as we mentioned during the reading
on a preach on the subject of the Lord's Supper especially
his words do this in remembrance of me we read Mark's account
will refer to Matthew's account as well as Luke's account so
we may jump around just a little bit as we do on this day we will
observe the Lord's Supper and I prayed, I prayed not just this
morning but before this morning that God would enable us to remember
some things especially and foremost the Lord Jesus Christ who redeemed
us with his blood but also to remember why that was required,
why God demanded that, to remember where we were. The prophet says,
Isaiah 55 and 1, he put it this way, God speaking through the
prophet, hearken to me, ye that follow after righteousness, ye
that seek the Lord, look by Look back, not like Lot's wife, which
revealed that her heart was still in Sodom, but look back to the
rock from whence ye were hewn. Look back to the hole of the
pit from whence ye were digged. Look back to that pit where you
were with everybody else in the quarry of fallen humanity and
God Almighty moved only by his sovereign grace. This is hard
for us to get a hold of, but it's still the truth. There was
nothing in us that moved him to reach down in that pit with
everyone else and left us out. Left us out. There was nothing
in us that attracted him. There was everything that would
repel him, but nothing that would attract him. Why did he do that?
Why did he love us? Surely there had to be some reason
in us. Oh no, no. He loved us freely. He loved us freely. That means
without a cause in us or nothing from us. And remember, remember
what that involved, being brought up out of that pit. Remember
there had to be a ransom pay. had to be a ransom. Justice would
not, the justice of God would not let us go until it was satisfied. This is what Peter speaks of,
1 Peter chapter 1. For as much as you know that
we were not redeemed with corruptible things as silver and gold from
your vain, empty conversation, received by tradition, tradition
from your fathers, that's not what redeemed you. Well, what
did? But with the precious blood,
precious blood. Think about what that blood did.
Oh, how precious is the flow that makes me white as snow.
But with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without
blemish and without spot, who barely was foreordained before
the foundation of the world. He's the lamb slain from the
foundation of the world, but was manifest in these last times
For you. How about that? Huh? For you. For you. And this is the reason
why God says, concerning you and I, concerning every child
of God, every believer, every redeemed sinner, God says, deliver
his soul from going down to the pit. Why? I found a ransom. I found a ransom. Remember what
the Lord Jesus Christ said? Matthew 20 verse 28. Even as
the Son of Man came not to be ministered unto, but to minister
and to give his life a ransom. A ransom. To give his life a
ransom for many. God remind us of those things. Again, but first and foremost,
in the Lord's Supper were to do what Christ said to do the
very first night that he instituted the Lord's Supper. This do in
remembrance of me. Matthew chapter 26. Find that
place, would you? Matthew chapter 26 beginning
at verse 26. Matthew 26 and 26 through 30. Here's Matthew's account of that
night. And as they were eating, verse
26, as they were eating, Jesus took bread and blessed it, and
break it, and gave it to the disciples and said, take eat,
this is my body. And he took the cup, and gave
thanks, and gave it to them, saying, drink ye all of it. All
of you drink from it. For this is my blood of the New
Testament, which is shed for many, for the remission of sins. Is there any doubt that what
our Lord done was for the remission of sins? Is there any question
about why he laid down his life? Why he was slain on the behalf
of his people? It was in order that their sins
might be remitted, carried away. That's the purpose of his mission.
That's the reason he came to this world. And slice it any
way you want to. Call it anything you want. He
either did or he didn't. He either did or he didn't. But
there can be no doubt that that was the reason he came. Read
on. But I say unto you, I will not
drink henceforth of this fruit of the vine, this wine, until
that day when I drink it new with you, in my father's kingdom."
Wow. And when they had sung a hymn,
they went out into the Mount of Olives. And with those simple,
unpretentious words, the master established the blessed ordinance
of the Lord's Supper. He knew. Oh, how he knew. Everything that lay before him
that night, he knew that he must suffer. After they sang that
hymn, he went out to the garden to where he knew Judas would
bring the mob to find him. Prior to that, he prayed in Gethsemane
and sweat great drops of blood. He knew he would be forsaken
by God. He knew what would happen with
his disciples. He knew every one of them would
forsake him. All of you will be offended because
of me this night. None of you will identify with
me. None of you will want to be associated with me. You will
all forsake me and flee. The shepherd will be forsaken
by his sheep. He knew all that beforehand.
