Rediscovering the Sacredness of Communion and Truth

 

Summary

In our journey of faith, we often find ourselves caught in the whirlwind of modern distractions, losing sight of the sacredness of our communion with God. Today, I want to remind us of the profound significance of the body and blood of Jesus, and how each time we partake in communion, we are invited to experience a deeper connection with Him. This is not just a ritual; it is a sacred moment where we encounter His real presence, and it is His desire for us to grow in our understanding and experience of Him daily.

We live in a world where personal opinions are often held in higher regard than the divine truth of God's Word. Many people value their own thoughts and feelings above the sacred teachings of the Bible. However, as followers of Christ, we are called to surrender our opinions and seek the truth found in His Word. The Apostle Paul, in 2 Corinthians 4, emphasizes the importance of openly declaring the truth without resorting to cunning or manipulation. It is not our eloquence or cleverness that brings about transformation, but the power of God's Word and His Spirit.

Reflecting on the history of the church, we see a shift where churches began to attract people with entertainment and programs rather than the pure Word of God. While the intention was to draw people in, it often led to a dilution of the sacredness of worship. We must return to a place where the Word of God and communion are enough to captivate our hearts and transform our lives. The power of God is not enhanced by our efforts or additions; rather, it is revealed when we trust solely in Him.

God desires us to be holy, set apart, and different from the world. Just as Israel was positioned to be a light to the nations, we are called to be distinct, reflecting the holiness of God. When we add our own efforts to God's work, we risk losing His power. Instead, we must trust in the sufficiency of His Word and the sacredness of communion. Let us strip away the distractions and gimmicks, and return to a place of reverence and awe before our Creator.

Key Takeaways:

- Communion is a sacred moment where we encounter the real presence of Jesus. It is an opportunity to deepen our connection with Him and grow in our understanding of His love and sacrifice. Each time we partake, we are reminded of His desire for us to experience Him more fully. [00:14]

- In a world that values personal opinions over divine truth, we are called to surrender our thoughts and seek the truth found in God's Word. The Bible is our ultimate source of truth, and we must prioritize it above our own feelings and opinions. [02:16]

- The power of God's Word is not dependent on our eloquence or cleverness. It is the truth of His Word that brings about transformation, not our human efforts. We must trust in the sufficiency of His Word and declare it openly. [04:54]

- The church must return to a place where the Word of God and communion are enough to captivate our hearts. We must strip away the distractions and gimmicks and focus on the sacredness of worship. [10:21]

- God desires us to be holy and set apart, reflecting His holiness to the world. When we add our own efforts to His work, we risk losing His power. We must trust in the sufficiency of His Word and the sacredness of communion. [14:05]

Youtube Chapters:

[00:00] - Welcome
[00:14] - The Sacredness of Communion
[01:30] - Understanding God's Living Word
[02:16] - Surrendering Personal Opinions
[03:07] - The Power of Openly Declaring Truth
[05:27] - The Blinding of Unbelievers
[06:36] - The Burden of Hearing
[08:10] - The Shift in Church Attraction
[10:21] - Returning to Sacred Worship
[11:23] - The Pattern of God's Power
[14:05] - The Call to Holiness
[15:56] - Trusting in God's Sufficiency
[18:50] - The Power of God's Word
[20:48] - Stripping Away Gimmicks
[23:21] - Listening to the Word of God

Study Guide

Bible Study Discussion Guide

Bible Reading:
1. 2 Corinthians 4:1-6
2. 1 Corinthians 1:17
3. Matthew 5-7 (The Sermon on the Mount)

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Observation Questions:

1. What does 2 Corinthians 4:1-6 say about how we should handle God's Word? How does this relate to the sermon’s emphasis on openly declaring the truth? [03:07]

2. In 1 Corinthians 1:17, Paul talks about preaching the gospel without eloquent wisdom. How does this connect to the sermon’s message about the sufficiency of God's Word? [19:15]

3. How does the sermon describe the shift in church practices over the years, particularly in the 1970s? What were some of the methods used to attract people to church? [08:10]

4. According to the sermon, what is the significance of communion, and how does it relate to experiencing the real presence of Jesus? [00:14]

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Interpretation Questions:

1. How does the sermon suggest that personal opinions can sometimes overshadow the divine truth of God's Word? What are the implications of this for believers today? [02:16]

2. The sermon mentions a pattern in the Bible where adding human efforts to God's work can lead to a loss of His power. How does this pattern challenge modern church practices? [15:56]

3. Reflect on the sermon’s call to holiness and being set apart. How does this align with the biblical call for believers to be distinct from the world? [14:05]

4. How does the sermon interpret the role of eloquence and cleverness in preaching? What does it suggest about the true source of transformation? [04:54]

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Application Questions:

1. In what ways have you allowed personal opinions to take precedence over the truth of God's Word in your life? How can you realign your priorities to seek divine truth first? [02:16]

