Geoffrey R. Kirkland
Christ Fellowship Bible Church
Believers should prepare ahead of time for communion. In so doing, believers should bear the following points in mind.
REMEMBERING — The Lord’s Supper draws the mind of the believer again back to Calvary to remember Christ and His glory. The communion supper invites the Christian yet again to reflect on Christ’s spotlessness, His righteousness, His atoning sacrifice, His present intercession, His particular redemption, and His soon-coming. Believers must remember Christ and they must stir themselves up to action to serve this Christ, to love Him more, to speak well and often of Him, and to cherish Him supremely!
APPROPRIATING — The work of salvation is accomplished when God grants the new birth. But when believers gather together corporately to take the communion meal, it is as if Christ’s work at Calvary is refreshed and appropriated afresh to the believer. In receiving the bread and in appropriating it to oneself, the Christian remembers how desperate he really is for Christ’s righteousness, His divine blood, and His constant grace. Nothing in this fellowship meal imparts salvation nor does it make one even more sanctified. But in appropriating it and receiving it, the believer is refreshed and comforted.
STRENGTHENING — This meal that Christ commanded His followers to take together provides strength through the storms of life. It provides a constant reminder that Christ died for sinners once for all and that He Himself is all that one needs for salvation, for sanctification, and for a perfect standing before God. This provides strength to the believer who finds himself tossed and turned by the waves of life. It gives courage to the downcast believer battling with sin and temptations.
REVIVING — Communion revives the heart. In diligently preparing for communion, one finds his heart enflamed afresh as he reflects on the great love of God and the undiminished mercy of the Savior! The smoldering wick becomes a mighty flame as the Christian slows down, diligently ponders, biblically meditates, and fills his heart and mind with Christ’s love, His redemption, and His righteousness imputed to the sinner by faith. This revives the struggling heart.
PROCLAIMING — Jesus declared that in taking the communion meal, Christians proclaim Christ to the lost. The Lord’s Supper is in fact a very ‘preaching event’ to the entire gathered community. Undoubtedly nonbelievers sit amongst those who have truly been saved and are partaking of communion. It proclaims Christ to them. It reminds them that the way of salvation is very narrow, very exclusive, very particular, and very limited. There is only one door, one way, one Savior, one cross, one Mediator. The Lord’s Supper proclaims Christ crucified and risen to all present -- even the small children who observe this blessed feast as their parents take it frequently. May God use this ordinance to proclaim Christ to all present so that the lost may be found by fleeing to Christ!
SHARING/COMMUNING — A fascinating reality occurs when the Spirit indwelt believer worships God through the Lord’s Supper. He actually communes with Jesus Christ. He shares with Christ. It is a fellowship meal with Christ Himself. The believer partakes of Christ afresh and reinvigorates his heart with gospel truth as he reflects on Christ’s work at Calvary. As the believer stretches forth his hands to take the elements (bread and the cup) he is, in a sense, stretching forth his hands to commune with Christ and worship Him through the obedient act of sharing in this fellowship meal with Him.
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