I. Introduction
Good Morning! You are all invited to stay after church for a meal today. Eight times a year, on the first Sunday of the month, after the worship service, we come together for fellowship and lunch in the Badger Commons. Since we don’t have a building of our own, it’s sometimes difficult for us to find a place for times of enjoying each other’s company. This is one of the ways we do that. So after this morning’s service we would love it if you would all join us for lunch.

But there’s another meal I want to invite you to attend. It’s the Lord’s Supper. Most people have lunch before they have supper but this is an exception to the rule. Today we will have supper before we have lunch. This supper doesn’t come after the worship ser-vice, it is the worship service. Or at least it’s the “high point” of this worship service.
______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

II. Text
We began this morning by singing, “We have come into His house and gathered in His name to worship Him.” Then we sang, “O Worship the King.” Today’s sermon title is “An Invitation to Worship.” We seem to be pretty big on worship around here.

But there is a problem today with worship in the Church of Jesus Christ. It seems that many Christians simply fail to understand what worship – God-pleasing and God-honoring worship – really is. Many seem to think that “the worship time” is led by “the worship team,” and is pretty much limited to upbeat music.

But worship is far more than that. In the NT the Greek word most frequently rendered “worship” is “proskunéō.” It comes from combining two other Greek words, “pros,” meaning “towards,” and “kunéō,” meaning “to kiss.” So worship is a kiss towards God. Since you cannot literally kiss God, the practical outworking of true Christian worship is seen in our reverence for Him. We adore God, we obey Him, we show Him respect and, if not literally, at least figuratively we humbly fall down prostrate before Him.
Psalm 95:6
6 Come, let us worship and bow down; let us kneel before the LORD our Maker.

That tells us what our heart attitude is to be when it comes to worship. But what is the content of our worship? What acts of worship does God require of us? What are we to do? That word in the Greek is “latrĕuō.” It means to do the worship.

So true worship can only come from a heart that is humble, contrite, and willing to bow down before the Lord. And it is only when that condition of the heart exists that a Christian can perform acts of worship that please and honor God. (repeat)
This is true whether the worship is individual or corporate, or private or public. In every case it is to be offered in recognition of God’s worthiness.

We often sing “Worthy, You are worthy, King of kings, Lord of lords, You are worthy.” Our worship is to be directed solely at the One who is worthy. Jesus Christ, the Lord God Himself in human flesh, is that One. For the Christian, there is neither anyone nor anything else that should receive our worship.

Jesus made that clear when he was tempted by Satan in the wilderness. He quoted from Deuteronomy when He said…
Matthew 4:10
10 Then Jesus said to him, “Begone, Satan! For it is written, ‘You shall worship the Lord your God, and serve Him only.’”

The Apostle Paul, in his letter to the church at Philippi, told them that the Christian’s worship is in the Holy Spirit.
Philippians 3:3
3 for we…worship in the Spirit of God and glory in Christ Jesus and put no confidence in the flesh.

Jesus Himself told us what the character of our worship should be when He spoke with the Samaritan woman. She did not know the truth of the Messiah. Therefore she was not capable of worshipping God as He is supposed to be worshipped.
*John 4:23-24
23 “But an hour is coming, and now is, when the true worshippers shall wor-ship the Father in spirit and truth; for such people the Father seeks to be His worshippers.
24 God is spirit, and those who worship Him must worship in spirit and truth.”

What Jesus meant was that after He was crucified, resurrected, and ascended into heaven redemption would be complete. It is then that those who believe will become the true worshippers. In this you can see how John 4:23 meshes with Luke 19:10.
Luke 19:10
10 “For the Son of Man has come to seek and to save that which was lost.”

It’s only those whom God has sought and saved who can worship Him in spirit and in truth. That’s who John 4:23-24 is talking about. Worshipping “in spirit” refers to the human spirit. Such worship can only come from the transformed spirit of a believer.

What exactly is it that we, as believers, are to do? We know what we’re to be. We know our hearts must be transformed and what they’re supposed to look like. They’re to be humble, contrite, and bowed down before God. But what does Scripture tell us we are to do? What acts, what deeds, what constitutes God-pleasing and God-honoring worship?
When it comes to the Church of Jesus Christ, the Scriptures spell out five things that we are to do. But first I want to point out something that we cannot do…yet.

