Why Do We... Take Communion So Often?

Today's passage is from 1 Corinthians chapter 11. We're starting in verse 17.

1 Corinthians 11 · chapter mention

But in the following instructions, I do not commend you, because when you come together, it is not for the better but for the worse.

For in the first place, when you come together as a church, I hear that there are divisions among you.

And I believe it in part, for there must be factions among you in order that those who are genuine among you may be recognized.

When you come together, it is not the Lord's Supper that you eat.

For in eating, each one goes ahead with his own meal. One goes hungry, another gets drunk.

What? Do you not have houses to eat and drink in?

Or do you despise the church of God and humiliate those who have nothing?

What shall I say to you?

Should I commend you in this?

No, I will not.

For I received from the Lord what I also delivered to you,

that the Lord Jesus, on the night when he was betrayed, took bread.

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.

In the same way, also, he took the cup after supper, saying,

This cup is the new covenant in my blood.

Do this as often as you drink it in remembrance of me.

For as often as you eat this bread and drink the cup,

you proclaim the Lord's death until he comes.

Whoever, therefore, eats the bread or drinks the cup of the Lord

in an unworthy manner will be guilty concerning the body and blood of the Lord.

Let a person examine himself, then,

and so eat of the bread and drink of the cup.

For anyone who eats and drinks without discerning the body

eats and drinks judgment on himself.

That is why many of you are weak and ill and some have died.

But if we judged ourselves truly, we would not be judged.

But when we are judged by the Lord,

we are disciplined so that we may not be condemned along with the world.

So then, my brothers, when you come together to eat,

wait for one another.

If anyone is hungry, let him eat at home,

so that when you come together,

it will not be for judgment.

About the other things, I will give directions when I come.

This is the word of God.

Thank you so much, Karen.

Good morning, everyone.

Okay, that's not bad.

Great. Good morning.

My name is Chris.

I'm one of the leaders here at Watermark,

and it's just really exciting to be here

and to preach God's word as we're going to talk on communion,

which I don't think I have preached a sermon here at Watermark ever on communion.

So let's just start by praying

and asking God to just speak to us today.

Father, we thank you that your word is like a sword

that penetrates, that cuts between the very deepest parts of our soul

and our marrow and every part of our bones,

and it breaks through into areas of our lives

where we have kept hidden for so long,

and it wants to expose us so that it wants to heal us

and to make us truly the people you've made us to be.

And I pray this morning you would do that.

I pray wherever we've come from, wherever we are right now,

that your word would do its work in our lives

so that we might be the people you've called us to be.

We might live in the freedom you have bought for us,

and we might enjoy what it really means to be a redeemed,

loved, restored people of God who are your family together.

And we pray this in Jesus' name.

Amen.

Great.

So we're going through this series,

basically a back-to-basics series,

looking at why do we do what we do.

And we've said that if you lose your why,

then the what of what you do can become dry and lose its life.

But when you know why you're doing what you do,

then actually that can reinvigorate and bring freshness and life

to the things that we do on a regular basis.

And we've looked at why we gather on Sundays.

Last week, Kevin looked at why do we always talk about the gospel?

And today we're going to talk about why do we take communion?

Now, kind of before I start,

it's worth noting that food and meals shape culture.

Because the British eat to live,

but the Hong Kongers live to eat.

Because actually Hong Kong's got it better,

more biblical than the British actually,

because food is more,

and meals are more than gaining nutrients for life.

They're actually about strengthening relationships,

about forming identities together.

They're a communal thing.

You know, I've always been incredibly amazed

at how my wife's extended family,

at festivals, they all get together,

and at these restaurants,

where the food quality is really poor,

the service is terrible,

and yet they love it.

And it's overpriced as well.

Why? Because what's happening

is it's strengthening their sense of being a family together.

And when families stop eating together,

that's always a sign of dysfunction

in their relationships, right?

We know that.

Because who you eat with

displays who you identify with.

It displays where your loyalty is

and where your allegiance is.

And so this passage,

let me just talk a little bit about

the context of the passage

that we're looking at today in Corinth.

Because in the ancient world,

the meal tables you had,

eating was a chance to network.

It was a chance to get into certain social circles.

A chance to get benefits.

