Remembering the Transformative Power of Communion

Summary

### Summary

Today, we focus on the profound significance of communion, a practice that unites us as a family in remembering the sacrifice of our Savior. Regardless of our backgrounds or current circumstances, we come together in the loving forgiveness, grace, and power of the cross. The act of remembering is crucial because, as humans, we are prone to forget even the most significant events in our lives. This forgetfulness can extend to our spiritual lives, where the transformative power of the cross can become just another background detail if we are not intentional about keeping it at the forefront of our minds.

Jesus understood our human tendency to forget, which is why He instituted communion. During the Last Supper, He provided a tangible way for us to remember His sacrifice. By breaking bread and sharing the cup, we are reminded of His body broken for us and His blood shed for our salvation. This act of remembrance is not just a ritual; it is a reenactment that reauthorizes the transformative power of the cross in our lives.

Familiarity can be a silent killer of passion. What was once life-changing can become mundane if we do not actively work to keep it significant. This applies to our relationships, our jobs, and most importantly, our faith. We must be intentional about remembering the power of our salvation and the grace that has been extended to us. This intentionality involves staying passionate, inquisitive, and thankful. By doing so, we keep the significance of the cross at the forefront of our lives, allowing it to continually transform us.

### Key Takeaways

1. The Importance of Remembering: Our human nature makes us prone to forget even the most significant events in our lives. This forgetfulness can extend to our spiritual lives, where the transformative power of the cross can become just another background detail. Jesus instituted communion to help us remember His sacrifice and keep it at the forefront of our minds. [01:58]

2. Familiarity Breeds Contempt: Familiarity can be a silent killer of passion. What was once life-changing can become mundane if we do not actively work to keep it significant. This applies to our relationships, our jobs, and most importantly, our faith. We must be intentional about remembering the power of our salvation and the grace that has been extended to us. [05:26]

3. Reenacting the Power of the Cross: When we take communion, we are not just performing a ritual; we are reenacting the power and significance of what Jesus did on the cross. This reenactment reauthorizes the transformative power of the cross in our lives, reminding us of the grace, power, and provision of God. [11:27]

4. Staying Passionate and Intentional: To keep the significance of the cross at the forefront of our lives, we must stay passionate and intentional. This involves investing time in our relationship with Jesus, staying inquisitive about His Word, and being verbal in our admiration through worship. These practices help us maintain our passion and prevent familiarity from creeping in. [19:51]

5. Living Out the Significance of the Cross: Our daily lives should reflect the significance of the cross. This means living out the grace, power, and provision that Jesus' sacrifice has made available to us. By staying intentional, passionate, and thankful, we can ensure that the transformative power of the cross remains central to our existence. [22:01]

### Youtube Chapters

[0:00] - Welcome
[01:58] - The Importance of Remembering
[03:38] - Familiarity Breeds Contempt
[05:26] - The Silent Killer of Passion
[07:23] - The Last Supper and Its Significance
[09:20] - Reenacting the Power of the Cross
[11:27] - Reauthorizing the Transformative Power
[13:30] - Intentionality in Remembering
[15:30] - The Centrality of the Cross
[17:36] - Maintaining Passion and Gratitude
[19:51] - Staying Intentional and Inquisitive
[22:01] - Living Out the Significance of the Cross

Study Guide

### Bible Study Discussion Guide

#### Bible Reading
1. 1 Corinthians 11:23-26 (The Message)
2. Ephesians 1:7-10 (The Message)
3. Romans 12:11 (The Passion Translation)

#### Observation Questions
1. According to 1 Corinthians 11:23-26, what are the specific actions Jesus took during the Last Supper to help us remember His sacrifice?
2. In Ephesians 1:7-10, what are the benefits mentioned that we receive because of Jesus' sacrifice on the cross?
3. How does Romans 12:11 describe the attitude we should have in serving the Lord?
4. What does the pastor mean by "familiarity can be a silent killer of passion"? ([05:26])

#### Interpretation Questions
1. Why is it important to remember the significance of Jesus' sacrifice regularly, as described in 1 Corinthians 11:23-26?
2. How does the concept of "reenacting the power of the cross" during communion help us keep the significance of Jesus' sacrifice at the forefront of our lives? ([11:27])
3. What does it mean to "stay passionate and intentional" in our faith, and how can this prevent familiarity from creeping in? ([19:51])
4. How does Ephesians 1:7-10 encourage us to live out the significance of the cross in our daily lives?

