SERMONS

We preached on communion and the manner in whcih some people pervert the true understanding of it by making people examine themselves as to whether or not they are WORTHY when in reality it is whether or not they treat the communion WORTHILY.

It is not a matter of worth.

We want to expand on that understanding and see how the way we live in and outside the church is affected by whether or not we worthily regard the work of the cross, which COMMUNION represents.

And since communion is a physical meal that represents the slain body of Jesus and his shed blood, carrying forth the UNDERSTANDING of it all away from church and into our everyday lives is like receiving COMMUNION TO GO, in the way people order a meal from a restaurant TO GO -- or to be taken outside and to their homes, or wherever they eat the food.

Since EATING communion represents MUTUALLY PARTICIPATING in the work of the cross that Jesus died upon, showing we each DIED WITH HIM to be saved, then livingh lives in this world that REFLECT the truth that we each were saved by the same work of the cross is symbolized by TAKING COMMUNION and eating it wherever we go in this world.

It is LIVING the truths that communion teaches us in our everday lives.

We receive Communion Supper, which some call the Euharist, and literally eat bread and drink wine in symbolism of the death of Christ until He comes again.

The bread is to be broken, to most properly signify the broken body of Jesus Christ.

It is not just the Body of Christ we remember, but it is the BROKEN body of Christ that was broken in death.

No bones of His body were broken, but the picture is that of being broken in death.

And it is not just His blood but his SHED blood that we remember.

These things point to the cross of Jesus Christ because it is broken flesh and shed blood.

We are signifying our spiritual need to draw from His the work of God for salvation through the slain Body and shed Blood.

In effect, it feeds us spiritually.

When we love one another, recognizing we each came from the same cross of Jesus, and each were saved by the same salvation of the cross, WE ARE STRENGTHENING our spiritual lives, as food strengthens our bodies.

EATING these symbols so perfectly shows the message of the Gospel in symbolic form.

So we can say that in order to be saved, one must feast on the broken body and shed blood of Jesus.

It is not that the bread is literally to be regarded as the body of Jesus.
It is not that we literally regard the wine as His blood.
No.
These things symbolize a spiritual feast we receive when we look to the cross for salvation.
It indicates the taking of the fruit of life, as in the Garden of Eden, as we eat His flesh and drink His blood.

From Genesis to Revelation there is the thought of this fruit of life.

It is a very integral picture in the Bible.

Notice that on the significant THIRD DAY (reminding us of the resurrection of Christ on the third day) we read the following:

    Genesis 1:11-12 And God said, Let the earth bring forth grass, the herb yielding seed, [and] the fruit tree yielding fruit after his kind, whose seed [is] in itself, upon the earth: and it was so. And the earth brought forth grass, [and] herb yielding seed after his kind, and the tree yielding fruit, whose seed [was] in itself, after his kind: and God saw that [it was] good.

We read of much detail provided, in contrast to how much is said of other issues in creation, concerning the fruit and seeds.

    Genesis 2:9 And out of the ground made the LORD God to grow every tree that is pleasant to the sight, and good for food; the tree of life also in the midst of the garden, and the tree of knowledge of good and evil.

Above we read of two significant trees.

    Genesis 3:3-6 But of the fruit of the tree which [is] in the midst of the garden, God hath said, Ye shall not eat of it, neither shall ye touch it, lest ye die. And the serpent said unto the woman, Ye shall not surely die: For God doth know that in the day ye eat thereof, then your eyes shall be opened, and ye shall be as gods, knowing good and evil. And when the woman saw that the tree [was] good for food, and that it [was] pleasant to the eyes, and a tree to be desired to make [one] wise, she took of the fruit thereof, and did eat, and gave also unto her husband with her; and he did eat.

And man's very plight in sin was caused by taking FRUIT from the forbidden TREE, rather than the FRUIT from the TREE OF LIFE.

Jesus is the Fruit of Life.

The cross became a veritable Tree of Life to us.
He told us to eat His flesh and drink His blood, and that is not a note of cannibalism, but a spiritual picture of drawing from the work of the cross for salvation, since eating His flesh and drinking His blood pointed to the bread and the wine of the broken body and the shed blood of Jesus.
His flesh was broken on the cross in death, and His blood was shed on the cross in death.
Since we receive eternal life from "eating His flesh and Drinking His blood", and since the CROSS is the TREE, we see a picture of eating fruit of LIFE.
Jesus hung on the cross like fruit of Life hung on the tree of Life.
He is the SON OF GOD.
THE OFFSPRING OF GOD.
Like fruit is the offspring of the Tree of life.

This is what we signify when we eat and drink the communion supper.