You know, like in mainland,

if you want to get some business deals,

you'll eat together and drink together

and form guanxi, won't you?

To be able to form those relationships.

Well, the same would happen in ancient world.

And often meals would take place at pagan temples

where the food was devoted to idols.

And Paul has already talked about this

in the book of Corinthians

because their meals in the world around them

were often self-serving,

they were self-indulgent,

and they were idolatrous.

And in Corinth,

many of the new Christians

who'd come out of that

were bringing the same thinking

of the pagan world into the church.

And here was a church made up,

this house church of about 15

to maybe 50 people maximum,

made up of rich and poor

who would gather together

and be hosted in the home

of a wealthy person.

I think we might have a,

do we have a picture?

Okay, here's a picture.

Of a kind of home

that they found in Corinth

of a wealthy person.

And what would happen is

the rich people,

they didn't need to work

so they would come early

and they'd get seated

in the kind of seated area

and there'd be nice food,

that would be served to them

and there'd be free-flown wine.

And it was a great time,

it was a party for them,

catching up with all their

kind of wealthy friends.

And then the slaves

and the lower classes

would come later

because they got off work

and then there'd be nowhere

for them to sit

so they'd just be

standing room only.

There'd be no food left for them

so they'd be hungry.

And all the time

then they'd have

their worship gathering together

where they were talking

about Jesus,

praying about Jesus,

they were taking communion together

and Paul basically

lays into them,

he's got pretty strong language

in this passage,

and he says three times,

when you come together,

guys,

and that's a technical term

for when you meet

as a church,

when you gather together,

he says firstly,

you can go back

to that slide,

firstly,

you actually do more harm

than good.

It's not for better,

it's for worse.

Secondly,

he says,

it looks more like

Lan Kui Fong

than the church of God.

Your divisions

between the haves

and the have-nots

reflect more your loyalty

to the way the world operates

than to the people of God

that God has created.

And he said,

thirdly,

in light of those two things,

when you come together,

it's not the Lord's Supper

you're taking

because your own behavior

is despising

the very people

Christ died

to bring into his family.

And he says this,

he says,

for in eating,

each of you goes ahead

with his own meal.

One goes hungry,

the other gets drunk.

What?

I mean,

I like how Karen said it.

What?

Can you see,

he's not a happy bunny

at this point.

What?

Don't you have houses

to eat and drink in?

If you want to have

a private party,

do it in your own time.

Don't despise

the church of God

and humiliate

those who have nothing.

What's he saying?

He's saying,

it is possible

to make a mockery

out of communion

if you don't get

what it's all about.

That's the point.

It's possible

to make a mockery

out of communion

if you don't understand

what it's about.

And so what I want us to do

is just go through,

firstly,

what is communion?

Okay?

Very briefly.

And then we'll look at

why we take communion

and then how

we are to take communion.

Because in verses 23 to 26,

Paul basically goes

back to basics

and says,

okay,

let me show you

what communion is.

Let me take you back

to the first communion

Lord's Supper meal

that Jesus instituted

and he says,

I received from the Lord

what I delivered to you

and he's then going to go on

and tell us about the meal.

But what's he saying?

Just spin this phrase.

He's saying communion

is not a man-made ritual.

It's not like a shot of grace

that's just infused

into you in some way.

It is a practice

that is commanded by Jesus.

And if Jesus commanded it

to his church

to be handed down

from generation

to generation

of believers,

you've got to believe

that this is important.

And just as we depend

on food and drink

to live.

So what communion

is proclaiming?

It is a tangible,

tasted proclamation

declaring that our very lives

and our community life

is entirely dependent

on Jesus.

Entirely shaped

by Jesus' life,

his death,

and his resurrection.

It proclaims

the Lord's death

and that's a catch-all

for the gospel.

That's what communion is.

It's a proclamation.

It's a proclamation

of Jesus

and all that he is

and that we depend on him.

So why do we take communion?

Like, what's the big deal?

Okay, it's a bit of bread,

it's a bit of wine.

Well, the main reason

that he gives here

is to celebrate Jesus.

And we're going to unpack this

in a little bit.

But it's to celebrate Jesus.

Here's what he says.

The Lord Jesus,

on the night when he was betrayed,

took bread.

When he'd given thanks,

he broke it

and he said,

this is my body,

which is for you.

