Communion

We are going to dive into the scripture on the subject of communion and as I've already mentioned, this is in preparation for December the 29th that Sunday night at 6 p.m. We'll have our annual communion service and While it's a practice that probably many of us are familiar with maybe in different levels of understanding It's our intention tonight to look to the scripture To see where this has evolved from What it means the significance of the act and how we are to approach it And so we'll begin in 1st Corinthians 1123 through 30 and then we'll take a journey back through the scripture to see how we got there Apostle Paul writes for I have received of the Lord that which also I delivered unto you That the Lord Jesus the same night in which he was betrayed took bread When he had given thanks he break it and said take eat. This is my body which is broken for you

This do in remembrance of me After the same manner also he took the cup and when he had said saying this cup is the New Testament in my blood This do ye as often as you drink it in remembrance of me For as often as you eat this bread and drink this cup you do show the Lord's death till he come Wherefore whosoever shall eat this bread and drink this cup of the Lord unworthily Shall be guilty of the body and the blood of the Lord So the admonition in verse 28 says but let a man Examine himself and so let him eat of that bread and drink of that cup for he that eateth and drinketh unworthily Eateth and drinketh damnation to himself not discerning the Lord's body and for this cause Those that do not discern the Lord's body Paul says for this cause many are weak and

Sickly among you and many sleep This is most notably what we would consider the passage of scripture from which we will read and No doubt pastor may pull from this same text in just a couple weeks This is the communion scripture Paul was instituting this ordinance in the early church called the Lord supper But we must consider Where does Paul draw from we draw from the writing of Paul? But where is he drawing from? He said I have received of the Lord that which I also delivered unto you and References that same night in which Jesus was betrayed he took bread Well, we find this record in the Gospels and Luke. It is in chapter number 22 And there's much to be said here and the first is this the timing is significant It was the feast of the unleavened bread, which is the time of the Passover

And this is notable because Jesus had planned That his death would occur at the time the Passover was being celebrated now this is significant because He was showing them that he was coming to fulfill this celebration of the Passover So this gathering in Luke 22 is on the eve of Jesus crucifixion He has planned the timing to be such He has gathered here at this table to celebrate this time of Passover with his 12 disciples and This setting is not it's not unfamiliar to them This is something that all of these men have done many times before They've done it from their youth their fathers their grandfathers have done it in fact This has been instituted from the time of Exodus 12 until now and so so much of this In this moment is is familiar to them, but what was somewhat Probably unexpected Was when Jesus begins to take of these emblems and speak not of what had happened

But what was going to happen? So for the first time in all of history Passover was not simply causing them to look back in remembrance But he causes them to consider what is soon to happen He caught he takes their their eyes from history and he causes them to look into the future But we can't fully understand what is to come this salvation He's talking about if we don't take time to ask what was the act What is the historical thing? He is asking them to remember So we're going to take a journey back into the Old Testament tonight to consider this thing called Passover as far back as The patriarch Abraham the word of the Lord came and God said that there's going to be a time 400 years of slavery that my people are going to go into Egyptian captivity It was always God's intention to bring them out and so when that time came he he calls Moses

This is Exodus chapter 3. They're on the backside of a desert and he tells Moses I hear the cry of my people by reason of the taskmasters Moses I'm going to send you to stand before Pharaoh You're going to be the deliverer that brings my people out Moses knows that this this shepherd is very Underqualified for such a task and he says who will I tell Pharaoh has sent me And the Lord says you tell them that the I am has sent you So much revelation in Exodus chapter 3 He tells Moses I'm going to do it by mighty signs and wonders and when I bring my people out I'm going to take them to a land that flows with milk and honey. It's everything. I've promised them It's all of that and more But this is how I'm going to do it Moses mighty signs and wonders

This is what we read of in the Old Testament the ten plagues We're not going to go through all ten tonight. It's not our objective nor do we have time for it, but I would Stir your curiosity if you would desire to study it's quite a study as you consider the ten plagues They're not just random acts Each of those plagues was chosen in the wisdom of God to confront Some kind of Egyptian deity or some kind of false philosophy that the Egyptians had Elevated as a God in their life. And so what is God doing? He is systematically Deconstructing the Egyptian religion and in doing so he shows them really that creation is is this beautiful tapestry of many three things and when you when you Unravel one part of God's creation all of it starts to fall apart Because when the water turns to blood the frogs don't want to be in the water

and Now you've got an infestation of frogs and now when when when the the animal kingdom and the climate is messed with You've got dead animals and flies and gnats and so you see all of these things are not just random occurrences God is communicating to his people. There is an order in a system of creation But finally when you get to that tenth plague It was God's Promise that the death angel was going to come through the land and he said the firstborn of every every Every child of every family every human the firstborn of every human and beast Would lose its life the tenth plague and the assurance was after that tenth plague when Pharaoh sees This kind of death and destruction He will release you and you'll be free to go But God as is his nature Always desires to give his people a way of escape

