Why Do Churches of Christ Observe The Lord’s Supper Every Sunday?

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Sunday is a very special day for those LQ WKH /RUG¶V FKXUFK ,W LV WKH ¿UVW GD\ of the week, the day we assemble together to worship our God in spirit and truth (John 4:24) while encouraging each other to love and good deeds (Heb. 10:24-25). It is also the day we observe communion or the Lord’s Supper. The majority of denominations in Christendom do not do this. Thus, many regular visitors from other religious bodies have seen us observe communion each Sunday and wonder why we don’t partake of it on a monthly, quarterly, or annual basis. It is proper that New Testament Christians know exactly why we practice what we do (1 Pet. 3:15).

Bible Authority

God commands us to have authority from His Son on what we do concerning the Lord’s Supper and everything else (Col. 3:17). Jesus speaks to us today through the inspired writings of the New Testament (Heb. 1:1-2; 2:1-4; 1 Cor. 14:37; 2 Pet. 1:20-21), so we must JR WKHUH WR ¿QG WKH DXWKRULW\ RI KRZ DQG when to partake of communion.

There we read of how Jesus instituted the Lord’s Supper on the night in which He was betrayed (1 Cor. 11:23), which was a Thursday night. So why do we not partake of communion on Thursdays? It is because the church of Christ was not yet in existence when He instituted the Supper.

Note What Jesus Said About The

Kingdom

On that night, Jesus said to the apostles, “But I say to you, I will not drink of this fruit of the vine from now on until that day when I drink it new with you in My Father’s kingdom” (Matt. 26:29; cf. Mark 14:25). Luke records, “…for I say to you, I shall never again eat it until it is IXO¿OOHG LQ WKH NLQJGRP RI *RG«IRU , VD\ to you, I will not drink of the fruit of the vine from now on until the kingdom of God comes” (Luke 22:16, 18). And then after instituting the Supper, “…just as My Father has granted Me a kingdom, I grant you that you may eat and drink at my table in My kingdom…” (vs. 29-30).

Note Christ’s Promise

He promised them He would not partake of the Supper with them until “that day” when He drinks it with them in His FaWKHU¶V NLQJGRP WKDW LW ZRXOG IXO¿OOHG LQ the kingdom of God, and they would eat and drink at His table in His kingdom. 7KLV LV VLJQL¿FDQW EHFDXVH 6FULSWXUH teaches that the church of Christ is God’s kingdom. Both Jesus and John the Baptizer preached that God’s kingdom was “at hand” (Matt. 3:2; 4:17; Mark 1:15), i.e., that it was coming soon. Jesus told His disciples that the kingdom would come in their lifetimes (Mark 9:1). He promised Peter He would build “My church” upon the rock of Peter’s confession, and then promised to give Peter “the keys of the kingdom of heaven” (Matt. 16:15-19).

The Kingdom Is The Church

Do you see how Christ refers interchangeably to the church and kingdom, thereby proving they are the same? All three terms are always talked about in these passages in the future tense, signifying that at the time they were not in existence but would soon come in power. Keeping this in mind, remember that before His ascension He answered a question about when the kingdom would come by telling the apostles that they would receive power when the Holy Spirit came upon them (Acts 1:6-8), a SURPLVH IXO¿OOHG WHQ GD\V ODWHU RQ WKH day of Pentecost (Acts 2:1-4). This was also the day three thousand souls were added by the Lord to His church (Acts 2:41, 47). Starting in Acts 2, the rest of the New Testament would always interchangeably refer to the kingdom of God and Christ’s church as having already come and presently existing (Rom. 14:17; 16:16; 1 Cor. 1:2; Col. 1:13; 1 Thess. 2:12; Heb. 12:28; Rev. 1:4, 6, 9).

Thus, the kingdom of heaven — the Lord’s church — came on the day of Pentecost, a Jewish holy day referred to as the Feast of Weeks in Leviticus 23:15-16. From this passage, we learn that the day RI 3HQWHFRVW D *UHHN WHUP PHDQLQJ ³¿IWLHWK GD\´ ZRXOG DOZD\V EH ³¿IW\ GD\V WR the day after the seventh Sabbath.” In other words, Pentecost was always obVHUYHG RQ WKH ¿UVW GD\ RI WKH ZHHN 7KXV God’s kingdom — the church of Christ — came on a Sunday.

The Kingdom/Church Came Into

Existence On Sunday

Remember how we saw earlier that Christ promised He would not again drink of the fruit of the vine of the Lord’s Supper with His disciples until “that day” when the kingdom of God came (Matt. 26:29; Mark 14:25; Luke 22:16, 18)? The day the kingdom came was on a Sunday.

