Observing The Lord's Supper

Within this document, we intend to explain the purpose of the Lord’s Supper in the life of a church, our decision to move from monthly to weekly participation, and answer some potential questions.

Natural Born Feasters

From the beginning of creation, the pattern of worship culminates in feasting. When Christ returns, and His people dwell with Him in the new heavens and new earth, the crowning joy of the redemption of all things will be a feast—the marriage supper of the Lamb.

Why the emphasis on eating? Because our God is a God of communion. He delights to commune with His people, and a shared meal is one of the most powerful ways to enjoy communion with someone. God created you to enjoy meals in fellowship. In the Lord’s Supper, we feast with God alongside other Christians.

Though our cravings for food bear witness that we are meant to feast with God, our sinfulness bears witness that we cannot feast with the utterly Holy God. Since sin entered the world, our only hope for fellowship and communion with God is through the finished work of Jesus Christ. He is the way, the truth, and the life, no one comes to the Father except they go through Jesus (John 14:6).

Therefore, we rightly call this communion meal “The Lord’s Supper.” Jesus is both the host and the meal itself (John 6:35, 48, 51, 53-58; 1 Corinthians 10:16-17). He is the source, substance, and celebration of the bread and wine. We cannot understand or participate in the Lord’s Supper apart from the gospel. Our participation is due to the salvific work of God for us through the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus Christ.

This longstanding truth about the Lord’s Supper, found in the 1689 LBCF¹, provides a helpful foundation for us:

“The supper of the Lord Jesus was instituted by Him the same night He was betrayed. It is to be observed in His churches to the end of the age as a perpetual remembrance and display of the sacrifice of Himself in His death. It is given for the confirmation of the faith of believers in all the benefits of Christ’s death, their spiritual nourishment and growth in Him, and their further engagement in and to all the duties they owe Him. The supper is to be a bond and pledge of their communion with Christ and each other.” (1689 LBCF 30:1)

A Feast of Faith

The Lord’s Supper is a feast of faith because it strengthens our faith in Christ as we look back in faith to what Jesus has done for us on the cross.

In 1 Corinthians 11:23–26, the Apostle Paul quotes Jesus saying, “Do this in remembrance of Me“ and he adds, “For as often as you [do this], you proclaim the Lord’s death until He comes.” Paul teaches us that the Lord’s Supper is meant to remind us of the work of Christ on the cross and strengthen our faith in Him.

The Lord’s Supper is a reminder of the new covenant of grace achieved by Jesus on the cross—“This cup is the new covenant in my blood”— which God makes with His people. In the Lord’s Supper, we see that our fellowship with God exists through Christ by His gracious salvation.

There is a memorial aspect of the Lord’s Supper which helps us understand one reason why we must regularly partake of the Lord’s Supper: we are spiritually weak people who are prone to forget God’s mighty work of salvation. Every time we drink the cup and eat the broken bread it reminds us God graciously saves sinners.

Again, the 1689 confession of faith is helpful:

“Worthy recipients who outwardly partake of the visible elements (bread and wine) in this ordinance also by faith inwardly receive and feed on Christ crucified and all the benefits of His death. They do so really and truly, yet not physically and bodily but spiritually. The body and blood of Christ are not present bodily or physically in the ordinance but spiritually to the faith of believers, just as the elements themselves are present to their outward senses.” (1689 LBCF 30:7)

Filled With Hope

The Lord’s Supper fills us with hope as we look forward in hope for what Christ will do one day. As 1 Corinthians 11:26 says, “For as often as you eat this bread and drink the cup, you proclaim the Lord’s death until He comes.” The phrase “until He comes” teaches us that the Lord’s Supper is not only a memorial meal. Yes, we look back at Christ’s finished work, yet we also look forward to His glorious return.

