7 keys to revival – Sermon 4 – “Reverence for Communion”
Thesis: When the church starts to reverence communion then we are using another key to unlocking the door to revival in the church.
Introduction:
Meaning of the word reverence and communion:
REVERENCE Respect or honor paid to a worthy object. In Scripture, reverence is paid: to father and mother (Lev. 19:3; Heb. 12:9); to God (1 Kings 18:3, 12; Heb. 12:28); to God’s sanctuary (Lev. 19:30; 26:2); and to God’s commandments (Ps. 119:48). The failure to revere God (Deut. 32:51) and the act of revering other gods (Judg. 6:10) have dire consequences. Reverence for Christ is expressed in mutual submission within the Christian community (Eph. 5:21). Christian persecution takes on new meaning as suffering becomes an opportunity for revering Christ (1 Pet. 3:14-15) (From Holman Bible Dictionary).
COMMUNION Paul’s term describing the nature of the Lord’s Supper and thus the term used by many church groups to refer to their celebration of Jesus’ final, memorial supper with His disciples. Paul used the Greek term koinonia to express the basic meaning of the Christian faith, a sharing in the life and death of Christ which radically creates a relationship of Christ and the believer and of the believers with one another in a partnership or unity. See Fellowship; Lord’s Supper.
Today I ask the same question I have been asking you over the last few weeks, “How many want revival?” If you raised your hand then here is what we need to do to use another key to unlock revival here at New Life.
WE NEED TO GET SERIOUS ABOUT THE LORD’S SUPPER AND APPROACH IT WITH REVERENCE!
1 Corinthians 11:23-33 Message
Let me go over with you again exactly what goes on in the Lord’s Supper and why it is so centrally important. I received my instructions from the Master himself and passed them on to you. The Master, Jesus, on the night of his betrayal, took bread. Having given thanks, he broke it and said,
“This is my body, broken for you.
Do this to remember me.”
After supper, he did the same thing with the cup:
“This cup is my blood, my new covenant with you.
Each time you drink this cup, remember me.”
What you must solemnly realize is that every time you eat this bread and every time you drink this cup, you reenact in your words and actions the death of the Master. You will be drawn back to this meal again and again until the Master returns. You must never let familiarity breed contempt.
Anyone who eats the bread or drinks the cup of the Master irreverently is like part of the crowd that jeered and spit on him at his death. Is that the kind of “remembrance” you want to be part of? Examine your motives, test your heart, come to this meal in holy awe.
If you give no thought (or worse, don’t care) about the broken body of the Master when you eat and drink, you’re running the risk of serious consequences. That’s why so many of you even now are listless and sick, and others have gone to an early grave. If we get this straight now, we won’t have to be straightened out later on. Better to be confronted by the Master now than to face a fiery confrontation later.
So, my friends, when you come together to the Lord’s Table, be reverent and courteous with one another.
T.S. - The Corinthian church, and the church of the present, must get serious about the Lord’s Supper. We need to have reverence for Jesus when we partake of communion. We need to remember why we do it!
I. What are the reasons that we partake of the Lord’s Supper?
A. It is the one way that Jesus asked us to remember Him.
B. It teaches us that we are all saved the same way.
1. We have salvation by Christ and His cross.
2. There are no exceptions to this divine plan.
C. This is the greatest memorial service.
1. It looks back as a reminder of what Christ has done. It reminds us of the supernatural birth of Jesus and the sacrifice he made on the cross for us.
2. It’s about the reality and completeness of the cross- Max Lucado puts it well when he says, “And as the hands of Jesus opened for the nail, the doors of heaven opened for you”(35).
a. He tells us that the message of Jesus on the cross is this, “I did it for you. I did it all for you” (151).
1. Hebrews 10:12, 14 “Christ offered for all time a single sacrifice for sins’ and “by a single offering he has perfected for all time those who are sanctified.” (NRSV)
3. It speaks to the present.
a. It is a symbol of our unity and reminds us who we are to be living for in this life.
b. It reminds us to keep our eyes on Him.
c. It tells us that He is who he said He was and is. We can trust Him today with our lives.
4. It points to the future.
a. We proclaim His death until He comes again. It points to our complete redemption and glorification in Heaven before the Great White Throne.
T.S. – When we know the reasons for remembering then we should understand why we must not approach communion with the wrong attitudes in our hearts.