Do this in remembrance

of me.

In the same way,

he took the cup

after Sava,

saying,

this is the new covenant

in my blood.

Do this as often

as you drink it

in remembrance

of me.

You see,

the Corinthians

had made the whole meal

about themselves

and they were

the host of the meal.

Basically,

they did things their way.

But in the Lord's Supper,

Jesus is the host

of the meal.

And you notice in here,

who's doing all the action?

It's Jesus.

Jesus,

he gave thanks.

Jesus broke the bread.

He is the one

who offers himself

to us

in the bread

and wine.

You see,

it's personal.

It's not just abstract.

It's personal

from Jesus

to us,

to the original disciples

and then to us.

And so that means

how we respond

to communion

is how we respond

to Jesus.

And how do we respond?

Well, he says,

we're called

to do this

communion thing

in remembrance

of him.

Now,

that's a strange thing

to say,

in remembrance,

because in the Bible,

to forget

doesn't mean

to go,

like to forget

some information.

Go,

Jesus,

yeah,

that kind of name

rings a bell.

That's not what

forget means.

Forget means

you turn in your heart

away from God.

That's what it means

biblically.

And so then,

to remember Jesus

is not to go,

oh yeah,

Jesus,

he died for me.

It's actually

to recall his life,

his death,

and resurrection

for the purpose

of celebrating

and rekindling

your love for him.

You know,

I had an elderly

friend once

who,

she had this little

pendant with her,

you know,

around her neck,

which had her

and her husband's

picture in it.

And she would

take it out

and every time

she'd recall

the memories

of her and her

husband together.

And as she did,

you could see

her face

kind of light up.

And that remembrance

warmed her heart

to her husband

and his love

for her

and it actually

strengthened

their marriage bond

in some kind of way.

We know that

when you rehearse

with like an old friend

and you go back

over the stories

and something,

it just carries

that bond together.

Well,

in some kind

of similar way,

when we take communion,

what it's meant to do

as we intentionally

recall how Jesus

has loved us,

you know,

you're meant to

intentionally do that.

It's meant to warm

your heart

and strengthen

your love for him.

You know,

one of the things

I do,

often before I take communion,

I recall how

I was in a period

of real darkness

for about four years

of my life

and Jesus brought me

out of that.

And a lot of that

was because of

my own sinfulness.

And as I stop

and think about that

and I think,

but Jesus died

even for me,

that then

refreshes

and makes me

delight again

and say,

wow,

isn't Jesus'

love incredible?

That's what it's

meant to do for us.

Because in a world

of performance

and a world

of busyness,

we often forget

his love,

don't we?

So it's to remember

Jesus,

to celebrate him

and to enjoy him

again.

But how do we do that?

What else are we

trying to remember

about Jesus

and what he's

done for us?

Well,

there's three things

that I think

we are to celebrate.

Firstly,

we're to celebrate

that Jesus died

to set us free.

I don't know if you know

this meal.

Who did the Seder meal

on Easter Thursday

with us?

Okay,

a few of you.

Some of you need to go

back next year

and do it again.

It was a great time.

But actually,

we celebrated

that kind of Passover meal.

It's a Passover meal

that Jesus celebrated

on that Lord's Supper.

And that Passover meal

was a remembrance,

a recalling

of how God

had rescued

his people

out of slavery

in Egypt

and brought them

into the Promised Land.

And Jesus

and his disciples

on that evening,

they recounted

the Exodus story

and they would say

as part of that,

we were slaves

and God

brought us out.

And you go,

hey,

but you guys

weren't there.

Like,

this was like

1,500 years

before Jesus

and his disciples.

But they themselves,

as every Jew

since has always done,

they see themselves

in the story

of God's deliverance.

Not just a past story,

but it's a present story

for now.

It's their story

prayed out

in real time.

Which means this,

they would break

the bread

and they say,

this is the bread

of affliction.

All who are hungry

take and eat

and celebrate

God's deliverance

for us.

But what does Jesus do?

He breaks the bread.

He changes

the narrative.

He says,

this is

my body

which is broken

for you.

That you

is plural

by the way.

It's his people.

But as part

of his people,

it's also personal

for every single

one of us.

He's saying,

I died

to set you free.

