Church Order: Worship, Sacraments, and the Lord's Supper

The Lord's Supper - Part 1

Transcript: AI Transcript

Professor: John Weaver

Subject: Church Government

Genre: Sermon

Dictation Name: JW00946 🔗

Date: 2006-01-22

Synopsis: An introductory sermon on the Lord's Supper, focusing on the biblical names for the ordinance and their significance. John Weaver explains that the Lord's Supper is a sovereign, gospel ordinance instituted by God, distinct from a sacrifice. He examines six scriptural names—Lord's table, Lord's supper, communion, cup of blessing, cup of the Lord, and breaking of bread—and briefly mentions the Eucharist. Each name reveals aspects of the supper's purpose: remembrance, fellowship, blessing, and unity. The sermon emphasizes the contrast between the Lord's table and the table of devils, the importance of self-examination, and the supper as a meal of communion with Christ and fellow believers.

[John Weaver] All right, I want you to open your Bibles, if you would, to 1 Corinthians chapter 11. 1 Corinthians chapter 11. So far this year, I have dealt with two messages entitled Resisting the Truth. And then last week I brought the message Why the South Must Rise Again. And then several of you have asked questions concerning the Lord's Supper. And it's my intent to begin an introductory message today and then I'll preach on this until I get through, which I don't know, four, five, six, whatever. So today's going to be an introductory message, and then I'll be dealing like next week with the significance, the partakers, the elements, etc. But I can assure you it's going to take a little bit of time.

[John Weaver] I hate to Just gloss over something that I think is important, and there's a lot of great information in the scripture concerning it. So we're going to look today in 1 Corinthians 11, and let's begin reading with verse 20.

[John Weaver] Now, let me just say as I read this text, undoubtedly questions are going to arise in your mind, but just hold them because I will probably answer those questions and deal with them in the not too distant future. 1 Corinthians 11, verse 20. When you come together, therefore, to one place, this is not to eat the Lord's supper, for in eating everyone taketh before other his own supper, and one is hungry and another is drunken. What? Have you not houses to eat and to drink in?

[John Weaver] Or despise you the church of God, and shame them which have not? What shall I say to you? Shall I praise you in this? I praise you not. 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'd given thanks, he'd break 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, which he had when he had stopped saying, this cup is the New Testament in my blood. This do you as often as you drink it in remembrance of me. For as often as you eat this bread and drink this cup, you do show the Lord's death till he come. Wherefore, whosoever shall eat this bread and drink this cup of the Lord unworthily, shall be guilty of the body and the blood of the Lord. But let a man examine himself, and so let him eat of that bread and drink of that cup.

[John Weaver] For he that eateth and drinketh unworthily eateth and drinketh damnation to himself, not discerning the Lord's body. For this cause many are weak and sickly among you, and many sleep. For if we would judge ourselves, we should not be judged. But when we are judged, we are chastened of the Lord, that we should not be condemned with the world. Wherefore, my brethren, when you come together to eat, tarry one for another. If any man hunger, let him eat at home, that you may come not together unto condemnation, and the rest will I set in order when I come." You know, I can't help but smile when I read that, when the Apostle Paul said, and the rest will I set in order when I come. I could just imagine that some of these Corinthians probably received a strong tongue lashing from the Apostle Paul.

[John Weaver] We're going to talk about the Lord's Supper, and let me begin by saying, first of all, that the Lord's Supper is indeed an ordinance. What in the world is meant by the word ordinance? Well, it refers to that which has been instituted, appointed, and ordained by God. So when you talk about the Lord's Supper being an ordinance, it is that which God Himself has directed and instituted. It is called oftentimes a sovereign ordinance, indicating the fact that God himself ordained it and set it up. But it is also called at different times a gospel ordinance because it symbolizes the realities of the gospel. Now, there are only two ordinances that are sovereign or gospel institutions in this light. And they are, number one, baptism, and number two, the Lord's Supper.

