Arc 14 and hold your finger there
and turn to Luke chapter 22. This is Luke's account of this same
thing. Verse 13, and they went and found
as he'd said unto them, and they made ready the Passover. And
when the hour was come, he sat down and the 12 apostles with
him. And he said unto them, with desire,
I have desired to eat this Passover with you before I suffer. I've entitled this message with
desire. I have desired. Now this is the word that's usually
translated Lust. And you know that that has nothing
to do with an unclean lust. This is the craving of the Lord
for every one of his people. Just as truly as he said this
to the 12. This is said to every single
child of God. With desire, this is Christ speaking. With desire have I desired to
eat this Passover with you. Now these are the words that
are used to introduce to us the Lord's table. He begins with
these words, with desire. That's a powerful, strong word. I wish we believed it with desire. Have I desired to eat this Passover
with you. And this is when the Lord's table
was instituted. The Lord's table was prefigured
in Genesis chapter 14. You remember when Melchizedek
came and blessed Abraham and he brought bread and wine? I
don't have any doubt that that was the Lord Jesus himself in
a pre-incarnate appearance, appearing to Abraham. And he brought bread
and wine, prefiguring the Lord's table. And the Lord Jesus gave
special instructions to Paul about the Lord's table in 1 Corinthians
chapter 11. We're gonna look at that in just
a few moments. But Paul called this in 1 Corinthians
11 too, an ordinance. It's one of two ordinances. Now why do we use the language
ordinances? Well, most religion calls the
Lord's table and baptism a sacrament. a sacrament. Now what is meant
by that term? If you believe the Lord's table
or baptism to be a sacrament, you believe that grace is actually
conveyed through going underwater, eating the bread, drinking the
wine. If you believe it to be a sacrament,
you believe grace is actually conveyed through participating
in those things. Now that's just not so. This
is a symbol. Baptism, the Lord's table, they're
a symbol to teach us something. They are not sacraments. Baptism, the word means immersion. Don't miss that. The word means
immersion. I don't know why the translators
of the Bible didn't translate it that way. They just kept the
Greek word. Well, actually, I know why they
translated it that way, because they didn't practice it. That's
why. So they didn't call it immersion.
They called it baptism. Nobody knows what that means,
but the word means to immerse completely. Baptism symbolizes
our hope of the gospel union with the Lord Jesus Christ. Here's
what I'm saying when I'm baptized. I'm saying my hope of being saved
is that when he lived, I lived and his righteousness is mine.
When he died, I died. My sins were paid for by what
he did. When he was raised, I was raised. That's all my hope. That's
every bit of it. And that is the believer's public
confession of Christ. Baptism, it's an ordinance. There's
no saving benefit or efficacy in it, but what a blessing it
is. What a beautiful, simple symbol
of how a sinner is saved by virtue of being united with the Lord
Jesus Christ. Now, baptism is done only once. Now, I've known people that say,
well, I've been baptized four or five times. No, you haven't. You might
have been dunked four or five times, but you've only been baptized
once. You were baptized when you were
baptized as a believer. It's believer's baptism. Those other things, a lot of
people have been dunked numerous occasions, but there's only one
time you're truly baptized when you understand the gospel. Now
somebody, I don't know how many times people have come up to
me and said, well, maybe I need to be baptized. I understand
the gospel more than I did the first time. Well, I'm going to
say, of course you do. You ought to. You ought to grow
in grace and the knowledge of the Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.
And every time I baptize somebody, I think I'd like to be baptized
again. It's so beautiful. But don't think, well, maybe
I need to be baptized again because I didn't know enough. Well, you
didn't. You don't now. But do you believe the gospel?
Do you believe that Jesus Christ is the son of God? Do you believe
he is all in salvation? That's what happens when someone's
baptized. They believe that. But the Lord's
table is something that is done over and over and over. The Lord
said, as oft as you do it. Not as seldom as you do it. You
know, I sometimes think we probably don't take the Lord's table enough.
