Westminster Confession of Faith, Chapter 29: The Lord's Supper

Order of Service

• Sermon

---

Sermon Title: The Lord's Supper as a Spiritual Sacrament

Scripture: 1 Corinthians 10:16

I. The Four Views of the Lord's Supper

A. Transubstantiation (Roman Catholic)

1. The bread and wine literally become Christ's body and blood
2. The confession opposes this in section 2: Christ is not offered up repeatedly, but only commemorated
3. Hebrews 9:25-26 — Christ appeared "once for all" to put away sin by the sacrifice of himself
4. The doctrine of the "sacrifice of the mass" is refuted by the once-for-all offering at Calvary

B. Consubstantiation (Lutheran)

1. The body of Christ is present "in, with, and under" the elements
2. Like transubstantiation, this emphasizes a physical presence of Christ in the elements

C. Memorialism (predominant evangelical view today)

1. The bread and wine are symbols of remembrance of Christ's work on the cross
2. The confession and the Reformed tradition see this as incomplete

D. The Reformed (Spiritual) View — the view of the Westminster Confession

1. Christ's body remains at the right hand of the Father in heaven
2. Christ is truly present in the proper administration of the supper by His Holy Spirit
3. Matthew 28 — "Behold, I am with you until the end of the age" anticipates the Spirit's coming at Pentecost
4. Christ is present where two or three are gathered in his name — spiritually, through the Holy Spirit
5. 1 Corinthians 10:16 — the cup and bread are a "participation" in the body and blood of Christ
6. Christ offers himself afresh to believers in the supper — the arrow comes down from God to us

II. The Lord's Supper as a Two-Way Remembrance

A. The memorialist position places the burden of remembrance entirely on the believer

1. Creates pressure to achieve the right psychological state before the supper is beneficial
2. Misses the covenant pattern of signs in Scripture

B. The covenant signs of Scripture involve God remembering as well

1. Genesis 9:12-15 — the rainbow is a sign in which God declares he will remember his covenant promises to Noah
2. The rainbow is a two-way sign: Noah remembers, and God also "sees" it and is reminded of his promises

C. The Lord's Supper functions similarly as a covenant sign

1. Jesus raises the cup: "This is my blood of the new covenant, shed for the remission of sins"
2. The supper is a reminder that God the Father remembers the blood of the covenant and has wiped away sins
3. Like a wedding ring, the elements are a token God gives saying: "Remember my promises to love, care for, and be faithful to you"
4. This understanding liberates believers from the burden of self-generated remembrance

III. The Lord's Supper Must Be Celebrated Together as a Gathered Covenant People

A. Westminster Confession ch. 29, section 3 specifies the elements are to be given only to those "present in the congregation"

B. Virtual or private celebration destroys the very nature of the sacrament

1. The sacrament is a sign of communion — both with Christ and with one another as his covenant people
2. To celebrate privately is to undermine what communion signifies

C. Scripture consistently connects the supper to physical gathering

1. Acts 20:7 — "On the first day of the week, when the disciples came together to break bread"
2. 1 Corinthians 11:20 — "When you come together, it is not the Lord's Supper you eat"
3. 1 Corinthians 11:33 — "When you come together to eat, wait for one another"
4. 1 Corinthians 10:17 — "Because there is one bread, we who are many are one body"

D. The current season (COVID-19) calls the church to lament and fast, not to find substitutes

1. Jesus taught that there would be times of fasting for his disciples after his departure
2. The inability to celebrate the Lord's Supper is a genuine loss worthy of sorrow
3. Quote from Scott Swain (President of RTS Orlando): this season calls us to a remembrance of exile — faithful tears and hopeful longing for restoration, whether at the Lord's table or at the wedding supper of the Lamb
4. Our present fast will make future feasting at the Lord's table all the more joyous