I'd invite you to turn in your Bibles this morning to Mark chapter 14, the passage that Jonathan read for us. Mark 14, and we're gonna be looking at verse 12 down to verse 16, and then jumping over to verse 22 to verse 25, considering the Lord's Supper this morning. Now, our Lord Jesus, He was crucified, buried, and raised on the third day. He instituted two ordinances for the local church under his authority, and to be administered by his under shepherds, and that's baptism and the Lord's Supper. So this morning we're going to be considering one of the ordinances, the Lord's Supper, and I hope that we see the significance of it and then also the practicality of it in the local church. The Apostle Paul says in 1 Corinthians 11 verse 26 concerning the Lord's Supper, that as we eat of the bread and drink of the cup, we corporately, as one body, proclaim the Lord's death until he comes. One minister of the gospel, Robert Murray McShane, said that the Lord's Supper is a silent sermon. It is a silent sermon that proclaims the Lord's death until he comes. So it is an ordinance that has significance in the church. It's not just like passing out timbits and we're hungry and need a little meal together from time to time, but it has significance because it's the risen Lord who's set it upon His church to observe for His glory. Now with all that said, if you notice in your Bibles, notice verse 1. or verse 12, rather, of chapter 14 in Mark's gospel. I want us to see the layout of the land because we see here in verse 12 what is happening now in our Lord's earthly ministry. Notice Mark 14, Jesus institutes the Lord's Supper, and I want you to see when he institutes the Lord's Supper. There's significance here. Mark 14, verse 12, the context, on the first day of unleavened bread, When they sacrificed the Passover lamb, his disciples said to him, where will you have us go and prepare for you to eat the Passover? So here's the context of our Lord instituting the Lord's Supper for his church. It's in the context of Passover. You see two things taking place here. The first day, verse 12, of unleavened bread, and then there's also this sacrificial lamb that is to be offered up, all in celebration of a significant event in the Old Testament, that displayed the power and the mighty arm of God to redeem and deliver his people from slavery. And we know that's Exodus, where the powerful arm of God delivered his people out of slavery in Egypt. How? by the blood of the Lamb, that the people of Israel were delivered from slavery by the sacrificial Lamb that was slaughtered on Passover, and the blood of the Lamb was put on the doorposts of the people of Israel, and everyone that had the blood of the Lamb covering them, they were delivered. The angel of death passed over the house, and judgment did not fall upon them. But those who did not have the blood of the Lamb covering them, the judgment of God fell upon them. And it was said in Exodus that the people of Israel were running in haste as the blood of the Lamb covered them and they were delivered from slavery by this sacrificial Lamb. They couldn't wait for leavened bread. They couldn't wait for the bread to rise. They were in haste, so they had unleavened bread, and they ran, and they were delivered by the powerful hand of God. So throughout... redemptive history in the Old Covenant, God told his people to celebrate this great deliverance, to celebrate the Passover lamb, to celebrate the Feast of Unleavened Bread when they were running in haste out of slavery. So it's in this context, as they celebrate this great Old Testament deliverance, that Jesus Christ institutes the Lord's Supper. And it's not a coincidence that he does this on this particular week. So that's the first thing we need to understand in terms of context. When was the Lord's Supper instituted? On the week of Passover, when the Passover lamb was about to be sacrificed. Second question for context is, what does the Lord's Supper point us to? What is the significance of the Lord's Supper? We see that the Lord's Supper It's on Passover week because Jesus Christ is the true and better Passover lamb. Throughout the old covenant, there had to be lamb after lamb sacrificed. There had to be bloodshed year after year and day after day. Hebrews 9.22 says, without the shedding of blood. There's no forgiveness for sins. Without the shed blood of a sacrificial lamb in the place of God's people, there is no satisfaction for his divine judgment against us. So year after year, the Passover lamb had to be sacrificed again and again. And there was this longing for one lamb. A spotless lamb, a pure lamb with sinless