The Lord's Supper as a Means of Grace (1)

Driving home: You and I, young and old alike must never underestimate the perverse ability of men to take the most precious gifts of God. And convert them into a curse.

Martin uses the example of the Corinthian church's perversion of the Lord's Supper within 20 years of its institution to illustrate humanity's perverse ability to turn God's most precious gifts into a curse.

You and I, young and old alike must never underestimate the perverse ability of men to take the most precious gifts of God. And convert them into a curse. Never underestimate. Men's ability to take the most precious gifts of God.

5:26 - 5:41 Read in full sermon

In this part of the sermon: Martin establishes the first pillar of the Lord's Supper's biblical basis: the explicit command of Jesus Christ himself, as recorded in the Gospels, particularly Luke 22:14-20…

Martin uses the analogy of not needing his wife's picture when she is present to explain that the Lord's Supper is a remembrance for when Christ is physically absent, not a substitute for His presence.

When I'm at home with my wife, I don't take out the picture that's in my satchel of her and of the grandchildren. The pictures that always come out when I'm away and in a motel or in someone's home. When I have my wife, I don't need her picture.

26:49 - 27:06 Read in full sermon

In this part of the sermon: The second pillar of the Supper's biblical basis is presented: its perpetuation through apostolic practice (Acts 2:42, Acts 20:7) and precept, demonstrating its universal and…

Martin quotes Jack Seton's term 'throwaways' to describe casual remarks in scripture (like Acts 20:7) that provide powerful insights, arguing that these incidental mentions strengthen the case for apostolic practices.

And when we turn. To a passage. Such as Acts chapter 20. It's what our good friend Jack Seton.

30:03 - 30:09 Read in full sermon

In this part of the sermon: Martin delves into 1 Corinthians 11 as the clearest apostolic precept, explaining that the Supper was instituted by divine authority, involves simple activities of eating bread…

Martin quotes a lengthy paragraph from Hodge's commentary to explain the historical context of the Corinthian disorders at the Lord's Supper, particularly the connection with a common meal and social divisions.

Has to address. Problems. to address problems that existed in the church at Corinth, and you'll never sort out this section read in your hearing unless you understand several basic things, and the best summary I've found of those things is in Hodge's commentary among the many commentators, so will you bear with me, I don't often quote a lengthy paragraph, but I'm committed to your edification, immediate and long term, and I believe this will be most contributive to that edification. This section relates to the disorders connected with the celebration of the Lord's Supper. These disorders were ...

34:58 - 36:20 Read in full sermon

Driving home: That is the official, unaltered teaching of the Church of Rome. Though she has moved from Latin to English, though she has moved from a lot of the accoutrements of great ornate vestments in her priest to more simple clot…

Martin uses the analogy of someone fantasizing about a beach while saluting a flag with no heart to explain that the Lord's Supper is not a mere empty memorial, but requires devotion, faith, and penitence.

And then there is the position of Calvin and other reformers, which even Cunningham, a devout Presbyterian, says, is hopelessly confusing. No, there is nothing in any of these passages to suggest that there is anything but bread and the fruit of the vine, that there is anything but the focused activity of the mind calling to remembrance, calling to remembrance in devotion, in faith, in love, in penitence. Yes, it is no mere empty memorial. It's not like someone whose mind is down on a beach in Florida, standing at a parade, in January in the nation's capital, and while his mind is fantasizing ...

53:04 - 54:17 Read in full sermon

Driving home: The more the human heart moves from vital godliness rooted in repentance and faith and the commitment to a holy life, the more it wants elaborate rituals in conjunction with its religion.

The story of Cain's offering is used as an example of the human heart's corrupt predisposition to empty religious ritualism, bringing an offering without a broken heart or believing confidence.

And secondly, there is the corrupt predisposition of the human heart to empty religious ritualism. There is a corrupt predisposition in every human heart, to empty religious ritualism. And it was preparing for this sermon that was the burden that leaked out earlier in the service. From the time Cain brought his offering without a broken heart for his sin, without a believing confidence in the mercy of God toward sinners, and without a determination to be done with his sin and live a holy life, man has always been the same.

59:15 - 59:53 Read in full sermon

The point: May God write it on your hearts when someone in leadership begins to suggest, well, we've got that plain white cloth. Wouldn't it just give us a little more sense of it, a little more ornate cloth on the table? ... Bewar…

Martin uses the metaphor of an 'itch for intensified ritualism' to describe the human tendency to seek elaborate forms when the substance of vital godliness is lacking.

All of them. And wherever people get an itch for intensified ritualism, it's because they don't hold the substance.

61:10 - 61:18 Read in full sermon

The point: May God grant then that as we think of our determination to remain committed to God's own means of grace, this blessed supper of remembrance will be kept among us as oft as we eat that bread and drink that cup in apostol…

Martin shares his personal experience of sitting at the Lord's table, picturing himself in fellowship with the apostles in the upper room, to illustrate the profound spiritual connection and remembrance the Supper provides.

this blessed supper of remembrance will be kept among us as oft as we eat that bread and drink that cup in apostolic simplicity, in faith, in preparation of hearts, and mind of the sacred privilege of being as it were tied in with that upper room and often my faith is never stronger than when I'm not serving at the table and I sit among you and my mind goes back and I say what are we doing here and I say Lord Jesus we're here because you told us to do it and where did you first tell us to do it in that upper room and in my mind's eye I picture myself sitting in fellowship with those apostles a...

62:50 - 64:18 Read in full sermon