The Lord's Table

Aren’t you glad this morning that He is God… and we (I) am not?

Aren’t you glad for His infinite wisdom, His everlasting love, His power, His might, His authority, His grace and His mercy and… HIS DESIRE TO HAVE A RELATIONSHIP WITH ALL OF US?

Do you know this morning… that ALL people matter to God? Do we understand that as John 3:16 declares that God so loved the world, that He gave His Son for ALL who make up this world?

I am thankful today that God doe not overlook, He does not choose favorites, He does not discriminate based on race, gender, social status, or education level. Aren’t you glad that God so loved the world… but He does not operate like this world?

We continue our series, The Awe of God, with a look at something we do on a regular basis that remembers something specific God has done for us. We are going to briefly talk about why communion is important… and why we should come to the Lord’s table with a reverent heart.

First off, Let’s talk quickly about what communion is not. Communion is not something we do for ritual sake or traditional reasons. Communion is much more than that.

I’m curious, how many in the room have family traditions you observe around the holidays or other special events?

I can remember going to see my dad’s side of the family in Iowa for Christmas. It was the same every year and… I LOVED it.

We could expect a huge family dinner on Christmas eve. Grandma would make her pink jello and her famous chocolate pie. I can remember grandpa reading us the night before Christmas story… I can remember my mom and dad trying to encourage us to go to sleep or else Santa might skip over the house.

I can remember waking up to a huge array of gifts and fun the next morning.

I can remember having to wait impatiently for everyone to arrive.

After the morning gift exchange, we would enjoy our new gifts and wait for the evening gathering that took place at my great uncle and aunt’s house. That’s where we got the BIG presents.

It was fun, it was predictable, it was something we grew up doing, and although I didn’t want it to come to an end… over time… the tradition became a memory. It didn’t last forever.

It was certainly made an impact on my life, but traditions do not last forever.

Such is why we can NEVER view communion as a tradition or a ritual. To do so causes us to lose sight of its true and God-given meaning.

Communion is what we call an ordinance of the church - it is one of two we hold on to in the Assemblies of God.

An ordinance is a decree or command… it is an authoritative rule. When it comes to our faith, it is something we are to observe and carry out until Jesus returns. Communion is one, baptism in water by immersion is the other.

Both of these ordinances… were given to the church by Jesus Himself. Not only did He command them, He was an example in both.

For water baptism, we see His ministry begin as John baptizes Jesus in water. Then, before ascending into heaven, Jesus commanded His disciples to go and make disciples by doing what? BAPTIZING them in the name...

For communion, Jesus told us what to do… and why to do it… and what it symbolized. And we see it take place in Scripture… at the last supper.

Luke 22:19–20 NIV

19 And he took bread, gave thanks and broke it, and gave it to them, saying, “This is my body given for you; do this in remembrance of me.” 20 In the same way, after the supper he took the cup, saying, “This cup is the new covenant in my blood, which is poured out for you.

So… what is communion and why do we do this on a regular basis? AND… what does it have to do with our fear or reverence of the Lord?

These are the questions we will aim to answer today with this goal in mind: That we not take for granted what Jesus has done… and that we remember the sacrifice He has made.

Remembering the Cost

Communion reminds us… of the cost Jesus paid for our salvation.

This was no easy thing. The cost of our sin is steep.

God told His creation what the cost of sin was in Genesis. Disobeying the Lord would lead to death.

Romans 6:23 tells us

Romans 6:23 NIV

23 For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.

The wage or the earned result of our sin is death. But this verse also hints at an alternative route through Jesus Christ.

We already briefly talked about John 3:16 , but now I want us to look at it intently

John 3:16 NIV

16 For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.

Here we see the alternative route presented: those who BELIEVE in Christ Jesus WILL NOT PERISH… in other words, they will NOT receive the “earned wage” of their sin… but they WILL receive the gift of life PROMISED through Jesus.

But that gift… had to be paid for. That gift… is freely offered to us. But sin is not something that can be overlooked, it requires the debt to be satisfied. Jesus PAID that debt.

Jesus’ life was GIVEN so we could choose to receive the forgiveness of our sins through Him.

