Thou Preparest a Table

May 5, 1991 pm

23rd Psalm Thou preparest a table before me...

Introduction

This evening we come again as brothers and sisters to the table of the Lord, the Sacrament that communicates in a special way to us the fact that Jesus IS WITH US.

What assurance do we have that this is indeed a fact?

I. WE HAVE A CONFESSION

  1. Paul has written (Romans 10:9,10) that if we confess with our mouth the Lord Jesus, and if we in fact believe in our hearts that God has raised Him from the dead, we shall be saved.

    Thus the confession: "JESUS IS LORD" THE FOUNDATION OF OUR FAITH

  2. "Jesus and..." or "Jesus, except..." is the root of all heresy
  3. The authority and accountability of the corporate Body is/must be balanced by the inner witness of our own spirit.

    [John Wesley's "heart warming" experience, May 24, 1738]

    This experience will not contradict the "catholic" church; the Spirit of Jesus is uncompromising and yet sweet and Shepherd- like. He leads. He loves. Never make a pressure confounded decision in life!

II. WE HAVE A HOPE

"OCCUPY UNTIL I COME" THE HOPE OF OUR ETERNAL SALVATION

  1. Our faith is "eschatological;" it is "going somewhere. We are not merely cycling aimlessly through the centuries'
  2. Jesus is coming again Every time we share in His Table we are testifying to the fact that we believe that "He shall come (again) to judge the living and the dead." as the Creed states.

III. WE HAVE A PRESENCE

"THIS IS MY BODY" THE CONTINUATION OF OUR LIFE

  1. But our faith is not just in the past or in the future. Our faith is, and must be, in the NOW!
  2. This Presence is:
    1. ADEQUACY
      1. By adequacy I do not mean that all we need as humans and as Christians is religion. [Dr. Bill McCumber said "Some people say 'All I need is Jesus!' But I need Doris, too!"]
      2. But adequacy means with Jesus I am of great personal worth! I am God's child; I have been adopted into God's family. I need the deep inner persuasion that what Jesus has done in and of itself is ALL I NEED IN ORDER TO HAVE ETERNAL LIFE.
      3. The adequacy of the atonement does not negate the inequities of this life. It doesn't mean that we don't "really need each other!" But it does mean that we are AT-ONE with God!

      This Presence is also:

    2. REALITY
      1. I don't mean that we know all the mysteries; I do mean there are some things we KNOW! (2 Corinthians 5:17 "A new cre ation!")
      2. That is what the great Anglican priest John Wesley rediscovered and spread all over Britain and Ireland.
      3. There are many things we CAN'T know; but we can know IMMANUEL: GOD WITH US! That is reality

      This Presence is also:

    3. MISSION
      1. We cannot know Jesus— really know Him— and stay the same regarding other people! If we have found Someone to walk through life with us, can't we begin to tell others about Him, too?
      2. This world is crying out for adequacy and for spiritual reality and assurance.
      3. So— what should we do? WE begin thinking BIG! How shall we set Dorchester on fire for God! But God thinks small. He wants to save a world so He starts off with a Baby. Maybe God wanted Gladys and Charlie to climb that iron fence and meet those people from the neighborhood last week in Dorchester! Maybe God wants you and me to be friends with our neighbors and show them our Friend!

Conclusion

All my life I've been hearing all sorts of reasons why I ought to be doing this or that for God . . . or why I should follow this or that program. And maybe I should have! But if you are like I am, we have had mixed feelings for doing what we have done. I wonder if we can ever really say THE LOVE OF CHRIST COMPELS ME!

The question Jesus asks us is the question He asked Peter when He restored Peter to the leadership of His disciples: DO YOU LOVE ME?? !!

If we have accomplished anything this year - if Jesus has led us into Codman Square - if we have seen any good things at all— can it be for any other reason than that Jesus has been with us— and that He is with us NOW?

[In Copley Square, right beside Trinity Church, is a statue of that Church's most illustrious pastor, Phillips Brooks. The church erected it in honor of the man who wrote, among other things:

How silently, How silently, The wondrous Gift is given
So God imparts to human hearts the blessings of His heaven

But there is another figure in the statuary— a Hooded figure of the Christ, standing behind Phillips Brooks with His hand on the shoulder of the man in the pulpit. That statuary tells the story. In the dark, in the cold, in the sun, in the rain— He is always there. Christ stands behind the pastor with His hand on his shoulder. And He will always be there!

This is what it means to be "in Christ!" It is HIS Presence! And His Presence is ADEQUACY!!

Prayer:

Communion: