Word of Salvation – Vol. 22 No. 32 – April 1976

 

Christ's Most Gracious Command: To Remember Him In The L.S.

 

Sermon by Rev. P. J. Berghouse on Lord's Day 28

Scripture Reading: 1Corinthians 11:17-34

Text: 1Cor.11:24c.. "Do this in remembrance of Me."

Psalter Hymnal: (new) 40; 1:2,3 (law); 299:6,7,8 (offering);
            385 (sermon); 310 (doxology); 29 or 30:3 and 4 alternatives.

(Can be used as a PREPARATORY SERMON)

 

Beloved of the Lord Jesus Christ,

In Lord's Day 28 the Heidelberg Catechism directs our attention to the teaching of God's Word regarding the Lord's Supper.

Young People: If you have not done confession of Faith yet, you might be inclined to think that this is of little concern for YOU.

As it is the practice in many of our congregations for the people to come forward to the Table, it COULD be that some get the idea, that the children and other non-confessing members are "left-behind".

This, of course, is NOT the meaning at all!

Being "left-behind" would give the impression that you are not INVOLVED.

We must realise however, that you still can be very much involved – even though you cannot partake:

For every time the Lord's Supper is celebrated – the WHOLE congregation is involved.

Throughout the history of the Church, the children and teenagers have asked the question: "WHAT does this mean?"

In the Old Testament we read that the children were EXPECTED to ask this question with regard to the Passover meal, and the parents were instructed how to answer their children.

So, in the New Testament we still can expect the same question, particularly from the Covenant Youth of the Church...!

Is the Lord's Supper not a sign and seal of the Covenant?

And would you young people, who are Covenant CHILDREN, not want to know, WHAT the things of the Covenant are all about?  Well, what DOES the Lord's Supper mean to YOU?

Is it something through which you can hear the Lord calling you so that you MUST respond one way or another?

Many young people are anxious to do confession of faith for such reasons as wanting to get rid of Catechism classes or simply because somehow it gives you a feeling of 'BELONGING to the grown-ups'.

But, is THIS a proper response to God's Call?

And — say — that you ARE grown-up and you HAVE done confession of faith are you then, no longer faced with the question:
            "What DOES the Lord's Supper mean to YOU ??"

Notice what the Heidelberg Catechism asks of those who have confessed that their only comfort in life and death is that they belong to Jesus; and who have gone on to confess their faith in terms of:
            "sin and misery" and of
            "salvation in Christ" and of
            "thankfulness for deliverance"
and who have also confessed in answer 66, WHAT Sacraments are namely "visible signs and seals of the promise of the Gospel;
            "that God, of grace, grants us the remission of sins
             AND Life Eternal.”

The question then asked of THESE people is not WHAT, but “HOW is it signified and sealed UNTO YOU?"

This 'how' is boldly answered by referring to the fact that "CHRIST HAS COMMANDED and HE has added the PROMISES..”!.

The Catechism teaches us to formulate our faith in this way because in 1Corinthians 11:24c we read that Jesus said:
            “DO this in remembrance of Me."

As the Lord's Congregation we listen today to...

"CHRIST'S MOST GRACIOUS COMMAND
TO REMEMBER HIM IN THE LORD'S SUPPER.'

We see:
            1.  It is a Command.
            2.  It is a Most Gracious Command.

I.  It is a Command

When we read that word "Commanded" in the Heidelberg Catechism, we cannot help but wonder, whether many people would answer the question, "What does the Lord's Supper mean to you?" in terms of obedience to a command.  It is not likely that many would do so.

This undoubtedly is due to the fact that usually we do not get very pleasant thoughts coming to our minds, when we hear of 'obedience' and of 'commands'.

Most children will tell us, that a COMMAND means that you have no choice yourself — you can expect TROUBLE, if you don't DO as you are told!

Generally, we feel much happier if we are ASKED to do something.  Indeed there are people who seem proud of the fact that "no one can tell THEM what to do!"  Let's face it — no-one likes to be "bossed around'.

And as for "OBEDIENCE" ?????

Well, THAT word leaves a sour taste in the mouth also...!  We like to do things "out-of-love" rather than in obedience.  We like to be FREE, and for most people 'obedience' has an idea of slavery connected with it.

