God calls Us to Remember

Sermon Title: God Calls Us to Remember

Good News Statement: “God calls Us to Remember”

Preached: Sunday, August 01, 2021 at Dogwood Prairie and Seed Chapel UMC

Pastor Daniel G. Skelton, M.Div.

 

Scripture (NIV): 1 Corinthians 11:23-32 – Today’s scripture reading comes from 1 Corinthians chapter 11 verses 23 thru 32. Listen to what the LORD is saying:

²³ For I received from the Lord what I also passed on to you: The Lord Jesus, on the night he was betrayed, took bread, ²⁴ and when he had given thanks, he broke it and said, “This is my body, which is for you; do this in remembrance of me.” ²⁵ In the same way, after supper he took the cup, saying, “This cup is the new covenant in my blood; do this, whenever you drink it, in remembrance of me.” ²⁶ For whenever you eat this bread and drink this cup, you proclaim the Lord’s death until he comes.

²⁷ So then, whoever eats the bread or drinks the cup of the Lord in an unworthy manner will be guilty of sinning against the body and blood of the Lord. ²⁸ Everyone ought to examine themselves before they eat of the bread and drink from the cup. ²⁹ For those who eat and drink without discerning the body of Christ eat and drink judgment on themselves. ³⁰ That is why many among you are weak and sick, and a number of you have fallen asleep. ³¹ But if we were more discerning with regard to ourselves, we would not come under such judgment. ³² Nevertheless, when we are judged in this way by the Lord, we are being disciplined so that we will not be finally condemned with the world.

 

 

Introduction:

The tradition of Holy Communion or Holy Eucharist has been handed down from one generation to the next so that we, as a community of faithful believers, may remember, together, what it means to live in remembrance of the sacrifices that Jesus Christ endured so that we can experience salvation on a daily basis. It is through the communal eating and drinking of Christ’s body and blood that we, the church, proclaim the good news of our Lord and Savior to God’s created world. It is through Holy Communion that we embrace and embody the love and sacredness of Jesus Christ. And it is through Holy Communion by which we remember what it means to live as faithful followers of Jesus Christ. God, through Holy Communion, calls us to remember…

Opening Prayer:

            Let Us Pray…Dear Lord, Jesus, we have been called here this morning to remember: to remember your teachings, to remember your words, to remember your ways, and to remember your life and all the sacrifices that were made so that we, your people, can live as communal believers. Lord, through your message this morning, help us remember the sacredness of your “last meal.” Help us to live more fully into your message. And help us embody the love that comes from eating together. Lord, I pray that my words fall to the ground so that your words will prevail and find the hearts of those present. In your Holy name we pray, Amen.

 

Body:

I am sure many of us, over the course of our years, have heard some interesting stories about Holy Communion. Whether we heard about the young boy who consistently asked for seconds or maybe you were sitting in church when someone visiting saw the Communion elements and said, “This is going to be a long service. These people serve food.” Or perhaps, we overheard someone say, “So-and-so ate all the bread and drank all the juice because they wanted to become Jesus.” We have all heard communion stories.

But have you heard about the story of Paul? The apostle Paul, writing about 20 to 25 years after the death of Jesus,  is telling the people of Corinth what they are to do according to the teachings of Jesus Christ. Paul writes about marriage, food sacrificed to idols, spiritual gifts, and other matters. What Paul is essentially trying to do with the people in Corinth is teach them the ways of Jesus Christ so that they can establish the Church that Jesus has sent Paul to build. In the depths of these teachings, is the story of Holy Communion. Paul, through handed down generations of oral tradition (1 Corinthians 11:2) is presenting a story to the people that will last for eternity: the partaking of Holy Communion is a story of remembering, repenting, restoring, reaching, rejoicing, and renewing all in the name of Jesus Christ.