Probably not. The Lord didn't say as seldom
as you do this, but as oft as you do this. Do this in remembrance
of me. And you do, as Paul said in 1
Corinthians 11, show forth the Lord's death until he come. Now the remembrance of Christ,
what could be more profitable than that? The remembrance of
Christ. Wouldn't it be a blessing if
tonight Me and you would forget about ourselves. And we'd forget
about our feelings. And we'd forget about our problems.
And we'd just be out of the picture and remember him. Now back to Mark 14. And as they did eat, verse 22.
Mark 14, verse 22. And as they did eat, Jesus took
bread, and blessed, and break, and gave. I love that sequence
of statements. He took the bread, he blessed,
he break, and he gave. Now, the power of the Lord to
bless. He blessed that bread. Oh, His blessing. You see, if He blesses you, you're
blessed. Now, I don't want to be, I don't know what it is I want
to be, but you know, anytime somebody says to me, bless you,
I think, can you do that? I don't think so. Now people
are blessing to me, I don't, any believer's a blessing to
me, but if somebody says, bless you, I think, you can't do that.
Don't talk that, only the Lord can bless. He is the blessed
one and oh, his power to bless. If he blesses you with his favor,
you're blessed. Blessed be the God and Father
of our Lord Jesus Christ who hath blessed us with all spiritual
blessings in heavenly places in Christ Jesus. Oh, the power
of the Lord to bless. And then he broke the bread,
symbolizing his broken body. He said in 1 Corinthians 11,
24, this is my body broken for you. And what this speaks of
is his substitutionary death, his body broken. God is just, sin must be punished. If God lets sin go unpunished,
he'd be unjust like me and you, but God is just. This symbolizes
the breaking of the Lord's body. Three or four years ago, for
my birthday, Lynn got two tickets to see the Bengals. And that's
the first NFL game, I guess probably the last one too, been there,
done that. I love football, but I don't wanna go to any more
of those, but we enjoyed it. But at any rate, it was either
the Monday night or Thursday night game of the week, and I
never go, because I can, I'm preaching on Sunday. But we went
to this game, and it was real, there was these guys out there
preaching. And we spent way too much money on the tickets. I
felt bad about it. Lynn's fault. She paid it. But
it was an exorbitant amount of money to watch a ball game. And
so I was feeling kind of bad about it anyway. And we were
going through there, and these preachers, they were saying,
you need to repent of this. You need to get rid of this vanity. And I was just thinking. Let
me enjoy the game, you know. But at any rate, during the course
of these preachers saying this thing, I heard a guy, or actually
Lynn heard it, I think, and told me about it. You know, he was
talking, he said, why can't God just forgive sin? Why does there
have to be bloodshed? I bet every one of us have thought
that at one point or the other. Why does there have to be bloodshed?
Why can't God just forgive sin and just push it under the carpet
and forget it? Well, real simply put, what would
we do with a human judge who did that? We'd get rid of him, wouldn't
we? He would be an unjust judge. If a human judge, somebody came
up that was guilty of a crime and he said, well, you're forgiven. No. A judge like that would be
kicked out of office. He would be an unjust judge.
