In one of the statements we make to God in our typical times of worship, we state that we are "by nature sinful and unclean." We admit in the statement that we have sinned "by what we have done, and by what we have left undone", or in other words, we did what God says not to do, and we haven't done what God has told us to be doing. In a different statement that we make to God, we say that we "cannot free ourselves from our sinful condition." All of these are reflections of what we find God telling us about ourselves in His revealed Word.
If we think through that completely, we realize that we are sinful throughout in every moment of every day. From the time we are conceived until we pass from this life, our condition is that of sinful. And as such, if we are to stand in the presence of God and be welcomed into His eternal kingdom, that also means that something needs to change for us.
That's where we enter with Jesus' forgiveness, and specifically for our post today, the role that the Lord's Supper plays. We need that forgiveness fully and completely, and we need it every moment of every day. So, when Jesus offers us a place in which we receive His own body and blood, it should make sense that we want to receive such a gift as often as we can get our hands on it. We want to be forgiven for all those things listed in the first paragraph. We want to be connected to the pure, perfect, holy, everlasting life of Jesus.
As Christians, it would make a great deal of sense to have the Lord's Supper offered then on a weekly basis. In fact, most Lutheran churches approach somewhat of this frequency. Yes, some do it by alternating the worship time at which they offer it, but I also believe that there is something to offering it at an expected time and place.
In the past, I have found it very helpful to have the following practice. Offer the Lord's Supper at the earlier time of worship every Sunday, and then have variation in the later time of worship. That way, God's people can always know when and where to go to receive this great gift which connects us to our Savior in a very real way.
If we think through that completely, we realize that we are sinful throughout in every moment of every day. From the time we are conceived until we pass from this life, our condition is that of sinful. And as such, if we are to stand in the presence of God and be welcomed into His eternal kingdom, that also means that something needs to change for us.
That's where we enter with Jesus' forgiveness, and specifically for our post today, the role that the Lord's Supper plays. We need that forgiveness fully and completely, and we need it every moment of every day. So, when Jesus offers us a place in which we receive His own body and blood, it should make sense that we want to receive such a gift as often as we can get our hands on it. We want to be forgiven for all those things listed in the first paragraph. We want to be connected to the pure, perfect, holy, everlasting life of Jesus.
As Christians, it would make a great deal of sense to have the Lord's Supper offered then on a weekly basis. In fact, most Lutheran churches approach somewhat of this frequency. Yes, some do it by alternating the worship time at which they offer it, but I also believe that there is something to offering it at an expected time and place.
In the past, I have found it very helpful to have the following practice. Offer the Lord's Supper at the earlier time of worship every Sunday, and then have variation in the later time of worship. That way, God's people can always know when and where to go to receive this great gift which connects us to our Savior in a very real way.
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