The Apostle John was overwhelmed by the worship in heaven in the visions given him in the Revelation. Notice that this worship is directed to God the Father.
*Revelation 4:8-11
8 “Holy, holy, holy is the LORD God, the Almighty, who was and who is and who is to come.”
9 And when the living creatures give glory and honor and thanks to Him who sits on the throne, to him who lives forever and ever,
10 the twenty-four elders will fall down before Him who sits on the throne, and will worship Him who lives forever and ever, and will cast their crowns before the throne, saying,
11 “Worthy are You, our LORD and our God, to receive glory and honor and power; for You created all things, and because of Your will they existed, and were created.”

Now notice that this worship is directed to God the Son.
*Revelation 5:8-14
8 And when He had taken the book, the four living creatures and the twenty-four elders fell down before the Lamb, having each one a harp, and golden bowls full of incense, which are the prayers of the saints.
9 And they sang a new song, saying, “Worthy are You to take the book, and to break its seals; for You were slain, and purchased for God with Your blood men from every tribe and tongue and people and nation.
10 “And You have made them to be a kingdom and priests to our God; and they will reign upon the earth.”
11 And I looked, and heard the voice of many angels around the throne and the living creatures and the elders; and the number of them was myriads of myriads, and thousands of thousands,
12 saying with a loud voice, “Worthy is the Lamb that was slain to receive power and riches and wisdom and might and honor and glory and blessing.”
13 And every created thing which is in heaven and on the earth and under the earth and on the sea, and all things in them, I heard saying, “To Him who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb, be blessing and honor and glory and dominion forever and ever.”
14 And the four living creatures kept saying, “Amen.” And the elders fell down and worshipped.

I believe these passages are the greatest examples of pure and undefiled worship in all of Scripture. However, you and I are not yet there to witness or to take part in that kind of worship. We have not entered into the throne room the manner John did in Revelation.
We can’t do that. But when you and I worship God together here on Sunday mornings, we can do those things that the early church originally did – those things prescribed in the NT. We can worship God by doing the things He has instructed us to do. What are they? Here are the five things I referred to earlier.
First, we can pray –
Acts 1:14
14 These all with one mind were continually devoting themselves to prayer…
Colossians 4:2
2 Devote yourselves to prayer, keeping alert in it with an attitude of thanks-
giving.

Second, we can preach and teach the Word of God –
Acts 2:42
42 And they were continually devoting themselves to the apostles’ teaching…
2 Timothy 2:15
15 Be diligent to present yourself approved to God as a workman who does not need to be ashamed, handling accurately the word of truth. (AWANA)

Third, we can sing about Him, who He is, what He has done, and what He will do –
Ephesians 5:19
19 (…speak) to one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody with your heart to the Lord.
Colossians 3:16
16 Let the word of Christ richly dwell within you, with all wisdom teaching and admonishing one another with psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with thankfulness in your hearts to God.

Fourth, we can give our tithes and our offerings – (finances and self)
1 Corinthians 16:2
2 On the first day of the week let each of you put aside and save, as he may prosper…
2 Corinthians 9:7
7 Let each one do just as he has purposed in his heart; not under compul-sion; for God loves a cheerful giver.

Fifth, we can have fellowship together –
Acts 2:42
42 And they were continually devoting themselves to…fellowship, (and) to the breaking of bread…
Acts 20:7a
7a And on the first day of the week…we gathered together…

These are the things the Church of Jesus Christ does – we pray, we preach and teach, we sing, we give of ourselves and of our substance, and we joyfully fellowship together.
As a church, a local assembly of believers, we do all of this is God’s presence. If you’ve ever wondered why we do what we do here at LBC, now you know. These things are all God-pleasing and God-honoring worship…IF our hearts are right before Him.

So now, with humble and contrite hearts, and figuratively at least, falling down before God, we will focus on the last of those five aspects of God-pleasing and God- honoring worship. We will fellowship together. We will have communion together. We will “break bread” together at the Lord’s Supper.

