Untitled Sermon

BRAD

All of this leads us to the most ancient forms of Christian worship.

I want to invite those who will be serving communion to take your place.

As Paul wrote in the text Chris shared, Jesus himself gave his followers this form of worship we call communion.

He said when you take the bread tear it and eat it, I want you to think of that bread symbolizing my body remember that my body was broken for you.

And so we remember that the sacrifice that should have rightly been our shoulders was placed on His, for the payment of our sin and the introduction of new life.

He said when you take the cup remember that my blood was spilt for you. He did not tithe his blood, he gave it all, sacrificially proclaiming his love and covenant with all who would give their lives to follow him.

And so in a moment I am going to invite you to make your way down these two centre aisles, come forward and break off a piece of bread and dip it into the cup and eat.

And I would say that if you are a Christian and you have come to the point in your life where you have said, yes, Jesus is my leader and forgiver, all that that sacrifice purchases, I want it. he is my greatest pursuit. Come take part in communion.

But I would say that if you have not come to that point, Jesus for you is still just a man, I would ask that you take this time to listen and reflect on the words that Chris has shared with us and the words of the songs we are about to sing and maybe communion doesn't make sense for you this time, but it will the next time we take it.

PAUSE

There is always a danger in a moment like this of walking through motions without reflection, so I want to invite you to allow this moment to have a hold of you. To invite the Spirit of God, whom Scripture calls our Comforter, our Counsellor, to speak to you.

We all arrive here this morning, differently.

We wear different scars and suffer different fears, we struggle with different questions and longings.

Disappointment with the past, concerns for the future.

So I want to invite you to bow your heads and in silence allow this to be a sacred moment, where we listen.

PAUSE

1. Some of you may need to allow the good news of the cross to unleash you from your past to dissolve chains

there are memories defining you, lies tormenting you, words said, actions made that have haunted you. Done to you or done by you.

Jesus proclaims to you, the cross declares they have no right to your life anymore.

They are the characteristics, they are the rap sheet of your formal self.

They need to be left here today.

Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come.

2. Some of us are concerned about the future-

consumed by tomorrows that have not even happened yet. But in our hearts we’ve already written the story.

fears of an unknown future have already condemned us to anxiety and doubt.

Jesus, who is the first and the last, the beginning and the end, invites you to give him your fears and anxieties. to allow the comfort and perspective that can only come from the cross, from reflection on a God who is not going anywhere; who cannot be taken by surprise and who knows your path before you take it.

He want to say…

Do not be afraid or terrified ….. for I go with you; I will never leave you nor forsake you.

3. And for some—-You need Jesus not just to forgive your past, to elevate the fear of your future, but at this moment- you are confused, you are in need of immediate counsel. You feel unloved and weighed down.

Let the love of God seen in the cross, that surpasses knowledge--fill you with the measure of all the fullness of God.

Invite the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, to guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.

This time of communion, celebrates a forgiven past, a future of hope, and the promise of a God who walks with us in love at this moment.

PRAYER

God full of Grace. We thank you that although you are holy, all through you are just, you are also loving, full of mercy and grace.

Jesus, we thank you for the extremes you went to to bring us to yourself and we pray at this moment that you would make yourself known to us.

That as we look at ourselves and allow your Spirit to infiltrate our hearts and minds we would be renewed, remade, recreated. Understanding that in you we worship a God who forgives our past, gives us hope, and loves not a future version of us, but loves us as we are now.

We are humbled and we worship you and now through this communion.

Amen