Communion

This morning is a special time as we come together to worship our God and to remember what Jesus has done for us by participating in Communion. When we participate in the Lord’s Supper, we remember the sacrifice of Christ and proclaim his death. One of the blessings of the church community is that we remind one another of what Christ has done for us and encourage one another to hold fast to the hope we have in him.

In Paul says this:

2 Corinthians 4:17–18 ESV

17 For this light momentary affliction is preparing for us an eternal weight of glory beyond all comparison, 18 as we look not to the things that are seen but to the things that are unseen. For the things that are seen are transient, but the things that are unseen are eternal.

-19

We are surrounded by the things we can see, day in and day out. We see the struggles at work, the challenges with our kids, the conflicts in our relationship. We see the demands of the boss, the spouse, the kids; we see the dirty house, the dishes, and the bills. We see the news, the needs of the world, and our inability to help. We see the things that are visible in the world around us and we can feel pretty hopeless. But Paul tells us to hope in the things that are unseen. When we see the unseen we know that the hopelessness of this world is not the end. When we see the unseen we know that we are not alone. When we see the unseen we know that the sufferings we experience - what Paul calls our light momentary affliction - is preparing for us an eternal weight of glory beyond all comparison. Seeing the unseen allows us to see hope.

Communion is a moment when we help each other to see the unseen. We cannot see Jesus right now, but on the night Jesus was betrayed he gave us the Lord’s Supper to remind us of what he did. He gave us bread to hold and cup to see to serve as tangible reminders of what Jesus has done for us. Paul recounts what Christ said in .

1 Corinthians 11:23–26 NKJV

1 Cor

We can see three tenses involved in the Lord’s Supper:

Past (“you proclaim the Lord’s death)

1 Corinthians 11:17–32 NKJV

17 Now in giving these instructions I do not praise you, since you come together not for the better but for the worse. 18 For first of all, when you come together as a church, I hear that there are divisions among you, and in part I believe it. 19 For there must also be factions among you, that those who are approved may be recognized among you. 20 Therefore when you come together in one place, it is not to eat the Lord’s Supper. 21 For in eating, each one takes his own supper ahead of others; and one is hungry and another is drunk. 22 What! Do you not have houses to eat and drink in? Or do you despise the church of God and shame those who have nothing? What shall I say to you? Shall I praise you in this? I do not praise you. 23 For I received from the Lord that which I also delivered to you: that the Lord Jesus on the same night in which He was betrayed took bread; 24 and when He had given thanks, He broke it and said, “Take, eat; this is My body which is broken for you; do this in remembrance of Me.” 25 In the same manner He also took the cup after supper, saying, “This cup is the new covenant in My blood. This do, as often as you drink it, in remembrance of Me.” 26 For as often as you eat this bread and drink this cup, you proclaim the Lord’s death till He comes. 27 Therefore whoever eats this bread or drinks this cup of the Lord in an unworthy manner will be guilty of the body and blood of the Lord. 28 But let a man examine himself, and so let him eat of the bread and drink of the cup. 29 For he who eats and drinks in an unworthy manner eats and drinks judgment to himself, not discerning the Lord’s body. 30 For this reason many are weak and sick among you, and many sleep. 31 For if we would judge ourselves, we would not be judged. 32 But when we are judged, we are chastened by the Lord, that we may not be condemned with the world.

1 Cor 11.17-

Past (“you proclaim the Lord’s death)

Present (“for as often as you eat this bread and drink the cup”)

Future (“until he comes again”)

Past

We look back on the death that Jesus died on our behalf. I want to take a moment to remember why Jesus died. Jesus died in our place, for our sins. The Bible describes humanity in a number of ways apart from Christ.

Ephesians 2:1 ESV

1 And you were dead in the trespasses and sins

Romans 3:23 NKJV

23 for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God,

Romans

1 Peter 2:25 NKJV

25 For you were like sheep going astray, but have now returned to the Shepherd and Overseer of your souls.

and perhaps the most scathing review comes from which is Paul’s custom “mix-tape” of Old Testament songs about man’s sinfulness (he quotes from 6 Psalms, Proverbs and Isaiah)

Romans 3:10–18 ESV

10 as it is written: “None is righteous, no, not one; 11 no one understands; no one seeks for God. 12 All have turned aside; together they have become worthless; no one does good, not even one.” 13 “Their throat is an open grave; they use their tongues to deceive.” “The venom of asps is under their lips.” 14 “Their mouth is full of curses and bitterness.” 15 “Their feet are swift to shed blood; 16 in their paths are ruin and misery, 17 and the way of peace they have not known.” 18 “There is no fear of God before their eyes.”

Jesus came to die because sinful man needed a savior. Though we were helpless and hopeless apart from him, He saved us, freed us from sin, adopted us as his children and gave us a future and a hope.

Ephesians 2:5 NKJV

5 even when we were dead in trespasses, made us alive together with Christ (by grace you have been saved),

Eph 2.

The hope that we have in our salvation is because of what Jesus has done for us in the past.

Future

When we remember Christ, we do not just remember what he has done for us, but we also look forward to our ultimate hope and salvation that we will experience one day. Our life is full of difficulties, hardships and trials, but we are not without hope. As Christians, we know that our experience on this world right now is not all that we have to look forward to. Peter writes the letter of first Peter to people who were presently suffering. He begins his letter this way:

1 Peter 1:3–5 NKJV

3 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who according to His abundant mercy has begotten us again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, 4 to an inheritance incorruptible and undefiled and that does not fade away, reserved in heaven for you, 5 who are kept by the power of God through faith for salvation ready to be revealed in the last time.

