And the Lord spake unto Moses, saying, Speak unto Aaron, and unto his sons, and unto all the children of Israel, and say unto them, This is the thing which the Lord hath commanded, saying, What man soever there be of the house of Israel, that killeth an ox, or lamb, or goat, in the camp, or that killeth it out of the camp, and bringeth it not unto the door of the tabernacle of the congregation, to offering unto the Lord before the tabernacle of the Lord, blood shall be imputed unto that man. He hath shed blood, and that man shall be cut off from among his people. To the end, that the children of Israel may bring their sacrifices which they offer in the open field, even that they may bring them unto the Lord, unto the door of the tabernacle of the congregation, unto the priests, and offer them for peace offerings unto the Lord. And the praise shall sprinkle the blood upon the altar of the Lord at the door of the tabernacle of the congregation, and burn the fat for a sweet savor unto the Lord. And they shall no more offer their sacrifices unto devils, after whom they have gone a-whoring. This shall be a statue forever unto them throughout their generations. And thou shalt say unto them, whatsoever man there be of the house of Israel, or of the strangers which sojourn among you, that offereth a burnt offering or sacrifice, and bringeth it not unto the door of the tabernacle of the congregation, to offer it unto the Lord, even that man shall be cut off from among his people. And whosoever there be of the house of Israel, or of strangers, that sojourn among you, that eateth any manner of blood, I will even set my face against that soul that eateth blood, and will cut him off from among the people. For the life of the flesh is in the blood, And I have given it unto you upon the altar to make an atonement for your souls, for it is the blood that maketh an atonement for the soul. Therefore I said unto the children of Israel, no soul of you shall eat blood, neither shall any stranger that sojourneth among you eat blood. And whatsoever man there be of the children of Israel, or of the strangers that sojourn among you, which hunteth and catcheth any beast or fowl that may be eaten, he shall even pour out the blood thereof, and cover it with dust. For it is the life of all flesh, the blood of it is for the life thereof. Therefore I said unto the children of Israel, ye shall eat the blood of no manner of flesh, For the life of all flesh is the blood thereof, whosoever eateth it shall be cut off. And every soul that eateth that which died of itself or that which was torn with beast, whether it be one of your own country or a stranger, he shall both wash his clothes and bathe himself in water and be unclean until the even. Then shall he be clean. But if he washed them not, nor bathed his flesh, then he shall bear his iniquity. Let's turn in our Psalters to number 262. We celebrate that the blood of our Lord Jesus Christ was given for our salvation. Joyful, all ye people, sing before the Lord. Shout and sing his praises, now in glad accord. He has wrought salvation. He hath made it known. Let's sing all three stanzas. for his armies strong. He has brought salvation, he has made it full, and he poured out Sing his praises, now in glad accord. With the harp and trumpet, joyful praises raise. Thou prejoicest not. Lord. Hearts and fields and mountains sing we for the Lord. For he helps with justice, he goes to redress, and to judge the nations in his righteousness. As you read in your bulletin this morning as a congregation, we welcome Lydia Landheer as a new member of our congregation. I'm going to ask Lydia to step out with us when we go out as elders, and she'll stand in the narthex so that you as a congregation can give her the right hand of fellowship. We also welcome this morning at her request Abigail Uphoff to the table to partake. Abigail is a member of our Crete Protestant Reformed Church. Let's go to the Lord with our prayers. Our Father in Heaven, we thank Thee for this Lord's Day. We thank Thee that we are given another opportunity of congregational worship. where we gather together, we delight to be together as the body of Christ Jesus, united by faith with Him who is the head of the body, namely Jesus Christ. How delightful to hear thy voice, the voice of Christ Jesus again as the scriptures are opened up. To look and to behold our Savior as he gave himself an offering for our sins, to partake of his body and his blood by faith, to be strengthened, his life poured out to us. We pray then in our worship, first and foremost, that thy holy name will be glorified. Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. For thine is the honor and the glory forever and ever. And we desire in our worship to sing thy praises, to bring worship that is acceptable to thee, namely a broken heart and spirit. where we loathe our sins, we see no good in ourselves, and so we look away from ourselves, we lift our eyes to the hills, from whence comes our help. Our help is in the name of Jehovah. And we pray then, not unto us, not unto us but O Lord, but unto thy name give glory. Give glory to thy name for thy mercy and for thy truth's sake. Indeed, O Lord, it is thy mercies that we plead, and it is thy mercies that we rejoice in, for thy mercies are new every morning, yesterday, today, and forever. Mercy flowing from thy throne to thy children as they come to thee in their needs, in their sins, with their troubles. The Lord is abundant in mercy. We also pray, Father, that in our worship that we, thy children, will be strengthened in our faith. For Satan accuses us, our conscience accuses us, the world can bring accusation against us. For there are words, there are deeds done that do not testify to holiness in us, but rather testify to sin. Even as the elders and potential elders and deacons of our church will hear this coming Tuesday, of abuse amongst God's people in His house. We are indeed, Lord, a sinful people and we need, O Lord, then to be strengthened in our faith so that we do not despair, nor do we continue in sin. But we confess our sins, we humble ourselves before Thee and we flee. to the table of our Lord Jesus. For he has given his body and his blood as a sacrifice for all of our sins. He doth feed us and nourish us daily with himself by his word and by his spirit. We also pray, Father, that if there be any in our audience who do not savingly know Jesus Christ as Savior and Lord, that thou wilt humble them, that thou wilt work faith through this means of grace, the preaching of thy word. We delight, O Lord, to begin our week in worship Our whole life revolves around that aim, that goal that has been given to us in our new life, to please Thee. So bless our worship. We thank Thee that we may come in the name of Jesus, that our sins do not testify against us, but they have been blotted out by His precious blood, and we come covered covered with Christ's righteousness, imputed, freely given to us, who are so unworthy. Dressed in the white garments of Christ's righteousness, we have fellowship with thee. We delight in that communion with thee and with one another. Bless, O Lord, our elders as they look after our spiritual welfare. We thank Thee, Father, for them as they come with the word to comfort us, to give us encouragement, to give us instruction with necessary admonition so that we, Thy children, may be trained in godliness. Bless him who brings the word, overrule his sin and his weakness, sanctify his mouth and his lips, use them as a tool, as an instrument, through whom Christ, the Good Shepherd, addresses us, his sheep. Keep thoughts of yesterday or tomorrow from our minds, keep slumber away from our eyelids, for we would desire to see and to hear Christ Jesus, our Savior. We're thankful, Father, for the deacons as they receive our alms presently and as they distribute those alms prudently with wisdom and with comfortable words of scripture for those who are truly needy. We pray, Father, that thou will lift up thy people then through the preaching. Give them strength for this coming week, for our trials are many in number. Think of Leroy DeVries, who will be undergoing a biopsy this coming week. Mosterhart and Dale Bartels, also struggling with cancer. Others who will undergo a procedure this coming week. Lord, we are weak, frail, children of the dust. We thank you that we are taught over and over and over again to look up, to wait in dependence and patience upon thy goodness, for thou wilt work all things together for good. We pray for those, Father, who have been cast into mourning this past week. A young child, six months old, taken away. The grief, the sorrow, the pain. in his life and in the life of the family. And Father, we share those sorrows as a congregation, for we have been there too, with young ones or old ones taken away, earthly relationship broken. We thank Thee that Thou art the God of comfort who comforts us with all the comfort of Scripture, that death has lost its sting and the grave has lost its victory. For those who believe in the Lord Jesus, those who are Christ's, it now is a gateway of being taken home to be with Jesus, which is far better. O Lord, with the preaching of thy word in the sacrament this morning again, strengthen our faith, our resolve, to show thankfulness in all of our life for the great redemption that is ours in our Lord Jesus. In his name we pray, amen. We'll now worship the Lord with our first offering, and our first offering is for the General Fund. you Oh. Psalter number 232. Number 232, versication of Psalm 85, expectancy of grace. His saving help is surely near to those his holy name that fear. Peace to his people he will speak, and to his saints, but let them seek no more in folly's path, to stray the three stanzas. O Lord, to us thy mercy is shown, We wait to hear what God will say, His Jewish people we will see, And to His saints God let them see, The glory of His name. ♪ To those His holy name had given ♪ ♪ Thus glory flows in all our land ♪ ♪ God and nature unites with grace ♪ ♪ And righteousness and peace embrace ♪ ♪ In full accord they have sung ♪ And righteousness crowned, and looked down, And all on us his perdition. Our heads shall then with plenty low, Before his righteousness shall go, And cause us in his steps to go. Our text is from Leviticus chapter 17, page 97 in your few Bibles. page 97 Leviticus 17 verse 11 for the life of the flesh is in the blood and I have given it to you upon the altar to make an atonement for your souls for it is the blood that maketh