For I received from the Lord what I also passed on to you: The Lord Jesus, on the night he was betrayed, took bread, 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.” In the same way, after supper he took the cup, saying, “This cup is the new covenant in my blood; do this, whenever you drink it, in remembrance of me.”  For whenever you eat this bread and drink this cup, you proclaim the Lord’s death until he comes. – 1 Corinthians 11:23-26

Church crises: Lack of gospel clarity

The gospel is the heart of our faith.  As the old hymn says, “It will be our theme in glory.”  We are saved by the gospel.  It provides abundant life.  It provides eternal life.  What is the gospel?  If someone asked you to summarize the gospel, what would you say?

Churches have been filled with gospel confusion from the very beginning.  Nearly all of our New Testament letters address some sort of gospel perversion.  Over time and in recent days, it seems as if there is an even greater lack of gospel clarity and even greater gospel confusion. 

The lack of gospel clarity leads to a lack of gospel confidence.  You will never share a gospel of which you are unsure.  You will never correct a false gospel if you don’t know the true gospel. 

Church crises: Lack of gospel community

Poll after poll shows that the majority of those who claim to be born-again Christians live in a way that is no different from unbelievers and non-church goers.  Due to a lack of gospel clarity, we have united around things other than the gospel: politics, hobbies, social status, worship styles.  

If we gather around the gospel, we grow closer to Jesus as a natural, healthy byproduct.  If we gather around the gospel, we will support and encourage one another as we all follow Jesus.

The gospel:  Summarized in 1 Corinthians 15:1-8

“Now, brothers and sisters, I want to remind you of the gospel I preached to you, which you received and on which you have taken your stand. By this gospel you are saved, if you hold firmly to the word I preached to you. Otherwise, you have believed in vain.

For what I received I passed on to you as of first importance: that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures, and that he appeared to Cephas, and then to the Twelve. After that, he appeared to more than five hundred of the brothers and sisters at the same time, most of whom are still living, though some have fallen asleep. Then he appeared to James, then to all the apostles, and last of all he appeared to me also, as to one abnormally born.”

Notice a similar formula here as with our Lord’s Supper passage:  1 Corinthians 11:23, “For what I received from the Lord what I also passed on to you.”  1 Corinthians 15:3, “For what I received I passed on to you as of first importance.”

The Lord’s Supper and the gospel have Jesus as the author and originator.  Jesus passed on the Lord’s Supper and the gospel to his first followers.  The original disciples passed the Lord’s Supper and the gospel onto the early church. When the church gets it right – the church continues to gather around the Lord’s Supper and the gospel.  

Jesus died for our sins, Jesus was buried, Jesus was raised on the third day.  All according to the Scriptures.  All of this done to provide you the opportunity for abundant life here on earth and eternal life in Heaven someday soon. The Lord’s Supper and the gospel are an intimate pair. 

The Lord’s Supper tells the gospel story

The Lord’s Supper forms us and reforms us.  It reminds us that we are a part of the family of God because of the unmerited grace of God through the sacrificial death of Jesus. 

Regular, consistent observance of the Lord’s Supper stands as a check against the type of preaching that replaces the gospel with life coaching, tips for success, motivational pep talks, or mere moralistic teaching.  On the other hand, the Lord’s Supper also rejects that type of faith that is filled with a lack of gospel clarity.  

Pastor theologian Dietrich Bonhoeffer explains the table reminds the church of the source of our salvation.  He said, “I find salvation, not in my life story, but only in the story of Jesus Christ.”^[1]

Every time we hold the bread and cup, we tell the gospel story.  We are forced to take our eyes of ourselves and our problems and fix our eyes solely on the body and the blood of our crucified and resurrected Savior.  

The Lord’s Supper creates gospel community

The Lord’s Supper forms us and reforms us not merely as individuals but also as a church community.  It keeps the gospel at the center.  The center is not a pastor, a program, a tradition, or a building.  It keeps our hearts and minds on the gospel.  Our hearts and minds should not be consumed with worldliness, superficiality, or secondary things. It keeps us unified.  We are people with different ups and downs, victories and defeats, and bumps and bruises.  Yet, we are united by a common Savior. It calls us to be forgiving people, gracious people, and generous people.

The Lord’s Supper calls us to reflect upon our sin and the depth of God grace towards us. It forces us to consider our need to preach and show Jesus to those around us.

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^[1] Dietrich Bonhoeffer, Life Together (Minneapolis: Fortress, 1992), 62.