COMMUNION Nov 2020

TRANSITION

The Scriptures urge us to REMEMBER!

“Remember the great and awe-inspiring Lord” ( Neh 4:14);

“Remember your Creator in the days of your youth” ( Eccl 12:1);

“Remember the wonderful works He has done” ( Ps 105:5);

and “Remember Jesus Christ, risen from the dead” ( 2 Tim 2:8 ESV).

All throughout the New Testament,, the Holy Spirit had the writers remind their readers often of essential gospel truths ( 2 Tim 2:14; Rom 15:15; Phil 3:1; Jude 5; 2 Pet 1:12-15; 3:1-2).

When Jesus instituted the Lord’s Supper (which is of course linked to Passover), He said, “Do this in remembrance of Me” ( Luke 22:19). It is important that we remind ourselves, and others, of all that God has done for us.

Remember, that the Passover Seder had been celebrated for hundreds and hundreds of years...but not like the way Jesus did it. No father would've broken the bread and shared the cup in the way Jesus did. His is a new and living way!

In our Sunday School / Bible Study lesson from 2 weeks ago we were reminded:

The Lord’s Supper is a symbolic act of obedience whereby members of the church, through partaking of the bread and the fruit of the vine, memorialize the death of the Redeemer and anticipate His second coming.

1. This is not for everyone…just like the Feast of Unleavened Bread was only for God’s covenant people (not the guest or the uncircumcised) this is only for those who have a living relationship with Jesus Christ. - If that's not you, or if you have hesitation, just let the elements pass by. - Let the body of Christ proclaim the death of Christ to you this morning.

2. This is an act of worship for the saints.

Let's be reverent to honor the Lamb.

Let's be reflective in the cost of this privilege.

Let's be responsive to the Great Commission...this is a part of our proclaiming.

As Paul would REMIND the Corinthian church through taking the Lord’s Supper, he writes:

1 Corinthians 11:23–24 ESV

23 For I received from the Lord what I also delivered to you, that the Lord Jesus on the night when he was betrayed took bread, 24 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.”

THE BREAD

Let’s take the bread out now…I’ll pray, then we’ll eat together.

PRAYER:

Christ Jesus, when you came into the world, you said to the Father: “Sacrifices and offerings you have not desired, but a body you have prepared for me; in burnt offerings and sin offerings you have taken no pleasure.” Then you said, “Behold, I have come to do your will, O God, as it is written of me in the scroll of the book” (Heb. 10:5–7). And then you came in the incarnation, and by a single offering of your body on the cross you achieved what all the offerings on Jewish altars could never accomplish—the complete forgiveness of our sins.

Bread of heaven, as we now partake of the symbol, ravish our hearts and refresh our souls. Amen.

THE CUP

1 Corinthians 11:25 ESV

25 In the same way also he took the cup, after supper, saying, “This cup is the new covenant in my blood. Do this, as often as you drink it, in remembrance of me.”

Let’s get the cup ready now…I’ll pray, then we’ll drink together.

PRAYER:

Our gracious God, we thank you this day for the new covenant, the covenant sealed through the blood of Jesus Christ, your Son. And we drink this cup in remembrance of Christ’s sacrifice for our sins, asking him even now, through the Spirit, to commune with us as we commune with each other.

With grateful hearts, O Christ, we drink of you and to you. Amen.

1 Corinthians 11:26 ESV

26 For as often as you eat this bread and drink the cup, you proclaim the Lord’s death until he comes.

The Lord’s Supper is important to us because it reminds us of our past, our present, and our future. Our sins are forgiven because of what Christ has accomplished for us in the past. We enjoy a new life with Him in the present. And we look forward to our future celebration with Him for eternity. Because we are forgiven of our sin and have been given new life through Christ, we celebrate the Lord’s Supper and we share with others about the salvation Jesus won for us through His cross and resurrection.