Key Verse: Verse 26 – "For as often as ye eat this bread, and drink this cup, ye do shew the Lord's death till he come.”
Key Words: For as often as ye eat this bread, and drink this cup
As you read the text verse, it becomes obvious that communion is the partaking of the bread and cup as a remembrance of the Lord’s crucifixion and death.
It is also very obvious that communion is a church ordinance as you only find it being practiced under the authority of the church.
One thing I have found as a pastor is that churches seldom agree as to when the church should have communion. Some churches have it once a week, still others once a month, and others once a quarter. But the Biblical admonition for communion has no formal time schedule. God’s Word simply says, “For as often as ye eat this bread, and drink this cup...”
While there is no specific time given to have communion, we are given instructions in regard to who can and should participate in communion.
- Communion is for born-again believers (verse 27).
- Communion is a time for spiritual self-examination (verse 28).
- Communion is to be taken seriously (verses 30 and 34).
- Communion should be a time of thanksgiving (verse 24).
I read about a couple who would get together for what they called a gratitude lunch. Occasionally Jermaine Washington and Michelle Stevens met at their gratitude lunch and for a good reason. Washington donated a kidney to Stevens, whom he described as “just a friend.” They met at work where they used to have lunch together. One day Michelle wept as she spoke about waiting on a kidney donor list for eleven months. She was being sustained by kidney dialysis, but suffered chronic fatigue and blackouts and was plagued by joint pain. Because Washington couldn’t stand the thought of watching his friend die, he gave her one of his kidneys. When you’ve got something great to be thankful for, having a “gratitude lunch” is a great way to celebrate.
Now, don’t misunderstand. I don’t believe communion is a gratitude lunch, but I do believe partaking in communion shows our gratitude to Jesus for what He did for us on Calvary. I also believe that intentionally not partaking in your Bible-believing local church communion service shows a real lack of gratitude to Christ.
What to do:
✞When your local church to which you belong has a communion service, be there!!
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