[Pastor Ralph]

Q4. (1 Corinthians 11:26) In what way is the Lord's Supper a proclamation? To whom is the proclamation made? Why is this important? What happens to the church when its proclamation shifts to a different central theme?

[Bill Butler]

As much as I hate to admit, our church has become one of those which has relegated communion to only occasional celebration. Quarterly mostly but also New Year's first Sunday etc. It seems the celebration of communion is done as a necessary feature of worship, a burden on the ushers, rather than in the spirit of remembering what Jesus did for us. It almost seems as though people stay home on Communion Sundays. Oh so sad to say the least!

[jabarke]

It is a proclamation that I, personally, recognize & accept Christ's atoning death & saving power of his resurrection. The proclamation is made to myself & to Jesus Christ himself. It is important to always be in touch with this event & to never forget that this was the sole purpose that Jesus, because He loved us so much & wanted a relationship with us, came to earth to pay the penalty for my sins & provide away for me to be joined with Him. When a church's central theme becomes anything other than this it becomes the "salt that has lost its flavor". It becomes ineffective & useless in God's kingdom. It becomes a place for religious people to socialize. It takes on the same role as seven churches which are in Asia mentioned in Revelations that God says that due to their "luke warmness" He will "spew them out of His mouth".

[Jezemeg]

It is important that the Lord's Supper not be downgraded to the 'occasional' requirement, it makes the whole purpose of celebrating it a mockery. I have always been concerned at the number of believers who seem to think that participating in communion is an unnecessary burden and a time consuming ritual. Perhaps the leaders at these churches should examine carefully just what they are portraying as the reasons for the Lord's Supper. It should after all be something that binds the group of believers together, strengthening them and thus enabling them to go out and do what we have been commissioned to do, ie, spread the Gospel.

Personally, I believe that Churches where the Lord's Supper is relegated to an occasional chore, that the true meaning behind it has been distorted and misunderstood by the leaders in those Churches. Obviously if it's a chore than they can't be remembering the awesome sacrifice Jesus made for us by dying on the Cross, paying forever the cost of our sins, and by His Resurrection bringing those of us who believe in Him into God's presence.

[pickledilly]

To proclaim something is to announce or declare it, to tell it. The Lord's Supper declares Jesus Christ to be the sacrificed Savior who died to secure forgiveness of sins for anyone who will believe. Participating in this Supper should be a time of intimate communion with Christ as the Spirit reminds me of the covenant He has announced to me. When I hold that little cracker or piece of bread in my hand and then consume it, it speaks loudly of the beaten, shredded, pierced body of the Bread of Life. When I sip that juice, it declares that the sinless blood of the Lamb of God is the only thing that can cleanse and make me holy. This proclamation is made to each participant and to anyone who observes. As I receive those elements into my own body, the principle of sacrifice and death to self is being demonstrated in me. I should be accepting strong identification with Christ that will then make Him known to others as His character is demonstrated through my life. And the believers celebrating the Supper together should be reminded of the unity Christ established for His people on the cross.

The proclamation of Christ's death is important because it's the foundation on which God secured and provides salvation for sinners. There is no other way to be restored to Him. If the church's proclamation shifts to any other core theme, the church's proclamation is untrue and will lead people into deception.

What can wash away my sin? Nothing but the blood of Jesus.
What can make me whole again? Nothing but the blood of Jesus!

[charisbarak]

The Lord's Supper is a proclamation I make confirming my belief in the life & death of Jesus, His substitutionary death for me. Each time I take part in communion, I am stating I am remembering Him, and how important to me is what He did for me.

The proclamation is made to God first of all, then to my brothers & sisters in the Lord, then to any unbelievers who may be watching me.

This is important because it is a witness.

If the proclamation changes to another theme, or is not even made, it is not Biblical. I think it would be sinful to change the focus from Jesus Christ to any other. The church who does this would be setting itself up for judgement.

[Lion of Grace]

The Lord's supper is a proclamation in that the ceremony "speaks" to us of the sacrifice Jesus gave for us and our sins and also speaks to us of the New Covenant that God is making with us. It proclaims that it was Jesus' body that was broken and given and it was the blood of Jesus that was poured out for many. It proclaimed a new agreement that God was now making with His people. It proclaims that Jesus was about a New Kingdom and we are to remember, and take part in that new Kingdom too!
This new proclamation was and is made to all who believe on Jesus. That His death atoned for our sins and that we, in communion with Him will now share in a new life (a Kingdom life) and in eternal life along with Him.
This is important because up to that point, people were seperated from God through sin and the curse, but when Jesus died, the veil was torn and we can now have fellowship with God first hand. We don't need to offer blood sacrifices to cleanse us from our sins and atone for them. We are reconciled through Jesus. Nothing but the blood of Jesus!! It is His righteousness that atoned for all our sins, past, present and future.
When any proclamation is shifted to anything else but this truth in any church, then we have lost the very essence of Christianity. This is the foundation of our faith. We would, I think, be very displeasing to God if after sending His son to sacrifice and suffer as He did for us, we then made Christianity into something else....but said we followed Jesus. If we don't believe and teach and practice the very truth of what the Bible teaches about Jesus and what He commands us to do....then I think we need to take time and really consider where our faith really is coming from and what exactly we believe.
When focus is shifted to other things also, I know many new believers really struggle to know and understand their freedom in Christ. We stay bowed down in guilt and despair until we know we are forgiven and how God does forgive us and cleanses us of our sins through Jesus. We can then give our burdens of sin to Him. We also have a harder time living for Christ because our love towards others should come from the spring of knowing how much God loves us. That makes all the difference between religious "duty" and a cheerful giver! Without the focus on Christ....We begin to live by works and by earning God's approval. The focus is taken off of serving out of love as Jesus did and of being obedient because we trust our Father as Jesus did. He loved us enough to send His Son to die for us!
When we ponder on this...we know absolutely "Christ is all...Christ is all." If He is all...then our focus should be on Him!!!

