Please turn to Psalm 23.
Psalm 23:5:
Thou preparest a table before me in the presence of mine enemies:
Thou anointest my head with oil;
My cup runneth over.
Also, Hebrews 10. We read from Hebrews 10:12-14:
But He, when He had offered one sacrifice for sins for ever, sat down on the right hand of God;
Henceforth expecting till His enemies be made the footstool of His feet.
For by one offering He hath perfected for ever them that are sanctified.
We thank God for bringing us to this table, the table of the Lord.
You know, with the Roman Catholic Church, they call this the altar. Now, why is it that we call it the table of the Lord?
When you call it the altar, what does it mean to you? The altar is where the sacrifice is offered. Once our Lord Jesus, as the Lamb of God, was sacrificed on the altar, Calvary’s cross.
And that is the reason why you will find among the Roman Church they have the Mass. Now, what is the meaning of the Mass?
A Mass simply means a reenactment of the crucifixion of our Lord. Because as a priest blesses the loaf, this loaf becomes transubstantiated into the body of Christ. And the drink in the cup becomes the very blood of the Lord Jesus. So every time the Mass is said at the altar, it is a recrucifixion of our Lord Jesus.
Now, if you really understand this, it is blasphemy, because the Bible tells us He offered Himself once as the sacrifice for sins, and then He sat down at the right hand of the Father. For by one offering, He did it all.
So our Lord Jesus was crucified on the cross. It was a fact. Two thousand years ago, it happened. And thank God, now this altar has become a table to us.
So what do you mean by a table? When you come to the table, do you kill the animal on the table before eating? You will find that when you come to the table, all the food is prepared. Everything is ready. It has been done, and all you need to do is come and enjoy it.
And that is what the table means. So, dear brothers and sisters, we do thank the Lord. We have an altar, but this altar to us today has become a table.
When our Lord Jesus was crucified on the cross, He said, “It is finished.” It is done. It cannot be repeated. It is perfect, and it is eternal.
So when we come to this table, we remember the Lord. Now, what do you mean by remember? You remember something because it has happened before. You do not remember anything that has not happened.
So we come here to remember our Lord, to celebrate what our Lord Jesus has done for us. And it is a finished work, once and for all.
We thank the Lord, for He has died for us. We thank the Lord, for His blood has been shed. We thank the Lord, for His body has been broken. And we come here in the good of His finished work.
So that is why we come this morning: to celebrate what He has done for us, to glorify Him. The Bible says He was obedient even unto death, even the death of the cross.
And then the Father highly exalted Him and gave Him a name that is above every name. At that name every knee shall bow, and every tongue confess that Jesus is Lord.
So that is why we come here: to confess that Jesus is Lord, Lord of life, Lord of this universe. And He is sitting there at the right hand of the Father, waiting for all His enemies to be made His footstool. And this is what we are looking forward to.
We come here to exhibit what He has done for us as a testimony. We come here to commune with Him, to once again taste the blessedness, the power, and the life that He has given to us.
And on that life, we have the strength to overcome. By that life, we will go home in these coming days.
In other words, brothers and sisters, by taking this table, there is a spiritual reality there. We are not just going through a ritual. We are here in communion with the blood of our Lord, in communion with the body of our Lord. And by His life in us, we overcome.
And we are also here, brothers and sisters, with a blessed hope. We are looking forward to the day when He shall return, and His kingdom shall be established upon this earth. And we shall reign with Him for a thousand years. That is what the Bible says.
So we come here rejoicing. Rejoice in the Lord, and we await His glorious day. This is something very, very real. And if we take it in the spiritual way, brothers and sisters, we are strengthened, and we are able to overcome in the days ahead of us.
Dear Lord, we do want to thank Thee that Thou hast died for us. It is done. It is finished. And Thou art now seated with the Father at His right hand, waiting for Thy enemies to be Thy footstool.
Lord, we come to partake of this table, to once again experience that life, victorious life, that Thou hast given to us. And on that life, Lord, we are able to complete our pilgrimage upon this earth.
And Lord, we are not looking forward to death. We are looking forward to Thy return. O Lord, may Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done on earth, as it is in heaven.
Bless this loaf. Bless this cup, that every one of us who partakes of it may experience in our spirit that Thou art with us. And who can be against us?
We give Thee glory, in the name of our Lord Jesus. Amen.