Luke 22:19-20
“And he took bread, and when he had given thanks, he broke it and gave it to them, saying, “This is my body, which is given for you. Do this in remembrance of me.” And likewise the cup after they had eaten, saying, “This cup that is poured out for you is the new covenant in my blood.”
Communion is a time to remember what Jesus Christ did for us on the cross. The bread and wine are tangible, physical reminders of Christ’s love for us. Every time we eat and drink, it is a reminder of the sacrifice of Christ. Just as we depend on food and drink to survive physically, we can only live spiritually through Jesus Christ because of His sacrifice on the cross. Amen!
At the same time, communion is also a time to examine ourselves and our walk with God, as instructed 1 Corinthians 11:27-29. It is a time to do a heart check. Are we walking out our faith and living in an active relationship with Jesus, allowing the Holy Spirit to move in our lives and to sanctify us. Or are we living life according to our choices and only partaking in communion ritualistically? It’s all about communion and fellowship with God. The dictionary describes communion as: “a close relationship with someone in which feelings and thoughts are exchanged:”
Communion is a relationship that is close and special. A relationship where you enjoy the presence of one another and give importance to spending time with them. This could be your spouse, or your best friend, or someone you confide in very deeply and closely. Our fellowship with God must be greater than these. Do you love God in such a manner, do you magnify Him, do you long to be in His presence, do you thirst to hear from Him, and value the time you give to God?
Examine yourself and determine how much time you spend with God. Time is a precious commodity that we give to things that mean something to us. We give our time for work because it pays our bills. We give time to our families because they are special to us, we take time to go on holidays or have “me-time”, etc. How much time do you give to fellowship with God? The answer to this question reveals how much your treasure Christ and love God? Is Christ your delight and the love of your life? We seek to find satisfaction in the things that we want to achieve, but the truth is that you will only truly be satisfied when you are satisfied in Christ. Praise God!
Sometimes we are so busy doing the things that we consider to have value for our lives. It could be our work, our jobs, what we accomplish personally. Instead, how much importance and value do you put on your relationship with Christ? You can determine it by measuring how much you love Him, how much of Christ is on your mind and in your daily walk. How often do you spend reading His word, praying to Him, and listening to Him?
Psalms 16:11 says,
“…in your presence there is fullness of joy;
at your right hand are pleasures forevermore.”
As we examine ourselves, some of you may feel unworthy to come to Him, thinking that you are not good enough, that you are constantly failing in your walk with God and that you have “blown it” yet again! Friends, I want to encourage you; this is the very reason Christ died, and that is why he came for you. This is the irony of the gospel. Tim Keller says it well: “The irony of the gospel is that the only way to be worthy of it is to admit that you’re completely unworthy of it.”
I encourage you to enter into the mercy of God and allow Him to work in your life as you adore and love Him. His Holy Spirit will transform you into His likeness, day by day. Praise God! Everything that you do must flow from your heart’s desire for God and because of your love for Him. Everything else becomes a religious activity. When you realise your unworthiness and the extent of God’s sacrifice for you, to rescue you and give you hope and a future – how can you not but fall entirely in love with Jesus Christ. Amen!
Love Him and run to Him in your weakness, knowing that it has been paid on the cross. Have “communion” with God and use this time of partaking in communion to reflect on the sacrifice of Jesus – God’s love for you and to examine your “love for God”. Amen!
