Wine or Grape Juice: What Should We Serve In Communion?

Why or grape juice what should we serve in communion is just one of the questions will be answering on today's addition of core Christianity will handle Meyer along with Pastor Israel Sanchez.

This is the radio program where we answer your questions about the Bible and the Christian life every day. You can call us with your question. At 833 the core.

You can also leave us a voicemail there 24 hours a day. That's 1-833-843-2673. You can also email us your question anytime at questions at core, Christianity.com Bill, I feel like that's a pretty controversial and I'm excited to get to that one wine or grape juice is so interesting to hear the snow into Bill siding but no that's okay and I know that your denomination has a particular belief on that so will will unpack that here in just a bit. Let's go to Sarah first though she's calling in from St. Louis, Missouri Sarah what your question for Israel. Hey Sarah, oh, I can hear you when I'm going to detail. No problem, and you know that we think you and thinking why God knows what is going on. He knew the library like thinking she knew all that.

Anyway, for a long time sometimes still be playing away really with confidence in knowing that I mean it really need to think he already knows the right thing. What's the point of prayer you excellent question that it's a question that I don't know that we hexagon this one on the broadcast, which surprises me because it's a question that is been raised many times throughout the history of the church, why, why, pray, Jesus himself said in Matthew chapter 6 verse eight for your father knows what you need before you ask him. And if it is the case, as Scripture says that he makes all things work together according to the counsel of his will. Ephesians chapter 1 reason to do that, regardless of my prayers will then know that in my just wasting my time and my just speaking into the air. Why did Jesus pray so much what you have so many commands in Scripture, pray without ceasing Jesus teaching on prayer even when you pray, Matthew chapter 6 pray like this an excellent question will will here's the wrong way of thinking about you touched on this prayer is not our way of changing God's mind or bending his will to ours. Actually in prayer were aligning ourselves with the will of God. And it's through prayer that God has ordained to accomplish his purposes in the world, which is a pretty magnificent thing when you think about it. God has destined ordained that through the prayers of his people. He is going to bring about great things and so God wants us to pray because God uses prayer as a means for accomplishing his purposes and he calls us to pray and in prayer we have that intimate communion sir, which it sounds like you've you've experience you have that intimate communion with God.

As we grow together in our relationship with him. I love the way one theologian talked about it.

He did give this beautiful analogy of prayer as this this kind of shovel this tool that God gives us to uncover his his treasures, his sovereign purposes in our lives.

So we pray when were never coming up empty-handed.

It's not like of this is this is worthless, no were drawing near to God our father, as he calls us to. In one of the things that's been highlighted in prayer is our need were reminded of the fact that God is the one who supplies our needs and so it's it's doing something in us. I think that is so important. It's transforming us as a transforming God precedes transforming us it's changing us it's aligning us to his will and purposes in giving us this week communion with him. And even though he knows all things and and then knows what we need before we even ask he is purposed through our prayers to accomplish his purposes is his sovereign purposes in the world and so keep praying. Keep praying and praying with confidence with faith through Jesus and I were blessed as we do.

God bless you Sarah, thank you sir.

Thank so much for listing to core Christianity. We appreciate you we do receive emails here at the core.

You can send us an email with your question at questions at core, Christianity.com, and here is that controversy, the question that Israel was referring to the show. This is from Deanna and she says do you believe that wine should be served at communion. I've been in for Christian Protestant churches were only grape juice served because they don't believe Jesus would have consumed alcohol.

I believe Jesus did have wine. Also, if wine is served. What about the young people in the congregation taking communion well II imagine if you're given them really big cups that could be a problem for your church there using the no bread solo cups for communion is like that will then well then yeah probably most churches mine included. You know, we have those little tiny plastic cups that I mean I do not even know how much is in there, but it's really a small amount. Negligible what amounts I don't think that there's an issue with younger children who professed faith in Jesus Christ. They been baptized. They believe in in him and they're coming to the table in faith.

