Tag: The Lord’s Supper

BREAKING BREAD TOGETHER

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Shelby G. Floyd

Good morning church! It is good to be together. We are thankful for all our dedicated members at Heartland.

Today I speak to you on “Breaking Bread Together.” We read Acts 2:36-42 in our Bibles. This reading described how sinners were saved and how they worshipped on the birthday of the church of Christ. They worshipped on the day of Pentecost (always the first day of the week) by continuing “…steadfastly in the apostles’ doctrine and fellowship, in the breaking of bread, and in prayers” (Acts 2:42). “The breaking of bread” is a reference to “the Lord’s Supper.” This was practiced every “first day of the week!”

PAUL AND FELLOW WORKERS TRAVEL BY SHIP TO TROAS

But my lesson today is on what happened on “the first day of the week” in Troas, Asia (Acts 20:1-12)! Paul is on his second evangelistic journey throughout the Roman empire. The background of the setting is that Paul was successful in establishing a strong church in Ephesus, Asia for three years. But when a riot over idolatry broke out, the church sent Paul away immediately.

Paul and his co-workers went to Philippi in Macedonia. Seven of Paul’s fellow workers boarded a ship and went ahead to Troas and waited for Paul and Luke (Acts 20:4-5-we and us). From Philippi Paul and Luke travelled on their way to Troas: “But we sailed away from Philippi after the Days of Unleavened Bread, and in five days joined them at Troas, where we stayed seven days” (Acts 20:6). Therefore Paul, Luke, and the seven men all stayed at Troas seven days. This means that the whole company was all together on “the first day of the week!” Continue reading “BREAKING BREAD TOGETHER” →

HOW TO IDENTIFY THE CHURCH JESUS BUILT

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Shelby G. Floyd

About 32 A.D., or one year before the day of Pentecost, Jesus declared, “Upon this rock I will build my church” (Matthew 16:18). Did Christ in fact do what he said he would do? Yes he did. On the day of Pentecost the apostles received the baptism of the Holy Spirit (Acts 2:1-4). And all of them stood up and preached the good news in languages that everyone could understand (Acts 2:5-14).

We have one of the apostles’ sermon recorded—the apostle Peter. Near the end of his sermon the audience cried out, “Men and brethren, what shall we do?” His answer was, “Repent and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins and you shall receive the gift of the Holy Spirit” (Acts 2:38). The Bible declares, “Then they that gladly received his word were baptized: and the same day there were added unto them about three thousand souls” (Acts 2:41). And in the last verse of that chapter, the Bible says, “And the Lord added to the church daily such as were being saved” (Acts 2:47). Jesus said “I will build my church” and one year later the church is spoken of as being in existence.

Now the question is can we identify that church in our day and time? The church existed on the day of Pentecost and up to the end of the first century. Can we identify that same church today? It would be a reflection upon your intelligence to suggest that all of the churches today with their different doctrines and practices would in fact be the church we read about in the Bible. Continue reading “HOW TO IDENTIFY THE CHURCH JESUS BUILT” →

WORSHIP ON THE LORD’S DAY

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Shelby G. Floyd

lords-day

The New Testament clearly outlines the essentials on worship. These are: the Lord’s Supper, the contribution, prayer, preaching, and singing. However, in the matters of judgment or incidentals the New Testament does not have a lot to say. This indicates that God leaves it up to our human judgment as to how we should carry out what he has commanded when he has not specifically stated how we are to carry it out!

A Window into Worship

In our text, we have a window through which to see a worship service of the New Testament church. This worship took place at Troas on Paul’s third evangelistic journey (Acts 20:1-12).

As Paul traveled around visiting the churches he encouraged them with the word of God. Comfort and encouragement mostly comes from the word of God: “He traveled through that area, speaking many words of encouragement to the people, and finally arrived in Greece” (Acts 20:2).

First Day of the Week Worship

We notice that worship at Troas was on the first day of the week. This is what we call Sunday. Why was worship on Sunday and not on Saturday or any other day of the week?

“Now on the first day of the week, when the disciples came together to break bread, Paul, ready to depart the next day, spoke to them and continued his message until midnight” (Acts 20:7 NKJV).

Why did the New Testament church worship on Sunday instead of Saturday, which was the day of worship for the Jews? They worshipped on Sunday because Jesus Christ himself sanctified the first day of the week, by his own resurrection from the dead on the first day the week (Luke 24:1).

John Worshipped in the Spirit on the Lord’s Day

John the apostle was exiled to the island of Patmos, probably by Domitian (84-96 A. D.). He was away from the church on the mainland of Asia Minor. But on Sunday—the first day of the week, John described himself as being in the Spirit on the Lord’s Day (Revelation 1:10). This means, that he was in heart and soul with the congregation that worshipped on the first day of the week. On Sunday all Christians need to be present in body and spirit to worship the Lord.

Let us also be devoted to taking the Lord’s Supper on the first day of the week, to remember the salvation we have in Christ. “They devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and to the fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer” (Acts 2:42).

Copyright © 2011-2016 Shelby G. Floyd, All Rights Reserved

Shelby G. Floyd

Shelby G. Floyd
Heartland Church of Christ
1693 West Main Street
Greenwood, Indiana 46142

THE COMMUNION OF THE LORD

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Shelby G. Floyd

lords-supper-oct06-18-728

When Paul wrote the first letter to the Corinthians in about A. D. 59, the observance of the Lord’s Supper was a well-established practice upon the first day of each week. The inspired apostle Paul had delivered unto the Corinthians the same teaching on the Lord’s Supper which he had received of the Lord:

“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).

Continue reading “THE COMMUNION OF THE LORD” →