Finding a Good Church: the Lord’s Supper
Are you looking for a church that truly follows the Bible and not just tradition? You’re not alone. There are a lot of people today who are tired of watered-down religion. They want to be part of a church that looks like what they read in the New Testament—a church that does what Jesus said, the way He said to do it. One of the clearest ways we can tell whether a church is biblical or not is by how it observes the Lord’s Supper.
The problem is, if you walk into ten different churches, you’ll see ten different ways of doing it. Some churches take the Lord’s Supper once a month, others quarterly, and some only on holidays. Some even treat it like a performance, while others turn it into a mystical ceremony. Many substitute the actual elements that Jesus used for things like leavened bread and water. With so many different practices, how do we know which one is right? The answer is simple—we go back to the Bible and see what it actually says.
Let’s walk through Scripture and see what it teaches about the Lord’s Supper: its purpose, frequency, elements, participants, and duration. This will help us recognize whether a church is really following Jesus.
The Purpose of the Lord’s Supper
The Lord’s Supper isn’t just a church tradition; it’s a command straight from Jesus, given on the night He was betrayed. Luke records,
“And when the hour came, he reclined at table, and the apostles with him. And he said to them, ‘I have earnestly desired to eat this Passover with you before I suffer. For I tell you I will not eat it until it is fulfilled in the kingdom of God.’ And he took a cup, and when he had given thanks he said, ‘Take this, and divide it among yourselves. For I tell you that from now on I will not drink of the fruit of the vine until the kingdom of God comes.’ And he took bread, and when he had given thanks, he broke it and gave it to them, saying, ‘This is my body, which is given for you. Do this in remembrance of me.’ And likewise the cup after they had eaten, saying, ‘This cup that is poured out for you is the new covenant in my blood.’” (Luke 22:14-20 | ESV)
If you’re unfamiliar with the institution of the Lord’s Supper by Jesus, pause and read the parallel accounts found in Matthew 26, Mark 14, and Paul’s explanation in 1 Corinthians 11. From these passages, we learn that the Lord’s Supper is a memorial. We do it to remember Jesus’ body that was nailed to the cross and His blood that was poured out for our sins.
But it’s more than just a remembrance—it’s also a proclamation. Paul wrote,
“For as often as you eat this bread and drink this cup, you proclaim the Lord’s death until He comes” (1 Corinthians 11:26 | ESV).
The Frequency of the Lord’s Supper
How often should we partake of it? Some churches say once a month, others just a few times a year, or only on special holidays. But what does the New Testament show us? Acts 20:7 says,
“On the first day of the week, when we were gathered together to break bread, Paul talked with them…” (Acts 20:7 | ESV).
Paul had waited seven days in Troas to meet with the church when they gathered together to break bread. The early church gathered on the first day of the week—Sunday—and one of the main reasons they came together was to break bread, a phrase referring to the Lord’s Supper.
But how often did the church come together on the first day of the week? Was it just once a month or every Sunday? In 1 Corinthians 16:1–2 Paul writes,
“Now concerning the collection for the saints: as I directed the churches of Galatia, so you also are to do. On the first day of every week, each of you is to put something aside and store it up, as he may prosper, so that there will be no collecting when I come.” (1 Corinthians 16:1-2 | ESV)
Although this passage refers to giving, it also shows us how often they gathered—every first day of the week. And since the early church came together every Sunday, and we see that they partook of the Lord’s Supper when they gathered, it makes sense that we should also partake of it every first day of the week. That’s the approved example we see in Scripture.
The Elements of the Lord’s Supper
What exactly did Jesus and the early disciples use during the Lord’s Supper?
When we look at the historical context of the Lord’s Supper, Jesus instituted it during the Feast of Unleavened Bread and/or the Passover. During this time, the Jews were not to consume any leaven. Therefore, Jesus would have used unleavened bread—bread made without yeast. As for the cup, it contained “fruit of the vine,” a drink derived from grapes. Some people believe it was fermented wine, while others think it was grape juice. Personally, I believe it was likely grape juice, since during the Passover, the Jews were to avoid leaven, which is also found in fermented wine.
If you’d like a deeper study into wines of the Bible, let me know in the comments, and I can do a deep dive into that sometime in the future.
The important point here is that Jesus and the early church used unleavened bread and the fruit of the vine as the elements of the Lord’s Supper. If we use the same things they used, then we cannot go wrong.
The Participants
Who should partake of the Lord’s Supper?
Some churches are very restrictive and only allow certain people to participate, like those who believe only the “144,000 people designated for the heavenly kingdom” can take it. But that’s not what we see in Scripture. The Bible indicates that all disciples of Christ are to partake of the Lord’s Supper, remembering and proclaiming His death every first day of the week as they gather together as the church. Matthew 26, Mark 14, Luke 22, Acts 20, and 1 Corinthians 11 all confirm that pattern.
Every Christian is invited to remember Jesus in this way.
The Duration of the Lord’s Supper
There are even some churches today that don’t partake of the Lord’s Supper at all. They think it’s no longer relevant for this age. But is that what the Bible teaches? No. The Bible is clear:
“For as often as you eat this bread and drink the cup, you proclaim the Lord’s death until He comes.” (1 Corinthians 11:26 | ESV)
The Lord’s Supper isn’t just a temporary tradition or a cultural symbol. It’s a permanent command for the church until Jesus returns.
A Call to Follow the Biblical Pattern
So let me ask you—does your church follow this pattern? Do they take the Lord’s Supper every Sunday? Do they use unleavened bread and fruit of the vine? Do they see it as both a memorial and a proclamation? Is it a shared act among all disciples who gather together on the first day of the week? And are they doing it faithfully until Jesus comes?
If not, it might be time to re-evaluate where you’re worshiping. When churches deviate from the biblical pattern, they lose something precious. Ignoring or modifying Jesus’ commands puts us on dangerous ground. But when a church follows the biblical pattern, every Lord’s Day becomes a reminder of the cross. Every Sunday becomes a proclamation of the gospel. And every member shares in the unity, humility, and hope that comes from doing what the early church did—and what Jesus told us to do.
So, find a church that takes the Lord’s Supper the way Jesus commanded—every Sunday, with the right elements, the right purpose, and the right heart. And if you live in our area, we’d love to have you visit next Sunday. You can find all the information you need on our Contact page.
