Special Event · Communion Service

Do This in Remembrance of Me

1 Corinthians 11:23-34; Luke 22:14-20; Isaiah 53:4-6

Communion is not a ritual to rush through — it is a sacred pause to remember the most important event in human history

A communion sermon that invites the church to pause, examine their hearts, and remember the staggering cost and beauty of what Jesus did at the cross.

Main Point

Every time we take the bread and the cup, we are declaring three things: we remember what Christ did on the cross, we celebrate what He is doing in us now, and we anticipate what He will do when He returns. Communion is a meal of memory, gratitude, and hope. But it also demands self-examination — we come not because we are worthy, but because He is.

Application Ideas

Encourage the congregation to use the time of communion for honest self-examination — not to earn worthiness but to remove barriers to fellowship with God. Challenge people to reconcile with anyone they are in conflict with before taking communion. Remind everyone that the table is for broken people who know they need a Savior.

Discussion Questions

Why did Jesus choose a meal as the way to remember Him? What does Paul mean by 'examining yourself' before communion? How can communion become more meaningful rather than routine? What does it mean that we 'proclaim the Lord's death until He comes'?

Detailed Sermon Outline

Primary Text: 1 Corinthians 11:23-34

Supporting Texts: Luke 22:14-20; Isaiah 53:4-6; Exodus 12:1-14

Big Idea: Communion is not a ritual to rush through — it is a sacred pause to remember the most important event in human history and examine our hearts before God.

Target Length: 15-20 minutes

Introduction

On the night before the most significant death in human history, Jesus did not give a speech. He did not write a manifesto. He shared a meal. He took bread, broke it, and said 'This is my body, given for you.' He took a cup of wine and said, 'This is my blood, poured out for you.' And then He added the words that echo through every church, in every century, across every continent: 'Do this in remembrance of me.'

Read 1 Corinthians 11:23-26. Paul received this account 'from the Lord' — this is not a human tradition. It is a direct command from Jesus to His church.

Preaching note: Communion should be unhurried. Create space for reflection. Lower the lights if appropriate. Let the bread and the cup do the preaching alongside your words.

I. We Remember What Christ Did (1 Corinthians 11:23-25; Isaiah 53:4-6)

The bread represents His body, broken for us. The cup represents His blood, shed for us. These are not abstract theological concepts. They are physical realities. Jesus experienced real pain, real suffering, real death — for you, by name.

Isaiah 53:5: 'He was pierced for our transgressions, he was crushed for our iniquities; the punishment that brought us peace was on him, and by his wounds we are healed.'
The bread is broken because His body was broken. The cup is red because His blood was real. Communion is meant to make the cross visceral, not theoretical.
We do not come to this table because we are good enough. We come because He was good enough on our behalf.

Take a moment right now and let the weight of this settle: the Creator of the universe allowed Himself to be broken so that broken people like us could be made whole.

II. We Examine Our Hearts (1 Corinthians 11:27-32)

Paul's warning is serious: 'Everyone ought to examine themselves before they eat of the bread and drink from the cup.' This is not about being perfect — if perfection were required, the table would be empty. It is about being honest.

Self-examination means asking: Is there unconfessed sin I am holding onto? Is there a relationship I need to reconcile? Am I taking the cross for granted?
'In an unworthy manner' does not mean you must be worthy — it means you must not be flippant. Approach the table with reverence, not routine.
Communion is not a reward for good behavior. It is medicine for the sick, bread for the hungry, grace for the broken.

Use this moment for honest conversation with God. Not to earn access to the table, but to clear away anything that is blocking your fellowship with Him.

III. We Anticipate What Is Coming (1 Corinthians 11:26; Revelation 19:9)

Paul adds a phrase that is easy to miss: 'For whenever you eat this bread and drink this cup, you proclaim the Lord's death until He comes.' Communion is not just about looking back. It is about looking forward.

Every time we take communion, we are declaring: 'This is not the end of the story. Jesus is coming back.'
Revelation 19:9 speaks of the 'wedding supper of the Lamb' — the ultimate meal, when all of God's people gather around His table with no more sorrow, no more separation, no more sin.
This bread and this cup are a down payment on that future feast. They remind us that the best meal is still ahead.

Communion tells the whole story: Christ has died, Christ is risen, Christ will come again. Past, present, future — all held together in bread and wine.

Appeal

As we prepare to receive the elements, I invite you to slow down. This is not a moment to rush through on the way to the closing song. This is holy ground.

Hold the bread and remember: this body was broken for you. Hold the cup and remember: this blood was poured out for you. Not for humanity in general. For you. By name. On purpose.

And if you are here today and you have not yet received what Christ offers — forgiveness, new life, a seat at His table — know that the invitation is open. The table is for sinners. That is the only qualification.