COMMUNION “TO GO”

John 6:53-56  Then Jesus said unto them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Except ye eat the flesh of the Son of man, and drink his blood, ye have no life in you. Whoso eateth my flesh, and drinketh my blood, hath eternal life; and I will raise him up at the last day. For my flesh is meat indeed, and my blood is drink indeed. He that eateth my flesh, and drinketh my blood, dwelleth in me, and I in him.

1 Corinthians 11:23-26  For I have received of the Lord that which also I delivered unto you, That the Lord Jesus the [same] night in which he was betrayed took bread: And when he had given thanks, he brake [it], and said, Take, eat: this is my body, which is broken for you: this do in remembrance of me. After the same manner also [he took] the cup, when he had supped, saying, This cup is the new testament in my blood: this do ye, as oft as ye drink [it], in remembrance of me. For as often as ye eat this bread, and drink this cup, ye do shew the Lord’s death till he come.

We receive Communion Supper, which some call the Euharist, and literally eat bread and drink wine in symbolism to remember 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 Body and Blood.
• This indicates the salvation provided for us through the work of the cross.
• In effect, it feeds us, spiritually.
• 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.

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

• The Lord wants us to know that 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.

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

• 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.

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.

He wrote a blank check and told us to fill it out for our needs, according to our faith.

• How much do you write on your check when you face troubles?
• Some have so little faith due to lack of understanding what they have in Christ, and the liberty He gave to us to use His power, that they only fill out the check for $5.00 when they face a $1,000,000.00 problem.
• So we need to know what the WORD SAYS about our liberty with the power of God!
• He entrusted us with His power when He gave us His name!

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”.

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.

You are either in ADAM or in CHRIST.

• Only two people exist in this world in God’s mind.
• ADAM AND CHRIST.
• Who are you in?
• That will determine whether God takes you to glory or not.
• It’s 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.
• It’s 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!

“ALL” in Adam shall die, but in Christ shall al be made alive.

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!
• What did this shed blood represent?
• DEATH!

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

• 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 when we face troubles.

• 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 uses the AUTHORITY that Christ gave to that person, then Satan knows that he is facing Jesus Christ, Himself, in effect.
• 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.

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 basketballs 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 identification 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.

Through that death of Christ, God took the result of sin that came into the world, DEATH, and used it to bring salvation!

• Sin brought death into the world.
• And the devil had the power over death.
• But God defeated the works of the devil at the devil’s own game!
• He made DEATH a means of salvation for the world!

Hebrews 2:14  Forasmuch then as the children are partakers of flesh and blood, he also himself likewise took part of the same; that through death he might destroy him that had the power of death, that is, the devil;

That work of the cross is absolute the greatest work of God in all of time and eternity!

• And through faith in it, you were put within Christ to become heir to all God’s power and blessings!
• LEARN THIS S TRUTH!
• Feast on this bread and wine today.
• And take it home with you… COMMUNION “TO GO”.

That work of the cross was responsible for taking me out of the kingdom of darkness and putting me into God’s marvelous light.

IN THE NAME OF JESUS is a statement, in my mind, that declares the power and authority that God has given me in Christ to deal with all troubles.

Our final PUNCH in knocking Satan into orbit should be our declaration of a command for him to back off “IN THE NAME OF JESUS CHRIST!!”

When trouble comes, so many believers have so little knowledge of their position in Christ that they are simply unaccustomed to even rely upon God’s power in Jesus’ name.

• They set out to handle their troubles in their own weak power.
• But here we are feasting on the bread and wine.
• And you need to have faith in these words and keep them in your hearts when you leave this service.
• Become accustomed to drawing on God’s power when troubles come.
• Draw from Him in the good times when no problems exist, so that you have a habit of doing so.
• Get it into your very blood!

Church service meetings are not events YOU HAVE TO ATTEND.

• You need to attend, to be sure.  But you should WANT TO COME.
• If you think you have to come, then you are missing the entire point, and have turned this entire meeting into a religious ritual that is useless to yourself.
• You should WANT TO COME to these meetings.
• You should DESIRE to involve yourself in anything that has to do with Jesus Christ and feasting on the bread and wine.
• Fall in love with Jesus.
• The only times you should MAKE YOURSELF come to church are times when you have lost your desire for the taste of the Bread and wine.
• You “have to” come here at that point.
• …To get back your love for the word and your taste for the bread and wine.

Folks, if we only call on God when we’re in trouble, then we are USING GOD, and simply have no LOVE for Him.

• Fall in love with Him.
• Enjoy the bread and wine.
• Feast on it all the time!
• Think about it at work.
• Think about it at play.
• Feast on Christ all the time.
• And you will be ready when the trouble comes.