Communion Sunday (2nd service) - Pastor Brad Neuschwander (August 2, 2026) | Life Bible Church

Welcome to the Life Bible Church podcast. We

want to thank you for joining us today and we

hope you find today's sermon impacting as you

listen to it wherever you are in your daily walk.

To find service times and watch messages online,

see our website at lifebiblechurch .org. Now,

enjoy this week's message. Nothing but your blood,

Lord, can pay for sin. Could pay to bring us

back into fellowship with the Father. It was

your life. And the reason blood was accepted

Lord. As you said it. Life is in the blood in

Leviticus. And Lord. Because the blood is the

life. The blood. The lifeblood of your son, your

son's life was given to restore fellowship, communion,

encounter. Lord, and to know you, we thank you

for giving your only son. Your son is the way,

the truth, and the life. Your son is the door.

It's the door to the Father. He is the reason

we celebrate, the reason we worship. So this

morning, Lord, we're asking you to help us, to

help us honor you, to help us worship you the

way. That you desire to be worshipped and honored.

Lord we're asking you to help us. Lord remove

barriers. And remove stanchions. Where our hearts

have been fragmented. Or Lord segregated. We're

asking the Lord. that you would help us open

the doors, Lord, to old things, Lord, that they

would be made new. Things that are not of you

or of your nature, Lord, would be removed. Lord,

today would be a day of cleansing. Today would

be a day of great grace, releasing your love,

and that we would experience what it means for

you to draw near as we draw near. We love you.

And we bless you this morning. In Jesus' holy

name. Amen. You can be seated if you can. And

as I'm doing that, I'm going to ask the ushers

to come and prepare the communion table. Today

is a day that we are going to take the table

of the Lord. And you know, as I was preparing

for this weekend and when it comes to communion

Sunday, You know, it really is a holy, if I could

say it, a holy pressure on me because it's one

of those things where I end up preparing two

things. I prepare a message of a theme that God

has been on with us as the church. But then when

it comes to communion, I'm always asking, Lord,

what are you wanting to say in the breaking of

the bread and in the taking of the cup? And that's

a big deal. And as I was doing that, I felt the

Holy Spirit really speak to me this morning,

or this weekend, saying, I want you to spend

time. You know, as we set the table and we put

the elements out of the bread and the cup, and

it has been... Kind of the revelation that God

has given me over the years that we don't just

take it as a ritual or we don't take it as just

a thing that we do in a service. We actually

end up allowing the message of communion of all

the different things that we see in the scripture

to come alive to us. And we regard it not only

as sacred, but we regard it as God's word and

God's message to us. And the Lord said to me,

I want time this weekend. And he began to highlight

this verse that I want to share with you this

morning. And we're going to kind of do things

a little bit different than what we normally

have done. So if you're visiting here today,

thank you so much for being here. This is a little

bit unique. I'm trusting you're going to enjoy

it. Because I believe that the Lord gave me a

very specific strategy to work through today.

And so I'm looking forward to that. I want you

to turn in your Bibles, if you would, and we'll

put it on the screen. Luke 22. Luke chapter 22,

Luke 22:8

verse 8 and 9. Thank you, Jenny, for just a moment.

I'm going to have you guys stay up here if you

want to. It would be great. Luke 22. we understand

that Jesus was, this was his last week in Jerusalem,

okay? And if we take the book of John, you got

Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John, the four gospels,

four gospels, the four gospels, we find that

John's version of the gospel is, of course, it

fits. But there are parts of John's gospel that

in the midst of the other testimony, he goes

deeper because John relates, if you even read

his gospel, he relates as the one, even as he

writes in third person, I'm the one that Jesus

loved. He said it this way, he goes, and the

one that Jesus loved was laying on his chest.

Who writes like that? Okay, first of all, he

was saying, listen, I am. I am declaring to you,

even from his perspective of the upper room and

his perspective of all that was going to take

place in this Passover going to turn to communion

meal, John brings us more intimate facts of friendship.

Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John deal with the aspect

of what went on at the table. And what went on

in various aspects, certain gospels highlight

more of Judas' betrayal. Certain aspects highlight

just how Jesus talked. But John's gospel, as

you set it up, is the only gospel that has the

foot washing in John 13. This is all part of

the upper room experience. And Jesus' message

through the gospel of John to the disciples was,

everyone that was at that table, he said, you're

all clean. But I need to wash you. Now, in a

normal sense, we would just say, if we're all

clean, why are you wanting to wash our feet?

Well, there was many reasons why Jesus wanted

to do it. But primarily, he was pointing at something

that looked more than just physical cleanness.

It wasn't Jesus saying, listen, I'm a hygiene

freak, and I just don't like dirty feet at the

table. Now, he could have been that, but that

wasn't the issue. He was basically saying to

us, you're all clean, but I'm washing your feet

because you need to understand spiritually that

you can be clean and still pick up stuff along

the way. Hello? You can be right before God.