So Exodus chapter 12 details the giving of this instruction God was providing his people a way of escape Exodus 12 These verses are not in your handout, but you can make note of them if you're a note taker a couple notable points verse number three of Exodus 12 God said every house needed a lamb every house It's not sufficient for there to be one house for everybody every house has to have a lamb It's not good enough for your father's house. Your house has to have a lamb And it's not enough for just your house your child's house is gonna have to have a lamb every house Needs a lamb and then he said if the household be too little for the lamb That you should take consideration for your neighbor in the number of souls in their house Can I tell you that? There is always enough lamb for your house and more

See there was there was typology I know I know Jesus had not yet come the gospel had not yet been written How we live had not yet been actualized, but there is there's typology in this for us tonight And it is this is that that every house needs a lamb. We all need to experience salvation And I would tell you that there is always more than enough lamb for the house There there is more than enough for just you and so the Admonition of the scripture is is if the household be too little for the lamb then it is it is incumbent upon us that We take consideration of our neighbors also So what are you saying well what I'm saying is we've got more than enough Jesus for us So it is it is wise It is necessary of us to to consider our neighbor now

I got to be honest with you today I was convicted when I was reading this because I thought well this would put the burden of Responsibility upon the child of God because the admonition was you have to know if you're gonna offer up the lamb for that Household to you've got to know how many souls are in the house And I began to think of the houses on my street and I thought dear God I don't I really I've met a few of them, but I don't know how many people are in these houses How can you accept responsibility for something if you don't even know what's there? It would be unfitting to knock on the door with lamb for four if there's six in the house and so Invokes our Responsibility in the process, but the mandate was this if the household be too little for the lamb and share it

He said it had to be a lamb without blemish all of this was prescribed in God's way of Deliverance that he was making for his people and so it is that salvation their salvation From that Egyptian captivity would only come this way it came by a lamb and by its blood Exodus 12 and 7 They shall take of the blood and strike on the two side posts and on the upper doorpost of the house Wherein they shall eat it So it's not enough. I want you to hear me. It is not sufficient for the blood to be shed The blood must be applied The scripture said to strike it upon the side posts and the upper door posts Well, what if I just do it on the side posts only? It's not what God said Well, what if I just do it just on the top doorpost? That's not what God said

What if I just do it on the bottom? He didn't say put it on the bottom What it matters? Why does it matter because salvation comes by obedience? What you hear me? I know these are God's people. I know we are God's people But they were not saved because God had some kind of concept of favoritism They were saved if they chose to obey and so salvation came by the life of the lamb and By the shedding of its blood Being applied to where God said apply it. Here's Exodus 12 and 13 The blood shall be to you for a token upon the houses wherein you are and when I see the blood I will pass over you that Hebrew word is Pesach It's where we get the term pass over he said I will pass over you And the plague shall not be upon you to destroy you when I smite the land of Egypt

again God was not saving them because Some unique or unequaled favoritism God was saving them Because there are obedience to his instruction and it was this you're going to take a lamb an unblemished Lamb of a year old you're going to take that you're going to keep it for a few days And then you're going to slaughter that lamb in the twilight hour And you're going to take the blood of that lamb and you'll apply it to the doorposts in the top of the doorposts and because you have done this because You have obeyed When the death angel comes through the land God said because I see the blood the applied blood See it's not enough that blood was shed blood has to be applied I'm good. Let me jump through a lot of typology and scripture. I'm glad Jesus has died for the sins of humanity

But that is not sufficient for your salvation. It's got to be applied to your life There's got to be a lamb for every house. There's got to be a lamb for every life The question is when the Lord looks at my life Does he see the blood? I'm glad blood was shed, but blood must be applied or judgment will come And so the question is am I as obedient as they were Something interesting I've always thought from Exodus chapter 12 is this it's not in your handout that verse 22 The instruction of God to Moses was what we've read Kill the lamb apply the blood but when Moses Passes on this instruction To the Jewish people he adds this and None of you shall go out at the door of his house until the morning. That's interesting to me Why would he do that? Well?

