Communion: A Sacrament

INTRODUCTION

Good Morning Life Church!

Today, we are talking COMMUNION

Or as I like to call it, the LORD’S TABLE!

TO BE SPECIFIC I AM TALKING TODAY ABOUT COMMUNION AS A SACRAMENT GIVEN TO THE CHURCH BY THE LORD.

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Matthew 26:26–28 NASB95

While they were eating, Jesus took some bread, and after a blessing, He broke it and gave it to the disciples, and said, “Take, eat; this is My body.” And when He had taken a cup and given thanks, He gave it to them, saying, “Drink from it, all of you; for this is My blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many for forgiveness of sins.

Acts 2:41–42 NASB95

So then, those who had received his word were baptized; and that day there were added about three thousand souls. They were continually devoting themselves to the apostles’ teaching and to fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer.

Jesus institutes communion

Jesus Himself describes the bread and wine as His body and blood.

Acts shows us that the early church devoted themselves daily to, Apostles teaching, fellowship, prayer, and communion.

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COOL SACRAMENTAL STORY

Bridgway Church, OKC 2023 - End of Service Communion.

Man passes out

Call for medical help in the crowd

911 called

Pastor reminded of Acts 20

Calls the church to participate in communion while the man is being seen to my medical people in the church.

Man comes back to

Healed of cancer

THROUGH THE ACT OF SACRAMENTAL COMMUNION THE HS MANIFESTED JESUS AND THE BENEFITS OF HIS ATONEMENT.

Acts 20:9–12 NASB95

And there was a young man named Eutychus sitting on the window sill, sinking into a deep sleep; and as Paul kept on talking, he was overcome by sleep and fell down from the third floor and was picked up dead. But Paul went down and fell upon him, and after embracing him, he said, “Do not be troubled, for his life is in him.” When he had gone back up and had broken the bread and eaten, he talked with them a long while until daybreak, and then left. They took away the boy alive, and were greatly comforted.

COMMUNION IS TO BE A DEARLY CHERISHED SACRAMENT OF THE CHURCH.

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WHAT DO I MEAN BY SACRAMENT?

2 given by our lord - baptism and communion.

Sacrament comes form the greek word for mystery.

In other words there is a mystery to the sacraments.

Communion - Jesus said it is His flesh and blood but we know that the bread and juice does not transform into body and blood.

the mystery is, it is bread and it is juice but, somehow behind the bread and juice there is a spiritual reality of body and blood.

Augustine defines sacrament as, “An outward visible sign of, an inward and invisible grace.”

OUTWARD SIGN - BREAD AND JUICE - POINT US TO THE CROSS AND BROKEN BODY AND POURED OUT BLOOD OF JESUS.

INWARD GRACE - The HS takes these physical elements and manifest the presence and grace of Jesus and His Atonement.

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GOD USES THE NATURAL TO MINISTER TO OUR BODY AND SOULS.

Incarnation / God became human.

The Holy Spirit ministers divine mercy through Jesus.

Jesus used mud to heal a blind man.

God in flesh - preached the Gospel, healed the sick, forgave sins, exorcised demons and built His Kingdom.

Acts 1:1 NASB95

The first account I composed, Theophilus, about all that Jesus began to do and teach,

That means the book of Acts is all that Jesus did on the earth after He had ascended.

The Holy Spirit manifests the will and power of Jesus through His church.

God uses the natural to minister the Spiritual.

Paul prayed over cloth napkins and sent them out to heal people of sickness.

We are told to anoint people with oil as we pray healing over them.

WE SHOULD NOT BE SURPRISED THAT THE HOLY SPIRIT WOULD MANIFEST JESUS TO US THROUGH BREAD AND JUICE.

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OKAY, LET’S EXEGETE ONE MORE PASSAGE.

1 Corinthians 10:15–18 NASB95

I speak as to wise men; you judge what I say. Is not the cup of blessing which we bless a sharing in the blood of Christ? Is not the bread which we break a sharing in the body of Christ? Since there is one bread, we who are many are one body; for we all partake of the one bread. Look at the nation Israel; are not those who eat the sacrifices sharers in the altar?

Through taking the bread and juice we are joined with Jesus in His death and His resurrected life.

His death becomes our death His resurrected life becomes our life.

Our bodies feed on the bread and juice.

Our souls feed on His atonement.

