|
|
A Note from Pastor Brett
This past weekend I had the privilege of leading worship for the Men’s Retreat. This weekend is always an encouraging time and one of the highlights of the year for me. I have many friends who attend the weekend and it’s great getting to meet and interact with different brothers from all over southern Alberta. But my favorite part is leading a group of 120+ men in worship, listening to them praise Lord together in unity, in recognition of how much we all need Jesus, and how good and great our God is. It was a great weekend, and it was great to see all the men that came from TEFC as well. This coming Sunday Ben Dyck will be preaching and continuing our series in the book of Romans. He will be preaching on Romans 1:18-2:29 and Marty Senneker and team will be leading in worship. We will also be partaking in communion together on Sunday morning. Since we are having communion this Sunday, I thought it would be a great time to remind us of the significance of communion and the instruction the Word gives about it. First let’s start with what communion is based on, some truths from 1 Corinthians 11
First, Paul states that he, and the apostles (and the church through them) “received from the Lord”. What they received is this sacred practice in the life of Jesus’s church. It was first demonstrated by Christ and is agreed that it is an essential and critical aspect of what it means to be His church. Jesus ordained this rite for the church and instructed us to partake in it regularly; “do this in remembrance of me.”
It’s interesting that Paul mentions five times in chapter 11 (verses 17, 18, 20, 33 and 34) “when you come together”, is the instruction to take communion. It’s clearly applied that this practice is to be done in the assembled church, that being Sunday morning with the full family of the church. Though this is Paul’s intention, its not to say communion can never be administered outside the church service. There are times where communion can and should be taken, especially with others who cannot attend the services. But it’s imperative that we see the Lord’s supper as an important part of meeting together on Sunday mornings.
“Do this”, Jesus says “in remembrance of me.” One of the aims of Jesus here is to keep His person and work central in the life and worship of His church. Its easy for us in our world to forget what matters most, and communion is one of the most sobering reminders of what our faith is all about. This is why communion should be done regularly in the life of the church so that we may partake in remembrance of Him.
I believe that communion is also a time of spiritual nourishment. It’s where we approach the table to eat in faith and find our souls nourished spiritually by Christ. By remembering what Christ did and walking in obedience in partaking in communion with the church we become spiritually nourished. Spiritual growth and nourishment always begin through remembering Christ and His work done for us. By taking communion together we are reminded, that it is not us who spiritually nourishes ourselves, but Christ through His person, His word and His spirit who nourish us spiritually. Now there is plenty more I could say about communion, this isn’t meant to be an exhaustive study on the subject of communion and I have left much out that I could have said, but I wanted to give us a picture of its significance. Finally I would like to leave you with three reasons someone shouldn’t partake in communion
Communion is meant for those who are disciples of Christ, those who have put their trust and faith in him as saviour and Lord. It has no significance at all to those who don’t know Christ, it would be just a small snack time in the service. It’s impossible to “remember” what Christ has done if we don’t know or if we haven’t accepted what He has done. We must first know Him. So communion is to be taken by believers only. If you haven’t put your faith and trust in Jesus I would encourage you to do so, or to talk to myself or one of our Elders and we would love to chat and pray with you.
All of us are sinful, but some of us can be tangled in habitual sin, sin that we continue to go back to. Paul says in 1 Corinthians 11:27-29 “Whoever, therefore, eats the bread or drinks the cup of the Lord in an unworthy manner will be guilty concerning the body and blood of the Lord. Let a person examine himself before he eats of the bread and drinks of the cup. For anyone who eats and drinks without discerning the body eats and drinks judgment on himself.” If at the time of communion we are struggling in unrepentant habitual sin, we should abstain from communion at that time, and repent and make things right with Christ. Does this mean we must be perfect to take communion? No. But we must be actively pursuing a repentant relationship with Jesus in full recognition of His glory, and of our sinful condition.
Jesus says in Matthew 5:23-24 “So if you are offering your gift at the altar and there remember that your brother has something against you, leave your gift there before the alter and go. First be reconciled to your brother, and then come and offer your gift.” If we are holding to a sinful relationship, or a grudge, grievance, or holding a sinful thought toward someone else, then we should make reconciliation and sanctification the priority over the Lord’s supper. I would ask as you finish reading this to consider your heart and your posture towards the Lord as you prepare for communion this Sunday. And if you have things you need to make right with Christ, do so. And if you have things to make right with a brother or sister, do what you can to make those right as well. We are looking forward to having you join us for the service this Sunday and in partaking in communion together Pastor Brett |
Upcoming Events
|
Youth: KindleFriday, January 26, 2024 For more infomation visit:
|
Prayer Meeting9am Every Sunday in the Boardroom For more infomation visit:
|
Seniors CoffeeWednesday, January 31, 2024 For more infomation visit:
|
TEFC Annual General MeetingTuesday, February 6, 2024 7pm at the church |
Staying Connected
We encourage everyone to stay connected with life at Taber EFC. |
Taber, Alberta Canada T1G 1S6 |