Holidays and Holy Communion

prayer -

men’s meeting canceled

norma, Charles, Tracy and whole sturky family

jon

talbot family

Introduction

Opening Story/Illustration: The Christmas season is upon us and this morning I’d like to talk about Holidays and Holy Communion, because I think they have some things in common. What I’d like to do is look at the American Holiday season and sort of lay that as a template over our communion this morning. I promise it’ll make sense as we get going. The American Holiday season has four major holidays..

The American Holiday season used to begin with Thanksgiving, but in recent years, it has been pushed back and Halloween starts the season. This isn’t an endorsement, just an observation. Halloween which is often associated with darkness, spooky things, and evil.

At Thanksgiving and we are reminded to be thankful. We gather around a table and eat good food and remember all the reasons we have to be thankful.

At Christmas we gather around with family and friends exchange gifts and are reminded that we do not do life alone.

The New Year reminds us of a new beginning. It reminds us that we can start fresh. We make new years resolutions and start that gym membership.

We can feel the excitement and the change in the air as we move into this season.

The Holidays bring up memories - Good and bad. Many of us remember particular events that happened on Thanksgiving or Christmas or New Years.

We remember that special dish grandma makes and the gift we received at Christmas time. We remember that New Years day when our child got engaged or we stayed up all night

Transition to Text: This morning I want to take these Holidays and place them sort of as a template over something else we are called to remember. That is Holy Communion.

Text: Let’s Turn to Luke 22:14-23

Luke 22:14–23 ESV

14 And when the hour came, he reclined at table, and the apostles with him. 15 And he said to them, “I have earnestly desired to eat this Passover with you before I suffer. 16 For I tell you I will not eat it until it is fulfilled in the kingdom of God.” 17 And he took a cup, and when he had given thanks he said, “Take this, and divide it among yourselves. 18 For I tell you that from now on I will not drink of the fruit of the vine until the kingdom of God comes.” 19 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.” 20 And likewise the cup after they had eaten, saying, “This cup that is poured out for you is the new covenant in my blood. 21 But behold, the hand of him who betrays me is with me on the table. 22 For the Son of Man goes as it has been determined, but woe to that man by whom he is betrayed!” 23 And they began to question one another, which of them it could be who was going to do this.

State or Setup Main Idea: In communion we are called to Remember

Transition to Points: Let’s look at a few of the things we must remember as we come to the table tonight.

Points

We remember that we come to the Table in the midst of an evil and broken world

Jesus comes to this moment in his life it is a moment full of evil activity.

Luke makes sure we are aware of this.

The Chapter begins with people plotting to kill Jesus and Satan Entering Judas. Luke 22:1-6

Luke 22:1–6 ESV

1 Now the Feast of Unleavened Bread drew near, which is called the Passover. 2 And the chief priests and the scribes were seeking how to put him to death, for they feared the people. 3 Then Satan entered into Judas called Iscariot, who was of the number of the twelve. 4 He went away and conferred with the chief priests and officers how he might betray him to them. 5 And they were glad, and agreed to give him money. 6 So he consented and sought an opportunity to betray him to them in the absence of a crowd.

As the meal comes to an end we are told that Satan has demanded to have Peter. Luke 22:31-34

Luke 22:31–34 ESV

31 “Simon, Simon, behold, Satan demanded to have you, that he might sift you like wheat, 32 but I have prayed for you that your faith may not fail. And when you have turned again, strengthen your brothers.” 33 Peter said to him, “Lord, I am ready to go with you both to prison and to death.” 34 Jesus said, “I tell you, Peter, the rooster will not crow this day, until you deny three times that you know me.”

This is a moment of darkness.

Betrayal, suffering, death, and denial by some of his strongest followers all lay ahead of Jesus - And there has been Satanic work up to this point to bring all the plans and schemes of Satan to fruition.

It is in this context that Jesus and His disciples gather together and eat this meal.

Jesus and his friends have been preparing for passover..and Satan has been preparing to make his final moves in order to kill Jesus and cause his disciples to be scattered.

We come to the table tonight surround by a world full of evil activity.

We come to the table in a world where:

Sickness and Suffering are occuring

Politicians and leaders are scheming

Satan is working overtime to steal and kill and destroy

Everyone of us in this room come to this moment with varying degrees of hurt, pain, baggage. We all have a story of being hurt by the evil and the brokenness in this world.

We come to this table tonight in a community that has experienced death

We come to this table tonight with hospitals full of sick people

We come grieving because we recently lost a loved one.

We come to the table knowing that Evil isn’t just out there, but it’s also “in here.”

We are all broken and sinful

Busted and, left on our own, we are capable of things that should scare us.

So why come?

Because the table gives us what we need to keep going.

Psalm 23 - The Lord prepares a table before us in the presence of our enemies!

Where else would we go with all of our hurt? In a world full of evil and brokenness there is no where better to go than to the table of the Lord.

We don’t leave our garbage at the door - We bring it all with us to the table. This is where God deals with it!

Illustration: Studies show that Family dinners make a massive difference in the lives of a family. Families who eat together are happier and healthier. The kids are less likely to engage in risky behavior. Something about being around a table together, with one another, does something for us and to us.

There is an evil and broken world - But coming together and bringing ourselves to the Table of the Lord with one another does something to us and for us!

In the midst of sickness, healing can be found at the table.

In the midst of despair, joy can be found again at the table

In the midst of unrest, peace can be found again at the table!

We remember that we come to the Table full of Thanksgiving

Jesus gathers with his disciples to give thanks for what God had done

Part of why they gathered here on the passover is to remember and be thankful for how God had taken them out of Egypt.

The passover was an annual Holy day set apart for the people of Israel to remember that God had set them free from Slavery in Egypt.

