The significance of the Lord's Supper ( Dialogue )

THE SIGNIFICANCE OF THE LORD'S SUPPER

Panel Discussion, The Apostolic Church-Ghana Youth Service

PANELISTS
- Ps. Ebenezer Agbozo
- Bro. Thomas Owusu Antwi
- Deaconess Mary Ampofowaah

BIG IDEA
The Lord's Supper is the covenant meal we have in Christ. It makes us part of Jesus, it stands for the forgiveness of sin, and it strengthens our relationship with God.

INTRODUCTION
Ps. Ebenezer Agbozo
In the first place, supper is food eaten in the evening. The Israelites were commanded to keep the Passover, and Jesus Christ, before his departure, had that supper. It is a covenant that we have in Christ.

WHAT THE LORD'S SUPPER MEANS
Ps. Ebenezer Agbozo
1. It makes you part of Jesus.
2. It stands for forgiveness of sin.

The whole week you pray and ask for forgiveness of sins. As you do this, you remember my death and resurrection, and you tell people of the coming of the Lord.

HOLY COMMUNION AS A PERIOD OF PREPARATION
Deaconess Mary Ampofowaah
It is about holy communion. It is a festival or a period which we term the Lord's Supper. We eat in our various homes. In the Christian relationship, we eat with the Lord.

In our orthodox churches, a week before, they go to confess their sins so that the fathers will pray for them, so that we know our sins have been forgiven. In Apostolic, we have a week of prayer to clean our sin. If we go with filthy hands, it will not help us.

DURING THE LORD'S SUPPER
Deaconess Mary Ampofowaah
In our former days, excessive noise was not allowed, but nowadays the keyboard comes in to cheer things up. We assess ourselves to see what is going on. You pray, "God, as I am going to take your supper, clean me."

The bread is the body and the wine is your blood, so this is a very special supper.

In the Apostolic Church, it is only when you are not baptized that you are prohibited from taking the Lord's Supper. As soon as you are noticed, you are ready to dine with the Lord.

Scriptures
- 1 Corinthians 11:23-26
- Matthew 26:26-28
- Luke 22:19-20

Please have time and eat. Consider the way you should not eat. Maybe I masturbate, or I join the lesbian group, and then I say, "God, help me with your flesh and blood, I am going to dine, so help me." The pastor does not know the lifestyle you are in, but God is watching.

After communion, we pray so that God will help us not to return to our sinful ways. Prepare your mind before coming.

DOES IT BENEFIT YOU?
Deaconess Mary Ampofowaah
Does it benefit us at all? In what way does the Lord's Supper help you? For example, at home your parents prepare sumptuous meals for us, and if we do not eat, what do we think our parents will feel? The holy communion strengthens our relationship with God.

PERSONAL TESTIMONY AND TEACHING
Opanin (Bro. Thomas Owusu Antwi)
Personally, when I was young, I had a lot of questions. I loved the speaking of tongues by those of the Pentecostal church. And as people queued for baptism, I also desired to join the queue for communion.

A girl, after baptism, refused the communion, and that was confusing for me.

Communion is a Greek word, "communial," which means union or relationship. Communion means having a new life with God. It is an opportunity and a privilege to dine and fellowship with God.

Allow the communion to help you stop the sins, and not the other way round. Don't let the sins stop you from dining. Some churches say, "If you sin, if you do this and that, step aside," and I believe that is what stopped the girl from dining.

When you eat, you get the divine strength to overcome the sin. Tell this to yourself: "As I take this blood, my mouth will be good." This is a divine blood, and it overcomes the old blood in me. The blood in us speaks, saying we have this disease and that. The blood of Jesus speaks greatness and positivity. Our old blood speaks negativity, but the blood of Jesus speaks positive things for us.

KEY GUIDELINES
1. Age: 13 and above.
2. Drums and music are allowed to remove fear.
3. Menstrual issues should not prevent you from going for the Lord's Supper.
4. Baptism is the qualification for taking the Lord's Supper.
5. If you take it without baptism, get baptized after taking it.

QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS

Question: Is it taken once a month?
Answer: No. In the Apostolic Church it is taken every first Sunday because of doctrine, but it is allowed to be taken as many times as possible.

Question: Is it only taken to remember Jesus, or for personal upliftment?
Answer: Both.

Question: Is there a specific wine?
Answer: No. Any non-alcoholic wine, even coconut juice.

Question: When you are dating, can you take the Lord's Supper?
Answer: When pre-marital sex is involved, one cannot take it, but when that happens, let the man examine himself.