Remembering God's Grace

Series Intro

How to connect this monthly ritual to daily life.

Might be helpful, meaningful, moving in the moment, but they drift away. They are not present when they could be the most useful

Might be helpful, meaningful, moving in the moment, but they drift away. They are not present when they could be the most useful

refueling, recharging an imperfect metaphor; pulling into a gas station, the gauge needle on the empty line, you can hear the sputtering, and you fill up the tank. You’re good to go. You go on your way, but how much time do you spend contemplating the gasoline? We’re headed to work, ballgames, church events, family gatherings. In the gas station, our focus has shifted to our emptiness. Our need. The fuel. But once we are filled, we turn our focus away from the fuel and back to our busy schedules.

Communion is, in a manner of speaking, a means of recharging. We get burned out. God feels distant. We hurt on the inside. Holy Communion can be so powerful in those moments. But it’s more than refueling.

Not just what means, but how it impacts our day to day lives.

Sermon Introduction

today I want us to focus on those words, “Do this in remembrance of me.”

ex. of a ritual that is good for the moment, but little bearing on daily life (fighting with your spouse, wedding ritual; life sanctity of human life, birthday; achievement, graduation speech; meaning of death, funeral

Marijo and Debbie told 2 stories: They took place centuries apart, but they are directly connected. The Passover and The Last Supper.

1) Both were meals. 2) Both were ways of remembering the most important event in God’s history (deliverance from slavery in Egypt, and deliverance from sin on the cross). 3) Both remembering a bloody story. These are not pleasant stories. They are both bloody, violent horrifying stories.

The Passover remembers that evening when the firstborn of all Egyptians were killed, but “passed -over” the Israelites, which led to God’s delivering Israel from slavery. It is the most important story in the Old Testament. The Last Supper was a Passover meal. On the night when Jesus gave himself up for us, he was eating a meal that commemorated that event.

Holy Communion is when we remember the night when Jesus gave himself up for us. His execution. His crucifixion. We are not to gloss over these harsh realities when we take communion.

The Last Supper was a Passover meal. On the night when Jesus gave himself up for us, he was eating a meal that commemorated that event.

The Passover meal has a few things in common with Holy Communion: they both remember how God brought salvation to His people; and they both remembered a story that was bloody, violent, horrific memory;

the bloody, violent, horrific memory;

There’s another thing these 2 meals have in common: they brought wonderful benefits to God’s people. The passover brought freedom from the misery of slavery. The crucifixion brought us freedom from sin and death.

grace, but at what price?

when we receive holy communion, when we receive the body and blood of Christ and all of the benefits and blessings that come with it, I want to encourage to take seriously the words “do this in remembrance.”

I want us to remember 4 things: Christ’s death, Christ’s victory, His Mission and His Presence.

Not just remember these things, but see how they can make a different in our lives outside of this building.

1. Remember My Cross

how to connect this monthly experience to day to day living; like prayer, not just a ritual for the moment;

Remember my mission. -

Matthew 20:28 NIV

just as the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.”

Luke 19:10 NIV

For the Son of Man came to seek and to save the lost.”

Luke 19:10 NIV

For the Son of Man came to seek and to save the lost.”

purpose for existing; our purpose for existing

OT - to liberate his people; NT - to rescue from sin

disciples resisted his death, didn’t realize his mission

(temptation, evil, death)

Remember my victories. -

Remember my sacrifice. -

Jesus died for all, to win over friends and enemies alike;

Remember our purpose for existing. Goals, ambitions, desires, subject to this. Living outside our purpose (using something for an untended purpose)

if we can remember Christ’s purpose, we can remember our own

1. Remember My Cross

John 15:17 NIV

This is my command: Love each other.

Luke 9:23 NIV

Then he said to them all: “Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross daily and follow me.

Luke 22:19 NIV

And he took bread, gave thanks and broke it, and gave it to them, saying, “This is my body given for you; do this in remembrance of me.”

Ever wonder why Jesus was executed by crucifixion? Why not just a simple execution? There were no nice ways to execute, but they were certainly quicker ways to do it. Could Jesus purchase salvation with a quicker execution?

I’m not going to say that salvation couldn’t be accomplished without suffering for 48 hours on a wooden cross. But Christ’s unimaginable agony has certain benefits for us.

Jesus demonstrates his love through his willingness to suffer for us. When we remember the cross, we are not just remembering a death, but a sacrificial suffering. When we receive communion, we remember the enormous price Jesus paid so that we can be reconciled to God.

Like Passover, our salvation came at a huge, painful cost.

(the basis for our self esteem, sense of value: Christ placed value on you when he suffered and died on the cross. we do not make that kind of sacrifices for lost causes. We do not make those kinds of sacrifices for losers, failures. You are valuable.

But remember, we aren’t just remembering Christ’s cross, but we remember that we also have a cross. “Take up your cross and follow me.” There is no Christianity without a cross. There is no easy road. There are huge expectations that come with being a disciple of Jesus.

Whenever you eat the bread and drink the cup, remember the cross. Remember our cross.

2. Remember my Victory

Luke 22:15–16 NIV

And he said to them, “I have eagerly desired to eat this Passover with you before I suffer. For I tell you, I will not eat it again until it finds fulfillment in the kingdom of God.”

Luke 22:18 NIV

For I tell you I will not drink again from the fruit of the vine until the kingdom of God comes.”

John 16:33 NIV

“I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.”

(temptation, evil, death)

(temptation, evil, death)

not morbid introspection, not just sorrow

Christ had victory over temptation, over his enemies, over death;

OT - freedom, not just to enjoy freedom, but freedom with an obligation; forgiveness and freedom so we can forgive others and liberate others

If we can remember Christ’s victory, we can claim our own.

Whenever you eat the bread and drink the cup, remember Christ’s victory over temptation, evil and death. And remember that Christ’s victory can also be ours.

3. Remember My Mission -

Matthew 20:28 NIV

just as the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.”

Luke 19:10 NIV

For the Son of Man came to seek and to save the lost.”

purpose for existing; our purpose for existing

purpose for existing; our purpose for existing

OT - to liberate his people; NT - to rescue from sin

disciples resisted his death, didn’t realize his mission

Jesus died for all, to win over friends and enemies alike;

Remember our purpose for existing. (Last week: Loving God, loving people, making disciples). Every simple way of describing the purpose of life.)

Goals, ambitions, desires, how do they align with the mission. Living outside our purpose (using something for an untended purpose)

if we can remember Christ’s purpose, we can remember our own

Whenever you eat the bread and drink the cup, remember the reason why Jesus came: to suffer and die. To purchase our salvation. Remember that Christ has called us to continue His mission.

4. Remember My Presence -

(we’re going to go deeper next week)

“This is...”

Matthew 28:20 NIV

and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.”

Whenever you eat the bread and drink the cup, think of those words that I say when I lift up the bread and the cup. This is my body. This is my blood. These are not just symbols of something that happened in the past. The bread stands for this, the juice stands for that. This is my body. This is my blood. We believe in the real presence of Christ in the bread.

So when you take the bread, the cup, when you take the real presence of Christ, remember his promise. I am with you always.

Conclusion

remembering what we hear v. what we experience;

ex. Christmas (they pile up) China, grandmother; lasagne - emotional debate; hands on involvement; taste)

God gives himself to us in a way that the spoken word cannot. God gives himself to us in a way we can touch and taste.

This is not just true in that moment we take communion.