The turmoil that was waiting. Wisely and graciously though,
nevertheless, he chose these few hours prior to all that,
this quiet evening before his crucifixion, to bestow this precious
gift to his church. Every time you do it, he said,
remember me, remember me. The ordinance could not have
been established with greater simplicity. There was absolutely
nothing ceremonial in it. None of this people think it's
pretty. All this pageantry, all this
religious garb, all this flash that people associated with it,
You read nothing like that when our Lord instituted it. And thus,
on this last true Passover, it melted away into the Lord's Supper,
just like the stars lose their glitter once the sun arises. The Passover is gone, and now
the fulfillment, the picture of that which fulfilled the Passover
takes it takes its place now I'm reading in Luke's account
now briefly Luke chapter 22 listen to these words verse 14 concerning
the same event and when the hours come he that is Christ sat down
and the twelve apostles with him and he said unto them listen
to these words with desire I have desired to eat this Passover
with you before I suffer In another place, he said, I have a baptism
to be baptized with. And he wasn't talking about water.
He was talking about being covered up, overwhelmed, like one wave
of water after another of God's justice and wrath is going to
flow over his soul. And he said, I can't wait for
that to happen. How am I straightened to it be
accomplished? Verse 16. For I say unto you,
I will not any more eat thereof until it be fulfilled in the
kingdom of God." Until this picture, this type be fulfilled. And then
in verse 19 again he tells them, this do in remembrance of me. I wonder how precious to the
disciples the memory of that night was in the years that followed. because the night that he did
it, they were clueless. That's astounding, but it's true.
They were clueless. It wasn't until afterwards that
they understood what he meant. And I just wonder, each time
they did it afterwards, oh my, my, now that they had some understanding
of what he meant, when they would take that wine as he commanded,
And they would each drink it, they would think, oh my soul,
remember what he told us that night? Remember. This is a picture
of what he did for us. He gave himself. He didn't hold
anything back. He gave himself for us. He endured
the wrath of God. And while we denied him, he would
never deny us. He took our place. He was our
glorious substitute. Can you imagine what a celebration
it was? in those years that followed
this night. And it is exactly that. It's
a celebration. It's a celebration. We don't
do it flippantly. We come prayerfully. We come
reverently. We come asking God to remind
us of what we're doing, but at the same time, we come with hearts
full of joy. He, by his self, purged our sins. Man, that makes me happy. That
makes me happy. That's worth celebrating, is
it not? Oh, it brings such a sweet, sweet
comfort to the heart of every believer. Mr. Spurgeon, He wrote
some hymns. He was a great preacher, but
a pretty good hymn writer. And he wrote a hymn especially
for the observance of the Lord's Supper, communion. It was called,
Amistus, Our Beloved Stands. Amistus, Our Beloved Stands,
and bids us view his pierced hands. Points to his wounded
feet and side, blessed emblems of the crucified. What food luxurious
loads the board, When at his table sits the Lord, The wine
how rich, the bread how sweet, When Jesus deigns the guests
to meet. If now with eyes defiled and
dim, We see the sight but see not him, O may his love the scales
displace, And bid us view him face to face. Thy glorious bridegroom of our
hearts, thy present smile of heaven imparts. Oh, let the veil,
if veil there be, let every saint thy beauties see. Again, as often
as you eat this bread and drink this cup, you do show the Lord's
death till he come. Let's just consider those three
words. Till he come. Paul said, Even Christ our Passover
is sacrificed for us. And from that blessed truth,
consider just a couple of things, two or three things. And the
first is this. In each and every account that
we've read or referred to, is it not obvious that all this
was done on purpose? Well, you say, Larry, my soul,
everybody knows that. Are you sure about that? And
does that not just add more luster to it? Does that not make it
even more glorious when we know that Jesus Christ did all this
for me on purpose? On purpose. He came to this earth
and was made like his brethren on purpose. God before the world
began. What little bit of gray matter
I've got won't reach back that far. It won't reach further than
the end of my nose. But my soul imagined, before
God ever created the heavens and the earth, before ever there
was a star, the sun, the moon, before there was ever angel,
The Son of God stood as the covenant head of His people, and God chose
everyone He was purposed to save in His Son. My, so how about
that? How about that? And the Son,
the Son, as the surety of His people said, Father, everyone
You commit into My hands, everyone, that you entrust into my hands,
I agree to be responsible for. I'll do everything that you demand
for them. I will live for them. I will
die for them. I'll arise for them. I'll intercede
for them. And one day, Father, I'll bring
every one of them back to glory and present them to you without
a spot or a wrinkle or any such thing. How about that? How about
that? All done on purpose. Paul in
1 Corinthians 11, we'll read these verses shortly. He said
in verse 21, for I have received of the Lord that which also I
delivered unto you, that the Lord Jesus the same night, the
same night, mark those words, in which he was betrayed took
bread. Again Luke's account, chapter
22, verse 14, and when the hour was come, He sat down and His 12 apostles
with Him. Remember that night that was
portrayed, or portrayed this very night we read of in the
Lord's Supper, this night that He instituted it? Remember a
night many, many years before this? That Passover night. That first Passover. That night
in Egypt. Remember that night. Remember
what God said to Moses. In chapter 12 of Exodus, I will
pass through the land of Egypt this night, this night, and will
smite all the firstborn in the land of Egypt, both man and beast,
and against all the gods of Egypt, I will execute judgment. I am
the Lord. Moses, I'm coming through Egypt
this night. I will execute judgment. Really? Really? My soul. You mean God
does that? You mean God Almighty executes
people? You mean God sends people to
hell? Well, if God doesn't do it, who
does? The devil doesn't do it. He doesn't
have that power. No, God executes judgment. People say, well, how can a loving
God do that? How can a just God do anything
other than that? Oh, this is what we read. Again, Exodus 12 verse 13. And the blood shall be to you
for a token. Up on the houses where we are.