We couldn't have one like that, and yet people think God ought
to be that way. God's just. God would cease to
be God if he let one sin go unpunished. judge of the earth do right,
justice and judgment are the habitation of his throne. God is just. Now, when the Lord spoke of the
breaking of the bread, this is my body broken for you, the sins
of God's elect were given to Christ and made his. And he became guilty of the commission
of those sins. Now you can't have sin in two
places at one time. If Christ bore it, I don't bear
it anymore. I stand without guilt. That sin
of mine, he bore. He bore our sins in his own body
on the tree, and that broken body represents God punishing
sin as the just God. Just and holy is thy name. Christ took those sins willingly,
and his body was broken. Broken for who? This is my body
broken for you. Who? the elect, the ones he desired. You know, when he said with desire,
have I desired to eat this Passover with you? None of the people
he was speaking of was gonna be in hell. They will all be
saved. This is my body broken for you. Everybody he represented. Christ's body broken. Luke's account says his broken
body was given for you. What a gift. What a gift. Now this was first his gift to
God himself. He offered himself without spot
to God, but it was his gift to you. Every believer. This is my body
broken, given for you. Now let's keep on reading verse
23. And he took the cup and when he had given thanks,
he gave it to them and they all drank of it. And he said unto
them, this is my blood of the new Testament, which is shed
for many. This is my blood. Now you know
that that wine did not literally turn into the blood of Christ,
but this is what that blood represents. This wine is my blood, the blood
of the New Testament, which is shed for many. Not for everybody,
but for many. There's gonna be a whole lot
of people in heaven. 10,000 times 10,000 and thousands
and thousands. Now, what does this mean? The blood of the New Testament. Now, to understand anything about
the New Testament, I have to first understand what the Old
Testament is. Now, let me give you a summary,
and this covers it all. Here's a summary of the Old Testament. Don't eat of that tree. That covers it all. Don't eat of that tree. If you
want to go into the Ten Commandments, every one of them is thou shalt
not. Thou shalt not. Thou shalt not. The Old Testament is salvation
in some way dependent upon you. what you do or what you refrain
from doing. This is the Old Testament. Here's
an example of the Old Testament. This is as Old Testament just
as the Ten Commandments are. You're salvation. Christ died
for you. God loves you. All your sins are paid for, but
it's up to an act of your free will as to whether or not you'll
be saved. It's dependent upon the decision
you make. That's law. That's law. There's
no gospel in that message. Someone that believes that does
not believe the gospel. They're still under the Old Testament. Let me tell you something about
the Old Testament. Let me tell you two things about the Old
Testament. Number one, it never saved anybody. Number two, love is impossible. If you're under law, you cannot
possibly love God. Can't do it. You'll resent him.
You'll think he's too strict. You'll be upset that you don't
have whatever it takes to reach whatever it is you need to reach,
but there's no love at all produced by law. Old Testament salvation
dependent upon you. You know, I get, because I'm
a pastor, I get some of those ridiculous things in the mail.
And I got a thing last week, it said what you need to teach
your children. This is the way to deal with
children. Here's the thing you gotta give them. Just say no
to sin. Well, okay. Y'all not sin, I'm
not making excuses in any way for that, but just say no to
sin? Okay, no. Ain't nobody ever done that.
Not really. Somebody says, well, I've done
that. No, you haven't. No, you haven't. You've broken every,
I've broken every commandment constantly, nonstop. I think
the clearest example of that is where the Lord said the greatest
commandment is to love God with all your heart. And the next
commandment is to love your neighbor yourself. That's the greatest
commandment. If that's the greatest commandment, you know what? I
am guilty of constantly breaking the greatest commandment all
the time. I've never loved God with all
my heart the way I ought to, not in my flesh. My Redeemer
did, but I haven't. I've never loved my neighbor
as myself, unless my neighbor is myself. You know, I've just
never done that. I'm in the constant act of breaking
the greatest commandment. Old Testament, law. Salvation dependent upon you,
what you do. Now the New Testament is salvation
wholly dependent upon what Christ has done. YOU DO NOT ENTER THE
EQUATION. SALVATION WHOLLY DEPENDENT UPON
WHAT CHRIST HAS DONE. Now, this is what the writer
to the Hebrews calls the blood of the everlasting covenant. Hebrews 13, 20. You can look
that up in your time. When we're talking about the
blood of the New Testament, the writer to the Hebrews called
it the blood of the everlasting covenant. And here's what the
New Testament is. Before time began, Christ agreed
to take full responsibility for the salvation of everybody the
Father gave him. All that the Father giveth me
shall come to me. This is the will of him that
sent me, that of all which he hath given me, I should lose
nothing. But raise it up again. at the
last day. Hebrews 7.22 says, by so much
more was Jesus made a surety of a better testament. Now that's
talking about what took place before time began. And we're
given a beautiful illustration of this in Genesis chapter 43,
when Judah took full responsibility for the salvation of Benjamin.
