ALPHA MAAMA (A.M.)

Pulelulu Me 16, 2018

Ko e lotolotoi kitautolu ‘e he ‘Otuá

(a celebration of God's presence)

Fehu‘i #46

Ko e hā ‘a e ‘Ohomohe ‘a e ‘Eikí ?

Na‘e fekau‘i ‘e Kalaisi ‘a e Kalisitiane kotoa pe ke nau kai ‘a e maá mo inu ‘a e ipú ko ha fakamanatu ‘ofa kiate Ia mo ‘ene pekiá. Ko e ‘Ohomohe ‘a e ‘Eikí  ko hono katoanga‘i ‘o e tāpanekale ‘a e ‘Otuá ‘i hotau lotolotongá; ‘etau felāve‘i mo e ‘Otuá pea mo hono kakaí; ‘a e fafanga mo e fakamākona hotau laumālié. ‘Oku ne fakalika mai ‘a e ‘aho te tau kai mo inu fakataha ai mo Kalaisi ‘i he Pule‘anga ‘o ‘Ene Tamaí.

What is the Lord's Supper?

Christ commanded all Christians to eat bread and to drink from the cup in thankful remembrance of him and his death. The Lord's Supper is a celebration of the presence of God in our midst; bringing us into communion with God and with one another; feeding and nourshing our souls. It also anticipates the day when we will eat and drink with Christ in his Father's kingdom.

1 KOLINITO 11:23-26

He na‘a ku ma‘u ‘e au mei he ‘Eiki ‘a ia ā ne u tuku atu, ‘o pehē, Ko e ‘Eiki ko Sīsū, ‘i he pō ko ia na‘e fai ai hono lavaki‘i, na‘a ne to‘o ha mā: pea hili ‘ene fakafeta‘ia, na‘a ne pakipaki, ‘o ne me‘a, Ko ho‘oku ‘eni sino, ‘a ia ‘oku ma‘amoutolu: mou fai pehē mōku fakamanatu. Pehē foki ‘ene to‘o ‘a e ipu, hili ‘a e ‘ohomohe, ‘o ne me‘a, Ko e ipu ni, ko e fuakava fo‘ou ia ‘oku fai‘aki hoku toto: ‘ilonga ha‘amou inu ia, fai pehē mōku fakamanatu. Seuke, ‘ilonga ha‘amou kai ‘a e mā ni mo inu ‘i he ipu, ‘oku mou fakahā ‘a e pekia ‘a e ‘Eiki kae‘oua ke ne hoko mai.

1 CORINTHIANS 11:23-26

For I received from the Lord what I also delivered to you, that the Lord Jesus on the night when 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 also he took the cup, after supper, saying, “This cup is the new covenant in my blood. Do this, as often as you drink it, in remembrance of me.” For as often as you eat this bread and drink the cup, you proclaim the Lord's death until he comes.

LIGON DUNCAN

Second, the Lord's Supper is also a celebration of God's presence. Isn't it amazing that we're invited to slide our knees up under the table of God? That is especially amazing in light of our rebellion. In Genesis 3, Satan said to Eve and to Adam, "Take and eat this fruit." They ate the fruit against God's command, and what was the result? Did it result in their satisfaction and fulfillment? No. It resulted in their being driven away from the presence of God. But at the Lord's Table the Lord himself invites us back into his presence. When Jesus says to his disciples, "Take and eat," he reverses the words of the Serpent in the garden. Derek Kidner has this wonderful line: "God will taste poverty and death before 'take and eat' become verbs of salvation." We experience that every time we come to the Lord's Table, every time we hear the minister say, "Take and eat, all of you." It's a celebration of our reunion with God, his presence with us, and our enjoyment of his near fellowship.