First Christian Church
October 13, 2024 1st Service
      • Bible Trivia
        Loading...
  • Christ Arose (#357)

      • Romans 8:1GS-NETBIBLE

  • When We All Get To Heaven
  • Glory To His Name (#493)
  • How Great Thou Art
  • INTRODUCTION
    During the earthly ministry of Jesus, Jesus sacrificed popularity for truth.
    In other words, He taught things that would hurt His popularity because people either disliked or understood the truth He taught.
    Today, we will examine one of the truths that He taught that cost Him many followers.
    It was so bad that Jesus even asked the twelve if they were leaving Him also.
    When you first walked into a church, when it was time for Communion, what was running through your mind?
    I was raised in a tradition where you had to get in a long, long line and walk up to the Priest, who would put this wafer in your mouth and give you a drink from a large cup of wine!
    And everyone drank from the same cup!
    Honestly, today, I do not know if I could do that.
    Nothing against you all, but I do not think I could drink out of the same cup as everyone else.
    Sadly, communion has been a source of division within Christianity clear back to Jesus, as our text will attest to us today.
    Churches throughout time have fought over the type of bread used, the number of cups used, how often are we called to take it, as well as the age old question, juice or wine.
    We will not focus on the things that have divided the church throughout the centuries today; rather, we will examine what communion should spark within us.
    Jesus opens the subject in an interesting way, and from the memory verse for this week, we will build upon that foundation so we can see what communion should inspire us to do.
    Let’s look at John 6:52-58 so we can see the context.
    John 6:52–58 (NET 2nd ed.)
    52 Then the Jews who were hostile to Jesus began to argue with one another, “How can this man give us his flesh to eat?”
    53 Jesus said to them, “I tell you the solemn truth, unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink his blood, you have no life in yourselves.
    54 The one who eats my flesh and drinks my blood has eternal life, and I will raise him up on the last day.
    55 For my flesh is true food, and my blood is true drink.
    56 The one who eats my flesh and drinks my blood resides in me, and I in him.
    57 Just as the living Father sent me, and I live because of the Father, so the one who consumes me will live because of me.
    58 This is the bread that came down from heaven; it is not like the bread your ancestors ate, but then later died. The one who eats this bread will live forever.”
    Did you catch verse 54?
    That was an interesting way to make a point!
    John 6:66–67 (NET 2nd ed.)
    66 After this many of his disciples quit following him and did not accompany him any longer.
    67 So Jesus said to the twelve, “You don’t want to go away too, do you?”
    Let’s look at why Communion is a vital part of our faith.
    SERMON

    I. Communion is a time to look back.

    For the nation of Israel they did not celebrate the Lord’s Supper, they celebrated the Passover.
    Passover commemorates the deliverance of the Israelites from slavery in Egypt, as recounted in Exodus 12.
    God instructed the Israelites to sacrifice a lamb and mark their doorposts with its blood so that the angel of death would “pass over” their homes during the tenth plague.
    This event is central to Jewish identity and faith.
    During the time of Jesus, the Passover was celebrated annually, as prescribed in the Torah.
    This practice had been established since the time of Moses, following the events of the Exodus.
    The Passover was celebrated during the first month of the Jewish calendar (Nisan). (NISS AN).
    The Passover was a celebration of what God had done to free the Israelites from Egypt.
    In Exodus 12:14-17God commanded that the celebration of the Passover be a lasting ordinance.
    During Jesus’ time, Passover was one of the major pilgrimage festivals, and Jews were expected to come to Jerusalem to celebrate.
    Many would make the journey from different parts of Israel and beyond, gathering at the Temple for the sacrificial rites.
    The Last Supper, which Jesus shared with His disciples, took place during Passover (Matthew 26:17-29; Mark 14:12-26; Luke 22:7-20).
    Jesus intentionally uses this meal to introduce the new covenant, transforming the meaning of the bread and wine into symbols of His impending sacrifice.
    Luke 22:15–20 (NET 2nd ed.)
    15 And he said to them, “I have earnestly desired to eat this Passover with you before I suffer.
    16 For I tell you, I will not eat it again until it is fulfilled in the kingdom of God.”
    17 Then he took a cup, and after giving thanks he said, “Take this and divide it among yourselves.
    18 For I tell you that from now on I will not drink of the fruit of the vine until the kingdom of God comes.”
    19 Then he took bread, and after giving thanks he broke it and gave it to them, saying, “This is my body which is given for you. Do this in remembrance of me.”
    20 And in the same way he took the cup after they had eaten, saying, “This cup that is poured out for you is the new covenant in my blood.
    For the Nation of Israel, the Passover was a time to look back at what God had done; for Christians, Communion is a time to look back at what Jesus did for us at the cross.
    When we take communion it is a time to look back and remember what He has done for us!
    Jesus is the center of all we do and what we are.
    Next, we see…