All of us have sinned… that isn’t even a matter up for debate. Which means, all of us were is desperate need of a Savior. Sin separates us from God, our heavenly Father, and the only way back to God is through Jesus. He is the way, the truth and the life.

Problem is, people keep looking for “life” in places of death.

In a transactional sense, we keep swiping the spiritual Master Card in the attempt to find happiness and satisfaction in the things of this world. And with each swipe, with each transaction, we land ourselves in more debt and less happiness. But we try again… and again… hoping to find what we have been looking for.

Unlike a credit or debt system, Life in Christ is something more! Life in Christ is FAR MORE THAN A TRANSACTIONAL MOMENT, it is a transformational experience. Jesus wipes away any and all sin debt and offers us eternal life in its place!

Jesus paid the price with His body and blood… the two elements we talk about when receiving communion.

Regarding His body:

His body was broken… so that we could be made whole again.

All that Jesus went through was for our benefit. Isaiah 53:4-5 reminds us that

Isaiah 53:4–5 NIV

4 Surely he took up our pain and bore our suffering, yet we considered him punished by God, stricken by him, and afflicted. 5 But he was pierced for our transgressions, he was crushed for our iniquities; the punishment that brought us peace was on him, and by his wounds we are healed.

Jesus felt the fullness of the brokenness that comes with sin. Jesus took on our sin and nailed it to the cross… through His body. He took our place, His work on the cross is what we call substitutionary meaning it was done for someone else.

And in the place of sin, He offers us righteousness through justification. He took on our sin, we take on His righteousness.

Regarding His Blood:

A living organism cannot survive without blood in its system. The blood that flows through our veins brings nourishment to our bodies. Without it, our physical bodies cannot live on.

Jesus’ blood was shed, was poured out, to pay the life-debt sin had created. And because His life and blood were without impurity, HIS BLOOD IS ENOUGH TO COVER ALL SIN.

But church, there is no salvation… without the blood of the Lamb. There is no forgiveness without the blood of the Lamb. There is no atonement without the shedding of innocent blood.

Leviticus 17:11 NIV

11 For the life of a creature is in the blood, and I have given it to you to make atonement for yourselves on the altar; it is the blood that makes atonement for one’s life.

Jesus’ blood was poured out to make atonement or to cover our sins.

Through the breaking of His body and the shedding of His blood, His life was given that ours might be saved.

Jesus paid a great cost… He laid it all down for us… and He asks His church to remember what He did UNTIL the day of His return.

And there is another extremely important aspect regarding communion that must be considered.

The Ordinances and the Relationship

The word communion (as seen in 1 Corinthians 10) comes from a word you might have heard before.

The original word used here is koinonia. And it is a word or term that conveys a sense of commonality. It speaks of fellowship that is centered around a specific cause.

In its connection with communion, Jesus Christ is our commonality. His life and work on the cross is the common tie that holds this together. In other words… JESUS IS THE KEY.

And it goes WAY beyond simply knowing of Jesus or believing that Jesus existed… It speaks of relationship. It speaks of knowing Jesus on a personal level.

Let’s consider for a moment the two ordinances of the church: Water baptism and holy communion.

Water baptism is what? The public declaration of choosing to follow the Lord.

The believer declares “I have decided to follow Jesus.” Water baptism is symbolic of this decision in a remarkable way.

When a person is baptized or immersed into the water, it is symbolic of the old sinful self going to the grave.

The person that emerges is NOT the same person that was dying in sin, but is a new creation that has come alive through the power of Jesus’ resurrection!

My point is: water baptism IS FOR THE BELIEVER. Water baptism is for those who have made a decision to follow Jesus.

So let’s consider communion for a moment.

Communion is remembering the cost Jesus paid for our salvation. It is celebrating the fact that He was broken so we can be made whole again. His life was poured out so new life could be poured in.

This is something that can only be celebrated properly… in relationship with the One we remember.

I recently heard someone say it this way… not everyone is invited to the altar of communion… only those who have called on the name of the Lord for salvation.

Communion is FOR THE BELIEVER.

And I want to be clear… Jesus has invited ALL to come and place their faith in Him.

Salvation is for all sinners. Jesus gave His life for the entirety of this world. As Acts 2 makes clear, ANYONE who calls on the name of the Lord WILL BE SAVED.

