At the Lord’s Table

The church is one place where rich and poor ought to be able to commune together and love each other. We see that especially in communion.

It became the pattern for the new church as they shared all things in common. The church is one place where the barriers ought to be broken down.

In the ancient world there were free men and slaves, men and women, Greek and barbarians. There were people who spoke Greek and people who didn’t, educated and uneducated, Jews and Gentiles, rich and poor. There were many barriers.

The church came together and shattered them all. The walls were broken down.

I think that says many things. Number one, it says you better come to the Lord’s Table. Secondly, it says you better be careful how you deal with the church and not do anything to divide the church.

When you come to the Lord’s Supper, you cannot come with any racist feelings, because in Christ there aren’t any. You cannot come with any sexist feelings or selfish, uncaring feelings.

Those things pervert the fellowship. We come together for fellowship, beloved. We come together to worship God. We come together to celebrate our unity.

Let it be pure. Let it be real. Let the Holy Spirit in His providence allow the factions to come for the purifying of the church.

Don’t you start them.

I trust that our church be like the Thessalonian church of whom Paul said this, “We give thanks to God always for you all, making mention of you in our prayers, remembering without ceasing your work of faith, and labor of love, and patience of hope in our Lord
Jesus Christ in the sight of God and our Father.”

Further he said this—and this is beautiful—“And as touching brotherly love, you need not that I write unto you, for you yourselves are taught of God to love one another.”

~ John MacArthur