And when I see the blood, when I see the blood, I will pass
over you. Oh, we read there was not a house
where there was not one dead. Oh, there was a cry went up.
We read, that had never been like before or never would be.
And yet there were houses where God passed over. Why? Because
death had already been there. Death had already been there.
in that lamb that had been slain. Death had already come to that
house. And payment God will not twice demand. First at my bleeding
surety's hand and then again at mine. And that's why God says,
when I see the blood, I'm gonna pass over you. Now take all that about the Passover
and compare it to what we're speaking of now this night. This
night when our Lord sat down with his disciples When Christ,
the Lamb of God, was about to take away all the sins of all
of His people. We read this in John chapter
12, John 12, verse 23 and 24. And Jesus answered them saying,
The hour, oh that hour, what an hour. The hour has come that
the Son of Man should be glorified. Are you looking at that? The
hour has come that the Son of Man should be glorified only
if he does what God sent him to do. If he doesn't do everything God
sent him to do, he won't be glorified. He'll be a failure. He'll be
an utter failure. Thank God that can never happen.
Verse 24, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Except a corn of wheat
fall into the ground and die, it abideth alone. But if it die,
It bringeth forth much fruit. How much? Well, I can't tell
you. John said there are a multitude that no man can number. So it's
a multitude that no man can number. John again, 12 verse 27. Now as my soul troubled, our
Lord says, and what shall I say? Father, save me from this hour,
but for this cause, for this reason, for this purpose, on
purpose, came I unto this hour. John 13 verse 1, now before the
feast of the Passover when Jesus knew that his hour was come that
he should depart out of this world unto the Father having
loved his own which were in the world he loved them unto the
end. He didn't love Peter any less
when Peter was standing using profanity before the enemies
of our Lord saying I don't even know the man. He didn't love
him any less then Then when Peter was saying, I know you're the
Christ, you're the Son of God, there was no degree, no fluctuation
in the love of God, the love of Jesus Christ. Jesus therefore,
verse 4 of John 18, knowing all things again that should come
upon him, went forth and said unto them, this angry mob led
by the traitor Judas, whom seek ye? They answered, Jesus of Nazareth,
I am he. And Judas also, which betrayed
him, stood with them. How disgraceful. Stood with them.
Verse 6 of John 18. As soon then as he said unto
them, I am he, they went backward and fell to the ground. Looks
like the Lord Jesus is the one in charge. Verse 7. Then asked
he them again, Whom seek ye? And they said, Jesus of Nazareth.
Jesus answered, I've told you that I am he. If therefore you
seek me, let these go their way. When I see the blood, I will
pass over you. Verse 9 of John 18, that the
same might be fulfilled which he spake of them which thou hast
given me, have I lost none? Oh, children of God, can you
not picture with an eye of faith The Great Shepherd, as He goes
willingly, on purpose, as a lamb led to the slaughter, and He
doesn't open His mouth, can you not see Him going there? Knowing
all things that lay before Him, He goes willingly, purposely,
to lay down His life for the sheep. Can you not hear The Word
of God's pure, righteous judgment crying out these words, Awake,
O Sword! Awake, O Sword! These are the words of a pure,
righteous God and He says, Awake, O Sword! against the shepherd
smite the shepherd strike the shepherd all we like sheep have
gone astray and the Lord had laid on him the shepherd the
iniquity of us all a Waco sword against the man who is my fellow
saith the Lord of hosts smite the shepherd Matthew 27 we spoke
about the night this night And about the darkness, oh it's,
it typified this. Matthew 27 verse 45 and 46, now
from the sixth hour, that's 12 o'clock in the afternoon, that's
noon. High noon. From the sixth hour
over, now from the sixth hour over all the land until the ninth
hour, from 12 to 3, there was darkness. Darkness. Man, I mean darkness. A picture
of the darkness of that religious mob surrounding the cross, mocking
the Son of God as He died, but they would make sure they would
go back to the temple, because it was the Passover. Got to make
sure we cross every dot, or cross every T rather than dot every
I. Remember, they wouldn't even go into Pilate's hall to accuse
Christ because it was the Passover and they didn't want to be defiled.
