Communion
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Don’t let your Christianity become a ritual
Communion is much more than just a religious ritual that we perform the first Sunday of the month it a time to remember what our savior and God did for us
Me
Me
There were times in my life when I would go to church or perform the same religious rituals almost on auto pilot. It did not mean much of anything to me. I simply did it because I was suppose to do it. It was expected.
Singing Songs
Praying for someone who was sick
Communion
When this would happened, church and even my Christianity would become shallow and many times miss what God had for me through these experiences
Example: being Baptized at age 9 versus being baptized at age 35
The richness and depth of being a Christian for me is understanding the why behind what I do from God’s point of view.
We
We
There are many things we do in church or in the name of being a Christian that can so easily lose their meaning and just become rituals or just things we do rather than things we cherish
Worship
Devotions
Praying for others
Prayer for yourself
Giving
Serving in a ministry
Communion
Why is Always More Important than What
Why is Always More Important than What
Take Communion as an example.
The juice and cracker mean nothing without the why behind them.
What do they represent?
Why are they special?
Let’s look at why behind Communion from God’s perspective
God
God
14 When the time came, Jesus and the apostles sat down together at the table.
15 Jesus said, “I have been very eager to eat this Passover meal with you before my suffering begins.
16 For I tell you now that I won’t eat this meal again until its meaning is fulfilled in the Kingdom of God.”
17 Then he took a cup of wine and gave thanks to God for it. Then he said, “Take this and share it among yourselves.
18 For I will not drink wine again until the Kingdom of God has come.”
19 He took some bread and gave thanks to God for it. Then he broke it in pieces and gave it to the disciples, saying, “This is my body, which is given for you. Do this in remembrance of me.”
20 After supper he took another cup of wine and said, “This cup is the new covenant between God and his people—an agreement confirmed with my blood, which is poured out as a sacrifice for you.
21 “But here at this table, sitting among us as a friend, is the man who will betray me.
22 For it has been determined that the Son of Man must die. But what sorrow awaits the one who betrays him.”
23 The disciples began to ask each other which of them would ever do such a thing.
Why is Always More Important than What
Why is Always More Important than What
This is communion or the Last Supper that we celebrate on the fist Sunday of each month.
Historical Communion
The passover meal originated with Moses and the Israelites back in Egypt
Remember the story of the 10 plagues and Pharaoh
All the firstborn sons will die in every family in Egypt, from the oldest son of Pharaoh, who sits on his throne, to the oldest son of his lowliest servant girl who grinds the flour. Even the firstborn of all the livestock will die. Then a loud wail will rise throughout the land of Egypt, a wail like no one has heard before or will ever hear again. But among the Israelites it will be so peaceful that not even a dog will bark. Then you will know that the Lord makes a distinction between the Egyptians and the Israelites.
The Israelites were instructed to slaughter a lamb and put its blood on the door posts of there house and the Lord would “passover” any home with the blood on its posts.
That night every first born child was killed, even livestock, and this was the final straw and Pharoah finally let the Israelites leave Egypt
Then God told them to observe passover to celebrate the Lord delivering them from Egypt
15 First, celebrate the Festival of Unleavened Bread. For seven days the bread you eat must be made without yeast, just as I commanded you. Celebrate this festival annually at the appointed time in early spring, in the month of Abib, for that is the anniversary of your departure from Egypt. No one may appear before me without an offering.
Jesus Communion
The Lamb that was sacrificed for each household, whose blood was put on the door post, was a foreshadow of what Jesus was going to do for all of mankind on the cross
16 For I tell you I will not eat it until it is fulfilled in the kingdom of God.”
They were celebrating Passover together and Jesus was about to become the lamb slaughtered to save all people form their sins
Why is Always More Important than What
Why is Always More Important than What
Our Communion
Are you beginning to see that Communion that we celebrate is so much more than just a religious celebration?
“Do this in Remembrance of Me” is not just a slogan or even a directive not to forget Jesus. It is the Lord Jesus reminding us that when we take communion we are acknowledging and remembering that we are no longer slaves to sin and death because of His sacrifice.
You
You
Prepare to take communion together
When you take communion always remember these three things
You do not need to be a FCFC member
You must be saved
You must have clean hands and heart
These will help you never take communion again as some religious ritual but you will remember that Jesus sacrifice on the cross is your victory over sin, death and a gateway to new way to live
We
We
God never intended the things we do in the name of religion to just be rituals.
They were intended to be moments in time that we draw closer to our savoir and our God
How much more does an act like Communion mean when it stops being a ritual and becomes an act of love for God?
Isn’t this true for the other things we mentioned at the beginning:
Worship
Devotions
Praying for others and yourself
Giving
Serving in a ministry
Communion
Christianity stops being about the tasks we do and becomes about the love of our God and gift of our savior