I'm gonna take a guess that Human nature hasn't changed much in a few thousand years And when the message was declared that the death angel was going to pass through in the night There were probably some curious people That thought well I'll just take a walk in the middle of the night and see see what all this death and destruction looks like well Maybe this isn't really true Maybe it won't happen and for whatever reason Moses felt it wise to add this this little bit of instruction Now it was not God's requirement, but it was Moses instruction and he said once you get the blood on your house Don't leave So again, can I jump through a lot of scripture and typology and make the application for you tonight? Once you've been baptized in Jesus name and once you've been filled with the Holy Ghost don't leave

Moses is saying stay in the house until the morning until this is what we know the death angels coming in the night I don't know how long the death angels hanging around, but I know it's gonna be in the night So just just for safety's sake stay in the house until the sun rises and you know the mornings come Listen, I don't know how everything's gonna pan out But this is what I do know is once you get in the church stay in the church until the story's over and Everything will be alright Once you've obeyed thank God now stay in the house But even this really was not the origin of the lamb We could go back to Genesis 22 When God Comes to Abraham and says I want you to sacrifice my son thine only son Isaac Perhaps you think only son. Yes only son

Because in the eyes of God in the context of the Covenant the Lord would not even acknowledge Ishmael He asked for the thing that was born of God's promise that was dearest to his heart And there they journey up Mount Moriah Lacking what seems to be the sacrifice The question is asked of the son. Where is it? It seems the father unwilling to To convey in fullness in that moment all that the Lord has spoken to him Concerning what this sacrifice will entail He speaks this statement which is Probably more prophetic than even Abraham Comprehended in that present moment The Lord himself will provide a sacrifice Yes, God will provide a sacrifice but prophetic in the sense that this sacrifice will be God himself now in that Moment in Genesis 22, you know what happens? He binds Isaac upon the altar and as he raises the knife to complete the sacrifice the angel stops him

There's a rumbling in the thicket and what happened the Lord provided a sacrifice But prophetic in the sense again jumping through a lot of scripture and into the New Testament and and fulfilling a lot of Typology that we don't have the time to go through in length tonight God Provided himself as the sacrifice 2nd Corinthians 519 to wit that God spirit was in Christ in flesh Little did Abraham know all that he was saying in those moments And so but even this I think it's not the origin of it entirely we could go back to the Garden of Eden it's not Explicitly in the text, but I think it's pretty clearly implied When God comes to Adam and Eve and finds that they have sinned and they're hiding among the bushes when they come out of this hiding place We discover that they had attempted in their their effort. They had attempted to cover themselves with thick leaves

But it was insufficient in the eyes of God the covering was not was not enough So the Bible says now again Nowhere in here does it explicitly say that that God killed an animal that there was an animal sacrifice But it's clearly implied because the Bible says in Genesis 3 he took skins and That that word skins other places in the scripture can be used to speak of Humanity or animals and this is what we know there were no other humans on the earth but there were animals and So it can be safely concluded. It's without dispute That an animal lost its life and from those skins Clothing or a covering was made for Adam and Eve. So what's the principle? The principle is this That when God wanted to deal with the sin of humanity When the Lord himself wanted to offer a means of atonement a covering for the sake of

Relationship being restored what what happened the animal lost its life a Covering was given and so this pattern that's established in Eden we find it with Abraham and Genesis 22 we find the the the institution of it the formal institution in Exodus 12 and So God says at this time of the Passover to Moses What's happening tonight? I want you to establish it as an ordinance with my people Meaning that this is something that they will do and celebrate every year of their lives and still today Jewish people all over the world will celebrate the time of Passover and when they do what are they remembering they are remembering the time that God passed over their house Preserving their lives and brought them out of Egypt into their land of promise and into a life of freedom And I want you to notice this now because collectively in Israel's antiquity. There have been thousands of pass-overs

Thousands of lambs have been slaughtered But when you go to the scripture Every time you read of Passover it is singular Why is this because it was always in the mind of God That there would be a pass-over that if we could say it this way supersedes all pass-overs There was coming a pass-over which would fulfill that Old Testament law There would come the pass-over which was originally in the mind of God John 1 and 29 The next day John See if Jesus coming unto him and says Behold the lamb of God which take it the way the sin of the world What is this? This is the recognition It was never Ultimately meant to be about all of the lambs that had been killed in Israel's antiquity No, it was about this lamb It was about this coming pass-over and here John the Baptist

