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At Communion We Worship

COM-12   WCC-01
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I Corinthians 11:23-26

At Communion We Worship Christ by Confessing the Wonders of Our Salvation

Since the birth of Christ’s Church, from the dark passages of the catacombs to the private chambers of homes along the streets of Roman cities across the Empire, to this gathering this morning, every believer of all the ages have shared something.

There is a tie that binds every believer to Christ and to each other. Tonight, we share that amazing connection. We have a common confession with every individual believing servant of God alive today either on earth or in Heaven.

By that one very powerful link with all the churches around the world that are faithfully following Christ’s Word-we are celebrating a Communion of confessing Christ.

When we look back across the ages, there is one worship service shared in common with all believers in every part of the world, throughout all the history of Christ’s church, and that is the Lord’s Table. We:

Proclaim Christ At Communion

As we open to 1 Corinthians 11:23-26 please notice what our Lord Jesus instructed Paul to point each believer to do at Communion the link that ties us all: past, present, and future.

1 Corinthians 11:23-26 For I received from the Lord that which I also delivered to you: that the Lord Jesus on the same night in which He was betrayed took bread;24 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.” 25 In the same manner 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.”26 For as often as you eat this bread and drink this cup, you proclaim the Lord’s death till He comes. NKJV

Every time we participate in a celebration of the Lord’s Supper or Communion, we are continuing our affirmation of salvation. That is exactly what the tense of the verb “proclaim” states. It is a present, active, ongoing action. We are to PROCLAIM[1] Christ.

There it is. The powerful, strong link that connects every believer across the world past present and future. We are all proclaiming, declaring as true, saying the same thing about Christ saving us, as we remember Him at the Lord’s Supper.

So we have gathered as Christ’s confessing Church. “Confessing” means ‘to say the same thing’ that God says. We gather to confess what God did through Christ on our behalf.

We gather to agree with God, as we shall throughout all the ages of eternity, about the wonder of Christ’s work of redemption on the Cross.

Confess the Wonder of Our Forgiveness

Because of our sin, we are all debtors to God’s Righteousness, so we need forgiveness. Listen to these life-giving words in the Scriptures, and then hold in your hearts the truth of what God has done for us.

  • “as far as the east is from the west, so far has he removed our transgressions from us.” (Psalm 103:12). God said all my sins are gone.
  • “Come now, and let us reason together,” Says the LORD, ” Though your sins are like scarlet, They shall be as white as snow; Though they are red like crimson, They shall be as wool.” (Isaiah. 1:18). I am white as snow in God’s sight.
  • “For I will forgive their wickedness and will remember their sins no more.” (Jeremiah 31:34b). God has forgotten all my sins.
  • “She said, “No one, Lord.” And Jesus said to her, “Neither do I condemn you; go and sin no more.” (John 8:11). Because: “There is therefore now no condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus…” (Romans 8:1). Jesus will never condemn me for my sins.

In Forgiveness, we go from hopelessly offending God and being stained by sin, to complete peace. We need to experience what the Scriptures often declare: God is a God who offers His children complete forgiveness.

Forgiveness. Nothing matters more to any who have sinned, and God says all have sinned.

A moment before you draw your last breath, one thing will matter more than anything else: whether you are dying forgiven or unforgiven.

The peace you can have one moment before dying is available on a daily basis if you understand what God has done in Christ and choose to respond by faith to Him.

Celebrate forgiveness in Jesus Christ by confessing (agreeing with God) that forgiveness is only in Christ. We do this by saying aloud:

“Thank you Jesus for forgiving me.”

Confess the Wonder of Our Redemption

Because of our sin, we are all slaves to unrighteousness, so we need redemption. Jesus died to take slaves and make them forever free-that’s redemption! A Sinner stands before God as a slave and is granted freedom by Christ’s payment.

Christ’s death to pay the price of our sin is so wonderful that, as Revelation records, we, the redeemed of all the ages, will join the angels, and together we sing a new song-

Revelation 5:12 saying with a loud voice, “Worthy is the Lamb who was slain to receive power and riches and wisdom, And strength and honor and glory and blessing!” (nkjv)

In Redemption, we go from being a slave chained to our sins to complete freedom by God, and receive a new focus.