    II. Communion is a time to look forward.

    For Jews, the Passover was more about remembering; for Christians, it is also a time to look forward to God's promises through Jesus!
    Matthew 26:27–29 (NET 2nd ed.)
    27 And after taking the cup and giving thanks, he gave it to them, saying, “Drink from it, all of you,
    28 for this is my blood, the blood of the covenant, that is poured out for many for the forgiveness of sins.
    29 I tell you, from now on I will not drink of this fruit of the vine until that day when I drink it new with you in my Father’s kingdom.”
    To give this point more power, we need to understand something about the Passover celebration that Jesus changing.
    The Passover had four cups of wine that were used, each of which had special significance.
    The First Cup – The Cup of Sanctification.
    This cup symbolized God’s promise: “I will bring you out from under the burdens of the Egyptians.”
    At the beginning of the Passover meal, a blessing was recited over this cup to sanctify the occasion.
    The Second Cup – The Cup of Deliverance (or Judgment).
    This represented God’s promise: “I will deliver you from slavery to them.”
    After retelling the Passover story (the Exodus from Egypt), this second cup was drunk, symbolizing God’s deliverance of the Israelites from slavery.
    The Third Cup – The Cup of Redemption:
    This cup corresponded to the promise: “I will redeem you with an outstretched arm and with mighty acts of judgment.”
    The Fourth Cup – The Cup of Praise.
    The fourth cup represented the final promise: “I will take you to be my people, and I will be your God.”
    After drinking this cup, the participants would traditionally sing Psalms 113–118 as a form of praise to God for His deliverance.
    At the Last Supper, Jesus likely followed this pattern of the Passover Seder, including the use of the four cups.
    When Jesus instituted the Lord’s Supper, it is believed He focused on the third cup, the Cup of Redemption, when He spoke of the new covenant in His blood, signifying His imminent sacrifice on the cross.
    Interestingly, Jesus speaks of refraining from drinking the fourth cup until the fulfillment of the Kingdom of God (Matthew 26:29; Mark 14:25; Luke 22:18).
    This act symbolized the ultimate completion of God’s redemptive work, to be fully realized in the Messianic age.
    Communion should cause us to look forward to the future with great joy knowing where we are going and whom we will be with!

