Remembering (The Value it brings)
Scripture 1 Corinthians 10:16-17 & 11:23-28

Remembering allows you to manage priorities and appointments.
Remembering allows you to prevent catastrophes.
Remembering allows you to revisit places and people that God has allowed you to do life with.
Remembering gives you a since of security in life.
Remembering can bring a smile or a sad countenance depending on the memory.

I do realize that some of you here today probably have some memories that you want to forget about and are trying hard to do so. If so let me make a clarifying statement.

The best way to get rid of bad memories is to replace it with good ones.
We probably forget how blessed we are to be able to remember until we can’t or see others who can’t anymore.

Today, I want to give you a memory that should have the largest impact in your life period.

I want to talk to you about communion and the value it brings in your life today. In Communion, we are asked to remember Jesus and His sacrifice for our sins.. As we remember Jesus in communion, it empowers in a few ways.

1. Communion empowers deep gratitude and love in our lives:

Communion requires us to look back. We are looking back to the work of Jesus on the cross. This means we are remembering the greatest act of love displayed for us. Does this still move you to a place of gratitude and love? It should!

The Bible is clear about the greatness of Jesus sacrifice.

Romans 5:8English Standard Version (ESV)
8 but God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.

This is innocent God willingly dying for sinful people. People who had rejected Him, He reaches to them to redeem.
A believer needs to remember, often, all that Christ has done for them on the cross and fall deeply in love with God all over again in order to stay fresh in their relationship with God. It is about keeping the main thing, the main thing in our life. Jesus as our First love.

When I think about the God of the universe and His great love for me, I am deeply grateful and inspired to love Him and others more.

2. Communion empowers Unity in the local Church:

Paul stated in 1 Corinthians 10:17 “Because there is one bread, we who are many are one body, for we all partake of the one bread.”

Communion is about remembering our commonality and celebrating that. Communion brings us to the centrality of why we exist as a church family. Communion brings us directly to Jesus and reminds us that it is all about Him.

We must keep reminding ourselves that we need each other. We are stronger together than apart.God has designed it this way. The world has us so distracted and busy that we feel like we don't need each other. Satan wants to build a sense of false security in life.

The key to our unity is the remembrance of why we exist and each one living this out. Communion brings us back to this place and ask us to stay focus on living the selfless life of Jesus so more people can see and be won to Christ.

3. Communion empowers personal public witness of Jesus Christ:

11:26 “For as often as you eat this bread and drink the cup, you proclaim the Lord’s death till He comes.

As you partake of Communion today, you are validating and declaring this is what Jesus has done for you and the world. A message that needs to be heard and heard more.

How many of us witness to someone this week? People need to hear the story of Jesus death on the cross even if they have heard it because the cross meant to kill is our victory.

We find hope and help for salvation through the cross.

Paul, the author of the text we read, told the church that when He came, he preached one message to them, Christ and Him crucified. This is the message that saves and brings us back together. This is the only story where continuous life flows from death.

How many of you today are still amazed at the Christ of the cross? How many of us are still burden that we need to share this message as often as we can with as many as we can.

Today, let communion be a reminder of why you exist here on earth. We have a lot of conversations each week where we proclaim a lot of stuff and many time the sacrifices we have made. Communion; however reminds us of a greater sacrifice that needs to prevail in our conversations.

4. Communion empowers honest evaluation of our life:
10:28 Let a person examine himself, then, and so eat of this bread and drink of the cup.”

Communion challenges and allows us to ask: “Are we keeping Jesus central in our life and are we faithfully sharing Him with others?”

It advocates honesty about sins that may be in our life and the need to dispose of them. The Bible in multiple places challenges us to examine our lives. The key is to be honest about the evaluation.

Proverbs 11English Standard Version (ESV)
11 A false balance is an abomination to the Lord, but a just weight is his delight.

Believers who do not often take self evaluations in comparison to the sacrifice and life of Jesus will be full of self or self-righteousness. Evaluation allows you to deal with areas in your life that could or do hinder your relationship with God and even others. Evaluation keeps you from the idea that you are entitled to something or that you are better than someone.

We often need reminded that we do not deserve God’s love but the blessing of receiving it.

The result from our evaluation is that you are closer to God, more complete, and have a stronger relationship with others as a result.

Therefore, before we share in communion you need to take time to get some things right with God, others and yourself. It is time to evaluate.