COMMUNION WITH GOD'S FAMILY

Communion - also known as the Lord's Supper - is a celebration of Christ's death and resurrection.

 

Jesus never asked His disciples to remember his birth, but He did instruct them to remember His death and resurrection.  He gave the Church two visible symbols - often called "ordinances" - as reminders of His death and resurrection:  baptism and communion. 

 

Baptism is often likened to a wedding/wedding ring - a reminder of the commitment a person has made to Christ; communion, then, would be like an anniversary.  Baptism - like a wedding - is something we only do once; communion - like an anniversary - is something we do often.

 

Communion is an object lesson that represents great spiritual truth for believers.

 

 

WHAT IS COMMUNION?  (1 Corinthians 11:23-26)

• It's a simple act

"The Lord Jesus, on the night He was betrayed, took bread..."  (vs. 23)

• It's a reminder

"...and when He had given thanks, He broke it and said, 'This is my body, which is for you; eat it in remembrance of me.'"  (vs. 24)

• It's a symbol

"In the same way, He took the cup, saying, 'This cup is the new covenant in my blood; drink it to remember me."  (vs. 25)

• It's a statement of faith

"For whenever you eat the bread and drink the cup, you proclaim the Lord's death until He comes back."  (vs. 26)

 

WHO SHOULD TAKE COMMUNION?

Only those who are already Christians.  (Mark 14:22-26)  Building upon the wedding/anniversary analogy, some people would even argue that only baptized Christians should take communion. (i.e. You celebrate wedding anniversaries AFTER the wedding.)

 

HOW DO I PREPARE MYSELF FOR COMMUNION?

• Self-Examination - 1 Corinthians 11:27

• Confession of My Sins - 1 John 1:9

• Recommitment - Romans 12:1

• Restoring Relationships - Matthew 5:23-24

 

WHEN SHOULD WE OBSERVE COMMUNION?

Jesus never said when or how often believers should observe Communion.  The first Lord's Supper happened on a Thursday night.  In the Bible, Christians observed communion in their homes with small groups of other Christians.  So their is no specific, biblical schedule or location for the Lord's Supper.

At Pleasant Valley, we observe the Lord's Supper corporately approximately once every six weeks as part of our Sunday worship Service.  In addition, we also celebrate communion during some special services throughout the year.

For Jesus, communion was not about a strict set of rules and rituals, but rather a simple, but powerful way of remembering what he did for us through His death and resurrection.  It's a sign of how much God really loves us.  As such, it is appropriate for believers to keep the spirit and meaning of the Lord's supper daily by remembering Jesus' sacrifice for us every time we eat a meal together.