Communion is Worship

Devotional

Day 1: God reveals himself as merciful, gracious, and holy

God’s self-revelation shows a heart that pursues mercy and grace while remaining perfectly just; this is the balance of who God is. It matters that the God who passes by is “slow to anger” and “abounding in steadfast love,” because it explains why Jesus could go to the cross for sinners. Remembering both mercy and holiness helps keep repentance sincere and hope real as one walks in relationship with him. [21:11]

Exodus 34:5-7 (ESV)
The LORD descended in the cloud and stood with him there, and proclaimed the name of the LORD. The LORD passed before him and proclaimed, “The LORD, the LORD, a God merciful and gracious, slow to anger, and abounding in steadfast love and faithfulness, keeping steadfast love for thousands, forgiving iniquity and transgression and sin, but who will by no means clear the guilty, visiting the iniquity of the fathers on the children and the children's children, to the third and the fourth generation.”

Reflection: When you think of God’s mercy and his holiness together, where do you tend to overemphasize one at the expense of the other, and what would a balanced response (both humble repentance and bold gratitude) look like in your next conversation with God?

Day 2: God's presence matters more than promised blessings

Moses chooses God’s presence over the promised land because relationship with God defines true blessing and identity. It’s a posture that says, “I would rather stay in the desert with you than move into comfort without you,” valuing God’s nearness above all giftings. Practicing that posture reshapes decisions about career, relationships, and ministry so they flow from seeking God first. [11:13]

Exodus 33:15-16 (ESV)
And he said to him, “If your presence will not go with me, do not bring us up from here. For how will it be known that I and your people have found favor in your sight, unless you go with us? In this way we shall be distinct, your people and I, from every people on the face of the earth.”

Reflection: Identify one major decision you face (job, move, relationship); what would it mean practically to choose God’s presence over the promise—what is one action you can take this week to prioritize seeking his presence before moving forward?

Day 3: Communion: remembrance of Christ's sacrifice and covenant

Communion is a moment to remember what Christ did, not the way to receive Christ; it’s a thankful proclamation of the cross and the new covenant sealed by his blood. When the bread and cup are taken, the church remembers mercy paid for and the promise that sin can be forgiven because of Christ’s work. Use communion as a checkpoint—examine your walk, give thanks, and recommit to living in the newness of life. [36:16]

1 Corinthians 11:23-25 (ESV)
For I received from the Lord what I also delivered to you, that the Lord Jesus on the night when he was betrayed took bread, 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.” In the same way also he took the cup, after supper, saying, “This cup is the new covenant in my blood. Do this, as often as you drink it, in remembrance of me.”

Reflection: Before your next communion, what specific sin or area of lukewarmness do you need to confess and turn from so that your participation is both thankful and whole-hearted; how will you confess it to God this week?

Day 4: Believe and accept Christ to become God's child

The gospel requires a response: not merely intellectual assent but receiving and accepting Jesus into one’s life to become a child of God. God’s heart is full of grace and he invites you into a restored relationship, but you must personally accept that invitation. If there is any uncertainty about salvation, today is a moment to cross that line of faith and begin the lifelong process of following Jesus. [28:06]

John 1:12 (ESV)
But to all who did receive him, who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God,

Reflection: If you were honest about the status of your relationship with Christ, what one step of faith (a specific prayer, a conversation, joining a discipleship group) do you need to take this week to move from believing about Jesus to receiving him?

Day 5: Recognize God, give him glory, offer worship

True worship begins with recognizing who God is—giving him the glory he deserves, bringing an offering, and entering his presence in holy splendor. This flow (recognize → give glory → offer → worship) shapes a church that is extravagant in love and refuses to hold back from God. Worship that starts with correct recognition leads to lives that honor and surrender to the Lord. [05:10]

1 Chronicles 16:28-29 (ESV)
Ascribe to the LORD, O families of the peoples, ascribe to the LORD glory and strength! Ascribe to the LORD the glory due his name; bring an offering and come before him! Worship the LORD in the splendor of holiness.

Reflection: Which part of the worship flow (recognition, giving glory, offering, entering his presence) do you most resist or neglect, and what is one concrete step you will take this week to reorient that area toward wholehearted worship?

Sermon Summary

We started by speaking life over one another because some of us only hear discouragement all week. Then we turned our hearts toward why we gather: to become extravagant worshipers who hold nothing back from Jesus. From 1 Chronicles 16, the mature flow is simple but weighty—recognize who God is, give Him the glory He deserves, bring our offerings, and worship in the splendor of His holiness. That’s not a checklist; it’s a growing posture that begins with seeing God as He truly is.

