I believe in… the communion of saints WBC 25/11/01am
Jn 15:9-17, Heb 11:32-12:3, 12:18-24
INTRO
= a progression from “the Holy Catholic Church”
- cf last Sun pm
- God only sees one church. Has one church
- = holy. Set apart. Called out to be sent back in
- = catholic: diverse, broad, varied
- acknowledged that those who love Jesus are
- our brothers and sisters
- fellow workers for the KOG
- doing it in different ways
so- why is it necessary for the creed to repeat this by saying “the communion of saints?”
Well- an acknowledgement of the Holy C Ch IS important
- but can be an acknowledgement with reservations, limitations… incomplete picture or commitment
- eg “I acknowledge they are… we are Christians…and we worship together-….. but that’s as far as it goes!”
in this statement of belief there is no escaping that being a Christian goes much further…
- demands more of us wrt relationships with one another
- it necessitates COMMUNION
COMMUNION WITH ONE ANOTHER
This word is in the Bible. It’s koinonia, and it means ‘fellowship’
- lives in intimate overlap (rather than minimal involvement)
- it’s the kind of thing you see in Acts 2:42, where the believers dedicated themselves to
- each other
- fellowship
- THE fellowship.
- It’s the kind of love and commitment that is encouraged (commanded?) in Jn 15
- It’s the kind of word that is used of fellowship in marriage and partnerships in business, education, society
It’s the kind of relationship we are called to with each other
- the fellowship of the saints. Fellowship with people made HOLY by God
- not made PERFECT! You’ll have plenty of opportunities to
- learn that… forgive that!
But it is the kind of relationship we are called to…crying out for
- and maybe too busy, unaware or distracted to know it!
Folks can easily be
- isolated and crying out for it OR
- so overwhelmed with superficial diary driven events, responsibilities and meetings where we don’t really ‘meet’
Need to realise that it is a strategy of Satan to keep you from real, refreshing relationships… friendship… koinonia
What can I say? Is asked the Lord about this- “What can I say, Lord, to a busy and diverse people?”
“Invest in relationships. Make room for meetings where you can MEET. In your hearts/spirits. Be more relational (rather than organisational). Be more fluid… fun… fellowshippy…
… and make room to meet in your hearts with people
- love one another deeply from the heart (1 Pet 1:22
- practice hospitality. Hang out with one another”
Others will see this and want to join you
Today: take one step forwards towards the “communion of saints”
- let’s build a community
- come into this community! You will be v welcome, here
- a community, here… united by Jesus
But there’s another aspect to this “communion of saints” in the creed. A v important aspect. An oft neglected aspect- but a v clear Biblical aspect.
- we are united with one another because of Jesus… and that communion is not severed by death
COMMUNION WITH THOSE WHO HAVE GONE BEFORE
Hence the Heb 11 reading
- the ‘Holy Catholic Church’ refers to the church MILITANT, here
- but the comm. Of saints also refers to the church TRIUMPAHNT… in glory…. That we are still united with
Folks shy away from this for fear of
- going beyond scripture
- into: necromancy, contacting the dead… even thinking about those dead
but the bible makes it clear to me that death is only a thin veil between us and the saints who have gone before
Angels and archangels - look on & minister to the saints (us!)
- throw a party when one follows Jesus
But the saints of old look on, too. And cheer us on in the race of faith, life
“Therefore with Angels and archangels and with all the company of heaven we laud and magnify thy holy name”
- Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, Peter, my gran and granddad. My Dad. All those in the hall of faith of Heb 11… a great cloud of witnesses
- “come on! We did it! You can do it, too! Keep the faith! Fight the fight! Run the race! Go for it. Oh, help them , Jesus”
- “hang on, that’s going to far”
- Rev 6:9 you see the saints active, observant, conscious, asking Q’s, receiving answers… maybe even praying(?)
