The Lord's Supper
The Lord's Supper
What Does It Mean & Who May Participate?
The theology and practice of the
Bryce Avenue Presbyterian Church
Los Alamos, New Mexico
What is the Lord's Supper?
The Lord's Supper is an ordinance or command of Christ; a sacrament. It was instituted by the Lord Jesus on the night He was betrayed. It was given to those for whom He died (i.e., the invisible Church, which is all of God's redeemed and adopted children of all times and places) to remind them of His death on their behalf, His victory over death, and His return to judge the World and gather His people to Himself forever.
Remembering this great act of Christ is of great benefit to the believer because it sets before him the cost of his sin, the great love and mercy of God, the great gift of salvation bestowed upon him, and the present benefits of being adopted sons and daughters of God. The effect is to be a strengthening of the believer's walk of joy and obedience.
Because Christ is present spiritually in the Lord's Supper, we feed by faith upon the body and blood of our Savior symbolized by the two elements and are nourished spiritually in our hearts and souls.
One of our doctrinal statements, the Shorter Catechism, summarizes the matter before us:
* Q. 96 "What is the Lord's Supper?"
"The Lord's Supper is a sacrament in which bread and wine are given and received as Christ directed to proclaim His death. Those who receive the Lord's Supper in the right way share in His body and blood with all His benefits, not, physically but by faith, and become spiritually stronger and grow in grace."
To Whom Does the Sacrament Belong?
We ask, to whom does this sacrament belong? The sacrament Jesus instituted for His disciples that special night is for those who understand its purpose and who are intended to benefit from it. Thus, the sacrament is for those who have made a knowledgeable and credible profession of faith in Christ and rest solely on Him for salvation.
Why is the Table "Fenced?"
A fence is placed figuratively around the table by those called by Christ as His under-shepherds (elders) to maintain the high character of the Supper and, in love and compassion, to restrain those who are in willful disobedience against God and those who are outside the universal family of believers from bringing judgment upon themselves. The "fence" is manifested in terms of warnings and constraints on participation from God's Word, our confessional standards and our church's book of government.
Who May Participate in the Lord's Supper?
All those who profess the true religion (i.e., the Christian faith, as expressed in the historical and catholic/universal creeds) and are members in good standing in any evangelical church are invited to participate in the sacrament. Membership in our particular church or denomination is not necessary!
How do I know if I profess the "True Religion"?
Generally, if you are a communicant member (i.e., someone who has been allowed to take communion in the church) of an evangelical church, you have been examined by the ordained leaders of that church and found to have a credible profession of faith.
Why is the requirement of membership placed before you? Because by means of self- examination and examination by godly church leaders, a person may discern if he is in the faith or not.
If you are a member of an evangelical church but are unsure of your spiritual state, we ask you to meditate on the following questions. Ask yourself:
1. Do I acknowledge myself to be a sinner in the sight of God, justly deserving His displeasure, and without hope except through His sovereign mercy?
2. Do I believe in the Lord Jesus Christ as the Son of God, and Savior of sinners, and do I receive and trust Him alone for salvation as He is offered in the Gospel?
3. Do I resolve, in humble reliance upon the grace of the Holy Spirit, to endeavor to live as becomes a follower of Christ?
4. Do I support the Church in its worship and work to the best of my ability?
5. Do I submit myself to the government and discipline of the Church, and strive for its purity and peace?
If you cannot answer with a clear "yes" to these questions, or are unsure, do not participate in the Supper but observe the proceedings. Ask God for His grace in your life. Please speak with our pastor or one of our elders before or after the service if you have questions about your soul's state or any other questions you may have about our beliefs or practices.
How do I know if my church is "Evangelical?"
"Evangelical" is an overused title but it has a grand history. In its original sense the word meant Protestant. An evangelical church, then, is one that professes in its written doctrinal standards clear beliefs in the authority of the Scriptures as the only revelation of God in matters of faith and practice (Sola Scriptura) and that salvation is by grace alone, through faith alone in Christ alone and to the glory of God alone (Sola Gratia, Sola Fide, Solus Christus, Soli Deo Gloria).
Should I commune?
We invite you to participate with us in thiscelebration of the Lord's Supper if you can do so with a clear conscience before God and after you have carefully considered the material presented in this brochure.
We praise God for you and your presence with us in worship today. Whether you participate by communing or simply observe the Supper, may you be blessed as you worship in submission to our loving Savior along with the congregation.
17th Century Wisdom
The Westminster Confession of Faith and Catechisms, written in 1647 by Biblical scholars called together by the British Parliament for the purpose of producing a common doctrinal statement for that nation, extends to all a challenge to come rightly to the Table. These documents serve as the doctrinal statement of our church.
The Shorter Catechism, a question and answer teaching tool, gives us the following insight on how to come rightly to the Lord's Table:
* Q. 97 “What is the right way to receive the Lord's Supper?”
A: "The right way to receive the Lord's Supper is to examine whether we discern the Lord's body, whether our faith feeds on Him, and whether we have repentance, love, and a new obedience - so that we not come in the wrong way and eat and drink judgment on ourselves."
A Scriptural call to Examine ourselves before Communing
For I received from the Lord that which I also delivered to you, that the Lord Jesus in the night in which He was betrayed took bread; and when He had given thanks, He broke it and said, "This is My body which is for you; do this in remembrance of Me." In the same way He took the cup also after supper, saying, "This cup is the new covenant in My blood; do this as often as you drink it, in remembrance of Me." For as often as you eat this bread and drink the cup, you proclaim the Lord's death until He comes. Therefore whoever eats the bread and drinks the cup of the Lord in an unworthy manner, shall be guilty of the body and the blood of the Lord. But a man must examine himself, and in so doing he is to eat of the bread and drink of the cup. For he who eats and drinks, eats and drinks judgment to himself if he does not judge the body rightly.
I Corinthians 11:23-29 (NASB)
* The Westminster Shorter Catechism in Modern English, Kelly & Rollinson, Presbyterian & Reformed, 1986
JI
Published by the Session of the
Bryce Avenue Presbyterian Church
a congregation of the Presbyterian Church in America
333 Bryce Avenue
Los Alamos, NM 87544
(505) 672-3364 [phone]
(505) 672-4026 [fax]
E-mail: info@bapca.org
Web site: http://bapca.org
(Revised February 2002)