an atonement for the soul. May the Lord bless the preaching of his word. In the book of Leviticus there are many laws. Laws given at Mount Sinai for prescribed worship. Right down to the very details. In worship We must not have any do-it-yourself kind of worship. Now, the details that are listed in Leviticus that we're gonna look at were of the ceremonial laws, which we will see are done away with. But still, it is true, God tells us how to worship, and we must worship as he commands us. Only what God has prescribed is going to be acceptable and glorifying to Him. Now in the matter of giving these sacrifices, there are two things prescribed, two negatives. Do not sacrifice an animal, do not kill an animal without bringing the blood of the animal to the tabernacle. in order to be poured out before the altar. That prescription was given so that the Israelites would not revert to the idolatry that was so prevalent in the land, worshiping all other kind of gods. And so the negative is do not kill an animal without bringing the blood to the tabernacle. belongs to the Lord and number two and especially this chapter do not drink the blood of an animal do not use it for yourself the Lord is saying do not use it as many of the religions of that day would use it in order to somehow strengthen and give you the fierceness of a wild animal or the strength of a bull thou shalt not the Lord says do that and the reason the blood is mine the blood is mine what we're taught here is blood theology all the Old Testament sacrifices over and over and over again with the blood being brought before the altar is a picture of the blood of our Lord Jesus Christ that was poured out on Calvary and we will rejoice, won't we, in that blood. In that blood payment was made for your and for my sins. The gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ is all about the blood There are many today who hate, who detest what they call our blood theology. But we will rejoice in it. It is the gospel of our salvation. We read in Romans chapter 5 verse 9 that we are justified by His blood once offered on the cross. So notice with me the blood that is given to us. The blood that is given to us for the life is in the blood, says God in our text. And that blood, second of all then, is to be reverenced. It is given to us. And thirdly, that blood is given for an atonement you'll notice in verse seventeen how important that is how verse eleven how important that is for it's repeated twice isn't it I have given it to you upon the altar to make an atonement for your souls for it is the blood that maketh an atonement for the soul yes this morning this morning in the preaching and this morning as we come to the table May we rejoice, may we sing with joy that the blood of our Lord Jesus is given to us for an atonement for our souls. Verse 11 you can see stands in connection with verse 10. Verse 10 talks about a prescription. You will not eat any of the blood of any of the animals that you kill, whether it be in the field or at home. Anyone that eats the blood, I will set my face against that soul that eateth blood and cut him off from amongst his people. For, and here's the reason, the life of the flesh is in the blood. What does it mean? God is picturing there for us the heart that is within us, the heart that is in the animal, that heart that is pumping that blood to all of the body. And without the beating of that blood, without that blood flowing to the body, there would be no oxygen for the cells, there would be no nutrients given to the cells, Without that heart beating and without that blood flowing, that animal, and you and I, would be dead. When that heart stops beating, when the blood stops flowing, there's death. So the Lord comes with a prescription here about the sacraments in the Old Testament. It's not a new prescription. But it's repeated here. We have it in Leviticus chapter three, verse 17. It shall be a perpetual statue for your generations throughout all your dwellings that ye eat neither fat nor blood. The fat was given to the Lord. The fat was given because that is seen as a picture of healthiness. Whenever we came back from our furloughs back to the Philippines, we would get the compliment given to us, you're fat. That was a compliment. You are healthy. The fat and the blood belong to the Lord. Do not eat it, says the Lord. Then again, Leviticus chapter seven. Verse 25 and following, for whosoever shall eat of the fat of the beast of which men offer as an offering made by fire unto Jehovah, even the soul that eateth it shall be cut off from his people. Moreover, you shall eat no manner of blood, whether it be of the fowl or of the beast in any of your dwellings. whatsoever soul it shall be that eateth any manner of blood, even that soul shall be cut off from his people. Now in Leviticus 17, again that same prescription, but it is now given a longer explanation. Why not? And the answer is, because it belongs to the Lord, Jehovah, who is the Lord of the Covenant. And that blood is a picture of why there is that covenant between the Holy God and us sinners. There can be that communion between the holy God and sinners because of the blood of the covenant which washes away our sins. The blood that gives life to us, new life. That was a