Come to the Table: Rest, Remembrance, and New Covenant

With a new year comes a fresh invitation to lift eyes from the rush of life and fix them on God’s greatness. Scripture reminds that God is “most worthy of praise” and able to do “immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine,” calling believers to humbly receive what cannot be contained in human understanding. Rather than trying to master every mystery, the call is to trust what God says is needed and to come near in worship, dependence, and obedience.

At the center stands the table. “Do this in remembrance of Me” is not a routine to check off; it is a holy reminder of identity and belonging—who we are and whose we are. The bread speaks of a body broken so that broken people can become whole. The cup proclaims a new covenant in His blood—full forgiveness, restored fellowship, and a new name in Christ. This covenant is not a contract of performance but a promise secured by Christ’s sacrifice, received by faith, and lived out in faithfulness. Grace does not erase responsibility; it empowers a different kind of life. As a bride belongs to her bridegroom, so the church belongs to Christ—and is called to live like it.

Into a world that pushes, hurries, and exhausts, the voice of Jesus says, “Come to Me… and I will give you rest.” The table pulls hearts back from deadlines and pressure to the cross—where rest, mercy, and wholeness are found. He stands at the door and knocks; the invitation is for anyone who will open. And what is received is meant to be shared. “Divide it among you” becomes a pattern for the year ahead: take the grace given, and invite others to the table. Begin 2026 with the bread and the cup—as a declaration that the past does not define the future. In Christ, there is fresh mercy for each day, strength for each burden, and a blessing that covers home, work, and witness.

Key Takeaways

• 1. Come to the table of rest. The world drives people harder; Jesus calls weary souls to sit, learn, and be restored. Rest in Christ is not passivity but a re-centering of the soul around His gentleness and lordship. From that rest, obedience flows with clarity and strength. Start the year by receiving His yoke instead of carrying your own. [47:21]
• 2. Remember, not routine, at communion. The bread and cup are a living reminder of love, cost, and covenant. Remembrance guards the heart from drifting into empty habit and keeps the cross central. When memory deepens, gratitude grows, and obedience becomes willing. Let every table you see this year call you back to His table. [52:59]
• 3. Live as His covenant bride. A covenant reshapes identity and conduct; grace secures belonging, and faithfulness expresses love. While perfection is impossible, indifference is inexcusable—do not grieve the Spirit by living like you’re still single. Honor the One who purchased you by aligning habits, speech, and desires with Him. [61:08]
• 4. Your past doesn’t define you. The cup announces full atonement, not partial probation. In Christ you are forgiven, justified by grace, and clothed with a new name; God sees you through the blood of His Son. Let last year’s failures fuel deeper reliance, not deeper shame. Walk forward as one restored and sent. [64:49]
• 5. Share what you receive. “Divide it among you” turns communion into a mission. What nourishes you is meant to be passed on in your home, workplace, and neighborhood. Ask who first told you—and then become that voice for someone else. Make 2026 a year of invitations to the table. [68:46]

Youtube Chapters

• [00:00] - Welcome
• [01:05] - New Year announcements
• [04:08] - Scriptures on tithes and blessing
• [06:33] - Call to worship: God’s greatness
• [07:38] - Immeasurably more than we imagine
• [40:58] - Turning hearts toward communion
• [42:08] - “Do this in remembrance of Me”
• [45:40] - Come to Me and find rest
• [48:50] - “I stand at the door and knock”
• [52:43] - The bread: His body broken
• [57:27] - The cup: new covenant in His blood
• [62:28] - All have sinned; grace given
• [68:00] - Luke 22 at the table
• [79:47] - Pastoral blessing for 2026

1. In Matthew 11:28-30, who is invited to come, and what two promises does Jesus make to those who come?
2. In 1 Corinthians 11:23-26, what did Jesus do with the bread and with the cup? What did He command His followers to do with each?
3. In Luke 22:17-20, what phrase shows that what Jesus gives is meant to be shared? Where do you see it in the text?
4. What everyday object was named as a simple reminder to keep returning to Jesus’ table? “Whenever you… see a table, …remember the invitation.” [43:52]

1. “You will find rest for your souls.” What kind of rest is Jesus talking about, and how is it different from checking out or being lazy? [47:21]
2. “Do this in remembrance of Me.” Why does God ask His people to remember in this way, and what tends to happen when worship becomes routine? [52:59]
3. “Take this and divide it among you.” What does this teach about the purpose of the Lord’s Table for a church family and for the people around them? [01:08:23]
4. Entering covenant with Christ means living as His bride, not like life is still “single.” What change in identity and conduct does that call for, day to day? [01:01:08]

1. Where is life pushing you the hardest right now? What is one simple way this week you can slow down to “come… and find rest,” and actually take Jesus’ light burden instead of your own? [47:42]
2. To guard against routine, what will you do so that the tables you see (kitchen table, work desk, restaurant booth) call you back to Jesus—maybe a brief prayer, a verse card, or a pause to breathe and thank Him? [43:52]
3. Communion is a covenant, not a contract. What is one area where you’ve been living like you’re still single—speech, habits, media, money, relationships—and how will you align it with belonging to Christ this month? [01:01:08]
4. The cup announces full forgiveness. Name one failure from last year that still weighs on you. What truth from the new covenant will you speak over it, and what next step of reliance will replace shame this week? [01:04:49]
5. “Divide it among you” turns the table into mission. Who first shared Jesus with you? Who is one neighbor, coworker, or family member you will invite or serve this month, and what will that invitation look like (a meal, a ride, a prayer, a simple ask to church)? [01:08:46]
6. “I stand at the door and knock.” What door in your life needs to be opened to Jesus today—a habit, a schedule block, a hidden hurt? What will opening that door look like in practice this week? [50:01]
7. God can do “immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine.” In what area are you limiting Him to what you can control or understand, and how will you pray and obey differently to start this year? [07:38]