(# 351) Romans 10 - THE LORD’S SUPPER CELEBRATION - What are Real Christians Like?

Class Outline:

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Welcome To

BARAH MINISTRIES

a Christian Church

Rory Clark

Pastor-Teacher

 

Good Morning!

 

Welcome to Barah Ministries…a Christian Church based in Mesa, AZ…my name is Pastor Rory Clark.  Welcome to… 

 

THE LORD’S SUPPER CELEBRATION

What are Real Christians Like?

 

Today, just as we do every month, we celebrate the Lord’s Supper…a meal of remembrance.  It’s a way to demonstrate our love for the Lord Jesus Christ.  We eat, by breaking bread…we drink, by tasting the fruit of the vine…and we look back to the Cross…one of the most significant occurrences of LOVE in divine history. 

 

First Corinthians, Chapter 11, Verse 26 says…

 

FIRST CORINTHIANS 11:26

For as often as you eat this bread and drink the cup, you proclaim the Lord’s death until He comes.

 

At the Lord’s Supper Celebration, as a gathering of His believers, we remember the Lord’s death on the Cross which paid the price for Adam’s sin…the sin that is credited to the account of all mankind at physical birth…the sin resulting in spiritual death for all. 

 

At the Lord’s Supper Celebration, we remember the shedding of the Lord’s blood to cleanse us from the unrighteousness caused by this sin of independence…a turning away of creatures from their Creator.  We remember, with gladness, that the Lord Jesus Christ made a way for His creatures to be reconciled to Him…by dying on a Cross…and by being resurrected from the dead three days later… both to prove that He is Deity, and to give us the hope of a cure for our unrighteousness. 

 

And now we believers in Christ KNOW, through His infallible Word, that

the Lord Jesus Christ is seated victorious at the right hand of His Father’s throne, waiting for the moment when God the Father will make the Lord’s enemies a footstool for His feet.  As believers in Christ, we are seated there

with Him, in union with Him, waiting for the glorious time when we come again with Him to witness His glory.  And we KNOW He made it possible for “whosoever,” for all creatures, to be saved by what He did at the Cross.

 

If you were to ask me which biblical character is my favorite…in fact which biblical character I am probably most like, there was a time when I would have said I am most like Peter.  I’ve since changed my view, maybe because I’ve matured, or maybe because I have become more thoughtful in my old age…but I now feel more like the apostle Paul.  Still my fondness for Peter has not waned a bit.  He is a guy I’ll want to meet with and spend time with and have a beer with in heaven. 

 

Why?  Peter is real.  Peter is the person I think of when I think of what a real Christians is like.  He was not phony, or pretentious, or self-righteous, like most Christians…those who think Christianity is about being “Christ-like” … those holding themselves to a standard they could never attain.

 

Peter was like you and me.  As a fisherman, Peter, much like the fishermen of his day was gruff, shabbily dressed, outspoken, and a user of vulgar language.  The fishermen of the first century were men’s men, and Peter was no exception.  He was full of passion and very hot tempered.  John, Chapter 18, Verse 10 details Peter’s response when the guards were arresting Jesus on the night before His crucifixion…

 

JOHN 18:10

Simon Peter then, having a sword, drew it and struck the high priest’s slave, and cut off his right ear…and the slave’s name was Malchus.

 

The most endearing part of Peter’s personality is that like me, he had a knack for putting his foot in his mouth.  Welcome to a place where you can learn about the real people our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ died for at the Cross, people just like you and Peter and me…real Christians.

 

MUSIC AND REFLECTION

Be Occupied with the Person of the Lord Jesus Christ

Enjoy the Singing of His Praises

 

BORN AGAIN

June Murphy

 

If you are holding on to anything in your heart today that is keeping you from loving…this would be a great time to place your concerns into the hands of the Lord who loves you unconditionally, and who considers your problems to be His responsibility…especially the problem of unrighteousness…the problem every unbeliever has.  Let’s reflect on the power of Christ’s Cross to remove the stain of sin as we listen to the opening song…BORN AGAIN sung by June Murphy.