I died

for your freedom.

That's not freedom

from Egypt.

It's not freedom

from life's difficult

circumstances.

It's not freedom

for you to do you.

It's freedom

from the cramped world

of living for yourself

and your own self-glory

and self-reliance

and focusing on yourself

and being set free

so that you can live

in the spacious place

which is living

for God's glory

and learning to love

others more than yourself

and to find that

there is true life

found in him

no matter what

the circumstances

you're going through.

And so when you

come to communion

and maybe you're feeling

like,

will I ever break free

of this anger

or this selfishness

or this lack

of self-control

or this habit

that has enslaved me?

When you take

those elements

you're proclaiming

one thing in that.

You're proclaiming

that Jesus died

to set me free

from all of these things

and he will set me free

because he's moving me

on a road to freedom

and I can trust him.

That's the first thing

that communion

reminds us on.

He's died to set us free.

The second thing

he tells us

we celebrate

that he made us

his own people.

I love this part

because if you get

the story

of what's going on

God didn't just

bring his people

out of Egypt

for them just to

kind of wander

by themselves

in the wilderness.

He rescues them

from slavery

to bring them

to himself

and then he takes

them to this mountain

Mount Sinai

where he enters

into a covenant

relationship

with the people

there.

It's like a marriage

ceremony

and if you remember

the Ten Commandments

they start with

you remember

the Lord your God

rescued you

out of the house

of slavery

and then you've got

actually about

613 commandments

that kind of come

as part of this

covenant

and then at the end

of it most of what

people don't realize

in Exodus 24

is it's actually

a kind of

a ratification

ceremony.

There's a ceremony

where Moses

sprinkles blood

on the people

which was a sign

that if they broke

the covenant

commands

then they should

pay for that

with their own blood.

And then what happens

it says the elders

went up

and it says

they beheld God

and they ate

and drank.

Do you see

what's happened?

They had a meal.

They celebrated

their new identity

that now

they were kind of

married as God's people

to the creator

of the universe

and God

is the host

of the meal.

I mean wouldn't

you love to be

a fly on the wall

of that meal

right?

I wonder what

he served.

But in light

of all that

background

Jesus

picks up

the cup

and he says

this cup

is the new

covenant

in my blood.

