Life Beyond The Ceremony

The mission statement will only impact the corporate life of the church in as much as it impacts each of our lives individually. As individuals coming to this table today each of us need to re-center our lives in Christ.

2a. Life Evolves In Christ ... unless you eat.

2b. Life Revolves In Christ ... without Christ you have no life.

2c. Life Dissolves In Christ ... raised up.

Romans 6:4 Therefore we were buried with Him through baptism into death, that just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life.

The centered life in Christ is the Life beyond the ceremony.

Refreshed in the Life of Christ 6:55-57

John 6:55-56 "For My flesh is food indeed, and My blood is drink indeed. 56 He who eats My flesh and drinks My blood abides in Me, and I in him. As the living Father sent Me, and I live because of the Father, so he who feeds on Me will live because of Me."

Having been renewed and re-centered in the life of Christ we draw refreshment from His life. Though the words are hard to accept at times, Jesus is teaching us that without Him we cannot handle life. "We need to depend on Him utterly, moment by moment, in order to survive." - Dr. Andrew M Fountain "Eating Christ's Flesh and Drinking His Blood"

If we struggle to let Christ control our lives we must go back to the re-centering and let Christ be the center. Without Christ as the center of our lives we will not receive the refreshment from Him we so desperately need. It is through the life of Christ that we find refreshment for our souls.

3a. Sustenance Found In Christ ... food and drink indeed

3b. Abiding Presence of Christ ... abides in Me, and I in him.

3c. Living Because of Christ ... will live because of Me.

John 15:5 "I am the vine, you are the branches. He who abides in Me, and I in him, bears much fruit; for without Me you can do nothing.

To be refreshed in the Life of Christ enables us to be in the fullness of Christ. Paul captures the essence of the Life beyond the ceremony in his prayer for the Ephesians Christians.

Ephesians 3:14-21 For this reason I bow my knees to the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, 15 from whom the whole family in heaven and earth is named, 16 that He would grant you, according to the riches of His glory, to be strengthened with might through His Spirit in the inner man, 17 that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith; that you, being rooted and grounded in love, 18 may be able to comprehend with all the saints what is the width and length and depth and height; 19 to know the love of Christ which passes knowledge; that you may be filled with all the fullness of God. 20 Now to Him who is able to do exceedingly abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that works in us, 21 to Him be glory in the church by Christ Jesus to all generations, forever and ever. Amen.

Conclusion:

Today we need to be reminded often like that married couple that there is life beyond the ceremony. As nice as it is the observance of this meal for ceremony sake is not what Christ desires of us today.