Oh, the darkness of man's heart, even while he's clothed in all
the rags of his religion. Oh, the darkness of a heart that
knows nothing of God's grace. And the darkness, the darkness
that the Son of God was enduring at that very time. That's what
it pictured too. Oh, how dark. Man, can you hear? You hearing pierced that darkness?
Crying out, my God, my God, why is thou forsaken me, my soul? Who can explain that darkness?
Do you know that even that, like everything else, was prophesied,
the darkness? In Amos chapter 8, verse 9, And
it shall come to pass in that day, saith the Lord, saith the
Lord God, that I will cause the sun to go down at noon, and I
will darken the earth in the clear day. Amos 8 and 9, and
that's exactly what happened. Let me read you a quote by Brother
Don Fortner concerning the sufferings of Christ. He said, I can understand
the agony of our Savior's tormented body. He said, I can understand
something about that. He said, I can even understand
the torments of his broken heart to some degree. Reproach hath
broken my heart, the Lord said. But here, Don went on the right,
we have come to something that I simply cannot comprehend. The sufferings of my Savior's
holy soul. Someone said that the soul of
his suffering were the suffering of his soul. God had made Christ
to be sin, not something like sin, but to be sin. That's what it says. God had
made Christ to be his italics. God had made Christ sin for us. The spotless, pure Lamb of God? He who did no sin, knew no sin,
in whom there was no sin, was made sin? Oh, what darkness. It's been referred
to, the suffering of his soul, as his unknown sufferings, known
only to himself and God. One hymn writer expressed it
like this, he said, "'Tis to God and God alone that their
weight is fully known. See the suffering Son of God,
panting, groaning, sweating blood. Boundless depths of love divine.
Jesus, what a love was thine." The second thing, the Lord's
Supper pictures, and I like this, I think you will too, it pictures
the absolute success of the Savior of His people. The absolute success. What we already read concerning
the sufferings of God, what He endured. Do they not establish
that fact? This is what I mean. In all those
sufferings, did He not do any more than just
make salvation a possibility? Are you serious? Is it really
true that Jesus Christ on the cross did all that he could do
and now he has left? the success of his work, his
mission, his purpose, he's left the success of that into the
hands, the will, the worth, or the work of a fallen man, you
can't be serious. Oh no. If that is so, what an
awful reflection that is on the triune God. Listen, that insults
every attribute of God Almighty. Absolutely, absolutely. Listen,
I won't break fellowship with anybody over their views on the
second company or the millennium or church government. But you
tell me, you tell me, you insult my Savior by telling me he died
for people that went to hell, and I'll draw the line. I'll
have no fellowship with anyone that says such a thing as that.
Oh, that's an insult. Listen, it's time we cared a
little bit more about God's honor than man's honor. I'm more concerned
about insulting my God than insulting some free will preacher, and
I hope that you are too. God's honor is more important
than the honor of man. Oh, no. Such talk as that insults
every attribute of God. For example, think about this. Is it not an insult to the wisdom
of God Almighty to say that He purposed something that He knew
He couldn't accomplish? What kind of God is that? That sounds like you, Billy.
That sounds like something I would do. I'm going to attempt something. Say Wednesday I get up and I've
had this happen, and I've been watching these pros on TV play
golf, and Carlos and I just feel like, man, I'm going out there.