[John Weaver] Now, I want to, of course, be exceedingly biblical as I deal with this, and that's why I'm going to take the time because, as I pointed out, that there is so much involved that most of the time we do not think concerning this. But there are four main passages in the Bible that relate to the Lord's Supper. Now, we're not going to look at all four of these passages today. I'm going to give them to you, but we will look at them before we finish the study.

[John Weaver] They are, if you're writing them down, number one, Matthew 26, number two, Mark 14, number three, Luke 22, So it's Matthew 26, Mark 14, Luke 22, and then 1 Corinthians 10 and 11. 1 Corinthians chapters 10 and 11.

[John Weaver] Now, there are other allusions certainly in the Bible to the Lord's Supper, but these are the four definitive passages. Now, let me begin today by just telling you once again, this is basic and introductory material. So the very first thing we're going to do today is just simply look at the names that are given to us in the Bible concerning the Lord's Supper. May I remind you. That names are important, in fact, as you read through the Old Testament, many times we we look at these names and we say, why in the world would anyone call their child a name that you cannot even pronounce? Well, you've got to understand those names had a great deal of significance. And even when our Lord called Peter Peter, he did so for a reason, because the name means a rock.

[John Weaver] And that's exactly what's supposed to be that which characterized the Apostle Peter. So let's look then at the names. First of all, I want you to turn in your Bibles to first Corinthians 10 and look in verse 21. And I want you to see that it is referred to first and foremost as the Lord's table. Look at it, 1 Corinthians chapter 10, if you would, and verse 21.

[John Weaver] The Bible says you cannot drink the cup of the Lord and the cup of devils. You cannot be partakers of the Lord's table and of the table of devils. So in this particular instance, it is just simply referred to as the Lord's table.

[John Weaver] Now, I want you to understand that in the context you have, first of all, a contrast, and secondly, an identification. Let's look at the contrast, first of all. He said in verse 21, you cannot drink of the cup of the Lord and the cup of devils. You cannot be partakers of the Lord's table and of the tables of devils. So there is a contrast then between the Lord's table and the table of devils. We've got to understand, first and foremost, Eating implies fellowship and agreement. I don't care if you studied in the Old Testament or in the New Testament, when you sit down to eat, it always basically implied that there was indeed a fellowship and that there was an agreement. Now, why did our Lord say through the Apostle Paul that you cannot be a partaker of the Lord's table and the tables of devils? simply because there is absolutely no agreement between the Lord and the devils. There's no communion. There's no fellowship. In other words, if you're talking about the Lord's table on the one hand and the table of devils on the other hand, each one is mutually exclusive of the other.

[John Weaver] So here is a strong contrast. I want you to look in your Bibles, hold 1 Corinthians 10, but look in your Bibles to 2 Corinthians chapter 6 and you'll see how the Apostle Paul emphasizes this fact. 2 Corinthians chapter 6, and let's begin reading there with verse 14. 2 Corinthians 6 and verse 14. Look what he says. Be not unequally yoked together with unbelievers. Why? For what fellowship hath righteousness with unrighteousness? And what communion hath light with darkness? Now look at these questions.

[John Weaver] Answer them in your minds. The first question is, what fellowship hath righteousness with unrighteousness? And the answer is none. What communion hath light with darkness? The answer is none. Or what concord hath Christ with Belial, that is the devil? And the answer is none. And what part hath he that believeth in infidel? Once again, the answer is none. And what agreement hath the temple of God with idols? The answer is none. Then he goes on to say, for you are the temple of the living God. As God has said, I will dwell in them and walk in them and I will be their God and they shall be my people.

[John Weaver] Wherefore, come out from among you or among them and be separate, saith the Lord, and touch not the unclean thing and I will receive you. and will be a father unto you, and you shall be my sons and daughters, saith the Lord Almighty."

[John Weaver] Now note what he is saying. There can be absolutely no fellowship, no agreement, no concord between Christ and the devil. So whenever you come to the Lord's table, you're saying, Lord, I'm eating with you. Basically, I'm fellowshipping with you. I'm agreeing with you. If you are communing with Christ, then on the one hand, you're not only agreeing and acknowledging Him, But on the other hand, you are denying and renouncing anything and everything that is contrary to him. In other words, just simply by the fact that it is the Lord's table, he's saying you cannot have communion with him and devils at the same time.

