The Eucharist

HONOR

Today I want to talk to you about one of the sacraments that we believe in

The AG uses the word ordinances, but really they mean the same thing

The words mean - “rite” — think rite of passage. It is a physical act or ceremony that all agree upon and believe are an important part of our belief.

The 2 ordinances that we believe in are - Water Baptisms (raise your hand if you’ve been baptized this year!)

And the Eucharist — or the word we use — Communion

These are not special occasion ceremonies, but rather Biblically normative practices for every believer. Meaning if you are a Christian these are things you should have done (baptism) or do (communion).

Communion is not a “break-glass-in-case-of-emergency” type of act.

I LOVE WHAT PASTOR SAID LAST WEEK … This is part of our way of life. I’m sick and tired of being sick and tired - So LORD BY YOUR STRIPES I AM HEALED.

I’m pleading the Blood over my life.

So what I want to do today - in light of Christmas, which is the celebration of the incarnation. God putting skin on. Emmanuel, God with us — in light of that, I want to talk about the Presence of God in the Eucharist. In Communion.

Christmas is the celebration of God’s literal, tangible body being born, through the virgin Mary, so that He could one day take on the sin of man in its totality, nailing it to a cross, exchanging places with humanity.

St. Anthanasius and his painting illustration

God takes our sin — and we receive His righteousness.

So Christmas is the celebration of God’s literal Presence

The Eucharist is the celebration of God’s spiritual Presence

Luke 22:14–23 (ESV)

14 And when the hour came, he reclined at table, and the apostles with him.

Jesus is at Passover here. A feast that was prescribed 1400 years before with the Children of Israel and Moses … Little did they know that this prophetic meal was put in place to look forward to The Christ - and now Jesus, the Christ, IS HAVING THAT MEAL

And so know Jesus is about to tell US, Christians, how we should look BACK AT THIS MEAL

Jews looked forward to Passover — Christians look back, remember, Passover. “do this in remembrance of me.”

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.”

Jesus is saying - I am going to have this meal with you - and with everyone who believes and has believed AGAIN — Marriage supper of the lamb

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.”

Passover always pointed forward to Jesus

And now what Jesus is about to institute -Communion- Points back to Jesus

You could say that this holiday - that was just killed and then reinstituted - is the center point of all of human history

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.

So Jesus does two things here:

He offers a cup — and he says this cup, this wine, is a representation of my blood

—which seems weird at first. In the early days of the church they were accused of cannibalism and incest

Then he offers bread — this is a representation of my body

Do this to remember the cross —The Cross that He is about to go to and have the worst death imaginable

And He gives thanks as he is doing this

He is breaking this bread, knowing his own body is about to be broken.. And it says he gives thanks.

Jesus is modeling thanksgiving in the middle of suffering

That in spite of trials and hardships in this world — We can remember, OUR GOD HAS OVERCOME!

Cup - Thanks - Eucharisteo - εὐχᾰριστέω

Bread - Thanks - Eucharisteo - εὐχᾰριστέω

This is how we got the word “Eucharist”

So when churches all across the world are taking communion, are taking the Eucharist, it is an act of thanksgiving

There’s 3 things I want to share with you today

1. Communion itself is a practice of gratitude

2. Communion is a central practice for the Church

photos of the Eucharist being the center of the church. Literally.

-Painting from the early 100s - Fractio Panis “breaking of the bread”

-Agape love feast — the center of communion and the church

-”newer” painting of it being the center

-church with it as the center

The early church was not centered around a podium - it wasn’t centered around speaking or teaching - but rather like a family at table - the elements, which are seen as the Presence of God

The podium didn’t become front and center until the 1500’s - Ulrich Zwingli, Swiss theologian, moved it front and center. Probably as a reaction to the reformation and a desire to separate himself from the Catholic church

The center of our “common union” with one another is the Presence of the Lord . Communion

It was the reformation that the shift in language took place — from Eucharist to Communion. Again, to distant themselves further from the catholics

-Transubstantiation - this doesn’t make any sense

-Consubstantiation — it is remembrance and a Presence. Not the physical Presence of Jesus but the mystical / Spiritual Presence of Jesus

The Jewish people, as they took Passover, believed that as they ate this meal, there was a special blessing and Presence of God that was entering their home. The same is true for us in Communion. This is what Martin Luther believed

-Symbolic — this ALSO doesn’t make any sense. This isn’t what the early church ever believed and this isn’t what the Bible teaches.

