10-06-13 He’s Got the Whole World in His Hands

world communion Sunday

Scripture                                    1 Corinthians 11:23-26
We are the body of Jesus Christ - today we sit at the Lord's table with all of our brothers and sisters.  Remember hands across the world?  It didn't even come close to working. Today is the bread of Life across the world and it is working.  We are connected spiritually with our bros and sis around the entire world.

What does it mean that we are the body of Christ in the world?  It means we are not the center of Christianity.  It means we are an important part of Christianity. The many parts of the body.  We need to support our bros and sis throughout the world.

1 Corinthians 11:23-26

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.

Can you imagine someone getting up and going to the communion table and eating all the bread and drinking all the juices leaving none for the rest of you for communion? That was the setting to which Paul was writing.  Communion, though a physical act is not for physical nourishment, rather a physical expression of a spiritual experience.

In 1 Corinthians 11  Paul shows the unworthiness of such conduct and explains what communion really is:

1 Corinthians 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, I - emphatic in the Greek. It is not my own, but the Lord's institution.  Received of the Lord - by immediate revelation from the risen Saviour [apo, here, instead of para (commonly used for immediate revelation), is to discriminate between Christ's personal appearance (Acts 9) and His revelation by His Spirit.]  (Gal 1:12  I did not receive it from any man, nor was I taught it; rather, I received it by revelation from Jesus Christ. Acts 22:17-18   "When I returned to Jerusalem and was praying at the temple, I fell into a trance 18 and saw the Lord speaking. 'Quick!' he said to me. 'Leave Jerusalem immediately, because they will not accept your testimony about me.'    2 Cor 12:1-2  I must go on boasting. Although there is nothing to be gained, I will go on to visions and revelations from the Lord.)

The renewal of the Lord’s Supper, by special revelation to Paul, enhances its value.

on the Night - the time for the Passover (Ex 12:5-8 The animals you choose must be year-old males without defect, and you may take them from the sheep or the goats. Take care of them until the fourteenth day of the month, when all the people of the community of Israel must slaughter them at twilight. Then they are to take some of the blood and put it on the sides and tops of the doorframes of the houses where they eat the lambs.): the time for the Lord's supper is not fixed.

Betrayed. Judas the traitor was at the table, Judas was about to leave and lead the Roman soldiers to where Jesus would be so they could arrest and crucify him.  Jesus not only did not stop him but told him to go do it quickly.  Because Jesus had the whole world in his heart and was willing to put the sin of the whole world in his hands.

1 Corinthians 11:24

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."  Broke. The breaking of the bread involves its distribution, and means it is for everyone, not just those who are hungry and get there first.

My body, which is for you - "given" Luke 22:19 And he took bread, gave thanks and broke it, and gave it to them, saying, "This is my body given for you; do this in remembrance of me." [huper] (broken in your behalf), The literal "body" cannot be meant; for Christ was still bodily present among his disciples. As the bread is to your bodily health, so my body is to the believing community's spiritual health.

1 Corinthians 11:25

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."
after supper - namely, the Passover preceding the Lord's supper. So you Corinthians ought to separate common meals from the Lord's supper.  The new covenant.  The cup is the parchment-deed on which my new covenant, or last will, is written and sealed, giving to you all blessings here and hereafter.  In my blood - ratified by MY blood (Heb 9:12-13

He did not enter by means of the blood of goats and calves; but he entered the Most Holy Place once for all by his own blood, having obtained eternal redemption).

Whenever you drink it, [hosakisean] - as many times soever; for it is an ordinance often to be partaken of.  No set amount of times.  In remembrance of me. Luke expresses this; Matthew and Mark understand it; Paul twice records it. The sacrifices brought sins continually to remembrance (Heb 10:1-4  The law is only a shadow of the good things that are coming — not the realities themselves. For this reason it can never, by the same sacrifices repeated endlessly year after year, make perfect those who draw near to worship.  If it could, would they not have stopped being offered? For the worshipers would have been cleansed once for all, and would no longer have felt guilty for their sins.  But those sacrifices are an annual reminder of sins). The Lord's supper brings to our remembrance Christ's sacrifice once for all for the full and final remission of sins. Not 'do this for a memorial of me,'

1 Corinthians 11:26

26 For whenever you eat this bread and drink this cup, you proclaim the Lord's death until he comes. Proclaim - announce publicly [katangellete]; 'publicly profess each of you, the Lord died FOR ME'). realizing that we ourselves are "members of His body, of His flesh, and of His bones," 'our sinful bodies made one with His body (once for all offered), and our souls washed through His most precious blood' Proclaim applies to new things. So the Lord's death, and all the saving blessings resulting from it, ought always to be fresh in our memory.

