Communion

We're going to look at Mark 14 this week. Umm, and it's really interesting. I went out actually with somebody and then even at dinner last night as my voice was giving away and I was talking with Todd and Lori and they suggested something that I had actually just been suggested this last week and it was this idea of what would it look like if we just focus sometime on communion and this probably won't look like what either person precisely had in mind but having had that spoken into me just twice within a few days. I felt like you know, what at about 7:45 this morning. I got that in me. And so I want to talk about that and Sabina gave me some lozenges for my throat. I think I think I'll make it without him. Hopefully what I want to do in Mark 14 verses 22 through 24 here this morning and we're going to see Jesus do something far more epic than 4 overtimes game 3 in the Blazers winning praise God hallelujah.

Amen, Jerry. I heard that. I only got 22 through 24. And as they were eating he took bread and after blessing it broke it and gave it to them and said take this is my body not before we get into this. Does anybody have any sacred family traditions the kind of traditions that if you don't do them, there's disruption in the family when we were younger. My parents would hang stockings on our mantel for Santa and I have the Santa dunking a basketball and I had to stand at dunking a basketball since I was probably two maybe three and add about 16 my family decided to get nice stocking. Yeah, the ones that actually look good and you get in front of the camera and take a picture. Umm I'm a 16 year old teenage boy may be young man. And I threw the biggest stink ever part of it to be ornery cuz that's who I am part of it to be stubborn cuz I got a little bit on me part of it to spite my older sister Sharon. Just I knew she wanted to change but really I said this is tradition and you don't mess with tradition. You don't touch tradition. You have to understand the scene in Mark 14 or yeah Mark 14 here. This is not just something that is celebrating at Passover God-given God-ordained God- directed. God passing this along to Moses their Prophet say when you leave Egypt every year from here on out. I want you to celebrate Passover and really this is something that's pointing to Jesus know. What does Jesus do he takes something that's far more sacred than stockings and trees something far more sacred than flowers and every anniversary something far more important than whatever it is. Your tradition is for what you do and he's going to revolutionize it he's going to do something that only God himself can do because it was a God-given God- directed God- orchestrated command to celebrate Passover. And what is Jesus to does? He takes that bread and he says this is my body. Everybody would have looked around at him and said there's my what are you doing? This is your body to Jesus.

When our ancestors escaped the claws of pharaoh when we were rescued by God and we went through the sea and got to the other side and sing praises. No Jesus. This is so important. He says this is my body. He takes the car and he'd given thinks he gave to them and they all drink of it and he said to them this is my blood of the Covenant which is poured out for many. Truly I say to you. I will not drink again of the fruit of the vine until that day. When I drink it new in the kingdom of God. Jesus is radically changing a tradition of the Jews held onto a God-given God-ordained, God-orchestrated feast. They were to celebrate New Year. He's transforming the Passover. That takes a lot of authority Church. Which is so many minutes till things that we think that has been read this or what what's going on there? Because we don't understand fully grasp. The really this is epic. This is huge. This is not just something that we kind of pass around and we think lightly of Jesus is taking something that they held so sacred and he saying this is about me this is my authority to this is the blood of the New Covenant and if you were to flip over to Exodus 24:8, you would find this idea behind the blood and the Covenant. God make covenants early on in Genesis with Abraham and when he did so there was Bloodshed in that not that of a human being but that of animals it was God himself who actually passed through that Covenant about Abraham was in a trance in a vision and not the one actually orchestrating the Covenant it was God and God himself requires Covenant and its bought with the blood me see here as with Jesus Christ. See You In The Exodus story we would take that as you are probably familiar with it. If you're not there were these gods of Egypt gods they worship and believed in a God was showing he was the Supreme Superior God above God's King of Kings Lord of this death angel that was passing over the homes at the blood applied to the doorpost. And that what Jesus is saying is I'm that laugh. Cheshire the several times, but I think it's so important we get this idea that when we think of the Israelites good guys or bad guys. Good Guys, of course God rescues and redeems them. He's cheering for them like the Blazers. They're the good guys and all of this.

And kill it the bad guys with the reality in it. Do good guys need Bloodshed over their doors is caught up in the idolatry of the Egyptians around them. How do you know that in Joshua? do the people and he says put away your God that you brought with you from out of Egypt do not take them into the promised land with us and we have epic saying he says as for me and my house

the way your gods and your idol worship. We're not just like their Egyptian neighbors possibly having the same Idols wrapped around their homes and Angel comes by and with fear and he would like to see them as the good guys, but they needed something to cover them. What was that? It was the blood. I was put on the doorpost and that angel then would pass over them. The foreshadowing is so incredible. For if you know the story of God pacifically that moment when the Incarnation that is God In the Flesh comes and John the Baptist says Behold the Lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world. Pointing to Jesus and you know that Jesus goes to that grave and he dies and he is God and Jesus is radically dramastic, dramatically excuse me, dramastically, we'll make that word up today reinterpreting the Passover.