And your walk in the culture, your walk among

the world, your walk among one another can get

tainted. And you have to come to a place where

you recognize your walk, your feet need to be

cleansed. Even though your whole body, if you

will, is cleansed because of my blood and my

presence. Are you there? Now it's important that

you understand that because feet always deal

with the walk. And it was spiritually, symbolically

letting us know that God understands our walk,

but he creates a place where the water of his

word and the picture, and there's so many things

that can be drawn to that. The picture is Jesus

now washing the disciples' feet. Before he ever

says... Do this in remembrance of me or I have

given you a model which you should do to one

another. Before he ever deals with that, you

see the son of God washing the feet of what?

His bride. Not female. The ones that he would

die for that would be the bride. It was a picture

of how God was going to come through Jesus as

the word, as the holy word of God and wash the

walk during the day. people's journey he knew

he was heading to heaven they had only heard

that he was going to the cross they couldn't

even grasp it they couldn't understand it from

that meal right after that meal they would sing

a hymn cross the brook of kindron crossing the

what we would call right through the valley of

the shadow of death representing the the very

valley of hell and suffering itself and go to

the garden of gethsemane where he would be tested

in all things and the cross Would come and they

would not see him for three days as they would

bury him. He was starting this meal on the cusp

of everything. And the thing that he wanted to

show us. And the thing that I wanted to highlight

to you this morning. Is that in John's gospel.

He wants to make it clear. He's the one that

washes you. With the water of his word. That's

the picture. The king. Can I say it this way?

In the Old Testament, there was all types of

washings that had to be done by ritual. In the

New Testament, it's all about the king washing

you. Scripture I want to highlight this morning

is Luke 22. We're all talking about this communion

table. Let's deal with Luke 22. Jesus sent Peter

and John. saying, go prepare the Passover for

us that we may eat it. Now that is a very incredible

thing. There's lots that we could talk about

leading up to this, and I'll try to be careful

that I don't prolong this, but the reality is

This is the last Passover. It's significant because

Jesus is now the Passover lamb. He'd attended

other Passovers where it didn't stop, but this

Passover was marked that the transfer of a natural

lamb that would be the very last natural lamb

would be... You're picking me up, huh? Siri,

you disobedient AI. I bind you. In Jesus' name.

All right. So, before Siri interrupted, the last

natural lamb would give way to the only lamb

of God. Jesus Christ, the lamb slain before the

foundation of the world, that time, that Kairos

time, that God -appointed time was now at this

last Passover that the scriptures were highlighting.

And in that process, they had to fulfill all

that was in the Old Testament so that he could

fulfill it, so that he could open up the door

to the new covenant. That's why this is so important

because Passover gives us some of the building

blocks that we move into to understand what communion

stands on of what it came out of. All that way

back to Genesis 12 where the... picking of a

lamb that was pure and spotless, put the blood

on the doorposts and then the highlighting of

how to treat this lamb and how to eat the meal

and how to prepare yourself and to prepare your

house. All that was there in the Old Testament

is now brought up to the moment right before

the cross and Jesus now becomes the lamb of God

that shifts us from staying distant and just

coming close but yet having someone intervene

for us to now Jesus removing the person of the

priesthood to actually being the priesthood and

bringing us into the presence of God himself.

That's a big deal. So Jesus sent Peter and John

saying, go prepare Passover for us that we meet

it. Now I find it's interesting that Jesus chose

Peter and John. Because in other places, Jesus

chose Peter, James, and John. They were the kind

of, if you want to call it, they were the three

among the 12. Kind of the, I called it the tri

-council. Jesus was in the Trinity, your Father,

Son, Holy Spirit. But he picked Peter, James,

and John. Why? Because they would end up being,

at each one of their scenarios, they would end

up being part of the heads of the apostolic order

over the church. But James is not invited here.

if we understand what's about to take place,

John would never betray the Lord and would be

the one that would live, if you will, out of

all the apostles. Even though he would suffer

for his faith, he would be the longest lasting

apostle and would not die as a martyr. Even though

they tried to multiple times and they exiled

him, he would be the one that would live. and

live as a friend of God. He's known, if you read

any of the works of John's writings, he would

be known as the apostle of what? Love. That's

what he was known for. No greater love than this.

He would talk about the love of God. He would

talk about the fellowship in the love of God.

