Communion: A Protective Shield and Pathway to God's Heart

It's important as we're going to the next level that we understand who the Lord is.

A major reason people don't receive from the Lord is because they really have a wrong view of who he is.

I say he's great and is mercy endures forever into them that's a foreign concept.

I say he's not stingy and he's very generous and loving and kind and now there's a disconnect.

You got to know him and you cannot know him by your feelings.

You can only know him through what the word says about him.

Welcome to the CityLight Church podcast.

Thanks for joining us today as we look into God's Word and discover the hope and truth that he has for us.

If you want to connect with CityLight Church feel free to visit us at citylightnyc.com

that's citylightnyc.com.

Pastor Boyan Jansik and his team believe that the power of the Holy Spirit is already working in our

hearts and minds. As you listen to today's teaching remember that you are deeply loved by God,

that you are surrounded by his grace and that he has a real hope and a future for you.

If you're a guest I want to welcome you to CityLight Church I think I forgot to do that

and if you're joining us online I want to especially welcome you.

Look around and you'll see that we're way over 80% capacity.

We're right now at around 90% capacity and it's it's Labor Day weekend.

Okay I remember for 20 years Labor Day weekend was a ghost town there was no man's land

and August is typically the least attended month in the calendar year.

Yet at August we were this full and now Labor Day weekend then we're this full.

We're way past 80% capacity. 80% by the way is the capacity of a church.

Preachers love to see shoulder to shoulder people.

They love to see 100% capacity. They don't see that.

They'll see that a special conference or special guest speaker.

And the reason they don't see that is because everybody loves to be shoulder to shoulder

except the people who have to be shoulder to shoulder.

People like to fluff and spread and so 80% is the capacity.

That means that we have officially outgrown this service.

It's been over six weeks like this.

Why am I saying all this because I began August and I was sharing the Lord is up to something.

I sense his goodness and he wants to do it first in you there is

there is an anointing he wants to get you which will transform you and take you up to the next

level that you've been itching and craving for. That's his way to take you from glory to glory.

To take you from strength to strength he is very very good.

He's very very merciful and best of all he is very very generous.

I'm so glad that when I see his character his nature in the scriptures he's not cheap.

He's not a tight word. He's not stingy. He's a fan of generosity.

And so all I'm saying is get your expector out there.

I've talked to several other pastors and they're sensing the same thing.

And to me there seems to be this pattern that any church who in New York City who

survived the lockdowns but not just survived the lockdowns but then woke up and stood for truth

and didn't exchange the truth of God for a lie but stood for truth the Lord is now blessing

and he's increasing and maybe some pastors needed to go through the test. Will I fear man?

Will I fear what people think or can I demonstrate that really I'll get my orders from headquarters

and when they do that then the blessing comes. But right now we're on the edge and that includes you.

I'm saying this partly as an exhortation and partly as an appeal. It includes you so strap in

plug into your church don't just come to church be the church

and lean into what the Lord is doing because he's not just throwing a party for select few

once all of us to go together all of us as he thrust us onward. So we're the middle of this series

called the anointed one in his anointing which if you've been joining us online for the last six

weeks or coming in person you've really quickly realized that it's just a title with various

subjects that I'm addressing. What a great title because we're always going to touch on the

anointed one in his anointing so it's a title that fits. Amen. I wondered, Pastor James do you cringe

when I say that or you just no I'm just wondering okay because Pastor James has great he got to hear

his titles. I'll ask him and he just it's the most eloquent guy I know and he just is a total

word Smith and I'm like title okay here's one put it in six parts but it gives me the freedom

to talk about whatever the Lord wants to talk about and it's important as we're going to the next

level that we understand who the Lord is. A major reason people don't receive from the Lord is

because they really have a wrong view of who he is. I say he's great and is mercy endures forever

to them that's a foreign concept. I say he's not stingy and he's very generous and loving and kind

and now there's a disconnect you got to know him and you cannot know him by your feelings you can

only know him through what the word says about him and when you know him then you know who you're

dealing with you know what you can expect you can receive from him if you know his nature and his

character and I want to address because it's communion Sunday I want to address a common misconception

a passage in the scriptures that really confuses people and shows an unscriptural view of the nature

and character of God amen. So let's go into communion into the teaching on communion where the

