The Lord's Supper as a Means of Grace (5)

In this part of the sermon: Pastor Martin begins by thanking those who facilitated the service despite weather, then establishes that Christ is the sole source of spiritual life, which is nurtured through…

Martin thanks men who made responsible decisions about holding services despite snow and those who helped people safely into the building, illustrating practical expressions of Christian concern and remembering Jesus' words about a cup of cold water.

The following message was delivered on Sunday morning, February 13th, 1994, at the Trinity Baptist Church in Montville, New Jersey. Now before we turn to the reading of the Word of God, I do want to express for myself personally, and I would hope for all of the congregation corporately, thanks to those men who sought to make a responsible decision about the services of this day, and I believe God has answered our prayers that they would be given wisdom in judgment with reference to whether or not we would be tempting God to gather at all, or whether we would be too easily yielding to a little ...

0:03 - 1:26 Read in full sermon

The point: As you sit there and look at the table with the bread upon it and the fruit of the vine in the cup, seek there Jesus Christ whom I love.

Martin quotes a hymn to beautifully capture the essence of coming to the Lord's table in meek humility and loving obedience to Christ's person and word.

This is beautifully captured in one of our hymns in which we sing according to thy gracious word in meek humility. This will I, my,

15:20 - 15:34 Read in full sermon

The point: With reference to the details of the observance of the Lord's Supper, let it be conducted with sensible flexibility.

Martin notes that seemingly minor questions about communion details (unleavened bread, fermented wine, single cup) have historically split groups of Christians into denominations, highlighting the danger of legalism over circumstantial matters.

Questions like these, believe it or not, some of you are blissfully ignorant of this. I wish I were, but I'm not, and that's why I'm bringing the word of exhortation because there's no new thing under the sun. Such questions as these have split whole groups of Christians into denominations. Questions as these and the differing answers you have no Lord unless you have unleavened bread and fermented wine and they are called every Jewish charade and every generation and realizing also that more and more as the Lord is pleased to save people out of the diversity of backgrounds we bring with us and...

24:29 - 25:55 Read in full sermon

The point: With reference to the details of the observance of the Lord's Supper, let it be conducted with sensible flexibility.

He uses the analogy of 'baggage of our past associations' to describe how new believers or those joining from other churches bring differing expectations and sensitivities regarding communion practices, necessitating flexibility.

Questions like these, believe it or not, some of you are blissfully ignorant of this. I wish I were, but I'm not, and that's why I'm bringing the word of exhortation because there's no new thing under the sun. Such questions as these have split whole groups of Christians into denominations. Questions as these and the differing answers you have no Lord unless you have unleavened bread and fermented wine and they are called every Jewish charade and every generation and realizing also that more and more as the Lord is pleased to save people out of the diversity of backgrounds we bring with us and...

24:29 - 25:55 Read in full sermon

The point: Remember Romans 14:17: the kingdom of God is not eating and drinking but righteousness, peace, and joy in the Holy Ghost, and do not let details about communion disturb the peace and joy of the church.

Martin warns the younger generation that someone with a 'bee in his bonnet' (an obsession) about unleavened bread or fermented wine will inevitably try to agitate and irritate, illustrating the potential for division over non-essential details.

it with the missionary it would be unthinkable to serve anything other than fermented grapes to serve wine with some alcoholic content at the Lord's table there is a flexibility that is right and sensible and proper and I am pleading with I'm exhorting concerning the details the observance of the Lord's supper let it ever be in this place mark sensible sensible flexibility sooner or later mark this word especially you younger generation somebody's going to come along who's got a bee in his bonnet about unleavened bread and he's going to agitate and he's going to irritate and he's going to star...

37:22 - 38:50 Read in full sermon

The point: Remember Romans 14:17: the kingdom of God is not eating and drinking but righteousness, peace, and joy in the Holy Ghost, and do not let details about communion disturb the peace and joy of the church.

Martin recounts Trinity Baptist Church's own journey from individual cubes of bread to one loaf, and from individual cups to retaining individual cups despite pressure for a single cup, demonstrating how they applied sensible flexibility without compromising conscience.

under this heading of exhortations concerning the details of the of the observance of the Lord's Supper and may I indulge a little history to let you know this is not theoretical there is none of us in leadership or anyone who was in leadership when Trinity Church was formed that had any background where the communion service was conducted with one loaf but as we studied the scriptures and as we contemplated the symbolism as we tried to be sensitive to where people were coming from the leaders decided that the use of the one loaf would not create any kind of an emotional or psychological barri...

40:17 - 41:46 Read in full sermon

The point: Maintain a climate where brethren are willing to defer to one another and to the judgment of elders on non-essential matters to preserve peace and unity in the church.

He shares how Trinity Baptist Church changed its communion frequency from quarterly to monthly, and its timing, based on the desire of the people and wise leadership, illustrating flexibility in practice without controversy.

of the one cup and many biblical principles that would move in that direction however as we contemplated that we thought of the impediments it would create among the people that were amongst God's people and it wasn't a matter of having a man pleasing spirit but we came to the conviction that the overall symbolism would not be materially undermined did we forego the use of the one cup given our cultural mix given a number of factors and so we've retained the use of individual cups now someone says compromise maybe compromise with someone who only sees circumstantial details and doesn't see lar...

