We preachers emphasize sin a lot. It is really hard not to. It is an undeniable truth about our fallen nature. Sin is not just what we do, it is who we are by nature.

We can turn the fact of our sin into redoubling our efforts to do it right. We become hard nosed legalists that no one wants to be around. Except other legalists.

We can turn the fact of our sin into guilt and shame. And then live out of that shame and guilt. We beat ourselves up all the time as a strange form of penance.

We can, and this is perhaps the worst option, ignore our sin entirely.

What must we do with our sin?

Communion with our Lord Jesus Christ calls us away from these destructive methods of dealing with our sin. We must take our sins to the cross, lay them at the feet of Jesus, and receive His grace and forgiveness. This is faith; casting yourself on the promise and provision of Jesus Christ.

And then live out of that forgiveness received by faith.

This table is designed for the family of faith; if you are an unbeliever, do not come.

Romans 5:1-2 “Therefore, since we have been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ. Through him we have also obtained access by faith into this grace in which we stand, and we rejoice in hope of the glory of God.”

Justified by faith

By faith we lay hold on the perfection of Jesus Christ our savior. His perfect life is our obedience. His perfect death is our covering for sin. We are justified before the eyes of a holy God. We are saints, holy, accepted and beloved, through faith in Jesus Christ.

Peace

We have peace. We don’t long for it, or strive to achieve it, we have it. Now, in this life. Peace with God; peace in forgiveness.

Access

The swords that guarded the Garden of Eden and prevented us from entering in, are taken away. We can enter the holy of holy now. We have access to God. We have communion with him. Fellowship with him. Access to him.

Rejoice

We rejoice in the hope of the glory of God. This simple bread and cup proclaim an astonishing truth. The glory of God. The promise of full, unfettered communion with God, of an endless life without sin, is freely given to us. So, we rejoice, even now, before we fully arrive.

Now, as we take the bread, the body of Christ which was given for us, remember Jesus became flesh that he might take us home to the Father.

Now as we take the cup, remember, the blood of Jesus cleanses us from all sin. Your sin is gone, and you bear its guilt and shame and condemnation, no more. You are free, a child of God, a resident of glory.

Exodus 12:23

When the Lord goes through the land to strike down the Egyptians, he will see the blood on the top and sides of the doorframe and will pass over that doorway, and he will not permit the destroyer to enter your houses and strike you down.

During the Passover, the Lord, the destroyer was passing through the land of Egypt to claim every firstborn son. Every household door with blood from the spotless lamb was protected from death.

Death was coming to all, but the blood of the covenant protected those who sheltered beneath it.

The sons of the covenant were no better than the sons of the Egyptians. All have earned the judgment of God. But the blood shelters them.

When we come to the table, we find shelter in the blood of the spotless lamb of God. We are not claiming to be better than anyone else. We are admitting our sins, and confessing that we need forgiveness, shelter from the judgment due us for our sins.

We come, trusting in the blood to cover us. We come believing in Jesus, the spotless lamb of God, and his sacrifice for sin.

We come as the covenant people of God trusting in the promises of the Covenant.

If you have no faith, don’t come. If you are a member of covenant community in good standing, then come in faith to the shelter that God has provided for you.

John 3:16-18

“For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life.

For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through him.

Whoever believes in him is not condemned,

but whoever does not believe is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only Son of God.”

God loves. That is the heartbeat and the core of the good news.

God so loved the world. The world was loved in an astonishing manner.

BB Warfield, “The point … is not to suggest that the world is so big that it takes a great deal of love to embrace it all, but that the world is so bad that it takes a great kind of love to love it at all.”

A Good God greatly loved a bad world. How do we know? What is the evidence?

He gave his son. A lot is contained in those simple words.

He gave his son to suffering, humiliation and death; so that the guilty might be forgiven. That is an astonishing kind of love.

“That whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life.” He sent his son, that “the world might be saved through him.”

This good news comes to a world in rebellion against God.

“Whoever believes in him is not condemned.” Not condemned. Forgiven, accepted, loved, adopted into the family of God. He is taken from darkness into the marvelous light of the Lord.

Those who embrace this good news are family; forgiven, accepted – they have been given eternal life. Their faith has made them whole.

But there are some who are condemned. And why are they condemned? Because they have not believed in the Son of God.

If you do not believe, do not come to this table.

Faith is required to come to Christ and to come to this table.