blood and righteous blood, a blood better than Abel. And he came. John the Baptist saw this lamb. John 1.29, Behold the Lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world. The Passover lamb couldn't remove our sins once and for all. The Passover lamb had to be slaughtered again and again and again, but this Passover lamb, This substitute, this sacrifice, He came into the world to take away the sin of all who would believe upon Him, and He didn't have to be sacrificed again and again, but there was one sacrifice in one place at one time, and it was at the cross where His blood was shed. where He bore our sins in His body on that tree, where He drunk the cup of divine wrath that we deserve. And so Jesus, knowing that He is going to the cross as a sacrifice for His people, He institutes the Lord's Supper on the day that the Passover lamb, this week, where the Passover lamb will be slaughtered. And Jesus Christ is saying loud and clear that he is the Passover lamb. You know that wonderful hymn, what can wash away my sins? Not the old covenant sacrificial system. What can wash away my sins? Nothing but the blood of Jesus. Oh, precious is that flow that makes me white as snow. No other fount I know, nothing but the blood of Jesus. So Jesus Christ, He fulfills what the Passover Lamb was foreshadowing in the Old Covenant through His sinless blood, through His spotless blood, through the blood of His new covenant. He put an end to the Old Covenant era, and He averts and removes the wrath that we deserve, and He brings in a new covenant. So with all that said, here's what Jesus Christ is doing. Through the Lord's Supper, It's a supper that proclaims the fulfillment of what the Old Testament longed for. This perfect sacrifice that died in our place to take away our sins. The Lord's Supper proclaims this greater exodus. Not an exodus from Pharaoh under physical slavery, but a deliverance from the slavery of sin and death and the wrath to come through his one death. What does the Lord's Supper proclaim? Because the sinless Savior died, my sinful soul is counted free. For God the just has satisfied to look on him and pardon me. That's what the Lord's Supper proclaims. Through the death, the burial, the resurrection of Christ, there's a greater exodus. There's a greater Passover lamb that gives his people a greater deliverance. Now with all that said, let's see this from the text. Notice, back in Mark chapter 14, we're going to skip over to verse 22 to verse 25. We see the context is the time of Passover. Well, let's see this Passover lamb who will soon shed his blood for his people. Notice, we're going to see two things about the significance of the Lord's Supper. Why do we observe it? Why do we do this in the life of the church in light of the death of Christ? Well, we're gonna see two things from the text. It's a time for remembrance and it's a time for fellowship. So first, it's a time for remembrance. That's why we observe it in the local church. It's a time of remembrance. Notice in your Bibles, Mark 14, Verse 22 to 25, I'll read it and then we'll split it up into two portions and see what are we to remember as we observe this supper in the life of the church. So notice Mark 14, verse 22. And as they were eating in the upper room, Jesus took bread and after blessing it, broke it and gave it to them and said, take, this is my body. And he took a cup, and when he had given thanks, he gave it to them, and they all drank of it. And he said to them, this is my blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many. Now, if you notice here, Mark and Matthew as well, as they talk about the Lord's Supper here and record our Lord's words, Matthew and Mark like to give us a quick snapshot. So they give us a brief glimpse at this supper, but I want you to look at Luke chapter 22, I believe. Luke 22, verse 19 to verse 20. Because all Scripture is God's Word, we interpret Scripture with Scripture, and we look at each account of Scripture, and know that there's no inconsistency, there's no conflict here. Luke gives us a more detailed picture of the Lord's Supper, and I want you to see that Luke, he records our Lord's words here, and we see the Lord's Supper is observed as a memorial, as a time of remembrance. Notice the detail Luke goes into, Luke 22, verse 19 to 20. Jesus took bread, and when he had given thanks, he broke it and gave it to them saying, and notice the detail he goes into, this is my body which is given for you, and he goes one step further into what our Lord said, do this, so eat the bread, drink the cup in remembrance of me." And likewise, the cup after they had eaten, saying, this