Thoughts around the communion time. You were once lost, as lave; he was publicly humiliated and took your place. You are now declared just, set free; He is now risen and interceding for you. A message preached at Church For You, Elizabeth Park, South Australia, on 3 May 2020. www.cforu.net
1 Corinthians 11:24 And when he had given thanks he broke it and said take eat this is my body which is broken for you this do in remembrance of me. At communion time we think about you and Him - then and now.
Firstly: THEN.
THEN - for you: Before you were saved - you were in great debt, you were the guilty one, you were the unworthy one, chained, a prisoner, enslaved, doomed, damned, and fit for eternal flame. That's what, THEN, you were.
What about THEN - of Him? Then, He was publicly humiliated for you, He was scourged, torn, mocked, abused, beaten, for you. Then, He was, in agony for you, afflicted for you, spat upon for you, forsaken by friends, His father, as He cried: My God, my God, why hast Thou forsaken me. He was publicly shamed. Why? For you. When our Lord Jesus was on the cross He had you on His mind. At Calvary He had you personally upon His mind. He had your sins upon His body on the tree. He paid the payment for you their back at Calvary. For your fault and wrongdoing, your guilt, He endured the full weight of God’s wrath against your sin, as your substitute. He removed your sin completely away, and so…
What about, NOW? Now - for you: You are declared just, now you are born again into God's very family, now your debt has been cancelled, paid in full. Now, you've been given the great grace of God. He grants it freely for the undeserving. Now, you are chosen, before the foundation of the world, that you should be holy and without blame before Him in love. Now you are created, for good works, created for His workmanship.
You've been created, as His workmanship. What a blessing! And now here, He is risen, He is praying for us. He's interceding, before a throne. He is coming again. Now, He is expected, at any moment. And He says to you, this day: you were in great debt, in great peril, then for you He was afflicted, humiliated, He was scourged, bruised, torn, pierced. He died for you.
Now, you are saved, glory! Now you are heaven bound, now you've been set free, you have been chosen, you're his workmanship, and now, in anticipation, we know our Lord has promised us He is coming again. So, let's get ready. Let's trust Him that He is for us even now interceding, as our great advocate, as the one he stands before us, taking our guilt and covering us with His righteousness.
And, NOW, of Him: He is due our praise. That's why we gather. He says, take it, this is my body, which is broken for you. This do, in remembrance of me. It was for you, and so let's partake prayerfully. Partake, together.
May we reflect on the very blessed work of the cross, the finished work of the cross. We rejoice in that today. It was for us - because then we were lost - and now we are found. Then, He was crucified, and now He has risen. And we do this - until – He comes again. We anticipate that great event . Get ready - because He is coming for you.
[0:00] As we come around the time of communion together, I want to reflect on 1 Corinthians 11, verse 24.!
[0:30] At communion time, we think about you and he, then and now.
[0:48] Firstly, then. Then, before you were saved, you were in great debt. You were the guilty one. You were the unworthy one, chained, a prisoner, enslaved, doomed, damned, and fit for eternal flame.
[1:05] That's what then you were. What about then he was? Then he was publicly humiliated for you.
[1:17] He was scourged, torn, mocked, abused, beaten for you. Then he was in agony for you, afflicted for you, spat upon for you, forsaken by friends, his father, as he cried, My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me?
[1:42] He was publicly shamed. Why? For you. When our Lord Jesus was on the cross, he had you on his mind.
[1:55] At Calvary, he had you personally upon his mind. He had your sins upon his body, on the tree. He paid the payment for you, there, back at Calvary, for your fault and wrongdoing.
[2:10] Your guilt, he endured the wrath of God, the full weight of it, for you. Against your sin, as your substitute, he removed your sin completely away.
[2:23] And so now, now you are. Now you are declared just. Now you are born again into God's very family.
[2:36] Now your debt has been cancelled, paid in full. Now you've been given the great grace of God, granted freely for the undeserving.
[2:47] Now you are chosen. You are chosen before the foundation of the world, that you should be holy and without blame before him in love. Now you are created, special, for good works, created for his workmanship.
[3:08] You've been created as his workmanship. What a blessing. And now he, he is risen. He is praying for us. He's interceding before the throne.
[3:20] He's coming again. Now, he is expected any moment. And he says, this do until I come. Think of it again.
[3:32] Then you were in great debt, in great peril. Then, for you, he was afflicted, humiliated, scourged, bruised, torn, pierced.
[3:46] He died for you. Now you are saved. Glory. Now you are heaven bound. Now you've been set free.
[3:57] You've been chosen. You're his workmanship. Now you're in great debt. Now, as in anticipation, we know our Lord, as he promised, is coming again. So let's get ready.
[4:08] Amen. Let's trust him. That he is for us, even now, interceding as our great advocate. as the one who stands before us, taking our guilt and covering us with his righteousness.
[4:25] Now he is worthy of our praise. And that's why we gather. He says, take it. This is my body, which is broken for you. This do in remembrance of me. It was for you.
[4:36] And so let's partake. And as we prayerfully may partake together, as we perhaps take some bread and cup at home where you're watching just now, perhaps just reflect on the very blessed work of the cross, the finished work of the cross.
[4:52] We rejoice in that today. It was for us because then we were lost and now we are found. Then he was crucified. Now he is risen. And we do this until he come, until he's coming again.
[5:05] And let's be in anticipation of that great event. And get ready because he is coming for you.