[John Weaver] Now, men may attempt to do so. By that, I mean they may attempt to do that which symbolizes the Lord's table. It is true that unbelievers could come to the Lord's table and pretend to be a believer. It is true that a demonic person could come to the Lord's table and pretend to be a believer. He may partake of the symbol, but he cannot partake of the reality. You follow me? Because in reality, there's no agreement between Christ and the devil. There's no concord between him that believe it and he that does not believe it.

[John Weaver] So the Bible is telling us once again that there is a strong contrast. Which leads me to say this. Think about this. An idolatrous church cannot be a true church. Neither can an idolater be a true Christian. Now, an idolater may repent and become a Christian, but you cannot be an idolater and a Christian at the same time in the strictest sense of the word. You cannot be a church that honors the Lord and at the same time be an unthankful, whoremongering church that dishonors the Lord.

[John Weaver] No, it's one or the other. So when people then try to say, well, I'm going to play both sides, then certainly they are being unscriptural and unbiblical. You remember in Hosea chapter 1 in verse 9, without turning there, there are those that God calls Lo-Ammi. And when Hosea's child was to be named Lo-Ammi, Lo-Ammi means not my people. There are some that are not his people. And no matter how many call themselves any who are living an ungodly and a wicked life, they are still not his people.

[John Weaver] So the very first thing you see is, here is a contrast. How can one really, truly, genuinely drink the wine of the Lord's Supper, and in true faith in his shed blood and sacrifice, and in remembrance of his love, and in honor to his name, at the same time drink the cup of devils which dishonors him, and denies him, and repudiates him. The answer is, it is utterly impossible and utterly inconsistent.

[John Weaver] As our Lord said, you cannot serve two masters. You cannot serve God and manna. You cannot serve Christ and Belial. There is no agreement between the temple of God and idols. So we must understand that there is indeed a contrast when it is called the Lord's table and the tables of devils.

[John Weaver] Now, let me point out something that I believe is exceedingly applicable at this point. Do you realize that what you eat, in a real genuine sense of the word, determines how you think and how you act?

[John Weaver] Now, that is true physically. One of my favorite signs that I have seen as I travel around was on a counter in a store. All it said was this. Children left unattended by their parents will be given a strong cup of coffee, all the candy they can eat, and a free puppy.

[John Weaver] Now, you give a little kid a big cup of caffeine and a lot of sugar. And what have you got on your hands? You've got real terror on your hands. Why? Because what he eats ultimately determines basically what he thinks and how he acts.

[John Weaver] Now, let me show you that in the Scripture. Look in your Bibles to the book of James chapter 3. James chapter 3. And we'll be in looking there at verse James 3, verse 13. Right after the book of Hebrews, the book of James, James chapter 3, look in verse 13. Watch this question. Who is a wise man and a dude with knowledge among you? Now note, if you would, wisdom and knowledge. Let him show out of a good conversation, that is, good conduct, His works with meekness of wisdom.

[John Weaver] Now, the point I'm trying to make right here is simple. What you think determines how you act. Then he says in verse 14, but if you have bitter envy and strife in your hearts, glory not and lie not against the truth. Now, look what he says. This wisdom, that is, the bitterness, the strife, the lying, this wisdom descends not from above, that is, it doesn't come from God, but it is earthly, sensual, devilish. For where envy and strife is, there is confusion in every evil work.

[John Weaver] And then here's this contrast again, but the wisdom that is from above, that is, once you learn to think biblically, once you've been eating food that stimulates this type of thinking, That wisdom is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, easy to be entreated, full of mercy and good fruits, without partiality and without hypocrisy, and the fruit of righteousness and his own in peace of them that make peace. So very obviously, the very first thing our Lord does is says this, it is the Lord's table. So you have, first of all, a contrast.

