October 5 - Communion
COMMUNION
Communion is our opportunity to examine our relationship to Christ and to be restored to the blessings of the covenant relationship we have with Him in His blood. As 1 Corinthians 11:23-25 states: “the Lord Jesus on the same night in which He was betrayed took bread; and when He had given thanks, He broke it and said, "Take, eat; this is My body which is broken for you; do this in remembrance of Me."
In the same manner He also took the cup after supper, saying, "This cup is the new covenant in My blood. This do, as often as you drink it, in remembrance of Me."
Please consider these words of wisdom from Henry Blackaby: God's Design
For those He foreknew He also predestined to be conformed to the image of His Son, so that He would be the firstborn among many brothers. And those He predestined, He also called; and those He called, He also justified; and those He justified, He also glorified.—Romans 8:29–30
Your life is a part of God's grand design. God has known about you and had a plan for your life since before time began. He knew everything about you before you were even born (Jer. 1:5). God predetermined that you would become like His Son. Your life, therefore, has a destiny. Christ is the model upon which the Father is developing your life. You are meant to have a relationship with the Father that is as intimate as the relationship between Jesus and the Father (John 17:21). Every event He allows into your life is designed to make you more like Christ.
God's call came when He invited you to join Him in the process! His call was extremely personal, designed specifically for your response. How wonderful to realize that at a particular moment in history, almighty God spoke personally to you and invited you to become His child!
Because of your sin, you could never live blamelessly. But God forgave your sin and justified you, declaring you righteous. All the spiritual debt you carried with Him was forgiven, and you were freed to enjoy God and to serve Him for the rest of eternity. In Biblical times, the glory of God's people was His presence. You, too, are glorified because the fullness of God now dwells within you, and you will one day be with Him (Col. 1:27; 2:9). He invites you to join Him in working out His will in your life—conforming you to His image (Phil. 2:12)..
Participation in communion is open to all believers, so whether you attend this church regularly or not you are welcome to partake with us in this solemn celebration.
As we prepare our hearts for communion, we need to remember that communion is a terrible reminder of the incredible cost to God for us to enter the new covenant. We each need to examine our self, because if only one member of the body is out of fellowship with God, it can affect the whole body. That is the nature of the covenant God has made with us. In the Old Testament the sin of Achan and his family caused the Israelites to be defeated when they went to battle against the city of Ai. In the New Testament the sin of Ananias and Sapphira was jeopardizing the entire work of God in the early church, so God dealt with them severely. Knowing that God’s Word shows us the ways of God and how He deals with His people when they are out of fellowship with Him, I realize that we as a body need to renew our covenant with God and confess our sin regularly. This is precisely why the communion service was first established.
Some of the greatest revivals in history came as a result of God’s people participating in communion. To remember the cross and the new covenant in Christ’s blood will make a deep impact on each of us who take communion seriously. In 1727, the Moravian Brethren were so impacted by the sacrificial death of Christ that every member of the church was drawn back to God and His purposes for their lives. They saw their relationship to one another and to Christ in such a way that they felt the need for repentance and cleansing. Immediately, God heard their cry and brought revival to the congregation, and through a revived people, God mad an impact that literally reached every corner of the earth. In England, churches used to take a whole week for communion, they though it took a significant amount of time to examine themselves thoroughly and get right before God. Why? Because they were a covenant people – just as we are!
Let’s read John 6:47-58: “ Most assuredly, I say to you, he who believes in Me has everlasting life. I am the bread of life.
Your fathers ate the manna in the wilderness, and are dead.
This is the bread which comes down from heaven, that one may eat of it and not die. I am the living bread which came down from heaven. If anyone eats of this bread, he will live forever; and the bread that I shall give is My flesh, which I shall give for the life of the world."
The Jews therefore quarreled among themselves, saying, "How can this Man give us His flesh to eat?" Then Jesus said to them, "Most assuredly, I say to you, unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink His blood, you have no life in you. Whoever eats My flesh and drinks My blood has eternal life, and I will raise him up at the last day. For My flesh is food indeed, and My blood is drink indeed. He who eats My flesh and drinks My blood abides in Me, and I in him. As the living Father sent Me, and I live because of the Father, so he who feeds on Me will live because of Me.
This is the bread which came down from heaven--not as your fathers ate the manna, and are dead. He who eats this bread will live forever."
AS we prepared to be served, let’s pray for the consecration of these elements: Father, we are thankful for the bread and cup. We pray that these elements will provide more than physical nourishment. Grant us the peace, unity, and spiritual nourishment this bread symbolizes. May this cup speak again of the blood Christ shed for the forgiveness of sin. Cleanse us and consecrate us again as we partake of this token meal together. We eagerly await the day we shall eat it with you in the Kingdom of Heaven. In Christ’s name, Amen.
Starting on my left, please come forward to be served the elements, please hold on to your serving until all have been served so we may partake together.
(When all are ready to partake) “The Lord Jesus on the night He was betrayed, took bread and when He had given thanks, He broke it and said, “This is my body which is for you; do this in remembrance of me” Let’s partake.
(When all are ready to partake of the cup) “In the same way, after supper He took the cup saying, “This cup is the new covenant in my blood; do this, whenever you drink it, in remembrance of me.” For whenever you eat this bread and drink this cup, you proclaim the Lord’s death until He comes.”
Let’s close in prayer.