 

OPENING PRAYER

 

Let us pray...

 

We’re grateful Heavenly Father for the privilege of studying the absolute truth...the Word of God…

 

Father, thank you for sending Your Son to be tortured and humiliated at the hands of godless men for our benefit…help us to learn to appreciate His gift to us by spreading the gospel message to everyone we meet.

 

We ask this through the power of God the Holy Spirit...in Christ’s name... Amen.

 

THE LORD’S SUPPER CELEBRATION

What are Real Christians Like?

 

Peter is a great example of what real Christians are like.  Peter describes himself in Luke, Chapter 5, Verses 1 to 8…

 

LUKE 5:1

Now it happened that while the crowd was pressing around Jesus and listening to the Word of God (being taught by Jesus), the Lord was standing by the lake of Gennesaret…

 

LUKE 5:2

…and Jesus saw two boats lying at the edge of the lake…but the fishermen had gotten out of the boats and were washing their nets.

 

LUKE 5:3

And Jesus got into one of the boats, which was Simon Peter’s boat, and asked Peter to pull out a little way from the land. And Jesus sat down in the boat and began teaching the people from the boat.

 

LUKE 5:4

When Jesus had finished speaking, He said to Simon Peter, “Put out your nets into the deep water and let down your nets for a catch.”

 

LUKE 5:5

Simon Peter answered Jesus and said, “Master, we worked hard all night and caught nothing, but I will do as You say and let down the nets.”

 

LUKE 5:6

When they had done this, they caught so great a quantity of fish that their nets began to break…

 

LUKE 5:7

…so they signaled to their partners in the other boat to come to help them. And the partners came and filled both of the boats with so much fish that the boats began to sink.

 

LUKE 5:8

But when Simon Peter saw that, he fell down at Jesus’ feet, saying, “Go away from me Lord, for I am a sinful man!”

 

Oh ye of little faith!  Peter was bold of speech, yet weak in faith, as are many of us.  Yet Peter was a member of the Lord’s inner circle.  When the Lord was in the Garden of Gethsemane the night before His crucifixion, Peter was one of the apostles the Lord asked to stay up with Him.  Peter, like all real Christians, was self first…he was sleepy!  Mark, Chapter 14, Verses 37 and 38…

 

MARK 14:37

And Jesus came and found Peter, James and John sleeping, and Jesus said to Peter, “Simon, are you asleep? Could you not keep watch for one hour?”

 

MARK 14:38

“Keep on watching and praying that you may not come into temptation…for the spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak.”

 

Jesus knows what we’re really like.  We’re often bold and boisterous, yet when the pressure comes we fold like a tent.  So it was with Peter.  In Luke, Chapter 22, Verses 31 to 34…the Lord Jesus Christ warns Peter about himself…

 

LUKE 22:31

“Simon Peter, Simon Peter, behold, Satan has demanded permission to sift all of you apostles like wheat…”

 

LUKE 22:32

“…but I have prayed specifically for you, Peter, that your faith may not fail…and that you, when once you have turned again, will go strengthen your brothers.”

 

LUKE 22:33

But Peter said to Him, “Lord, with You I am ready to go both to prison and to death!”

 

LUKE 22:34

And Jesus said, “I say to you, Peter, the rooster will not crow today until you have denied three times that you even know Me.”

 

Like most real Christians, Peter had the best of intentions, yet when the pressure came we know what happened to Peter.  Matthew, Chapter 26, Verses 69 to 75…under pressure Peter fell apart in his soul…

 

MATTHEW 26:69

Now Peter was sitting outside in the courtyard, and a servant-girl came to him and said, “You too were with Jesus the Galilean.”

 

MATTHEW 26:70

But Peter denied it before them all, saying, “I do not know what you are talking about.”

 

MATTHEW 26:71

When Peter had gone out to the gateway, another servant-girl saw him and said to those who were there, “This man was with Jesus of Nazareth.”