[John Weaver] Secondly, you have an identification. In verse 21, when he says you cannot drink the cup of the Lord and the cup of the devils, you cannot be partakers of the Lord's table and the table of devils. In the Greek, the phrase is a genitive of description. By that, it just simply means that it is the table which particularly and peculiarly belongs to the Lord. It is His table. Thus, when you sit at His table, you are identifying yourself with Christ, you are communing with Him, you are embracing Him, His Lordship, His teaching, and His instruction. So first, it is referred to in the Scripture as the Lord's Table. Secondly, if you look in 1 Corinthians 11 and verse 20, it is called the Lord's Supper. 1 Corinthians 11 and verse 20, he says, when you come together, therefore, to one place, this is not to eat the Lord's supper.

[John Weaver] And I'm going to talk about this just a little bit today, but more in the future. It is called the Lord's supper. Once again, this is the supper that belongs to the Lord, particularly.

[John Weaver] Now, I want you to note something. I want to emphasize this at this particular point. You're going to hear me emphasize this several times in the future. It is the Lord's Supper. It is not a sacrifice. The Lord's Supper is a feast on a table and not a sacrifice on an altar. The only altar that we have had as Christians is that of the cross. And that was a once and for all sacrifice. If you would look in your Bibles to the book of Hebrews 10 and verse 10, Hebrews 10 and verse 10, I want you to note what the scripture says. Hebrews 10 and verse 10, referring to Jesus Christ, by which will we are sanctified through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ, what's the last three words? Once for all. Once for all. How many times was Jesus Christ given as a sacrifice once for all? So it is a suffer, it is not a sacrifice. When the Catholics talk about transubstantiation and call the Mass an unbloody sacrifice, that is actually blasphemous for Jesus Christ gave Himself, the Bible teaches, once for all.

[John Weaver] So it is a supper. It is not a sacrifice. Now, the Lord's Supper was also used sometimes by the early church to also identify what is known as the agape. which is just the Greek word for love, or the love feast. Now let me just point out that the love feast, or the agape, and the Lord's Supper were and are two distinct and separate things. Yet in the early church, one usually preceded the other, And sometimes they were actually merged together.

[John Weaver] That is what produced the problem in 1 Corinthians chapter 11. That is why the Apostle Paul is rebuking these Corinthians because of what happened at the love feast which preceded the Lord's Supper. I'm going to deal with that just a little bit later, but 1 Corinthians chapter 11, once you look at it, he's talking about eating and drinking the Lord's table unworthily. He's talking about examining yourself. He's talking about judging yourselves. If you don't understand what is happening in 1 Corinthians chapter 11, you cannot understand the impact and the importance of the Lord's Supper. So it is the Lord's table. It is the Lord's Supper in the sense that it is not a sacrifice. It is a meal. Thirdly, if you look in your Bibles to 1 Corinthians 10 and verse 16. 1 Corinthians 10 and verse 16.

[John Weaver] It is also referred to and called communion. 1 Corinthians 10 and verse 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? Now, the Greek word for communion is koinonia. The word communion occurs twice in verse 16. If you will skip down to verse 20, He says, But I say that the things which the Gentiles sacrifice, they sacrifice to devils and not to God, and I would not that you should have fellowship with devils. Now the word fellowship in verse 20 is the same Greek word koinonia or communion. So the word fellowship and the word communion are basically the same. Now, when the Bible talks about the meal being communion, it indicates also that the meal is a fellowship. Someone has aptly described fellowship as being fellows in the same ship.

[John Weaver] That's why you get the expression, we're all in the same boat together. That's what fellowship is, basically speaking.

[John Weaver] Now, listen to me carefully. because each one of these words are indeed important. You see, the word communion clearly indicates that the church communes with Christ corporately. That is, as a body. But it also clearly teaches That we at the same time commune with each other as well. So when the Lord's Table or the Lord's Supper is referred to as communion, it does not just simply mean that we are together corporately and we're communing with the Lord. Yes, we are. But we're also communing individually with each other. That is, we are all stating that we're nourished and sustained and kept by the Lord. And that we associate and identify not just with him, but with each other as well. Now, let me show you the impact of this word fellowship.

