DO THIS IN REMEMBRANCE OF ME
1 CORINTHIANS 11:17-26
Today is World Communion Sunday. Most all of you know we, over the years, have done the complete Love Feast ending with communion. This year we are doing things a little differently than we have done in the past. We will do a Bread and Cup Communion following this part of the service. For those watching at home, we would like to encourage you to participate as well by getting some bread and a small cup of juice.
Why do we do any sort of commemoration of the Lord’s Supper? We will be looking at that in a couple minutes but first let us look at what was going on in Corinth at this time. Paul is clearly not happy with the church in Corinth. In fact, he says their meetings are doing more harm than good. It also says when they are taking part in the Lord’s Supper it is even worse—some are not allowed to eat as much as they might like and yet others are getting drunk. He asks them the question, what shall I say to you? Should I praise you? Certainly not! I pray you have never made anyone uncomfortable at this church over the years. And I certainly pray I will not make anyone feel anything but welcome during our time together. I want to make it clear, however, the Holy Spirit may make you feel uncomfortable at times if I am allowing him to freely speak through me the truth we may all have to hear from time to time.
It appears the church at Corinth had groups that purposely, for ungodly reasons, would make some of its members feel bad or unworthy. That should NEVER happen in God’s church. Paul then went on to remind the church why we come together—to remember what the Lord Jesus Christ did for everyone of us. The Lord, the night before he was crucified, shared the Passover meal with his disciples one last time. During that time, he took the opportunity to warn them of what was about to happen. He took bread that was there, broke a piece off and gave it to each one of the disciples and told them—“This bread that you are about to eat represents my body that will be broken for you.” The same way he took a cup that was at the table and asked each to take a drink from it and told them— “This cup represents my blood which will be shed for you.” Paul was trying to get the church in Corinth to remember why they meet together, why the church was ever started. Why we should humbly recognize how blessed we are by God. We are forgiven. We have the opportunity for eternal life for one primary reason. Jesus did for you and me what we could NOT do for ourselves. Paul wanted the church to refocus and realize just how blessed they are and why they are blessed.
So why do we do the Lord’s Supper or even the bread and cup communion? Verse 33 says “For whenever you eat this bread and drink this cup, you proclaim the Lord’s death until he comes.”
But wait that would seem to be a bad thing, Jesus was killed. How can it be a good thing to remember his death? In God’s sometimes unique and yet glorious nature, what to most would seem to be bad is actually good. Jesus’ death on the cross is not a symbol of defeat, but instead a proclamation of victory over death and more importantly Satan and sin. Jesus willingly, going to the cross, made a way for each and every one of us to be made right with God in a way we could NEVER do on our own.
When we come together to remember what Jesus did for us with the bread and cup, we are saying to God—thank you for what you have done for me. Yes, I am a sinner that needs a Savior. I understand this was the way you paid my debt with God. Sometimes we all veer off course. Some of us more often than others. But just as Paul was trying to get the church at Corinth to get refocused, God is reaching out to us as well. Do not lose heart. Do not lose your passion. Do not lose hope. Do not forget about me. Jesus did everything for us because he loves everyone, but especially those who have come to know him as Lord and Savior. May each one of us this World Communion Sunday reevaluate our relationship with our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. May we recommit ourselves to service to the Lord and one another. God wants us to make each moment count. God does not guarantee any one of us a certain amount of time on this earth. Let us make our time count first and foremost for God, secondly for our families, as well as our Nation. What incredible opportunities God has given each and every one of us. Now is our time.
--Pastor Larry
Sundays: Sunday School 9:00; Worship 10:00 Please social distance and wear masks. We continue carrying our worship on facebook live. We are grateful that it reaches many people in and beyond our congregation.
October 4 Communion during worship. Those at home are invited to participate with your own bread or cracker and drink.
October 14 7:00 p.m. Executive Committee
November 11 6:15 p.m. Executive Committee; 7:00 Commissions; 7:30 Board Meeting
Sunday, November 15 Council Meeting
The Lord’s Storehouse is asking for donations for Thanksgiving baskets. $25 will feed a family of 4; Please put donations in the bucket in the back of the church. Checks may be made out to The Lord’s Storehouse.
Women’s Fellowship sent $337.20 to Church World Service for Health Kits. Six kits that were already made up were also sent. Thank you to all who contributed to this much needed effort.
Did you know there used to be a church south of Springfield called the Sugar Creek Church (1830-1919)? It was 2nd Brethren church established in Illinois and the mother church of the Pleasant Hill congregation which later became the Girard and Virden congregations. Carol and Glen Kussart visited the Sugar Creek Dunkard Cemetery last Sunday with several from the Springfield Church. This little well-kept cemetery is beside the site of the old church which is now gone, the ground covered with trees and brush. It was interesting to see where this church used to be, between Glenarm and Auburn, and to know a cemetery is still there. On October 25 at 3:30, Allen Krall and Mary Jessup will lead a trip to the Pleasant Hill Cemetery. The trip will start at the Virden Church of the Brethren parking lot.
Donation Box September/October: The Lord’s Storehouse
First Sundays: food donations for food banks
Pastor Larry Traxler- (217) 454-2362
To keep up on Church of the Brethren news:
Denomination: www.brethren.org/news Sign up for Newsline by clicking link on left side of page.
District: iwdcob.org (click on newsletter link)
Our pages: cerrogordocob.com (printed sermon, announcements, & calendar) and on facebook
Keep in Your Prayers
Brittany Wright; Evelyn Eads; Mike Gentry; Anna Gentry Thompson; Larry Cripe; Arnold Schultz; Clyde and Nancy Fansler; Adiline Young; Barb Baker; Kim Lehmann; Dylan Junior; Doug Fansler; Liam Martina; Jeff Sawyer; Liza Yore; Candy Dobson; Anna Rose Larrick; Gary Jesse; Norm & Marge Starr; Shawn Cain; Robert Cripe; Mayo Hanaver; Zola Copeland and family; Patty Cripe; Lauren Gross; Stacie Warren; Nancy Gorrell; many unspoken requests; Coronavirus crisis; healthcare workers and first responders; the families of the 200,000+ people who have died from COVID-19; all who are ill with the virus; the unemployed; school teachers, staff, and students; victims of the wildfires and hurricanes; IL/WI district as the search for a new district executive begins
Military and Other Services and their families
Brethren Volunteer Service workers; Disaster project workers
The District has formed a search committee consisting of 8 persons to find a new district executive for IL/WI. They are already at work. One person on the committee whom we all know is Allen Krall. The District Leadership Team is in the process of putting an interim in place. That person will begin on January 1, 2021.
Our Mission Statement:
Love God, grow with others, serve faithfully, reach the lost, find peace.
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