No matter what story you have heard or been part of, Holy Communion has the power to help us remember how significant and moving it can be when we celebrate it together as a faithful community: a community called to restore, remember, reach, rejoice, repent, and renew in the name of Jesus Christ. These six “R’s” are what bring Holy Communion to life: they allow Holy Communion to require active participation. Not only active participation, but God calls us to remember…. Let’s examine what Paul has to say about Holy Communion.

• You are to look around and restore

When you partake in the Lord’s Supper, you are to look around and restore. Let me explain. Look at verse 17 and 18 with me: it says, “In the following directives I have no praise for you, for your meetings do more harm than good. In the first place, I hear that when you come together as a church, there are divisions among you, and to some extent I believe it” (NIV). This is interesting to me because Paul begins explaining the Lord’s Supper by starting with church divisions and conflict among the believers—we know of some that exist today. From the controversy that is taking place from within our own denomination to the global conversation about COVID-19, conflict has found its way into the life of every church.

Paul knew that one of the purposes and effects the Lord’s Supper has when done correctly is restoration among God’s people. When the Lord’s Supper is done right, unity and forgiveness will be the outcome. If the Lord’s Supper is done with the right attitude and mind, you should be motivated to seek forgiveness from those who have hurt you and give forgiveness to those who have trespassed against you. The Lord’s Supper is intended to make you more gracious.

As you take the Lord’s Supper you need to ask God, “God, is there anyone I have hurt and need to ask their forgiveness?” If there is, then you need to make it as soon as you can. As you remember the death of Christ and think about how his death restores and reconciles you to God, it should drive you to restore and reconcile with others. After all, we are taught to do unto others as we would have them do unto  us. So, when you take the Lord’s Supper look around at the people and ask God, “Who do I need to forgive? How can I be fully restored as a faithful follower of your Son?”

• You are to look back and remember

When you take the Lord’s Supper you are to look back and remember. In 1 Corinthians 11 God gives us some instructions about the Lord’s Supper. Two times in verses 24 and 25 we are told to “do this in remembrance of me” (NIV). The Lord’s Supper is about remembering our Lord Jesus and His death.

To “remember” means much more than simply to bring something to mind, merely to recall that something happened. To truly remember is to go back in one’s mind and recapture as much of the reality and significance of an event or experience as one possibly can. It’s like remembering a significant moment.

I remember, when I was in high school, I would go to the nurses office almost every day to ask for a pass to class because I didn’t want to be tardy. Who would have thought that having an aunt as a nurse would still result in being tardy for class.

I remember sleeping in the hospital, on probably the most uncomfortable couch one could ever imagine, waiting to see my first nephew for the first time. I remember getting a phone call from my mom while I was in Dayton, Ohio, letting me know that my second nephew was born. I remember my brother waking me up in the early morning hours on a Saturday telling me it was time for school and helping me get ready and then sending me out the door to wait for the school bus. I remember these moments.

How about you? Are their things in your own life that you seem to remember better than others? Do you remember graduating from high school? Do you remember your wedding day? Do you remember your first friend? Do you remember the lessons your parents taught you? Do you remember getting in trouble by your parents? What, from your life, do you remember?

Paul, through Jesus, is challenging us to remember the sacrifices that Jesus went through in order to forgive us of our sins so that love and salvation will conquer our hearts. Not only should we remember, but we are called to “do this” thing with repetition to remember Jesus. When Jesus said, “Do this in remembrance of me” this is what He was talking about. To remember Jesus Christ and His sacrifice on the cross is to relive his life—his agony, his suffering, and his death as much as is humanly possible. When Jesus tells us to “do this in remembrance of me,” He is telling us to think about the sacrifice He paid, the pain He went through for us, the greatness of Him taking up the cross that should have been for us. He wants us to remember this because it reminds us of how much He loves us. He wants us to look back and remember.