Apostle Paul begins in 1 Corinthians 11 verse 23 he begins his teaching on communion by saying

1 Corinthians 11:23

this where I receive from the Lord that which I also delivered to you he's talking about the

teaching on communion I receive from the Lord that which I also delivered to you note that his

first opening sentence this is significant it means that the Lord Himself

gave the Apostle Paul this revelation even though he had shared it with the disciples physically

even though it's all throughout the gospels the power of communion this is so close to our

Savior's heart this topic this subject of communion it's so close to Jesus's heart that Jesus

in his resurrected state gave it to the Apostle Paul by revelation a divine download I'm communion

right there that should give us pause in other words communion is really important to Jesus

so it's not some empty religious ritual we get into it's not something that we just slap on

on the end of service because you know they always did it this way and we got to but there was

power in communion communion is God supernatural delivery system and it was meant to be an exchange

and an impartation during communion but of course if there's ever power attached to something

the devil will go after it in fact I've heard it said this way and I believe it with all my heart

the more controversial a subject matter is in the scriptures the more power is associated with it

that's why the enemy brings in so much confusion and controversy and I cannot think of a subject

with more controversy surrounding it than the subject of communion speaking in tongues sure

laying out of hands sure but communion for centuries they were killing each other literally

not metaphorically different groups throughout Europe in different centuries killing each other

over doctrinal disputes about communion which is you know I mean I've had doctrinal disputes with

people but oh wow you know never never thought well okay that was that one time I did it did cross

my mind but for the most part never thought murder but that's how important communion is

for I receive from the Lord that which I also delivered to you the Lord Jesus that the Lord Jesus

on the same night in which he was betrayed took bread and when he had given thanks he broke it and

said take eat this is my body which is broken for you do this in remembrance of me communion is a time

to remember now this is really important to get the Hebrew way of remembering something is

different than our modern way of remembering something if my wife and I we want to reminisce

and remember our wedding day what we might do is open up our phone going to our favorite album

and look at some photos of our wedding right we might even go all school and bust out the physical

photo album that we had done and go remember this or remember that guy who ate all the cake we're

seeing now whatever happened to him and we're remembering our wedding day do you know the Hebrews

would remember their wedding day they would go and dress up and reenact their wedding that's how

you actually remember something in fact the proof of that is in how they remember the Passover the

entire meal and the whole flow of the dinner is a reenactment of the Exodus out of Egypt

so to remember Jesus is to reenact and really ponder and connect to what happened at the cross

and how does it benefit me today you're remembering Jesus and you're partaking you are joining you

are uniting you are becoming one with his death burial and resurrection do this in remembrance of

me in the same manner verse 25 he also took the cup after supper saying this cup is the new covenant

in my blood this do as often as you drink it in remembrance of me for as often as you eat this

bread and drink this cup you proclaim the Lord's death till he comes then it gets dark

and this is where a lot of people get tripped up it becomes more cautionary and something that was

intended to bring life in the church the enemy used to bring death and something that was intended

to be God supernatural delivery system of his power ended up being an event with a fence around

it for only the select few the enemy came in and put a fence around communion because there's

such power connected to it therefore whoever eats this bread or drinks this cup of the Lord in an