[Stan]

Q4. (1 Corinthians 11:26) In what way is the Lord's Supper a proclamation? To whom is the proclamation made? Why is this important? What happens to the church when its proclamation shifts to a different central theme?


A proclamation is something spoken out publicly for all to hear. The Lord's Supper is a proclamation in that is was at first spoken for all the desciples to hear then resounded across the whole world for all who would come to know Christ and what He has done for us to hear.

It was proclamained to all the world and givcen to those of like faith in Jesus Christ.

It is important in the fact that it was commanded that we do this in rememberance of Jesus till He returns for His church.

If the church stops making a proclamation of the Lord's death then our rememberance will eventually cease of all the Love.Mercy and Grace God showed us through His death and our faith will have been in vain. As the theme of the church shifts then the body of believers focus will shift also and we need to keep Jesus first place in our lives and to do this we must give the things that He laid out in His word first place in our hearts this means the Lord's Supper must be done just as He spoke it to be done by the desciples.

[lightbuilder]

Q. In what way is the Lord's Supper a proclamation?

A. Clarkes bible commentary states: "As in the passover they showed forth the bondage they had been in, and the redemption they had received from it; so in the eucharist they showed forth the sacrificial death of Christ, and the redemption from sin derived from it."

Matthew Henry's commentary states that the Lord's Supper is: "to commemorate, to celebrate, his glorious condescension and grace in our redemption." and that " ...we own before the world, by this very service, that we are the disciples of Christ..."

Q. To whom is the proclamation made?

A. I agree with forum member charisbarak who wrote: "The proclamation is made to God first of all, then to my brothers & sisters in the Lord, then to any unbelievers who may be watching me."

Wesley wrote: "Ye show forth the Lord's death - Ye proclaim, as it were, and openly avow it to God, and to all the world. Till he come - In glory."

Q. Why is this important?

A. The JFB Commentary states: "The supper joins the two closing periods of the Old and the New dispensations." and further explains; "That the Lord's Supper is in remembrance of Him, implies that He is bodily absent, though spiritually present, for we cannot be said to commemorate one absent. The fact that we not only show the Lord's death in the supper, but eat and drink the pledges of it, could only be understood by the Jews, accustomed to such feasts after propitiatory sacrifices, as implying our personal appropriation therein of the benefits of that death."

Q. What happens to the church when its proclamation shifts to a different central theme?

A. I believe that loosing site of the spiritual pattern of God's work in Christ, as proclaimed and shown in the ordinance of the Lord's Supper, means for the church a loss of it's core identity and message as a body of believers, and of it's purpose in carrying that message to the world.

[Saved55s]

In what way is the Lord's Supper a proclamation?
It proclaims Jesus victory over sin & death both to each of us who partake of it & also to any unbelievers.

To whom is the proclamation made?
To both believers & also to unbelievers.

Why is this important?
It’s important because it is proclaiming the Gospel Of Jesus & his sacrifice for the remission of our sins.

What happens to the church when its proclamation shifts to a different central theme? To shift from the sole purpose of Jesus coming to earth in the first place is missing the whole point of why the church even exists today. Jesus broken body & shed blood IS the reason for the church. I’m sure any church that did not have this as their central theme would not survive & it would also be doing a great injustice to anyone who walked through their doors.

[MannyVelarde]

Q4. (1 Corinthians 11:26) In what way is the Lord's Supper a proclamation? To whom is the proclamation made? Why is this important? What happens to the church when its proclamation shifts to a different central theme?

Since Jesus was celebrating the Passover and giving us a command to do this in rememberance of Him, it seems it is proclaiming deliverance - as God delivered the Israelites from slavery - Jesus has delived all mankind from the bondage of slavery sin - and proclaiming He has satisfied God's requirement for atonement. In addition giving us eternal life through Him.

It is made to God as a thank offering perhaps and of course to brothers and sisters in Christ and those unbelievers who are watching.

To me if the church shifts to a different central theme then it is no longer Christian- what other theme could there be- i would say they are apostate.