God liberates us from our slavery to sin, breaks sin’s chains that long enslaved us, and frees us to focus our lives on what really matters to Him.

  • 1 Corinthians 6:20, “For you were bought at a price; therefore glorify God in your body and in your spirit, which are God’s.” Christ bought me with a price-I belong to God.
  • Philippians 1:6, “…being confident of this very thing, that He who has begun a good work in you will complete it until the day of Jesus Christ.” Because Christ bought me in redemption-God will finish what He started in me.
  • Ephesians 2:10, “For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them.” Because Christ bought me in redemption-I am God’s workmanship.

Celebrate redemption in Jesus Christ by confessing (agreeing with God) that redemption is only in Christ. Do this by saying aloud:

“Thank you Jesus for redeeming me.”

Confess the Wonder of Our Justification

Because of our sin, we are all guilty convicts in God’s sight; so we need justification. Jesus died to take guilty convicts and destroy any record a crime was ever committed, and take their places in the punishment-that’s justification!

In Justification, we go from being accused and guilty before God to being righteous and with no record of wrongs. We need to experience what the Scriptures often declare: God has once and for all, through Christ’s sacrifice, justified us. That means He has accused us, declared us guilty of sin, then made us righteous and forever deleted the record of all our wrongs.

  • Romans 8:33-34: “Who shall bring a charge against God’s elect? It is God who justifies. Who is he who condemns? It is Christ who died, and furthermore is also risen, who is even at the right hand of God, who also makes intercession for us.” I have been justified and by Christ justifying me and because the record has been erased-I am free now & forever from condemnation.
  • 1 Corinthians 6:17: “But he who is joined to the Lord is one spirit with Him.” By Christ justifying me-I am forever united with the Lord.
  • Ephesians 1:4, “… just as He chose us in Him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before Him in love.” By Christ justifying me-I was chosen by Jesus to be holy and blameless in his sight.
  • Ephesians 2:6, “…and raised us up together, and made us sit together in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus.” By Christ justifying me-I am already seated with Christ in Heaven.

Celebrate justification in Jesus Christ by confessing (agreeing with God) that justification is only in Christ. Do this by saying aloud:

“Thank you Jesus for justifying me.”

Confess the Wonder of Our Regeneration

Because of our sin, we are all dead in our trespasses, so we need regeneration. Jesus died to take us, we who are dead in our sins, and bring us to life. We are welcomed as family members, full of endless life and brand new-that’s regeneration!

In Regeneration, we go from dead and decaying to alive and overflowing. He has sought us out in our dead and decaying condition, breathed eternal life into us, and brought us into His family by the new birth. Then He comes to live within us so we are forever having an abundant and overflowing eternal life.

  • 1 Corinthians 12:27, “Now you are the body of Christ, and members individually.” Because Jesus regenerated me-I am a member of Christ’s Body.
  • 1 John 5:18, “We know that whoever is born of God does not sin; but he who has been born of God keeps himself, and the wicked one does not touch him.” Because Jesus regenerated me-I am born of God and the evil one cannot touch me.

Celebrate regeneration in Jesus Christ by confessing (agreeing with God) that regeneration is only in Christ. Do this by saying aloud:

“Thank you Jesus for regenerating me.”

Confess the Wonder of Our Reconciliation

Because of our sin, we are all enemies of God, so we need reconciliation. Jesus died to take enemies and make them friends-that’s reconciliation! A Sinner stands before God as an enemy and, by His peace, is made a friend.

In Reconciliation, we go from being an enemy at war with God to being His treasured friend!

God has ended His war against us in our sin by Christ’s reconciling sacrifice, and instead of establishing a truce, He has made us His treasured friend.

