The Lord's Supper
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The Importance of the Lord's SupperWe at Murrysville Bible Chapel believe that the focal
point of our chapel is the remembrance of the death of the Lord Jesus Christ in
the weekly celebration of the Lord’s Supper. The reasons for the prominence we give this celebration are as follows: This meeting was important enough to the Lord Jesus
that He said it was His desire to eat the Passover with them before He suffered
(Luke 22:15.) This was, as it were,
His dying request. He also
commanded them to carry on this celebration in a new way, remembering Him as the
Passover Lamb whose sacrifice and blood caused the judgment of God to pass over
them (Luke 22:19,20.) This command
was to be in effect until He would return again (I Corinthians 11:26.) The reason we celebrate the Lord’s Supper on a weekly basis is twofold. First, Paul in the revelation given to him by Christ Himself (I Corinthians 11:23,) said, “as often as ye eat this bread, and drink this cup, ye do show the Lord’s death till He come (I Corinthians 11:26.) Secondly, it was the habit of the early church to gather weekly and to celebrate the Lord’s Supper on a weekly basis (Acts 20:7, I Corinthians 16:2.) Christ chose the simple emblems before Him as the
means for His disciples to remember Him. The
format we use for the celebration of the Lord’s Supper is one of simplicity.
Only the bread and the cup adorn the table so that our focus will be
directed to the Lord Jesus alone. The
hymns, prayers and ministry all focus on His death on the cross for us.
The concerns of individuals, the assembly, missions, etc. are reserved
for another time as we devote this meeting to the sole purpose of worshipping
Christ. We have no planned schedule
for what takes place. This, we believe, is the duty of the Holy Spirit who
directs the glory to Christ (John 16:14.) God’s Word places the responsibility of leadership
in the home, as well as in the church, directly on the shoulders of the men (I
Corinthians 11:3, 14:34, I Timothy 3:5.) For
this reason the men take the responsibility of leading the worship in the
Lord’s Supper. God’s Word is simple in its instructions for the
Lord’s Supper and leaves room for liberty in this celebration. Over the years
the way we celebrate the Lord’s Supper has varied and may continue to change
in the future. We have found the format we follow to be one that is Biblically
based, orderly and simple, yet strives to glorify Christ in the manner He
deserves. |