2. Reflect on your church experience. Have you ever been more attracted to church programs or entertainment than to the Word of God and communion? How can you shift your focus back to the sacredness of worship? [10:21]

3. The sermon emphasizes the importance of communion as a sacred moment. How can you prepare your heart and mind to experience a deeper connection with Jesus during communion? [00:14]

4. Consider the distractions and gimmicks in your life that might be hindering your spiritual growth. What steps can you take to strip these away and return to a place of reverence and awe before God? [21:08]

5. How can you cultivate a lifestyle of holiness and being set apart in your daily interactions? What specific changes can you make to reflect God's holiness to those around you? [14:05]

6. The sermon challenges us to trust in the sufficiency of God's Word. How can you incorporate more of God's Word into your daily routine to experience its transformative power? [20:48]

7. Reflect on a time when you relied on your own efforts rather than trusting in God's power. What did you learn from that experience, and how can you apply that lesson moving forward? [15:56]

Devotional

Day 1: Experiencing the Real Presence of Jesus
Each time we partake in communion, we are invited to experience a deeper connection with Jesus. This sacred moment is not merely a ritual but an encounter with His real presence. It is an opportunity to reflect on His love and sacrifice, reminding us of His desire for us to grow in our understanding and experience of Him daily. In a world filled with distractions, communion serves as a powerful reminder of the sacredness of our relationship with God and the profound significance of the body and blood of Jesus. [00:14]

"For as often as you eat this bread and drink the cup, you proclaim the Lord's death until he comes." (1 Corinthians 11:26, ESV)

Reflection: How can you prepare your heart to experience the real presence of Jesus during your next communion?


Day 2: Surrendering Personal Opinions for Divine Truth
In a society that often values personal opinions over divine truth, we are called to surrender our thoughts and seek the truth found in God's Word. The Bible is our ultimate source of truth, and as followers of Christ, we must prioritize it above our own feelings and opinions. This requires humility and a willingness to let go of our preconceived notions, allowing God's Word to shape our beliefs and actions. By doing so, we align ourselves with His will and experience the transformative power of His truth. [02:16]

"For the word of the Lord is upright, and all his work is done in faithfulness." (Psalm 33:4, ESV)

Reflection: What personal opinion or belief do you need to surrender to align more closely with God's Word today?


Day 3: Trusting in the Power of God's Word
The power of God's Word is not dependent on our eloquence or cleverness. It is the truth of His Word that brings about transformation, not our human efforts. We are called to trust in the sufficiency of His Word and declare it openly, knowing that it is the Spirit of God that works through His Word to change hearts and lives. This requires faith and a commitment to sharing His truth with others, trusting that His Word will accomplish what He desires. [04:54]

"So shall my word be that goes out from my mouth; it shall not return to me empty, but it shall accomplish that which I purpose, and shall succeed in the thing for which I sent it." (Isaiah 55:11, ESV)

Reflection: How can you declare God's Word openly in your daily interactions, trusting in its power to transform?


Day 4: Returning to the Sacredness of Worship
The church must return to a place where the Word of God and communion are enough to captivate our hearts. In an age where entertainment and programs often take precedence, we are reminded of the need to strip away distractions and focus on the sacredness of worship. True worship is not enhanced by our efforts or additions but is revealed when we trust solely in God. By prioritizing His Word and the sacredness of communion, we create an environment where His presence is honored and His power is manifested. [10:21]

"God is spirit, and those who worship him must worship in spirit and truth." (John 4:24, ESV)

Reflection: What distractions or gimmicks can you remove from your worship experience to focus more on the sacredness of God?


Day 5: Embracing Holiness and Trusting in God's Sufficiency
God desires us to be holy, set apart, and different from the world. Just as Israel was positioned to be a light to the nations, we are called to reflect the holiness of God. When we add our own efforts to His work, we risk losing His power. Instead, we must trust in the sufficiency of His Word and the sacredness of communion. By embracing holiness and relying on His strength, we become vessels through which His power and love are displayed to the world. [14:05]

"But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for his own possession, that you may proclaim the excellencies of him who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light." (1 Peter 2:9, ESV)

Reflection: In what ways can you set yourself apart to reflect God's holiness in your daily life?

Quotes

"I don't know about you, but I've just been in this mode where communion means more to me literally every time and I feel like I have a deeper experience with Jesus every time I take it like and I'm praying to God I go God I want this for the rest of my life I wanted to just increase not like everything else in life that kind of decreases and loses its luster there's something about the body and blood of Jesus that enables us to enjoy him even more deeply commune with him more deeply and this is his desire." [00:03:32]

"We live in a time where many people believe their opinions are the most sacred things on the earth what they think and what they feel to them is the most sacred thing to them that is true of most of the people I meet they don't they don't say well here's what I think but who cares what I think what does the Bible say what does God himself say very few people think that way they they value their own thoughts their own opinions and they'll agree with the Bible as long as the Bible agrees with them." [00:114:24]

