Category: Communion

The right attitude at communion

December 9, 2024

For communion today I want to read a few verses from 1 Corinthians 11. This is where the Apostle Paul tells the believers at Corinth to have the right attitude when taking communion. As they were a mix of cultures and different religions in the past they needed to focus on the right things when taking the Lord’s Supper.

1 Corinthians 11:23-29

23 For I pass on to you what I received from the Lord Himself. On the night when He was betrayed, the Lord Jesus took some bread 24 and gave thanks to God for it. Then He broke it in pieces and said, “This is My body, which is given for you. Do this to remember Me.” 25 In the same way, He took the cup of wine after supper, saying, “This cup is the new covenant between God and His people–an agreement confirmed with My blood. Do this to remember Me as often as you drink it.” 26 For every time you eat this bread and drink this cup, you are announcing the Lord’s death until He comes again. 27 So anyone who eats this bread or drinks this cup of the Lord unworthily is guilty of sinning against the body and blood of the Lord. 28 That is why you should examine yourself before eating the bread and drinking the cup. 29 For if you eat the bread or drink the cup without honoring the body of Christ, you are eating and drinking God’s judgment upon yourself.

In this passage there are three main ideas.

1. A past remembrance – In verses 23-25 Paul repeated Jesus’ words when he said this is my body and my blood. It is a call for us to remember Jesus’ sacrifice and Jesus’ death on the cross for us. It is a reminder to focus on the One who paid the price for our sin. The One who died in our place to purchase eternal life for us all.

2. A present reflection – Verse 28 calls for us to examine ourselves. The people in Corinth were using the Lord’s Supper to fill up. Some were over eating, others were getting drunk. Paul called them to focus – on Jesus and their relationship with Him. As Christians, we can use this time to tell Jesus how thankful we are and how much we love Him. We can also use it examine ourselves and confess any things we have done wrong. 

3. A future hope – In verse 26 it looks forward when it says, “For every time you eat this bread and drink this cup, you are announcing the Lord’s death until He comes again”. Our great hope as Christians is Jesus coming back. He has gone to prepare a place for us. He is coming back so we can be with the Him forever.

So, as we take the bread and the cup this morning. Let us remember Jesus death for us. Let us examine ourselves. And let us look to the future with hope of the Lord’s return.

My favourite part of church

June 8, 2024

Recently I was asked what my favourite part of the church service is. It was part of a larger discussion about church.

I had to say I enjoy all parts of the church service – the singing, the sermon, the prayers and the fellowship. But my favourite has always been communion or the Lord’s Supper.

There is something about stopping and taking the bread that represents Christ’s body and the cup that represents His blood. It helps to remind me on what Jesus did for us in dying on the cross for us.

When I cannot go to church because of illness or some other reason it is what I miss the most. It is what I look forward to most when I can return.

So what is the high point of the church service for me? It would be communion or the Lord’s Supper.

The nails of love

August 28, 2022

Communion: The nails of love

In John 20:26-27 we see that Jesus appears to Thomas. Thomas had said he would not believe Jesus was alive until he saw the nail marks. As we know Jesus then appears and shows Thomas the scars.

This passage got me thinking about Jesus being nailed to the cross and the type of nails that were used.

When we look at the Greek word used for nails in that passage it is helos (hay-los). It is not a little nail that you use to tack a back on a bookshelf. It is more like a large peg or nail used to hold railways tracks down to a railway sleeper. They are huge.

After a little more research I found that a typical nail used in a crucifixion was between 10 and 20 centimetres long. They were more like this (hold up railway spike).

When I think about that I can’t imagine that being driven through my hands or wrists or my feet or ankle bones, depending on how one was crucified. I can’t comprehend someone doing that for me…but Jesus did. He endured the nails of love.

Jesus could not live with the idea that your and my sin separated us from God.
So He endured the nails of love.

Jesus could not live with the idea that you would not be redeemed and set free from the curse of sin and death.
So He endured the nails of love.

Jesus could not live with the idea of you not experiencing His peace, hope and abundant life now.
So He endured the nails of love.

And Jesus could not live with the idea of you not spending eternity with Him.
So He endured the nails of love.

Let us remember today the love Jesus has for us and the lengths He was prepared to go to for us to be in relationship with Him.

Before I ask the helpers to come forward I want to symbolically nail in three nails to remind us of what Jesus did for us all. What Jesus did for you and I.

Jesus is the way

June 13, 2021

This week I have been thinking about the plaque on the wall behind me and the verse on it. As we can see it comes from John 14:6. It says…

Jesus told him, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one can come to the Father except through Me.”


As I have thought about this verse I reflected on how Jesus really is the Way. As I pondered four things came to mind.

1. Jesus is the way to pardon

1 John 1:9 – But if we confess our sins to Him, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all wickedness.

Because of Adam’s fall all mankind is affected by sin. It permeates our world and our lives. Each of us becomes accountable for our own sin.