[John Weaver] I want you to turn in your Bibles to 1 John 1 and verse 7. 1 John 1 and verse 7. Look at what the scripture says. 1 John 1 and verse 7. Just showing you the impact of the word fellowship. 1 John 1 and verse 7. But if we walk in the light as He is in the light, we have fellowship one with another. And the blood of Jesus Christ His Son cleanseth us from all sin.

[John Weaver] Now note what he said. If we walk in the light as He is in the light, we have fellowship one with another. So when we have communion, or the Lord's table, or the Lord's supper, it is not just that we are communing with the Lord, we are also communing with each other.

[John Weaver] Now I want you to turn in your Bibles to John chapter 6, because there is a passage here that we need to understand in this light. I'm not preaching on baptism, but I'm going to state this and then follow it up. As baptism pictures our initiation into Christ, so the Lord's table or the Lord's supper or communion then symbolizes that we're continuing to feed upon Christ. That is, we're nourished by him and sustained by him. Look in John 6 and begin with verse 32. John 6, verse 32.

[John Weaver] Then Jesus said unto them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Moses gave you not that bread from heaven, but my father giving you the true bread from heaven. Now, without me going into this, there is, as you can tell, a contrast between manna in the Old Testament which is a type, or was a type of Christ, and now the actual giving of Christ. Christ is saying that he is the true bread. Watch verse 33. For the bread of God is he who cometh down from heaven and giveth life unto the world. And they said unto him, Lord evermore give us this bread. And Jesus said unto them, I am the bread of life. He that cometh to me shall never hunger, and he that leaveth on me shall never thirst. But I say unto you that ye also have seen me, and believe not. All that the Father giveth me shall come unto me, and him that cometh unto me shall I no wise cast out." Now skip down, if you would please, to verse 48.

[John Weaver] He says, I am that bread of life. Once again, now watch carefully. Your fathers did eat man in the wilderness, and are dead. This is that bread which cometh down from heaven, that a man may eat thereof, and not die. I am the living bread which came down from heaven. If any man eat of this bread, he shall live forever, and the bread that I will give him is my flesh, which I will give for the life of the world." The Jews therefore struggle among themselves, saying, How can this man give us his flesh to eat? Then Jesus said of them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Except you eat the flesh of the Son of Man, and drink his blood, you have no life in you. Whoso eateth my flesh, and drinketh my blood, hath eternal life, and I will raise him up at the last day. For my flesh is meat indeed, and my blood is drink indeed. He that eateth my flesh, and drinketh my blood, dwelleth in me, and I in him.

[John Weaver] As the living Father hath sent me, and as I live by the Father, so he that eateth me, even he shall live by me. This is that bread which came down from heaven, not as your fathers did eat manna and are He that eateth of this bread shall live forever."

[John Weaver] Now let me just stop there. There's another verse that I want to call your attention to in just a moment. But this passage is where the Roman Catholics get their doctrine of transubstantiation. In that doctrine, the priest then says his magical words, hocus pocus, And that's where that expression came from, by the way, in Latin, literally. And once he said his little incantation, it was supposed to have changed the wine into the actual blood of Christ and the bread into the actual body of Christ.

[John Weaver] Now, if that is true, that would mean anyone who ate that meal would be cannibals. They would be cannibalistic. That is for sure. But now I want you to know what our Lord said. He is saying, in verse 55, look at it, for my flesh is meat indeed, and my blood is drink indeed. He that eateth my flesh and drinketh my blood dwelleth in me, and I in him. Now look what he said, as the living Father hath sent me, and as I live by the Father, so that he that eateth me, even he shall live by me. Now let me ask you, as the living Father hath sent me, and as I live by the Father, How did Christ live by the Father?

[John Weaver] Through His power, through His will, through His word. He did not physically eat God the Father. Well, of course not. He says, even so, He shall live by me. So it is not a physical eating of Christ that is in the context.