In the Old Testament book of Isaiah, we see God extend an invitation to all those who are thirsty and hungry to eat freely from the bounty of the LORD—a future feast on the Mountain of the LORD—which is a reference to the new heavens and new earth (Isaiah 25:6–9). Here we see the blessings of God given to His people as they share a meal—God will wipe away every tear, conquer His enemies, vindicate His people, and most importantly, defeat death.

Therefore, fellowshipping with God is not only the pinnacle of the worship service, but also the pinnacle of a life of worship. That eternal meal in heaven, still to come, is our great hope. When Jesus instituted the Lord’s Supper, He told His disciples, “I tell you I will not drink again of this fruit of the vine until that day when I drink it new with you in my Father’s kingdom” (Matthew 26:29). Jesus is referring to the new heavens and new earth, that new kingdom that He will usher in upon His return. He promises His people that we will feast with Him.

We get a glimpse of what is to come in Revelation 19:9: “And the angel said to me, “Write this: Blessed are those who are invited to the marriage supper of the Lamb.” And he said to me, “These are the true words of God.”” Therefore, what Old Testament Israel only knew in shadow, we know in substance. We know that the hope of eating with God only comes through Jesus Christ. Therefore, we participate in the Lord’s Supper with great joy as we hope in Jesus’s return.

Joined In Love

The Lord’s Supper joins us, in God’s love, with Christ and His body—the Church. In other words, we are united together in the bonds of Christian love. Paul’s repeated use of the word “you” is plural as he gives instructions to the Corinthian church. The Lord’s Supper is communal, but the Corinthians were guilty of forgetting this aspect.

In 1 Corinthians 11:20–22, we learn they were guilty of eating without one another, eating more than they should, not leaving enough for others, getting drunk, etc. Designed to be a communal meal, the Corinthians turned it into an individual, gluttonous indulgence.

First and foremost, through the Lord’s Supper we are united to our Head, Christ Jesus. As we communally partake of the bread and cup, we also spiritually partake of the Lord’s body and blood. We recognize that it is Him and His work that unites us (1 Corinthians 10:16-17). Spiritually, we are truly united with Christ because of His salvation. By faith in Him, His broken body and spilt blood count as ours. His victory over sin and death is ours.

We are not bringing Christ down in the Lord’s Supper; He brings us up to Himself and His heavenly table. In the Lord’s Supper, you are, as Paul said, “[setting your mind] on things above, not on things on the earth. For you died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God” (Colossians 3:2-3).

We are communing with Christ Himself! The bread and the cup do not reduce the presence of Christ to simply a memorial. When we receive them in faith, we are spiritually receiving all the benefits of Christ’s death and resurrection. In the Lord’s Supper, the Holy Spirit provides much needed nourishment for our souls. Christ is our all in all. Christ is everything that we need. And in the Lord’s Supper, we have Him (John 6:51).

Though Christ draws us more deeply into our union with Him, God also strengthens our union with one another (1 Corinthians 10:17). The Lord’s Supper is the great uniting work in the church. It is our bond of love. The Spirit is at work in all of us, bonding us together in love, as we participate in the Lord’s Supper. If we partake of the Lord’s Supper in a selfish way, as the Corinthians were doing, then we missed the point of the fellowship meal.

Feasting in the Wilderness

Finally, the Lord’s Supper reminds us that God can provide for all our needs, as we feast in the wilderness. As Christ reminds us to take the bread and the cup in remembrance of Him, we not only remember His spiritual work for us in His gracious salvation, but we must also remember that He is with us always.

In the Lord’s Supper, God sustains us despite our weak faith. Possessing hearts that are prone to wander, we receive God’s persevering grace at the table, as we get a foretaste of the glories of heaven to come—where we will eternally fellowship with Him and His people.

Because the Lord’s Supper is such a tremendous reminder of God’s gracious work of salvation, the future coming of Christ and the marriage supper of the Lamb, and our union with Christ and His people, then we must partake in a worthy manner.