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This is why Luke records that one of the YHU\ ¿UVW WKLQJV WKHVH QHZO\ EDSWL]HG and converted three thousand souls did RQ WKH ¿UVW GD\ RI WKH FKXUFK¶V H[LVWHQFH that Sunday was to “continually devote themselves to the apostles’ teaching and to fellowship, to the breaking of the bread and to prayer” (Acts 2:41-42, emp. added). “The breaking of the bread” refers to the Lord’s Supper (1 Cor. 10:16-17; cf. 11:23-25). Thus, the apostles directed the Jerusalem church to observe communion on the day the kingdom came and the church began, which was the ¿UVW GD\ RI WKH ZHHN 7KH IDFW WKDW WKH\ were “continually” doing so suggests by GH¿QLWLRQ WKDW LW ZDV D ¿[HG KDELW

Further Evidence Of This Fact

Evidence of when the New Testament observed the Lord’s Supper is found in Luke’s account of the church at Troas (Acts 20:7). As with the Jerusalem church, these Christians gathered together for the purpose to observe the Lord’s Supper (“break bread”) on Sunday, and did so with the apostle Paul’s approval. Additionally, remember Paul’s directions to both the churches of Galatia and Corinth to take up collections HYHU\ ¿UVW GD\ RI WKH ZHHN &RU

2). This implies that he knew they had the assembling together every Sunday. Since he taught the same thing at every congregation (1 Cor. 4:17; cf. 1 Cor. 16:1), ZH FDQ EH FRQ¿GHQW WKDW DOO WKH HDUO\ churches gathered together to observe communion and give of their means on Sundays under his direction. And just as the Jews under the Old Law knew that God’s command to observe the Sabbath applied to every Sabbath (Ex. 20:8-11; Num. 15:32-36), we can learn from their example (1 Cor. 10:11) and know that the New Testament teaching concerning communion applies to every Sunday.

Many profess to be followers of Christ and observe communion only a few times a year, or during special occasions like weddings. Undoubtedly this is done sincerely, but their practices nonetheless are traditions of men (Matt. 15:79). Christians must have authority from &KULVW RQ HYHU\WKLQJ ZH GR DQG ZH ¿QG that authority only in the New Testament. In those pages we read of Jesus promising not to partake of communion with His disciples again until the day the kingdom came, a Sunday. We read in Scripture of how the early Christians observed the Lord’s Supper only on Sundays. This is how we can and must observe communion each Sunday in the QDPH RI &KULVW DQG EH FRQ¿GHQW WKDW +H is with us when we do so as He promised (Matt. 18:20; 26:29; cf. Heb. 2:11-12).

Have You Obeyed The Gospel Of

Jesus Christ?

Have you been baptized into Christ? If you have not been baptized you are still lost in your sins. Jesus says, “He that believes and is baptized shall be saved” (Mark 16:16). Paul said; “For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ: for it is the power of God unto salvation to every RQH WKDW EHOLHYHWK WR WKH -HZ ¿UVW DQG also to the Greek” (Romans 1:16). The words of Jesus teach us that to become a Christian one must: Hear the gospel (John 6:44-45). Believe in Jesus as the Christ (John 8:24). Repent of all sins (Luke 13:3). Confess Christ as Lord (Matthew 10:32-33). And Be Baptized to be saved (Mark 16:16). After baptism

to God. (Matthew

Remain Faithful

10:22).

Our Plea To Our Friends And

Neighbors

It is our sincere desire and prayer that you obey the gospel today and be saved. Remember the words of Jesus, “Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven. Many will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in thy name? and in thy name have cast out devils? and in thy name done many wonderful works? And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity” (Matthew 7:21-23).

If we do just what our Lord commanded we know that our salvation is certain and we will hear Him say “Well done, thou good and faithful servant: thou hast been faithful over a few things, I will make thee ruler over many things: enter thou into the joy of thy lord” (Matthew 25:21). Let us go back to the Bible, back to Christ and His church and do exactly what He commanded. Please let us help you in your obedience to the gospel before it is eternally too late.

[This material is presented by the members of the Northside church of Christ - 700 Jolly Road, NW Calhoun, Georgia 30701. If you would like to have a Bible Study or discuss this subject further please contact one of our elders; Kent Bailey at 706-629-6111 - Ron Hall at 770-548-3167 - Eddie Jones at 706264-2651]