And yet Peter, there's a lot of incredible things

about Peter, but Peter would be known what? In

just a few, moments, I mean like hours, Peter

would be known for forsaking Jesus, denying Jesus,

taking a curse and an oath over himself that

he was, even though he was lying, denying Christ

and Christ would look at him. Peter would be

shaken to the core. Jesus describes that Satan

had come to sift you, Peter, but I have prayed

for you and when you come back, how would you

like to have that prophetic word? Everybody wants

to have a great prophetic word. And the Lord

would say, surely you'll be shaken like a flimsy

reed. But when you come back after being broken

and decimated, I will accept you. Nobody would

like that word. You're like, ugh. You know, the

other guy gets, oh, surely the Lord is going

to bless you in favor and grace, and you will

walk as though your feet are on oil. He receives

that. Scott receives, well, when you come back,

after you've done your moment of stupidity, I

will receive you. I mean, that was, in essence,

that was Peter's word over his life. And Peter,

you have to understand, Peter, please hear me,

when we get things from the Lord sometimes that

he shares about our journey, oftentimes in our

own pride of what we feel to ourselves, we shuck

it off and go, oh, that can't be the Lord. And

just a few hours later, Peter would deny Christ.

He would actually give up the ministry. He would

actually go fishing, separate himself, try to

hide from the shame that he felt internally.

Then he would struggle with the fact that he

wasn't worthy even to come back with Jesus. He

went the full gamut. I mean, he went the full

gamut. Because listen, he knew that God loved

him and he knew that Jesus prayed for him, but

he would do what many of us do and fight embarrassment

and shame and say, well, I've ruined it all so

it never can come back. I've blown it. No, no,

no. God specifically chose Peter and John. Why?

I think have two examples of the family of God,

of two brothers that were related, that loved

Jesus, and each of them made different decisions

through their sufferings and their trials. And

it was a marker to say, I want both of them to

prepare me a place to meet with them. I don't

just look for Johns. I don't just look for those

that follow love and have never really walked

away from things. I love them and I welcome them.

But I am not partial only. I look for the Peters

as well. I look for those that have stumbled.

I look for those that have struggled. And I want

you to be as much involved in the preparing of

the room as the Johns. Are you there? The Peter

and the Johns. Together, the two of them represent

what? Preparing the room. Now you see, in the

Old Testament, they prepared the room. And what

that meant was, actually it wasn't even the room.

They prepared the meal. If you read Jesus' statement

in all the other gospels, he says, you'll find

a man, follow the guy with the pitcher of water,

tell them that the master's looking for a room.

He will lead you to a room, notice what it says,

that's already prepared. So what was Peter and

James' responsibility? Their responsibility was

to prepare the lamb. Their responsibility was

to prepare the meal with all the herbs and spices,

prepare what they were to drink, the wine. They

were to get all of the cups and the plates and

all of the meal of that Passover meal ready.

And they were to make sure that the room was

cleansed ceremonially from all the leaven. Cook

the meat, prepare the meat, and ready to have

the meal because this was keeping the Passover.

That was Old Testament. They fulfilled it. You

know what happens in the New Testament now? It's

reversed. God has already prepared the lamb.

It's not our job anymore to bring a lamb, to

pick it out, to look at it, have it stay in our

room, and then slaughter it. The Lord has already

slaughtered the lamb once and for all for our

behalf. So it's no longer about preparing the

lamb. It's about what? Preparing the room. In

the Old Testament, we prepared the lamb, picked

the lamb because it was all about the perfect

lamb. It's still all about the perfect lamb because

God did that with his son. Our job now is to

what? Prepare the room of our hearts. You see,

Passover, took time to prepare the meal. Communion

should take time to prepare your heart. But nevertheless,

preparation is exactly what the Lord is asking

us to do. You see, the whole process of preparation

is important to communion as we give time and

priority. preparation is involved. I want to

say this to you. I felt the Holy Spirit so strong

on this. When I asked him, Lord, what are you

wanting to do? He said, I want time. He goes,

I don't want to be fit in. I'm not talking about,

I'm not talking about. Everybody else out there

in Christendom, I'm talking here about Life Bible.

I don't ever want to have a time where we fit

communion in with the agenda of what we think

is happening. The reality is communion is about

what? Preparing your heart and your mind to receive

the life of Christ at the table. It's an awesome

thing. It's a heart thing. And if it's a heart

thing, it means I need to honor the principle

and the sacredness of it. That's why we would

say there's many sacraments. The sacraments are

what? The sacred holy thing. Marriage is a sacred

event. Communion is a sacred event. Not sacrament,

but sacred. It is both aspects that we need to

understand of the holiness and the righteousness

of God. It is both sacred. It has value. It should

have deep appreciation in our heart. It should

cause our hearts to honor and our minds to be

expanded on who God is and how much he's done

and what he continues to do. And as the disciples

prepared the upper room, To eat, to reflect,

and to hear, and sit, and experience Jesus with

fellowship. So now we prepare the room of our

heart. It should be the upper room. Why the upper

room? It's a room above all rooms. Wherever else

you live in your heart. The room that has priority

over every feeling, over every emotion, over

every thought, over every passion should be the

upper room in your heart. It is the room you

go to that is dedicated to the Lord. It's above

every aspect of any part of your life. It's above

your spouse. It's above your children. It is

everything. It is the room of your heart that

is given to the Lord where you meet with him.