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

9.9 out of 10 times this will be interpreted and taught and preached as though the Apostle Paul

whoever is unworthy it doesn't say unworthy it says in an unworthy manner people have been made

to feel guilty because the number one voice against us is the voice of Hassatan the accuser of

the brethren and what's the number one message of the accuser of the brethren condemnation

so after a little bit of introspection unless you're Ibrow deep in a sea of pride and blind to your

own faults just a few seconds of introspection you might in and of yourself start to feel unworthy

but it's not talking about you it's the manner in which you partake of communion

what were they doing what was the behavior the Apostle Paul was endeavoring to correct here

well they were haphazard about communion they were actually getting drunk because they didn't

use Welch's grape juice they used the real stuff and they had forgotten the benefits of communion

and just became this thing that they did and he said that's if you're not expecting to receive

something from communion you're taking it in an unworthy manner if you ever just eat it and you

don't expect to receive something that's in an unworthy manner therefore whoever eats this

bread or drinks this cup of the Lord in an unworthy manner will be guilty of the body and blood of

the Lord let's keep reading but let a man examine himself and so let him eat of the bread and drink

of the cup so examine yourself that you understand what's happening can you just keep that verse up please

now often how this has been taught is examine yourself for sin and if you have sin in Shaka we

heard this a hundred times can you just come up here just come up here real quick I just want

to introduce I only see you once every few years this is my man Shaka worn my roommate from

college and if you have he's he's he's as beautiful on the inside as he is on the outside I'm telling

you want to say you want to mess with me but if you want to hear college embarrassing stories this

is your go-to guy this is we do you I won't get in but do you remember that night when the

anointing fell on us both and we were up all night confessing to each we used to thank you

see your daughter and your beautiful wife and we would spend hours in the anointing together

and one night but you know you never really quite let your guard down all of us go with our best face

forward and this anointing dropped on us all through we both started weeping now we're like 21

years old and we're dudes this is not what dudes normally do we start confessing to each other all

of our like deepest insecurities and I know it sounds foofy but it was like liberating like the Lord

it was like a spirit of honesty dropped really was the Holy Spirit the spirit of truth and we just

like let the guard down and we were just talking to each other like like like like how I believe

you talk in heaven in heaven you're not hiding anything you're not trying to present yourself in

any way you're just you and it was like for a few hours it lasted and then it lifted and then

of course the next day we're like you good okay I'm good let's not talk about this until like

30 years later where was I in my stomach oh the reason what made me think of you is we went to

a church how many times did we hear if you have sin in your life don't eat communion how many times

have you heard that I have a few questions how much is too much they never clarify that the preacher

will say if you have sin examine yourself if you have sin in your life look don't take communion

because well you might die God might smite you he will strike you so now communion is robbed of

being this joyful event where you receive from the Lord and it becomes this very very uncomfortable

Russian roulette kind of game you know Russian roulette got a one in six chance you're gonna

and now you're taking communion and the preacher says hey if you have sin in your life don't

partake of communion well what kind of sin and how much sin like is it only like if I'm like bound

in habitual rebellious sin but what about I mean you the scripture doesn't mention that at all

so let's just say you took an uber to church and you had an uber driver and he was playing ethnic

music really really loud why are you laughing so hard at that I mean Queens 161 nations so I gotta

say because ethnic music is great unless it's in a language you just can't stand amen

look there's so many cowbells I want to hear on my way to church you understand

and you have an unkind thought Lord rescue me now come quickly Lord Jesus

in fact I just said that and you had an unkind thought towards me let's take it a step further

I mentioned cowbells and you took it very personally

certain songs just don't need a little more cowbell but you have an unkind thought now you come

in you're carrying that into service that's an unkind thought that's sin and now you're in

service and it's communion time and I say if you have sin in your life don't partake of

you may not you're like old is this does that count maybe it does maybe it doesn't but who's

gonna risk it and so you're robbed are you hearing me now instead of it being the blessed

meal of the Lord it became the death cookie

where you may get smitten you may not let's roll the dice what a bizarre and weird

strange teaching we allowed into the church that totally goes against how the Lord reveals

himself to be let's keep reading and see what in the world is the Apostle Paul talking about

and then you'll realize it could only take a bunch of baptized in pickle juice

ferrezeical minds to twist it and turn it and make it into what it was later presented to the church

for who eats and drinks in an unworthy manner eats and drinks judgment to himself not

discerning the Lord's body now listen because see there's that word judgment so immediately

