Communion Sermon
- Read 1 Corinthians 11:24-34
Why do we have communion and why do we have it so often?
There is nothing in the Bible that tells us how often we are to serve communion, or the Lord’s Supper. Many believe that in the first century, they served the Lord’;s Supper every time they met. For that reason, some churches continue to do so today. Others serve it less frequently, as we do.
The church I attended as a child served communion once a quarter. Right now, we usually serve it once a month. But, why do we we have communion? We serve it for 4 reasons.
I. WHY DO WE HAVE COMMUNION?
1. We celebrate communion because Jesus told us to.
First, we celebrate communion because Jesus told us to. In this passage, Jesus says, “This do, as often as you drink it, in remembrance of Me.”
This passage indicates that Jesus expected us, even commanded us, to share this meal on a regular basis. Wow share this meal because Jesus commanded us to.
2. Second, we share this mea because it is a reminder meal. We humans have terrible memories. Go back and look at the history of Israel. They would follow the Lord for a while, then they would forget what disobedience cost them, and they would start living like the rest of the world, forget the Lord, and He would have to discipline them. They would get things back in shape and the Lord would begin to bless them again.
Go back and read 1 and second Kings. It happened time after time after time. We are a forgetful people.
My word, look at our own country right now. How many people have forgotten that this nation was formed as a Christian nation? The only reason we have made it this far is because God is a gracious God.
Turn to someone near you and tell them, “You sure are forgetful.”
We are a forgetful people. Shoot, I often can’t remember why I walked into a room. I’d forget my head if it wasn’t attached. This morning Gladys wanted to turn off the water in the kitchen sink. So what did she do? She walked into the kitchen, grabbed the remote, and turned off the lights under the cabinets.
We are a forgetful people.
2 neighbors were talking about what they had done the previous night. One of the men said that he and his wife had attended a lecture that told them how they could improve their memories. The neighbor asked, “Well, who taught the class?”
In response the friend asked, “What’s that flower, that’s so pretty? People often grow it and give it to each other and it has thorns? You mean a Rose”? “Yeah, that’s it.” “Rose, what’s the name of that guy we went and saw last night?”
Jesus said, “Share this meal so you will remember.”
There are 2 primary things Jesus wants us to remember.
3. We share this meal to remember there is nothing we can do to earn salvation.
We humans often think that we have to do something in order to earn salvation. I’ll attend church, or I’ll pray, or I’ll give money to the church, or I’ll help people, or I’ll do something in order to earn my salvation.
So Jesus gave us the bread. He said, this bread is My Body which is given for you.”
My friends, when Jesus died on that cross, He paid the entire price for your sins. There is nothing you can do to add to what He has done. There is nothing you can do that will take a way from what He has done.
> Isaiah 53:5-6 But He was wounded for our transgressions, He was bruised for our iniquities: the chastisement of our peace was upon Him; and with His stripes we are healed. All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned every one to his own way; and the Lord hath laid on Him the iniquity of us all.
Back in the first century, when someone was crucified, they would place a sign over the criminals head that would say what crime the person was being punished for. Over the head of Jesus there was a sign which read, “Jesus, King of the Jews.”
Oh, but in writing only our heavenly Father could read were written the words, “The Sins of Gene Gregory.” And written there also was your name as well.
My friend, Jesus died to pay the price for your sins and mine.
> Ephesians 2:8-9 For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: Not of works, lest any man should boast.
We are saved by the grace of God. Not because of anything we have done nor, because of anything we will do.
On the cross, one of the last things Jesus said was, “It is finished.” In Greek, “Toltelistie” It is finished. It is an accounting term which means, “Paid in Full!”
When it comes to your salvation and mine, Jesus paid the full price for our sins when He died on the cross, and there is nothing you can do to add to what He did and there is nothing you can do that will take away from the price He paid.
We humans tend to forget that, so Jesus gave us this memorial meal, and have us eat this bread to remember, “OH yeah. My salvation has been paid for. I cannot work my way to heaven.”
“Jesus paid it all. All to Him I owe. Sin had left a crimson stain. He washed it white as snow.”
We share this meal because Jesus told us to. We share this meal because it is a reminder meal. We share this meal because it reminds us that there is nothing we can do to earn salvation or to earn forgiveness. 4th, we share this meal because it reminds us that there is nothing we can do Jesus cannot forgive us of.
4. There is nothing we can do that Jesus cannot forgive us of.
We suffer from 2 afflictions. First, we want to work our way to heaven or try to earn salvation, thus the bread. Second, sometimes we tend to think that we have messed up so bad that God can’t forgive us.
