Communion

Rhythms

TLK 4

Bottom Line: We participate in Communion because we need reminded of the gospel daily

Intro

In the final week of our Rhythms series→ asking the question, “why?” behind some of the rhythms we do as Christians… Today we are going to ask a question about something that if you grew up around Christianity you probably think you know the answer to… kinda like when you're in school and you try to answer the question before the teacher finishes but then you aren't entirely correct… The question is why do we participate in Communion?

You may say the answer can be found in what Jesus said as he dined with His disciples, “Do this in remembrance of me.” Kyle, it is to remember Jesus… While you're not wrong, what if the reason went deeper than that… What if the reason actually exposed a weakness each one of us suffers from in this room?

Truth

Luke 22:14-21→ Context→ takes place at Jesus’ final passover meal→ annual meal the nation of Israel participated in to celebrate and remember how God freed His people from Egyptian captivity→ particularly tied to the final plague in Exodus 12→ lambs blood over the door posts of their homes to save their first born…. After God commands His people to have a celebration to remember what He had done for them.

Luke 22:14-16→ the moment these men are in with Jesus is not a casual get together… This meal is a signpost for what is to come… Jesus is telling them that this meal is no longer only about looking back at what God had done in Egypt… It will look forward to something… the single most important event in human history

Luke 22:17-18→ four cups of wine drank at a Passover seder… each one represented a different moment in the Exodus story

Luke 22:19→ pointing to what was about to happen on the cross→ given for you→ intentionally given or substitutionally given

Luke 22:20→ the cup→ the cup of blessing, the third cup passed out during the meal, done after the meal was eaten… this was also known as the cup of redemption→ reflects on the promise God made to redeem His people again like He did in the Exodus story… New covenant→ Jesus points to two things here… Jeremiah 31:31-34…. And that new covenant is being established in blood just like the covenant made in Exodus 24:8… but instead of it being an animal… It would be in the blood of God in flesh… Jesus

That’s exactly what would happen→ gospel→ done so that anyone who confesses with their mouth that Jesus is Lord and believes in their heart that He was raised from the dead will be saved… adopted into this new covenant with God

Go back to our original answer in Luke 22:19→ Do this in remembrance of me→ covenantal language→ same word in the Septuagint in Exodus 12:4→ to participate in presently… it is remembering but like its a present reality

Participating in Communion reminds us to look back at the cross…. Remember how the gospel is good news and reflect on its ongoing implications…. It became a rhythm of the early church… it is one Paul had to address the church in Corinth about.

1 Corinthians 11:17-34→ Context→ 20-25 years after the first Communion with Jesus and His disciples… the church in Corinth is not participating in this rhythm well.

1 Corinthians 11:17→ they have turned this meal into a divisive, self-serving meal rather than what it was intended to be

1 Corinthians 11:23-26→ same word Jesus uses in Luke 22:19→ Paul brings more clarity to the purpose of remembering the gospel→ the proclamation of the gospel through the physical act of this meal… declaring Jesus work on the cross until when? He comes back again…

Communion reminds us to look forward to His return… we need to remember this is not the end of the story and this is not our home… Jesus is coming back… Are you living like it?

1 Corinthians 11:27-29→ Paul gives us one more insight here about what Communion should remind us of… Communion reminds us to look around→ how are you with your brothers and sisters in Christ? You are now a part of a covenantal family

Application

When it comes to taking Communion there are three layers to this thing…

Communion should only be taken by those who are already in covenant relationship with God through faith in Christ→ have you professed Jesus as Lord and Savior

When we take Communion we need to

Look back→ reflect on the price that was paid for our sin on the cross

Look around→ reflect on relationships… with God and others… Do you need to mend a relationship with a brother or sister? Confess sin to God? Commit to being active within the body

Look forward→ He is coming back to make all things new… and we will be with Him in eternity… are you living with eternity in mind?

These are great things to understand and implement with the rhythm of Communion…. However, there is an even deeper, more pressing truth Communion reminds us of… This is where our weakness gets exposed… We need reminded of the gospel daily because we are prone to forget→ “I must hearken to the gospel, which teacheth me, not what I ought to do but what Jesus Christ the Son of God hath done for me…And this is the truth of the gospel. It is also the principal article of all Christian doctrine… Most necessary it is, therefore, that we should know this article well, teach it unto others, and beat it into their heads continually.” Martin Luther

We forget the gospel when we:

Try to earn what Jesus has already given→ performance driven. Turn following Jesus into behavior modification instead of heart transformation

Minimize sin→ every sin hung Jesus on the cross… God does not expect perfection but progression towards holiness

Start looking to the world for satisfaction→ money, relationships, approval, etc..

Become self-righteous→ comparison, “I’ve made it”

Forget we are part of a family→ gathering, groups, serving, etc…

Forget how the story ends→ lean into anxiety, worry, living in sin…

We participate in Communion because we need reminded of the gospel daily

How can you remember the gospel daily?

Start your day by preaching the gospel to yourself

End your day by reflecting on the gospel

Move into communion moment…