Sees the Messiah and speaks these profound words of revelation behold the lamb of God This is he this is the one we have been waiting for this This means the pass-over of all pass-overs must be coming near and Paul said this in 1st Corinthians 5 and 7 for even Christ our Passover is Sacrificed for us first Peter 1 and 9 Peter called Jesus the lamb Without blemish. Well, where does this terminology come from? It comes from Exodus chapter 12 When God said it is my requirement that the pass-over lamb be without blemish All of this New Testament terminology is to highlight to us that this Singular pass-over for which the world had been waiting for so long had now come and Jesus God in flesh Was the pass-over lamb? so For those Jews of the Old Testament Coming out of Egyptian captivity

their Exodus their salvation came By the lamb and by the applied blood Our salvation is not from an Egyptian captivity Our salvation is from sin Our salvation is from the keys of death hell in the grave and in like manner our Salvation comes by Jesus body and Jesus blood So we see the typology in the Old Testament Coming out of Egypt it was The body of the lamb that was given its life was given its blood was applied in Unlike manner as we are coming out of sin and into his marvelous light as the scripture says it only is made possible By Jesus body and Jesus blood. He is our Passover lamb and so when we partake of communion which we will do here in just a couple weeks We are we are not remembering An exodus out of Egyptian captivity We are not remembering a night that a death angel

Passed through the land and made possible our escape from the the grip of pharaoh. No But we do have our own exodus We do have our own deliverance It's from sin And when we partake of communion we are remembering an exodus greater than that which is written in the scripture It is God's deliverance in our lives Bringing us out of darkness and into light out of sin and into freedom That is what communion Causes us to remember all of this Never to be made possible the scripture says by the blood of bulls and goats It could only be done As Hebrews 10 and 5 says by the body That was prepared for him There is no salvation apart from the atoning work that jesus christ accomplished on the cross Hebrews 2 and 14 the bible says for as much then as children are partakers of flesh and blood

He's talking about god also Himself likewise took part of the same god the eternal spirit Himself took part of the same the same of what of flesh and blood Because this is how it must happen that through death He might destroy him that had the power of death That is the devil and deliver them who through fear of death Were all their lifetimes subject to bondage He became like us So we could become like him God who is spirit the bible says hath not flesh and bone Became like us this is the purpose of the incarnation Now I know when we talk about the christmas story and we portray it It is the the innocence of a child in a manger and it is the beautiful reality The birth of a baby and all of this is true and all of this is well But but the fact is god did all of this

With the intention of dying He was literally born to die Did this knowing there will come a time when I will offer myself as the lamb without blemish Who as the prophecies foretold will be led like a lamb to the slaughter All of this so we Who through fear of death and were subject to the bondage of sin Might be delivered of that that we might have our own exodus Can I tell you tonight you you don't have to live your life in addiction You don't have to live a life in bondage to anger and fear and you don't have to live bitter and cranky and You don't have to live no there is a way of escape because the shed blood of jesus christ Because of what his body did on that hill called calvary There is a way of of exodus out of every bondage and out of every addiction

There is a way of escape out of a lifetime of misery and shame Colossians one Talking about jesus now who hath delivered us See all this language is so significant because this is what he had done for them He delivered them out of the hand of pharaoh Out of 400 years of slavery But you so I haven't lived in 400 years of egyptian slavery. No But some of you were slaves to things in this world Slaves to money and slaves to addiction and slaves to bad attitudes and slaves to Generational dysfunctions in your family tree and slaves to this and slaves to that But jesus has delivered us from the power of darkness And translated us the bible said into the kingdom of his dear son verse 14 in whom in jesus We have redemption through his blood Even the forgiveness of sins How does it happen through his blood?