#### Application Questions
1. Reflect on a time when you felt the transformative power of the cross in your life. How can you intentionally remember and reenact that moment regularly? ([11:27])
2. In what ways have you noticed familiarity creeping into your faith, relationships, or other areas of your life? What steps can you take to reignite your passion? ([05:26])
3. How can you make your daily life a reflection of the grace, power, and provision that Jesus' sacrifice has made available to you? ([22:01])
4. What specific practices can you incorporate into your routine to stay intentional and inquisitive about your relationship with Jesus? ([19:51])
5. Think of a recent situation where you may have taken your faith for granted. How can you shift your perspective to keep the significance of the cross at the forefront of your mind? ([15:30])
6. How can you be more verbal in your admiration and worship of Jesus, and how might this help you maintain your passion for Him? ([22:01])
7. Identify one area in your life where you need to be more intentional about remembering the significance of Jesus' sacrifice. What practical steps will you take this week to focus on this? ([13:30])

Devotional

Day 1: The Importance of Remembering

Description: Our human nature makes us prone to forget even the most significant events in our lives. This forgetfulness can extend to our spiritual lives, where the transformative power of the cross can become just another background detail. Jesus instituted communion to help us remember His sacrifice and keep it at the forefront of our minds. By breaking bread and sharing the cup, we are reminded of His body broken for us and His blood shed for our salvation. This act of remembrance is not just a ritual; it is a reenactment that reauthorizes the transformative power of the cross in our lives. [01:58]

Deuteronomy 4:9 (ESV): "Only take care, and keep your soul diligently, lest you forget the things that your eyes have seen, and lest they depart from your heart all the days of your life. Make them known to your children and your children's children."

Reflection: Think of a time when you experienced God's grace in a powerful way. How can you create a tangible reminder of that experience to keep it at the forefront of your mind?

Day 2: Familiarity Breeds Contempt

Description: Familiarity can be a silent killer of passion. What was once life-changing can become mundane if we do not actively work to keep it significant. This applies to our relationships, our jobs, and most importantly, our faith. We must be intentional about remembering the power of our salvation and the grace that has been extended to us. By staying passionate, inquisitive, and thankful, we keep the significance of the cross at the forefront of our lives, allowing it to continually transform us. [05:26]

2 Peter 1:9 (ESV): "For whoever lacks these qualities is so nearsighted that he is blind, having forgotten that he was cleansed from his former sins."

Reflection: Identify one area of your spiritual life that has become routine or mundane. What steps can you take today to rekindle your passion and appreciation for God's work in that area?

Day 3: Reenacting the Power of the Cross

Description: When we take communion, we are not just performing a ritual; we are reenacting the power and significance of what Jesus did on the cross. This reenactment reauthorizes the transformative power of the cross in our lives, reminding us of the grace, power, and provision of God. By participating in communion, we are actively engaging in a practice that keeps the memory of Jesus' sacrifice alive and powerful in our hearts and minds. [11:27]

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

Reflection: How does the act of taking communion impact your understanding of Jesus' sacrifice? What can you do to make your next communion experience more meaningful?

Day 4: Staying Passionate and Intentional

Description: To keep the significance of the cross at the forefront of our lives, we must stay passionate and intentional. This involves investing time in our relationship with Jesus, staying inquisitive about His Word, and being verbal in our admiration through worship. These practices help us maintain our passion and prevent familiarity from creeping in. By being intentional in our spiritual practices, we ensure that the transformative power of the cross remains central to our existence. [19:51]

Colossians 3:23-24 (ESV): "Whatever you do, work heartily, as for the Lord and not for men, knowing that from the Lord you will receive the inheritance as your reward. You are serving the Lord Christ."

Reflection: What specific actions can you take this week to deepen your relationship with Jesus? How can you incorporate these actions into your daily routine to stay passionate and intentional?

Day 5: Living Out the Significance of the Cross

Description: Our daily lives should reflect the significance of the cross. This means living out the grace, power, and provision that Jesus' sacrifice has made available to us. By staying intentional, passionate, and thankful, we can ensure that the transformative power of the cross remains central to our existence. This involves not only personal reflection but also outward actions that demonstrate the love and grace of Jesus to others. [22:01]

Galatians 2:20 (ESV): "I have been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me. And the life I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me."

Reflection: How can you demonstrate the significance of the cross in your interactions with others today? What specific actions can you take to show the love and grace of Jesus to those around you?