cup is, this is poured out for you. It's the new covenant in my blood. So he's saying that his blood is to be shed and it's blood that's greater than the old covenant lambs. It is this new covenant. It is this once and for all sacrifice, and we're to partake of the Lord's Supper in remembrance of his once and for all sacrifice. So when Jesus begins in Mark 14, verse 22 to 24, He tells us that one aspect of the Lord's Supper is that we remember what He has done. He points us back to His broken body. He points us back to His shed blood, that as we partake of the Lord's Supper, it's an opportunity for the believer to look to Christ by faith and remember all that He's done for your soul. It's an opportunity to have Christ, as Paul says, proclaimed to your soul silently, as McShane says. It is this memorial symbol. We eat and drink in remembrance of what Christ has done. Now, the 1689 Confession summarizes it better than I can in words. These men were brilliant. The confession says that in this ordinance, Christ is not offered up to his father. That's not what's happening as we remember the death of Christ in the bread, in the the cup, he's not being offered up to his father, nor is there any sacrifice made at all for the forgiveness of sins, but here's what's taken place as we remember the body and the shed blood of Christ in the Lord's Supper, but it's only a memorial of that one offering up of himself by himself upon the cross for his people. That's what we're doing when we remember what Jesus Christ has done as we partake of the Lord's Supper. And so when you think of this practically, we renounce Roman Catholicism's view of the Lord's Supper or Mass. The Roman Catholic Church holds to transubstantiation. They argue that Christ's physical body and physical blood is in the cup and the bread. But what you have there is a false Christ who has to be sacrificed again and again and again every time you go to Mass. And you also have a form of idolatry, where the bread and the wine is worshipped, is honored, and all these things re-sacrificed again and again. When we observe the Lord's Supper, we're not saying that Christ's body and blood is in the bread and in the cup. No, it's a time of remembrance. We also reject the Lutheran view of the Lord's Supper, consubstantiation, stating that Christ is present in or around or under the supper. What we see in Scripture is the Lord's Supper as a memorial celebration where we know that by the Spirit of God, Christ is among his people. And we know that, as Paul says in 1 Corinthians 11, 26, that as we eat and drink in remembrance of his once and for all sacrifice, the Spirit of God is silently, as it were, preaching Christ to us. As we think of his broken body in our stead, the bread, Where should our mind go to? We don't just aimlessly let the bread just go down our throat and say, okay, let's get to the cup. Well, let's just get past here. It's designed by God to bring your mind back to Christ and to see by the eye of faith and to thank and to praise Jesus Christ for his crucified body in your stead. So this act of the Lord's Supper is not just mere tradition that we do. It's just something that the church does and everyone's welcome. No, it's for a believer who's been redeemed, ransomed, forgiven. It's one who... Sees the bread and their mind by faith goes to Christ and fellowships with Him by faith, praising Him for His substitutionary death in my stead. He loved me, Paul says, and gave Himself for me. He laid down His life for me, a wretched sinner. We see our sin and we see that God Himself clothed himself in humanity, flesh and blood, to die for me, to die for a wretch, to die for someone who deserves his wrath. He clothed himself in humanity for me. He voluntarily laid down his life for me. It wasn't the Romans who took his life from him. Jesus says that I laid down my life of my own accord and I have authority to raise it up on that third day. That was for you. What about the wine as you drink the cup? That's a remembrance of his shed blood. By faith you praise God for the only sacrifice that can make you white as snow. He prays God that there is a fountain filled with blood drawn from Emmanuel's veins and a sinner like me that's plunged beneath his flood has lost all my guilty stains. We praise him, we worship him, we thank him in the Lord's Supper. That's God's design, not just an aimless, emotionless event, but it's an event, an ordinance that makes us pause and makes us wonder that such a Savior as He, as such a mercy that we've received. One hymn writer says, here is love, vast as the ocean. That's what the Lord's Supper should draw