The Fountains' Studio Celebration, World Communion Sunday, October 6th, 2024

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“Are We Still Waiting For Life?The Hidden Truth About Communion”. Many people believe that Jesus asked us to take communion to remember and proclaim His death until He comes again. But Jesus has already risen from the dead, so when we continue taking communion as if He hasn't, it’s like we’re waiting for life that’s already been given to us. Instead of commemorating His death repeatedly, we should celebrate His resurrection and the life He now lives in us. Romans 6:4 says, “We were therefore buried with Him through baptism into death…in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead, we too may live a new life.” We aren’t supposed to keep looking back to His death but live in the reality of His resurrection every day. When Jesus said in Matthew 26:26-28, "Take, eat; this is my body… Drink from it, all of you. This is my blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many for the forgiveness of sins," He was referring to what was about to happen on the cross and it was for his disciples. He also said, “I tell you, I will not drink from this fruit of the vine from now on until that day when I drink it New with you in my Father’s kingdom” (Matthew 26:29). This statement refers to the new covenant we are now in-the covenant of grace. Jesus was pointing to the future reality that, after His resurrection, we would live in this new way, no longer bound by the old rituals but by faith in His grace and resurrection life. 1 Corinthians 11:24-26 repeats this, with Paul saying, "Do this in remembrance of me," but that advice was given before Jesus died. Now that He has risen, should we still proclaim His death as though we’re waiting for Him to bring life? No! He has already come back, risen from the dead, and given us His life through the Holy Spirit (John 14:16-17). Communion is not the way to experience His life-we already have it by faith. Jesus Himself explained this in John 6:48-49: "I am the bread of life. Your ancestors ate manna in the wilderness, yet they Died. But here is the bread that comes down from heaven, which anyone may eat and not die." When Jesus spoke of eating His flesh and drinking His blood, He was talking about faith in Him, not a literal ritual. The Jews misunderstood Him, asking in John 6:52, "How can this man give us His flesh to eat?" But Jesus was speaking of a spiritual truth: those who believe in Him are united with Him by faith, not through repeated rituals. Continuing to take communion as if it’s necessary for life overlooks the fact that we already have His life. It’s not by Works or rituals but by faith that we live (1 Corinthians 2:12-16). Otherwise we don’t believe in his resurrection when we are still commemorating his death by taking communion. Paul, in 1 Corinthians 11:24-29, was correcting the Corinthians because they misunderstood communion,they were not examining themselves and they were taking it literally, not by Faith,even getting drunk on the wine, thinking it would bring them more of Jesus. Once Jesus rose from the dead and after his Last Day on earth, He send us the Holy Spirit, then the focus shifted from His death to our New life we now have in Him. Paul never carried a bag full of bread or a jug of wine with him to share with believers as if it were necessary for life. He preached and teaches Grace by faith in the risen Christ. His mission was to share the Good News that Jesus is alive and living in us, not to perform rituals in order to receive him. 1 Corinthians 10:16 speaks of the cup and bread as SYMBOLS of our participation in Christ’s sacrifice, but this participation is spiritual, through faith, not physical. Jesus’ life is already in us, and taking communion as if we’re still waiting for Him to bring us life is misunderstanding what He accomplished. Galatians 2:20 reminds us, “I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I now live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me.” In some gatherings they teach that if you don’t take communion, you don’t have life in you. But this teaching is false and puts fear confusion and condemnation in people. When you believe in Jesus' finished work on the cross and are sealed with the Holy Spirit, you already have life (Ephesians 1:13-14). Taking Communion doesn’t give you more life-Jesus already did that when He rose from the dead. remember that life comes through faith in Him, not through any physical act. To think that we still need to take communion to receive life suggests that we are waiting for something that has already been given. Romans 8:11 says, "If the Spirit of Him who raised Jesus from the dead is living in you, He who raised Christ from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies because of His Spirit who lives in you." We already have the life of Christ within us! Continuing to take communion as if we don’t have it yet overlooks the POWER of the resurrection. Let’s not forget, The life we now have in Him is a result of His resurrection, and we should live in that truth every day. Paul didn’t go around giving people bread and wine as if that was how they would have (Life)-Jesus in them. He preached faith in the living Christ. Let’s celebrate the life He gave us and not act as though we’re still waiting for Him to come and give us life-we already have it by faith!!🙌🥹😍🎉