We have never seen anything permanent in our lives. Everything breaks down, fades or tarnishes. But the hope that we have is an inheritance that is incorruptible, undefiled and does not fade away. This hope, this inheritance that awaits us in heaven is kept by the power of God for us. It was bought for us with Christ’s death and we can have confidence because of his resurrection.

This inheritance will make all of the suffering that we experience in this life worth it. Heaven will make every every sacrifice a gain. And so, as we reflect this morning on what Christ did for us, we don’t just look back - we also look forward. In the “Think Upon it” section in your worship guide, we have printed for you. Verse 11 reads,

Psalm 16:11 NKJV

11 You will show me the path of life; In Your presence is fullness of joy; At Your right hand are pleasures forevermore.

One day, we will be in God’s presence. He will fill us with joy, and will satisfy us more than any pursuit we can run after on earth. So, run after Jesus!

Present

As we remember what Christ did and we look forward to what he will do we are encouraged to face another week. Our theology affects our lives. It is not something we talk about on Sunday, it changes our Mondays! Paul offers this encouragement in Romans 8.

Romans 8:31–39 NKJV

31 What then shall we say to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us? 32 He who did not spare His own Son, but delivered Him up for us all, how shall He not with Him also freely give us all things? 33 Who shall bring a charge against God’s elect? It is God who justifies. 34 Who is he who condemns? It is Christ who died, and furthermore is also risen, who is even at the right hand of God, who also makes intercession for us. 35 Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword? 36 As it is written: “For Your sake we are killed all day long; We are accounted as sheep for the slaughter.” 37 Yet in all these things we are more than conquerors through Him who loved us. 38 For I am persuaded that neither death nor life, nor angels nor principalities nor powers, nor things present nor things to come, 39 nor height nor depth, nor any other created thing, shall be able to separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.

Because of the love of God, we can leave with confidence as we go back to the world. God’s love through Christ leads us to repent of our sin and to follow hard of him. Because he is worth it!

Communion

When we remember Christ, we do not just remember what he has done for us and the implications for us now, but we also look forward to our ultimate hope and salvation that we will experience one day. Our life is full of difficulties, hardships and trials, but we are not without hope. As Christians, we know that our experience on this world right now is not all that we have to look forward to. Peter writes the letter of first Peter to people who were presently suffering. He begins his letter this way:

1 Peter 1:3–5 NKJV

We have never seen anything permanent in our lives.

As we prepare for communion, Paul warns us to look at our lives and to repent of our sin. He says this, again in :

1 Corinthians 11:23–32 NKJV

23 For I received from the Lord that which I also delivered to you: that the Lord Jesus on the same night in which He was betrayed took bread; 24 and when He had given thanks, He broke it and said, “Take, eat; this is My body which is broken for you; do this in remembrance of Me.” 25 In the same manner He also took the cup after supper, saying, “This cup is the new covenant in My blood. This do, as often as you drink it, in remembrance of Me.” 26 For as often as you eat this bread and drink this cup, you proclaim the Lord’s death till He comes. 27 Therefore whoever eats this bread or drinks this cup of the Lord in an unworthy manner will be guilty of the body and blood of the Lord. 28 But let a man examine himself, and so let him eat of the bread and drink of the cup. 29 For he who eats and drinks in an unworthy manner eats and drinks judgment to himself, not discerning the Lord’s body. 30 For this reason many are weak and sick among you, and many sleep. 31 For if we would judge ourselves, we would not be judged. 32 But when we are judged, we are chastened by the Lord, that we may not be condemned with the world.

1 Corinthians 11:23–32 ESV

23 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, 24 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.” 25 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.” 26 For as often as you eat this bread and drink the cup, you proclaim the Lord’s death until he comes. 27 Whoever, therefore, eats the bread or drinks the cup of the Lord in an unworthy manner will be guilty concerning the body and blood of the Lord. 28 Let a person examine himself, then, and so eat of the bread and drink of the cup. 29 For anyone who eats and drinks without discerning the body eats and drinks judgment on himself. 30 That is why many of you are weak and ill, and some have died. 31 But if we judged ourselves truly, we would not be judged. 32 But when we are judged by the Lord, we are disciplined so that we may not be condemned along with the world.

1 Cor 11:23-32

We are called to evaluate our lives and repent of our sins everyday. Communion is a special reminder to repent, though, so we do not partake in an unworthy manner. Paul says that if we evaluate our lives by God’s Word and judge ourselves that God does not need to discipline us. So I want to give you a few moments to do that right now. . .

At this time, would the officers come forward to prepare for communion.

2,000 years ago, Jesus died on the cross and was buried for our sins. This sheet on the table represents the burial cloth Jesus was buried in. Today, we do not just remember Jesus’ death, but also his resurrection signified by removing the sheet.

Let us pray:

Heavenly Father, as we now celebrate this meal that you have prepared for us, this bread and this cup are tangible and visible reminders of our sin and also of the supreme sacrifice of your Son (his body broken and his blood shed for us and for our salvation). So, Lord. as we meditate on the realities of our sin and your salvation, we ask for your help in fully confessing our sins and remembering the great salvation that we have in Christ.

Amen

We will be looking for three prompts from Kyle: (1) Call the officers forward (2) Remove the sheet (3) Completion of a prayer to signal to start serving`

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