the Pharisees get excited you gotta be really careful when you're learning from a minister who

gets excited about destruction and death and judgment there are some they're like oh yeah

lightning brimstone the problem is this they weren't discerning the Lord's body

they weren't entering into communion realizing that it was got supernatural delivery system

they didn't take time to remember to ponder the Lord's body to ponder his blood and what that

affords them today next verse no the previous one please I'm I'm seeing one here and then another

there okay thank you verse 30 as usual you were right I was wrong for this reason many are weak

and sick among you and many sleep see that verse that was made to become if you have any sin in

your life and you take communion you're not properly discerning the Lord's body that's why you're sick

you're weak and many of you are dying prematurely how many of you have heard this

shaka we were raised on this right yet I've known some horrible sinners that came with me to

church god never did the courtesy of taking them out I always wondered about that I always wondered

there was several people in the back I was like Lord if you're ever gonna do it a first

curtain just Corinthians 11 do it on that and he never did

here's what the apostle Paul is saying the natural way of the world what happens out there

the natural cycle of life is guess what people get sick people get weak and people die prematurely

that happens communion is supposed to interrupt that communion is supposed to negate that

communion is supposed to protect from that there is falling asleep dying prematurely getting weak

getting sick out there but to the body of Christ and here this should be shielded from that

but because they're not properly discerning the Lord's body because they're not engaging the Lord

with faith during communion well then that's why they're just going the way of the world

they're going through the natural cycle of life there's nothing supernatural about their life

just like a heathen they're getting weak they get sick often and some prematurely die and the Lord

is saying that's not my way how many of you know the Lord wants to live a full fruitful life

all right my Bible says with long life he will satisfy me and show me his salvation

length of days he will give to you and length of days doesn't mean you exist in extra 20 years

no you live thriving vivacious walking in divine health amen

now let's keep reading isn't it amazing same scripture and you are getting a front row seat

to how we can be presented two entirely different ways for if we would judge ourselves we would

not be judged okay let's keep reading but when we are judged see people the Pharisees this is

like the third time he's used the word judge they're getting excited now they're frothing at the

mouth we're talking about judgment but when we are judged we are chastened by the Lord everybody

shout chastened chastened this side shout chastened this side shout end

chastened what does chastened mean because to understand this entire context you have to know

what chastened means the judgment of the Lord under the old covenant it was really always one

thing do you know what it was death they weren't no like layers of judgment steps it was when

you're judged you're done Sodom and Gomorrah Judd brimstone lightning fire from heaven gone a person

death that is nothing you covenant way by the way do you remember that time Jesus was ministering

with the disciples and he wasn't well received and the disciples were like hey Jesus we read the

Torah you want us to call down fire on this town like they did in the old days they got excited

judgment remember Jesus's response you know not what spirit you are of you're of a different

spirit you're thinking old covenant that's a different dispensation that's a different spirit

I'm bringing with my blood the new covenant in which judgment or chastisement is restorative in nature

know this when God chastises you a Christian it's not punitive punitive means you just get

punished if you die what lesson can you learn from that you're dead but when the judgment is

restorative in nature then what you got was chastised chastised you look at the word it's

ideal it's where we get the word pediatrician from python means child to chastise means to child

train please rewire your mind if when I say chastise you have an image of God Almighty with a giant

hundred yard lightning bolt ready to throw it at you instead have the image of a loving father who will

tap your little booty sore but not so sore that you can't walk a few minutes later

that's the chastisement of the Lord but when we are judged we are chastised by the Lord that we

may not be seats always restorative in nature we're chastised that we may not be condemned with

the world that we wouldn't go the same way of the world so examine yourself examine what am I

missing in my life you know what happens when you examine yourself you don't need long the first

thing you should realize is I'm nothing without Jesus you glance at your sins you stare at your

savior examine your need communion is a time to see what do I need and do you know that every need

you have in your life has been answered by the death of burial and resurrection of Jesus every single

one five areas that your life touches any single problem you have they fall under these five areas

spiritual soulish physical spiritual soulical physical and then social and financial five areas

Jesus suffered in each of those five areas that you could have the victory in each of those five

areas physically whipped so we can have divine health spiritually became sin so we could have the

righteousness of God in his soul he sweat blood that's how much anxiety and stress he endured

so we could have peace of mind what about socially at the cross they all for soak him so that you

could even be blessed with true friends true people community what about financially do you know

the Bible says he was made poor that you might be made rich when was he made poor at the cross

during that whole process he was stripped bare so well he wasn't that rich at the begin with yeah

that's why the Roman soldiers gambled over his clothes because they were just five cents right

no but he was stripped so that you could have the victory in that area and during communion you do

examine yourself and you realize this is holy this is special you can start bringing out the

communion elements worship team coming up this is holy this is special and I believe change and

transformation come upon my life now I want to say this I have maybe two times in my life

you can put them right here in this towel if you would I have maybe two times in my life

felt anything during communion other than that I was eating unleavened bread and drinking grape

juice did you catch that we're receiving by faith very rarely have actually felt anything but

who cares whether I feel anything or not but here's my point though it's interesting that most

of the time I don't I heard one preacher he was going I was like do you feel God's presence we took

and I was like honestly no I felt it more like when we weren't taking communion I was singing to

Jesus can be honest about these things but I've always noticed if we take time as a family to

take communion daily which by the way you can receive communion by yourself with a group of friends

you can do it every day as often as you remember him take it every day it's God's medicine can you

see the trick of Satan it's the original happy meal and yet it became a time when there's communion

I've seen the life sucked out of churches and it becomes like a funeral depression central because

everybody's wondering well today be the day with ushers hustle and carry out a few bodies holy cow

I got a literal LOL from my wife and this is her second service it's gonna be a good Sunday afternoon

and I can tell hallelujah kids are gone guests are coming over oh she's making no I didn't mean that

I just meant guests are coming over she's see you made it awkward baby hallelujah can the church

think of Jesus right and everybody close your eyes hallelujah

take a moment and examine yourself what do you need from the Lord expect to receive he will meet

your every need take a look at the matza that you're holding in your hands

this is the same unleavened bread the same matza they haven't changed the recipe or the way they

prepare it that the Jews would have eaten leaving Egypt that Jesus would have broken with his disciples

this is it I didn't want those American Western cookies that they serve as communion I want to

real matza because the gospel is hidden within the matza you look at your piece of matza you'll see

three characteristics it's burnt it striped and it's pierced you know Jesus literally became the

burnt offering the fire of God's wrath burnt on him so it wouldn't on you so look at those burn

marks and realize he was burned instead of you look at those holes you see the little piercings in

the matza he was pierced instead of me and you and he was striped and beaten with that cat

of nine tails 39 times for our healing so that it wouldn't have to be me and you and you take

the cut take a look at the cup of his blood and realize this was shed for the forgiveness of all sin

and you raise your faith and take a moment and ask the Lord be as specific as you can

what you want him to do for you specificity is important the woman with the issue of blood was

very specific it wasn't a general well I hope I get better it was if I touch the hem of his

garment I will be made whole are you ready in the name of Jesus Lord we thank you for what you

did on the cross for us we thank you that there is power associated with communion and that it is

us reaffirming the covenant of your blood with you it's a new covenant it's a covenant of grace

it's a covenant that doesn't depend on our behavior but depends on you and you're unwavering

and unchanging nature in that we take confidence that you hold up our end of the covenant in our place

on our behalf and we drink and eat the victory of Jesus right now go ahead and partake of the

risen Lord this is the city light church podcast if you've missed any part of today's message

or if you would like to find out more about pastor boy on jansic and city light church visit us

at citylightnyc.com that's citylightnyc.com feel free to visit us online or in person anytime

we would love to connect with you we pray that you have been encouraged today that you have been

reminded how much God loves you and that you are surrounded by grace thank you for listening

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