picture of circumcision also. The shedding of blood. That's the only way there can be communion with God. And you'll notice here what we have is a prescription for the peace offering. There were many different offerings. There were five different kinds of sacrifices. There was the sin offering. There was the burnt offering. This is now, we read in our text, the fellowship or the peace offering. And unlike the sin offering or the burnt offering where it was burnt whole on the altar, the peace offering was to be eaten by the priest and God's people together. There was fellowship, there was communion between the God of the covenant and his people, represented by the priest and the people themselves. It is a seed of life, God says. That is the way you, my people, will have life by the pouring out of blood. It is the Lord's. Now the question comes, why is the fat and why is the blood, which is life, the Lord's? Surely it's not because the Lord has need of it himself. In Psalm 50, the Lord says, I don't need your bulls or your goats or your lambs. I don't need them. Will I eat the flesh of bulls or drink the blood of goats? The answer is no. But it is the Lord's because it was the type, the type that looked forward to the reality. the blood that was poured out by innocent victims in the Old Testament those animals hadn't done anything wrong but the blood that was poured out by those innocent victims pointed forward to the innocent one the Lord Jesus Christ the Lamb that taketh away the sins of the world blood is a picture of life the blood poured out is a picture of life being poured out for another a type looking forward to the reality and therefore the Lord is so jealous about that blood you will not eat of that blood you will not use it for yourself to somehow become like the gods or like the fierceness of an animal, but it is the Lord, and by that blood you have fellowship with God. When poured out, that blood shows atonement, doesn't it? It expresses life that is taken. We sinned. We sinned, and God says, the soul that sinneth, it shall die. Already to our first father, Adam and Eve. The day thou eatest thereof, thou shalt surely die. O sinner, O sinner, what could be more tremendous than the sight of blood being poured out, that is, your dying because of your sins. Those animals died, didn't they? And our Lord Jesus Christ died that we might have life. And so while the poured out blood, or in the sacrament, the poured out wine, is a picture of the life that we deserve to be taken from us to God it is precious it is precious because it's a picture of the blood of our Lord Jesus Christ poured out for complete remission of our sins boys and girls when you see the elements being passed The bread is a picture of Jesus' body that was broken. And when you look at the little cups of wine, it's red in color, isn't it? It's the color of blood. Yes, we are to think about, we deserve to die. We deserve to have our life taken away. But Jesus, Jesus, what a glorious thought. Jesus poured out His blood to give us life. What an expression. What an expression of Jesus' submissive obedience to His Father. He came into this world, not to do His own will, but to do the will of His Father. And what was that? To lay down His life, to pour out His blood for you and me, His sheep. So in the Old Testament, that blood was to be revered, be treated very carefully. That blood would be poured out at the altar and it would be sprinkled then upon the horns of the altar. Or if there was a beast that was killed out on the field in the country, then the blood was to be covered up with dirt. The blood was precious because it was given, because it was given. Now often we think of sacrifices as the gift that we bring. The Old Testament saints bringing their bullock or bringing their goat or bringing their lamb, or if they were poor, bringing little turtle doves. were bringing their sacrifices to the tabernacle. They would offer to God. Burnt completely on the altar if it was a sin offering or a whole burnt offering. Or eaten if it was a peace offering. But Psalm 50 teaches us something. It's not really the sacrifice itself that the people were bringing, but rather it was the obedience that they were bringing. It was the heart behind the sacrifice that they were giving. In Psalm 50, the Lord says, I've had all your offerings. I won't accept them anymore. I won't accept them because I don't need them, but I need the heart, the heart of sincerity, the heart of love, the heart of trust, the heart of obedience, the heart of worship. That is what the people, by God's grace, would bring. but the offering itself is really God's gift to us that's what our text is saying I have given it to you upon the altar what does that mean? that God made that allowance for us that God gave that prescription that rather than our blood be poured out taken away from us because of our sins there is another a substitute who is given to us to stand in our place yes the idea there is a substitute God has given that blood as a substitute for our blood that life given in substitute for our lives rather than our own blood the blood of animals brought before the Lord looking to the reality of Him who is the very Son of God but also the Son of Man, perfect righteous man who gave