And as Passover, required a sweeping out of the

leaven of the house. This points us to ask the

Lord personally, search the rooms of our heart

and our minds for anything that's not of you,

Lord. Anything that's not clean. Anything that's

not true. Anything that's false. We want your

light on it because I don't want to live with

it. That's a perspective. That's an opinion.

It's a mindset that would not agree with who

he is or what he has said. But anything that

would distract us to say, well, I don't have

to. No, no, no, no. Let the light of Christ come

on my heart. And any place that I have lived

in compromise or I have believed that is fractured,

that is not in full truth, I now believe. Clean

it and ask you to help me heal it. I can't heal

myself. Help me bring the truth in the place

of the lie. Let me just read for you a couple

of things that will really point this out. Revelation

Revelation 19 · chapter mention

chapter 19, verses six through 10 says this.

I heard what seemed to be a voice of a great

multitude. like the roar of many waters, like

the sound of mighty peals of thunder crying out,

Hallelujah! For the Lord our God Almighty reigns.

Let us rejoice and exult and give him the glory

for the marriage of the Lamb has come and his

bride has made herself ready. Stop. I need you

to see something right from the get -go. The

Lamb of God, who is Jesus Christ, whose blood

paid for our salvation, has a redemption in us,

meaning he is going to get what he paid for.

His blood... paid for us to be saved we now become

his church his church who he is the head of the

church and the church is called in many sections

is called his bride what's the bride's responsibility

well we couldn't be the bride unless he came

to us and desired to be part of us and that's

why he gave himself to us so that we he we We

love him because he first loved us, the scripture

says. But you need to understand something. In

the process of preparation, even though he provided

everything that we need in him to make ourselves

ready, it's still our responsibility to make

ourselves ready. Any bride in this room that

has been married or is getting married, looking

over here, hallelujah, in the room would find

it super awkward, weird, and just awful. If the

groom came in on the wedding day trying to dress

you and prepare you, you'd say, out the door.

I'm going to take care of myself. You will enjoy.

When I get to the altar. Then you will look.

Of how it is. Do you understand. That Jesus expects

the bride. To be self -aware. That there is an

awareness quotient. That is supposed to be happening

in every person that has salvation on the inside.

It means that there is a preparation, not just

on wedding day, but a life of preparation that

is constantly thinking about how to live clean

because I'm engaged and betrothed to the one

whose life is actually being put in me. So the

bride has... Notice the scripture. Not to say

the bride is making herself ready. It says in

the Greek language, it has been going on. The

bride has made herself ready. It means that we

have a responsibility to partner with the Holy

Spirit in sanctification, in cleansing. and in

allowing our communication to actually open us

up and to remove from us the things that are

not of him. Think of it this way. It says this,

it was granted to her to clothe herself in fine

linen, bright and pure, for fine linen is the

righteous deeds of the saints. And the angel

said to me, or the messenger, it's literally

in the Greek, it says, messenger said to me,

write this. Blessed are those who were invited

to the marriage supper of the Lamb. And then

he said to me, these are the true words of God.

I think that part just jumped out of the page

at me. John is all right. seeing in Revelation

19. He's in an atmosphere of, if you understand,

Revelation 19 is what? The coming of the Lord

of Jesus Christ. He sees the fullness of God

coming with 10 ,000 times 10 ,000. He's seeing

what Enoch saw years ago about the very coming

of the presence of the Lord. He's seeing the

saints. In that process, you think about the

catching away as we meet him in the air. scene

is filled with the revelation of God as he comes

as faithful and true and in the midst of it this

angel has to stop him and say I need you to understand

something this isn't just a vision these words

are true not only are they true to him coming

back but they're true that the bride has prepared

herself whoo Hebrews 10, 19 says it this way.

Brothers, since we have confidence to enter the

holy places. Man, I'd like to preach a whole

message on that. Notice it doesn't say holy place.

We think automatically we go right in. Yes, we

get to. But you know there's other places that

you can go that are holy? I enter his gates.

With thanksgiving, where the gates of the Lord,

they're holy. I enter his courts with praise.

Those courts are holy. So the writer of Hebrews

is talking about, listen, you need to understand

something. When you begin to give praise and

you begin to give thanksgiving, you get to go

there not because you're giving praise and thanksgiving.

Can I just say that? Not because you're giving

praise and thanksgiving. Look at the caveat.

Confidence to enter the holy places by the blood

of Jesus. The reason you can give thanksgiving

and enter his courts with praise is not because

you're just doing that. It's because the blood

of Jesus cleansed you, sanctified you, and made

clean your sacrifice of praise. When you come

to give it and you come to give praise and thanksgiving,

you're already... in the blood of Christ and

that's what brings you into a holy place. Are

you doing okay? I feel like I'm preaching myself

happy this morning. Do we understand what is

taking place? He said, now you can come near

by the new and living way. See, the writer of

Hebrews is just knocking it out of the park.

