Coffee Talk

COMMUNION:

It starts with communion! It is our practice here at FBC to bring everyone together on the first Sunday of the month and take communion together. But this should not be the only time that we do this. What about when you are having your coffee and toast during your morning devotion time? Or when you have a lunch with a friend? Or when you have friends over for dinner? Or how about when we have our church pitch-in or picnic? All of these could be and should be a time of communion.

During this time today, we want you to imagine that you have been invited by the King to sit at God’s table and to be served by the King, because that is what Jesus did with the disciples at the Last Supper. Even though it was His dinner party that was set up by two of his disciples (Luke 22), Jesus was the One who served the disciples by washing their feet, which also reflected His future role as Savior by granting them forgiveness of sins. Right now, Tina and I want you to take a moment and close your eyes as you imagine Jesus, kneeling at your feet, and washing them and think about how you would feel.

This is the One who’s relationship sets the standard for all other relationships. He has given each of us a holy invitation…a sacred Sacrament bidding to leave the cares and chores of this life and enter a special place with Him. While we are taking these elements as a group, it does not negate the fact that He did all this just for you. He is meeting you here at the table. But He is not going to force you to participate. He wants you to remember what each of these elements represent:  The Bread is His body which was broken for you and me; and the cup is the new covenant in His precious blood that was poured out, not just shed, for each of us, fulfilling the prophesy of Jeremiah 31 that was repeated in Hebrews 8:10-12:HH

          “But this is the new covenant I will make with the people of Israel on that day, says the Lord: I will put my laws in their minds, and I will write them on their hearts. I will be their God, and they will be my people. And they will not need to teach their neighbors, nor will they need to teach their relatives, saying, ‘You should know the Lord.’ For everyone, from the least to the greatest, will know me already. And I will forgive their wickedness, and I will never again remember their sins.”

Prepare to take the elements:

Luke 22:19                              The Bread

          “He took some bread and gave thanks to God for it. Then he broke it in pieces and gave it to the disciples, saying, “This is my body, which is given for you. Do this in remembrance of me.”

Luke 22:20                              The Cup

“After supper he took another cup of wine and said, “This cup is the new covenant between God and his people—an agreement confirmed with my blood, which is poured out as a sacrifice for you. “

COFFEE TALK:

We are sharing first what the Bible says, and then giving you some practical applications, most of which have been a part of our lives. This is not the “In my day, blah, blah, blah” type of talk, but wanting to remind each and every one of you of what the Bible has laid out as our instructions of best practices for our lives. And it requires an investment of what each and every one of us has an equal amount of…TIME!

I. Time with God one on one

From the beginning, God desired to commune and spend time with His creation, made in His image. It was only when sin entered the picture that things changed. Mankind had to offer up sacrifices to atone for their sins. But God desired to restore that relationship, so He sent His Son to be the ultimate Sacrifice.

Now, the only thing we had to do was chose to surrender our hearts and lives to Him. He told us to love Him with all our heart, mind and strength and to love our neighbors as ourselves. This was not a one and done type of thing, but rather us understanding that we have to spend time with God to understand how we are to love Him and others completely.

Ephesians 4:1b & 5:2

“…lead a life worthy of your calling, for you have been called by God.

Live a life filled with love, following the example of Christ. He loved us and offered himself as a sacrifice for us, a pleasing aroma to God.”

Ephesians 4:2-3

“Always be humble and gentle. Be patient with each other, making allowance for each other’s faults because of your love. Make every effort to keep yourselves united in the Spirit, binding yourselves together with peace.”

Matthew 4:4

“The Scriptures say, ‘People do not live by bread alone, but by every word that comes from the mouth of God.’”

II. Time with our spouse & with God.

Quality vs Quantity (changes per season of your life)

Ephesians 5:21-22

And further, submit to one another out of reverence for Christ.

For wives, this means submit to your husbands as to the Lord.

Ephesians 5:25

“For husbands, this means love your wives, just as Christ loved the church. He gave up his life for her.”

Romans 12:10

“Love each other with genuine affection and take delight in honoring each other.”

III. Time with our Family & with God

Romans 14:12-13

“Yes, each of us will give a personal account to God. So let’s stop condemning each other. Decide instead to live in such a way that you will not cause another believer to stumble and fall.”

We are in no way condemning or pointing fingers. We had our own missteps…BUT GOD, rich in mercy and grace!

Proverbs 22:6

“Direct your children onto the right path, and when they are older, they will not leave it.”

“Children are great imitators. So give them something great to imitate.”

Deuteronomy 11:19

“Teach them to your children. Talk about them when you are at home and when you are on the road, when you are going to bed and when you are getting up.”

IV. Time with friends and with God

Ephesians 4:3-4

^“Make every effort to keep yourselves united in the Spirit, binding yourselves together with peace. For there is one body and one Spirit, just as you have been called to one glorious hope for the future.”

Galatians 6:1-2

 “Dear brothers and sisters, if another believer is overcome by some sin, you who are godly should gently and humbly help that person back onto the right path. And be careful not to fall into the same temptation yourself.  Share each other’s burdens, and in this way obey the law of Christ.”

Hebrews 13:16-17

 “And don’t forget to do good and to share with those in need. These are the sacrifices that please God. Obey your spiritual leaders and do what they say. Their work is to watch over your souls, and they are accountable to God. Give them reason to do this with joy and not with sorrow. That would certainly not be for your benefit.”

Tina and I have taken this task of sharing God’s Word to heart. We know that we will be held accountable to God for all that we have said today. But, since we have shared God’s Biblical truths with you, you can no longer say “I didn’t know.” We challenge you to take Ephesians 4 & 5 this week and dig in deeper to see all the other things that we are and are not supposed to be doing as a Child of God. Take time to listen to the heart of the Father and follow what the Holy Spirit is leading you to do.

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