Here's what he said. I will be surety for him. Of my hand shalt thou require
of him. If I bring him not unto thee
and set him before thee, let me bear the blame forever. And that is what Christ said
with regard to every one of his people. He said that with regard
to me. I'll be surety for him. Everything you require of him,
you looked at me for. If I said him not, bring him
before thee, and said him not before thee, perfectly saved,
let me bear the blame forever. Now that is the New Testament. And the Lord sealed it in his
own precious blood, the blood of the New Testament. You see
his blood, made their way for God to be just, absolutely just,
absolutely righteous, punishing all sin, and yet justify me and
make me without guilt. That is what the blood of the
New Testament accomplished. The broken body tells us of the
wrath he endured. The blood of the New Testament
tells us of the salvation that he secured. His blood is the
payment he made for sin that accomplished salvation. In Matthew's
account, this is the blood of the New Testament, which is shed,
he says, for the remission of sin. It doesn't say that here
in Mark, but it says it in Matthew's account. This is the blood he
shed for the remission of sin. Now, what is the remission of
sin? The removal of sin. Turn with me for a moment to
Hebrews chapter 10. Hebrews, the 10th chapter. Verse 14, for by one offering,
talking about His death, the New Testament, the blood of the
New Testament, He hath perfected forever them that are sanctified,
whereof the Holy Ghost also is a witness to us. For after that
he'd said before, this is the covenant that I'll make with
them after those days, saith the Lord. I'll put my laws into
their hearts and in their minds will I write them and their sins
and iniquities will I remember no more. And the only way God
can forget sin is because there's nothing there for him to remember.
The Lord removed that sin. There is no sin. Now, verse 18,
where the remission of these is, there's no more offering
for sin. Don't try to bring one. Don't
try to bring an offering. It's already been accomplished.
Don't try to do something to make up for your sin. There's
no more offering for sin. Verse 19, having therefore brethren
boldness to enter into the holiest. by the blood of Jesus. Now, let
me tell you something that you can't have if you enter the holiest
sin. You can't enter the holiest sin.
That sin has been put away by the blood of Jesus. Now, would you turn with me to
1 Corinthians 11? This is Paul giving these instructions
with regard to the Lord's table, where the Lord appeared to him
specifically for this. Verse 23, 1 Corinthians 11, verse
23, for I have received of the Lord that which also I delivered
unto you. Isn't that what preaching is? what you receive of the Lord
from his word, that's what you deliver. A preacher is very much
like a mailman. He doesn't have anything to do
with the content. He just delivers it. And that's what's going on
at this time. For I received of the Lord that
which also I 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, crushed under the wrath of God for you. This do in remembrance of me. After the same manner also, he
took the cup, and when he'd sup, 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 forth the Lord's death till he
come. Now, what I would want to close
with is just this thought, this do. Talking about eating the
broken bread, drinking the wine, which represents the blood of
the New Testament. This do in remembrance of me. Would to God that just for a
few moments, we could forget about ourselves. Forget about our problems. Forget
about our inconsistencies. Forget about all the things that
trouble us about ourselves. Forget about everybody else that
troubles us. Just forget it. This do in remembrance
of me. Remember, I know you weren't
around, but the word of God gives us the information. Remember
when he stood. as a surety for you before the
foundation of the world and took complete responsibility for your
salvation. You know, at that time when he
agreed to be your surety, God ceased to look to you for anything. He looked to Christ for everything. Remember when he spake this universe
into existence. All things were created by him
and for him. And he's before all things. By
him, all things consist. I love to remember him right
after the fall of our first parents. Adam, where are you? He knew. He knew where he was. He wasn't asking this for information.