II. The Wrong Attitudes That Prevail at the Lord’s Supper (vv. 27-29).
A. The “unworthy manner” of partaking of the supper (v. 27).
1. We must not take the Lord’s supper casually. We must think about the basic reasons for observing the Lord’s supper.
a. The reasons we just stated!
b. WE do not partake of it because everyone else is.
c. WE do not partake of it if we don’t understand it’s meaning.
d. WE do not partake of it because our parents want us too.
e. WE do not partake of it because we are thirsty or want a cracker.
f. We do not partake to look good to others.
g. WE do not partake if we know we are not right with the Lord.
i. We take the time to repent and get right with the Lord then we come!
ii. It is a sin to take it in an irreverent manner.
B. Many approach the Lord’s table without self-examination and this ought not be (v. 28).
2. This is a time for confession of sin—a time to thank God for His grace.
a. We need to approach the throne with integrity an honesty in our hearts about our present condition.
3. It is wrong not to think about our need of salvation and God’s provision for it and to check our hearts for the disease of sin.
a. If we find it cast it out and ask for forgiveness.
b. Fall to your knees and receive his gift of forgiveness.
C. Many approach communion and fail to recognize the sacrifice of Christ’s body on the cross (v. 29).
1. This can refer to our salvation through His Death on the cross (Colossians 1:22, 23).
a. It’s not our goodness that earns our salvation it’s accepting the fact that we are sinners and lost without Christ’s ultimate sacrifice of himself on the cross.
b. We need to recognize our salvation comes only from His sacrifice.
2. His sacrifice is mirrored in these two symbolic elements.
a. The cup – is the symbol of his blood that was spilled at the crucifixion.
i. “He did it for you and me!”
b. The cracker is the symbol of his body which was beaten and battered.
i. “He did it for you and me!”
3. Lets remember His sacrifice:
a. The world drew the first blood. They cried “Crucify Him!”, “Crucify Him!”. They craved, desired, and sought to make him bleed. Why, because he healed them? Why, because he gave them hope and a future? Why, because he gave them the words of life and not death? Why, because he delivered them from demons? Why, because he feed them? Why, because he loved them?
Why, because he represented everything they where not- sinless- holy- pure- so they became enraged and they beat him, spit on him, whipped him. The legionnaires whip ripped every time id touched his flesh. The leather straps with lead balls struck with a sting and a tear. The strike and then the blood began to oouze out of the wound and it then started to flow out.
The whip kept coming, “smack, rip, tear” 39 times of the lash with it’s painful blow. His back and side ripped open wider and wider. The blood flowed more and more. It was sprayed on the ground, on the whip, onto the soldier’s clothes and body. It flowed down Jesus’ back, thighs, legs, and feet. They drew first blood and He allowed it to flow – freely He allowed them to beat Him.
He freely let the blood flow down his body and onto the ground. It let His blood flow down the streets and into peoples homes. He let it flow into people’s lives. He let it flow into the streams and the rivers and into the oceans. It flowed in to the regions of hell and set the captives free. It flowed into the hearts of the onlookers and the soldiers. It flowed into the eyes of the blind and they could see.
It flowed from beneath to above right into the throne of Heaven. And when the Lamb appeared before the throne they cried, ‘Behold the Lion of the Tribe of Judah”, “The Lamb of God”, Then they all sang, “Worthy is the Lamb, who was slain, to receive power and wealth and wisdom and strength and honor and glory and praise!”
Yes, the blood flowed and Heaven sang and Hell screamed. Yes, His blood flowed for you and me! Yes, His blood flowed from the beating and from the crown of thorns they jammed into His head.
The blood flowed from the crown of thorns. It flowed down his face and cheeks. It flowed down his shoulders and arms. It flowed to the cross beam of the cross as he carried. Each time he fell to the ground there was blood there flowing. It was there for you and me. It flowed to the crowds for the sake of their souls.
The world cried more blood and Jesus let it flow. The spat on him but it still continued to flow. The blood flowed all the way to the cross. So that people would be healed and delivered. So people could be set free. The blood flowed as they drove in the nails.
When they hoisted him up it flowed down the cross and onto the ground of Golgotha. It has never stopped flowing. It still is flowing to peoples hearts and cleansing them, healing them, delivering them, giving them hope and a future, it’s giving light to a dark world, it’s bringing forgiveness, its bringing revival.
The blood of Jesus Christ flows from sea to shining sea, from shore to shore, from the sky to the earth below it flows
It is flowing through Africa, Russia, Middle east, Japan, Europe, the Pacific, to Australia, to South America and North America right here to Amery it flows. It’s final destination is to flow right into you heart.
Illustration:
Play video clip of Jesus Crucifixion from Jesus film and play in the background Mark Shultz song “Remember Me!” Narrate as we go along and help the group to focus on the Communion table under the spot light.
Then open up communion in an atmosphere of reverence!