our mind to by faith as we see the bread and the blood that point us back to what Christ has done. Here's a vast ocean of love. Loving kindness as a flood. When the Prince of Life, my ransom, shed for me His precious blood, who His love will not remember? Who can cease to sing His praise? He can never be forgotten throughout heaven's eternal days. So let's think of this practically. When we partake of the Lord's Supper, Do we simply want to rush through it? Do we simply want to get to the end of the service or do we see this as a ordinance given to us by God for our spiritual good that by faith we fellowship with the risen Christ by His Spirit and it's an opportunity to close our eyes and bow our heads and worship the Lord. So it's a time of remembrance, looking back, but notice back in Mark 14, verse 25, it's also a time of remembrance concerning what's to come for God's people. We look back by faith, we look forward by faith to all that is promised to us in Christ. Notice verse 25 of Mark 14. Jesus says, truly I say to you, I will not drink again, of the fruit of the vine until that day when I drink it new in the kingdom of God." What's happening here in the Lord's Supper? Are you saying we look back? But we also, by faith, look forward to what's to come because of all that Christ has done for us. All the blessings that flow out of the death of Christ on our behalf. He's speaking of that great day, the consummation of all things. When we partake of the supper, by faith, we're longing for that great day where we can have face-to-face fellowship with Christ at his table. no longer by the eye of faith, but by sight. When we'll see his wounds that he has for us, then we'll hear his voice. Well done, my good and faithful servant. I shed my blood for you. I bore your wrath for you out of love. Come sup with me at my table. Take a seat. Let me clothe you in my love. What's Jesus talking about? Well, flip in your Bibles to Revelation 19. We'll turn to Revelation 19, verse six to nine. I would argue, as we partake in the Lord's Supper, it's also a foreshadow of that great supper that we'll have with Christ in glory. Revelation 19 verse six to nine, this is what I believe Jesus is referring to on that day. Verse six of Revelation 19, John says, then I heard what seemed to be the voice of a great multitude, like the roaring of many waters and like the sound of mighty pearls of thunder crying out, hallelujah, for the Lord our God, the Almighty reigns. Let us rejoice and exalt and give Him the glory. Why? Verse 7, 4, the marriage of the Lamb has come. Praise Him. Let us rejoice, exalt. Let's give Him all the glory. Why? Because this great supper has arrived. that the bride, notice, the bride has made herself ready. It was granted her to clothe herself with fine linen, and bright and pure for the fine linen is the righteous deeds of the saints. And the angel said to me, verse nine, write this, blessed are those who are invited to the marriage supper of the lamb. And he said to me, these are the true words of God. Then I fell down at his feet to worship him. But he said to me, you must not do that. I'm a fellow servant with you and your brothers who hold to the testimony of Jesus. Worship God. For the testimony of Jesus is the spirit of prophecy." This is what the Lord's Supper is creating in us as we observe this This ordinance, what is it pointing us forward to? This great day of verse 7, the marriage supper of the Lamb, where we will be in glory. It will be a spotless bride when we will have sin removed fully once and for all, where we will be in a glorified state and given a glorified body that has the capacity to gaze upon the King of glory and see Him in His beauty. It is that supper that we long for. And as we observe the Lord's Supper on this earth, It should create in us a longing for that great day. I love Samuel Rutherford for his gaze upon this great day. Rutherford says, the bride eyes not her garments, but her dear bridegroom's face. That's why all the praise is happening here in verse seven. It's not because the... It's not because the food's great, it's because Christ is great, and Christ is at the table with us, and we see Christ. When we're in glory, Rutherford says, we're not gonna be looking at our garments and saying, wow, isn't this so great? Verse eight, fine linen, bright and pure. We're not gonna be eyeing our garments. Rutherford says, but our Our Savior, our bridegroom's face. I will not gaze at glory, Rutherford says, but on my King of grace. Not at the crown he gives, but on his pierced hands. The Lamb gets all the glory in Emmanuel's lands. That's what's gonna happen