I do think it's it is an issue necessarily with with my mother. The of course, there's their differences of opinion for for many evangelical churches and that's it's pretty typical. You go and they just serve wine for communion there other churches. It will have grape juice and wine furtive choose which which you want to take our church does just have wine. We only serve wine in communion has been an issue for us per se. One of the we wanted early on his uniform for people who are coming out of alcoholism is to be an issue and and it's it's provided us opportunities have really good conversations with members in our church with people who are visiting the talk about the Lord's work and also talk about just the significance of the Lord's supper, then, of course, Jesus instituted the Lord's supper with light and so I think in anytime were doing something different.

Not in line with what Jesus said or how he instituted his worship. We gotta be very careful we don't want to be willy-nilly about worship, about holy worship and in the things that Jesus has said in his word are commanded in his word. Now that doesn't mean and and I don't think that you know a church that uses grape juice for the Lord's supper is not taking the Lord's supper or is is insane or something like that. I just I just think Mike my preferences. What's is what Jesus instituted the meal with and for. Let's use that and here's the thing that the Lord's supper is. This means of grace.

Communion is is one of the ways that the spirit of God is powerfully at work in our lives and in our churches. Often times we minimize it as just a sort of. It always is a time for me to have this individual moment with Jesus where I'm thinking really hard about his death and in the passion and it's pretty heavy pretty pretty weighty and and and that's that's what it's about, you know, but it really is this meal of celebration.

This gift that God gives to us by faith the body and blood of his son Jesus. Paul in first Corinthians chapter 10 called it communion coin and he is the Greek word that he used a communion of close fellowship bond with the body and blood of Jesus Christ. And it's a picture of the heavenly feast that were all going to participate in the marriage supper of the Lamb. Isaiah chapter 25 verse six that is this a beautiful prophecy on this mountain, the Lord of hosts will make for all peoples of feast of rich food, a feast of well aged wine of rich food, full of marrow of aged wine well refined this kingdom banquet. It's good to be, you know the stakes component stakes the best wine well aged wine celebration you think of going to a wedding and and that the festivity the party the joy that's there.

That's what we taste in the Lord's supper through the forgiveness of sins to the gift of the Holy Spirit to the promise of the gospel and so so yeah I think I think you might might my view is that we should be using one or supper, but again I'm not. I'm not trying to say Wilford, if you're doing it differently than your you're not taking communion are earth or something like that. I just think we want to stick to what Jesus said in his word want to take his word seriously wanting his worship seriously as well. And so the main thing is coming to the table in faith, clinging to the promises of God receiving his grace by faith clinging to it and resting in those great promises that he gives to us or listening to core Christianity with pastor Israel Sanchez and if you are a parent or grandparent. We want to tell you about a great free resource that we have available for you today yes the kids or the grandkids get ready to go back to school we got a resource for you and for them it's called six ways to help your kids as they go back to school it's a resource it will will give you insight on on just need of some of the areas are. You want to focus with with your kids things like performance, peer pressure, how to approach these things from a biblical perspective and and really help our children as they go back to school and so this is a free resource absolutely free. Want to get a hold of it over it. Core, Christianity.com again it's called six ways to help your kids as they go back to school. This is really helpful.

Practical resource for families and you can find that by going to core Christianity.com/offers again core Christianity.com/offers and look for six ways to help your kids as they go back to school to receive voicemails here core Christianity. You can leave us one anytime 24 hours a day. We try to do our best to review our voicemails each day. Here's the number to call you can call during the live program. It's 833-843-2670 3833. The core and here's a voicemail from one of our listeners named Michael Kurt Holcomb. I will go a church looking to a greater permit where it asked question for me personally I get a lot more Bible study, but I like what I Michael, thank you for that question. One is near and dear to my heart as a preacher and and as a pastor and wanting people to show up on Sunday to be there just talking about communion and the significance of that the means of grace are you the preaching of God's word in the holy gospel. These ordinances are sacraments of grace.