[John Weaver] Now, look, if you would, please, at verse 63. This is still in the context. He's teaching that he is the bread of life. John 6 and verse 63, he says this. It is the spirit that quickeneth the flesh, profiteth nothing. The words that I speak unto you, they are spirit and they are life. So was he talking about a literal eating of his flesh and a literal drinking of his blood in John 6? No. No, he said, My flesh profiteth nothing. No flesh profiteth. It's the words that I speak. They are spirit and they are life. So living by Christ and eating his flesh and drinking his blood is just a picture and symbolical of the fact that we draw our life, our nourishment, and our sustenance from Him, all of His words, all of His truth, we live in and through and by and apply them in our lives. That is, eating Him as the bread of life and drinking His blood, so to speak. It is not a literal, physical act. It is just simply that we live by his words and by his truth.

[John Weaver] So as we feed upon him, that is his truth, his word, his power, his life, we are at his table, having his supper, communing with him and with each other. Let me just give you the illustration. Suppose Doc wanted to do what was wrong. And I wanted to do what was right. Is there any communion between us? No. Is there any fellowship between us? No. The only way we can have communion with each other is as we commune in the Lord and we both have the same mind and the same principles and the same truth and the same aims and goal. So it is called the Lord's table. It is called the Lord's supper. It is called communion. Fourthly, it is called the cup of blessing.

[John Weaver] Look in First Corinthians 10 and verse 16. First Corinthians 10 and verse 16.

[John Weaver] Now, when you talk about the Lord's table, the Lord's supper or communion, you may also call it the cup of blessing. He says 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? So here it is called the cup of blessing. Now, interestingly enough, in this verse, the phrase, the cup of blessing, designates and stands for the whole. Look at it. The cup of blessing which we bless, is it not the communion of the blood of Christ? So the phrase then, the cup of blessing, refers to the whole. Now, it was his cup that produced the cup of blessing.

[John Weaver] I want you to hold 1 Corinthians 10, but I want you to turn in your Bibles to the book of Ephesians chapter 1. Ephesians chapter 1. And I think you can see very easily and very quickly why the Lord's table is sometimes called the cup of blessing. Ephesians 1 verse 3, look what the scripture says, Blessed be the God and father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with how many? All spiritual blessings in heavenly places in Christ. What does the cup of blessing include? All spiritual blessings that are in Christ. Every blessing that you and I have ever had or ever will have has been in and through Jesus Christ. So it is called the cup of blessing. Now go back. First Corinthians 10. Look at verse 16 again. First Corinthians 10 verse 16. Paul says, the cup of blessing.

[John Weaver] And then he adds this phrase, which we bless. The cup of blessing. Which we bless. What does that mean? The cup of blessing which we bless, well, first of all. It could refer. To the prayer of the presiding elder when he ask God's blessing upon the communion. But I would even go further. I would say that that might be included. But when Paul writes the cup of blessing which we bless.

[John Weaver] It refers to the grateful and thankful heart of every true believer who realizes that his salvation is in Jesus Christ alone. because the cup represents the shed blood of Jesus Christ. And when we think of the supreme sacrifice of the shed blood of Jesus Christ, it should render every believer grateful and thankful and filled with heartfelt praise for the salvation that is found only in Jesus Christ.

[John Weaver] And there's another thought here. The cup of blessing which we bless. I believe it refers to the fact that the Lord's Table, the Lord's Supper, communion. Is not a burden. But a blessing. The whole thing is indeed a blessing, so it's been called the Lord's Table, the Lord's Supper, communion and the cup of blessing. Now, if you look in 1st Corinthians 10 and verse 21, Here's another thing. You cannot drink the cup of the Lord. And the cup of devils. You cannot be partakers of the Lord's table in the table of devils. Note this first part. Now you cannot drink the cup of the Lord and the cup of devils. So sometimes it is simply referred to as the cup of the Lord.

[John Weaver] That is, once again, is a genitive of description. It is that cup which particularly and peculiarly belongs to the Lord. You know, I had a thought as I was going through this and I did not. Take the time to do so, but I did do just a little extra study. It's interesting. To study the word cup in the New Testament. Have you ever wondered or thought about how the Lord's table can be referred to as the cup of the Lord? Well, of course. The cup would be that portion.

[John Weaver] Which God, the father gave to God, the son, let me just show you a couple of illustrations from scripture, look in your Bibles, first of all, the Matthew 26, Matthew 26 and verse 42. Matthew 26 and verse 42.