3. Communion is a remembrance and a real Presence

I don’t believe this is a practice to take lightly

This isn’t a mid-service snack.

There’s a reason we keep as close to the elements as possible. This isn’t something that should be done with dr. Pepper and skittles.

Jesus didn’t say - do this in remembrance of me, taste the rainbow.

It being merely symbolic doesn’t make any sense — If it were so, than there would be no need to ever take it and we could just mentally give thanks (Eucharisteo) and it would be the same.

The physical is not less than on this side of eternity.

Spirit - Soul - Body

EVEN ON THE OTHER SIDE OF ETERNITY YOU WILL HAVE A GLORIFIED BODY!

God is not abandoning the earth and creation

The physical is important — trust me, don’t die before you make Jesus Lord

Your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit. You are not a meat sack carrying a brain and spirit.

Your body is just as valuable as your spirit on this side of eternity

Even if it was just symbolic - it shouldn’t be done lightly

wedding ring / American flag

I wonder if out of fear of tradition or religion, we have missed out on something that is a central practice of the church for thousands of years and become too casual with it.

Ecclesiastes 5:1–2 (ESV)

1 Guard your steps when you go to the house of God. To draw near to listen is better than to offer the sacrifice of fools, for they do not know that they are doing evil. 2 Be not rash with your mouth, nor let your heart be hasty to utter a word before God, for God is in heaven and you are on earth. Therefore let your words be few.

That’s not a verse we read too often. Haha

The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom

dad and son relationship - healthy level of fear. respect.

God is ABBA and he is also King

Communion is at the center of the Church because it keeps Jesus at the center of the Church, where he obviously must be

We present ourselves. Communion should be done SERIOUSLY

1 Corinthians 11:17–32 (ESV)

17 But in the following instructions I do not commend you, because when you come together it is not for the better but for the worse. 18 For, in the first place, when you come together as a church, I hear that there are divisions among you. And I believe it in part, 19 for there must be factions among you in order that those who are genuine among you may be recognized. 20 When you come together, it is not the Lord’s supper that you eat. 21 For in eating, each one goes ahead with his own meal. One goes hungry, another gets drunk. 22 What! Do you not have houses to eat and drink in? Or do you despise the church of God and humiliate those who have nothing? What shall I say to you? Shall I commend you in this? No, I will not.

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.

I dont like open communion

my boys won’t take communion

This is why my boys will not take communion until they can understand what it is

“oh you’re just making a bigger deal out of this - its okay.”

No stop diminishing communion

Stop diminishing the eucharist

This is God’s presence

they people that might say that — are the same people that would probably be upset with the lack of expression of how some people worshipped. —

Like cold sticks in the mud

The same people that think I’m making a big deal about communion are the same people that would be offended by the lack of some people’s expression in worship

So you take the Presence of God seriously in Worship but not in communion?

I’M FOR BOTH

The Bible says - sing, shout, dance, clap, lift your hands — These are NOT worship suggestions!!

Why? Because Worship is important and I want to give God what God asks for

In the same way — Communion is more than a mere symbol, it is worship that God inhabits — and because of that I want to take it seriously

Jesus institutes Communion - The Eucharist - which is thanksgiving - Jesus does this at the frontier of pain

In the midst of pain, Jesus chose gratitude, and so can we, no matter the pain we are in

I know we did this last week. But this is something that the early for thousands of years have done weekly

I think this is something worth doing more than once a month or once a quarter. Just like I think worship is worth doing more than once a week

But I want us - to take communion and just invite the Presence of God into our lives. Into this church. Into this community.

We’re not standing in front of Him with a wishlist — but we are standing in front of Him as King, giving Him what He deserves as King, which is our worship, our remembrance