His blood for us an innocent victim What did those goats do? What did that lamb do? What did that bullock do to deserve to die? They were the best. They were the best of the crop. Innocent victims pointing forward to Him whom Pilate in his judgment hall said over and over and over again, this man has done no wrong. This man is innocent. He is the best of the best. He's the perfect one. And He laid down His life for us. Pour it out. Pour it out for us. His life flowing from Him in order to be given to us so that we might have life. Do you see that? Do you see that in the reading of God's Word here? Will you visualize that at the table this morning? The innocent one, Jesus Christ, pours out His life for us. How we need that blood. How we need that life. The life is in the blood. You and I were dead in sin. our sins taken away and the life of Christ given to us. That's what the table is all about. We are nourished with Christ Jesus himself. He is our life. And we are nourished with him, not just at the table, but the table is symbolic of Every day of our life, every moment of our life, we have no life in us apart from Jesus Christ. His blood poured out, His life poured out, given to us. Perhaps a good illustration of that would be the necessity for blood transfusions. in the Philippines, if you were gonna have any kind of surgery, you had to see to it that you would bring blood for yourself. Someone else would have to volunteer and give their blood, it would be collected, and we'd take these bags then of blood to the hospital for the person that was going to undergo a surgery or some kind of procedure. the life, the blood of another given for the life of the one in the hospital who is sick do you see the significance? the blood of our Lord Jesus Christ poured out given for you and I who are sick who are dying and by his life we live, we are healthy we thrive Jesus blood poured out for us Jesus or God says here in Leviticus 17 verse 11 I have given it unto you upon the altar we see that many times don't we in the scriptures that aspect of it's God's gift to us when Adam and Eve fell into sin they were naked they realized it and God provided God gave them coats of skin of animal skin to cover their nakedness how did that come? it came by blood didn't it? the life of the animal poured out so that Adam and Eve could be covered Or think a moment of this sacrifice of Cain and Abel. Why was one accepted and the other one was not? The one came with that precious blood, that substitute. While Abel brought the best works he could bring from his garden. The blood was accepted of Abel where the offering of Cain, the offering of Cain, I misspoke myself, the offering of Cain was the best of the crops of his garden and was not accepted. Or one more illustration of the Old Testament, given. Do you remember, boys and girls, the story of Abraham? When God gives to Abraham that very harsh command, I want you to take your son, your only son, up into the mountain and sacrifice him to me." How could Abram do that? His son, his precious son, the one through whom the covenant would be realized, the one through whom he would have a seed that is multitude in number. How could he do that? And when Isaac asked his father, here we have the The fire, we have the wood, but where's the sacrifice? And Abraham by faith says, the Lord will provide, and oh how the Lord provided, didn't he? When Abraham had as it were in his heart given up his son with his knife raised above his son, the Lord provided a ram in the thickets, a substitute. And that blood was shed in the place of Isaac. It points to the blood of our Lord Jesus Christ at Calvary. That's what we're celebrating. So we come to the table. The Lord has given us the blood of the Lamb of God. The Lamb of God that was slain so that we might have life. What precious, precious blood. Do you count it precious? In 1 Peter chapter 1 we read, verse 18 and 19, for as much as ye know that ye were not redeemed with corruptible things as silver and gold from your vain conversation received by tradition from your fathers, but with the precious blood of Christ as of a lamb without blemish and without spot. In that text from 1 Peter we see first of all the need to be redeemed They were in the vain conversation that they had inherited from their fathers. They were in their sins. You and I are in our sins. And our own inability to redeem ourselves. We are redeemed with precious blood. Payment made to God for our sins. Jesus on the cross saying, it is finished. The payment for your and my sins made in full. Nothing can be added. Nothing taken away. Do you? Do you see how precious, how absolutely wonderful and precious the blood of Jesus is? After we eat and drink at the table, may we go throughout this week, yes, contemplating that blood of Jesus Christ. And may we say with a songwriter, there's power, there's power in the wonder-working power in the precious blood of the Lamb. Boys and girls sing that song, what can take away my sins? Nothing. Nothing but the blood of Jesus. What precious blood, how costly to our Father in heaven, His only begotten Son, he gave his son to stand in our place. There are some who say that blood is so precious that even one drop would have taken away the sins of the whole world. But