But he was causing Adam to know where he was. Fallen, alienated
from God. Remember him as he makes that
promise? He was the voice of God walking
in the cool of the evening. And he made that promise. The
seed of woman. me shall bruise the serpent's
head. And then he flew that lamb and
took away the efforts of our first parents to cover up their
sin and gave them a true covering. Preceding, speaking of the cross, I love to Remember him as the
paschal and you know, there's so many examples in the Old Testament
You take the Old Testament. You're the only way you can possibly
understand the Old Testament with the New Testament and There's
one man that fits every story every picture every type the
Lord Jesus Christ Every single one of them you wouldn't have
any idea what the Old Testament is all about. It'd be a mystery
Unless you could see that every single story sacrifice the ark
the great high priest, the serpent in the wilderness, whatever you
want. He fits the description perfectly. Remember him when he came into a virgin's womb and
spent nine months. Remember him as he lived 30 years
in obscurity, keeping God's law perfectly. And you know, his
mom knew, I guess his dad knew too, but nobody else got it.
I mean, you know, his brothers and sisters, they didn't get
it. They had God living within, in the flesh, and they didn't
know. You know, that is an example
to me of how no natural man has any understanding of holiness.
Because the one time holiness was there, they didn't get it.
They had no idea. Remembering when he was baptized,
I love to think of him coming up to John and saying, thus it
becometh us to fulfill all righteousness. And John baptized him. Remember
what the father said at that time, this is my beloved son
in whom I'm well pleased, hear ye him. Oh, remember him during
his earthly ministry, his three years of public ministry when
he did what only God can do. I can't help but think about
the way the religious hated him, but sinners loved him. He was
the friend then of publicans and sinners. Remember him as
he's betrayed and he's arrested. They come after him, and I've
heard anywhere between 500 and 1,000 people. I don't know how
you get that number, but that's what I've read about these people
that came to arrest him. Whom seek ye? And they said, Jesus
is Nazareth. And he said, I am. And they fell
backwards at the power of the revelation of himself. They get
back up and he said, Whom seek ye? I just love to think they
were scared to death at that time. But I love to think of
him on trial before the priest. He didn't say a word. Why? Why
didn't he defend himself? Because he knew he was guilty.
The only time he spake was when Pilate said, speakest thou not
to me? He'd been remaining silent before
Pilate. He said, speakest thou not to me? Don't you know that
I have power to crucify you and I have power to release you? He had to speak then. You have
no power at all over me, except it were given thee from above. Remember him. from the cross. Father, forgive them. And beloved, everybody he prayed
for was forgiven. Father, forgive them. They know
not what they do. Woman, behold thy son. Behold
thy mother. I thirst. My God, my God, why hast thou
forsaken me? Today, thou shalt be with me
in paradise. It is finished. Father, into thy hands I commit
my spirit. And he bowed his head, and he
gave up the ghost, and I tell you, I can't, you think of those
soldiers that came to take him down off that cross, they had
a lifeless corpse. The Son of God died. They put
him in that tomb, and I love to think about this, I know only
the Father saw this when he opened his eyes. He had justified complete
satisfaction. He justified everybody he died
for. He walked out of that tomb with
all of heaven amazed, clapping, whatever, just amazed. He ascended back to the Father.
And even now, he's at the right hand of God, making intercession
for every single one of his people. this dude in remembrance of me. Well, where do we come in? Who he is and what he did is
everything in our salvation. He is all we need He's all God
requires, and he is all God will accept. He's all! You know what that makes us?
Nothing. You like it that way? It's the
only place I see any safety. And as we prepare to eat the
bread and drink the wine, we're all preaching a sermon. You do show forth the Lord's
death, the glory of his death, the saving efficacy of his death
until he come. Now, who is to eat of the Lord's
table? There's one requirement and only
one requirement, only one requirement, faith in Christ. If you believe that Jesus Christ
is God the Son, and you rely on Him only as everything in
your salvation, you're to take the Lord's table, and we're to
do this in remembrance of Him. Pass out the bread and wine.