REV 6:9 When he opened the fifth seal, I saw under the altar the souls of those who had been slain because of the word of God and the testimony they had maintained. 10 They called out in a loud voice, "How long, Sovereign Lord, holy and true, until you judge the inhabitants of the earth and avenge our blood?" 11 Then each of them was given a white robe, and they were told to wait a little longer, until the number of their fellow servants and brothers who were to be killed as they had been was completed.
The record of their struggles and victories encourage us… witness to us… testify to us… are an example to us when things are tough.
- they witness to us in that sense
But the communion of saints is more. They are actively willing us on, now.
Some would say: ‘no. It’s only THIS record that testifies… is a witness. Their historic example. But let me show you from scripture that the cheering comes from more than just this inspired record, here.
1) The imagery of the amphitheatre
- it would be ridiculous to use the imagery of the amphitheatre but to actually mean that the crowd wouldn’t watch the athletes. That’s the whole point of going to an amphitheatre- to watch the action! It implies watching an cheering what’s going on on the track.
- Paul used the imagery for just this reason.
- They’re watching. With us! Willing us on!
2) Heb 12:22 (that was read to us)
When you become a believer you come to the heavenly Jerusalem. To:
- 1000s of angels… church of firstborn… to God… to the ‘spirits of righteous men made perfect’
- i.e. the saints… who have gone before.
- The communion of saints.
- It’s SO clear
3) MT 22:29
Jesus replied, "You are in error because you do not know the Scriptures or the power of God., 32 `I am the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob’ ? He is not the God of the dead but of the living." (Mk: you are dreadfully mistaken)
- He is not the God of the dead… but the living! I AM the God of..
- They are alive…and watching
4) The transfiguration
Moses and Elijah appeared to Jesus + others
- they came down… or were sent down. They had been watching.
- Saw their ministries complete in Jesus
5) revelation
Kind of passages I cited where the saints are watch and waiting. ‘How long?’
6) Dives and Lazarus Lk 16
Abraham knew about Moses and the prophets- but he knew nothing of them when he was in this world as they came hundreds of years after him
- he’d been watching! He’d met tem, too… when they ‘passed on’
the communion of saints!
Why are we so slow to acknowledge/accept this?
1) Because we’re fearful that someone might try to contact them… the dead
- and it is clear from scripture that that is not allowed
- any form of necromancy, consulting the dead, contacting them is prohibited
- (and they’d probably ignore you, anyway!)
But that doesn’t mean the saints aren’t watching, willing, cheering… involved from their side! Please
- don’t be fearful of scripture
- chuck the bay out with the bathwater
Scripture says we are: surrounded, enclosed, encircled by a great cloud of witnesses
- and we are still in communion with them
1) Because we are fearful folks might get distracted
- but Heb 12 makes it very clear the eyes of those currently running the race are (must be!) ON JESUS
- not on the stalls. Precedent saints
So a full understanding of scripture (such as I want to teach) makes it balancedly, beautifully, clear:
- we are to keep our eyes on Jesus…and concentrate on winning the race….
- I wouldn’t dream of contacting them. God has boundaries in that are to be respected.
- BUT they are watching us. We are still one with them. We will; be re-united with them. There will be no end to the ‘communion of saints’
Isn’t that good news?!! Isn’t that good news for us who grieve… have loss?
- I’m gonna see Clive, Dad, Grandma (Illustr: my baptism and the baton)… those we have loved ‘in communion’, here AGAIN
- I’m gonna meet: my ancestors (religious pilgrims and pioneers: Huguenots and mayflower pilgrims) for the first time
That’s because the ‘communion of the saints’ still continues
Are you ‘in that number’? One of the saints? So that when they go marching in you will be counted with them?
- it’s not the communion of EVERYBODY, but of those who have been in communion with Jesus and His people while here on earth. It’s a continuation of that
- Jesus unites us now. Only Jesus can unite us/you through the veil of death
Do you want to be ‘in that number?’
- come to Jesus today. Get in communion with Him and His people
PRAYER?
QUESTIONS??