But when we feel like that, does that not show, how much more our thinking is influenced by the WORLD in which we live; rather than by the WORD BY which we live???

For does not the Word of God SING about the commandments, that they are a delight for the believer?  In the Bible there is NO contrast — NO friction — between Love and the Commandments...!

Do YOU know of a Psalm in which the child of God asks to be set FREE from the commandments of the Lord?  Or... have you EVER heard a Christian COMPLAIN that "the Lord is 'bossing-us-about' "?  Of course not!!

So, when the Catechism asks the question: "How is it signified and sealed unto YOU in the Lord's Supper that YOU partake of Christ and all His Benefits?" the believer joyfully answers that this is signified and sealed to me in that CHRIST has COMMANDED me (and all believers) to eat and drink, when He said:
            "DO this in remembrance of Me.”

You see, if it were not for this COMMAND of Christ, NO person would have the RIGHT to come to the Table!

Perhaps there are times when we act as if the Table is there for us whenever WE 'feel-like-it'.  Then we come whenever it suits US!  And there can be many different reasons why we do NOT 'feel-like-it'.

But JESUS does not ask whether or not it suits us.  He simply says: "DO this!"  "Take, Eat and Drink... DO!"  So next time, when you think you have some reason for NOT attending this Holy Table remember then that it is the Lord who gave you His Most Gracious Command: "DO this!"

And are His Commandments not a constant source of joy to you?

Perhaps there are times when we act as if going to the Table is just – ‘the-done-thing'.  Then we partake purely out of custom — we go through the same motions as everybody else, but please do not ask them: "What does the Lord's Supper mean to you?"  THAT question would be too embarrassing.  The command has lost its strength and so our response to it affords LITTLE JOY.

Perhaps there are also times when we act as if going to the Table just is 'NOT-for-us' Maybe we live in some kind of sin and we like it far too much.  We rather are DISOBEDIENT even to the Lord's Command, than that we break with our sin.

Or we think that we are not good enough...
            we confessed our sins
            we trust Christ for forgiveness
            YET we are not so sure whether God will have us,
and — with many pious words and phrases we proclaim OUR unworthiness.
With Psalm 24 we ask:
            "Who shall ascend unto the Hill of the Lord? 
             And who shall stand in His Holy place?"

Sometimes young people reason rather similarly, when they POSTPONE doing confession of faith — NOT because they do not love their Lord — BUT because they feel that first THEY have to improve, BEFORE they can respond to the Lord's call.

In all these cases it is vitally important that we listen carefully to what Jesus says: "This DO... and do it... IN REMEMBRANCE OF ME."

Did you realise that this is the ONLY restriction?

You see, what the Lord's Supper means to YOU.... does NOT depend on your or my FEELINGS on whether WE think that we are worthy or unworthy - It DOES depend on the fact that CHRIST has commanded EVEN YOU AND ME to DO this.

And to do so IN REMEMBRANCE OF HIM means that we will be ever so careful!...!  It means that EVERY TIME the Lord presents us with the opportunity of coming to His Table
            — we will be delighted about it
            — we will be diligent in coming to it
            — we will be humble towards it AND
            — we will, in absolute TRUST, obey His Call!

Now, WHEN there ARE circumstances in which we must recognise that we simply CANNOT go just-like-that, THEN, JOYFUL OBEDIENCE to the Lord's Most Gracious Command requires that we do EVERYTHING within our power to overcome the obstacles; and so to open the way to the Table.

That means:
            — we will confess our sins to God and to the people we have wronged,
            — we will make good what we have spoiled, and
            — we will forgive ALL who wronged us.

Moreover, we do all this
NOT because we are scared that otherwise we will not go to heaven;
BUT simply because God is GOD
            and we are the sheep of His pasture,
            and His sheep hear His voice,
            and to them, "the Precepts of the Lord are right, rejoicing the heart."

This brings us to our second point, namely that the words "DO this in remembrance of Me" form....

II. A Most Gracious Command.

We all realise of course that what has just been said does not make going to the Table any easier!

