Communion Message
(We're in the body of Christ by adoption)
February 27-28, 1999
Pastor Don Sheley

For I have received from the Lord that which I also delivered to you: that the Lord Jesus on the same night in which He was betrayed took bread; and when He had given thanks, He broke it and said, "Take, eat; this is My body which is broken for you; do this in remembrance of Me. In the same manner He also took the cup after supper, saying, "This cup is the new covenant in My blood. This do, as often as you drink it, in remembrance of Me." For as often as you eat this bread and drink this cup, you proclaim the Lord's death till He comes. Therefore whoever eats this bread or drinks this cup of the Lord in an unworthy manner will be guilty of the body and blood of the Lord. But let a man examine himself, and so let him eat of the bread and drink of the cup. For he who eats and drinks in an unworthy manner eats and drinks judgment to himself, not discerning the Lord's body.

Some months ago we studied this portion with regards to Paul's usage of the word 'body', and sometimes it references the actual body of Christ, but Paul also uses it as a term to describe the church; Christians that make up the body of Christ. And he picks up this theme in 1 Corinthians 12:12. He says, For as the body is one and has many members, but all the members of that one body, being many, are one body, so also is Christ. For by one Spirit we were all baptized into one body - whether Jews or Greeks, whether slaves or free - and have all been made to drink into one Spirit. For in fact the body is not one member but many. If the foot should say, "Because I am not a hand, I am not of the body," is it therefore not of the body? And if the ear should say, Because I am not an eye, I am not of the body," is it therefore not of the body? If the whole body were an eye, where would be the hearing? If the whole were hearing, where would be the smelling? But now God has set the members, each one of them, in the body just as He pleased. And if they were all one member, where would the body be? But now indeed there are many members, yet one body. And the eye cannot say to the hand, "I have no need of you"; nor again the head to the feet, "I have no need of you." No, much rather, those members of the body which seem to be weaker are necessary. And those members of the body which we think to be less honorable, on these we bestow greater honor; and our unpresentable parts have greater modesty, but our presentable parts have no need. But God composed the body, having given greater honor to that part which lacks it, that there should be no schism in the body, but that the members should have the same care for one another. And if one member suffers, all the members suffer with it; or if one member is honored, all the members rejoice with it. Now you are the body of Christ, and members individually. Paul wants us to remember that here at the communion there is that reminder of the uniqueness of our relationship to each other in Christ. He bought us with a price. We are all different. We are all gifted different. We come from different backgrounds, but He blends us together within His divine purpose within the life of the church. And that's what makes our relationship so unique. We are in this family by adoption. That to me is a very beautiful word and I've watched it lived out in families within our own congregation. Families who could not bear children who came to that point where we're going make arrangements for an adoption. And with great excitement, without selection in the sense of the boy or the girl, here they stand at the hospital and they take that one unwanted by others and they love that child into their family. God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish but have everlasting live. And Jesus came to this world to search down the pathways of life and to find us in our ways of sin; lost and undone. And Jesus said I want that one; and that one was you and me. And in His mercy and grace He adopted us into His eternal family. That's what Paul is talking about. The body of Christ; we're all here by adoption. Divinely selected by gracious mercy and glorious provision we are one in Christ, and this communion table is the celebration of that oneness. Amen.

Let's kneel together, shall we? Lord Jesus, we didn't make the choice to join Your family. You chose us and You came into our life when it was so besmirched and laden with sin and guilt. And You came as our savior and You forgave us and You brought us into the family. It's a marvelous thing. We didn't deserve it then. We don't deserve it now, but by Your grace we are what we are; Your children. Not only children of Yours, but a family here on earth; a family of believers where we should love one another, care for one another, respect one another, and forgive one another. Make us that kind of a family. These elements that we hold today remind us again of Your death and Your precious blood that cleanses us from all sin. We thank you very much dear Jesus.

Let's take the bread together, shall we? And then the cup. Thank you dear Jesus very much, and everybody said, amen. Let's stand and greet the folks that have come to worship with us.