The Greek word from which we get “fellowship” is “koinōnia.” It actually means “to commune” or “communion” and “sharing in common.” But “koinōnia” is even more than that. Listen to theologian Charles Ryrie.
“All the aspects of worship constitute fellowship. It is not a separate entity that exists by itself. The goal, whatever the label, is to increase the health, strength, commitment, and numbers of the body…”

So if you are a Christian you are invited to this time of fellowship, communion, and the breaking of bread. When you receive an invitation to a special event it must contain cer-tain details. There are some things you need to know. You may have questions like who, what, where, when, and maybe even why?
• Who sent the invitation?
• What is this special event?
• Where is this special event located?
• When does this special event take place?
• Why would I go to this special event?
• What must I do to prepare for this special event? (go to 1 Corinthians 11)

Who sent the invitation? Jesus Himself sent it.
*1 Corinthians 11:23-25
23 For I received from the Lord that which I also delivered to you, that the Lord Jesus in the night in which he was betrayed took bread;
24 and when He had given thanks, He broke it, and said, “This is my body, which is for you; do this in remembrance of Me.”
25 In the same way He took the cup also, after supper, saying, “This cup is the new covenant in My blood; do this, as often as you drink it, in remembrance of Me.”

So Jesus not only instituted it, He commanded it…“do this in remembrance of Me.” In the bread and in the cup we remember His body and His blood. And in them both we commemorate the death of Jesus.
Matthew 26:28
28 “…this is My blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many for forgiveness of sins.”

What is this special event? It is the Lord’s Supper and it’s a memorial. It’s a specific and focused time for the express purpose of remembering what Jesus has done for His people. He died in our place and we are reminded. So it is a memorial but it’s also a proclama-tion. By coming to the table and partaking of these elements we proclaim our faith in Jesus’ finished work on the cross. Simply put, we believe it!
*1 Corinthians 11:26
26 For as often as you eat this bread and drink the cup, you proclaim the Lord’s death until He comes (returns).

We are acknowledging the fact that what Jesus did was the only thing sufficient to save our souls. It was enough and we cannot add to it. But it is more than our faith in what Jesus has already accomplished. It includes our faith in what He will accomplish. The Lord’s Supper is not only a proclamation of our faith in the efficacy of His death. It is also a statement of our faith in the Second Coming. We are to come to this table and partake of it until then. And then we will do it again with Him!
Matthew 26:29
29 “…I say to you, I will not drink of this fruit from now on until that day when I drink it new with you in My Father’s kingdom.”

That would be the Millennial (Messianic) kingdom here on earth that Christ Himself will establish when he returns to earth at the end of the seven-year tribulation period. So in communion we look back and we look ahead.

Where is this special event? For us that would normally be right here in church where God’s people come together for worship. But that is not a scriptural requirement. The Bible does not specify any particular location where the Lord’s Supper must take place. It can be done in a hospital room, and it often is. It can be done immediately following a Christian’s water baptism, and it often is. It can be done at a Bible study in someone’s home. Or…
Matthew 18:20
20 “For where two or three have gathered together in My name, there I am in their midst.

When is this special event?
This question has been answered differently by various Christian groups for two thousand years. Roman Catholics celebrate the Lord’s Supper (the Eucharist) at every Mass. In fact, the entire Mass is built on the Eucharist. In some Protestant traditions the Lord’s Supper is served every Sunday as well. Luke makes reference to this weekly practice in –
Acts 20:7a
7a And on the first day of the week…we were gathered together to break bread…
While this verse does not command weekly communion, it does imply that, should we choose to do so, we’re certainly not in violation of any Scriptural principle. However, the emphasis in Acts 20:7 seems not to be on the frequency of communion, but on the change from the Jewish practice of meeting on the Sabbath (Saturday) to the Christian practice of meeting on the first day of the week (Sunday).

So we are free to partake in the Lord’s Supper wherever it’s practical to do so and as often as we wish. But notice that we are most definitely not free to ignore it. Jesus said we are to, “…do this, as often as you drink it, in remembrance of Me.”

Why would I go to this special event?
It’s quite simple really. The first reason you go is because you choose to obey Christ. Jesus told us to do it.
Luke 22:17, 19
17 And when He had taken a cup and given thanks, He said, “Take this and share it among yourselves…”
19 And when He had taken some bread and given thanks, He broke it, and gave it to them, saying, “This is My body which is given for you; do this is remembrance of Me.”

The second reason you go is because you choose to join in fellowship with your brothers and sisters in Christ. It is meant to be a “communal” meal. The first-century Christians didn’t go to this special event by themselves. Furthermore, when they got to the event they waited until they were all together before they took part.
*1 Corinthians 11:33
33 So then, my brethren, when you come together to eat, wait for one another.