New and living way. Which was opposite of what

the Old Testament, Old Covenant was. Which was

what? The old way, which was what? The old and

dead way. Why? Because when you approach God

in the Old Covenant, everything had to die. And

there was no resurrection. You brought your animal

to the priest. Death. And then you did it again.

Death. And every year you lived in the nation

of Israel. death after year, death year after

year, death. It stayed with the putting off of

sin and the mercy of God extending his mercy

year after year after year until the one lamb

would come. That's why the book of Hebrews says,

now through the new and living way, by the veil

of his flesh, the way is living. The blood, Is

not dead animals blood. That covered and never

speaks. The new and living way means that there's

blood that moves you into the holy presence of

God. That is new every morning. His mercies are

new every morning. His faithfulness is guaranteed.

That even when we're not faithful, he is faithful.

It's new. It's living. And it's speaking grace

and a better word than the blood of Abel. You

see Hebrews is getting us to the point where

we're seeing it. That Jesus opened up for us

through the curtain. I mean the veil. That means

through his flesh. And we have a great high priest.

There's so much I could say but I gotta just

say. Now it's not Aaron. According to the tribe

of people elected. The high priest now is Melchizedek.

The what? The priesthood of eternal. The eternal

priesthood without genealogy that always has

been, that was always there to administer eternally

the way of life and offer God blessing. That's

the priesthood we now come in. He says, now because

of that, that was all introduction. Because of

that, let us, who? Okay, three of you got it.

That's kind of a we. Let's move to an us. Let

us. Well, no, notice. Let us draw near with a

true heart in full assurance of faith with our

hearts sprinkled clean from an evil conscience

and our bodies washed with pure water. Do you

understand? He's taking the language of Old Testament

sacrifices of what Aaron the high priest or Levi

the high priest or the line of Levi would do.

And that is what? Sprinkle the blood on the altar

and then wash. His priestly hands and garments

with the water in the basin to clean. He says

that is done now according to the law. Now the

principle of that is coming over into your new

covenant relationship. And you now have what?

You have now a new priest called Jesus Christ

under the order of Melchizedek. And by his blood

you can now. access it it will sprinkle you clean

from an evil conscience or things that are bothering

you where you've trespassed against his will

and his word and you can be what washed by the

water of the word the very presence of Jesus

the living word himself so that you don't have

to live separated but you can live in continued

fellowship incredible And then he says, then

you can hold fast to your confession of hope

without wavering. For he who promised this is

faithful. Now I've got to just finish up with

this on the message and then we're going to move

forward. Listen, when you hold something, you

can't hold something at a distance very long.

Okay? We're going to try something here. Just

hold this out with one hand. Hold fast to your

confession of faith without wavering for he who

promised is faithful. How you doing? Okay, we'll

just stay at it. We're waiting. The reality is

we could do it for a while. Our own effort. She

didn't know she was gonna get picked for this.

No, keep it straight. Don't you work that down.

She picked this, but seared by the mercies of

God. Starting to hurt a little bit, isn't it?

Yeah, that's all right. Endure for Jesus' sake.

Okay. You see, in your own strength, this becomes,

you're wavering. He who does not waver is faithful.

Come on. He never wavers. Jesus never wavers.

But how many know you and I waver? You're wavering,

aren't you? A little bit. Yes. Okay. See, see

what your own strength has. No, don't you use

that. The whole, the whole point. See, the whole

point is, thank you. You did a great job. Let's

give her a big hand. Thank you. What's the whole

point? The whole point is trying to do Christianity

in your own strength from a distance is impossible

long -term. And yet most of us want to only touch

Jesus once in a while and just keep him at a

distance. When you want to draw near, what do

you have to do? I'll tell you what you have to

do. In order to hold something fast, when the

Bible says hold fast, you have to do what? You

have to bring it in here. I can hold things a

whole lot longer. I can walk the journey a whole,

I can carry it through seasons, even though this

will get tired. Ask any mother that brings their

child up here. All of a sudden, they have learned

the stamina of holding something near and on

the process because that's the whole point. It's

the carry position. Now, I don't, I got a love

handle. I can set it on here, but for most of

them with the hip and next to it, the reality

is you can do this, what? Through the day. You're

not just here a little, there a little. You're

holding on. Why? Because each day, God gives

us enough strength for that day. So he gives

us the ability, if we want to actually go into

fellowship with the Lord, guess what we gotta

do? I can't hold him at a distance. I gotta do

what? I gotta bring him near. And in bringing

near causes me now to love him and be close to

him, which means what? He sees it already, but

he's now wanting to have fellowship in areas

that I had originally put distance in. Well,

I didn't really want you to deal with that area.