And it redeemers. I love Easter. I was chatting with somebody couple weeks ago. We celebrate Easter every week are don't we we celebrate the Jesus is risen As We Gather on the first day of every week in 51 to 52 Sundays a year, we take communion as the body gathers and it points in our life personally that can maybe lose some impact and significance on each and every person and I want to resend to reorient what we're doing in this is not going to take long and then we're going to enter into a time of worship and communion, but you'll have to flip over to 1st Corinthians 11. Now we're going to go through 1st Corinthians. This fall will be in it for at least 18 months. So we're going to hunker down in there. I just know to be a long book this summer. I've got some just one-offs at work, sharing on a spiritual rhythms and discipline and godliness. We got this great plan that were walking through. Open 1st Corinthians 11 if he threatens going to wash this up here Britton is amazing. I changed everything on him at 8:30 this morning and he is just got it down doesn't verse 17, but in the following instructions, I do not commend you because when you come together, it is not for the better. That's bad news pause riding. It says when you gather you guys are screwing up. You don't get it you're messing up. It's not for the better, but there's some bad things happening in your Gathering. What does he say? He says for the worse for in the first place. When you come together as a church regular Gathering of the Saints we talked about the importance of gathering as the first any note when you come together with the Saints as the church. I hear that there is a division among you and I believe it in parts for there must be Choose among you in order that those who are genuine among you may be recognized when you come together. It is not the Lord's Supper that you eat for each one of you goes ahead with his own meal another gets drunk. What do you not have houses to eat and drink in or do you despise the Church of God and humiliate those but nothing what should I say to you so I can mend you in this and no I will not for I received from the Lord and I also delivered to you but the Lord Jesus Took bread for you do this in remembrance of me. In the same way. Yes. I 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 when we get to this chapter in 1st Corinthians 11 and probably a year from now, we're going to talk about consubstantiation in transubstantiation talk about the spiritual presence and all these other things and I don't have time to unpack that theology nor have I brushed up on it. Well enough to justify divulge all of that with you here this morning for Paul is getting out of these says when you come together, you're doing it in a way that actually dishonors the Lord because your preference about one another Some of your putting yourself before others in this group is what he's saying and he goes on for as often as you eat this bread and drink the cup you for whoever there for each subreddit unworthy manner will be guilty concerning the body and blood of the lord of the bread and bring you one who eats and drinks about Discerning the body eats and drinks judgment on himself. That is why many of you are we can ill and some have died. But if we judge ourselves truly would not be judged when we are just by the Lord we are disciplined that would not be condemned along with the world. I want to leave you guys with 8 really quick things and Britton may flash these up I don't know if that got done or not and you can get them in there. I want you to think through these things as we go through communion here this morning Jesus instituted this Why why are we doing this? Why would taking communion? Did you absolve sin? Is to make us feel better about ourselves. Is it a token of our appreciation to God or maybe a token of his appreciation to just kind of like to go out to eat afterwards. What in the world are we doing with this Paul says in 1st Corinthians 11:26 you Proclaim Christ death until he comes remember Mark 14. He says I am not going to eat and drink this with you again. Not until I come back in the coming of the kingdom and there's going to be a feast there's going to be a celebration. There's going to be a party y'all are going to raise your cup to King Jesus and celebrate in a fashion that you can't even imagine. But until then until he says you Proclaim my death Until I come and every time we celebrate communion, what we're doing is work showing the gospel or showing the good news and a very outward and visible format as we go back there and break those Wafers and break those crackers bits to remind us of what he's gone through as we take of that cop the blood that was spilled and poured out it speaks to his death. Is crucifixion and we celebrate also in that the reality of the Resurrection in the hope that we have in him never to remembrance. Do this often in remembrance of me? He's at every time you come to eat like gather do this often in remembrance of me. This is what we do in remembrance. First of all, so we take communion weekly. I want you to think through these things and trying to run through them in your head. You were proclaiming his death, but you're remembering what you did for us. the great cost never lose its weight in value on some of you. I'm just going to be honest like sometimes it does I can go weeks. today's not really thinking through the gravity and the depth of God's love for me in the fact that he died for me. And if so that he can have relationship with me. He loves me and cares for me for doing this to remember him and some of your like why are we taking communion every week because you need to not for your salvation, but for your memory some of our memories are all that great. Peter said in 2nd Peter, I'm glad to write to this to you again and again and again, I need to remind you so you don't forget the gospel and communion were speaking the gospel to ourselves a crisis something our participation and the benefits of Christ's death. I understand. It's our participation in the benefits of Christ that as we take communion what we're saying is what he has done. We're bringing that into our lives. We too will raise again, which you will celebrate with him in the coming Kingdom. We are participating in the benefits of his grace and his mercy and his forgiveness. As we take this cup is for anyone that believes in and on him that proclaims them as as their lord and savior. I meet spiritually right going toward War nourished by you for participating in the benefits of what he has done communion as Fellowship. United and this is something that we share we all know how important meals were back in the day you brought somebody into your home and it was this idea that I'm actually allowing me to participate in life with me and we linger longer on the fire and we talked and we're participating in their life than you have those moments at our soldiers. In special with others communion at fellowship with the body of Christ. What does the saying and showing as there's not somebody's more important or less important. We all take of the same bread the same blood the same juice. We don't use real blood. Don't worry. All right, we all share in Christ.