But there is also a spiritual reality of this picture that even goes beyond receiving initial salvation from sin.

We require HELP FROM GOD throughout life.

We face circumstances in life that simply require God's grace and Help, since we cannot handle life's problems without God.
And in those times, we need COMMUNION "TO GO".

When you enter a restaurant, and you wish to take the food with you on the road, you take your food "TO GO".

And we need to have the spiritual bread and wine "TO GO" as we leave the Church service today, so that we will have empowerment from God when we face the troubles of life that all of us will face everyday.

We receive bread and wine from the teaching and preaching of the Word of God in our services, and from our personal studies in the Word of God.

We need to live by the TRUTHS of the cross when we face temptations in life and its struggles.

Saying we need help from God is a very very general term.

The Lord wants us to know that in order to be more specific, so that we understand how God works in our lives, it is BREAD AND WINE that we need to eat when we face troubles.

This is a way of saying, we need to remember the TRUTHS concerning how much power we have against the devil, and WHY we have that much power, and then ACT UPON THOSE TRUTHS.

So whenever I say we need to feast upon THE BREAD AND WINE, you know I mean we must ACT UPON THE TRUTHS of what salvation did for us in connecting us to God so we can be healed, and we can defeat the devil, and we can COMMAND demons to run and let go of our lives and our homes.

Hear what we preach about power over the devil and USE IT AGAINST THE DEVIL.

How many people HEAR they can cast out devils and actually DO IT?

Take these truths out of the church and into your lives everyday and LIVE BY THEM.

If you believe Jesus heals, then lay hands on the sick and command sickness to go!
So many NEVER do these things.
They do not feast on bread and wine and make it part of their lives until they ACT upon what the bble says is true for them.

We need to understand what the cross did for us and to us when we face troubles in life, it is like saying we need to eat bread and wine during life's hard times -- outside of church and in the world where we live.

HEALED

The work of the cross allows for us to be healed.

So you need to understand the TRUTH of healing by the cross when sickness and disease strikes.
In other words, you need to eat bread and wine when you are ill.

LOSERS?

It was through the work of the cross that we first became sons and daughters of God.

When the devil tempts you to think you are not good enough for God, because you are personally not adequate or perfect, and cannolt make yourslef be good enough, you need ot understand the cross saved you, not your goodness.
You need bread and wine when you are tempted with how good you are.
The cross occurred because none of us are good enough.
Since we could nto do enough good works, God has to save us by HIS WORK of the cross.
Since the cross is about JESUS being good in our places and dying for sin in our places, then we understand that personally being perfect has nothing to do with salvation.
The cross occurred because no one could be personally perfect.

ONLY WAY TO BE SAVED

It is only through that work that one can be saved.

It is there that we became ONE WITH THE SON.
it is there that we took upon ourselves the NAME OF JESUS through water baptism into His death.
It is there that we received POWER over all the enemy.
It is for this reason that we need to go back to the cross, by faith, each time we face troubles, and once again feast on bread and wine in order to overcome!
This is simply a picture of relying upon the position God placed us in when we identified ourselves with His death, burial and resurrection, when we received the power due to union with Jesus who has all power in heaven and earth.

THROUGH JESUS = FEAST BREAD AND WINE = ACTING UPON TRUTH

When we face troubles, as children of God, we have power to overcome those troubles through Jesus Christ.

"Through Jesus Christ" simply points to the work He did on the cross in making us one with Him through identification with His death, burial and resurrection.

Through our identification with Him we can do all things.
Why?
It is because that identification caused us to be seated with Him over all powers and enemies.
And we have His authority and power at our disposal.

GOD ON OUR SIDE

We are not alone, because of the work of the cross.

God is on our side.
A police officer will demand that one open the door of one's home if the officer has a warrant to do so.
Should anyone resist, the officer will enforce the demand "in the name of the law."
That implies that the criminal is not simply facing a single police officer, but is in effect dealing with the authority of the entire law of that country.

When we face the devil, we need to face him "in the name of Jesus."

The devil knows that he is not dealing with a weak human being, but in effect is facing JESUS CHRIST!

You need to understand that!
"In the name of Jesus Christ" is not just an "abra ca dabra" statement that is supposed to make the devil run.
You must understand that this phrase is meant to direct any hearer to the authority of Jesus Christ that is in YOUR LIFE!
You must understand that when you declare "IN THE NAME OF JESUS."
You need to remind yourself of WHO YOU ARE due to your identification to the Lord Jesus Christ, KING OF KINGS, AND LORD OF LORDS, when you face trouble.
In other words, you need to feast once again on the bread and wine, and get your faith boosted by meditation upon these truths the Word teaches you.
And YOU WILL OVERCOME!
YOU NEED TO EAT YOUR COMMUNION "TO GO".

