(Clip) American Evangelicalism has Lost the Sacredness of Communion
Francis Chan challenges American evangelicals to reclaim the sacredness and reverence of Communion, emphasizing its profound spiritual significance and the need for self-examination.
This sermon emphasizes the importance of embracing the sacred and holy aspects of our faith, urging believers to approach God with reverence and fear. It highlights the tendency to push boundaries and minimize the seriousness of sin in modern evangelical culture, calling for a return to a deeper sense of sacredness and purity in our worship and lives. The message underscores the significance of the Day of Atonement in Leviticus as a time for cleansing and forgiveness, drawing parallels to the cleansing power of Christ's sacrifice for believers today.
Full Transcript
church enough. I haven't warned them about how sacred this is. Many of us, if we grew up in America, in this modern evangelical world, you know we don't take, we don't do sacred well.
Instead, we do the opposite. We're always trying to push the envelope. Well, that's not sin.
Well, that's not sin. I can wear what I want. It's not really sin.
You know, I can come whenever I want. That's not really sin. We keep pushing the envelope.
Well, I can mess around with my girl. That's not really sin yet, right? We're not trying to be as sacred as we can be. Well, we could play secular music in the beginning.
That's not really sin. We just keep pushing, pushing, pushing, pushing, and I'm not saying it is sin. I'm just saying at some point we lose the idea of holy, sacred.
Let me be as sacred as I can. Let me be as careful as I can. Let me really examine myself because this is intense.
This is more intense than the holy of holies, what I'm about to partake in. So God, if we want to do this right, help us. The thing about this too, I alluded to this earlier.
It's like, I don't want to do this casually. And I ought to have a fear of death and of your death. And so maybe some of you are going, I don't know if I want to do this.
That's good. There should be some fear. But I'd also say to you, I don't know if you want to not do this.
Because if you read on in Leviticus, I mean, yeah, the day of atonement and going to the holy of holies, that's pretty serious. That's pretty scary. But you read at the end of it, in Leviticus 16 verses 29 and 30, he says, it shall be a statute to you forever, that in the seventh month, on the 10th day of the month, you shall afflict yourselves and do no work, either the native or the stranger who sojourns among you.
For on this day shall atonement be made for you to cleanse you. You shall be clean before the Lord from all of your sins. You didn't want to miss the day of atonement, right? You're like, I want to be there because I know what I've done and I need my sins forgiven.
I am not going to miss the day of atonement. I understand it's dangerous. I understand this is the moment when God in heaven actually intersects with human beings and there's a human being and God himself in the same room.
And that is just terrifying. I get it. But this is my chance to be cleansed of everything.
And so in the same way, being one with Christ, being one with his body, his blood, us being one with Christ, we know it's through Christ. This is our only way of purity, is through the cross. So I don't want to not.
However you view this, some in here say, well, it's just a symbol. Others say, no, it turns into the flesh and blood. And then there's a million views in between.
Whatever you believe, at very least, I hope you at least agree, oh, I want this. I want every bit of this, whether it's the symbol, whatever I want to obey completely. He says this is the way we proclaim his death until he returns.
I want to be a part of this.
Sermon Outline
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I. The Loss of Sacredness in Modern Evangelicalism
- Pushing the envelope on what is considered sin
- Casual attitudes toward church practices
- Neglecting the holy and sacred nature of Communion
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II. The Seriousness of Communion
- Comparison to the Holy of Holies
- The fear and reverence due to Christ’s sacrifice
- The need for self-examination before partaking
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III. The Day of Atonement as a Model
- God’s intersection with humanity in the Holy of Holies
- The cleansing power of atonement
- The importance of not missing this sacred moment
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IV. The Call to Obedience and Unity with Christ
- Acknowledging different views on Communion
- Desiring to fully obey Christ’s command
- Proclaiming Christ’s death until He returns
Key Quotes
“I haven't warned them about how sacred this is.” — Francis Chan
“This is more intense than the holy of holies, what I'm about to partake in.” — Francis Chan
“Whatever you believe, at very least, I hope you at least agree, oh, I want this. I want every bit of this.” — Francis Chan
Application Points
- Approach Communion with a heart of reverence and self-examination.
- Reject casual attitudes toward sin and strive for holiness in all areas of life.
- Commit to fully obeying Christ’s command to partake in Communion as a proclamation of His death.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why does Francis Chan emphasize the sacredness of Communion?
He believes Communion is a profound spiritual moment that requires reverence and self-examination because it symbolizes Christ’s sacrifice and our unity with Him.
What does Chan say about casual attitudes toward sin in the church?
He critiques the tendency to minimize sin and push boundaries, which leads to losing the sense of holiness and sacredness in Christian practice.
How does the Day of Atonement relate to Communion?
The Day of Atonement illustrates the seriousness of approaching God and the need for cleansing, paralleling the reverence required when partaking in Communion.
Does Chan take a specific theological stance on the nature of Communion?
He acknowledges various views but emphasizes the importance of obedience and reverence regardless of one’s specific belief about Communion’s nature.
What should believers do before taking Communion according to this sermon?
Believers should examine themselves carefully, approach with reverence, and recognize the sacredness of the moment.