when we're in glory on that great day. I think it was R.C. Sproul that said he's gonna be running down fire, jumping over fire hydrants on streets of gold. He's gonna be sprinting. I remember my dad saying when he gets to glory, he's going to have this perfect body that can run and sprint to the feet of Jesus. No more body ailments. Set free from this groaning fallen world and in the presence of Christ, supping with Christ face to face. Don't forget this when we When we observe the Lord's Supper, we remember what He's done. We remember all that is to come because of His death. That's the first point. That's a time of remembrance. Don't forget that. Number two, this is more practical for the life of the church. It's also a time of fellowship. Fellowship with Christ, fellowship with one another. You notice with me, we'll see this as a case study in 1 Corinthians 11. If you turn there with me, we see the Apostle Paul quotes from Mark 14. He also quotes from Luke 22. He quotes our Lord's words, the Lord's Supper here, and he applies the Lord's Supper to the life of the local church. And notice what Paul does here. 1 Corinthians 11, verse 23 to 26, He takes what he's received, notice verse 23, 1 Corinthians 11, verse 23. Paul's not making up this tradition on his own. He's received, he says, this ordinance from the Lord. So he's received what he's taught, the apostles, what was seen in Mark 14. I've received from the Lord what I also deliver to you. So he's taking what our Lord has instituted, now the Apostle Paul's instituting it in the local church, that the Lord Jesus on the night when he was betrayed, took bread, verse 24, and when he had given thanks, he broke it and said, this is my body, which is for you, do this in remembrance of me, quoting Luke 22. Verse 25, in the same way also, he took the cup after supper saying, this cup, is the new covenant in my blood. Do this as often as you drink it in remembrance of me." Why? Why do we do the Lord's Supper in the local church? Verse 26, for as often as you eat this bread and drink the cup, as you remember the death of Christ, you proclaim the Lord's death until he comes. an ordinance that is to take place until our Lord comes, and then that great marriage supper of the Lamb takes place. But we see it's a time of fellowship. Now as we think about this, let's get very practical. I want us to consider this fellowship in three ways. Who is it for? Why does it matter? And where is it observed? We're gonna see that in 1 Corinthians. So the first question is, who is the Lord's Supper for? That's the most basic question. Who gets to partake of these elements in the local church? Well, let's look at 1 Corinthians 1. Paul is instituting the Lord's Supper in this context in the Corinthian churches. So who's a member in the Corinthian church? Who is Paul addressing in this letter? Is he addressing believers and unbelievers? Well, notice verse one down to verse three, and we'll see who Paul's addressing. And by implication, we see that the Lord's Supper will be for the people that he's writing to. So notice verse one of 1 Corinthians one, Paul, called by the will of God to be an apostle of Christ Jesus. So he's laying the foundation for the church. And our brother Sothenes, and then notice here, verse two, who Paul is writing to, to the church of God that is in Corinth. So chapter 11, the Lord's Supper is being instituted. Where is it being instituted to? Well, the church of God that is in Corinth. in this context, and it will have implication for every local church. But notice how these members of this church in Corinth, notice how they're described. Does it consist of believers and unbelievers? To those sanctified in Christ Jesus, called to be saints together with all those who in every place call upon the name of the Lord Jesus Christ, both their Lord and ours. And then grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ." Well it's clear Paul is writing to all those who have in every place, verse 2, called upon the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, both their Lord and ours. So Paul's writing to believers in Corinth. And those who are to partake of the Lord's Supper are those who have called upon the name of the Lord. who've repented of their sins and who are trusting in Christ. Notice verse 2, they're sanctified in Christ. Christ has set them apart from sin and death. Now they're no longer dead in sin, but alive in Christ. They're called to be saints together. There's this body of believers that are worshiping the Lord together, set apart from the world in Christ, fellowshipping in the gospel. They've received, verse three, grace