November 11, 2021: SOAP #4361:  Psalm 122; 1Corinthians 9-11

SCRIPTURE:  1Corinthians (NIV) 11:23 For I received from the Lord what I also passed on to you: The Lord Jesus, on the night he was betrayed, took bread, 24 and when he had given thanks, he broke it and said, “This is my body, which is for you; do this in remembrance of me.” 25 In the same way, after supper he took the cup, saying, “This cup is the new covenant in my blood; do this, whenever you drink it, in remembrance of me.” 26 For whenever you eat this bread and drink this cup, you proclaim the Lord’s death until he comes.

OBSERVATION: What a wonderful gift—the gift of memory.  Our memory is sometimes faulty.  We can disagree about what we remember.  Here the Lord gives us a memory assist.  The communion elements are held in our physical hands and placed in our mouth to be swallowed into our physical bodies.  And as we do, we are to remember what Jesus did (past) and how it affects us now (present).  We are to do this “until he comes” (future).

Remembering brings the past into the present and helps us prepare for the future.  Communion refreshes our memory. 

APPLICATION:  Some memories need healing.  Every time we remember those hurts it refreshes them and we feel like it happened yesterday.  When God heals memories, He takes the sting away.  We still remember those things, but it is like we read about them in a book instead of personally experiencing them. 

Some memories need to be refreshed.  As we celebrate birthdays and anniversaries, we are refreshing memories.

PRAYER: Lord Jesus, what an honor to celebrate your death.  By taking the bread and cup, I remember what you did in the past and how you personally applied it to my life. I look forward to the celebration in heaven. Amen.

Pastor Leon
Making friends for time and eternity!