What must I do to prepare for this special event?
How do we get ourselves ready? We get our hearts right. We do so with reverence. We are commanded to take part in a worthy manner.
*1 Corinthians 11:27, 29
27 Therefore whoever eats the bread or drinks the cup of the Lord in an unworthy manner, shall be guilty of the body and the blood of the Lord.
29 For he who eats and drinks, eats and drinks judgment to himself, if he does not judge the body rightly.

The phrase “unworthy manner” in v. 27 doesn’t speak to whether or not we are worthy. None of us, in and of ourselves, are truly worthy. It speaks to how we are to observe it.

Jesus was tortured and publicly humiliated. We need to stand in awe of His physical sufferings. We can at least imagine what it must have been like physically.

But I submit to you that we have no concept whatsoever of the spiritual suffering and anguish that Jesus experienced when for the only time in eternity past or future, the Father turned His back on His beloved Son as your sin and my sin literally crushed the life from Jesus during those three hours of darkness – a darkness that was spiritual as well as physical.
Matthew 27:46
46 “My God, My God, why hast Thou forsaken Me?”

So if we should fail to be reverent when we come to the table, if we take this lightly, then we are no different than those who mocked Him while He hung on the cross. Therefore we prepare with reverence and we prepare with self-examination. We need to ask our-selves if we are living lives worthy of Him. What is our spiritual state?

If you are a Christian, your spiritual standing is absolute and irrevocably secure in Christ. Your spiritual standing is that of righteousness in God’s sight. Your salvation is sure. But what about your spiritual state right now as you approach the table? Have you con-fessed your sin? Is your heart ready to receive these elements this morning?
*1 Corinthians 11:28
28 But let a man examine himself, and so let him eat of the bread and drink of the cup.

Again I admonish you to not take this lightly. The consequences for being dishonest with ourselves can be severe.
*1 Corinthians 11:30-32
30 For this reason many among you are weak and sick, and a number sleep.
31 But if we judged ourselves rightly, we should not be judged.
32 But when we are judged, we are disciplined by the Lord in order that we may not be condemned along with the world.

Our self-examination will be positive if we can truly say that we have accepted the grace of God in our lives and are living for Him.
2 Corinthians 5:14-15
14 For the love of Christ controls us, having concluded this, that one died for all, therefore all died;
15 and He died for all, that they who live should no longer live for them-selves, but for Him who died and rose again on their behalf.

On the other hand, our self-examination will prove negative should we find that we have failed to confess known sin. God loves His children unconditionally, but He says…
Revelation 3:19
19 “Those whom I love, I reprove and discipline; be zealous therefore, and repent.”

Listen please; it is not sin to let the elements pass.
There have been a number of times in the past when I have had to let them pass me by. In those instances I have known that my heart was not prepared to partake.

And remember this – whatever you do is between you and God. It is far better to let the elements pass than to take them unworthily. If you need to let them pass, do so. There is no one here who will judge you. By the way, if you need to let them pass this morning, be sure you deal with the reason you let them pass so that you can participate next time.

But remember this. If you will confess any sin, God will forgive you.
1 John 1:9
9 If we confess our sins, He is faithful and righteous to forgive our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.
_____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

III. Conclusion
We will take a little quiet time to pray and ask the Holy Spirit to remind us of any sin that we may need to name and confess. If He reminds you of something you need to confess, do so and then receive the elements with joy.

In just a few moments we will meet the Lord at His table. But there is one more thing I simply must say. If you do not believe in what Jesus did on the cross of Calvary, or that He is coming back to receive His church to Himself, why would you take part in a memo-rial to His finished work and a proclamation of His return to earth?

Please understand that I do not mean to be harsh or accusatory. But it is my responsibi-lity before God to emphasize that this personal invitation is meant to be delivered only to born-again believers. Jesus does not intend for anyone else to receive it.

So if you do not belong to Jesus, please let the elements pass. They just aren’t for you.

But they can be. Put your faith in Him and in Him alone. Be willing to turn from you sin (repent, the Bible calls it) and trust Christ. Then the next time we celebrate this Lord’s Supper, this Communion, these elements will be for you. You will have already received your personal invitation.