[JustJeff]

The whole of verse 1 Cor 11:26 proclaims that our fequent celebration of His Last Supper will be a constant reminder of His passion, of our freedom from the death of sin and of our great expectation, that He will return someday and take us from this vile place, in which we are but pilgrims and sojourners.
As a proclamation, it is for who ever is present to receive the message. It is of great importance because, in reality, it proclaims the basis of our faith and when changed or corrupted so too will be our faith.

[masika]

The Lord's Supper is a proclamation in that when partake in it We should tell of Christ's Gospel.
The Bread and Cup Proclaim the saving AND resurrection of Christ (because "until He comes " implies the Resurrection)
The Lords Supper is a reminder of what Jesus did in the past , asymbol of our present relationship with Him and a promise of what He will do in the future.

[Elwood C O'Dell]

Q4. (1 Corinthians 11:26) In what way is the Lord's Supper a proclamation? To whom is the proclamation made? Why is this important? What happens to the church when its proclamation shifts to a different central theme?

The celebration of the Lord's Supper is a "proclamation" of what we as a Christian believe and it is a visual witness to those around us of the great salvation offered to mankind by God through Jesus Christ. This proclamation is made to both believers and non believers as they see those partaking of it claiming the truth concerning His body and His blood in their lives. I feel that Jesus gave us the reason for it's importance in that we are to partake of it "in remembrance of Him" for our own soul's sake and as a witness to those around us. Now, should a church shift to a dfferent central theme they would not be in line with God, for His central theme is His great love demonstrated on Calvary for mankind's redemption.

[ONALEE]

[size=4][font=Arial Black] It is a way of telling of the LORDS death and sacrifice. In order for us to be saved. To openly proclaim my faith and salvation. And appreciation of what God did for me. To everyone in my Church and to all my fellow christians. It hurts our Heavenly Father and opens the door for Satan to attack. When we shift to a different theme. Takes away from Gods glory.

[charity]

The Lord’s Supper is a proclamation of: a life lived holy and sinless; a life given as a sacrifice; a life who loves each one of us and chose to release us from our sins by His blood. Each of these proclamations are made to believers and unbelievers alike because there is not one of us who are good, no not one, thus we all are daily in need of a Savior and Redeemer. Should the church shift to any other central theme, but Christ and Christ crucified, we set ourselves up for deception and becoming wretched and miserable, poor and blind and naked and all the while thinking otherwise. Being lukewarm does not set well with God and I pray that it may never set well with me.

[PCHRIS]

Q4. (1 Corinthians 11:26) In what way is the Lord's Supper a proclamation? To whom is the proclamation made? Why is this important? What happens to the church when its proclamation shifts to a different central theme?

Through the Lord's Supper we proclaim our beleif, our gratitude, our thankfulness for what Jesus did on the cross and we keep proclaiming this til His glorious return.

Firstly to ourselves, also to our brothers and sisters in Christ, and to unbeleivers.
Because we all fall short of the glory of God, {Romans 3:23}, and we need to come into communion with Christ regularly.

When the church shifts to a different theme, she loses her power, because the churches power is in the cross, the redemptive blood of Christ is the power of the church. Without it, it becomes a religeon not a relationship.

[linda sue]

Pastor Ralph, on Apr 24 2006, 03:40 PM, said:

Q4. (1 Corinthians 11:26) In what way is the Lord's Supper a proclamation? To whom is the proclamation made? Why is this important? What happens to the church when its proclamation shifts to a different central theme?

Yes, as Christians, we are making a statement when we accept the Lord's Supper. To whom is the proclamation made? To God the Father, for the gift of His only Son, as our Redemer. Why is this important? This was the ultimate gift, worthy of recognition till Jesus comes to take us to Heaven and present us, without blemish or spot, before the Father. What happens to the church when its proclamation shifts to a different central theme? The gift looses its value. The church becomes weak. The spirit of the church can die.

[care2hope2]

Q4. (1 Corinthians 11:26) In what way is the Lord's Supper a proclamation? To whom is the proclamation made? Why is this important? What happens to the church when its proclamation shifts to a different central theme?



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The lord's supper is a proclamation because in celebrating we are showing everyone present by taking the
elements and by what is proclaimed by the person leading the celebration that this is an important message
that this feast or celebration stands for and that by taking communion we show that we believe and stand
for this message .

The proclamation was made to the early christians and apostles and deciples but in the long run to any
christian who reads the scriptures this proclamation stands to be proclaimed to christians till the end of time.

If the proclamation shifts to another central theme than the death and resurrection and crucifiction then
the proclamation stops or at least gets watered down to a non central point -
This would be sad because it is our central theme and mystery of the Church....

[Happy Feet]

We are symbolicly participating in the new covenent agreement to take the Lord's Supper. We are actually eating and drinking as a reminder that the Holy Spirit is in us. The bread and blood sacrificed in the temple to gain righteousness and be a worshipper of God is the old covenent. Now, we have no longer burn up the sacrifice so only God has it, but we injest it to allow the Holy Spirit to reveal to us what we need to sacrifice to Jesus, trusting HIM to wash it clean and cover us with HIS righteousness, allowing not only worship of the Father, but relationship and communion.

Any viewing of it for other purposes is a distraction and does not promote relationship from God to us.