    III. Communion is a time to look inward.

    Another thing that Communion should do for us is it should cause us to look inward.
    1 Corinthians 11:23–30 (NET 2nd ed.)
    23 For I received from the Lord what I also passed on to you, that the Lord Jesus on the night in which he was betrayed took bread,
    24 and after he had given thanks he broke it and said, “This is my body, which is for you. Do this in remembrance of me.”
    25 In the same way, he also took the cup after supper, saying, “This cup is the new covenant in my blood. Do this, every time you drink it, in remembrance of me.”
    26 For every time you eat this bread and drink the cup, you proclaim the Lord’s death until he comes.
    27 For this reason, whoever eats the bread or drinks the cup of the Lord in an unworthy manner will be guilty of the body and blood of the Lord.
    28 A person should examine himself first, and in this way let him eat the bread and drink of the cup.
    29 For the one who eats and drinks without careful regard for the body eats and drinks judgment against himself.
    30 That is why many of you are weak and sick, and quite a few are dead.
    Notice that verses 27-28 say we are to examine ourselves before we partake.
    The Corinthian church struggled greatly around the Lord’s Supper. They showed preferential treatment to the wealthy, while some went home full and others hungry.
    There were physical consequences for not taking the Lord’s Supper in a worthy manner.
    This was the case because of the sanctity of the event.
    Taking the Lord’s Supper is not an external act; it is a serious time when we are called to examine ourselves.
    In verse 27, the word “UNWORTHY” is an adverb that modifies eating and drinking.
    In other words, unworthy does not refer to the moral state of the worshipper since, technically, we are all unworthy.
    Rather, UNWORTHY describes the MANNER in which we partake.
    This is are we partaking in a careless, irreverent, selfish or with a defiant spirit.
    Communion should cause us to look inward.
    We are called to examine our hearts.
    We are to look for things that are getting in the way of our relationship with Jesus.
    We are to approach our time of communion with a heart of belief, and humility, one that is humble enough to be willing to peer into the heart of oneself and make the necessary adjustments.
    We are to bring a heart of repentance and willingness to make the wrongs right.

    IV. Communion is a time to look outward.

    1 Corinthians 10:16–17 (NET 2nd ed.)
    16 Is not the cup of blessing that we bless a sharing in the blood of Christ? Is not the bread that we break a sharing in the body of Christ?
    17 Because there is one bread, we who are many are one body, for we all share the one bread.
    When we take communion, we should be reminded of the entire community of believers around the world!
    There is more to the body of Christ than just us!
    Listen again to what Jesus said in our text that rattled so many on that day.
    John 6:53–57 (NET 2nd ed.)
    53 Jesus said to them, “I tell you the solemn truth, unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink his blood, you have no life in yourselves.
    54 The one who eats my flesh and drinks my blood has eternal life, and I will raise him up on the last day.
    55 For my flesh is true food, and my blood is true drink.
    56 The one who eats my flesh and drinks my blood resides in me, and I in him.
    57 Just as the living Father sent me, and I live because of the Father, so the one who consumes me will live because of me.
    When we are in Christ, we are part of the body of Christ.
    Romans 6 tells us when are baptized into Christ we put on Christ.
    Galatians 3:27 (NET 2nd ed.)
    27 For all of you who were baptized into Christ have clothed yourselves with Christ.
    Communion is a time we celebrate with all believers the tie that binds us with all believers
    CONCLUSION
    When we take Communion, it is a special time of connection.
    We are not simply going through the motions.
    Communion is a special time in our life.
    Communion is a time to look back, forward, inward, and outward.

      • John 6.52-53NETBIBLE2ED

      • John 6.54-56NETBIBLE2ED

      • John 6.57-58NETBIBLE2ED

      • John 6.66-67NETBIBLE2ED

      • Luke 22.15-17NETBIBLE2ED

      • Luke 22.18-19NETBIBLE2ED

      • Luke 22.20NETBIBLE2ED

      • Matthew 26.27-29NETBIBLE2ED

      • 1 Corinthians 11.23-24NETBIBLE2ED

      • 1 Corinthians 11.25-26NETBIBLE2ED

      • 1 Corinthians 11.27-29NETBIBLE2ED

      • 1 Corinthians 11.30NETBIBLE2ED

      • 1 Corinthians 10.16-17NETBIBLE2ED

      • John 6.53-55NETBIBLE2ED

      • John 6.56-57NETBIBLE2ED

      • Galatians 3.27NETBIBLE2ED

  • Open Our Eyes, Lord (#633)
  • There Is A Fountain
  • An Evening Prayer
First Christian Church
fccsv@fccsv.com
5204584897
http://www.fccsv.com
34 members • 4 followers