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WRAP UP

THE TABLE OF THE LORD IS MORE THAN A MEMORIAL.

COMMUNION IS A SACRAMENT

IT IS A GRACE OF JESUS TO FEED OUR SOULS ON HIS ATONEMENT.

IT IS THROUGH THESE EARTHLY SYSMBOLS JESUS CHOSE TO JOIN US AS PARTICIPANTS OF HIS SACRIFICE BY THE HOLY SPIRIT.

At the table of the Lord,

Communion is not like a wedding ring or tomb stone helping us remember.

It is the act of Jesus joining us with Him in His death and resurrection.

It is a mystery - It is Spirit Filled - It is a Sacrament of the Lord!

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CONCLUSION:

TODAY AS WE BREAK BREAD AND BLESS THE CUP, COME TO THE TABLE WITH FAITH!

YOU NEED DELIVERANCE FROM SIN? COME TO THE TABLE AND RECIVE FROM THE LORD THE DEATH OF THAT SIN.

YOU NEED HEALING? COME TO THE TABLE AND ALLOW JESUS TO FEED YOU HIS LIFE AND HEALING.

COMETO THE TABLE AND EXPECT TO MEET JESUS AND TO EXPEREINCE ALL THE BENEFITS OF HIS DEATH AND LIFE.

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COMMUNION -

HOW WE WIL DO COMMUNION

Table up front and two tables in the back.

I am going to read a couple scriptures, and pray.

I ask that you take a moment before you go and receive from the table of the Lord.

Pray and ask God for forgiveness of the sins the HS brings to mind.

If you have division with anyone here today, before you go to the table go and make it right.

Bring the bread and juice back and pray with your family and take as a family.

If you are here alone, I join with a friend or another family.

We will end with worship.

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Isaiah 53 NASB95

Who has believed our message? And to whom has the arm of the Lord been revealed? For He grew up before Him like a tender shoot, And like a root out of parched ground; He has no stately form or majesty That we should look upon Him, Nor appearance that we should be attracted to Him. He was despised and forsaken of men, A man of sorrows and acquainted with grief; And like one from whom men hide their face He was despised, and we did not esteem Him. Surely our griefs He Himself bore, And our sorrows He carried; Yet we ourselves esteemed Him stricken, Smitten of God, and afflicted. But He was pierced through for our transgressions, He was crushed for our iniquities; The chastening for our well-being fell upon Him, And by His scourging we are healed. All of us like sheep have gone astray, Each of us has turned to his own way; But the Lord has caused the iniquity of us all To fall on Him. He was oppressed and He was afflicted, Yet He did not open His mouth; Like a lamb that is led to slaughter, And like a sheep that is silent before its shearers, So He did not open His mouth. By oppression and judgment He was taken away; And as for His generation, who considered That He was cut off out of the land of the living For the transgression of my people, to whom the stroke was due? His grave was assigned with wicked men, Yet He was with a rich man in His death, Because He had done no violence, Nor was there any deceit in His mouth. But the Lord was pleased To crush Him, putting Him to grief; If He would render Himself as a guilt offering, He will see His offspring, He will prolong His days, And the good pleasure of the Lord will prosper in His hand. As a result of the anguish of His soul, He will see it and be satisfied; By His knowledge the Righteous One, My Servant, will justify the many, As He will bear their iniquities. Therefore, I will allot Him a portion with the great, And He will divide the booty with the strong; Because He poured out Himself to death, And was numbered with the transgressors; Yet He Himself bore the sin of many, And interceded for the transgressors.

LIFT THE BREAD AND JUICE ---

HOLY FATHER, WE THANK YOU FOR JESUS AND HIS SACRIFICE FOR OUR SINS.

THANK YOU FOR YOUR SON WHO IS THE BREAD OF LIFE, HEALING TO OUR BODIES, MIND AND SOUL.

WE ASK THAT YOU BLESS THIS BREAD AND THIS CUP WITH THE PRESENCE OF JESUS YOUR SON AND OUR LORD.

WE ASK THAT THE HOLY SPIRIT WILL MANIFEST JESUS AND THE BENEFITS OF HIS ATONING DEATH THROUGH THESE EARTHLY SYMBOLS AND MEET US IN OUR WEAKNESS SO WE MAY BECOME STRONG IN FAITH, BODY, AND MIND.