July 7, 2013 Meditation for Communion Matthew 26:26 28 and Matthew 6:14, 15 Introduction: We are looking at what the Scriptures teach us about coming to the Communion Table to meet with Jesus. The Scriptures carefully protect the truth: Jesus C into the world to S S, I Timothy 1:15 John 1:10 14 Jesus came to R us from Satan s power over us that was rooted in S we were guilty of and R against God Jesus made it possible for us to experience God s mercy, His P and F I John 3:8 10 The reason we feel so good when we know that we are forgiven is that forgiveness of sins is the flow of D L in a human heart I. Coming to the Communion Table with Jesus: Matthew 26:26 28 The emblems before us today represent the very life of Jesus the Son of God sacrificed, poured out for the forgiveness of us all! 1.) The Bread 2.) The Cup The Scriptures teach us that Jesus B our S in His body as He hung on the Cross dying for us. He shed His precious blood to C our hearts, souls, minds and even our guilty conscience: II Corinthians 5:21; Hebrews 9:28; I Peter 2:24 Jesus O H in our place, making it possible for the forgiveness of our Father God to be a living reality for us all! Acts 13:38; Ephesians 1:7, 8; I John 1:9 1
II. Forgiving Others as We Have Been Forgiven: Matthew 6:14, 15 Mark 11:24, 25 The context of these words is that Jesus was teaching His followers about having a meaningful prayer life A large part of preparing ourselves for taking Communion with Jesus is to be honest before God, to examine our own heart. Are we forgiving people who have broken our hearts in the past? Jesus shares twin principles with His followers: Forgiven people have E God s M Forgiven people are F and M to others A powerful truth to remember is: We are called by Jesus to forgiven others as we have been forgiven. In forgiveness the O one absorbs the O of the G O! In genuine forgiveness we bear their offense, give it to Jesus, and in our heart, soul, and mind we C their D freeing them from slavery to our hurts! When debts are canceled something wonderful happens in the spiritual realm all around us. James 2:12, 13 Concluding Thoughts as we Prepare Ourselves for Communion: The Ritual Pastor: Beloved ones, this bread and this cup which we bless, are they the communion of the body and the precious blood of Jesus? People: This bread and cup which we bless is the communion of the body and the precious blood of Jesus! 2
Discussion Starter Questions for Home Groups 1. What do you think about the loving act of redemption that Jesus did for us, taking away our sins, canceling them, removing our guilt, releasing forgiveness into our hearts? What are you moved to express to Jesus because of what He did for you? 2. In Scripture the Israelites were told to annually remember the Passover, to act it out. In the New Testament the Church of Jesus is told to regularly remember His sacrifice in partaking of communion. Why do you think there is power in remembrance and acting out our commemoration? 3. What did you think of the principle that the reason forgiveness feels so good to us is that it is the flow of divine life into the human arena, into hearts that are needing grace and mercy? 4. What do you think of the principle that in genuine forgiveness the offended one absorbs the offense of the guilty one and puts it to death? 5. Why is it important to forgive others as we have been forgiven? 6. What would you tell someone who asks you: How can I know for sure that the wrong things that have been done to me are forgiven? 7. Read together aloud Luke 22:14-23 and discuss insights that you have regarding the events surrounding the first communion. 8. Read together aloud I Corinthians 11:17 34 and discuss insights that you have regarding what the Church of Corinth was doing at their expressions of communion. 9. Are there any things from this communion meditation that you will want to think about and then act on in the next days and months? 3
July 7, 2013 AM Pastor Ken Hepner Meditation for Communion Matthew 26:26 28 and Matthew 6:14, 15 Introduction: As we come to the Word of the Lord together, we are looking at what the Scriptures have to say about experiencing the Communion Table of the Lord. We are bidden to do this and as often as we do, to do so in remembrance of Jesus. That is more than a call to give mere mental assent to a ritual brothers and sisters. It is a call to grasp and to be gripped by who Jesus is and what He did to purchase our salvation! Every year we walk through days of celebrating the Christmas story, which is the story of the Incarnation of God, Jesus Christ our Lord becoming a human being solely to be our Savior, our Redeemer. The Scriptures carefully protect the vital truth that Jesus Christ is the Son of God from eternity, who Came into this world to Save Sinners, I Timothy 1:15. John writes in John 1:10 14 He was in the world, and though the world was made through him, the world did not recognize him. He came to that which was his own, but his own did not receive him. Yet to all who received him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to be children of God children born not of natural descent, nor of a human decision or a husband s will, but born of God. The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the One and Only, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth. The truth is that Jesus came to the earth, born of a virgin named Mary for one reason to pay the penalty our sins deserve, to Ransom us from Satan s power which was rooted in the Sin we stood guilty of and the Rebellion against God that is common to the fleshly nature of all people. The Scriptures clearly teach us that Jesus destroyed the devil s power that was rooted in sins, guilt, and the shame we felt by making it possible for us to receive God s gracious mercy, His Pardon and Forgiveness. I John 3:8 10, the reason the Son of God appeared was to destroy the devil s work. No one who is born of God will continue to sin, because God s seed remains in him; he cannot go on sinning, because he has been born of God. This is who we know who the children of God are and who the children of the devil are: Anyone who does not do what is right is not a child of God; nor is anyone who does not love his brother. Nothing typifies the transforming and cleansing power of God more than what is experienced in a human heart, soul, mind, and emotions when we have Received Forgiveness for sins, debts, or offenses. The reason this feels so good within us is that forgiveness is the release of the flow of the Divine Life of Jesus into the human arena! 4