your loving one another as you approach the Lord's table, and we're getting rid of any ideas of superiority that we're better off smarter or more deserving than the person next to us communion as Fellowship When We Gather 5 Unity you can turn back to 1st Corinthians 10:17. In 1017. He says there is one bread. We who are many are one body. We all partake of the one bread and 1st Corinthians 10 is talking about how if you eat unto Idols demons and gods you're participating as you come to the table of Christ what you're saying is I am unified with him. There's one bread one body and we just had our brothers and sisters which is family and just like every other family we rub each other the wrong way and be upset one another we have different interests. All right, but we have commonality because Dave is my brother and I community group when I rub it in the face that we win. We're going to break bread and share a meal together this week and laugh and joke and have a great time.

Jesus is where were centered on. community committed to one another there's so much more to share in unity. I'm not going to 6 the significance of the Lord's Supper is Future. We understand that were physically going to eat this meal with it someday. And for some of us maybe that's becoming more real and pressing on us. We're realizing this world is not the only World we're going to have this money that the only money we're going to have this life is not the only life we're going to have what we live for something far greater and you may take my life or cancer may take my life or somebody or something else might but that is not the end of it because there is a promise Jesus said in Mark 14, I am going to eat with you again. And that doesn't minimize the hurt the pain and suffering that we're going through now. are the lots What is staying around everybody else but there's this hope and its future and there is a promise that we will dine with him. So what are we do 11:27 through 29 weeks examine ourselves. Now this doesn't mean okay. I must have been my devotions. I'm a good boy this week and I didn't see any better in examine your heart.

We sang Lord I need you and that meant so much to me this morning because that's really the position. I've hit that's the position. I look at my heart, but I come to Christ your Lord. I need you because my Works cannot do it in and out of themselves. I need you in as I examined myself. I realized how deeply I need Christ. Let me ask you. Are you failing to feel any remorse over your sin this morning? I'm not saying you haven't eaten this morning because every hand goes up are at such as life done. I'm not saying you better watch out. He's going to get you for that covered under the blood of Jesus Christ. I mean we're going to judge with him reign with him rule with him. But is there this attitude? Every Morse with the actions that are inconsistent with what it means to follow Jesus and love Jesus. Are you failing to renounce those things before God? Some slow down today. slow down What position does your heart need to be confessed to God this morning? Are you feeling to trust Jesus for forgiveness and the power to walk in love? How many people walking around feeling condemned this morning? Your brother and sister that is not who you are. If you love Jesus follow Jesus and your saved by Jesus lift your head hide your saying because he loves and cares for you. He walks with you and because he lives you live. Trust him his forgiving I can't I can't even get myself. How can God are you a greater? Judge? Then got his God forgives you how then can you not forgive yourself? We are going to some high court for something that maybe you did or didn't do in the judge says you're free when you know, I'm not I'm still guilty. I'm going to hold onto this. He said you're free in him. Finally Christ affirms his love for me. That's what that celebration here is does. He love me? Oh, yes. He loves you me. Yes you yes you he loves you and he affirms I am staying with Sandy has made me white as Christ lived. I resurrected and was ascended and that affirms his love for me to take communion. If your follower of Jesus you take communion. If you're not a believer in Jesus, I'd invite you enjoy our time of worship you to know Jesus you need to know about him, but you need to know Jesus and we were talking about last week your follower of Jesus and you know, Jesus had a bad week spiritually join the club. I mean, we're just like the disciples you turn the pages in the gospels and their cows down fire get rid of that guy do this in years and there are heroes in the club the county for him think on him. Nobody brings a successful week in the Sunday, but Jesus and Jesus is transformed and changed our hearts. So what we're going to do this morning was just slightly different normally do three songs in the movie break and talk to her and Orient our hearts on the cross and I pray over it. The church has gathered today. We are family and this is going to be rare but we're going to be out of here early. Good news for you guys.

But here's what I want you to do. If you're a follower of Jesus and you go back there and you grab that cup and you grab that bread. I want you to walk through the things are up there. I want you to come before God and have those moments of thankfulness in those moments of rejoicing those moments of confessing and professing who Jesus is coming before God and saying you dealt with this because you died on the cross and now I am confirming that because I've been affirmed by you and I'm going to rejoice and what you have done and this morning thinking about this a few ways. You can go grab it yourself. You can kneel down you can sit in your chair. You can stand and you can just be there at you before God would love that if you would like and people around you that you say, you know, what I kind of want to go through this with them and they want to do that with you. I don't know how you figure that out your adult. You can do it grab some of them through some of this stuff. What I don't want to do is I don't want to rush it through it this morning. I want to slow us down a little bit. I want us to think through these things, but I want us to sit before God. I want us to praise him for what he's done. Thank you deeply in our hearts and we will rejoice over what you have done. We celebrate you claim you rejoicing you for those that don't know you that you'll be pulling on their hearts today that you would save and transform them make new in Jesus Christ in Jesus name. Amen.