Presently, we have one home fellowship group that meets Sundays at 5:30 p.m. at a Set Free member home.
Each one brings something to share* as we celebrate the Lord’s Supper in this Fellowship Meal just as Jesus did with His disciples, and as did the early church (see Matt. 26:26-29, Mark 14:22-25, Luke 22:14-20, Acts 20:7, 1 Cor. 11:17-34). More understanding of what happens when we celebrate the Lord’s Supper together is found in John 6.
The passage in 1 Corinthians specifies two requirements for sharing in the Lord’s Supper.
1) Prior to coming to the Fellowship Meal, we are to “examine our hearts.” That is, we are to offer our hearts to the Holy Spirit to search out any sinful way in us, that we may repent and be forgiven. We then come to the meal as clean vessels to be refilled with Jesus’ presence through the precious Holy Spirit.
2) Prior to coming to the meal, we should have eaten at home during the day and not come to the Lord’s Supper as though we were starving to death and with a carnal attitude toward the food. We want to enjoy our meal together, but not be in bondage to the cry of our stomachs.
Throughout the Fellowship Meal, our conversation is focused on recalling the Lord to mind in both His death and His life among us as we have experienced it in the previous week. We believe that as we declare the bread to be His body, He dwells in that bread in a way that brings us together in the Spirit and is effectual for continual bodily health. We believe that as we declare the new wine to be His blood shed for us for forgiveness of sins, He dwells in that new wine to give us ever greater revelation of His grace (His gracious kindness, favor and empowering).
When Jesus gave the disciples the instructions for eating the bread and drinking the new wine, it was in the context of the Passover meal. Jesus is the fulfillment of that meal. His blood covers us at all times; we no longer need to eat the bread made in haste as we flee from the enemy. We can eat the loaf, taking our time as we remember the Lord Jesus with joy, because it is the enemy who must now flee from us.
Following the meal, we invite the Holy Spirit to lead us in worship and prayer, sovereignly distributing His special gifts (see 1 Cor. 14) as He wills. We have no agenda for this time, desiring Him to be fully in control of what we do and experience. Therefore, we do not expect sameness from week to week.
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*We don’t want there to be any “weary toil” or feeling of financial pressure in what people bring to share. Let all be done with joy as to the Lord!