People who dface the devil and run in terror, not knowing that the cross PUT GOD ON THEIR SIDE, and that the devil must face GOD when he attacks them, have never taken "COMMUNION TO GO."

They forget about all the truths the preacher preached to them, and try to face the devil on their own and fail.

IDENTIFYING WITH JESUS

Eating COMMUNION to GO is actually what we call IDENTIFYING WITH JESUS in life's troubles, so we can overcome.

Let me explain how it is that we identify with Jesus Christ.

Galatians 3:16 Now to Abraham and his seed were the promises made. He saith not, And to seeds, as of many; but as of one, And to thy seed, which is Christ.

Abraham and ONE OTHER PERSON would receive the BLESSINGS OF GOD.

Paul explained that the Old Testament does not say "seeds", implying that many people would get the blessing.

He noted that God said "SEED" referring to one other person that would be blessed of God.
And we read that CHRIST is that one other person.
But then we read...

Galatians 3:27-29 For as many of you as have been baptized into Christ have put on Christ. There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither bond nor free, there is neither male nor female: for ye are all one in Christ Jesus. And if ye [be] Christ's, then are ye Abraham's seed, and heirs according to the promise.

Since we are baptized INTO Jesus Christ, we have become PART OF THE ONE WHO WOULD BE BLESSED WITH ABRAHAM!

That renders us as HEIRS OF THE PROMISE!

Now, in order for God's word to declare that only Abraham and Christ would receive blessing, and no other people, and then say that we are put into Christ and made heirs, then we must conclude that God considers the man Jesus Christ and all those baptized into Him as ONE PERSON.

This is God's ONE-MAN-PLAN.

And that is the reason we read:

1Corinthians 15:22 For as in Adam all die, even so in Christ shall all be made alive.

In Christ means you are considered PART OF JESUS CHRIST.

Satan's biggest fear is Jesus.
And since we are in Chrirst, then WE are satan's greatest fear!

You are either in ADAM or in CHRIST.

Only two people exist in this world in God's mind and even satan's mind.

ADAM AND CHRIST.
ADAM IS A LOSER when it comes to God and satan, and so is everyone IN ADAM.
Whom are you in?
That will determine whether God takes you to glory or not.
Its not a matter of how good you are, for you can be good, but if you''re still in ADAM, then you're still lost.
That is not to say that you can be in CHRIST and remain BAD, and still be saved.
No.
I am only saying that the MAJOR POINT of God's concern is whether you are in ADAM or CHRIST.
This distinguishes what God looks for above all else in choosing to bring a soul into glory or not.
It is showing us what essentially saves us.
Its not our good works or deeds, but IT IS CHRIST!

What do you have to present to God in hopes that you will enter glory one day?

Your own goodness?

I have CHRIST!

Its not a matter of GOOD AND EVIL, but rather a MATTER OF LIFE AND DEATH.

Remember, the forbidden tree of the knowledge of good and evil had some GOOD in it!

LEARNING THAT Is eating bread and wine.

"ALL" in Adam shall die, but in Christ shall all be made alive.

EXODUS

God did not look for good deeds during the night of the EXODUS PASSOVER.

    Exodus 12:12 For I will pass through the land of Egypt this night, and will smite all the firstborn in the land of Egypt, both man and beast; and against all the gods of Egypt I will execute judgment: I [am] the LORD.

    Exodus 12:29 And it came to pass, that at midnight the LORD smote all the firstborn in the land of Egypt, from the firstborn of Pharaoh that sat on his throne unto the firstborn of the captive that [was] in the dungeon; and all the firstborn of cattle.

When night time came, the Hebrews did not shout out, "Okay, the Lord is coming through! Its time! Let's all recite the Lord's Prayer together in union in hopes He will pass over us and save us!"

NO.

They did not shout, "He's coming! Let's give as much money to the poor as we can, so that when He passes by our house He will see our goodness and surely save us!"

NO.

They did not rally together and try to have a really good church service, in hopes God would be impressed with their shouts or rituals.

NO.

God looked for ONE THING and ONE THING ONLY:

    Exodus 12:13 And the blood shall be to you for a token upon the houses where ye [are]: and when I see the blood, I will pass over you, and the plague shall not be upon you to destroy [you], when I smite the land of Egypt.

He did NOT look for their good deeds, or religious manners!

He looked for them BEHIND THE BLOOD!

WERE THEY "IN" THE DOOR that had lamb's shed blood on it?
Shed blood represents DEATH!

This is one of the most perfect representations of what it means to be a true Christian IN CHRIST.

