200927 Relationship Communion

Relationship in Communion

What is communion? At its heart, Communion is relationship, fellowship, sharing, κοινωνια. Today is my 17th wedding anniversary. I have a relationship with my wife that transcends all other earthly relationships. My wife and our relationship is truly a God-given gift and I love her dearly. When the text in Genesis 2:24 says, “they shall become one” I think of our relationship over time. We knew each other when we married each other but we know each other now. We have a closeness together that we don’t and cannot have with anyone else. We know each other better than anyone else. We finish each other’s sentences and we know what each other is thinking. We can pick up queue’s from each other’s body language that would be lost to anyone else. We have a relationship. We have a closeness that we don’t have with anyone else.

Well, the Trinity is no different in this regard. In eternity past they had perfect relationship together, as they do now. A close relationship. A face-to-face kind of relationship. A perfect relationship. No secrets, no divisions. No separation - just perfect unity. This close relationship is described in John 1,

1 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.

2 He was in the beginning with God.

Some of us have experienced that in an earthly measure, either with the closest of close friends, or our spouses. Think of that solid eye contact, that vulnerability and completely open communication. That is relationship, that is communion, sharing, fellowship, κοινωνια.

When we take part in communion we maintain our relationship with God. We remember that we have relationship with God because of Christ’s death. The very act of partaking of the elements is a loud proclamation of Christ’s death and we do this regularly – not because we have to, but because we get to. It is a privilege to commune with God. It is a privilege to commune with each other. But before we do we will take a whole minute to examine ourselves to determine if we even should. If there is sin in our life we need to repent and turn away from it laying it at the foot of the cross. Let’s take it to the cross. Let’s take it to the One that loved us enough to free us from all of these things. WAIT FOR ONE WHOLE MINUTE . Close in prayer.

Gary will you ask the blessing on the bread?

(1 Co 11:23–26)

23 …the Lord Jesus in the night in which 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.”

Dad, will you ask the blessing on the cup?

25 In the same way He took the cup also after supper, saying, “This cup is the new covenant in My blood; do this, as often as you drink it, in remembrance of Me.”

PAUSE

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

LETS PRAY