Bible Text: Hebrews 9:16-22 | Preacher: Pastor Steve | Series: Mighty in His Power
Matthew 26:26-30 As they were eating, Jesus took some bread and blessed it. Then he broke it in pieces and gave it to the disciples, saying, Take this and eat it, for this is my body. And he took a cup of wine and gave thanks to God for it. He gave it to them and said, Each of you drink from it,  for this is my blood, which confirms the covenant between God and his people. It is poured out as a sacrifice to forgive the sins of many…
Communion is Celebration
Revelation 12:10-11 Then I heard a loud voice saying in heaven, now salvation, and strength, and the kingdom of our God, and the power of His Christ have come, for the accuser of our brethren, who accused them before our God day and night, has been cast down. And they overcame him by the blood of the Lamb…
Communion is Proclamation
1 Corinthians 11:26 For as often as you eat this bread and drink this cup, you proclaim the Lord’s death till He comes.
Communion is Dedication
It is an oath or a pledge. It is an act by which we reaffirm our faith. Communion is our statement of personal and corporate commitment that puts God FIRST in everything!
Communion is Declaration
John 6:53 Most assuredly, I say to you, unless you eat of the flesh of the Son of Man and drink His blood, you have no life in you.
Communion is Cleansing
1 Corinthians 11:27-30…whoever eats the bread or drinks the cup of the Lord in an unworthy manner will be guilty of sinning against the body and blood of the Lord. A man ought to examine himself before he eats of the bread and drinks of the cup…that is why many among you are weak and sick.
Communion requires that we be at peace with one another
Matthew 5:23-24 So if you are presenting a sacrifice at the altar in the Temple and you suddenly remember that someone has something against you, leave your sacrifice there at the altar. Go and be reconciled to that person. Then come and offer your sacrifice to God.
Communion requires repentance
1 Corinthians 11:27 Whoever eats this bread or drinks this cup of the Lord in an unworthy manner drinks judgment to himself.
Communion requires faith in Jesus Christ
Hebrews 9:13-22 Under the old system, the blood of goats and bulls and the ashes of a young cow could cleanse people’s bodies from ceremonial impurity. Just think how much more the blood of Christ will purify our consciences from sinful deeds so that we can worship the living God. For by the power of the eternal Spirit, Christ offered himself to God as a perfect sacrifice for our sins. That is why he is the one who mediates a new covenant between God and people, so that all who are called can receive the eternal inheritance God has promised them. For Christ died to set them free from the penalty of the sins they had committed under that first covenant.
Blood is a Central Theme to the Cross of Jesus
Leviticus 17:11 For the life of a creature is in the blood, and I have given it to you to make atonement for yourselves on the altar; it is the blood that makes atonement for one’s life
Blood is REQUIRED
POWER of the Blood
The Blood of JESUS
1 John 1:7 But if we walk in the light as He is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus Christ His Son cleanses us from all sin.
Hebrews 9:16-22 …For after Moses had read each of God’s commandments to all the people, he took the blood of calves and goats, along with water, and sprinkled both the book of God’s law and all the people, using hyssop branches and scarlet wool.  Then he said, this blood confirms the covenant God has made with you. And in the same way, he sprinkled blood on the Tabernacle and on everything used for worship. In fact, according to the law of Moses, nearly everything was purified with blood. For without the shedding of blood, there is no forgiveness.
Why is SIN Serious?
Sin STEALS away our freedom in the Lord by enslaving us, becomes bondage to things that have nothing to do with the purposes of God. (2 Corinthians 1:10)
Sin KILLS and is denial of the living God from whom human beings draw their life and (Acts 17:28; Romans 6:23)
SIN DESTROYS our relationship with the Lord and is offensive to God. (James 1 and 2)
How Do We Deal With Sin?
THROUGH JESUS: Sin cannot be dealt with through human effort; We need to ADMIT our NEED for the Lord! We need to BELIEVE AND RECEIVE Jesus as our SAVIOR!
THROUGH HIS SACRIFICE: Sin requires our CONFESSION and REPENTANCE and HIS ATONEMENT
THROUGH FORGIVENESS: Our sin requires SACRIFICE
Forgiveness of sin is God’s great gift because it meets Man’s great need.
(John 3:16-17; Acts 20:28; Romans 3:21-26; 5:6-10; 2Corinthians 5:18,19; Colossians 2:13-15)
Hebrews 9:2‑8 But only the high priest entered the inner room, and that only once a year, and never without blood, which he offered for himself and for the sins the people had committed in ignorance. The Holy Spirit was showing by this that the way into the Most Holy Place had not yet been disclosed as long as the first tabernacle was still standing.
Hebrews 10:19‑22 Therefore, brothers, since we have confidence to enter the Most Holy Place by the blood of Jesus, by a new and living way opened for us through the curtain, that is, his body, and since we have a great priest over the house of God, let us draw near to God with a sincere heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled to cleanse us from a guilty conscience and having our bodies washed with pure water.
1 Peter 1:17-19 And if you call on the Father, who without partiality judges according to each one’s work, conduct yourselves throughout the time of your stay here in fear; knowing that you were not redeemed with corruptible things, like silver or gold, from your aimless conduct received by tradition from your fathers, but with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot.