Yuba-Sutter Grace Church would
like to invite you to listen to a sermon by our pastor, Rick
Warda. We currently meet at the Yuba
County Library, located at 303 2nd Street in downtown Marysville,
California, on the corner of 2nd and C Street. Weekly services
are held on Sunday at 11 a.m. at the library. For more information,
visit our website at ysgracechurch.com. Now, here's our pastor, Rick
Warda. The text of our sermon today
is in 1 Corinthians chapter 11. The Apostle Paul wrote to the
Corinthians to explain the Lord's Supper. All four gospel writers,
Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John, recorded this event. Paul was
the twelfth apostle. He took Judas' place. Because
he was an apostle, the Lord Jesus gave the same words to Paul that
he gave to the eleven. Paul was faithful to Christ.
He faithfully declared to the church what Christ delivered
to him. That is what a faithful servant
of Christ does. Paul said, For I have received
of the Lord that which I also delivered unto you, that the
Lord Jesus, the same night in which he was betrayed, took bread. And when he had given thanks,
he break it and said, take, eat. This is my body, which is broken
for you. This do in remembrance of me. After the same manner also he
took the cup, when he had supped, saying, this cup is the New Testament
in my blood. this do ye as oft as you drink
it in remembrance of me for as often as you eat this bread and
drink this cup you do show the Lord's death till he come wherefore
whosoever shall eat this bread and drink this cup of the Lord
unworthily shall be guilty of the body and blood of the Lord
but let a man examine himself and so let him eat of that bread
and drink of that cup For he that eateth and drinketh unworthily,
eateth and drinketh damnation to himself, not discerning the
Lord's body. I have entitled this message,
The Lord's Table. I will use 1 Corinthians chapter
11 as the outline for my sermon. First, Christ gave this supper
the same night he was betrayed. Second, after the Passover he
took bread to give to his disciples. Third, in the same manner, he
also took the cup. Fourth, our Lord then answered
this question, why do we eat and drink from the Lord's table?
Fifth, the Apostle tells us who should eat the Lord's table.
And sixth, a summary of what the Lord's table means. Consider
first then that Christ gave this supper the same night he was
betrayed. Christ chose Judas to be one
of his twelve disciples even though Jesus knew Judas would
betray him. Judas treacherously delivered
Jesus over to his enemies. Christ knew Judas would sell
him to wicked men for thirty pieces of silver and he knew
that Judas would lead his enemies to take him and kill him. Scripture
foretold this. Question, why did God arrange
for this cruel deed to occur on this very night? It was a
most intimate supper. Christ revealed his love for
his disciples that night in a special way. He began the supper with
these words, with desire, I have desired to eat this Passover
with you before I suffer. It was the last supper before
his death and the last time that Passover was to be kept. For
the first time in history, he gave them the bread to eat and
the wine to drink and explained what those things meant. Jesus
also took the place of a servant that night and washed their feet.
John leaned on Jesus' breast. But in the midst of this intimate
communication with his disciples and close fellowship, with the
revelation of his love in washing their feet, when he gave them
the bread that signified his broken body and the wine that
signified his shed blood, on that very night Judas betrayed
the Lord of life and love. Why now? These are the reasons
given from scripture. First, because it was God's will
that Christ suffer by the betrayal of his friend. It was foretold
in scripture. Scripture is the scroll, the
volume of the book, which from top to bottom reveals the will
of God. Jesus came to do that will. Throughout
scripture it was written that Christ should suffer. He is the
great covenant head who stood as substitute in the place of
his people. God chose him to do this. God
appointed him to stand for them. It was God's will that he offer
himself to God in sacrifice for the sins of his people to save
them from their sins. and part of God's will was that
he suffer betrayal by his trusted friend. The Spirit of Christ
spoke of this by the mouth of David. He said in Psalm 55 verses
12 and 13, For it was not an enemy that reproached me, then
I could have borne it. Neither was it he that hated
me that did magnify himself against me, then I would have hid myself
from him. But it was thou, a man mine equal,
my guide and mine acquaintance." During his ministry, Jesus called
Judas to be his disciple. He treated Judas just as the
other eleven disciples, and he trusted Judas as a friend. Because
he was a friend, his betrayal brought greater grief to Christ.
Think of it. Christ, who knows all things,
in order that he might fulfill the will of God, trusted Judas
as a friend, knowing full well that Judas would betray him.
Remember how God chastised David when David sinned against him?
God brought David's enemies against him. By God's chastisement of
David for his sins, God allowed David's trusted friend and his
own son to rise up against him. But unlike David, Christ was
never unfaithful. Why then would God design this
betrayal of Judas to come against his son in whom he was well pleased? And especially on this night?
Here is the reason. Christ suffered as an unfaithful
friend because he suffered what I deserved. I was unfaithful
to God. I betrayed God. Therefore Christ
suffered my chastisement for me, one who has been unfaithful
to God. All that King David experienced
was prophetic of Christ and of Him crucified, risen and reigning. David sinned against God by committing
adultery with Uriah's wife and then murdering Uriah. Though
God put away David's sin, He brought chastising consequences
on David for that sin. God chastised David in anticipation
of the sufferings of Christ, who would suffer not for his
own sins, because he had none of his own, but for the sins
of his people. The sins of his people were made
his to bear." 2 Corinthians 5.21. David felt the pain of betrayal
by his trusted counselor Ahithophel. Psalm 55 uses Ahithophel's betrayal
of David to anticipate Judas' betrayal of Christ. And David
felt the pain of open cursing from a man of King Saul's family,
Shimei. Shimei's cursing of David anticipated
the Jews' cursing of Christ. God sent Shimei to curse David. 2 Samuel 16 verse 11 God cursed
his son by the mouths of his enemies and betrayed him by the
hand of treacherous Judas, his friend. And David felt the pain
of betrayal from his own son Absalom. He also felt the pain
of sorrow at his own son's death. Upon hearing the news of Absalom's
death, scripture says, the king was much moved and went up to
the chamber over the gate and wept. And as he went, thus he
said, O my son, Absalom, my son, my son Absalom, would God I had
died for thee. O Absalom, my son, my son. In a much greater way, if we
can understand it, Christ felt the pain of Judas' betrayal as
one near to Him. If David felt these things as
a guilty man, how much more in fulfillment did our Lord, who
did no sin, who was only faithful to His friends, feel the pain
of Judas' betrayal. This pain added to his suffering
and the trouble of his soul. The lesson is this, all that
Christ suffered, he suffered at the hand of God in the place
of his people because of their sins. He suffered what we can
never comprehend, that he might honor God and have us forever. Oh, what love is this, O my soul! See Christ, who was always faithful,
suffer so treacherous betrayal because of my unfaithfulness
to God. Christ considered no personal
cost too high to have His elect people. He gave all because He
gave Himself. You know the grace of our Lord
Jesus Christ, that though He was rich, yet for your sakes
He became poor, that you, through His poverty, might be made rich."
2 Corinthians 8-9. The second lesson we learn from
Judas' betrayal on this night is that though Christ was betrayed
by a friend, He was faithful to His friends. We see Christ's
faithfulness to his friends against the black night of Judas's treachery. Christ loved his people from
eternity. Jeremiah 31 verse 3. He never
changes. Having loved his own which were
in the world, he loved them to the end. John 13 verse 1. Though
we were and are unfaithful to Him, yet Christ was faithful
to His God and faithful to His people, the Church of God, who
were given to Him by His Father from eternity, and whose names
were written in the Lamb's Book of Life before the foundation
of the world. He was faithful to them when
He gave Himself for them in body and soul. And third, in Judas
we learn the evil from which Christ has saved us. We must
realize that we would do exactly what Judas did, but for the grace
of God. When we see Judas, we should
tremble at the goodness of God, because there, but for Christ,
would go you and I. And finally, in Judas we see
how God turns the evil intent and evil works of evil men into
a blessing for His people. The evil of the enemies of God's
elect will fulfill the eternal will of God for them. Romans
8 verse 36 and 37 says, As it is written, For thy sake we are
killed all the day long. We are accounted as sheep for
the slaughter. Nay, in all these things we are
more than conquerors through him that loved us. Do you see
the sovereign mercy of our God in Judas? When Shimei cursed
David, Abishai wanted to kill Shimei. But David said, Let him
alone, and let him curse, for the Lord hath bidden him, it
may be, that the Lord will look on mine affliction and that the
Lord will requite me good for his cursing this day." 2 Samuel
16 verse 12. God turned the evil of my sin
to my good. Where sin abounded, Romans 5
verse 20 says, grace did much more abound that as sin hath
reigned unto death even so might grace reign through righteousness
unto eternal life by Jesus Christ our Lord. This is the grace of
our sovereign God and Savior. This grace does not cause us
to presume on His mercy, it causes us to praise Him for His grace
by which He triumphed over our sin. And then next, the Apostle
Paul said, the same night he was betrayed, he took bread,
and when he had given thanks, he break it and said, Take, eat,
this is my body, which is broken for you, this do in remembrance
of me. We must see in this how great
the grace of Christ is. He was betrayed to fulfill the
sufferings foretold by scripture. Though he was treated worse than
an unfaithful friend, he draws the disciples' attention to the
bread. He takes it. He gives thanks
for it. He blesses it. He breaks it. He gives it. And then he said
to them, take, eat, this is my body broken for you. He draws
their eyes to himself because it is of him and in him that
they live. This is what the bread means.
This is my body broken for you." What do we learn from this? We
learn that Christ substituted himself for his people. He said,
this is my body which is broken for you, bearing the chastisement
of God, broken in your place, broken on your behalf, who in
nature and practice are sinners, broken for you who were enemies
toward God and brought wrath from God upon yourselves, broken
to reconcile God in justice and truth to you, broken to justify
you in God's sight. What does it mean, broken for
you? Scripture tells us, it means
the Lord Jesus Christ suffered the chastisement of God for the
sins of His people. Isaiah 53 verse 5 says, He was
wounded for our transgressions. He was bruised for our iniquities. The chastisement of our peace
was upon Him, and with His stripes we are healed. The sins of God's
elect were laid on Christ. God chastised Him for the offense
those sins caused God. He plunged the sword of His justice
into His Son, the Lord Jesus Christ. Zechariah 13, verse 7,
And the Lord Jesus felt the guilt and shame of those sins made
His in His own body and soul. In his sufferings our Savior
prayed, I am feeble and sore broken. I have roared by reason
of the disquietness of my heart. Psalm 38 verse 8. He was wounded
for our transgressions. He was beaten for our iniquities. He endured the punishment of
God for our sins and his stripes are our healing. He obtained
our salvation by what He accomplished in His death. Listen carefully
to what the Spirit of God by the mouth of the Apostle Peter
said in 1 Peter 2.24 about the sufferings of Christ. He said, who his own self bear our sins
in his own body on the tree, that we, being dead to sins,
should live unto righteousness by whose stripes you were healed. Christ suffered in his body,
but his sufferings were not limited to his body, they went to his
very soul. Isaiah 53 says, It pleased the
Lord to bruise him. He hath put him to grief when
thou shalt make his soul an offering for sin. He hath poured out his
soul unto death, and he was numbered with the transgressors, and he
bare the sins of many, and made intercession for the transgressors.
Now, this is significant for many reasons. First, because
if God wounded Christ for our transgressions, if He chastised
Him under the beatings that my sins deserved, then God laid
my sins on Him. And He bore them, and He bore
the punishment for them. He fully paid all God required
to reconcile us to God, to redeem us, to justify us, to save us
from our sins. Romans 5 verse 9 through 10.
