The Lords Supper
A Sermon on John 1:16
Scripture
16And of his fulness have all we received, and grace for grace.
Sermon Description
What is the sacrament of the Lord’s Supper? In this sermon on the Lord’s Supper from John 1:16, Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones preaches on the meaning and importance of the Lord’s Supper in the Christian life. He begins by examining other views that have been held throughout Church history and are now believed by other denominations. He explains why views like transubstantiation, as held by the Roman Catholic Church, are unbiblical. The Lord’s Supper is important not because it is actually the physical body and blood of Jesus, he says, but it is important because it represents the death of Christ in the believers’ place. It is not some sort of mystical means of communicating grace, but it is a testament to the fact that Jesus died for sinners, and that all who believe in Him are saved through His blood. The Lord’s Supper is an essential part of sanctification because it is a reminder of who Christians are now, and it testifies to His death for the Church. “What does this sermon mean to me?” someone may ask. The message of Jesus is for all people, of all places and times, because it is the message of salvation. The Lord’s Supper declares that all who believe in Jesus are made righteous before God.
Sermon Breakdown
- The sermon focuses on explaining the meaning and significance of the sacraments, specifically the Lord's Supper.
- The sermon outlines the Roman Catholic view of the sacraments, which believes that the sacraments actually convey grace and that the bread and wine transform into the actual body and blood of Christ. This view is called transubstantiation.
- The sermon then outlines the Reformed Protestant view of the sacraments. This view sees the sacraments as "efficacious means of grace" that signify, seal, and exhibit the benefits of Christ's mediation. The sacraments strengthen faith and promote sanctification.
- The Reformed view believes that the Lord's Supper signifies Christ's death, seals the new covenant, signifies the unity of believers, and actually conveys grace to those who receive it with faith.
- The sermon emphasizes that the Lord's Supper is for all believers, regardless of the state of their faith or obedience. It is a "strengthening ordinance."
- The sermon concludes by arguing that the Lord's Supper plays a unique role in promoting sanctification by reminding believers of Christ's work on their behalf and conveying grace to them.
The Book of John
Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones
Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones (1899-1981) was a Welsh evangelical minister who preached and taught in the Reformed tradition. His principal ministry was at Westminster Chapel, in central London, from 1939-1968, where he delivered multi-year expositions on books of the bible such as Romans, Ephesians and the Gospel of John. In addition to the MLJ Trust’s collection of 1,600 of these sermons in audio format, most of these great sermon series are available in book form (including a 14 volume collection of the Romans sermons), as are other series such as "Spiritual Depression", "Studies in the Sermon on the Mount" and "Great Biblical Doctrines". He is considered by many evangelical leaders today to be an authority on biblical truth and the sufficiency of Scripture.