[John Weaver] Remember now, communion is referred to as the cup of the Lord and in Matthew 26 and verse 42, here's what Scripture says. He went away again the second time and prayed, saying, Oh, my father, if this cup may not pass away from me, except I drink it, thy will be done. Note when he said, if this cup. What cup is that? The cup of suffering? The cup of bearing the sins of his people? Look in John 18, verse 11. You remember in this passage, they had come to arrest Christ.

[John Weaver] And it was Peter who drew out his sword and cut off Malchus's ear. You remember that? And here's what our Lord said to Peter, John 18, verse 11, Then said Jesus unto Peter, Put up thy sword into thy sheath. The cup which my Father hath given me, shall I not drink it? Isn't that interesting? The cup which my Father hath given me, shall I not drink it? Look back in your Bibles to 1 Corinthians 11 now in verse 25. 1 Corinthians 11 in verse 25. I'm just showing you how the Lord's table, the Lord's supper, communion, the cup of blessing, is sometimes just simply called the cup of the Lord. In 1 Corinthians 11 and verse 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 you as often as you drink it in remembrance of me. Note, this cup is the New Testament in my blood. How can it be called the cup of the Lord? Because it was that cup that the Father gave to Christ from which Christ drank and gave Himself.

[John Weaver] You could say it like this. How was Jesus Christ slain? Well, as the Lamb of God, you could say, first of all, that He was slain determinatively. What do I mean by that? Well, it means that He was slain in the will and in the counsel of God before the world ever began. That's why He's called the Lamb slain from before the foundation of the earth. He was slain determinatively in the will of God.

[John Weaver] Secondly, He was also slain prophetically, that is, as you begin in the book of Genesis. Genesis 3.15, the Protevangelum, shows once again that Christ must suffer and die. So He was slain determinatively. He was slain prophetically. He was slain symbolically in all of those sacrifices in the Old Testament. And then fourthly, He was slain actually in time and in history as he gave himself a sacrifice on the cross. So it is indeed called the cup of the Lord because it is the cup which he drank from which gave us salvation.

[John Weaver] So it's the Lord's table. It's the Lord's supper. It's communion. It's the cup of blessing. It's the cup of the Lord. And fifthly, it's called the breaking of bread. If you look in your Bibles, to Acts chapter 2, Acts 2 and verse 42. And then we'll go to Acts 20, Acts 2. And notice verse 42. Talking about these early disciples, and they continue steadfastly in the apostles doctrine. and fellowship, and in breaking of bread, and in prayers. In breaking of bread. Look in your Bibles to Acts 20 and verse 7. Acts 20 verse 7. And upon the first day of the week when the disciples came together to break bread, Paul preached unto them, ready to depart on the morrow, and continued his speech until midnight. Verse 11, When he therefore was come up again, and had broken bread, and had eaten, and talked a long while, even till the break of day, so he departed. Now, this phrase, the breaking of bread, was a term that was in vogue during the apostolic times.

[John Weaver] Now, I must confess, and I want you to know this as well, There is a debate as to what this phrase actually refers to. Some say it refers to the Lord's Supper, a common meal, or the love feast, or sometimes all of those things together. Generally speaking, this phrase has not been widely used since the apostolic era. It is a phrase that probably would need some explanation when it is used because It could refer to the Lord's Supper. What did He say in 1 Corinthians 11? Go back there. Let me explain. 1 Corinthians chapter 11.

[John Weaver] Look if you would at verses 23 and 24. 1 Corinthians 11 verse 23. The Apostle Paul says, For I have received from the Lord that which also I delivered unto you, that the Lord Jesus, the same night which He was betrayed, took bread, and when He had given thanks, He broke it and said, Take ye, this is my body which is broken for you, this do it remembers of me. So the breaking of bread can be a legitimate name for the Lord's Supper because that's exactly what our Lord did.