The good news is that Jesus’ death on the cross paid the price for our sin. He alone is the way to pardon through repentance and faith in Him.

No one else is all the world can pardon us but Jesus. Jesus is the way to pardon.

2. Jesus is the way to purity

1 John 1:7 – But if we are living in the light, as God is in the light, then we have fellowship with each other, and the blood of Jesus, His Son, cleanses us from all sin.

Jesus Christ is the way to purity of heart. His shed blood on the cross was done so we could be reconciled to God.

Jesus left the glories of heaven knowing full well His mission. It was to come and seek and save the lost as Luke 19:10 tells us.

Jesus’ blood covers all of our sins. In fact, it washes them away. Not just some sins, but all sins.

3. Jesus is the way to peace

John 14:27 – I am leaving you with a gift–peace of mind and heart. And the peace I give is a gift the world cannot give. So don’t be troubled or afraid.

The world like never before is lacking peace. At every turn we hear of wars, terrorism, mass shootings, hatred, separation, drug abuse and more.

People seek for peace in many ways. Some through family, some through possessions, some through education, some through wrong relationships.

Jesus is the only way to true and lasting peace deep in our souls. When we turn our lives over to Him, He promises to give us a peace that is not of this world. It tells us in Philippians 4:7.

We need the peace of heaven in this life. The only place to get is from Jesus.

4. Jesus is the way to power

Philippians 4:13 – For I can do everything through Christ, who gives me strength.

Many in this world seek power for their own good and own glory. They want to rule and lead others. They want to build their own kingdoms.

Christians however seek a power that comes from on high. They seek the power not for their own glory, but for God’s glory.

As Christians we want the power Jesus to live lives that overcome this world. We also seek power to help those around us and to share our faith with others. It is a selfless power we want.

Jesus is the way to power. When we put our faith and trust in Jesus, we receive the Holy Spirit who empowers us from on high. The first step is to trust Jesus.

Closing

So today as we take time to stop and remember Jesus and His sacrifice for us. Let us remember. Jesus is the way to pardon, the way to purity, the way to peace and the way to power.

Let us pray.

No one can separate us from God’s love

May 23, 2021

Today for communion I want to look at a wonderful passage from Romans 8. In most Bibles it is titled, “Nothing can separate us from God’s love”.

As I read through the passage, I am overcome by God’s love for us all and how secure we are in His hands.

Romans 8:31-39

31 What shall we say about such wonderful things as these? If God is for us, who can ever be against us? 32 Since he did not spare even his own Son but gave him up for us all, won’t he also give us everything else? 33 Who dares accuse us whom God has chosen for his own? No one—for God himself has given us right standing with himself. 34 Who then will condemn us? No one—for Christ Jesus died for us and was raised to life for us, and he is sitting in the place of honor at God’s right hand, pleading for us.
35 Can anything ever separate us from Christ’s love? Does it mean he no longer loves us if we have trouble or calamity, or are persecuted, or hungry, or destitute, or in danger, or threatened with death? 36 (As the Scriptures say, “For your sake we are killed every day; we are being slaughtered like sheep.”) 37 No, despite all these things, overwhelming victory is ours through Christ, who loved us.
38 And I am convinced that nothing can ever separate us from God’s love. Neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither our fears for today nor our worries about tomorrow—not even the powers of hell can separate us from God’s love. 39 No power in the sky above or in the earth below—indeed, nothing in all creation will ever be able to separate us from the love of God that is revealed in Christ Jesus our Lord.”

In this passage we see three amazing things.

1. No-one can be against us

Verse 31 says, “If God is for us, who can ever be against us?”

What a great statement. God is on our side. He is for us. Nothing or no-one can be against us who comes close to His love, His power, His protection. He did not even spare His Son to make this possible. We are His and He is ours.

2. No-one can condemn us

Verses 33-34 – 33 Who dares accuse us whom God has chosen for his own? No one—for God himself has given us right standing with himself. 34 Who then will condemn us? No one—for Christ Jesus died for us and was raised to life for us, and he is sitting in the place of honour at God’s right hand, pleading for us.

God has given us right standing with Him because our faith in Christ. Christ’s death of the cross paid the price for our sin. And now Christ’s righteousness is imputed to us. Jesus is also seated in heaven pleading for us. He is on our side. He is in our corner. If God says we are right with Him, no-one in all creation can argue against us.

3. No-one can separate us from God

Verse 35 asks the question, “Can anything ever separate us from Christ’s love?” Verse 38 answers the question, “And I am convinced that nothing can ever separate us from God’s love.”

Calamity, troubles, strife, angels, demons, fears, worries, not even the powers of hell. Nothing in all creation can separate us. We are His and He is ours. We are safely held in the palm of His hands.

Today as we take communion and remember what Christ has done for us. Let us remember these three wonderful truths from Romans 8 – no-one can be against us, no-one can condemn us, and no-one separate us from God’s love.

Let us pray.