I beg to differ. If one precious blood, a drop of that blood would have taken away the sins of all the world, why would God require more? For God required that he pour out his life unto death. That's what it took. Jesus our substitute, dying, pouring out all of his blood for a forgiveness of our sins, to give us life. Jesus says, this is my blood of the covenant. Or again, this is my blood of the New Testament, which is shed for many, purchased with that blood. Romans 5, justified by that blood. No more sins in us. Jesus died for us. That blood, our text says, makes an atonement. It makes an atonement. How we need that atonement, that word atonement means a payment. That word atonement means propitiation. How are we reconciled with God? That is, His wrath is turned away from us and we receive favor. Jesus Christ. poured out his blood in order that the wrath of God would descend on him on Calvary in our place so that you and I could receive favor that's the only way through the blood of Christ that covers all of our sins God says you and I are righteous you and I who look you and I who trust you and I who by grace love the Lord Jesus I see no sin in you. Wrath removed. Think about that moment. God gave his son to be an atonement. What does that mean for you? That means that God so loves you and me that he was willing to give his own son. He manifested that love in the death on the cross. We go through life at times with struggles, with troubles, perhaps at times we feel, nobody loves me. God loves you. Loves you so much. He gave his life, his son, for us. You will not eat of the blood, for the life is in the blood. I have given it to you for an atonement. How shocking. How shocking when Jesus said to the Jews of his day, John 6, verse 53, except ye drink the blood of the Son of God, ye have no life in you. How abhorred that sounded. They could never drink the blood of the sacrifices of the bulls or of the sheep or of the goats. But now Jesus says, except you drink my blood, you have no life in you. Of course, Jesus wasn't talking about a physical blood, but he is talking about spiritually. Spiritually, we take in Christ. We take Christ as our food and our drink by faith. And that's what we do this morning at the Lord's table, by faith. We are nourished with Christ Himself. We're given life. We're given strength. And we'll sing. We'll sing of His precious love given for us. Jesus does away with that ceremonial law. No more blood of goats. No more blood of cows. Today, you can drink all the blood of those animals you want. In the Philippines, that's what you get for breakfast, a blood cereal. The ceremonial is taken away. Jesus says, now by faith, partake of my blood and my body given for you. Amen. Let's read our form for communion. Page 91, on the back of your Psalter. Beloved in the Lord Jesus Christ, attend to the words of the institution of the Holy Supper of our Lord Jesus Christ as they're delivered by the Apostle Paul in 1 Corinthians chapter 11. For I have received of the Lord that which also I delivered unto you that the Lord Jesus the same night in which he was betrayed took bread and when he had given thanks he break it and he said take eat this is my body which is broken for you this do in remembrance of me after the same manner also he took the cup when he had supped saying this cup is the New Testament my blood This do ye as often as ye drink it in remembrance of me. For as often as ye eat this bread and drink this cup, ye do show the Lord's death till he come. Wherefore, whosoever shall eat this bread and drink this cup of the Lord unworthily, shall be guilty of the body and the blood of the Lord. But let a man examine himself, and so let him eat of that bread and drink of that cup, For he that eateth and drinketh unworthily eateth and drinketh damnation to himself, not discerning the Lord's body. That we may now celebrate the supper of the Lord to our comfort is above all things necessary, first, rightly to examine ourselves, secondly, to direct it to that end for which Christ has ordained and instituted the same, namely, to his remembrance. Then jumping to page 92, the second column, the first open paragraph, let us now also consider to what end the Lord hath instituted His supper, namely, that we do it in remembrance of Him. Now after this manner are we to remember Him by it. First, that we are confidently persuaded in our hearts that our Lord Jesus Christ, according to the promises made to our forefathers in the Old Testament, was sent of the Father into the world, that He assumed our flesh and blood, that He bore for us the wrath of God, under which we should have perished everlastingly, from the beginning of His incarnation to the end of His life upon earth, and that He fulfilled for us all obedience to the divine law and righteousness, especially when the weight of our sins and the wrath of God pressed out of him the bloody sweat in the garden, where he was bound that we might be freed from our sins, that he afterwards suffered innumerable reproaches that we might never be confounded, that he was innocently condemned to death that we might be acquitted at the judgment seat of God. yea that he suffered his blessed body to be nailed on the cross that he might fix thereon the handwriting