You see this now There are many more scriptures we could go through tonight for the sake of time. We will not I highlight these two To emphasize this single point all that we get to enjoy as christians in 2024 Is only made possible Because of jesus body that was broken and his blood that was shed The power that's in this house Thank god for the house. It's got nothing to do with the screens The amount of talent and preparation In skill that will be displayed on this platform on sunday will be astounding But what happens in the glory that will be felt in this room has nothing to do with that skill The sound system or the quality of the musicians all that is afforded to us is only made possible By his broken body and by his shed blood And so jesus said All these passovers

Have caused you to look back to that exodus But he said now I'm speaking to you about a cup of blood. This this is my blood This is my body On the eve of his crucifixion a mere short time from when they will understand this as his body is broken And his blood is shed so when we come to partake of communion here in just a couple weeks This is what we are remembering his broken body on a hill called calvary his blood that was shed on a cross Why for us For our deliverance for our healing for the remission of our sins This is what we remember And so paul And the scripture we began tonight in first chrithians 11 Gives us a number of Admonishments concerning how we are to approach This meal We are not free to come To the lord's table

And partake of his supper any way we want The scripture has instruction for us tonight The first is this Two times in the passage we read he says for as often as you or for as often as you This speaks to us of frequency Perhaps if if you have Had some background in another church denomination You may have at some time been exposed or may be aware through story or knowledge of of those who That they would do communion every week And sometimes the question is asked well, why don't we? Why aren't we doing communion every week? I've I've had people before you know when we pastored, you know I had people who felt like we should be doing communion more than we were And you know, then there were other people who probably thought we did it too much And this is what I know everybody has an opinion about how much you should be doing communion

Well, I'm sorry, but god didn't tell you how much This is what he said as often as you do it And then he proceeds to speak at large about our attitude approaching it So I think it is safe to say god's primary concern is not with the frequency, but it is with the approach So concerning frequency It really it really is placed in the hands of the leadership Now as is our custom here we typically would do it at the end of the year and uh at Easter time Most churches that that I preach in or have been connected to may do it two three at most maybe four times a year I do know some that have done it more and I have no scriptural mandate to forbid that But neither do they have a mandate in scripture to require that of me And so we we must give liberty to our leadership to determine what the frequency is for our collective assembly

Well, we personally yield the admonition of scripture concerning our attitude in the approach of these things What we do know is each time you do it Whatever that may be Two times a year three times a year four times a year 12 times a year as often as you do it It is supposed to be a sacred moment It's not meant to be vain tradition Not to approach this just well or just we're doing it again. It's what we do every week No you You have lost the sacredness of the sacrament and so As we approach it We approach it with a sense of reverence Which leads us to this next point Oftentimes the question may be asked. Well, what what does it mean when the scripture says he that Edith or drinketh unworthily Unworthily speaks to us of our attitude By by definition it simply means to be unfit

To do something in a manner that is irreverent And so as we approach the Lord's table is as we come in a couple weeks to partake of this time of communion I think Jesus example in Luke 22 is our template He took bread and gave thanks And break it gratitude is the attitude We don't come heady and high-minded and titled thinking worried. We got it all together No There's There's a level of humility we approach with knowing that I'm only worthy because he's accepted me I'm only made worthy by his body in his blood I I'm not counted worthy because my education my career my life achievements I'm only made worthy through him And so there's a humility that I come to the table with And specifically if we are to consider The context of first Corinthians and the issues that Paul is dealing with in the church at Corinth

I think there's even more for us here Because Paul has just concluded addressing those who by their selfish attitudes have so discord and disunity in the church And now he moves from that subject to the admonition Of approaching appropriately to the Lord's table Which would seem to me that the scripture is saying you cannot be self focused Or self consumed as you come to the Lord's table Now maybe like me I can recall my younger years coming into times of communion and Hearing these things and the admonition which we'll get to next let a man examine himself and you consider these things and there's almost a A fear or a trembling you have in this moment and I would not advocate that that you have to fear God in these moments I think we should enjoy These moments they're times to certainly to be humble and to be honorable or reverent

But I don't think we have to be very fearful in that regard It was almost like this like if I bite this bread Right now And and there's something not right in my head I'm in trouble well You know that's a good intent, but let me broaden it a little bit because I don't think unworthily deals as much with the inner man in the moment that you take the bite As it does the manner of eating in relation to the body and your lifestyle And here's what I mean Do you eat with a double mind? Do you partake of the bread? And the blood with a double mind? Or do you partake with a total commitment to the Lord? Do you partake with prejudice in your heart or biased against Another individual or person in the church or the world? This is what it means to eat unworthily

Do do we partake knowing that in this moment by our action our choice to partake That we display commitment, but in the back of our mind we know that tomorrow we will pursue our own interest when this moment has concluded This is what it is to partake unworthily If you choose to eat knowing that you will deny the gospel through your lifestyle For the remainder of the week you have partaken unworthily If you choose to partake, but you're going to cheat in your business Live immorally or deny justice to minorities or those who are hurting if you have the means to help But you choose to withhold and you still choose to partake you have eaten unworthily Paul says to eat unworthily is to eat and drink condemnation And perhaps the scripture itself does give us an illustration of this think with me of judiciscaria