[John Weaver] But the reason I'm saying, if you use the phrase, usually you have to explain it because sometimes it can refer to something else as well. Let me give you an illustration. We probably don't do this today, but I remember when I was a boy, In our church, there was an old man and woman. He was the piano player. He did not play the piano with his fingers on the keys like most people. He played like this. And I mean, boy, it was loud, but he could play. He used to play in a band, that's why he played so loudly, I guess. But I never will forget, I was standing by my father And that old man came up to dad and this happened on numerous occasions. He'd say, Mr. Weaver. Would it be all right if my wife and I came out and broke bread with you today?

[John Weaver] What did he just do? He just invited himself to our house for dinner. And my dad would always say, sure, we'd be glad to have you. But that happened on numerous occasions. So the phrase breaking of bread could just simply refer to fellowship or eating a meal with someone. That's why I said it could refer to the love feast. It could refer to a common meal or it could refer to the Lord's Supper. You just have to clarify what you mean by the breaking of bread. OK, so sometimes it is called the breaking of bread. Sixly and finally today.

[John Weaver] Are you sitting down OK? Hold tightly to your Bibles in your chairs, because I don't want anything thrown at me. I don't want to explain it. Sixthly, the Lord's table, the Lord's supper, communion, the cup of blessing, the cup of the Lord, the breaking of bread can also be called the Eucharist. Don't hit me. That is not a Roman Catholic term. That is a Bible term. Let me show you. Look in your Bibles to Matthew 26 and verse 27. Matthew 26 and then we're going to Mark 14. Matthew 26 and verse 27.

[John Weaver] Matthew 26, notice, if you would please, verse 27, and he took the cup. And what? Gave thanks. And he gave it to them, saying, drink you all of it, and he took the cup and gave thanks. Interestingly, I'll look in verse 23 of Mark 14, Mark 14, verse 23, the Bible says And he took the cup, and when he had given thanks, he gave it to them, and they all drank of it. Note when he had given thanks. And then if you look in 1 Corinthians chapter 14, just to show you this phrase again, and verse 16, 1 Corinthians 14 and verse 16, Else when thou shalt bless with the Spirit, how shall he that occupy the room of the unlearned say Amen at thy giving of thanks?" Now in Matthew 26 and in Mark 14, in relationship to the Lord's Supper, and in 1 Corinthians 11 as well, He gave thanks.

[John Weaver] The Greek word is Eucharistos. It's where we get the English word Eucharist from. The word Eucharistos just simply means to be grateful, to be thankful, to be pleasing and agreeable to God. Eucharistia refers to the giving of thanks and the verb Eucharisto means to consecrate a thing by the giving of thanks or to bless. So how then can communion on the Lord's table be called the Eucharist? Because you give thanks and you bless God for what He has provided for us in Jesus Christ. And what do we do when we thank God? We are offering Him the praise and the honor and the glory for His so great salvation that He has given us through Jesus Christ.

[John Weaver] Now, here are six names in Scripture. that are given to the Lord's table. Listen carefully, and let me make just a couple of applications. In the names given to the Lord's Supper, we may see at once the purpose, aim, and design of the supper. Its purpose is to remember and honor and symbolize the sacrifice of Jesus Christ. Its aim is communion and fellowship and its design is to bless and to unite the saints. Now listen carefully. Each name that I've given you today is important. Why? because each name portrays a distinct aspect of the supper and each name should be considered and understood by the saints. You should know why it's the Lord's table in contrast to the tables of devils. You should know why it's the Lord's supper and not a sacrifice. You should know why it's communion. Because it's not just communing with Him, but with other believers. You should know why it's the cup of blessing. Why it's the cup of the Lord. Why it's breaking of bread together. And why it's the Eucharist.

[John Weaver] Why is it we give thanks unto Him. We haven't even touched the significance. I'll do that, Lord willing, next week. the partakers, the elements, all of this. But I want you to see just in this general introduction, God has given us the names which should teach us generally concerning the Lord's table. Let's pray. Father, we ask in the name of Jesus Christ that you would help us and teach Lord, help us to learn so that when we observe the Lord's table, we may not do so unworthily, but we may do so, Lord, as unto Thee, giving honor and glory to the one true and living God, through Jesus Christ, who is our Savior and our salvation. In Thy name we ask and pray. Amen.