Overcoming Spiritual Amnesia
1 Corinthians 11:23-26 23 For I received from the Lord what I also passed on to you: The Lord Jesus, on the night 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." 25 In the same way, after supper he took the cup, saying, "This cup is the new covenant in my blood; do this, whenever you drink it, in remembrance of me." 26 For whenever you eat this bread and drink this cup, you proclaim the Lord's death until he comes.
1. Remember the Lord’s Death
-When we remember what Jesus did for us by laying down His life and dying on a cross, we are not mourning Him in sorrow and grief. We are making a proclamation through the observance of communion! What is that proclamation? We are saying this: Jesus died for me and that one selfless act was enough to change my life forever! We are proclaiming that our sins are forgiven because we are trusting in Jesus and His work of atonement that He did on the cross.
-It is a reverent and sacred observance because what Jesus did was no common thing. His death came with intense, unthinkable suffering as He was tortured and executed through Roman crucifixion. When we focus on what He went through for us it is not b/c we have a fixation with torture and brutality. It reminds us how great His love is for us, that He was willing to go so far for each of us. When we remember His death we are reminded of the seriousness of sin. Instead of downplaying sin and pretending it is no big deal, we see how sin brings death, but God brings life!
-When we remember the Lord’s death, we begin to see how amazing His grace truly is for us. But His death is not the only death we should think about. Our own death is something we should remember as well.
2. Remember our own Death to Sin and Self
-Sometimes we think that the old me is back in the saddle again. Communion reminds us that the old me has died and my life is now hidden in Christ! Galatians 2:20 I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.
Galatians 5:24 Those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the sinful nature with its passions and desires.
-There is obviously some symbolism going on here. Essentially, we need to continually yield ourselves to God, giving up our old way of living. The old desires need to die off!
I like how Romans 12 expresses this truth – living sacrifices. That brings us to another point of remembrance as we approach the table of the Lord.
3. Remember Our New Life in Jesus
-Communion is a great remedy for a spiritual identity crisis. Sometimes we forget who we are in Christ! We are a new creation. The old has gone, the new has come! We now walk in grace and forgiveness. We have the life of God in us – eternal life, the kind of life that will never end because it is rooted in the One who will never end.
Ephesians 2:4-6 4 But because of his great love for us, God, who is rich in mercy, 5 made us alive with Christ even when we were dead in transgressions-- it is by grace you have been saved. 6 And God raised us up with Christ and seated us with him in the heavenly realms in Christ Jesus…
4. Remember the Lord’s Return
-As we remember the Lord’s death and resurrection, and celebrate the new life He has given us, we proclaim His work for us through communion until He comes back for us! First, this tells us that we should do this until we die or until He returns for us. Secondly, it reminds us that He is coming back, just as He promised.
John 14:1-3 Do not let your hearts be troubled. Trust in God; trust also in me. 2 In my Father's house are many rooms; if it were not so, I would have told you. I am going there to prepare a place for you. 3 And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back and take you to be with me that you also may be where I am.
-Jesus is coming back for those who are ready for His return. How do you get ready? Make sure that your heart is right with God! Your heart is right when you are fully surrendered to God! Your heart is right when you are loving the people around you – even the ones who can do nothing for you.
-Paul told the Christians in Corinth that they needed to examine themselves and be sure that they were discerning the body of the Lord. Did you know that in a very real sense, other believers are considered the body and blood of Jesus? Body is probably understandable, but blood? Yes! We are His blood, His family, His children. We have been born of God! Blood relatives! So when we fail to love one another, we are messing with His family! Not a good idea!
-Two chapters later Paul reminds them what love is: Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. 5 It is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. 6 Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. 7 It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres. 8 Love never fails.
-Jesus is coming back for those who love Him! And if they love Him, whom we have not seen, then we will be able to love our brothers and sisters who we can see. His love changes us and makes our hearts ready for His return.
Close: So as we take communion today, remember His death. Don’t allow spiritual amnesia to set in, causing you to forget what this is all about! Consider what He did for you on the cross and give Him praise and gratitude for the sacrifice He made for you! And realize that His death was enough to take away your sins and give you life. Remember that you will need to continually die to sin and self, the old way of living. Yield yourself to God! You came alive spiritually when you called on the Lord. Now, stay alive! Stay connected to Him! And remember that our life on this earth is temporary. Jesus is coming back for us, so keep your heart right and be ready for His soon return!