If you believe, you are not condemned, even though you have sinned.

Come, trusting in the Son of God, Jesus Christ.

The blood and righteousness of Jesus makes us worthy partakers of the Lord’s Supper.

Galatians 2:20 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.

The Lord’s supper is personal. This is my savior – I know him, I love him, I live for him.

The Lord’s supper is also communal. We partake together. Each of us personally communing with and committing to Christ. But we do this, together. We come as the blood bought people of God, together, in unity with one another.

The Lord’s Supper is a confirmation of our faith. Jesus Christ feeds us with his body and blood to assure us of the forgiveness of our sins and eternal life.

The Lord’s Supper is a profession of faith. We believe in the Lord Jesus Christ; he is our savior. We come expressing gratitude for our blood bought redemption and we commit ourselves to thankful living in loving fellowship with God.

The Lord’s Supper is a separation from the world. It defines the believing community and separates them from the world. This is a family meal; the family of God.

The Lord’s Supper is a bond of love. Here is the love of God in Christ. Here we respond to his love with love to God and to his people. Being untied to Christ, we are bound to one another – for eternity.

When you partake, you say, (Galatians 2:20) “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.”

When you partake, do this. (Philippians 1:27) “Only let your manner of life be worthy of the gospel of Christ, so that whether I come and see you or am absent, I may hear of you that you are standing firm in one spirit, with one mind striving side by side for the faith of the gospel.”

Communion Meditation November 24, 2019

Titus 3:3-8

Who we are.

For we ourselves were once foolish, disobedient, led astray, slaves to various passions and pleasures, passing our days in malice and envy, hated by others and hating one another.

What God did about it.

But when the goodness and loving kindness of God our Savior appeared, he saved us,

How did God save us?

not because of works done by us in righteousness, but according to his own mercy, by the washing of regeneration and renewal of the Holy Spirit, whom he poured out on us richly through Jesus Christ our Savior,

Why did God save us?

so that being justified by his grace we might become heirs according to the hope of eternal life.

During communion, we confess our need, and God’s provision.

We needed saving. Our very nature needed to change. He washed us in regeneration.

We now stand justified with God, we are the heirs of God, having the sure and certain hope of eternal life.

If you are born again, given saving faith in Jesus Christ for your salvation, this table is spread for you. Come, embrace the provision of your Savior.

If you do not believe, do not come. This is not a mere ritual for the rebellious, it is a salve to the saints. It is designed to strengthen faith and to encourage obedience to such a great salvation.

Genesis 8:20-21

Then Noah built an altar to the Lord and took some of every clean animal and some of every clean bird and offered burnt offerings on the altar. 21 And when the Lord smelled the pleasing aroma, the Lord said in his heart, “I will never again curse the ground because of man, for the intention of man’s heart is evil from his youth. Neither will I ever again strike down every living creature as I have done.

The burnt offering turned away the wrath of God from his people. It was a sacrifice of atonement. Like the other sacrifices of the Older Testament, this prefigured the sacrifice of Jesus Christ.

In fact, just like the Lord’s Supper, Noah’s sacrifice was united to, linked with the shed blood of the Son of God.

“When the Lord smelled the pleasing aroma.” The blood sacrifice, offered in faith, was pleasing to God. “The Lord said in his heart, “I will never again curse the ground because of man.”

God would deal with sin in a way other than direct punishment. Sin could be paid for by the life-blood of another.

Noah was trusting in the blood of the covenant, or better, the shed blood of the Lord Jesus Christ. And it pleased the Lord, turned away his wrath, and secured the blessing of God.

That is what we do today at the Lord’s Supper. We trust the blood of Jesus to cover us, to cleanse us, to please God, and to secure his blessing.

The key is to trust in what God has promised to give. Without faith, and the knowledge of faith, this table will be be a blessing to you. If you do not understand, or if you do not believe, do not come to this table.

But for believers, just as the flood was a warning that sin would be punished, this table is a guarantee that the full judgement fell upon Jesus.

The sacrifice of Jesus Christ was a pleasing aroma to God and now from his heart God can said to believing sinners, my son, my daughter, come and welcome to my house, to my table.

You do not deserve to eat at this table, “the intent of man’s heart is evil from his youth,” but Christ has provided you a place.

Your sins are forgiven, you are accepted, and greatly loved. Now, as a living sacrifice yourself, you can be a pleasing aroma to God.