God raised Him from the dead, declaring that Christ satisfied
justice and established everlasting righteousness by His death. God
cannot twice demand justice for the same sins. If Christ gave
His body to be broken for me, then my sins were lifted from
me and laid upon Him. God poured out the punishment
I deserved on Him. And Christ obtained the peace
of reconciliation God intended by His death. I am therefore
healed by his stripes. I now know God to be gracious
to me in Christ crucified. And second, if he did this for
me, it was in love to my soul. Paul says in Galatians 2.20,
the Son of God who loved me and gave himself for me. This is
my body, our Lord said, which is broken for you. Such love
compels me at the deepest level. And Paul goes on, he says, In
the same manner, after the bread, our Lord Jesus Christ also took
the cup, when He had supped, saying, This is my blood of the
New Testament, which is shed for many for the remission of
sins. To understand why Christ shed
His blood, we must understand what sin is to God. At its most
basic level, sin is refusing God's right to be God. It is
rejecting and denying His truth and His right to rule by rebellion
against His holy, just, and good law. Sin has an effect. Scripture says that our sins
have separated us from God. Our sin towards God has brought
His just wrath upon us. Ephesians 2 verse 3 If we wrong
someone and wish to be reconciled to them, we have to make up for
the wrong by meeting their expectations for reconciliation. Jesus said
if we wrong our brother, we must be reconciled to him before we
can worship God. To be reconciled to our brother,
we have to make up for the offense our wrong did to him to his satisfaction. If I dented his car, I have to
pay to restore his car to its original condition. To be reconciled
to God, therefore, we have to do what God requires for reconciliation. And what is that? We have to
honor His law and satisfy His justice. But we cannot satisfy
God's justice for our sins. We cannot fulfill God's law by
anything we do. Furthermore, our sin proves that
we have no interest in reconciliation. Now, when we had wronged God,
when we were enemies against God, God, in His incomprehensible
grace, took it upon Himself to make up for the wrong our offense
caused Him, His truth and His justice. What did God require
to make up for our sin? The death of His own Son in our
nature. He required the shedding of His
blood. Romans 5.10 says it, When we
were enemies, we were reconciled to God by the death of His Son. The reason Christ offered Himself
for our sins in blood sacrifice was to satisfy God. Christ did
not offer himself to man. He did not offer himself to satisfy
men or to produce a reaction in men. He died to appease God
for the offense our sins made against His law, to take away
the offense our sins caused God, to create peace between God in
all of His holiness and His people who had sinned. Sin is against
God. Therefore, a sacrifice suitable
to remove the offense that sin caused in God had to be made
for God to be at peace with His people according to the rule
of His law and justice. And that sacrifice was Christ,
the Son of God in our nature. It is Christ that died. He shed
His life's blood. God required His life to compensate
His law, to honor His holy, just, and good law, to make satisfaction
to His justice for sins. Do you see in this how evil your
sin must be that it would require the death of God's own Son in
our nature to make satisfaction for it? Do you immediately see
how holy God is that He would not spare His own Son when sin
was found on Him, but deliver Him up to judgment and the curse
of His law? Do you see the love of God? in
that he who was offended by our sin is the one who took the initiative
and repaired the damage that our sin caused, his truth and
justice? In light of this, the Spirit
of God rejoices over the shed blood of Christ, saying, Thou
hast forgiven the iniquity of thy people. thou hast covered
all their sin, thou hast taken away all thy wrath, thou hast
turned thyself from the fierceness of thine anger. Mercy and truth
have met together. Righteousness and peace have
kissed each other. That is reconciliation God made
in the death of his son. God has taken away his wrath
against his people, which his justice required. He did so by
the death of His Son. Now, when we see, by God-given
faith, that God reconciled us to Himself in Christ, we put
aside our hostility against God. Learning that He is at peace
with us puts us at peace with Him. We worship Him for His truth
and grace. We trust Him because He found
a way, in righteousness, to forgive our sins for Christ's sake. Given
this grace, we will trust and love God for His goodness to
us in Christ. By His blood, Christ fulfilled
