In my last pastoral column in September 2016, I shared on the need to give God an undistracting attention on Sundays as we come into the sanctuary for worship.
Perhaps for the benefit of some of our regular visitors, I would like to share the biblical distinctive that we observe here, concerning the frequency of the Lord’s Supper.
Some denominations do this once a month. Few do it once in a few months and some only on special occasions. We do it every Sunday.
In 1 Cor 11: – “For as often as you eat this bread and drink the cup, you
proclaim the Lord’s death until he comes” . The expression “as often as you eat” etc, implies frequent observance and simply instructs us that every time we break bread we proclaim the Lord’s death until He comes. But it does not say how often we are to break bread for that was already known by the Corinthians and the church as a whole that they were to observe the Lord’s Supper on the first day of the week (cf Acts 20:7). It is significant that our Lord first appeared to His gathered disciples on His resurrection day, the first day of the week, and then also on the succeeding first day of the week. We take the Lord’s Supper then on the day that speaks of His rising power, the day which witnessed the triumph of infinite Calvary love. This first day symbolizes the new creation day. If the significance of this is grasped, we are sure that all church fellowships will want to be regular attenders at the Lord’s Supper every week if at all possible.
The incident in Luke 17:11-19, of the ten lepers who were cleansed by Christ of their leprosy. The Lord was pleased with the one leper who when he was healed “turned back and with a loud voice glorified God, and fell down on his face at His feet, giving Him thanks”. But Jesus knew all that had transpired and asked, “Were there not ten cleansed, where are the nine? “The Lord desired that all ten had been cleansed would have returned in the same way. Surely in like manner, all of us who have been cleansed from loathsome sins should be regular attenders at the Lord’s Supper to render thanksgiving and praise “to Him who loves us, and has washed us from our sins in His blood (Revelation 1:6). There are some who teach and stretch their thinking that worshipping God need not be together on Sundays as God is omnipresent. And as such, choose to stay away on Sundays at their convenience.
May the Lord grant us the joy as often as we meet Him together!
Elder Andrew Lim