I. Coming to the Communion Table with Jesus: Matthew 26:26 28 While they were eating, Jesus took bread, gave thanks and broke it, and gave it to his disciples, saying, Take and eat; this is my body. Then he took the cup, gave thanks and offered it to them, saying, Drink from it, all of you. This is my blood of the covenant, which is poured out for the many for the forgiveness of sins. The emblems here represent the very life of the Jesus the Son of God sacrificed, poured out for the forgiveness of us all! As we ve already noted, Jesus came to this earth for the purpose of being the one offering for sins that God the Father would accept. John the Baptist remarks to his followers: Behold the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world. As we partake of the bread and the cup we are called to hold deeply in our hearts the truth all that these emblems represent: 1.) The Bread we take represents Jesus broken body, which in effect bears our sins, guilt, and shame, all that was in us that made it impossible for us to live in fellowship with God, was in His body as He died for us on the cross. 2.) The Cup that we drink represents Jesus blood that was shed for us, blood that was pure and perfect, that of a sacrificial Lamb, and that has the power to cleanse our sins and all of our unrighteousness. The Scriptures clearly teach us that Jesus Bore our Sins in His body on the cross to remove our sins from us. He shed His precious blood to Cleanse our hearts, souls, mind, and even guilty consciences. Listen to the words of Scripture as we read them together aloud: --II Corinthians 5:21 God made him who had no sin to be sin for us so that in him we might become the righteousness of God. --Hebrews 9:28 so Christ was sacrificed once to take away the sins of many people; and he will appear a second time, not to bear sin, but to bring salvation to those who are waiting for him. --I Peter 2:24 He himself bore our sins in his body on the tree, so that we might die to sins and live for righteousness; by his wounds you have been healed. He Offered Himself in our place, the righteous for the unrighteous, thus making it possible for the forgiveness the Father God had in His heart to grant to us, to becomea living reality for us all. Our part is to repent of sin and to believe we have been forgiven in Christ Jesus our Lord. --Acts 13:38 Therefore, my brothers, I want you to know that through Jesus the forgiveness of sins is proclaimed to you. --Ephesians 1:7, 8 In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, in accordance with the riches of God s grace that he lavished on us with all wisdom and understanding. 5
--I John 1:9 If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness. II. Forgiving Others As We Have Been Forgiven: Matthew 6:14, 15 For if you forgive men when they sin against you, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. But if you do not forgive men their sins, your Father will not forgive your sins. Mark 11:24, 25 Therefore I tell you, whatever you ask for in prayer, believe that you have received it, and it will be yours. And when you stand praying, if you hold anything against anyone, forgive him, so that your Father in heaven may forgive your sins. It s my responsibility as the man whom God has called to Shepherd this flock for Jesus, to remind you of a powerful principle that Jesus made quite clear in this paragraph of Scripture. Jesus He was teaching His followers regarding engaging in prayer that is deep and meaningful in our every day prayer lives. A large part of preparing ourselves for the communion table to meet with Jesus in these emblems is choosing to be honest before God, to examine our own heart, our spiritual journey. Are we forgiving to people who have broken our hearts in the past? Jesus is building twin a principles that we must receive deeply in our hearts: Forgiven people have Experienced the Mercy of God deeply in our hearts. Forgiven people are also Forgiving and Merciful people. We offer mercy and forgiveness to those who have sinned against us. So Jesus tells us that we forgive as we have been forgiven, to freely give away to each other what He has so richly given to us! --Jesus command us to forgive others as we have been forgiven. So how did Jesus forgive you and me? He took our offenses into Himself and put them to death! That is the model for our forgiveness of each other! Here is a powerful truth we must hold on to and put into practice if we want to be people who dispense His grace to others: In forgiveness the Offended one absorbs the Offense of the Guilty One! This is the Jesus way of life! You remember the hurt, heartache, and pain but this time you do so in order to embrace it and take it to the cross of Christ where it dies! --Forgiveness is removing my judgment and holding debts of others. --Forgiveness is an inner issue before it is relationally possible. I come to Jesus by faith and He gives me the gift of grace and mercy for those who have sinned against me. --Forgiveness is then released through me to my offender as I speak and pray for him/her. --Ultimately, forgiveness sometimes leads to reconciliation, which is a completely restored relationship. In genuine forgiveness we bear their offense, give it to Him, and in our hearts we Cancel their Debts, freeing them from Slavery to our debts any longer, probably making it easier for them to repent before God. We have freed our hearts from the guilt of the offender, and have released 6
something of God s life toward that person who hurt us. Remember forgiveness is the flow of the divine life of Jesus into the spiritual atmosphere of past hurts, offense, and debts we feel from others. When debts are canceled something wonderful happens in the spiritual realms all around us. The devil and his minions lose their power and authority to condemn us because of the bad attitudes we have toward offenders! Here s how the Apostle James put it James 2:12, 13 Speak and act as those who are going to be judged by the law that gives freedom, because judgment without mercy will be shown to anyone who has not bee merciful. Mercy triumphs over judgment! So as you come to these emblems of Jesus in the communion table today here are the two questions to answer well. 1.) Am I truly forgiven by the Lord because of what Jesus has done for me to remove my sins and my guilt? 2.) Have I truly forgiven those who broke my heart, releasing Jesus life to them? If the answer to either of those questions is no, let s get it dealt with right now! If the answer to both questions is yes, the please come and receive the life of Jesus in your inmost being. 7