I kind of like this opinion. I kind of want...

Well, see, if I'm gonna hold fast to the confession

of my faith, and I'm gonna draw, so now draw

near, which means what? I gotta bring him in

close. Notice he says, and he will, doesn't say,

and he will draw near. Do you see that? You're

sprinkled with the blood for a clean conscience.

You're washed by the water of the word. Now,

do you notice the participation? You would think

as the Holy Spirit, the blood of Christ cleanses

you and the water of the living word is now around

you and over you. That's him near. And then there's

still another command. Yeah, you draw near. See,

so many times religion tries to tell us that

God will do all of it. God does his part, but

he always is wanting you to participate. And

the drawing near is part of the fellowship. You

see, our focus at communion is on the sacred.

It's on the holy nature of his righteousness.

Our focus is on sharing the life of God on how

we now have been given Christ. Our focus is on

the love of God, his grace that he gave to us,

and what? And the fact that our proximity to

him is supposed to be near, because why? He wants

fellowship. Let me just give you a few verses

for fellowship. First John 1 .3. And indeed,

our fellowship is with the Father and with his

Son, Jesus Christ. 1 Corinthians 1 .9, God is

faithful by whom you were called into the fellowship

of his Son, Jesus Christ. You see, here's a key

truth that you will hear in the world. You've

heard it said this way. Who you are surrounded

by, you'll become like them. Another way of saying

is that you become like the people who you spend

time with. The scripture that people use to define

that is, do you not know that bad company corrupts

good morals? What are we saying? We're saying,

and you've noticed it, you know it your whole

life. Depending on the kind of people that you

spend time with the most, you will become like

that circle of people. That will be your influence.

That will be the reference point. The question

is, as we have about 45 minutes here, as we begin

to move into communion, are you spending time?

in fellowship with the Lord where you are actually

exchanging your life for his. You see, because

fellowship, the word means more than relationship,

it means frequency of relationship. Let me say

it again. Fellowship means frequency of relationship.

That's why in the 80s, so many people started

changing the name of church. They were trying

to be relevant. Yes, I understand that. But on

the same token, they had really caught this idea

of small groups and koinonia. And so what did

they change? Was the part of the church that

I, when I moved from the Mennonite congregation,

Mennonite church in Albany, Fairview Mennonite,

and we found Eugene Christian Fellowship. why

did they name it fellowship because fellowship

meant we come here frequently in a lifestyle

where people didn't want to be associated and

go to church what did they do they changed the

name because they were saying it's we're still

the church we are people are the church we're

part of the fellowship which what meets frequently

which was the end of that verse by the way in

hebrews encourage one another To meet together

all the more as you see the day approaching.

Because why? You've been drawn near. It's fellowship.

Fellowship then means what? It's relationship.

It's frequency. It means participation in sharing

of life. Listen to how John puts it in 1 John

1 .7. If we walk in the light as he is in the

light. We have fellowship with one another and

the blood of Jesus cleanses us from all sin.

Think about that. That's what we're dealing with

here in communion this morning. We have been

afforded the opportunity, the great honor to

prepare the Holy Spirit with, how I can say,

in partnership with the Holy Spirit, a place

to have Jesus share a meal with us. God gives

us a role to prepare our hearts for him. We have

a role in the fellowship with the Lord. We have

a greater responsibility now because of the new

covenant with one another to live in this place

of fellowship with him. and one another. So here's

some questions this morning. And here's the different

part. Instead of just rising and going through

the communion table, I'm gonna give us four or

five questions this morning. And I'm gonna lead

us into some prayers and then we're gonna give

some time for you just to pray before the Lord.

We're gonna create space in the upper room of

your heart to meet with Jesus. and to prepare

your heart to have and share that meal. Here's

my first question to you this morning. Lord,

as we come before you, Lord, our first responsibility

according to 1 Corinthians 11 is Lord, that we

would actually allow ourselves to look inside

and take inventory. Lord, you use the word, if

we would judge ourselves, we would not be judged

with the world. We use that word judge and what

it means, it means that we take inventory of

self. Lord, I'm asking for your grace. I'm asking

for the light of your truth. I'm asking for your

love to help me, point out to me, show me any

place in my heart where there is unconfessed

sin. Where there are things that I'm doing that

are in opposition to your word. Reveal those

to me. Ask the question. Is there anything in

your heart? Any sin that you're currently in.

That you're living and you know it. The conviction

of the Holy Spirit has been there but you put

it off. Anything that you know that you're not

in right alignment with the Lord as he lives

in you, you keep closing the door on the Holy

Spirit. For some of you in this room, that means

you've made some... financial decisions. Maybe

you're living in sin with somebody. You're sharing

a bedroom or you're sharing a place and you know

that you shouldn't, but because of financial

concessions, you got yourself in a place that

you shouldn't be. And the spirit of God keeps

quickening. And what it's done is it's actually

opened doors. You've actually opened more doors.

