World Communion Sunday

Matthew 21:33-45

Today is World Communion Sunday. Today, the first Sunday of October, all over the world, people like you and me are intentionally participating in the Sacrament of Holy Communion with a special emphasis on the world wide community of believers.

We don't know them yet but our brothers and sisters in those few house churches in Cameroon are sharing communion with us today. Our new friends Nkemba and Mbwizu are working hard to share the good news about Jesus Christ in that country and their efforts are producing fruit for God. A couple dozen house churches scattered over many miles on a continent on the other side of the planet will celebrate Christ's presence among us. They will be empowered by the Holy spirit to build the church. They will be one more stone in the building of God's holy church, of which the cornerstone is Jesus himself.

As the family of god grows and produces fruit, the more our earthly home will look like our heavenly home. The church is a shadow of what our heavenly home will look like. Our worship is a shadow of what life will be like in heaven.

I'll let that sink in for a moment...Our worship is a shadow of what life will be like in heaven. For an hour on Sunday we are mimicking, duplicating, and participating in the worship that is happening continually in the Kingdom of Heaven. We sing, along with the angels Holy, Holy, Holy. The prayers we lift are joined with the prayers we lifted last week and they are joined with the prayers of all people from all places and from all times.

Through our worship and our service. Through our prayers and gifts and our presence we are building God's holy church we are building a home. The reason we do this is because of Gods ever present love that calls to each of us and puts in us a desire to be present with God in our true home, which is the realized kingdom of heaven.

Sometimes we get glimpses and hints of this heavenly home. Sometimes we get get confirmation that what we are doing is right on target. But sometimes we don't see what is right in front of us. Sometimes we don't see the truth as it is: instead we stick with our own notion often until we get new information that forces us to change our mind. Our Life as the body of Christ, the things we do as faithful followers of Jesus should open our eyes to see the Risen Christ among us and see where the kingdom of heaven is breaking through.

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Is there any one among you who, if your child asks for bread, will give a stone; or if you rchild asks for a fish, will give a snake instead of a fish?

Or if the child asks for an egg, will give a scorpion?

If you then, who are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will the Heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to those who ask him!

God, our heavenly parent, loves you more than you can possibly comprehend.

Jesus once said, “The bread that I will give for the life of the world is my flesh and very truly , I tell you, unless you eat the flesh of the son of man and drink his blood, you have no life in you.”

Of course we think of taking communion in relationship to this passage but when Jesus said this he hadn't yet shared that passover meal with his disciples in that upper room. But it shows that he knew that his earthly body would be given. He knew that he would experience death. But he came to give life. In Jewish dietary law for meat to be kosher, among other requirements, the blood must be completely drained from the animal. The blood is powerful, the blood is the life of the animal. Jesus says you must eat the flesh of the son of man and drink his blood,” he is offering us his life. His life will be our life.

Jesus self sacrifice was intentional. Jesus who was God in human form knew what he was going to do in order that we could have eternal, abundant life in his name. And so he explained it to the religious folk of that time.

He was talking to the chief priests and the elders, and he told them the parable of the tenants.

The landowner is God. Who revealed himself to the Hebrews and made them his chosen people.

The series of servants are the prophets of God who were often mistreated or killed.

And in the story that Jesus is telling, the son who gets killed is Jesus himself.

Jesus knows what is coming. Jesus knows that his purpose is larger, much larger than his earthly life.

He was born to a Jewish family but his message was much larger than one religion.

He lived in the middle east two thousand years ago but his truth is timeless.

This is World Communion Sunday. A day we celebrate with Christians all around the world. Its about finding life in God through Jesus.

The message started with the smallest of people groups but it was intended for all the peoples of the world.

The Jews have the Torah. Great! Now receive Jesus who is the fulfillment of the law.

The Buddhists have the 4 noble truths and the 8 fold path. Wonderful! Now get to know the one who is the way and the truth and the life, Jesus.

The Muslims have the 5 pillars. Super! Now submit to Jesus who is God in human form.

Jesus came for all people. Jesus is the ultimate in inclusiveness. Jesus will accept all who come to him and trust him for their salvation.

This is World Communion Sunday. We have a message for the whole world. The good news about the Lord Jesus Christ.

So how is it with you today? Can this one family of God be a glimpse of the kingdom to come. Can you build on the cornerstone that was laid 2000 years ago!