From there we went to Exodus 33–34, where Moses models a holy hunger: “If You don’t go with us, don’t make us leave.” He would rather remain in the desert with God than enjoy a land of milk and honey without Him. That’s the cry we want for our church. Programs matter, but they don’t set us apart—God’s presence does. So we don’t read the Bible as a textbook; we read it as a letter that draws us into communion with the Lord.

When God reveals His name—“The Lord, the Lord”—He shows us His heart first: mercy, grace, patience, steadfast love, faithfulness, and forgiveness of iniquity, transgression, and sin. Then He declares His justice: He will not clear the guilty. The cross holds both truths together. It proves that sin cannot go unpunished and that God so loves the world He made a way for sinners to be forgiven. That demands a response. It’s not enough to know about Jesus; we must believe and accept Him.

Baptism declares we’ve been raised to walk in newness of life. Communion becomes our honest check-in—how’s that walk going? We don’t take the bread and cup to receive Christ; we take them to remember Christ. We examine our hearts, thank Him for mercy and grace, realign our lives with His presence, and renew our commitment to live as people set apart by Him. And for those who crossed the line of faith today—welcome home. Let’s keep growing closer, not to religion, but to the God who came near, gave His life, and is coming again.

Key Takeaways

1. Recognize before you worship extravagantly Recognition births response. When we truly see God’s glory and strength, giving and worship cease to be duties and become delight. This is how love matures: we start with who He is, then everything else flows. Extravagance begins in recognition, not in volume. [06:09]
2. Choose Presence over promised blessings Moses would not trade God’s nearness for milk and honey, and neither should we trade presence for comfort. Careers, relationships, and opportunities without the Lord’s nearness are deserts in disguise. Holiness is being set apart by His presence, not our success. Hunger for Him is the true mark of God’s people. [12:05]
3. God’s heart: mercy before judgment When God names Himself, He leads with mercy, grace, patience, steadfast love, faithfulness, and forgiveness. Yet He remains just—He will not clear the guilty. The cross is where love and justice kiss, satisfying judgment while opening mercy’s door. Come to Him with awe and assurance. [24:33]
4. Respond personally to Jesus Christ Knowing the story isn’t the same as knowing the Savior. Scripture calls us to believe and accept Christ—to receive Him, not simply admire Him. Salvation is a relationship, not a résumé of religious activity. Open your hands, and He makes you His child. [28:06]
5. Communion is a truthful check-in Baptism declares new life; communion asks how that life is going. The bread and cup are a memorial, not magic—an invitation to remember, examine, and realign. Give thanks for mercy and grace, confess where you’ve drifted, and return to His presence with a tender heart. [35:55]

Youtube Chapters

[00:00] - Welcome
[00:11] - Speak life: “You’re stinking awesome”
[01:18] - Christmas invites and study info
[01:55] - Why communion and baptism
[03:39] - Becoming extravagant worshipers
[05:10] - Recognize, give, bring, worship
[08:49] - Exodus 33: Promise without Presence
[10:48] - Moses chooses Presence over promise
[16:49] - “Show me Your glory”
[19:25] - The Lord, the Lord revealed
[21:11] - Mercy, grace, love, faithfulness
[24:11] - Justice: guilty not cleared
[25:57] - Cross: love and justice meet
[27:04] - Believe and accept Jesus
[31:43] - Examine hearts and take communion

Bible Study Guide

Bible reading (ESV)
- Exodus 33:14–23 and Exodus 34:5–7
- Exodus 33:14–23: “And he said, ‘My presence will go with you, and I will give you rest.’ And he said to him, ‘If your presence will not go with me, do not bring us up from here. For how will it be known that I have found favor in you, and that I am pleased with you, unless you go with us? ... If your presence will not go with us, do not bring us up from here.’” (read vv.14–23 in full)
- Exodus 34:5–7: “The LORD descended in the cloud and stood with him there, and proclaimed the name of the LORD. The LORD passed before him and proclaimed, ‘The LORD, the LORD, a God merciful and gracious, slow to anger, and abounding in steadfast love and faithfulness, keeping steadfast love for thousands, forgiving iniquity and transgression and sin...’” (read vv.5–7 in full)

Observation questions

Read Exodus 33:14–16. What specific words or images in Moses’ plea — “If your presence will not go with us, do not bring us up from here” — stand out to you, and why? [10:48]
Read Exodus 34:5–7. Which of the attributes God names first (mercy, grace, slow to anger, steadfast love, faithfulness, forgiveness) grabs your attention most, and what does it reveal about God’s heart? [19:45]
Look again at the sequence “recognize — give — bring — worship” (1 Chronicles 16 flow). What does it mean, in practical terms, to “recognize” God before moving into giving or worship? [05:10]
The bread-and-cup are described as a memorial, not a way to receive Christ (1 Corinthians 11). What details in that description make communion feel like a “check-in” rather than a ritual? [35:55]