all conditions of God's everlasting covenant. All blessings promised
in that covenant were obtained and are now put into force for
all for whom Christ died. Christ's blood obtained their
eternal redemption, obtained the remission of their sins,
established their everlasting righteousness so that they are
justified by His blood. Christ's blood made them holy
before God, and He obtained their eternal glory by His blood. The fourth thing we should now
consider is why we eat and drink the Lord's Table. There are at
least five reasons given in Scripture. First, Christ said, Do this in
remembrance of Me. We therefore do it because He
commanded it. Second, He said, Do it in remembrance
of Me. We do it to remember the Lord
Jesus Christ. We remember Him who gave His
body to be broken and poured out His life's blood in order
to make atonement to God for our sins. Remember me, says our
Lord, and so by this we remember Him who died for us to bring
us to God. And third, we do it to show forth
His death till He comes. When we gather with believers
to worship Christ, we eat the bread and drink the wine together. Believers are one bread in Christ. Because we are one with Christ,
because God looks upon us as one with Him in His death and
resurrection, so that by Him we are dead to sins, that we
are righteous before God by His obedience, that we are justified,
that we are alive to God from the dead, then we, as sinners,
believing Him, do this together, because we are one body in Christ. And fourth, when we eat the bread,
representing Christ's body broken for us, and drink the wine, representing
Christ's blood shed for us, we are showing on the outside what
we believe in our heart, that Christ is all of our salvation. Christ, crucified, is our justification
and eternal life before God. We believe Him to be so. Eating
and drinking with our physical mouth is what we do by faith
in our heart and souls. And fifth, Jesus said, He that
eateth my flesh and drinketh my blood dwelleth in me and I
in him, John 6, 56. Therefore eating the bread and
drinking the wine is what we do on the outside to show what
we do when we believe Christ on the inside. We believe that
Christ, crucified in sacrifice to God for our sins, obtained
our eternal salvation. And the evidence that we are
in Christ and that He is in us is that we believe Him. Finally,
who should eat and drink from the Lord's table? The answer
is, everyone who believes Christ. Paul said, Wherefore, whosoever
shall eat this bread, and drink this cup of the Lord unworthily,
shall be guilty of the body and blood of the Lord. But let a
man examine himself, and so let him eat of that bread, and drink
of that cup. For he that eateth and drinketh
unworthily, eateth and drinketh damnation to himself, not discerning
the Lord's body. We do not make ourselves worthy
to eat and drink from the Lord's table. The Lord's table is for
sinners who have been made worthy by the broken body and shed blood
of Christ. Romans 5, 9 says, having been
justified by His blood. We are worthy by His worthiness. If we believe that Christ alone,
by His one offering to God, took away our sins, justified us before
God, then we are worthy to eat and drink from this table. If
we do not believe Christ is all of our salvation, we are not
worthy and we must not eat and drink here. But if we believe
Christ, we are commanded to eat and drink and to remember Him,
and declare by doing this that Christ is all to God and therefore
all of our salvation. In eating and drinking from the
Lord's table, we declare this truth with all who believe Him,
all that we did by sinning. became His debt of sin to bear
and to pay, and all He did by dying became our satisfaction
and righteousness before God. God accepts us for what He thinks
of His Son. He does not see us by ourselves,
apart from Christ, but one with Him, in Him by eternal covenant
union. Christ alone makes us worthy. Believing Him is the evidence
we are in Him and that He is in us. Now, in closing, let me
summarize what the Lord's Table means. It declares a Savior given
and a Savior who gave. It shows His body broken, His
blood, the price paid, to make atonement to God, to save this
sinner. God has taken away His wrath.
Mercy and truth are met together. Righteousness and peace have
kissed each other. The work is complete. He now
says, take and eat. The effect of saving grace from
God towards me is saving faith in me towards Christ. O great
Savior, did you shed your blood for me? Then I am yours, and
you are mine. I have been saved by your blood
with an eternal salvation. You've just heard a sermon by
our pastor, Rick Warda. You may contact us by email or
by phone, or download a copy of this sermon by visiting our
website at ysgracechurch.com.