 

MATTHEW 26:72

And again Peter denied it with an oath, “I do not know the man.”

 

MATTHEW 26:73

A little later the bystanders came up and said to Peter, “Surely you too are one of them…for even the way you talk (your dialect) gives you away.”

 

MATTHEW 26:74

Then Peter began to curse and swear, “I do not know the man!” And immediately a rooster crowed.

 

MATTHEW 26:75

And Peter remembered the word which Jesus had said, “Before a rooster crows, you will deny Me three times.” And Peter went out and wept bitterly.

 

Like real Christians, many times we think as Peter did, that we are strong, and then we find out that we are weak, and we feel like we are a disappointment to the Lord.  Let’s enjoy the elements, and we’ll hear the rest of a real Christian’s story. 

 

THE LORD’S SUPPER CELEBRATION:

Enjoying the Elements

 

Following God’s request, we keep on celebrating CHRIST and His Cross on a regular basis…we eat to remember who He is as a PERSON…we drink to remember His WORK, the voluntary sacrifice He made at the Cross on our behalf as our sin substitute…and we are grateful for what God has done for us.  First Corinthians, Chapter 11, Verses 23 and 24 say…

 

FIRST CORINTHIANS 11:23

For I, Paul received from the Lord that which I also delivered to you, that the Lord Jesus Christ on the night in which He was betrayed took bread…

 

FIRST CORINTHIANS 11:24

…and when He had given thanks, He broke it and said, “This is, and keeps

 on being My body, which is broken for you…keep on doing this celebration

 for the purpose of remembering Me.”

 

When we eat the bread during the Lord’s Supper Celebration, we remember the Lord Jesus Christ AS A PERSON. 

 

When we drink the cup, we remember THE WORK of the Lord Jesus Christ.  First Corinthians, Chapter 11, Verses 25 and 26 say…

 

FIRST CORINTHIANS 11:25

In the same way the Lord Jesus Christ took the cup after supper, representing His death on the Cross, saying, “This cup is a new testament forged with My blood; keep on doing this celebration…and as often as you drink it…do so for the purpose of remembering Me.”

 

FIRST CORINTHIANS 11:26

For as often as you eat this bread and drink the cup (as part of the Lord’s Supper Celebration), you proclaim (as a reality and you announce the significance of) the Lord Jesus Christ’s death (on the Cross and His resurrection from the dead) until He comes (again in the second coming).

 

As you enjoy the bread and the cup, enjoy the memory of the Lord and Savior Jesus Christ as well. Now and always, let us keep on giving thanks that we are loved unconditionally and accepted fully by THE LORD WHO IS ALWAYS THERE…the One we can depend on…let’s keep on being transformed by His life and His death and His Word…and let’s enjoy His unconditional love Day by Day…and that’s the name of our Lord’s Supper song.

 

LORD’S SUPPER SONG

DAY BY DAY

Godspell

 

MUSIC BREAK

YOU RAN AFTER ME

June Murphy

 

THE LORD’S SUPPER CELEBRATION

What are Real Christians Like?

 

Real Christians are like Peter, a man that made many mistakes during his lifetime…but in the end, Peter did what the Lord requested.  Luke, Chapter 22, Verses 31 and 32…

 

LUKE 22:31

“Simon Peter, Simon Peter, behold, Satan has demanded permission to sift all of you apostles like wheat…”

 

LUKE 22:32

“…but I have prayed specifically for you, Peter, that your faith may not fail…and that YOU, when once you have turned again, WILL GO STRENGTHEN YOUR BROTHERS.”

 

Peter fulfilled the Lord’s wishes to strengthen his brothers in Acts, Chapter 2, Verses 22 to 42.  Let’s hear what it’s like when a real Christians grows up…as Peter goes to strengthen his kinsmen according to the flesh…the Jews…

 

ACTS 2:22

“Men of Israel, listen to these words: Jesus the Nazarene, a man attested to you by God the Father with miracles and wonders and signs which God the Father performed through Him in your midst, just as you yourselves know…”

 

ACTS 2:23

“…this Man, Jesus Christ, delivered over by the predetermined plan and foreknowledge of God the Father, you nailed to a Cross by the hands of godless men and put Him to death.”