Interpretation questions

Why does God begin His self-revelation with mercy and grace rather than justice? How does that ordering shape the way people relate to God and to one another? [24:33]
What does Moses’ insistence on God’s presence (over the promise of land and blessing) imply about the difference between programs/activities and the church’s spiritual identity? How should that influence priorities in a local church? [12:05]
How does the cross show that God’s justice and God’s mercy are both true? What does it mean practically that “sin cannot go unpunished” and yet God provides a way of forgiveness? [25:57]
How does recognizing God’s character (Exodus 34) lead to a different kind of worship than merely following religious habits? What change in attitude is required? [06:09]

Application questions

Recognition births response. Name one concrete way you will practice “recognizing” God this week (a short passage to read, a moment of gratitude, a place to stop and name His attributes) before you sing or pray. How will you make that a habit? [06:09]
Choose presence over promised blessings. Are there decisions you’re making (career, relationship, comfort) where you’re tempted to accept blessing without God’s presence? Be specific: what would choosing God’s presence look like in that situation this month? [12:05]
Receive mercy before judgment. Is there a place in your life where you have been hiding from God’s forgiveness because you fear consequences? What is one step you can take to accept God’s forgiveness and let it change your next choice? [24:33]
Respond personally to Jesus. Do you have assurance that you have personally believed and accepted Christ (not only admired the story)? If your answer is uncertain, what is one small step you will take this week to move toward a trusting relationship with Jesus (talk with a believer, read John 1–3, pray)? [28:06]
Communion as a check-in. Before the next time you take communion, what specific practice will you use to “examine yourself” (confession, journaling, asking someone to pray with you)? How will you measure growth in your walk with Christ? [35:55]
Baptism and new life. If you are baptized, what is one habit you will start or stop to better reflect the “raised to walk in newness of life” reality? If you are not baptized but have trusted Christ, what next step toward public identification would honor that new life? [03:13]

Use these questions to guide honest, humble conversation. Listen as much as you speak, and encourage one another toward deeper dependence on the God who is merciful, just, and present.

Sermon Clips

And when I talk about communion, I'm not talking about the physical bread and juice in the cup. We're talking about Jesus, the bread of life, the living water, the Lamb of God, the one who has radically redeemed and restored all of our lives. Come on, somebody, and thank God for that this morning. This is why we do communion. [00:01:57] (18 seconds) #CommunionIsJesus

You know, somebody asked me last night, can you explain to me in a nutshell, you know, why communion and why baptism? I said, that's great, man. Baptism is our public identification that we have given our lives to Christ. It's an outward identification that we've said yes to Jesus. If you said yes to Jesus, say amen. And here's what communion is. Communion is kind of our check-in on how that's going. Okay, we remember the sacrifice of Christ. We look back on what God did for us. [00:02:16] (32 seconds) #BaptismIsPublicYes

And I'm no longer the person I used to be. I am made new in Christ. Amen? And so communion is one of those places where we stop and we say, how's that life going? Based on the life that Jesus gave his life so we can have new life, and I'm supposed to be walking in new life, how is it going? [00:03:13] (22 seconds) #NewLifeCheckIn

This is incredible. And what I said last Saturday was this. This isn't a check, check, check, check, check. No, this is the mature flow of an extravagant worshiper. But when the only way we get to the worship part, the part that we want to continue to grow in, because I know you already love the Lord. You want to worship God. It all starts with recognizing our glorious and incredible God. [00:05:52] (29 seconds) #MatureWorship

But anyway, we want to become extravagant worshipers. We don't hold anything back from our God. Amen? And so we want to honor the Lord. But the only way we get there is we start recognizing who he is, not through our religious lenses, not through denominational prejudice, not through TikTok theology, not through personal opinion. But what does the Bible say? [00:07:49] (23 seconds) #WorshipWithoutLabels

What does the Bible say in proper biblical context so that we can wrestle with the tension? What are you going to do? Right? Because when we recognize things and we come to worshiping God, we're not giving God something he lacks. We're just acknowledging his greatness, his worth, and his majesty. [00:08:12] (18 seconds) #WorshipHonorsGod

``Moses is like, whoa, God, if I may, I don't care about the land. I don't really care about the milk and the honey. I don't care that you're sending an angel down from heaven. Lord, our desire is you. God, we desire your presence. Hey, God, if you're not going, don't make us leave this place. Because I'd rather stay in the desert with you than enter into a promise or blessing without you. [00:11:32] (54 seconds) #PresenceOverPromise

And for us, it could be like, man, Lord, I'd rather be in a desert in my career than have a career without your blessing, without your presence. Hey, God, I'd rather be in the desert of a relationship than being in a relationship where your presence isn't present. I'd rather stay in a desert with you than move into some comfortable place without you. [00:12:33] (30 seconds) #PresenceOverComfort

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