He has already concocted the plan The terms are set the price has been signed agreed upon It's already done and here he sits at the lord's table knowing He's already turned his back knowing he's already done wrong knowing The plan is sealed fate has already been set And judicis sits among the 12 and partakes of this communion act as if everything is well This is what it is to eat unworthily And so because to do this would bring condemnation upon yourself The bible says let a man examine himself and this speaks to us of accountability If it is indeed a sacred act it is imperative that we treat it as such We don't come flippantly we don't come irreverently Rather we come in humility examining ourselves This word examine means to test or to scrutinize The intent is that you determine the sincerity of a thing

In this ancient culture Many things the the giving of currency money would often have to be examined or scrutinized to see Is this legitimate and this word is used in other places in scripture in this regard and so What paul is telling us is you must search yourself You don't have to be perfect But you have to be sincere And if you are sincere You will confess that imperfection You will make right the wrong Judas if if you concocted a plan you will confess it You'll seek a way out You'll find a place of repentance And so as we come into a time of communion We'll do this prior to partaking on that sunday night But I would tell you we can even do this in the days that that approach search yourself Measure your own sincerity It's not your job to check somebody else's sincerity

It's your job to check yourself Psalms 19 and 12 scripture says who can understand his errors Cleanse thou me from secret faults What a powerful prayer The heart is deceitfully wicked. No man can know it. I I can't even know My own heart it will deceive me and so I I must choose to humble myself before God be vulnerable before the Lord and Ask God invite God in and say Lord. I need you to clean me from my secret faults The things I deal with that I don't even know why I deal with it and how it got there Lord. I need you to cleanse me Verse 31 of first Corinthians 11 says for if we judge ourselves we should not be judged This is what it means if you will do the responsible thing of dealing with yourself Nobody else will have to Now you're going to be judged

You're going to be judging this life. You're going to be judging eternity. Listen the christian mantra float ran in 2024 You know, don't judge me don't judge They need a bible study Because the bible actually tells you to judge So the whole don't judge things not biblical the bible says to judge But it just says you'll be judged with the same measure that you judge with And what paul is saying if you will choose to judge yourself if you will deal with yourself Then you won't have to be judged you can you can remove yourself of the necessity Of somebody else having to deal with you Ultimately that that that could that could be a family member god forbid. It could be church leadership or the lord himself But if you will do the mature thing Of judging yourself examine yourself search yourself be honest with yourself

Then you won't be judged So the mandate is that we deal with ourselves. So I would tell you As we come to a time of communion. It it it may be necessary now. I don't know but it might be That you have to repent of some things before you pertain It may be necessary for you to ask forgiveness of somebody To reconcile To correct to show preference And with on Under the umbrella of accountability. I would also mention tonight the concept of an age of accountability Similar to To what we would consider it in the subject of baptism. There's a reason that we don't baptize infants There's a reason that that we advocate that we wait a little while and Now certainly if a child has received the baptism of the holy ghost Then they have a level of recognition of faith in god and understanding of the lord

That god could fill them with his spirit. He could respond to their knowledge and faith And so to me that that would be indicative that they're at a place of recognition or understanding that yes We could baptize them But if this has not happened It is very likely at some point in a child's life That they may see people being baptized And they may express a desire or utter the words that they too want to be baptized But that does not necessarily mean that child understands what baptism is Why they are being baptized How baptism should be administered And because of these things it is wise As we deal with these matters That that we take a slow and scriptural approach and we make sure That that a child has a healthy recognition or understanding of what is happening Now I recall a young man years ago from my wife's church that she grew up in

He got baptized received the holy ghost when he was three. I think I was baptized a few years after that And when he was getting baptized he he was using this terminology Well, I want to be clean on the inside and I want jesus in my heart He's expressing a child's understanding Childlike terminology Now if you're 30 years old I would hope that you could you could give me some scriptural terminology or some scripture and References some bible about why we're doing this But in the absence of a child's understanding if the child says well, I want to be baptized Well, honey, why do you want to be baptized? Well, because because johnny was baptized on sunday. I want to be baptized. Well, I'm sorry, but that's not why we get baptized And so what what would happen? We would not baptize that child because there's not a healthy recognition or a real understanding of why they're doing what they're doing