41:46 - 43:15 Read in full sermon

The point: Maintain a climate where brethren are willing to defer to one another and to the judgment of elders on non-essential matters to preserve peace and unity in the church.

Martin uses the example of some brethren preferring an organ for worship but deferring to the elders' judgment to use a piano, illustrating how peace is maintained when believers honor one another and avoid schism over non-essential preferences.

present structure but that's not the law of the Medes and the Persians there may be compelling reasons in days to come to change the precise time and how often we meet and as a result we have had no controversy no divisiveness and we've had a marvelous opportunity to do what the Bible says in honor prefer one another in love now there are certain brethren among us whose whole background and experience in corporate worship has been inseparably linked to a certain instrument called an organ and while they in a very innocent way get in their licks whenever they can about when we're going to have ...

43:15 - 44:43 Read in full sermon

The point: Be determined to see the Lord's table conducted with stark simplicity, avoiding elaborate liturgy, pomp, or deep mysteries.

He uses the metaphor of being 'stark naked' to explain the meaning of 'stark simplicity,' emphasizing that the Lord's Supper should be plain, bold, and unadorned, without any liturgical clothing.

what a horrible thought parasitic mindset regarding some nitpicking detail would be the occasion of schism in this body but then my last word to you this morning and it's the second exhortation under this heading of the circumstances or the details of the Lord's Supper let it be conducted with sensible flexibility and now finally let it be conducted with stark simplicity let it be conducted with stark simplicity and I've chosen that word stark deliberately I've looked up many synonyms I've toyed with using many synonyms but when someone is in his birthday suit we say he's stark naked and when ...

44:43 - 46:12 Read in full sermon

The point: Be determined to see the Lord's table conducted with stark simplicity, avoiding elaborate liturgy, pomp, or deep mysteries.

Martin describes the idea of the bread and wine literally transforming into Christ's body and blood as 'cannibalism,' highlighting the absurdity and blasphemy of such a doctrine in contrast to the symbolic nature of the Supper.

last bit of skin on the end of every finger and every toe and on the end of his nose that somehow parts of him had been multiplied like he multiplied the loaves and the fishes they were eating his literal body that turns that supper into cannibalism cannibalism it's cannibalism it's cannibalism it's cannibalism anything other than what he intended they should think this bread represents my body which is given for you then he takes the cup the ordinary cup from which they had drunk or a separate cup there is a diversity of opinion about the practice of the Jews at that time but he takes an ordi...

47:41 - 49:09 Read in full sermon

The point: Do this (the simple Supper) in remembrance of me; no more, no less, nothing more.

He uses the powerful analogy of men seeking to 'truss up the lifeless corpse of empty religion with increasing ritualism, ceremony, and clericalism' and 'perfume the corpse with concoctions of superstition' when spiritual life wanes, illustrating the historical pattern of external forms replacing internal vitality.

simple supper in its stark simplicity was the best means to aid our faith to remember him who are we? to be wiser and all movement away from the stark simplicity of the supper is a movement away from the wisdom and then the second reason why we must be determined that it shall be conducted with stark simplicity is this it's a tragically evident pattern in scripture and in church history that when spiritual life and power wane or die in direct proportion men will seek to truss up the lifeless corpse of empty religion with increasing ritualism ceremony and clericalism and perfume the corpse with...

55:01 - 56:30 Read in full sermon

The point: Do this (the simple Supper) in remembrance of me; no more, no less, nothing more.

Martin quotes Scottish theologian William Cunningham at length, who observed that 'a grievous corruption of the scriptural doctrine of the sacraments appeared very early in the church' and that 'when the soul of religion vital religion dies the body of religious ceremony grows,' providing historical and theological support for the warning against ritualism.

simple supper in its stark simplicity was the best means to aid our faith to remember him who are we? to be wiser and all movement away from the stark simplicity of the supper is a movement away from the wisdom and then the second reason why we must be determined that it shall be conducted with stark simplicity is this it's a tragically evident pattern in scripture and in church history that when spiritual life and power wane or die in direct proportion men will seek to truss up the lifeless corpse of empty religion with increasing ritualism ceremony and clericalism and perfume the corpse with...

55:01 - 56:30 Read in full sermon

The point: If there's ever a push to go beyond the stark simplicity of the table, remember that the answer to dullness or lifelessness is not ritualism, but a return to the powerful preaching of the law and the gospel.

Martin wonders if first-century pastors gave similar warnings against moving away from simplicity, reflecting on the historical trajectory of the church towards ritualism and the potential for saints to look back with regret at missed warnings.

to go beyond the stark simplicity may some of you have the discernment to remember what you heard today and say look our answer our answer to the dullness to the lifelessness the humdrum of the stark simplicity of the table is not ritualism upon our death but it's to go back to the law the Lord will bless the preaching of the law and the gospel until once again there are sinners ravished with love to an immolated crucified risen savior and who will count it their privilege to come to his table in the stark simplicity of broken bread and the fruit of the vine poured out I could not help but won...

61:45 - 63:14 Read in full sermon