They entered through a doorway that was surrounded with lamb's blood, and as they entered, the house swallowed them up, and they were in effect part of the house, inside.

We are baptized into the DEATH of Jesus Christ, and are swallowed up into Him, making us a PART OF HIS BODY!
That is the reason the Church is called the BODY OF CHRIST.
And THAT saves us!

So this is what it means to feast on the bread and wine, that represent his slain body and shed blood on the cross, when we face troubles.

The cross is a statement that encapsulates all the truth about God saving us by the death of Jesus on the cross.

Satan is not one bit intimidated at your religious show.

He doesn't flinch at your good deeds.
These things do nothing against his power to hurt, harm and destroy.
But when he sees someone who is in Christ and LIVES by the truths that apply to someone who is in Christ,...
...KNOWING THEY HAVE POWER OVER THE DEVIL like Jesus..
...KNOWING they can be healed when satan puts sickness on us...
...KNOWING God is on their side because they are IN CHRIST...
then Satan knows that he is VIRTUALLY facing Jesus Christ, Himself.

And Satan might as well start running from you when he sees you beginning to command him to back off IN THE NAME OF JESUS CHRIST.

COMMUNION TO GO.

Let me illustrate this through a rather humourous picture.

POPEYE

One of my favourite cartoon characters as a child was POPEYE.

Popeye was a sailor who loved a woman named Olive Oil.

And his arch nemesis was Brutus, or Bluto in earlier cartoons.
Popeye would watch as Brutus wooed Olive away from him, or kidnapped her, meaning her harm.
And he would try to fight Brutus and rescue Olive.
But Popeye was only 1/5 the size of muscular Brutus, and would be beaten by Brutus every time.
Finally, when Popeye could not take any more, he would say, "That's all I can stands, I can't stands any more!"
And I knew what was coming!
He would either be walking by a vegetable stand, or would reach into his pocket and grab a can of SPINACH!
And then he would squeeze that can until it burst open, sending a cascade the green vegetable arching into the air and into his mouth.
Suddenly he would swallow it and stretch out both arms!
Power would course through his body into his arms like basket balls moving in his tiny arms towards his fists.
One fist would turn into an anvil for a brief second, and the other into a huge hammer.
And he would chase Brutus and throw him around like a cat playing with a mouse.
And finally, when he was ready, Popeye would launch a punch into the man and send Brutus into orbit!

But I always wondered why he simply didn't just always be eating spinach to be ready any time he had to deal with his enemy.

He waited until he was half-dead until he would resort to the spinach and defeat the enemy.

That is a lot like Christians who face the devil and his hardships he throws upon us.

We need to have COMMUNION TO GO.

We need to take the preached word of God and the truths of the written word and remember them as we walk through life.
Feast on the bread and wine continually!
So that when the devil faces us with trouble, we are ready for him!
We feast right there and then on the bread and wine by reminding ourselves what the Word teaches about WHO WE ARE IN CHRIST.
And our faith is then strengthened as we rely upon the power of God in Christ to flow through us and cause us to overcome the enemy!
Communion "to go".

But so many believers try to face life's troubles all in their own weak human strength!

And then they finally are almost completely defeated and cry to God for help and strength.

Some only cry in frenzy and not in faith.
When such fear is manifested as they call on the name of Jesus, the lack of faith in who they are does nothing for them.
Some never feast on the bread and wine at all in their troubles and are defeated and they backslide.

Church, you need to know what the Word teaches!

You need to feast on the bread and wine when you face troubles.

You will not overcome by your good deeds, or religiosity.
You will overcome by your faith!

1 John 5:4 For whatsoever is born of God overcometh the world: and this is the victory that overcometh the world, [even] our faith.

Faith in what Christ did for you on the cross!

Faith in who you are due to your indetification to Christ.

Eating literal bread and drinking literal wine in communion supper is illustrating your identification with Christ's broken body and shed blood.

You are putting the bread into you to identify yourself with His flesh.

You are ONE with the SON.
And that illustrates what you actually have to do spiritually with the truths of your union to Jesus Christ through your faith in the work of the cross.
THAT will boost your faith, for it will remind you of how much power YOU possess due to your union to Jesus!
You came into that union the first moment you obeyed Acts 2:38, in experiencing the union with His death, burial and resurrection when you repented, were baptized into His death in Jesus' name, and resurrected with the baptism of the Holy Ghost.

Folks, take come COMMUNION "TO GO" with you from church service this morning.

Our final PUNCH in knocking Satan into orbit should be our declaration of a command for him to "get thee behind" us "IN THE NAME OF JESUS CHRIST!!"

INCORPORATE THE TRUTH INTO YOUR DAILY LIFE!