Quotes

### Quotes for Outreach

1. "We can have the most significant thing happen in our life, the most life-changing thing happen in our life, the most dynamic thing happen in our life. Yet as time goes by, every one of us, every single one of us, can so easily forget that moment. We can so easily forget the emotion, the feeling, the impact of what that significant moment has done in our life. In thinking about communion, I think it's no different for us as Christians. The most significant thing that's ever happened to us happened at the cross. But we are so fickle. That we can forget that wow moment that impacted us forever." [01:58]( | | )

2. "Definition of familiarity, which is quite humbling. It says it's a silent killer of passion. It doesn't come at us, here I am. It just happens silently over time. What we were once passionate about, appreciative of, can just become in the background rather than at the forefront, of our focus. When something's at the forefront, it's the leading and most important thing. It consumes our very being because it's what we live for." [05:26]( | | )

3. "So why did Jesus think that we would need to take communion regularly? He did it so that we would remember. He said to them, do this. Don't just have a little wafer today. Don't just have a drink of grape juice today, but do this to stop and remember, focus the importance of what you're doing today. He knew that we're susceptible in our humanity to become familiar in the dynamic of what took place on the cross." [07:23]( | | )

4. "He is who he says he is. He's reminding us in these verses that when we remember, in essence, we reenact the power and the significance of what he did. When we reenact something, we bring it into effect. One definition, it said, to reenact is to authorise it again. So today, when we have communion, what we are doing is reauthorising once again the authority of the transforming power of the cross in our lives, in our humanity." [11:27]( | | )

5. "Now I accepted Jesus into my life when I was 18 years old. I had a radical salvation. I passionately fell in love with Jesus. I had a radical salvation. My every waking moment was consumed with wanting to know more about him. He had all my attention all my appreciation all my gratitude and now at 64 years of age which is a long way from 18 I still am deeply grateful. I'm still grateful for my salvation and having the privilege of knowing him and walking with him in the valleys and the mountaintops." [15:30]( | | )

### Quotes for Members

1. "Recently, Paul and I have been going through the edit of a But God book, which is the story of basically the last 32 years. Of our life, and particularly, there's a focus on the more recent years of our medical journey. And it's really surprised us both, as we've been looking back, as we've been remembering the significant times where undeniably we have seen the hand of God. In fact, many times we have seen, and I've heard Jesus say, this is why I died on the cross, to be in this, your now moment, to be in this dark moment, to be in this highlight moment, to be in your every day. This is what I did so that you can be enabled to be strong." [11:27]( | | )

2. "We can all live through things yet easily lose the significance if we're not intentional to remember. Ephesians 1 7 to 10 in the message Bible says because of the sacrifice of the Messiah his blood poured out on the altar of the cross. We are a free people free of penalties and punishments chalked up by all our misdeeds and not just barely free either free. He thought of everything provided for everything we could possibly need letting us in on the plans he took such delight in making. He set it all out before us in Christ a long-range plan in which everything would be brought together and summed up in him everything in deepest heaven everything in planet earth." [13:30]( | | )

3. "Let's never forget that church. Another definition of passion I read said it has to do with our heart. It's an internal fire that motivates us and energises us to fulfil our purpose and do God's will. Do we still have that passion today? That passion that motivates us our every living moment. Becoming familiar isn't something that we intentionally do. Like I said it just happens over time but just because we intentionally don't do it doesn't mean that it stops us from becoming part of our reality." [17:36]( | | )

4. "So how do we stay passionate and not become familiar? Just simply before we have the team lead us and take communion together one way is to stay intentional. How do we stay intentional? We make sure we are the ones that bring something to it. Bring something. to our relationships, bring something to whatever it is. We invest. We spend time communicating. Don't lose that. I remember, not so much these days, but Paul would just say to me, just give me the bullet points. Many years after we were married. Jesus doesn't want just the bullet points. He wants time with us, our communication. As Christians, we call that prayer." [19:51]( | | )

5. "Stay intentional, talking, listening to Him, and then stay inquisitive. When something's new in our life, we ask a lot of questions. Someone's new, a job's new, a new passion that we have. We're inquisitive. We want to know. Let's not let that fizzle out. How we stay inquisitive is we take the time to understand. Again, for us as Christians, it's the Word of God. It's His Word that reveals who He is to us. That'll help us stay passionate and not become familiar. And then stay thankful. Lastly, be verbal with your admirers. I heard at a marriage seminar, I think it is, one of those dad jokes. I told her I loved her when we got married. Why do I need to keep telling it? But be verbal with our admiration. As Christians, that would be in our worship to Him. Because worship is our admiration." [22:01]( | | )

Chatbot

Transcript

What was the most surprising thing in this sermon?

Were there any personal stories shared?