of our sins and hath also taken upon himself the curse due to us that he might fill us with all his blessings and hath humbled himself to the deepest reproach and pains of hell, both in body and soul, on the tree of the cross. When he cried out with a loud voice, my God, my God, why is thou forsaken me? That we might be accepted of God and never be forsaken of him. And finally confirmed with his death and the shedding of his blood, the new and eternal testament, that covenant of grace and reconciliation, when he said, It is finished. Secondly, that we might firmly believe that we belong to this covenant of grace. The Lord Jesus Christ, in his last supper, took bread. And when he had given thanks, he break it and gave to his disciples and said, take, eat. This is my body, which is broken for you, this do in remembrance of me. In like manner also after supper he took the cup, gave thanks and said, drink ye all of it. This cup is the new testament in my blood which is shed for you and for many for the remission of sins. This do ye as often as ye drink it in remembrance of me. That is, as often as ye eat of this bread and drink of this cup, you shall thereby, as by a sure remembrance and pledge, be admonished of and assured of this my hearty love and faithfulness towards you that whereas you should otherwise have suffered eternal death I've given my body to the death of the cross and shed my blood for you and as certainly feed and nourish your hungry and thirsty souls with my crucified body and shed blood to everlasting life as this bread is broken before your eyes and this cup is given to you and you eat and drink the same with your mouth in remembrance of me. From this institution of the Holy Supper of our Lord Jesus Christ, we see that he directs our faith and our trust to his perfect sacrifice once offered on the cross as to the only ground and foundation of our salvation. whereby he is become to our hungry and thirsty souls the true meat and drink of life eternal. For by his death he hath taken away the cause of our eternal death and misery, namely sin, and obtained for us the quickening spirit that we by the same who dwelleth in Christ as in the head and in us as members might have true communion with him and be made partakers of all his blessings of life eternal, righteousness, and glory. Besides, that we by the same spirit may also be united as members of one body in true brotherly love as the holy apostles saith, For we, being many, are one bread and one body, for we're all partakers of that one bread. For as out of many grains one meal is ground and one bread baked, and out of many berries being pressed together one wine floweth and mixeth itself together, so shall we all, who by a true faith are engrafted into Christ, be altogether one body, through brotherly love, for Christ's sake. our beloved Savior, who has so exceedingly loved us, and not only show this in word, but also in very deed towards one another. Here to assist us, the almighty God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, through His Holy Spirit. Amen. That we may obtain all this, let us humble ourselves before God and with true faith implore His grace in prayer. O most merciful God and Father, we beseech Thee that Thou wilt be pleased in this supper in which we celebrate the glorious remembrance of the bitter death of Thy beloved Son, Jesus Christ, to work in our hearts through the Holy Spirit, that we may daily more and more with true confidence give ourselves up to Thy Son, Jesus Christ, that are afflicted in contrite hearts through the power of the Holy Spirit may be fed and comforted with his true body and blood. Yea, with him, true God and man, that only heavenly bread. And that we may no longer live in our sins, but he in us and we in him, and thus truly be made partakers of the new and everlasting covenant of grace. That we may not doubt, but thou wilt forever be our gracious Father, never more imputing our sins to us and providing us with all things necessary as well for the body as the soul as thy beloved children and heirs. Grant us also thy grace, that we may take up our cross cheerfully, deny ourselves, confess our Savior, and in all tribulations, with uplifted heads, expect our Lord Jesus Christ from heaven, where he will make our mortal bodies like unto his most glorious body and take us unto him in eternity. Our Father, which art in heaven, hallowed be thy name thy kingdom come thy will be done in earth as it is in heaven give us this day our daily bread and forgive us our debts as we forgive our debtors and lead us not into temptation but deliver us from evil for thine is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever. Strengthen us also by this Holy Supper in the Catholic undoubted Christian faith, whereof we make confession with our mouths and hearts, saying, I believe in God the Father Almighty, maker of heaven and earth, and in Jesus Christ, his only begotten Son, our Lord, who was conceived by the Holy Spirit, born of the Virgin Mary, suffered under Pontius Pilate, was crucified, dead and buried, he descended into hell. The third day he rose again from the dead. He ascended into heaven and sitteth at the right hand of God the Father Almighty. From thence he shall come to judge the living and the