It is in this moment that our relationship with Christ begins. As the blood is applied, our sins are washed away. Our fellowship with the Father is restored and the Holy Spirit makes our heart His dwelling place.

Once a person has placed their faith in Jesus, then they have a seat at the Lord’s table… but not before. And the Word tells us what happens if we do not take this seriously.

1 Corinthians 11:27–29 NIV

27 So then, whoever eats the bread or drinks the cup of the Lord in an unworthy manner will be guilty of sinning against the body and blood of the Lord. 28 Everyone ought to examine themselves before they eat of the bread and drink from the cup. 29 For those who eat and drink without discerning the body of Christ eat and drink judgment on themselves.

I often read from 1 Corinthians 11 as we prepare to receive communion. This passage is given by Paul as a word of correction to a church… that was missing the point.

They were leaving believer out as they favored certain groups over the others. Paul did not write to celebrate their efforts, he wrote to bring correction.

Now, this message is not intended to be correctional so much as it is informational. But what we do with this information… matters.

We need to know the Lord… personally… before we partake of communion. It is an action of remembrance.

AND… communion is an action of proclamation. Look at 1 Corinthians 11:26

1 Corinthians 11:26 NIV

26 For whenever you eat this bread and drink this cup, you proclaim the Lord’s death until he comes.

How many know today that Jesus is coming soon? How many understand that communion proclaims the Lord’s death until He returns?

Jesus HAD TO DIE in order for our salvation to become a possibility. However, Jesus did not remain dead… He is risen from the grave!

We serve a living Savior… who died and rose again. NO DEATH = NO PAYMENT. Our sin debt would still exist without Jesus’ death.

Jesus conquered sin the moment He said, “It is finished.” Then, He conquered death the moment the stone was rolled away!

He later ascended into heaven with the promise that He would return! Communion both remembers… and proclaims: Two things that happen within a relationship with Jesus Christ.

Communion

The cross calls us to Jesus… Jesus calls us to the table. But the call to the table comes from within our relationship… with Christ.

When it comes to baptism in water… there is no declaration… without first making a decision.

When it comes to communion… there is no remembrance… without first seeking repentance.

Again… why is this the case? Because communion speaks of koinonia… fellowship with a central commonality. Jesus IS that commonality.

Communion requires not that you be a member of Heartland Worship Center… but it does require that you be a member of the body of Christ.

That membership is gained when we turn from sin and give our hearts to Jesus.

Watch this: That “membership” IS WHAT JESUS DIED FOR. Jesus opened the door for our fellowship with God to be restored. The question is: will we walk through it? Will we accept His invitation?

Maybe you are here today and this is all review for you. And you might be asking, “Why did pastor spend a Sunday talking about the details of Communion?”

And my answer is simple… our series, “The Awe of God” causes us to step back and review our level of reverence and fear of the Lord. I NEVER WANT TO TAKE COMMUNION FOR GRANTED. I NEVER WANT THIS IMPORTANT ACT OF WORSHIP TO BE MISTAKEN FOR RITUAL OR TRADITION.

Traditions fade with time. But the message of the cross is timeless. It will never fade or become obsolete. Why? Because the wages of sin will always be death. And the gift of God will forever be eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.

He made a way where there was no way. He did what we could not do on our own. He is common tie, the central point to our fellowship, our worship, our reason for being the church. AND WE NEED TO NEVER FORGET THAT TRUTH.

Secondly, maybe you are listening and you realize you have not given your heart to Jesus… or your relationship with Christ is not where it should be.

Jesus is calling out to you… to come home. But before you can come to the table of communion, you must first make the commitment… to serve the Lord.

This means repenting of sin, and confessing Jesus as Lord and Savior. This is what He gave His life for, that you could be saved.

Will you make that choice today?

PRAYER - Salvation

Communion

1 Corinthians 11:23–26 NIV

23 For I received from the Lord what I also passed on to you: The Lord Jesus, on the night 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, after supper he took the cup, saying, “This cup is the new covenant in my blood; do this, whenever you drink it, in remembrance of me.” 26 For whenever you eat this bread and drink this cup, you proclaim the Lord’s death until he comes.