The Holy Communion of Saints
Notes
Transcript
We are keeping an eye on the number of Covid cases in the county and we will continue to move forward prayerfully
Still planning, at this point, to have a Celebration Sunday June 7th with a meal to follow
If you feel sick AT ALL please stay home
Mission and Vision
Apostles Creed
Scripture
Today we are talking about this clause: I believe in the holy communion of saints
But first as a quick recap
I believe
Fully rest and rely on this truth
My life reflects this
This has impacted me personally and so I live out of this conviction
NOT I accept as true, I’ll agree, I think
Last week Kylie Jo talked about the Holy Catholic Church or the church universal
Today piggy backs off of that topic pretty well
God is so awesome that he knew 6 months ago when He gave me this series that today, the first day back to have fellowship together, this would be our topic
So before we jump into what this clause means and what today’s scripture is about, let’s talk about what it doesn’t mean
Communion of Saints isn’t talking about the act of drinking the cup and eating the bread
This isn’t saying I believe we need to take communion
The word communion here in our context talks about the common unity held between all believers of Jesus
And before you get caught up on that word saint
That is the word that describes you if you have found your salvation in Jesus Chrsit
If he is your lord an savior you are a saint
Say it. I am a saint
Now a saint isn’t someone who never has done anything wrong or someone who is perfected and walks around with a halo and little animals following them around
A saint is someone who is holy. That is who has been claimed and set aside for a devine purpose
Someone who has been saved from their sins through the atoning blood of Jesus Christ and saved for communion with him and with other saints
Who are the other saints?
They’re just people that go to your church right?
THey’re just people that affiliate with the right denomination?
THey’re just people that look like you?
They’re people that live in the same continent or hemisphere?
They’re people that are alive?
The other saints are all believers in Christ. Living and Dead
The crazy thing about that is that to say that you believe in the communion of saints means that you should have more in common with a believer in Jesus from Mexico, or Iraq, or Uganda than you do a non believer from this town.
We are talking about the greek word Koinonia
Or Fellowship
This is exactly what Paul is talkin about in Romans 12:4-13
For as in one body we have many members, and the members do not all have the same function, so we, though many, are one body in Christ, and individually members one of another. Having gifts that differ according to the grace given to us, let us use them: if prophecy, in proportion to our faith; if service, in our serving; the one who teaches, in his teaching; the one who exhorts, in his exhortation; the one who contributes, in generosity; the one who leads, with zeal; the one who does acts of mercy, with cheerfulness.
Let love be genuine. Abhor what is evil; hold fast to what is good. Love one another with brotherly affection. Outdo one another in showing honor. Do not be slothful in zeal, be fervent in spirit, serve the Lord. Rejoice in hope, be patient in tribulation, be constant in prayer. Contribute to the needs of the saints and seek to show hospitality.
Paul is giving us a clear picture of what it means to be the koinonia.. the body of believers. The communion of the saints
When we say we believe in the communion of saints what we are saying is that I fully rest and rely on the fact that I am a part of the body of Christ
That I am not a solo lone ranger CHristian
Which there is no such thing
You are saying that you are a part of the community that Christ has called to demonstrate his agape love
That’s what the communion of saints is
It’s being in each other’s lives… not just seeing people on Sunday and hoping that you don’t have to talk too much to them
It’s about using your gifts to build up other people
About living with genuine love
Outdo one another showing honor
That means that as a part of the body you don’t just wait for someone to come along and love you
You look for ways to love an serve others
Not because you’re expecting anything in return but because you’re trying to outdo them in love
WALK THROUGH THE SCRIPTURE
Kylie Jo challenged us last week with the thought that we don’t believe in the church universal but we believe in the local church denominational
I’m going to challenge us and say that most of us don’t believe in the communion of saints, we believe in the toleration of people in public
Because we don’t practice the art of christian love, of common unity, of koinonia
But here’s the thing, as someone who says that they believe in Jesus Christ… this is exactly what you are saying by your words… we need to now live it by our deeds
Now that we are Lord Willing coming out of the pandemic. We can not go back to the same old things that we did when we went into quarantine
I hope youhave felt or are feeling the crushing weight of isolation, and boredom
I hope that it is driving you to understand that you need the koinonia
You need to love and serve and be a part of the holy community of God
It is how you were designed
It is what you professed when you were born again
It is who Christ in you has remade you to be
I believe in the communion of saints looks like loving your brother and sister in Christ
It looks like overlooking offenses in the name of love
it looks like serving with your gifts and not waiting for an invite
it looks like not waiting to be served but instead trying to outlove someone else
It looks like not looking at your life as being all about you but realizing that you are a part of us and we are all a part of what the Lord is doing
It looks like generosity, not just with money but with time and with your kindness. Loving people who don’t “deserve” it
It looks like contributing to the needs of the saints and seeking to show hospitality
It looks alot like the kingdom of heaven.
If that’s not how you’ve been living. Evaluate if you really believe that