and peace from God. So that answers our question in an easy fashion. Paul, who is telling the Corinthians to institute this Lord's Supper, He's talking to people who've called upon the name of the Lord, those who've been saved by grace. And if you notice back in 1 Corinthians 11, verse 26, the verb there, for as often as you eat this bread and drink this cup, you proclaim the Lord's death until he comes. That word you proclaim is in the plural. So Paul is saying to the Corinthians here that when you observe the Lord's Supper, you who have called upon the name of the Lord Jesus Christ, you who have repented of your sins and believed upon the Savior, when you partake of these elements, you plurally, you as one body, as you come together, you corporately proclaim the Lord's death until he comes, the redeemed, Those for whom Christ died for, they proclaim his death until he comes. So scripture's crystal clear. Who's the Lord's supper for? For all who've called upon the name of the Lord Jesus Christ to save them from their sins. The flip side is, if you're an unbeliever and you've been partaken of the Lord's Supper, the Lord's Supper is not for you. There's a strict warning here. If you're an unbeliever and you've partaken of the Lord's Supper, it's not just some event that we're doing and open to the unbeliever and believer alike. No, this is a supper for those who've called upon the name of the Lord Jesus Christ. So that leads to our second point. Why does this matter? Why, pastor, are you taking things so seriously? Well, notice what Paul says. Why does this matter, that it's for believers alone and not for unbelievers to partake of? Well, notice in 1 Corinthians 11, verse 27 to 29. I'll begin with the unbeliever because to be an honest shepherd, you have to be honestly warned from Scripture. Notice verse 27 to 29. Paul says, whoever therefore eats the bread or drinks the cup of the Lord in an unworthy manner will be guilty concerning the body and blood of the Lord. Let a person, verse 28, examine himself then as eat of the bread and drink of the cup. And notice this, this is why it is so serious, why it matters that we understand who the Lord's Supper is for. Verse 28, for anyone who eats and drinks without discerning the body, eats and drinks judgment on himself. That's why it's a weighty matter. God's judgment is at hand if you drink and eat of the supper in an unworthy manner, in a state of unrepentance, in a state of being separated from God and under his wrath. Now, the good news is that the Savior that we saw in Revelation 19, he invites all sinners to himself. But you must come. You must believe upon the Lord Jesus Christ And then when you've done that, then you're welcome to the supper. Then you're welcome to the table. So there's good news. It doesn't matter how deep in sin you are right this moment, Christ can set you free from your sin. Christ can give you everlasting life. What's your response? Believe, call upon the Lord Jesus Christ. Christ, save me. And he will. That's the unbeliever. Why does it matter? Paul's also writing here in this context to believers. Why does Paul give a warning to the believers here in Corinth? Well, let's see the context here, because there's application for a warning for believers as well. Notice verse 18 of chapter 11. In Corinth, Paul says, for in the first place, when you come together as a church, So these are genuine believers, those who've called upon the Lord Jesus Christ. They still have indwelling sin upon them. We all have sin that indwells in us and sin that creeps up in us. And Paul says, when you come together as a church, I hear that there are divisions among you, and I believe it in part. And then notice he goes on in verse 21, in eating, each one goes ahead with his own meal. They're not eating in a unified fashion together as one body. He says one goes hungry, another gets drunk. There's drunkenness. So the Apostle Paul understands that even for the believer, if we're eating and drinking of the Lord's Supper in an unworthy manner and not consistent with our Christian testimony, and we have to pause, we have to examine, we have to ask the Lord to search our heart. Why? eternal judgment that comes upon you if you're a Christian, but the Lord's discipline, the Lord's displeasure, if we eat in a manner unworthy with hatred towards a brother in the body and all these things, we're to pause. Now, I know I have to clarify this, and I wanna do it in three applications for three kinds of Christians. Let me begin with this examination. Robert Murray McShane says, for every one look at self, take 10 at Christ. And I'd argue that this