The Greatest Glory
The sermon emphasizes the importance of Communion as a way to perpetuate Christ's glory and bring us into communion with Him.
G.W. North emphasizes that true Communion not only reflects Christ's ultimate sacrifice but also requires each member of His body to make personal sacrifices to sustain it. The act of breaking bread symbolizes the sharing of Christ's glory and the call for believers to remember Him through their own acts of giving and obedience. This process of breaking and sharing bread illustrates the miracle of communal glory, where each participant is drawn into a deeper communion with Christ and one another. North highlights that through this act, believers perpetuate the glory of Christ and honor the Father.
Text
But the act of real Communion is not intended only to demonstrate the greatest sacrifice that Christ Himself had to make. It also portrays the perpetual sacrifice which all the members of His body need personally to make if the Communion is to be sustained. Giving Himself up to the cross to die was Jesus' greatest personal glory, but for Him to make it the greatest glory of other persons also is the miracle of miracles. Doing so, He has perpetuated and glorified His own glory to the glory of the Father.
When He broke and gave the bread to others, it was as if He was saying, 'if you wish to remember me properly, do this and do it like this'.
So, although their uncomprehending minds could but dimly grasp His meaning, one of them took the bread from Jesus' hands and in obedience did likewise. He first took from Jesus both the bread from which the piece had been broken and the broken piece and having done so, ate the piece he had received from the Lord. Afterwards he broke off another piece from the bread (body) broken for him and gave both the bread from which he had broken the fragment and the piece itself to the next person.
Whoever it was then ate the piece, repeated the process of eating, breaking and passing, and so it went on until each person had joined in the act and by doing so was brought into the communion.
Sermon Outline
- The Greatest Glory of Christ
- The Miracle of Perpetuating Christ's Glory
- The Process of Communion
- Breaking and giving bread
- Eating, breaking, and passing
- Joining in the act of Communion
Key Quotes
“Giving Himself up to the cross to die was Jesus' greatest personal glory, but for Him to make it the greatest glory of other persons also is the miracle of miracles.” — G.W. North
“Doing so, He has perpetuated and glorified His own glory to the glory of the Father.” — G.W. North
“if you wish to remember me properly, do this and do it like this” — G.W. North
Application Points
- We must obey Christ's command to break and give bread in order to remember Him properly.
- Participating in Communion brings us into communion with Christ and His body.
- The perpetual sacrifice required for Communion is a miracle of God's love and glory.