Posted on Tue, Jun 9, 2009
The Table of Grace
Speaker - Eld. Ayodeji Adesina (Lay Pastor, BHSDAC, London)(Message summarised by Sis. Ayobola Akwarandu)
Key Text - Matthew 26: 26 - 29
From the passage above, Matthew gave us a description of the disciples seated at the table of grace – the Communion Table. However, Mark and Luke add more perspective to the story, they helped us to realise that soon after the Communion, the disciples queried why one person or another should be seated at the table. They also started to argue who was the greatest. In fact, Jesus also predicted then that Peter would deny Him. Now, all these show that the disciples are also human. Let’s look at the sequence, first there was the sitting at the table, second, there was the argument about who was the greatest, and third, they all forsook Jesus. Do we also have this sequence exhibited in our lives?
First – Sitting at the table: We all come to Church with our bibles opened, smiles on our faces, singing and raising up holy hands. We all feel blessed and experience a ‘mountain top’ experience but we do not allow the experience to last for soon after the service is over, we switch from sitting at Jesus’ feet to…
Second – the argument: Whilst in God’s house, we let our humanity come in and allow trivial matters to engage our thoughts just like the disciples argued about the greatest. Often after the strong message our conversations are anything but holy!
Thirdly - Forsaking Jesus: Just like the disciples forsook Jesus soon after their communion experience, we also forsake Him during the week despite our Sabbath ‘moutain-top’ experiences. We allow our weekly pursuit to distract our minds and many often forget that they are Christians until it is yet another Sabbath and they are in Church again. From Sunday to evening on Friday, many give no thought to the things of the kingdom; rather they allow the cares and troubles of this world to fill and engage their hearts. At this point, let’s learn a couple of lessons from the disciples.
- This is the table of grace not of greatness: We often come to the Lord’s Table (communion table) with an attitude. We wonder why others should come to the table. Some refuse to wash the feet of specific brethren because they consider themselves better than them. We must never forget what Jesus said in Matt 7: 21, ‘Not everyone who says to me, 'Lord, Lord,' will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only he who does the will of my Father who is in heaven’. Some think they are ready to enter the kingdom on account of how many miracles or exploits they had done for God. They forget that being on the table is not by virtue of who we are but who we know - that is Jesus. Many look round the table and label others by their sins forgetting that at that first Communion, sinners like Peter who denied Jesus three times, were there. So also was Thomas the Doubter and even Judas, who betrayed the Lord. Yet Jesus did not condemn them and even washed their feet! O, what a Saviour?
Coming to Communion is an act of grace, not of greatness. Jesus knows our past and future. He knows how we let Him down last week and that we will let Him down again in the future. Think about all your words in the last few days, can you say they were all righteous and edifying? What about your thoughts? However, Communion is to let us know that we are sinners and in need of God’s grace. In Luke 22: 29, Jesus promised to bestow onto us the Kingdom. Why would Jesus give us the opportunity to wine and dine with Him on earth and then in heaven? The reason is because the language of heaven is Grace, Grace, God’s Grace!
- Being in the presence of Jesus at the Table will transform us: We shouldn’t leave His presence the way we came in. Accepting Jesus’ broken body and shed blood provide us access to the table of grace. Have you thought about the act of God giving His son for our sins? It is an unfair exchange, an unfair bargain, yet God was ready to give so that we may be saved. If Jesus’ broken body and shed blood had been on ‘ebay’ for sale today, consider how much it would have been priced.
No messages have been posted.
|
Post a Message:
|
