At Crossroads we like to celebrate the Lord's Supper together on the first Sunday of each month, and it's always a wonderful time of reflection, thanksgiving, and hope. When Jesus gave his disciples the bread and the wine, he told them he wouldn't drink of the fruit of the vine again until we all drink it together in the new kingdom! What hope of celebration we have, that one day God will dwell in our midst, and we will celebrate in his presence forever! That's what I think about when we remember the cross; that on that horrific tree, our future was secured, and our hope anchored.
Pastor Todd will teach through Jesus' words in Matthew 7 which you can find HERE as you prepare your heart and mind to come to worship on Sunday.
As we begin our service this week, we'll start with a song that longs for that very presence of God I was describing earlier. This longing came from the mouth of David thousands of years ago, and we sing it as the desire of our hearts in line with his: "Better is One Day" in Your courts than thousands elsewhere!
Pastor Todd will come and welcome everyone, lead in prayer for the morning, and give us a moment to greet visitors and each other. Use this time to find a visitor (they're usually easy to spot) and make them feel welcome; a friendly handshake, invite them to sit by you, hand them a $20 (cash always makes me feel welcome), etc.
We'll continue singing then as we recall the work accomplished for us through "Nothing But The Blood of Jesus." It may be appropriate to mention here that we (as Christians) don't believe that there is some magical property found in the literal blood-fluids that ran through Jesus' veins. The Bible always uses the idea of Jesus' blood as the picture and symbol of his death, which is what the Father required for the payment of our sin. We often think and sing of the "blood" of Jesus and attribute different things and ideas to it, but we sing it as a symbol of his death.
We'll go right into "For You Are The Lord" which reminds us of Jesus' full deity, and that his death was so much more than a "selfless act" or an "inspirational event" in history, but that this man that hung on the tree is our Creator, our Redeemer, and our everlasting Lord, and that one day every tongue will confess that!
Pastor Todd will come and preach, and guide us to a time of communion. We'll pass the trays, and sing "The Power of the Cross" which is one of my favorite "cross songs" because it's so victorious. It doesn't languish in the physical agony Christ experienced (although it does validly recount it), but rather it looks to the ultimate work that was accomplished THROUGH the cross: Christ became sin FOR us, and took the Father's wrath on himself so we could stand FORGIVEN at the cross!
We'll finish with the song "Perfect Savior" with the chorus of that song being our benediction and motto as we go out into the world: until You come back again, may I forever proclaim redemption poured out for men through You, the pure, spotless Lamb! Yes, You are the Perfect Savior!
That's what's going on, happy preparation!
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