Holy Communion | Campus Pastor Kendrick Durant

God-centered praise opens the text: every created thing exists to worship, and praise should flow naturally from recognition of divine mercy, faithfulness, and the blood that makes holiness possible. A teaching series on holy communion frames the exposition, anchoring instruction in Jeremiah 31:33 and Isaiah 53 while mapping Gospel and Pauline texts (Matthew, Mark, Luke, 1 Corinthians, Acts) that reveal communion’s shape. Jeremiah’s promise of a new covenant emphasizes a divine work that writes God’s law on minds and hearts, creating inward desire and reshaping decisions so human choice aligns with holy will. The new covenant undoes the curse mentality and exposes the necessity of inward transformation rather than mere outward observance.

Isaiah 53 receives extended attention: the Messiah appears as a tender shoot from dry ground, humble in origin and destined for rejection, suffering, and scorn. That suffering serves a redemptive purpose—endurance becomes the spiritual virtue that enables blessing to mature. The text insists the Messiah bears infirmities, transgressions, and griefs so humanity can enter communion with God; the wounds and scars supply the legal and relational basis for reconciliation. Communion appears not as a casual ritual but as the Lord’s table, the Last Supper, the Eucharist—thanksgiving that requires preparedness, holiness, and honest self-examination.

Practical exhortation threads through the theology: God can reroute lives and allow trials to surface genuine faith; spiritual growth often comes through breaking that breaks pride and shapes dependence. The sacrificial system in Genesis and the priests’ corrupt offerings underscore why only a spotless mediator can restore access to God. Communion therefore reunites fallen humanity with divine life through the blood and body of the Mediator, demands inward repentance, and celebrates thanksgiving that transcends ritual familiarity. The series concludes with a call to prepare hearts intentionally for the table, promising further teaching that will unpack scripture and practice together.

Key Takeaways

• 1. Worship defines human purpose Believers exist to worship because creation itself carries that design; when praise rises from genuine recognition it aligns life with God’s intent rather than ritual obligation. Authentic worship exposes whether law sits merely on lips or has been written on the heart, and it reorients choices toward holiness. Praise that flows from gratitude for redemption resists being reduced to habit. [19:24]
• 2. The new covenant rewrites hearts God promises to place divine law within minds and write it on hearts, which transforms motive, not just behavior. This inward work makes obedience a fruit of desire rather than external compulsion, altering decision-making and spiritual identity. The covenant therefore changes responsibility: people become co‑laborers who receive and respond, not merely rule‑keepers. [29:56]
• 3. Suffering refines rather than rejects Redemptive suffering exposes pride and cultivates endurance, the capacity to remain faithful when blessing looks like loss. The Servant’s humiliation models how God uses apparent defeat to accomplish salvation and to strip away false securities. Endurance proves genuine faith and prepares the soul for deeper communion with God. [43:16]
• 4. Communion requires holiness and remembrance The Lord’s table functions as thanksgiving and covenantal participation that presupposes repentance and reverent preparation. Communion reunites fallen humanity with God through the Mediator’s wounds; approaching the table without honest self‑examination violates the intent of reconciliation. The Eucharist consecrates memory, moral reorientation, and union with Christ’s sacrifice. [55:00]

Youtube Chapters

• [00:00] - Welcome
• [18:41] - Call to Praise
• [19:24] - Created for Worship
• [20:28] - Praise and Thanksgiving
• [26:08] - Communion Series Introduction
• [27:08] - Key Communion Scriptures
• [29:56] - New Covenant: Law in Hearts
• [41:03] - Isaiah 53: The Suffering Servant
• [43:16] - Endurance, Suffering, and Humility
• [55:00] - Defining Communion: Lord's Table & Eucharist
• [80:10] - Substitution: He Took Our Infirmities

1. According to Isaiah 53:3-4, what specific ways was the Messiah described and treated by people?
2. The sermon highlighted that the Messiah's suffering served a redemptive purpose. What does verse 5 say was accomplished by his wounds and chastisement?
3. The prophet asks, "Who has believed our message?" ([47:47]). What does this question reveal about the nature of the report being given?
4. Verse 6 uses the metaphor of sheep to describe humanity. What is the natural tendency of the sheep, and where does the Lord lay the iniquity?

1. The text says it "pleased the LORD to crush him" (v. 10). How can a loving God be pleased by the suffering of his Servant, and what does this say about the seriousness of sin and the necessity of atonement?
2. The sermon emphasized that the Messiah's humble origins and rejection were part of God's design ([49:40]). How does this contrast with worldly expectations of a savior or leader, and why is this distinction important for faith?
3. Verse 11 states that the righteous servant will "make many to be accounted righteous." What is the mechanism by which his work of bearing iniquities leads to this outcome for others?
4. The concept of "redemptive suffering" was discussed ([43:16]). How does the suffering of the Servant, which refines rather than rejects, model how God might use difficult circumstances in the lives of believers today?

1. The new covenant involves God writing his law on our hearts, transforming our motives and not just our behavior ([29:56]). What is one area of your life where you obey out of external compulsion rather than genuine desire? How can you ask God to change your heart in that area?
2. Authentic worship flows from a recognition of God's mercy and is not a ritual obligation ([19:24]). What practical step can you take this week to move your praise from a habit to a heartfelt response to who God is and what he has done?
3. Approaching the Lord's table requires honest self-examination and repentance ([55:00]). Before next taking communion, what specific thought, attitude, or action might you need to bring under the light of Christ's sacrifice for cleansing?
4. Endurance is a spiritual virtue cultivated through trials that surface genuine faith ([43:16]). Recall a recent challenge. How did it expose your pride or self-reliance, and how did it (or how can it now) shape a deeper dependence on God?
5. The Messiah bore our griefs and carried our sorrows (v. 4). Is there a pain or burden you are currently carrying that you have not yet consciously entrusted to him? What would it look like to hand that over to the one who was wounded for you?
6. Communion reunites us with God through the Mediator's wounds ([55:00]). How does remembering the cost of your reconciliation—the scars, despisement, and rejection Jesus endured—impact your desire for intimacy with God and your treatment of others he died for?
7. God can use breaking to break pride and shape dependence ([48:51]). Is there a circumstance in your life right now that feels like a breaking? How can you ask God to use it for his purpose rather than praying only for him to remove it?