Oh, and the Accuser, the Devil, he will try to tell us that all the time. He will whisper that nonsense in our ears, “See there. What kind of a Christian are you that you would say something like that, that you would hurt someone like that, that yo would do something like that? You’re not really a Christian. God could never forgive you after all you have done, after all of the people you have hurt.”
Let me tell you this, according to Jesus, the Devil is a liar and has been from the beginning.
In John 8, beginning in verse 42, Jesus, confronting the pharisees says, “
> John 8:42-44 Jesus said to them, “If God were your Father, you would love Me, for I proceeded forth and came from God; nor have I come of Myself, but He sent Me. Why do you not understand My speech? Because you are not able to listen to My word. You are of your father the devil, and the desires of your father you want to do. He was a murderer from the beginning, and does not stand in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he speaks a lie, he speaks from his own resources, for he is a liar and the father of it.
The Devil has been a liar since he first confronted man. He lied to Eve in the Garden of Eden, and he has lied to us ever since.
> 1 John 1:9 If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.
Man, if there was ever a person who messed up, it was King David. He had a faithful soldier named Uriah who was off fighting for him and for Israel. While this faithful soldier was gone David slept with the man’s wife. When he found out she was pregnant, he had this faithful man killed to cover up his sins. That, is pretty sorry.
A prophet came and confronted David about his sin. David was overcome with grief, shame, and guilt. In the midst of that guilt he wrote Psalm 51. Turn there with me please.
- Read Psalm 51:1-6
Is that not the cry of a man overcome with guilt? Oh, how many of us have been overcome by guilt and grief, thinking God could never forgive us?
Then David writes in the next verse,
- Read Psalm 51:7
Purge me with hyssop, and I shall be clean;?Wash me, and I shall be whiter than snow.
Oh my friend, there is no sin so great that God cannot forgive you. You messed up. You did something stupid. You cannot believe you did it. You can’t understand how or why you did it. Your friends and family won’t let you forget it. But there it is. And like David you say, “My sin is always before me.”
The Bible says, Jesus will forgive you and make you white as snow.
> 1 John 1:9 If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.
The Bible tells us God does 3 things with our sins when we confess them.
1) He buries them -
> Micah 7:18-19 Who is a God like You, Pardoning iniquityAnd passing over the transgression of the remnant of His heritage?He does not retain His anger forever, Because He delights in mercy. He will again have compassion on us, And will subdue our iniquities.You will cast all our sins Into the depths of the sea.
God buries our confessed sins so He doesn’t see them anymore.
The story is told of an old man in a nursing home who used to read his Bible on a regular basis, and while he read he would shout, “Hallelujah, praise the Lord! Oh, isn’t that great? Hallelujah, praise the Lord!” Well, after a while, the other residents got tired of hearing it, so they hid his Bible and put a magazine there in its place.
Well, after a while they began to hear him doing the same thing. He started shouting “Hallelujah, praise the Lord! Oh, isn’t that great? Hallelujah, praise the Lord!”
Some of the other residents couldn’t figure out what was going on so they came in and asked him, “What in the world are you doing? We got tired of you shouting like that so we hid your Bible, and now you’re shouting again.” The man answered, “I was just reading this magazine, and it said that there are places in the ocean that are more than 7 miles deep, and that’s where God buried my sins!”
God buries our sins.
2) He removes them
> Psalm 103:11-12 For as the heavens are high above the earth, So great is His mercy toward those who fear Him;As far as the east is from the west, So far has He removed our transgressions from us.
My word, you start going north and after a while you’re going south. You go south for a while and then you’re going north again. But when you head east, you can head east forever and you’ll never start going west. You start heading west and you will never be going east.
And that’s how far God has removed my sins from me. As far as the East is from the West.
God buries our sins. God removes our sins, and third, God hides our sins.
3) God hides our sins
> Isaiah 38:17 Indeed it was for my own peace That I had great bitterness; But You have lovingly delivered my soul from the pit of corruption, For You have cast all my sins behind Your back.
God places our confessed sins behind His back so that He doesn’t see them anymore.
> Hebrews 8:12 For I will be merciful to their unrighteousness, and their sins and their lawless deeds I will remember no more.”
God hides our sins so that He won’t see or remember them anymore.
Isn’t that great news? What can wash away my sins? Nothing but the blood of Jesus. What can make me whole again? Nothing but the blood of Jesus. Oh precious is the flow. That makes me white as snow. No other fount I know. Nothing but the blood of Jesus.
Oh, if all of that is true, then what is that accusing voice you hear again and again reminding you of your past failures? That’s nothing but the Devil, trying to guilt you into giving up. No wonder in Revelation 12 he is called the accuser.
I love that song by Morgan Cryar, called “What Sin?”