You've tried to shut certain doors and other

doors keep opening. Why? Because you're living

in a place of conflict. Today is a day that you

can bring that to the Lord and say, God, I ask

you to forgive me. And I'm asking you to now

to give me the grace to actually live out how

to walk with you. No longer am I gonna ask forgiveness

and just go right back to the same thing. That's

not repentance. That's remorse. I'm asking you

to give me grace now to walk out what it means

to be, to live with you, In the purity and sincerity

of truth of your spirit. Help me. Help me live

clean. Help me by your grace. I can't do it on

my own. Your grace has to help me. But I'm going

to bend my will to your will. Let's just ask

the Holy Spirit. Are there any things? Are there

any philosophies? Some of you. You know the Lord

has been speaking to you about compromise with

different forms of medications. Even marijuana.

Some of you crossing the line with forms of alcohol.

You know this. And the Holy Spirit comes actually

as a loving representative to say today is a

day. That not only do I come to cleanse of sin

if it's repentant of, but I come to give grace

to help you walk out of those cycles. For some

of you, you're living with anger. For some of

you, you're living with offense. Lord, cleanse

me. Wash me. Remove from me. And God, give me

the grace and the strength. Lord, to walk now

in obedience. Lord, I know I might not do it

perfect. You're not asking for perfect, but you're

asking for surrender and you're asking for sincerity

of heart to obey, to desire to obey. Give me

that, Lord. Give me that, Lord. Just take some

time. Now as we come to the table, the next question

is this as you're sitting there. Am I coming

to the table of the Lord? I've confessed sin

that I've been knowledge of participating in

and I've forsaken. But now I come to that place,

Holy Spirit, in the upper room. Lord, help me

come with a pure heart, with gratitude. And humility

of spirit. Psalms 24 verse 3 says. Who shall

Psalms 24:3

ascend to the hill of the Lord. And who shall

stand. In his holy place. The one who has clean

hands and a pure heart. The one who does not

lift up. What is false. And does not swear deceitfully.

By coming to the table with a pure heart. And

with gratitude. Do I understand. How much you've

done for me Lord. Lord if you never did another

thing for me. If you never did one other thing

for me Lord. Would I be grateful just for inclusion.

And for having you on the inside and knowing

my name is written in your book and that I've

passed from death to life. God, forgive me. And

this is where we get now in the cleansing part

of removing the leaven from the upper room. Forgive

me for comparing my life with other people. Lord,

every time that I'm not rejoiced deeply from

the heart when somebody else has blessed, when

somebody else has favor, when somebody else actually

has prayers answered and mine seem to still be

on the hot plate of heaven. Lord, forgive me

of every time I've held a grudge on the inside

because someone else is walking in something

I felt like I didn't. should have too. I've not

been grateful for my portion. I've not been grateful

with my lot. I've secretly allowed things to

even shape my faith. It's eroded certain things

because I've allowed my experience in my own

mind and heart to be shut down against believing

your word and staying in faith and cleanness.

I've tried to alter the promises of God. I've

tried to actually make the promises of God happen

over my life by my strength and my own mind.

God, cleanse me. Cleanse me. Cleanse me. Just

allow the Holy Spirit to speak to you on gratitude

and a pure heart. As they play before the Lord

here a little bit. Jesus, Jesus. As you're standing

now, are we coming to the table? The next question

is with a genuine spirit of love and surrender

and worship to the risen Lord for everything

he's done and everything his life gives us. See,

this question gets to the very center where Jesus

said when a lawyer of the Old Testament scriptures

said, which is the greatest commandment? And

he said, this all hangs of the law and the prophets.

Everything that was trying to be communicated

from God in the Old Testament hangs on this truth.

You shall love the Lord your God with all your

heart. all your mind, all your strength, and

all your emotion. And the second is like it.

You shall love your neighbor as yourself. The

question we asked the Lord this morning in communion,

Lord, where have I put restraints? Because of

fear? Because of fear what others may say? Because

of fear of not wanting to look foolish? Where

have I restrained my love for you? Where have

I restrained my worship with you? Where have

I been uncomfortable to bring my flesh to yield

to the truth of your word and your spirit? God,

why have I not allowed this word in John 4, 23?

For the hour is coming and now is here that true

worshipers will worship the Father in spirit

and in truth. For the Father is seeking such

people to worship him. God is spirit and those

who worship him must worship him in spirit and

in truth. Lord, remove from me places that I

have not surrendered. Remove the staves. Remove

the excuses. Remove the limitations. And God,

let me serve you with all my strength, all my

heart, all my understanding. I may be older.

This room might be older. Might never be able

to stand the whole service. That doesn't matter.