"Therefore having this ministry by the mercy of God we do not lose heart but we have renounced disgraceful and underhanded ways we refuse to practice cunning or to tamper with God's word but by the open statement of the truth we would commend ourselves to everyone's conscience in the sight of God and even if our gospel is veiled it is veiled to those who are perishing in their case the God of this world has blinded the minds of the unbelievers to keep them from seeing the light of the Gospel of the glory of Christ who is the image of God." [00:198:519]

"As a speaker I spent years of my life thinking gosh if I could just communicate a little bit better then I could get through to that guy then I could get through to the masses then I would get you know that woman to repent if I could just really nail this sermon and I felt like if I did it better and better then they would turn they would change and what the scripture is saying is no some people are just blinded to it he says that the God of this world has blinded them and so it's not about human effort it's just about openly declaring the truth." [00:300:88]

"It was in the 70s when churches began to try to attract people into the church by things other than the word of God and communion which that's not a bad motive the motive is we want this place packed out so so next week let's do this next week let's do that you know and and I started going to youth group during that time and and they started saying hey come to our youth group you know we're going to play basketball before we're going to have pizza there there's hot girls there there's this this this you know bunch of kids from the school are going you know a couple football players few of the cheerers they're all going to be there and it's like okay and more and more people came." [00:480:8]

"Suddenly we start going for all these other reasons oh they got a new Children's Program they've got this they've got that and suddenly I'm sorry I just feel terrible because I was a part of this and then suddenly this is just boring not enough to hear the very words of God and now it's not enough not exciting enough for me to to partake of the body and blood of Jesus and to commune with him and and have this this intimate time with God and I to fellowship with the body and blood of Christ and to hear of voice from Heaven through his word." [00:602:56]

"God chose that area because that's where everyone had to go through and and so he says when when people walk through I want them to see one nation that is different from Every Other Nation on Earth and so I want you to be different I don't want you to fit in that's the last thing I want you to do is fit in I want people to see wow this is different it's sacred it's holy here's the other problem with all the stuff that we added to attract people to church there's a pattern in the Bible if you read this book and I hope that you do I hope you read it often I hope you read chapters and chapters and chapters every day just to clear your mind of all the other garbage you hear out there go man I I want to hear his voice there's a thousand other voices I want to hear his." [00:857:759]

"When you add something to God it doesn't make it better it makes things worse now you would think well that I mean if God can defeat an army by himself what if we go hey God how about all of us join you also you know I just want I just want to make sure and I and I recruited a million other people too I've noticed in scripture that's when God goes you know what you end up losing God by adding your own efforts you remember when when Gideon was going to fight and he had 30,000 soldiers God says that's too much people are going to think you did it and so I want to dwindle down just give me 300 and we'll go defeat them." [00:952:199]

"Christ did not send me to baptize but to preach the gospel and not with words of eloquent wisdom lest the cross of Christ be emptied of its power I'm going to read that again Christ did not send me to baptize but to preach the gospel and not with words of eloquent wisdom lest the Cross of Christ be emptied of its power see logic would say well if you've got the gospel and its power well then add a dyamic communicator to that that speaks eloquently and just like do you understand the cross you know and just you would think well the two together would make it more powerful and Paul says no I got to be careful that I don't do that or the cross will actually be emptied of its power." [00:1150:88]

"It's until we strip away all the gimmicks all all the clever this clever that all the tricks and say God we just believe your word has power and we want to remember your body and blood and we just want to bow down before you that's when I believe we're going to start seeing God move in our lives in this city in our church it's interesting you remember the story that uh we talked about last week a little bit about the strangers on the road to Emmas and it says that it was when Jesus broke bread that suddenly their eyes were opened and what did they say right after they go gosh I knew it cuz weren't our hearts burning when he was talking to us along the road wasn't there some it when Jesus was talking this is God's word Jesus's word he goes remember when he was talking weren't our hearts burning wasn't something going inside of you and then he broke the bread and suddenly we knew what he W who he was it was the word of God and it was a Breaking of the bread that brought the Revelation." [00:1252:2]

"I believe there are things that need to be changed in our lives and rather than me trying to counsel each one of you and walk through your past and dig deep in your life and try to figure it all out we can talk for hours and hours and hours I'm just going to have the word of God read and just to cleanse us I'm going to have my wife just cuz she's better reader I could barely see this um I'm going to have her read The Sermon on the Mount which is Matthew chapters 5-7 this is sacred sacred this is coming out of the mouth of Jesus it is his longest sermon and I just want to encourage you as a congregation you guys let's humble ourselves beneath this word I hope this is what you came for to hear the voice of god so let's listen to his word and you know what in fact let me pray for this God I pray right now for Supernatural attention spans God our minds fly everywhere but right now I'm asking your spirit come into this room right now and give us the ability to be reverent toward your very words you spoke from that cloud and you said this is my son with whom I am well pleased listen to him and so tonight we want to listen to his words so give us the ability to concentrate in Jesus name amen." [00:1380:84]

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Transcript
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