dead. I believe in the Holy Spirit, I believe in holy Catholic Church, the communion of saints, the forgiveness of sins, the resurrection of the body, and the life everlasting. Amen. As the table is being prepared, let's turn in our Psalters, and we're going to sing from Psalter number 203, Life with God. And we'll sing stanzas one and five. In sweet communion, Lord, with Thee, I constantly abide. To live apart from God is hell, His good, His face to see. Thy refuge is the living God, His praise I long to see. that we may now be fed with the true heavenly bread, Jesus Christ. Let us not cleave with our hearts to the external bread and the wine, but lift up our hearts on high in heaven where Christ Jesus is our advocate at the right hand of his heavenly father, where all the articles of our faith lead us. Not doubting. but we shall as certainly be fed and refreshed in our souls through the working of the Holy Spirit with Christ's body and blood as we receive the holy bread and wine in remembrance of him. The bread that we break is a communion of the body of our Lord Jesus Christ. reading from 1 John chapter 1, that which was from the beginning, which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes, that which we looked upon and our hands have handled of the word of life. For the life was manifested, and we've seen it. And bear witness and show unto you that eternal life which was with the Father and was manifested unto us. that which we have seen and heard declare we unto you, that ye also may have fellowship with us. And truly our fellowship is with the Father and with his Son, Jesus Christ. And these things write we unto you, that your joy may be full. This then is the message which we have heard of him and declare unto you, that God is light and in him is no darkness at all. If we say that we have fellowship with him and walk in darkness, we lie and do not the truth. But if we walk in the light as he is in the light, we have fellowship one with another and the blood of Jesus Christ his son cleanseth us from all sin. If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. If we say that we have not sinned, we make Him a liar and His word is not in us. Take, eat, remember and believe that the body of our Lord was broken unto a complete remission of all our sins. The cup of blessing that we bless is a communion of the blood of our Lord Jesus. Aum. Aum. Aum. Aum. Take, drink ye all of it, remember and believe that the blood of our Lord Jesus Christ was poured out unto a complete remission of all our sins. Beloved in the Lord, since the Lord has now fed our souls at this table, let us jointly praise his holy name with thanksgiving, and everyone say in his heart, bless the Lord, O my soul, and all that is within me, bless his holy name. Bless the Lord, O my soul, and forget not his benefits. who forgiveth all thine iniquities, who healeth all thy diseases, who redeemeth thy life from destruction, who crowneth thee with lovingkindness and tender mercies. The Lord is merciful and gracious, slow to anger and plenteous in mercy. He hath not dealt with us after our sins, nor rewarded us according to our iniquities. or as the heaven is high above the earth, so great is his mercy toward them that fear him. As far as the east is from the west, so far hath he removed our transgressions from us. Like as a father pities his children, so the Lord pitieth them that fear him, who hath not spared his own son, but delivered him up for us all, and given us all things with him, Therefore, God commended therewith his love toward us, in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us. Much more, being now justified in his blood, we shall be saved from wrath through him. For if, when we were enemies, we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son, much more being reconciled, we shall be saved by his life, Therefore shall my mouth and heart show forth the praise of the Lord from this time forth forevermore. Amen. Let us pray. O almighty and merciful God and Father, we render thee most humble and hearty thanks that thou hast of thy infinite mercy given us thy only begotten Son for a mediator and a sacrifice for our sins, and to be our meat and drink unto life eternal, and that thou givest us lively faith, whereby we are made partakers of such great benefits. Thou hast also been pleased that thy beloved Son, Jesus Christ, should institute and ordain His holy supper for the confirmation of the same. Grant we beseech thee, O faithful God and Father, that through the operation of thy Holy Spirit, the commemoration of the death of our Lord Jesus Christ may tend to the daily increase of our faith and saving fellowship with him. Through Jesus Christ thy Son, in whose name we pray, Amen. As the deacons receive your thank offering, The offering is for benevolence. We'll be singing from soldier number 311. Number 311 will be singing the first four stanzas. So by grace restored, Before his saints I've made my vow, And here my credit to proclaim. Here sings the Lord, he lights to stay, And I'm his precious in his sight. He has redeemed. Before his saints I paid my vow, and here my gratitude flow. The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, the love of God, and the communion of the Holy Spirit be yours, Amen.