02.06.22 | The Apostles Creed
I Believe In The Communion of the Saints
Noel Heikkinen
1 Corinthians 11:17-30
We all have different circles of relationships and people in our lives. How do you care for and prioritize the others in your life? Pastor Noel Jesse Heikkinen challenges us to consider how we can reorder our lives around prioritizing community. The calling of all followers of Jesus is to serve one another through love, and come alongside those in our family who are struggling.
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I believe in God, the Father almighty,
creator of heaven and earth.
I believe in Jesus Christ, his only Son, our Lord.
He was conceived by the power of the Holy Spirit and born of the virgin Mary.
He suffered under Pontius Pilate,
was crucified, died, and was buried.
He descended to the dead.
On the third day he rose again.
He ascended into heaven,
and is seated at the right hand of the Father.
He will come again to judge the living and the dead. I believe in the Holy Spirit,
the holy catholic Church,
the communion of the saints,
the forgiveness of sins,
the resurrection of the body,
and the life everlasting. Amen.
To all who are in Rome, loved by God, called as saints.
Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.
Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus by God’s will, and Timothy our brother: To the church of God at Corinth, with all the saints who are throughout Achaia.
Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus by God’s will: To the faithful saints in Christ Jesus at Ephesus.
Communion: communion is the sharing or exchanging of intimate thoughts and feelings, especially when the exchange is on a mental or spiritual level.
So those who accepted his message were baptized, and that day about three thousand people were added to them. They devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching, to the fellowship, to the breaking of bread, and to prayer. Everyone was filled with awe, and many wonders and signs were being performed through the apostles. Now all the believers were together and held all things in common. They sold their possessions and property and distributed the proceeds to all, as any had need.
“Everyone who belongs to Jesus belongs to me, and I belong to them.” – Ray Pritchard
For you were called to be free, brothers and sisters; only don’t use this freedom as an opportunity for the flesh, but serve one another through love. For the whole law is fulfilled in one statement: Love your neighbor as yourself. But if you bite and devour one another, watch out, or you will be consumed by one another.
Therefore I, the prisoner in the Lord, urge you to walk worthy of the calling you have received, with all humility and gentleness, with patience, bearing with one another in love, making every effort to keep the unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace.
And we exhort you, brothers and sisters: warn those who are idle, comfort the discouraged, help the weak, be patient with everyone. See to it that no one repays evil for evil to anyone, but always pursue what is good for one another and for all.
People with the strongest relationships within their faith community are the kindest, most selfless people toward those outside their faith community. – Jeremy Linneman
Now in giving this instruction I do not praise you, since you come together not for the better but for the worse. For to begin with, I hear that when you come together as a church there are divisions among you, and in part I believe it.
Indeed, it is necessary that there be factions among you, so that those who are approved may be recognized among you.
When you come together, then, it is not to eat the Lord’s Supper. For at the meal, each one eats his own supper. So one person is hungry while another gets drunk! Don’t you have homes in which to eat and drink? Or do you despise the church of God and humiliate those who have nothing? What should I say to you? Should I praise you? I do not praise you in this matter!
Now in giving this instruction I do not praise you, since you come together not for the better but for the worse.
For I received from the Lord what I also passed on to you: On the night when he was betrayed, the Lord Jesus took bread, and when he had given thanks, broke it, and said, “This is my body, which is for you. Do this in remembrance of me.” In the same way also he took the cup, after supper, and said, “This cup is the new covenant in my blood. Do this, as often as you drink it, in remembrance of me.” For as often as you eat this bread and drink the cup, you proclaim the Lord’s death until he comes.
So, then, whoever eats the bread or drinks the cup of the Lord in an unworthy manner will be guilty of sin against the body and blood of the Lord. Let a person examine himself; in this way let him eat the bread and drink from the cup. For whoever eats and drinks without recognizing the body, eats and drinks judgment on himself. This is why many are sick and ill among you, and many have fallen asleep.
For whoever eats and drinks without recognizing the body, eats and drinks judgment on himself.
Have you observed or experienced a growing sense of loneliness in our culture or within your own circle of relationships? What has that looked like specifically? What impact do you think it has had in our culture or in your own life?
What is a “saint”? If “communion” is the sharing of intimate thoughts and ideas, what are some barriers (personal or otherwise) that exist if the goal is a “communion of saints”? Why doesn’t the “communion of saints” always happen within the church?
As a group, identify at least 10 “one another” passages in the Bible. What are some of your favorite ones? Which ones are the most difficult for you?
Strong community requires proximity. What are some specific ways you can take the initiative to choose to move closer to others? How can you take responsibility for another person’s loneliness this week?
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