Christ I Corinthians 11:24 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. 25 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.

• The unleavened bread is symbol of Christ’s broken body.
• The unfermented juice is a symbol of Christ’s blood that was shed as a result of his body being crushed.

• To examine ourselves and confess sin I Corinthians 11:28 But let a man examine himself, and so let him eat of that bread, and drink of that cup.

• To proclaim the Lord’s death I Corinthians 11:26 For as often as ye eat this bread, and drink this cup, ye do shew the Lord’s death till he come.

• To anticipate the Lord’s return I Corinthians 11:26 For as often as ye eat this bread, and drink this cup, ye do shew the Lord’s death till he come.

• To declare the unity of the church I Corinthians 10:16 The cup of blessing which we bless, is it not the communion of the blood of Christ? The bread which we break, is it not the communion of the body of Christ? 17 For we being many are one bread, and one body: for we are all partakers of that one bread.

• The Lord’s Supper is to be observed by those who are.

• Saved Acts 2:41 Then they that gladly received his word were baptized: and the same day there were added unto them about three thousand souls. 42 And they continued stedfastly in the apostles’ doctrine and fellowship, and in breaking of bread, and in prayers.

• Baptized by immersion after salvation

• Those who will examine themselves I Corinthians 11:28 But let a man examine himself, and so let him eat of that bread, and drink of that cup. 29 For he that eateth and drinketh unworthily, eateth and drinketh damnation to himself, not discerning the Lord’s body. 30 For this cause many are weak and sickly among you, and many sleep. 31 For if we would judge ourselves, we should not be judged. 32 But when we are judged, we are chastened of the Lord, that we should not be condemned with the world.

Never take the Lord’s Supper lightly or flippantly

I Corinthians 11:27 Wherefore whosoever shall eat this bread, and drink this cup of the Lord, unworthily, shall be guilty of the body and blood of the Lord. 28 But let a man examine himself, and so let him eat of that bread, and drink of that cup. 29 For he that eateth and drinketh unworthily, eateth and drinketh damnation to himself, not discerning the Lord’s body. 30 For this cause many are weak and sickly among you, and many sleep.

• If a person isn’t saved and sure of it they should realize, discern, that this is not for them

• You can't be in fellowship with Him through the Lord’s Supper if you will not believe in Him for your salvation

• It is not just some ritual that we do

• We should never just go through the motions

• We should never take the supper if we are not right with God and our fellow man

• It is not a time to not take the supper but a time to get things right--it is a time of rejoicing

• Never act the supper is just something normal

• If we take the supper unworthily we will be chastised

I Corinthians 11:29 For he that eateth and drinketh unworthily, eateth and drinketh damnation to himself, not discerning the Lord’s body.

• The word damnation here refers to judgment or being chastised
• Damnation is the idea of being condemned or brought up on charges and found guilty
• The problem is that we have not discerned the Lord’s body or just taken it as little to nothing

This judgment or chastisement was serious

I Corinthians 11:30 For this cause many are weak and sickly among you, and many sleep.

• Saved people will not lose their salvation
• He will chastise using serious illness or even death

We are free and under grace but we are to live for Him

We are to see Him as all important

• Judge yourself so He doesn’t have to I Corinthians 11:31 For if we would judge ourselves, we should not be judged. 32 But when we are judged, we are chastened of the Lord, that we should not be condemned with the world.

• God’s people are to judge themselves
• You have the Scriptures and the Holy Spirit
• You are convicted when you do things that do not please God
• Chastening is for His children only
• He will not allow us to live any way we want
• We are His children and as such we live out who we are

• Great promises come with chastisement

Hebrews 12:4 Ye have not yet resisted unto blood, striving against sin. 5 And ye have forgotten the exhortation which speaketh unto you as unto children, My son, despise not thou the chastening of the Lord, nor faint when thou art rebuked of him: 6 For whom the Lord loveth he chasteneth, and scourgeth every son whom he receiveth. 7 If ye endure chastening, God dealeth with you as with sons; for what son is he whom the father chasteneth not? 8 But if ye be without chastisement, whereof all are partakers, then are ye bastards, and not sons. 9 Furthermore we have had fathers of our flesh which corrected us, and we gave them reverence: shall we not much rather be in subjection unto the Father of spirits, and live? 10 For they verily for a few days chastened us after their own pleasure; but he for our profit, that we might be partakers of his holiness. 11 Now no chastening for the present seemeth to be joyous, but grievous: nevertheless afterward it yieldeth the peaceable fruit of righteousness unto them which are exercised thereby.

• We will not be condemned with the world

I Corinthians 11:32 But when we are judged, we are chastened of the Lord, that we should not be condemned with the world.

• We may fail our Father but He is still our Father
• We will get chastised but we are still His

• We will never be condemned with the world John 5:24 Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that heareth my word, and believeth on him that sent me, hath everlasting life, and shall not come into condemnation; but is passed from death unto life. Romans 8:1 There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit.

• What a promise of eternal security-if you are in the family you are in
• You will get chastised but never condemned
• You might even get to the point of being weak, sick or sleeping but you will not be condemned

Baptist Distinctives

The Bible is the only rule of faith and practice

Autonomy of the Local Church

The Priesthood of the Believer

Two Ordinances

The Lord's Supper

Individual Soul Liberty