But is my heart, my soul, my mind. and my strength

giving you all that I have. Remove from me the

fleshly carnal restraints and bring to me a joy

of liberation. Lord, for all that you're doing

and all that you want to do in my life. And I

worship you in spirit and in truth. And as we

do and we wait on the Lord now and just that,

we're going to sing this song together in Jesus'

name. Just wait a little bit as the band just,

Moves us into that place. Thank you, Jesus. Remove

from me, Lord. Cleanse me, Jesus. I want to give

you all that I am. Now, Lord, at this table,

Lord, as we are surrendering to you, Lord, we've

asked you to remove the leaven. We've asked you,

Lord, to search us. And now, Lord, we're asking

for that place in our heart as the light of Christ

is shining. Lord, begin to point out the place

of faith. Lord, faith. Not only our faith in

you, but faith for the promises that you've given

us. Faith in... to obey your word, faith, to

believe all that you've said. Lord, we bring,

Lord, our faith before you. Even as the disciples

cried out multiple times, God, help our faith,

strengthen our faith. Lord, as we come to this

table this morning, it represents, Lord, the

bread, represents your word, it represents your

body, it represents, Lord, what it was said in

the scriptures that by your stripes and by your

suffering and by the very condemnation you took

in our place, your stripes have made us whole.

You've brought healing. Lord, Remove from us

everything that stood in front of that faith,

whether it's experience, whether it's time, whatever

lie that has tried to capture our faith and keep

it small. I'm asking, Lord, as we bring it to

you, whatever promise you've made to us, because

you said all the promises were yes and amen in

Jesus. And I'm asking, Lord, that we would come

to this table with expectancy. Taking the bread,

releasing your life of your word inside of our

bodies personally and inside of this congregation.

Drinking the cup, walking in the righteousness

of God by his own blood, walking in the truth

of the newness of life. It's not by works that

we have obtained it, but by your favor and your

grace. And we now walk in expectation. that you're

speaking to us, guiding us, and that we're walking

with you. Lord, even as we bring our tithes and

offerings this morning, Lord, it speaks at the

table. It speaks to the expectancy that we put

our trust in you, that you're the God that provides.

You're the God who said, test me in that, in

the old covenant. You're so, if that was true

then, it is so true now. that you provide. You're

the God who gives the laws of sowing and reaping.

Lord, we trust you, not just for overflow. We

trust you, Lord, when there is strain. We trust

you when there is in the natural, seemingly provision

that is lacking. We're asking you, God, bring

our faith back to fullness, to believe your promises.

Lord, I thank you right now. Even as you're speaking

to people of situations with their homes, with

their business, you are breathing fresh grace

and restoring their faith. Bring it into fullness

for them to believe. Lord, the great lesson that

you told us in Mark chapter 11, verse 22, that

Mark 11:22

said, When you speak now to a circumstance, a

tree, a mountain, and say, be plucked up and

removed that's standing in the way that needs

faith. You said, have the faith of God. Have

the faith of God, which means what? Jesus had

God's faith. He was God. He believed in God.

No place of doubt. Remove from us the doubt.

We don't want any unbelief. remove from us the

doubt that you will do what you said you would

do if we stand in the place. And then he says,

as you confess it and having the faith of God,

as you stand there, if praying and you know of

anyone that's offended you or you've offended

them, ask for forgiveness, release them. Or go

to them personally as it says in Matthew 5 and

forgive them. Leave your gift at the altar and

go be reconciled and be aligned and right. As

we're standing here in this moment asking faith

to spring up. Remove from us any offense, any

little thing. We forgive. We release them. And

we ask to be released ourselves. Removed from

us. Unforgiveness. Now let joy begin to fill

our hearts. The expectation that we are not eating

something of ritual, but we are eating something

that is to quicken our spirit, where our faith

and our strength fills us. We are eating now

of the life of Christ. Let the joy of the Lord

begin to flood in as we release and as we have

stood in the light and we've given you the time.

We worship you and we say now with expectation

as we come around this table, speak to us, fill

us. Anoint us. Lord let the light of your glory

come. And Lord that we might have fellowship

at your table this morning. In Jesus name. In

Jesus name. I'm going to pray for this table.

I'm going to ask you to bring your tithes and

offerings to the table. Because we're just going

to do this all in one sweep. As we just honor

the Lord in our giving and coming with our life.

Father I bless. The bread. I bless the word of

God. I bless, Lord, your body that was given

to us. And I ask it to bring healing and wholeness

to people personally and to our church. Lord,

I bless the cup. Lord, the blood of Jesus that

opened the door. I bless the blood that cleanses.

makes me pure and holy. I bless it on them that

they would live in the reality of your salvation,

righteous, clean, true, the gift and grace of

God fully on their life. As you come around the

table, please use both sides. You can take the

bread and the cup. Take it with you. We'll drink

it and eat it together as a family, all together.

But please come as we worship the Lord. We are

so grateful for those who tune in each week and

have given generously to this ministry. If you

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