It happened so long ago
And I cried out for mercy back then
I plead the blood of Jesus
Begged Him to forgive my sin
But I still can't forget it
It just won't go away
So, I wept again, "Lord, wash my sin"
But this is all He'd say
What sin, what sin?
Well, that's as far away
As the east is from the west
What sin, what sin?
It was gone
The very minute you confessed
Buried in the sea of forgetfulness
Oh, what sin?
So Jesus gave us a memorial meal so we would be reminded that we cannot work our way to heaven. The bread reminds us of His broken body, by which He paid for all of our sins. The juice reminds us of His shed blood that washes away our sins.
What can wash away my sin?
Nothing but the blood of Jesus;
What can make me whole again?
Nothing but the blood of Jesus.
Oh! precious is the flow
That makes me white as snow;
No other fount I know,
Nothing but the blood of Jesus.
Thank you Jesus for all you have done for us.
Now, briefly, before we share this memorial meal together, let me address the question, “If Jesus has paid the price for our sins, and if there is nothing we can do to cause Him to love us more or to love us less, then why serve Him Why work for Him? There are number of reasons we serve the Lord.
II. WHY SERVE THE LORD?
1. We serve the Lord because He is our Boss.
> Matthew 24:45-51
Oh my friend, when Jesus comes back, I want Him to find me faithfully serving. I want Him to find me sharing as He commanded.
We work, we serve because God the Father is our Boss.
2. We serve the Lord because He tells us to.
> Matthew 28:19-20 Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost: Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you always, even unto the end of the world. Amen.
Jesus gave us a job to do. He told us to go and make disciples. Tell other people what Jesus has done for us and tell them what He has done for them.
> John 3:16, For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.
That’s too good a news not to share.
We serve the Lord because He is our Boss. We serve the Lord because He told us to. We serve the Lord because service is an indication of salvation.
3. Service is an indication of salvation.
- Read James 2:14-26
If you’re truly saved, you’re gonna want to serve the Lord, out of gratitude if nothing else, but also because it pleases Him.
When you get married, unless you are a self-centered narcissist, you’re going to want to do things that make your spouse happy, things that please your spouse. I’ve been trying to get our house pressure washed for a month. So far I’ve gotten about 12 feet on the back of the house and the back porch done. Why am I anxious to get it done? Because it will make Gladys happy.
James says, “If you’re not serving the Lord, it is an indication that you might not really be saved, because with salvation comes a changed heart that tries to please the Lord.
In Luke 6, Jesus asks the question,
> Luke 6:46 “But why do you call Me ‘Lord, Lord,’ and not do the things which I say?” Good question, don’t you think?
> Matthew 25:35-40 For I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me drink, I was a stranger and you welcomed me, I was naked and you clothed me, I was sick and you visited me, I was in prison and you came to me.’ Then the righteous will answer him, saying, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you drink? And when did we see you a stranger and welcome you, or naked and clothe you? And when did we see you sick or in prison and visit you?’ And the King will answer them, ‘Truly, I say to you, as you did it to one of the least of these my brothers,[a] you did it to me.’
Can you imagine the privilege of giving Jesus something to drink or something to eat? Service is an indication of a changed heart.
Let me ask you, what does your service say about your heart?
We serve the Lord because He is our Boss. We serve the Lord because He tells us to.
We don’t serve in order to be saved, we serve because we are saved.
We serve the Lord because He is our Boss. We serve the Lord because He tells us to. We serve the Lord because it is an indication of a changed heart, and 4th, we serve the Lord because there are rewards associated with faithful service.
4. There are rewards associated with faithful service
- Matthew 25:14-23
Oh my friend, I want to hear Jesus say, “Well done good and Faithful servant. You have been faithful over a few things I will make you master over many things. Enter into the joy of your Lord.”
Can you imagine? Not only did Jesus sacrifice to save us, and offer us salvation, but on top of that, He is going to give us extra gifts!
You see, this short life we live here on earth, is only preparation for the much much longer life we will live after we leave here.
When I was in college, I took as many classes as they would let me each term because I wanted to get it over with and get on with life as soon as possible. Got my bachelor’s in 3 years.
My mom would ask me, what’s your hurry? I would tell her, “I want to get on with life.” She’d answer, “College is part of life.” And I’d respond, “No, it’s just something I have to do in order to prepare for what is next.”
Well my friends, that’s what this life is. It is just preparation for what is coming next, and I can’t wait to get out of this school, so I can start doing what comes next.
Jesus said, “Do this in remembrance of Me. This bread is to remind you that you cannot add anything to what I have already done. And this juice is to remind you, that when I called and saved you, I already factored in your disobedience, your rebellion and sin, and there is nothing you can do that is so bad that it will keep me from forgiving and loving you.
Communion