This is actually

amazing

because the entire

Old Testament

story is a tragedy

telling you

that the people

of God

broke his covenant

not just once

not just twice

but like every

almost all the time

constantly

time after time

they forgot

their God

they turned

to idols

and their blood

should have been

demanded from them

because that was

the deal

that would have

been fair

that would have

been justice

that God

would bring

and actually

the story

says we are

no different

but Jesus

is saying

to sinners

God doesn't

write us off

God doesn't

say that's it

you've had your

chance

I'm just going

to move on

now

our failure

reveals the

depths of

his faithfulness

to us

and what that

means is

he creates

a new

covenant

so that

you and

I and

we as

his people

can be

brought back

to himself

and in

the new

covenant

he places

his own

blood there

instead of

yours

that's why

he dies

on that

cross

his life

is poured

out

for the

forgiveness

of your

sins

that Jesus

paid it

all

all to

him

we owe

sin

your sin

my sin

had left

a crimson

stain

but he

washed it

white as

snow

and he's

made a new

way for us

to have this

marriage ceremony

with God

again

in deep

intimate

relationship

with God

do you know

God actually

wants a

relationship

with you

some of us

wonder

communion is

meant to

remind you

he's done

everything

that he's

he's running

to bring you

back to

himself

but here's

the thing

he died

to make

you own

but you

his own

but it's

not just

you

you and

Jesus

in a

kind of

little

love

in

okay

the

covenant

the new

covenant

isn't just

between

God

and you

the new

covenant

is between

God

and his

people

his

people

so

communion

proclaims

that Jesus

death

has broken

down

all the

social

all the

economic

all the

racial

all the

personality

divisions

that were

there

in

Corinth

and we

have

in

Hong

Kong

right

now

to

create

and to

bring

us

together

as

his

family

so your

worth

and value

in this

community

is not

determined

by your

titles

or your

status

or your

education

or your

clothing

or your

charisma

it's not

determined

by any

of that

it's only

determined

by one

thing

and one

thing

only

and that

is

Jesus

blood

we all

it's the

most democratic

thing in

the world

we all

come

leveled

on the

playing

field

because

there's

only one

way we

can come

it's

through

him

that's

actually

why you're

sitting next

to each

other

I don't

know if

you realize

that

because

communion

is like

a marriage

renewal

ceremony

it's like

a renewal

of your

marriage

vows

celebrating

how Jesus

has made

us his

own

people

again

we are

his

bride

he is

the

heavenly

husband

that's

actually

why you

can't

take

communion

by

yourself

that's

a

snack

because

communion

is a

family

meal

now can

I be

real

just for

a minute

here

I just

thought about

this quite

a bit

because

what I

think

most of

us at

Watermark

do

including

myself

at times

is when

we take

communion

we will

today

what we

do is

we'll

kind of

line up

like

no eye

contact

we kind

of look

forward

go and

get the

elements

go back

to my

seat

and it's

just me

and Jesus

in this

beautiful

kind of

communion

of one

how is

that a

communal

meal

that's

individualism

now there's

a moment

for you

and Jesus

and we'll

talk about

that in a

minute

but no

what you're

supposed to

do

is look

around you

you're

supposed to

look around

not just

in like

oh let me

find my

friends

but you're

supposed to

look around

and go

wow

isn't it

incredible

that I get

to sit

next to

this person

and that

person

they're in

the family

they're my

family

and you go

and you look

over and you

look at

he even

brought an

Australian like

Dan

into his

people

wow

isn't his

love way

more expansive

than mine

I don't know

why we always

pick on

Australians

I think

they've just

got thicker

skin than

everyone else

right

and communion

is meant to

not just

rekindle your

love for

Jesus

it's meant

to rekindle

the amazement

and your

love for his

church and his

people

did you know

that

that means

we need to

start thinking

and doing

communion

differently

in our

hearts and

our minds

hearts and

because we

are God's

covenant

people

together

so we

celebrate

that Jesus

died to set

us free

we celebrate

he died to

make us his

own people

thirdly

under why do

we celebrate

he died so

that we can

celebrate

that he is

also resurrected

and he's coming

again to

restore all

things

you see

he says

this in

verse 26

he says

as often

as you

eat this

bread

and drink

the cup

you proclaim

the Lord's

death

until he

comes

you know

in Corinth

in the Roman

Empire

many meal

tables

many gatherings

would at some

point have to

proclaim

Caesar

the Roman

Emperor

is Lord

when the

church

gathered

in their

homes

they were

doing

something

utterly

revolutionary

they were

proclaiming

Jesus was

a king

of a

different

kind

of

kingdom

and while

the world

might look

as if

it's ruled

by powerful

people

ultimately

they're all

under the

authority

of the

one who

is going

to come

back

the one

who is

going

to restore

and return

and rebuild

and bring

in his

kingdom

and so

for those

of us

who are

suffering

right now

maybe you're

hurting

maybe you're

lonely

maybe there's

just struggles

that you're

going through

for those

of us

who are

sojourners

like Kevin

talked about

you just

feel that

sense of

waiting

that sense

of restlessness

that sense

of uncertainty

with where

you are

right at

this time

in life

weighed

down by

the pressures

of the

world

around

you

communion

proclaims

that Jesus

has not

only inaugurated

a new

kingdom

but he's

going to

come in

to establish

it