I'm going to do what they do. Fat chance. Usually by the first shot on
the tee, I realize, oh, the wishful thinking. No, I might attempt
something and fail. But God Almighty's not going
to do that. And it's an insult to Jesus Christ because it represents
him as a failure. If he died for anybody that perishes
in hell, he's a failure. I don't know how else to put
it. And it so dishonors God the Holy Spirit because we're told
he's trying to do what he can't do, get everybody saved. Oh,
what a mess that is. What a hodgepodge of nonsense
that is. But thank God, the covenant of
grace knows no such language. The covenant of grace, the covenant
of God's amazing grace, is ordered in all things. And sure, and
sure, it honors God. It honors God, the triune God. Isaiah chapter 53, we read these
words. Verse 10, Although he had done
no sin, no guile, yet, speaking of the Lord Jesus Christ, it
pleased the Lord to bruise him. Bruise him. The crushing. Like that meal, that press, crushing. You have a lower stone and an
upper stone and just crushing every precious drop of juice
out of those grapes or olives. It pleased the Lord to crush.
to bruise, to crush his son. He hath put him to grief when
thou shalt make his soul an offering for sin. What will be the outcome
of all that? He shall see his seed. He shall
prolong his days and the pleasure of the Lord shall prosper in
his hand. If you think that the Son of
God failed to do all that the Father sent him into the world
to do, oh God help us To understand we're not looking at the great
God and Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ. Look at Him. Take another
look at Him. Take a good long look at Him.
Picture your eyes upon Jesus Christ. Because that's where
God looks for satisfaction. I like the quote in your bulletin
today by Brother Scott Richardson concerning Our Lord's words,
when I seek the blood, Scott said, I, by the grace of God,
have more confidence in his eyesight than I do in my own. And I do
too. And God commands us to do this.
Behold my servant. Behold my servant. And if you
do, if God gives you eyes to see his servant, his righteous
servant, the Lord Jesus Christ, to see him again, and again,
and again. Behold my servant, you'll see
this. My servant whom I uphold, mine
elect, in whom my soul delighteth, I'll put my spirit upon him.
He shall bring forth judgment till the Gentiles. Verse four,
he shall not fail. He shall not fail nor be discouraged
until he has set judgment in the earth. and the owls shall
wait for his law." When he said, I come to do thy will, O my God,
whatever that will was, whatever it included, I know he did it
because he shall not fail. When I read that Joseph was commanded
to call his name Jesus because he shall save his people from
their sins, I know he did because he shall not fail. When I read
that Christ bows his head upon the cross and says, it is finished,
thank God, I can just lay down and rest on that sweet, sweet
truth because I know he did not fail. He did not fail. A couple of evenings ago, Rob
and I were sitting watching the national news and they were broadcasting
a ceremony that was taking place at the White House. President
Trump was presiding over it. They were presenting to this
fallen soldier's son the Congressional Medal of Honor. They said that's
the highest honor that they could bestow, that this country could
bestow. This young man's father was a
Sergeant Travis Atkins. I think it was in Afghanistan
that he was serving in 2012. They saw some men approaching
them, dressed as they do in their robes and so forth. So he, with
three of his soldiers following behind, approached these couple
of men. When he attempted to interrogate
them, he could tell one reached in his robe, and Sergeant Atkins
grabbed him. The big bear just grabbed him
and turned his back toward his men, standing behind and body
slammed that guy to the ground and that bomb exploded and killed
him instantly. I just started crying. I looked
at Robin and I said, Jesus Christ loved me and gave himself for
me. Imagine that. Paul in Romans
8 said, scarcely for a righteous man would one die. But Christ
commended his love toward us, and while we were yet sinners,
he died for us. Isn't that amazing? Isn't that
amazing? The three soldiers whose life
he saved were at the ceremony. And President Trump said, would
you fellas stand up? And they stood up. And everybody
in the room stood up with them and just started to applaud in
honor of that fallen soldier. Christ told his disciples that
night, I'm not going to drink this with you again till I drink
it new in my father's kingdom. Oh, what a blessed day that will
be when my Jesus I shall see. And I look upon the face of the
one who saved me by his grace. What a day, glorious day that
will be. For as often as you eat this
bread, and drink this cup, you do show the Lord's death till
He come." You see, this is just temporary. When He comes, we
won't need this. We won't need this to remind
us of Him. We'll see Him as He is and be
like Him. And until that day comes, like
Brother Donnie Bell put it, we'll just keep looking out the window.
Just keep looking out the window. Let me wrap this up. This is
another one of Mr. Fortner's hymns. He said, eat
the bread and drink the wine, symbols of the work divine. Now
remember ransomed souls, Christ who makes your spirits whole.
Hear him speak, your savior of you, and remember as you do,
you're the objects of his choice. Loved of God, rejoice, rejoice. See him and with wonder tell
how he vanquished death and hell. And with joy remember this, soon
his glory will possess. What a Savior. What a Savior.
God bless you. God bless you.