The people of Israel had been slave in Egypt for over 400 hundred years. They had been promised deliverance, and finally it had come.

You remember the story - How the Lord sends Moses to Pharaoh so that he would “Let his people Go.”

How God strikes the land of Egypt with Plagues.

How the final plague was going to be the death of the firstborn son - UNLESS you followed the instructions of the Lord and sacrificed a lamb and put it’s blood over your door post.

It was in this way that God brought his people out of Egypt - and this passover that they are celebrating is an annual reminder of the moment that they went from Slavery to Freedom.

They had so much to be thankful for!

Why are we to come with thanksgiving?

We were slaves to sin, broken, and busted - But Jesus became our passover lamb. He gave himself for us that we might be free.

So we come to this table Because we remember the sacrifice that Jesus made for us!

We could walk around this room and we could all tell stories of what we were and how Jesus changed our lives

No matter how difficult your year, there is always something to be grateful for!

I have a list of things I pray through each morning and one of the things I pray each morning is this - Lord, help me to live with gratitude, being grateful for and looking for your gracious hand in all things

Why would I pray this? Because I know If I’ll slow down and look, There is always something to be thankful for!

This has been so important for me - I’ve been in a long season of loss.

In March of 2020 My grandmother passed away. I had to travel to TN and preach her funeral. I came home and a week later COVID shutdown our Church.

In March of 2022 My mom unexpectedly passed away

A lot has changed for me in the past few years and past few months

I could look at all of that and find plenty to gripe about - But I’ve got to choose to look deeper and be grateful for what God is doing!

Illustration: As we enter into the Holiday season we are reminded that Thanksgiving is a call to be thankful .

As we come to this table, we have so much to be thankful for!

We remember that we come to the table with others

Notice that this is not a solitary affair. Jesus is not taking passover by himself.

He’s at a table With other people.

He’s at the table with his friends.

He’s at a table with the person who will betray him

He’s at a table with friends who will abandon and deny him

In John’s account of this night, Jesus serves them and washes their feet. In one of his darkest moments he chooses to serve others!

We cannot do life alone

In a few weeks we will gather again with our family and friends to celebrate Christmas.

We will give gifts to one another

Whether you love your relatives or hate them or probably a mixture - You’ll gather with them

These are the people, many of them who shaped you

You don’t always get along, but they are family

We come to this table this morning as family.

Knowing that we love each other, but sometimes we don’t get along as well as we should

Sometimes we hurt one another

At times we’ve betrayed one another

At times we’ve said things we shouldn’t say

At times we’ve not acted like Jesus

At other times we have been there for one another in ways too deep for words to describe

We’ve laughed together, cried together, made memories together

We’ve seen God work in one another’s lives

We’ve seen God set you free, heal you

We’ve prayed for one another, called one another, counseled one another and been Jesus for one another.

Illustration: We need each other but we needle each other.

We come to this table, like a family at Christmas - It’s a mixed bag, but it’s our family.

If you’ve got problems with people at this table - The temptation is to run and avoid relationships

But the mature thing to do is work through it

Coming to the table and working through our disagreements grows us up

So this morning, we come to this table not alone, but in the presence of Jesus and his church

We need one another!

We remember that we come to the Table looking towards the future

Jesus eats this meal, looking forward to a greater meal

Jesus makes two references here starting with the phrase “I tell you..”

Luke 22:16 ESV

16 For I tell you I will not eat it until it is fulfilled in the kingdom of God.”

Luke 22:18 ESV

18 For I tell you that from now on I will not drink of the fruit of the vine until the kingdom of God comes.”

What’s Jesus Saying here?

This meal points forward. He’s not going to partake again of a passover until he returns and the full reality of the Kingdom of God is here.

Notice what he says later during the meal - Luke 22:28-30

Luke 22:28–30 ESV

28 “You are those who have stayed with me in my trials, 29 and I assign to you, as my Father assigned to me, a kingdom, 30 that you may eat and drink at my table in my kingdom and sit on thrones judging the twelve tribes of Israel.

We come to this table, looking forward to a greater table!

This is a preview of a moment when we will all: from every tribe, every tongue, and every nation gather together around the table and feast with Jesus.

This is a preview of a day when Jesus will return and make all things new!

Notice how this ends - We started by saying that we come to this table in a world full of evil and brokenness, but this table gives us hope. It propels us forward. It reminds us of a day when all will be set right!

Illustration: My son is into Paw Patrol - and if you’re unaware - They just came out with a Paw Patrol Movie. I made the grave mistake a few months ago of showing him the preview to the movie. It took me a while to explain to him that this was just a preview and that the real movie wasn’t coming out for weeks. Every time we’d watch that preview for weeks after that - He’d get excited and begin to ask if today was the day the movie was coming out.

This table is a preview of what is to come - And it ought to make us excited - We are one day, one step closer, to the full feature.

Revelation 19:6–9 ESV

6 Then I heard what seemed to be the voice of a great multitude, like the roar of many waters and like the sound of mighty peals of thunder, crying out, “Hallelujah! For the Lord our God the Almighty reigns. 7 Let us rejoice and exult and give him the glory, for the marriage of the Lamb has come, and his Bride has made herself ready; 8 it was granted her to clothe herself with fine linen, bright and pure”— for the fine linen is the righteous deeds of the saints. 9 And the angel said to me, “Write this: Blessed are those who are invited to the marriage supper of the Lamb.” And he said to me, “These are the true words of God.”

Conclusion

Restate or Reveal Main Idea: In a broken world we come to the Table full of thanksgiving in great anticipation of the day when we will gather around a greater table and celebrate!

So what? Tonight we want to take communion.

Now What? We gather together around the table of the Lord.

We come together in the midst of a world that’s broken.

We come together to give thanks

We come to remember that we are not alone.

We come together in hope of what is to come!

Prayer