Keeping Preaching and the Ordinances Together, Part 3 June 6, 2010
Todaymarks a major change in the weekly rhythm of meetings at Parker Hills. Ourprevious schedule included three meetings on Sunday morning; but beginningtoday, we’re bringing the Lord’s Supper into our worship service and making ita regular part of that weekly gathering. Why?
First,we’re making this change for the sake of our members’ spiritual growth. Similarto the way God uses sunlight, water, and nutrients in the soil to help plantsgrow, so He uses various means to help His children mature spiritually. Thingslike Bible intake, prayer, and Christian fellowship are the means God uses tohelp us grow in grace—hence, the term “means of grace.” One of the key means ofgrace for Christian growth is the regular observance of the Lord’s Supper.Jesus made reference to this when He said: “Whoever feeds on my flesh anddrinks my blood abides in me, and I in him” (Jn 6:56). The Lord’s Supper is a symbolic meal, depicting our ongoingfellowship with Jesus and bringing us into a deeper experience of thatfellowship—what He graphically described as “feeding on His flesh and drinkingHis blood.” So we observe the Lord’s Supper because it contributes to ourgrowth, not merely because Jesus commanded it.
Second,we’re making this change to better portray the communal symbolism of theSupper. The Lord’s Supper is a meal, meant to be enjoyed together. As such, itportrays our oneness made possible through the death of Christ on the cross.Paul put it this way: “Because there is one bread, we who are many are onebody, for we all partake of the one bread” (1 Cor 10:17). This corporate aspect is, of course, why the Supperis also known as “Communion.” Since the majority of our church family gathersfor the corporate worship service, it makes the most sense to observe Communionat this time.
Finally,we want to keep the Lord’s Supper and preaching together. Gospel preachinginterprets the symbols in the Lord’s Supper; and the gospel reenactment in the Supperreinforces the message of preaching. Keeping these two together creates asynergy where the gospel proclaimed from the pulpit works together with thegospel presented in the Supper to lead worshipers into more profound levels ofunderstanding and appreciation.