• You are to look without and reach

We are to look without and reach. The Lord’s Supper also reminds us to reach out and proclaim Christ to those around us. Look at verse 26, “For whenever you eat this bread and drink this cup, you proclaim the Lord’s death…” (NIV).  The message of the cross and the Lord’s death is not only for us to remember, but it is for us to proclaim, preach, teach, share, and testify. The Lord’s Supper is really an act of proclamation. When you participate in it you are saying “I believe Jesus died for my sins.” “I believe He rose again.” “I believe that my sins have been paid for by the death of Jesus Christ on that cross.” “I believe I have eternal life because of Christ.” When you take the Lord’s Supper you are making a statement to those sitting around you that you are a follower of Christ and you are not ashamed of Jesus.

But now listen. The very act of proclaiming His death through the Lord’s Supper should remind us to proclaim Christ out in the world. When you take the Lord’s Supper think about how important the message of Christ is and how you can share it at school, at work, with your family, or with friends. One purpose of the Lord’s Supper is to remind you to share the good news of what Jesus has done with others, and continues to do for his people.

• You are to look ahead and rejoice

You are to look ahead and rejoice. The Lord’s Supper brings our attention to the fact that someday, someday, Christ will return to gather His people together. Look carefully at verse 26, For whenever you eat this bread and drink this cup, you proclaim the Lord’s death until HE comes [again]”  (NIV). We proclaim the cross of Calvary every time we take the Lord’s Supper, but it is always in the shadow of Christ coming back.

The Bible teaches that Jesus Christ will return. Listen to 1 Thessalonians 4:16 which says, “For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the archangel’s voice, and with the trumpet of God, and the dead in Christ will rise first. Then we who are still alive will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air; and so we will always be with the Lord” (HCSB).

If the Lord’s Supper is done right in your heart, you should be more excited about the return of Christ. The Lord’s Supper is not just about the death of Christ, but about the reign of Christ. Jesus died on the cross so that He could resurrect from the grave. He resurrected from the grave so that He could ascend to the Father. He ascended to the Father so that He could come back again for His people. So we are to look ahead and rejoice in what is to come.

• You are to look within and repent

We are to look within and repent. God wants us to use the Lord’s Supper as a time of examination. 1 Corinthians 11:28 says, “[You] should examine yourself before eating the bread and drinking the cup” (NIV). As you hold the cup and the bread, even now, you should inspect your thoughts and motivations and actions. Let me give some areas of examination to consider.

• Examine your salvation(2 Cor. 13:5). Have you truly surrendered to Jesus Christ as the master and Lord of your life?
• Examine your relationships. Examine how you treat others and yourself (Col. 3:12-13). Are you treating yourself and those in your life—your parents, your kids, your friends, your classmates, your family—with kindness, humility, gentleness, respect and love?
• Examine your attitude. Does your attitude toward life reflect someone who has been given abundant life?

God wants us to use the Lord’s Supper as a time of self-evaluation, examining our commitment to Him.

• You are to look up and renew

Lastly, you are to look up and renew. The Lord’s Supper is a reminder to us that we are in covenant with the Lord. Take a close look at 1 Corinthians 11:25 Jesus says, “This cup is the new covenant in my blood; do this, whenever you drink it, in remembrance of me” (NIV).

Notice Jesus referred to a “covenant.” This covenant has two sides. One side is forgiveness of your sins by the Lord. When you enter this covenant at salvation God guarantees your sins have been paid for and forgiven by the blood of Jesus. The other side of this covenant is obedience. When you accept Christ as the Lord of your life you are saying, “I will obey You, Lord. You are my God and I will submit to You.” Part of the Lord’s Supper is to remind us, as believers, that when we were saved we entered a covenant with God saying I will follow your ways. So as God’s people the Lord’s Supper is a time to look up to God in our hearts and rededicate ourselves to the covenant that we have with Him knowing that He will always keep His end of the covenant whenever we sin.

It’s a time to look up and renew. It is time to look up and restore. It is time to look up and rejoice. It is time to look up and reach. It is time to look up and repent. And it is time to look up and remember. Are you willing to look up and remember what Christ has done for you?

Benediction:

May you remember that God calls each of you to remember what it means to live like Jesus Christ in communion with the Holy Spirit. In the name of Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, go in peace and serve the Lord. Amen, Amen, Amen.