Communion: It's More Than A Meal

Title: Communion: “There’s More to Prepare than a Meal” Script: I Cor. 11 (primary)

Type: Expos. Where: GNBC 9-7-14/1-6-19

Intro: What happened to Time: When as a child I laughed and wept, time crept. When as a youth I dreamed and talked, time walked. When I became a full grown man, time ran.

And later as I older grew, time flew. Soon I shall find while traveling on, time gone. How often have you talked with someone on the telephone who seemed to be in a hurry and wanted to get on with more important business? Or visited with someone on the street and received that same hurried feeling? You've undoubtedly experienced it...and didn't enjoy it. And, perhaps, you have also been guilty of this. If you have, why not decide to tithe time, save up chunks, bits and pieces of it, and give them away to people who interrupt your pre-established plans? Today, I want to do what I try to do at least once every other year and take time, an appropriate amount of time, to describe one of the most important ordinances in the church which we all partake, and maybe too often rush through. Let’s take time this morning to really understand the importance of communion.

Prop: What is communion and why do we practice it?

BG: 1. The Bible is largely silent on how we are to go about doing this ordinance of the church.

2. As a child was always something that seemed to be done without any explanation. I imagine that is the case with most individuals in churches. At Corinth was a meal. Jews and Greeks. Some were stuffing selves. Some were getting drunk. Awful behavior.

3. Some churches call communion a sacrament, some call it an ordinance. What do these things mean? Therefore, today, let’s take time to ask:

Prop: What is communion and why do we practice it?

I. The Foundations of Communion

A. What is the Meaning of “Communion”?

1. The word “communion” which is not found in the Bible, comes from the word “community” and it means a shared or mutual participation. Specifically, as Christians, it means a mutual or shared participation in the redeemed community, the church.

-Illust - When a puzzle is put together each piece is interconnected to the other pieces. Alone a piece is inadequate; a single piece cannot show you the whole picture. Likewise if one or more pieces of the puzzle are missing then it is defective; it’s lacking an essential part and is incomplete. Being IN CHRIST means we share a COMMON UNION bringing us into the COMMUNION OF THE SAINTS. Simply said; we need each other! Why? Where there is no union there can be no communion. Communion is a demonstration of our communion.

2. It is a present reality (1 Cor. 10:16-17): Paul calls the practice of communion a “participation”(present tense) in the body and blood of the Lord Jesus. We understand this to mean that Jesus is “spiritually” present in communion. The spiritual presence of Jesus in communion is as follows: Paul speaks of spiritual food and drink (1 Cor. 10:1-3) and warns believers to take communion in a worthy manner, so as not to sin against the body and blood of the Lord (1 Cor. 11:27-32). Elsewhere in 1 Corinthians, Paul argues that eating food sacrificed to idols is ”participation” with demons and issues strong warnings against that practice (10:18-21). Each of these points seems to indicate that the symbols used (whether the communion elements or food sacrificed to idols) do more than simply represent the reality they symbolize; they allow one to “participate” in the reality that the symbols themselves point towards.

B. What was communion originally designed for?

1. Communion, as practiced in the church, was designed to unify the body of Christ.

a. Communion should unify the individual congregation first of all. If you have an offense with a brother or sister in Christ you absolutely, positively cannot continue to carry that offense and take communion. You must first, as much as it is possible with you, attempt to clear up that offense. Listen Christian, the world holds grudges, the Christian does not. The world listens to the lies of the world, the Christian does not. Christian, if a non-Christian comes and visits the fellowship and makes derogatory statements about your brothers or sisters in Christ you need to take that with a grain of salt and ask your brother or sister first before you take up an offense and damage fellowship.

b. Illust: While many people hunger for family closeness, we often miss the opportunities that stand immediately before us. Tammy Harris of Roanoke, Virginia, began searching for her biological mother when she turned 21. A year of searching proved fruitless. Tammy did not realize, however, that her mother, Joyce Schultz, had been searching for her for 20 years--the same Joyce Schultz who worked alongside her at the same convenience store. When Joyce overheard Tammy speaking with another coworker about her search for her biological mother, Joyce's ears perked. The two compared stories and birth certificates. When the coworkers realized they were, indeed, mother and daughter, "We held on for the longest time," Tammy said. "It was the best day of my life." Christians often sit side by side in the church pews, week after week, and fail to realize the depth of relationship they share in Jesus Christ. Introduce yourself to someone you’ve never met before. Ask someone to coffee or lunch never have.