and that

means your

future

is utterly

secure

that means

no believer

needs to

live with

FOMO

ever

because

Christ

has come

and you

and I

has come

and is

coming

and you

and I

are included

in that

and you

know in the

last book

of the

Bible

in the

book of

Revelation

what happens

to those

of us

who are

part of

God's

people

who have

trusted

him

through the

storms

of life

and have

held on

to Jesus

all through

it

what happens

in the

last book

of the

Bible

there's a

meal

there's a

wedding banquet

that his

people

are finally

reunited with

their husband

Christ

because communion

is just a little

taste that this

is we're looking

forward it's like

the hors d'oeuvre

before the main

meal it's like

we're looking

forward to him

coming as our

husband and

restoring all

things

communion

celebrates that

he set us

free

it celebrates

that he's

made us

his own

we're to

remember and

celebrate that

he's coming

again to

restore all

things

and so then

in the light

of all of

those things

in the light

of this

declaration

and this

proclamation

that we're

doing as

we take

communion

how should

we celebrate

how should

we take

communion

it's my

third thing

I remember

going to

Puyo

for the

first time

anyone been

to Puyo

and the

first time

I went

it was like

I was like

wow this is

amazing

there's just

the mountains

and there's

the beach

and it's

just incredible

and I spoke

to my friend

who lives

there

and I

said to

him

wow

you must

wake up

every morning

thinking

you're just

the most

luckiest

person alive

you're just

amazed

at just

living here

and he

turned around

to me

and he

said

huh

actually

I guess

I've just

got used

to it

because

you know

I've just

been here

so long

it's just

so familiar

with me

and actually

you reminding

me right now

actually is

really helpful

to remember

that actually

this is really

beautiful

because

familiarity

breeds

contempt

doesn't

it

sometimes

and I

think

and I

speak also

personally

but I

think for

many of

us

we can

be so

used to

taking

communion

that we've

lost the

wonder

of communion

I don't

know if you're

honest for a

minute

but I wonder

how many of you

actually look

forward to

coming and

taking communion

some of us

were going

oh let me

just hear the

sermon and

then we rush

out

and we don't

most of the

church's history

communion has

actually been the

center point of

the church gathering

I don't know if

you know that

the preaching is

meant to lead

you into

communion

but what that

means is

and I think

as a church

I mean I

think we

we can think

more about

how can we

change things

up to make

things fresher

I think there's

a lot of

things like that

just you know

taking just a

wafer and a

cracker you know

a cracker and a

juice it doesn't

feel like a

meal does it

doesn't even feel

like a starter

sometimes and so

there's we're

obviously fighting

against certain

things just because

we have to do it

because of the

the way you know

150 people we

can't have like a

full-blown meal

every Sunday

but in spite of

all that I think

we can still learn

how to love Jesus

more and appreciate

the wonder by not

just mindlessly

coming to

communion but

actually learning

how to have

reminders every

time we come so

this meal really

does what it's

meant to do in

our hearts and

our community

life and so

how should we

come and celebrate

communion I've got

two things first

thing we should

celebrate it

seriously not

flippantly okay

now listen to me

by seriously I

don't mean like

not smiling okay

I don't mean that

kind of seriously

okay I mean

there's there's

there's like a

weightiness to it

you know with your

wedding vows okay

even if the renewal

of your wedding

vows you you don't

just go in there

kind of lightly and

flippantly do you

do you go in there

with someone going

well do you take

this this woman to

be your wife and

you go well I guess

there aren't any

other better options

so why not right

that's not what you

do right you you

think about it you

prepare for it because

you know that that is

a serious moment and

you're declaring

something that is

serious and Paul says

here to the

Corinthians he says

in verse 27 whoever

eats the bread or

drinks the cup of the

Lord in an unworthy

manner will be guilty

concerning the body

and blood of the

Lord

do you know what

an unworthy manner

is it's it's when

you're treating Jesus

sacrifice so lightly

by the reality of

your life lived for

yourself in every

other area of your

life or you just

come and you are

treating his church

you're treating other

people with with the

contempt the

Corinthians were

treating others in

the church without

repentance without a

desire to change it

just kind of walking

in and that makes a

mockery of what

Christ died to

create you know you

you don't say all I

have is yours in your

wedding vow and then

just be treating your

spouse like like dirt

with no desire to

change without

consequences and God

says I will not be

mocked by my people

you're serious and he

ramps up the level a

little bit more and we

need to hear this he

says this he says

anyone who eats and

drinks without discerning

the body eats and

drinks judgment on

himself this is why

many of you are weak and

ill and some have died

just just listen to that

for a minute like let the

gravity of that sentence

just sink for a minute

he says you can drink

judgment on yourself and

some of you are sick and

you've even died because of

it

some of us actually today

you need to hear that

because maybe your career is

your God and you think you

can just kind of play around

with God in your own life

with Christ in your own

life and what he's saying

here and this is I mean I

was kind of a little

disturbed by this but this