Till he come - when there shall be no longer need of symbols, the body itself being manifested. The Greek expresses the certainty of His coming. The showbread, literally, bread of the presence, was in the sanctuary, but not in the Holiest place (Heb 9:1-8); so the Lord's super shall be superseded in heaven, the antitype to the Holiest place, by Christ's own bodily presence: then the wine shall be drunk "anew" in the Father's kingdom by Christ and His people together, of which heavenly banquet the Lord's supper is a spiritual foretaste.  

Instituting the last supper, Jesus shows that what he was about to do was for the WHOLE WORLD – John 3:16 For God so loved the WORLD…

Countries in which we serve:

Africa

All Africa Baptist Fellowship, Angola, Burundi, Cameroon, Congo Brazzaville, Cote d’Ivoire, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Egypt, Ethiopia, Ghana, Kenya, Liberia, Mozambique, Rwanda, South Africa, South Sudan, Swaziland, Tanzania, Togo, Tunisia, Zimbabwe

Asia

Bangladesh, Cambodia, China /Hong Kong, India, Indonesia, Japan/Okinawa, Laos, Macau, Malaysia, Myanmar, Nepal, North/South Korea, Philippines, Singapore, Sri Lanka, Thailand, Vietnam

Caribbean

Caribbean Baptist, Fellowship, Cuba, Dominican Republic, Haiti, Jamaica

Central America

Costa Rica, El Salvador, Honduras, Nicaragua, Panama

Europe

Azerbaijan, Bulgaria, Croatia, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Estonia, European Baptist Federation, France, Hungary, Italy, Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Republic of Georgia, Romania, Russia, Serbia, Spain, Ukraine, United Kingdom

Middle East

Israel/Palestine, Lebanon

North America

Mexico

South America

Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Peru

American Baptist Foreign Mission Society (operating as International Ministries) began its pioneer mission work in 1814 in Burma and today works in Asia, Africa, Europe, the Middle East and the Americas serving more than 1,800 long-term and short-term missionaries in more than 70 countries. Its central mission is to help people come to faith in Jesus, grow in their relationship with God, and change their worlds through the power of the Spirit.

Answering the Call for Evangelism

American Baptist International  Ministries was organized in 1814 by people who heard God’s call to work together “in one sacred effort” to make disciples of all nations. IM has remained faithful to that call to help people come to faith in Jesus, grow in their relationship with God and change their worlds through the power of the Spirit.

Since 1900, the world population has more than quadrupled. Christianity likewise increased, but not at the same pace. Today some 4.7 billion people have yet to experience the fullness of God’s love through Jesus and the transforming power of God’s Spirit.

The call of Jesus to make disciples is as important today as it ever has been. Evangelism—helping people come to faith—is the first part of that process. IM’s missionaries and international partner organizations are answering the call as they tell the good news of Jesus through their words and make it visible by their actions.

In 2011-2012, IM sent 11 long-term missionaries and mobilized 527 volunteers and short-term missionaries, investing three-quarters of a million dollars in answering the call for evangelism. In 2013, 13 long-term evangelism missionaries are serving, with $790 thousand budgeted for their ministry.

Answering the Call to Confront Human Trafficking

“I will enter into judgment with them….(They have) traded boys for prostitutes, and sold girls for wine….” — Joel 3:2-3

Jesus began his ministry by announcing that he had come “to proclaim release to the captives…to let the oppressed go free….” (Luke 4:18)  Our American Baptist missionaries lived out these words as they began moving against slavery in the 1820s, the earliest years of their work. Adoniram Judson successfully freed from slavery Ko Tha Byu, the man who would become the “apostle to the Karens,” one of Burma’s major ethnic groups. Evan Jones aided the anti-slavery movement within the Cherokee nation. Lott Carey died in Africa, defending Liberian colonists from slave traders.

Modern slavery is often called “human trafficking.” International Ministries believes that it is an assault against humanity and is contrary to Jesus’ mission in the world. With the courage of Old Testament prophets like Joel, IM is confronting this type of slavery.

Six long-term missionaries and 44 volunteers and short-term missionaries worked during 2011-2012 to confront human trafficking. IM supported these efforts with over $400,000.00. In 2013, nine long-term missionaries are involved in anti-trafficking ministry, with $547,000.00 budgeted for their work.

communion in the lobby - "outside" the sanctuary - in the 'world'.