We would work with them we would teach them and when we came to a place where we were We were confident that god was drawing them and they understand then we would baptize them Well, I would tell you communion is the very same thing When when when the sacraments are administered here On that sunday night. It is not a free snack for every child in the sanctuary And it is not it is not pastor's job the pastoral staff or the usher's responsibility To to choose which child gets it and what doesn't And to oversee the child that is your job It is the parent's job and so If if you are in a place where you're thinking well, I'm not sure If my child is really at a at an age or a place where they should be partaking of communion You have 11 days to teach and to determine

Because the scriptural mandate of Deuteronomy 6 and 7 is that the process of discipleship was not to happen in the church house primarily but in the home And so you have 11 days to talk to your child as as the leadership in your family home To talk to them and to teach them What communion is about and you must determine as the head of that household Are they at a place of healthy recognition where they understand this is not look I know this is grape juice, but this is not just grapefruit This is not just a free cracker to hold me through till we get the culvers after church. No Now neither is it transubstantiation which some teach these things these emblems Literally become the body of jesus christ. They do not it is symbolic. It is a memorial to remember these things But we are not to be so flippant that we reduce the memory to a kid's snack

See there's a happy medium here But pastor doesn't have time the ushers don't have time to walk through the sanctuary and and and measure The the the the measure of recognition with every child. So whose responsibility is that the parents? And so sometime between now and then this this requires a conversation in your family between mom and dad and child Where you say look on sunday night the emblems are going to be handed out. Do you understand what we're doing? Do you know why we're doing this? And if they're at a place of recognition Where they can come with the right attitude They can partake. There's not an age on this They're not going to need to see a birth certificate or an id card This is faith we're talking about But if they're at a place Where they cannot fully comprehend that or recognize that in the fear of the lord and in in a deep appreciation and honor

Then I would advocate it may be wise that they not partake in communion And lastly this is where we'll end The scripture says That if you did not do these things you were not discerning the lord's body And I would speak to us that this is of access Paul goes on to say in verse 30 For this cause for what cause well the cause That many are not discerning the body So the lack of discernment for the lord's body has caused many to be weak sickly And sleep which means To die I'd like to make two applications here tonight I'm not 100% sure If one of them is supposed to be the exclusive one of scripture, but I think I think there's room for both I would advocate that to discern The lord's body is both his physical and his spiritual body In discerning his physical body. We are remembering

The body that was broken and the blood that was shed In discerning his spiritual body We are considering those that are among us Our attitude in this moment towards the lord himself And those who make up the body of christ Determines our access into these things Access into the fellowship of god's spirit Was only made possible by the atonement that came through his physical body Access into the fellowship of the church Is only made possible by his spiritual body And the Corinthian church which I've also already highlighted tonight Paul has addressed the deep division in this church In other places he would write things like this Saying that in jesus body there's neither jew nor greek Not bond or free male or female He's he's trying to drive the the ideas of division out of the church and he says That in remembering his body and his blood

I think we must also remember why it is about us being in right relationship With the lord and with one another In the absence of these things Paul says for this cause Many are sick And some are dead That is a troubling verse That's a weighty implication To say that because some people are not discerning the lord's body there's sickness And there's death This is to say to to to flip this on its head this is to say that There could be healing And death could be avoided And here here's where I'd like to to kind of make two applications One physical and one spiritual Because in the very practical sense division had ravaged the Corinthian church And if they would discern his spiritual body If they would come to the lord's supper with an awareness of who sits at the table with them They might just discover

I have the means To help you Oh, you're sick because you've been walking in the cold and you don't have a coat. Well, I just happen to have two How ironic that jesus taught us if you have two coats and your brother have none you should give him one So in the very practical sense, I would submit he is saying there are there are issues affecting the body That could be avoided by our willingness to serve those we sit at the table with Who would have thought all this was in communion? But you can't come to communion just thinking about yourself You've got to consider those who sit at the table with you And I know I I know it's culture time. It's so different I know it's hard for us to to to grasp this to visualize this because we're going to fill the sanctuary with several hundred people

But jesus is sitting around a literal table with 12 men Looking into their eye breaking bread together telling stories sharing testimonies The whole experience was built around community and dialogue So what am I saying when we partake of communion? It's got to be about you about more than you just receiving this emblem Standing in your single seat in your single section partaking staring at no There has got to be a recognition and awareness of his of his spiritual body You've got to consider who who among you has need who who here can I serve who who can I help? This was meant to be the prevailing attitude of the lord supper It's not about it's not about me It's about we But it wasn't just practical Wasn't just physical. I would submit to you. It was also spiritual For when we discern his body when we consider his body that was broken the