is what he's saying he's

saying God is able to

devastate your career in

one instant he's able to

devastate the most precious

things that you are looking

to apart from Christ in one

instant not to be harsh but

to wake you up to avoid you

actually facing eternal

judgment in hell and so

that you can come in out of

slavery to self into the

freedom that he died for you

to bring you into it's

actually his grace that wants

to wake you up you know there

are people in watermark who I

know that have experienced

that and God is so grateful

they are so grateful that God

did that because they see how

where their life was going you

know you can say God can take

away your health he can take

away your relationships he can

even take away your life

there's a sense of a fear of

God here right and we talk

about the grace of God all the

time and we need to right but

sometimes I think we can take

that casually and we don't see

the fear of God and God's

disciplining judgment for those

who mock his grace and we mock

his grace when we just treat

him flippantly and by the way

let me put a caveat here don't

take this as if I've just said

hey you know if you take

communion today and then

tomorrow you get COVID that

that's kind of the judgment of

God has come on you and whatever

I mean it could be but I'm not

we're not going there because

this is a broken world and

there's there's different

things I mean we don't be

simplistic about that the point

here is that communion is a

health check to examine

yourself that's what Paul says

examine yourself so you discern

the body and by that he means

you discern the body of Christ's

broken few what Jesus has done

for you you think about his love

you ask yourself each time what

has Christ done for me how am I

treating him and then you think

about the body of Christ which is

his people and you go how are my

relationships how am I treating

the church around me this is what

communion is meant to do it's

meant to be like an ECG like a

heart monitor check you know Kevin

can share with me about an Anglican

church in Australia where I think

they said they take communion about

once a month or so but but before

they do that they message all the

members and they say hey listen

we're going to take communion

you've got to get all your

relationships in order as far as it

depends on you before you come

I wonder if we should actually do

something like that because then

you begin to see this actually means

something you know I've have you

ever been this I've done this where

you come to church and I've just

had a big fight with my spouse with

Fiona or you know you've you've got

issues with someone in your CG and

it's cold war and you come in and

you know like this and I'm right I'm

not gonna do anything and then it

comes to communion do you know for

me if I know communion is coming up

I'm going oh flip I've got to deal

with this I've got to either apologize

I've got to move towards that person

and I should never take communion if I

have not resolved in my heart to

actually move towards whether it's

broken relationships it doesn't mean

you have to fix everything but it

means where's your heart moving are

you coming in repentance to God are

you asking God to just work in you

are you resolving that I need to move

towards this because that's what

communion is to do and by the way if

you are a Christian not a Christian we

actually don't take communion not

because we're trying to be mean but

because we don't want you to be a

hypocrite and proclaim something in

your life that is not true of you we

want you to actually come and hear

about who Christ is so that you can

take communion and delight in all he

has done for us so we don't come

flippantly we take it seriously we

confess where we need to we confess

how am I treating the church around me

but then in the light of that we don't

stay at that point okay because you know

what happens straight after you've done

the wedding vows people don't go oh

they go right you celebrate the set

this the weightiness then transforms

into joy not a kind of guilt not a

not a somberness the idea is that you

know in some churches they call this

the Eucharist Eucharist means

Thanksgiving it's meant to overflow that

you know if we've examined ourselves and

if we've seen and brought our sin to

Christ then we can come confidently

here not because we have anything to

offer of ourselves but because we know

that we don't get judgment when we come

to Christ we get unending mercy because

this meal is for people who have not

got everything right this meal is for

people who are not adequate this meal

is for people who just have screwed up in

so many ways I mean just look around you

some of you look great others also look

great but you know if you've experienced

let me just say this is if you've

experienced hurt from someone in the

church what you can do sometimes is you

look around and you go how can they like

what right have they got to take you

meaning like you know don't you know what

they've done but if you've examined

yourself first you realize that somebody

else could say that of you and yet you are

invited by the host of the meal who is

Jesus himself because his blood was not

poured out for people who've done it all

well it's poured out for people who know

they haven't but know they need the grace

of a savior and when you come and

experience that you know that there is

freedom for you you know that you are his

and nothing can separate you from his love

you know that your future is secure with

him and you can celebrate Jesus and what

that does is that then leads you as you

look around and you look around the church

and you go wow what a bunch of sinners but

what a bunch of saints saved only by the

blood of Jesus and that looks meant to lead

you to love the church even more than you do

right now that's why we take communion

you