We find tremendous grace and mercy in the Lord’s Supper. The divinely designed introspection forces us to examine our hearts—to discern the body of Christ—so that we do not incur God’s judgment for eating and drinking in an unworthy manner (1 Corinthians 11:27-29).

The Lord’s Supper is for truly repentant sinners who are clinging to the grace of God by faith in Jesus Christ and His cross during their sojourning. Therefore, we must repent of our sins and believe in the Lord Jesus Christ, that we may enjoy all the blessings of the Lord’s Supper.

How Often Should We Observe The Lord's Supper?

Jesus said, “Do this, as often as you drink it, in remembrance of Me” (1 Corinthians 11:25). Though this implies regularity, it does not provide specific details as to how often is “often.” However, Paul’s references to the Corinthians celebrating the Lord’s Supper when they “come together” seems to imply that they celebrated it each time the church gathered (Acts 2:42; 1 Corinthians 11:17-18, 20, 33-34). Also, in Acts 20:7, we read, “on the first day of the week, when we were gathered together to break bread…” which may suggest the Lord’s Supper was an element of their weekly worship practice.

We believe these instances allow for flexibility in how often a church observes the Lord’s Supper—though it should be often enough to consider it “often.” In other words, a church should not tuck it away and bring it out at random during the year.

Therefore, it is our conviction to practice a weekly observance of the Lord’s Supper. As we believe this will strengthen our efforts to glorify God by making disciples who grow in their faith in Jesus and their love for one another.

Common Questions For Weekly Participation in The Lord's Supper

1. Will a weekly participation cause the Lord’s Supper to lose its significance, reducing it to an insignificant religious practice?

We would not apply this same logic to singing, praying, or preaching in the service, so why do so here? Besides, God designed all of life, especially the Christian life, to be largely mundane and routine (though rare exceptions exist). It is in the mundane and routine that discipleship happens—that we grow in our faith in Jesus and love for one another. Mundane and routine are not the issue. However, our heart, and the way we approach God may be a problem. Which is why we must examine ourselves before we eat the bread and drink the cup (1 Corinthians 11:28).

2. Why is the Lord’s Supper not a full meal?

Though we have great reason to believe the early church participated in the Lord’s Supper as a full meal, this is descriptive and not prescriptive for us. However, what is prescriptive is Jesus telling His disciples to “eat the bread” and “drink the cup,” which Paul repeats to the Corinthian church in his instructions on the Lord’s Supper, which he received from the Lord (1 Corinthians 11:23-26).

So, we practice the Lord’s Supper with instructions to eat the bread and drink the cup. Theologian John Frame offers a good reason for us to continue using small cups and bits of bread: “We eat only little bits of bread and drink little cups of wine, for we know that our fellowship with Christ in this life cannot begin to compare with the glory that awaits us in Him.”

3. Who should and should not participate in the Lord’s Supper?

We invite anyone who has repented of their sins, placed their faith in Jesus Christ for their salvation, participated in believer’s baptism, and is not currently under church discipline to participate in the Lord’s Supper alongside us—whether they be visitors to or members of NLCC.

Parents should not permit their children to participate until they have repented of their sins, believed in Jesus for salvation, and participated in believer’s baptism.

For further clarity on who is unfit to participate in the Lord’s Supper, we appeal to the 1689 confession once again:

“All ignorant and ungodly people are unfit to enjoy communion with Christ and are thus unworthy of the Lord’s Table. As long as they remain in this condition, they cannot partake of these holy mysteries or be admitted to the Lord’s Table without committing a great sin against Christ (2 Corinthians 6:14-15). All those who receive the supper unworthily are guilty of the body and blood of the Lord, eating and drinking judgment on themselves (1 Corinthians 11:29; Matthew 7:6).

4. Will this lengthen the duration of our worship service?

Yes, it will lengthen our service duration by a small amount. We believe it is totally worth the extra minutes added to our service, for all the reasons presented above.