The Symbol of the Body and Blood of Christ!

Below are my notes from Sunday's nights service @ebctoledo 

This is my family.

Actually, it is not my family it is a picture of my family.

This is the United States of America.

Actually it  is not the United States of America it is the US flag

Actually, it is not the US flag.  It is a picture of the US flag.

The United States flag is a symbol for something much bigger than the fabric blowing in the wind. 

That is why we have an organization come by to dispose of flags that are tattered.
That is why we are to treat flags with respect.

Symbols represent something else.. 

In most cases the symbol represents something much bigger than the symbol.

Tonight is a night of symbols. 

Baptism is a public profession of what God has done for someone who has trust in Jesus. 
In salvation, the believer has died to sin and been raised to life in Christ Jesus. 

The act of baptism does not save.  Jesus saves.

Baptism is a one time proclamation of what Jesus has done.

Communion is a symbol of what God has done.  We are commanded in his word to celebrate in regularly.

I want each of us to consider 3 questions as we prepare to celebrate it.

What is communion?

Let’s read Luke 22:14—20

Here at the Last Supper Jesus is teaching his disciples that He is the fulfillment of the Passover Lamb.

1 Corinthians 5:7 says “Christ, our Passover Lamb, has been sacrificed.”

Last week’s EKIDZ lesson was the 10th plague.  The Passover.

The Passover was a family a special time the Israelites used to remember how God protected the Israelites during the 10th plague in Egypt.

Unleavened bread and blood on the door post.

Could you imagine a Jewish family preparing for Passover?

Kids, how many of you like to ask questions?  Parents

I bet children would ask their parents what they were doing and why they were doing it.

This would give parents a great opportunity to talk with their kids

Communion is not magical.

Communion is serious and it is a celebration.

Communion is memorial meant to be done in a community.  In the church.

Why do we take Communion?

1 Corinthians 11:26 says that

“as often as you eat this bread and drink the cup, you proclaim the Lord’s death until he comes.”

Our taking communion in no way, shape or form

earns salvation.

Our taking communion helps us remember how God show his love for us while we were sinners. 

If you are trusting in Jesus Christ as our Lord and Savior

You know that His death is not like any other death

in all of history. 

I grew up in a little town
Used to sing in the old church house
There in the pew where I used to hide
Learned the story about the man who died

Well I was sure I heard that He got back up
But as we broke the bread and drank the cup
Seemed the faces told another tale
They were as dry as the bread was stale

Did I miss something? Was I not supposed to cry?
Did they hear preacher, "Jesus is alive"?

If this is true, this changes everything
If this is real, I've got to tell the world
If He is God, then I've got choice to make
If I believe, then I must follow Him

How do we take communion?

1 Corinthians 10:31

“So, whether you eat or drink or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God.”

We take Communion as we should do everything.

For the glory of God.

Don’t become too familiar with Communion

Parents, here are a couple of questions to ask about communion:

Have they given a convincing profession of faith in Jesus

· Are they showing fruit and evidence of conversion through obedience to and love for Jesus?

· Do they understand and can they articulate the

significance of communion?