 

ACTS 2:24

“But God the Father raised Him up again (from the dead), putting an end to the agony of death, since it was impossible for Jesus to be held in death’s power.”

 

ACTS 2:25

“For David says of Jesus, ‘I saw the Lord always in my presence…for He is at my right hand, so that I will not be shaken.’”

 

ACTS 2:26

“‘Therefore my heart was glad and my tongue exulted…moreover my flesh also will live in hope…’”

 

ACTS 2:27

“‘Because You (Lord) will not abandon my soul to Hades, nor allow Your Holy One to undergo decay.’”

 

ACTS 2:28

“‘You have made known to me the ways of life…You will make me full of gladness with Your presence.’”

 

ACTS 2:29

“Brethren, I may confidently say to you regarding the patriarch David that he both died and was buried, and his tomb is with us to this day.”

 

ACTS 2:30

“And so, because David was a prophet and knew that God the Father had sworn to him with an oath to seat one of his descendants on his throne…”

 

ACTS 2:31

“…he looked ahead and spoke of the resurrection of the Christ, that He was neither abandoned to Hades, nor did His flesh suffer decay.”

 

ACTS 2:32

“This Jesus, God the Father raised up again (from the dead), to which we are all witnesses.”

 

ACTS 2:33

“Therefore having been exalted to the right hand of God the Father, and having received from God the Father the promise of God the Holy Spirit, He has poured forth this which you both see and hear.”

 

ACTS 2:34

“For it was not David who ascended into heaven, but David himself says:  ‘The Lord (God the Father) said to my Lord (Jesus Christ), “Sit at My right hand…”

 

ACTS 2:35

“…until I make Your enemies a footstool for Your feet.”’

 

ACTS 2:36

“Therefore let all the house of Israel know for certain that God the Father has made Jesus both Lord and the Christ—this Jesus whom you crucified.”

 

ACTS 2:37

Now when the Men of Israel heard this, they were pierced to the heart, and said to Peter and to the rest of the apostles, “Brethren, what shall we do?”

 

ACTS 2:38

Peter said to them, “Repent, and each of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins…and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.”

 

ACTS 2:39

“For the promise is for you and your children and for all who are far off, as many as the Lord our God will call to Himself.”

 

ACTS 2:40

And with many other words Peter solemnly testified and kept on exhorting them, saying, “Be saved from among this perverse generation!”

 

ACTS 2:41

So then, those who had received Peter’s word were baptized…and that day there were added about three thousand souls.

 

ACTS 2:42

They were continually devoting themselves to the apostles’ teaching and to fellowship, to the breaking of bread, and to prayer.

 

That is why we, as real Christians, come together today…to break bread and to know what the Lord has done for us.  The Lord knows us…Isaiah, Chapter 40, Verses 7 and 8…

 

ISAIAH 40:7

The grass withers, the flower fades, when the breath of the Lord blows upon it…surely the people are grass.

 

ISAIAH 40:8

The grass withers, the flower fades, but the Word of our God stands forever.

 

Genesis, Chapter 3, Verse 19…

 

GENESIS 3:19

“By the sweat of your face You will eat bread, until you return to the ground, because from the ground you were taken…for you are dust, and to dust you shall return.”

 

We are like grass…we are like dust…as real Christians we are quite imperfect…yet the Cross gave us a hope which we cherish, and which we remind ourselves of at every Lord Supper Celebration.  Thank you Lord for loving us in our weakness, and for letting us know what it means to be real.

 

Let’s close in prayer…

 

CLOSING PRAYER

Let us pray...

 

          THANKS - INTERCESSION - PETITION

 

Thanks for coming!

Thanks for watching!

Thanks for listening!

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