The wounds on his back and the the crown of thorns that appears to his brow and the and the hole in his Side that came my way of a roman spear when we consider that body that was broken and that blood that was shed This is what the scripture says who his own self bear our sins in his own body on the tree that we Being dead to sin should live unto righteousness by whose stripes You were healed So there are there is a promise as we discern his body as we think of his body As somber as it is and you know if you've been in a communion service before As scripture is read and as you partake of the emblems and the atmosphere is is sacred It's holy. There is a there is a reverence towards this moment and this what we are calling to memory

Listen, you you can't come to the foot of the cross Or reverently you can't you can't consider what he's done In and not move you and when you come into communion, there's something that changes in the atmosphere But without fail when you've concluded the taking of the emblems There's something that starts to change and that honor comes faith and how do that humility comes power You know why that is the scripture told you why? Because it's his desire that the taking of the lord's supper be sanctioned by his power And I would just like to speak in faith tonight that on that sunday night There will be miracles in this house There will be healing in this house and you know how it's made possible by his broken body and by his shed blood And it might just be as we Dissern his spiritual body and his physical body. This is what we'll discover his power

flows through us to us Stand with me the reason humility In unity is of such dire importance Is because it could be that the gift of faith That your miracle requires Could be in the heart of a brother or a sister Maybe you don't know them well or at all Or maybe for some unfortunate reason Some negative turn of events you've decided you don't like them Well, how unfortunate would that be? for you to keep on living sick Keep on struggling Because you didn't come with the right attitude If you just would have had enough humility Can I just take like five minutes here and tell you how the holy ghost works? I mean how many have ever been in church service before and you just like feel a prompting like I should go pray for them That's God Obey it Because you know why the person you're feeling to go pray for is probably over there thinking man

I just really wish someone would come pray for me. I just really need a word today I just oh, I need God to touch my body. I need clarity I'm battling in my mind I'm talking about the attitudes Of the Lord's table That that that mutual humility that mutual submission These are the attitudes that permit God's miraculous power to flow through the church I don't deny that there are men and women who Were gifted by God and the Lord uses them in great ways Thank the Lord for it, but I will tell you unequivocally There is no debate The gifts of the spirit the display of God's power is not reserved for just those who stand in the pulpit It's not for those who have some kind of ministerial credential It's just for those who walk with God And love people and so as we come to communion on that sunday night

These are the ways we must approach you It's a sacred moment We're gonna remember what he's done for us We're gonna consider one another And we're gonna consider him And when you get those things together I'm just gonna tell you something happens You'd almost think it's programmed because of how it happens And I guess it is it's programmed by God You come in humility You come in honor You come in reverence You start remembering what he's done But you also remember why he's done it And then you start thinking who has need of it And that atmosphere that was so somber So deeply reverent becomes charged with faith It's like a wind moves And God's power falls Hallelujah, why don't we just lift up our hands? I know we're not taking communion tonight, but I think it'd be all right if we just lift up our hands and love on him for a moment

Hallelujah I pray Lord, this will be a Christmas season Where we are visited by your miraculous power We're gonna love and serve one another We will give to those who have need We will give of our own earthly means But we will give of also heaven's reward We will give of the power of God Hallelujah I love you Jesus I love you Jesus Oh god, we thank you for your great love We thank you for your shed blood I give you praise I give you praise I give you praise If you are a parent in this house I would admonish you in the next 11 days. It is it is our responsibility To have conversation with our children To make sure they understand what and why and determine whether or not if they're not at a place of recognition There's no shame in them not participating. In fact, the opposite is true

It would be worse for them to take With no reverence and no understanding But for those of us who know we have 11 days to prepare our hearts To forgive if we have to forgive to reconcile if we must reconcile We're gonna come in humility and we're gonna come in honor I tell you I'm coming with an expectation That God is gonna do miracles Amen. Father, I love you. I pray your blessing upon the people of God keep them in health The safety let your face shine upon them Lord, I'm asking you to grant us opportunity to invite give us open doors of conversation in the next few days Be with us this sunday Bless those who are working hard and sacrificing to prepare for a great day I pray the glory of God would fill this building From the doors of the atrium To the back of this platform

Every chair in this sanctuary, I pray each one who enters would feel an undeniable tangible presence of God I thank you for it in Jesus name. We pray Everybody said amen