needs to be the pattern as we come to the Lord's Supper as believers. Justified by grace alone, through faith alone, in Christ alone. We examine ourselves, but we take 10 looks at Christ. The first category, maybe you've come from a church that has very, very heavy examinations before the Lord's Supper, and it's almost a hindrance to coming to the Lord's Supper, and almost no one is fit for the table, as it were. Well, if that's you, That's not the balance that the Apostle Paul has. That if you've come to Christ and you're walking in obedience to Christ by his grace, you're welcome to the table. That it's not a call to have sinless perfection and then we can come to the table. No, we know our sin. We take a look at self and see all the sin in us. but we see Christ and we're overwhelmed with His grace and His beauty and we confess our sin and we proclaim our Savior and we affirm by faith that on Christ, the solid rock I stand. So if you come from that category, I'm not saying take 10 looks at self and one look at Christ to cripple you from coming to the supper. No, take one look at self. If there's unrepentant sin, hatred against a brother, Matthew 5 says, go before that brother and confess that sin before you bring it to the altar. That's what I'm talking about. Now, you may be on the opposite spectrum of that. Maybe you've come from a church that has no examination at all. Maybe just open, loosey-goosey. Everyone can partake. There's no examination. There's no warning at all. What does Paul do here? Well, he also warns that extreme as well. The pause. to search your hearts, to examine. If there's an area where we need to repent, we take that up. If we know we're having Lord's Supper in a couple of weeks and there's a brother that we've offended, we take that seriously. We say, okay, I know I'm gonna be partaking of that Lord's Supper in a few weeks. There's some unrepentant sin and bitterness. Let me go to that brother before I partake. That's what Paul's talking about. Pause, examine, repent if needed, and then partake. And then third, maybe you've found that balance by the grace of God where you take a look at self, you see your sin, but you take 10 looks at Christ. That's why it matters. Paul talks even for the believer, the Lord's displeasure if we partake in an unworthy manner that's not in accordance with the gospel that saved us. So who partakes? Believers. Believers walking in and proper conduct in that sense. And then third, where do we practice this supper? This is how we'll wrap it all up. Is it a Lone Ranger supper? Is it an individualistic supper? Is it a supper that you can do on Zoom, on your own? No, look at verse 17. This is the language, the context that the Lord's Supper is to be observed in. Verse 17, notice that phrase, when you come together as a church. We're not an assembled church if we're all scattered. So Paul's saying, when you come together, when you are in person, when you are assembled, when you come together, that's when you observe the Lord's Supper. Notice verse 18, again, he goes on and he says, He says, when you come together, verse 20 to 21. Again, he says, when you come together. And then in verse, we saw in verse 21, he talks about eating in a unified fashion. That's a hard thing to do when you're all on Zoom and you have different internet speeds and people on mute and all these things. You can't eat in a unified fashion either. So Paul's talking about, One body assembling together as Christ's blood-bought people, eating together, proclaiming, verse 26, together the Lord's death until He comes. So two takeaways as I end this and land the plane. What is the Lord's Supper? A time to remember our Savior. A time to remember all that is to come. and a time for fellowship with Christ, by the Spirit, with his blood-bought people. Do you see why McShane calls it the sweet and the silent sermon? Because as we partake of it, we proclaim the Lord's death until he comes, and as we partake of it week by week, what do we say? Lord Jesus, come quickly. Let's pray. Father in heaven, we thank you for your word. We thank you that you've not left us to yourself, but you have given us the blueprints of your design for your church. And we do pray, Lord, that we would be instructed and shaped by your word, that your spirit would convict, persuade, encourage, strengthen, stir us. And we pray, Lord, that week by week, as we fellowship together, that you would speak, O Lord, through your word, in all of our life, in every area, until your church is built, until we are presented before your face without spot or blemish. And we pray this in our Savior's precious name, amen.