  • John 15:15, “No longer do I call you servants, for a servant does not know what his master is doing; but I have called you friends, for all things that I heard from My Father I have made known to you.” Because Jesus reconciled me-I am Christ’s friend.
  • 2 Corinthians 5:17-20, “Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new. Now all things are of God, who has reconciled us to Himself through Jesus Christ, and has given us the ministry of reconciliation, that is, that God was in Christ reconciling the world to Himself, not imputing their trespasses to them, and has committed to us the word of reconciliation. Now then, we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God were pleading through us: we implore you on Christ’s behalf, be reconciled to God.” Because Jesus reconciled me-I am Christ’s ambassador of reconciliation.
  • Ephesians 1:6, “to the praise of the glory of His grace, by which He has made us accepted in the Beloved. “Because Jesus reconciled me-I am accepted in Christ Jesus.

Celebrate reconciliation in Jesus Christ by confessing (agreeing with God) that reconciliation is only in Christ. Do this by saying aloud:

“Thank you Jesus for reconciling me.”

Confess the Wonder of Our Adoption

Because of our sin, we are all strangers to God; so we need adoption. Jesus died to take strangers and make them part of the family-that’s adoption! A Sinner stands before God as a stranger and is called a child by His choice.

In Adoption, we go from being a stranger and an outsider to being His child. We need to experience what the Scriptures often declare-God has taken me from being a stranger outside of His presence and blessing, and, in partnership with Him, has made me His child in His family.

  • John 1:12, “But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, to those who believe in His name.” Because I was adopted by God-I am God’s child.
  • John 6:47, “Most assuredly, I say to you, he who believes in Me has everlasting life.” Because I was adopted by God-I have everlasting life.
  • Romans 8:28, “And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose.” Because I was adopted by God-God is working out everything in my lifetime for His good.
  • Romans 8:29, “For whom He foreknew, He also predestined to be conformed to the image of His Son, that He might be the firstborn among many brethren.” Because I was adopted by God-I am being conformed into Christ’s likeness.

Celebrate adoption in Jesus Christ by confessing (agreeing with God) that adoption is only in Christ. Do this by saying aloud:

“Thank you Jesus for adopting me.”

Confess the Wonder of Our Sanctification

Because of our sin, we are all defiled, so we need sanctification. Jesus died to take our soiled and misdirected lives and make them clean, focused and fruitful-that’s sanctification!

In Sanctification, we go from our formerly wasted and empty lives to holy purposeful lives. Experience what the Scriptures often declares-God has come into me and taken over my wasted life and made me new. He entered my empty life and filled it with Himself to make me holy and filled with His purposes more and more until He gets me Home.

  • 1 Corinthians 3:16, “Do you not know that you are the temple of God and that the Spirit of God dwells in you?” Because of Christ’s sanctifying work in me-I am God’s temple.
  • Ephesians 1:1, “Paul, an apostle o
    f Jesus Christ by the will of God, To the saints who are in Ephesus, and faithful in Christ Jesus.”
     Because of Christ’s sanctifying work in me-I am a saint.
  • 2 Timothy 1:7, “For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind. “Because of Christ’s sanctifying work in me-I never need to fear again.

Celebrate sanctification in Jesus Christ by confessing (agreeing with God) that sanctification is only in Christ. Do this by saying aloud:

“Thank you Jesus for sanctifying me.”

Confess Jesus Regularly

Satan is the Accuser and wants us to only remember all the many times we have fallen. He delights in the days, weeks or months he can keep us condemning ourselves for what we’ve done.

That is his plan, so don’t fall for it. Resist Satan. As you believe the truth, speak the truth, and preach the Gospel to yourself.

God says, whenever we fall down to just turn back to Him and repent-confessing our sin immediately-and believe what God has promised in His salvation.

We are forgiven, redeemed, justified, regenerated, reconciled, adopted and sanctified. That makes us precious in His sight, special in His plan.

Slowly, as you understand and lay hold on these truths, a life-changing transformation take place in your mind, and then emotions, and finally throughout your entire life as you live each day based on God’s eternal truth.

Go back and say aloud these seven foundational truths of your salvation. You will feel His secure arms around you as you do so.

[1] This is the Greek word katangello, a verb, 10x in the New Testament meaning: “to announce, declare, promulgate, make known;  to proclaim publicly, publish…”

 


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