Let us therefore look again at what the Catechism says in question and answer 75, where we read that,

It is signified and sealed to us through the Lord's Supper that we partake of Christ and all His benefits, in that Christ has commanded ... and then... also in that Christ has ADDED TWO PROMISES, namely that the Sacrifice He brought is indeed FOR ME — and that He feeds and nourishes MY SOUL to everlasting life!

Now, when a person is dying of an incurable disease, and the doctor comes along, with all kinds of fancy promises, then that patient will not be greatly comforted.

But, WHEN after a very serious operation, the doctor comes and tells you, that all went well, and you can expect to live a NORMAL life within the foreseeable future...
            — THEN such a promise brings hope,
            — and such hope gives strength,
            — and such strength helps your recovery!

Thus the Catechism says THE FACT that our Lord commands us to eat and to drink "in remembrance of Him", ASSURES us of two things:
FIRST, that you may “EMBRACE with a believing heart
            ALL the sufferings and the death of Christ,
            and RECEIVE forgiveness of sins and eternal life."

That is like when the doctor tells you that the operation has been SUCCESSFUL!
            "O Death, where is now your sting!"

SECONDLY, we are assured of the fact that we
            "are united MORE AND MORE to Christ's Sacred Body,
            by the Holy Spirit who dwells both in Him and in us.'

That is like when the doctor tells you that you can expect to live a NORMAL life!

We realise immediately of course, that when the doctor says this, it does NOT mean that at that very moment, you can hop out of bed and go and play football again!

INDEED, we experience as all too real, how WEAK we are; and how LIMITED we are by the results of our 'pre-operation condition.'  The spirit may be very willing, but the flesh can cause us to be so terribly weak!

LIKE the patient whose slow recovery needs to be helped sometimes, by auxiliary equipment such as artificial respirators — others have to have their limbs in plaster, and some have to hobble around on crutches for a long time.

SO it is with us.

The fact that Christ died for our sins, and that through the Lord's Supper HE promises that we WILL be more and more united to Him, does NOT mean, that suddenly all is well.  As if, all the Christian needs to do, is to "hop out and get going"... in the style of: "just believe, and presto...
            no more sickness,
            no more weeping,
            no more wailing!"

No, our Lord KNOWS our every weakness.

HE is the perfect physician, who provides all the necessary helps without which we would not be able to recover.

HE places us in the fellowship of other believers, whose support we desperately need, if ever we want to walk in faith.

HE instructs us continually through HIS Word.

HE provides the perfect spiritual Respirator, as He pours out His Holy Spirit in our heart.

Yes, it is the LORD who feeds and nourishes our soul to eternal life ...  Some are fed with bottle  Others — says Paul — should be ready to go on to solid foods.  ALL, however, have ONE thing in common...  THERE IS LIFE!  Where there is death food is of no avail!   And so we see, that our Lord's command "DO this!" is indeed the most Gracious Command ever given.  For unto us, who WERE DEAD because of our rebellion against the Giver of Life — even unto US, comes the command to eat and to drink.

That can only mean one thing: The LORD obviously must regard us ALIVE enough, to be able to obey that command.  For no doctor would dream of telling a patient to EAT if that patient can only be fed intravenously.

When you look at YOUR life, you may be inclined to say: "But I am TOO WEAK to eat; I just cannot bring up the effort it takes."  If you say that, you have spoken the truth the whole truth — and nothing but the truth: YOU CANNOT bring up the effort...  as long as you are not born again, you have NO power!

BUT, when CHRIST comes and lives IN you with HIS Holy Spirit, THEN you are "flesh of His flesh and bone of His bones, and you live and are governed by HIS Spirit."

That is how the Catechism puts it in answer 76.

To be governed by His Spirit means that, in YOUR weakness — His power is revealed.

But if Christ's Grace covers us to that extent — does then any excuse to stay away from the Table, not imply a denial of God's POWER?  Beloved, it is CHRIST who commanded us to eat and to drink at HIS Table — it is CHRIST who added the promises that HIS sacrifice was brought for those who BELIEVE, and that it is HE who feeds and nourishes us in such a way that we are MORE AND MORE united to Him.

And THAT is how it is signified and sealed unto us in the Holy Supper, that we partake of the one sacrifice of Christ, and... of ALL HIS BENEFITS!

Amen.