Where God promises by his spirit to be at work in our midst to be present with us in his promises. These are things I think you can't get anywhere else and I mean that you know all the church is not this domesticated experience reaches a guy you know I could I could get that in my living room or just of the group of friends know you the New Testament when it paints the picture of the gathered assembly it's it's like the powers of heaven of the new creation are breaking in on us showering on us through the holy preaching of God's word through the ordinances that Jesus gave to the church. We need to recover.

I think this understanding of what takes place when we come together.

There's nothing wrong with I love Bible study to and I think it's wonderful special gathering together with people and asking questions, thinking about the text of Scripture on a deep level, but that's different than what's happening in church on a Sunday morning. Think of it like this through the preacher and through that the preaching of the word God himself is speaking to you, boy. You really believe that we went to church. God was doing to speak to us through his word would be excited to be there when we would be like Matt. There's nowhere else I'd rather be than their hearing from heaven.

Hearing from God what God has to say to me today through this preacher's wife so poor that pastors preach the word of God is not about you know just your favorite hobby horse or you know some ideas that you sort of put together by by watching the 5 o'clock news. Whatever it is it's opening the text of Scripture were God has spoken to us is God inspired the God inspired word and communicating that word to people is when you go to church and why what we focus on preaching.

Preaching the word of God. It's because God is speaking to us from heaven through his word and were called by faith to receive that word to come with humility is assuming that the perfect pastor's sermon is always in be perfect per se. I think it's it's good for us to ask questions when we when we have questions, and it's God's word to us in so far as faithful to the Scriptures, but boy I just I just think this is underway to recover and and a passage that I go to. Oftentimes Michael to highlight this is in Hebrews chapter 12 I'm preaching to the sump. Some time ago.

It was really helpful. I think for for our people at the time to think about worship in in this way. Hebrews 12 beginning in verse 18. The author, the Hebrews as is talking about what happens when we come together to worship God.

He says you have not come to what may be touched, a blazing fire in darkness and gloom and a tempest in the sound of a trumpet and a voice whose words made the hearers beg that no further message be spoken to them, for they could not endure the order that was given. If even a beast touches the mountain, it shall be stoned indeed, so terrifying was the sight that Moses said, I tremble with fear. Some of the old covenant, berries and were not going to receive the old covenant given by Moses were coming as those who are under the new covenant recipients of that the grace of the new companies is but you have come to Mount Zion and to the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem, and to innumerable angels in festal gathering, and to the assembly of the firstborn who are enrolled in heaven, and to God, the judge of all, and to the spirits of the righteous made perfect, and to Jesus the mediator of the new covenant into the sprinkled blood that speaks a better word than the blood of the bull is the word of the gospel, the word of the forgiveness of sins.

What is happening when we go to church why we prioritize it.

Why do pastors like like myself saved. Be there get there and and prepare your heart for worship will because think about what what Scripture says were coming to the heavenly Jerusalem mount Zion gathering together with the saints and angels if you will in heaven around the throne of God.

The church militant the church on earth, joining the church in heaven that the church triumphant around God's throne to worship him and to receive a better word than the word spoken by the blood of Abel. That blood cried out for justice cried out for condemnation, even of his brother who had murdered him. The blood of Jesus cries out for mercy for justification for forgiveness for us. That's what were getting better. We should be getting in church on a Sunday morning.

That's not again to minimize Bible studies throughout the week. When do that study the Scripture every day I work word and the Lord gives you time. But don't miss out on that great gathering that that God welcomes us into and calls us to be calls us to worship him. Don't miss out on that in the gifts that God is giving to their think the question you painted such a beautiful picture there of what corporate worship is supposed to be all about and unfortunately it seems like a lot of our churches today restore loss that that vision. I think so you know I don't know what will. I think there are number of things that have led to that billing.

Think maybe the Morse seeker sensitive movement where the growth of the church and how to get a church to grow is really sort of humanistic and in the way people thought about it, you know, let's let's find a particular demographic, and then cater a worship service all around them and let's make everything really comfortable. The sort of domestication of Christian worship, so that you feel like when you go to church or in your living room. You know that drinking your coffee, there's a big screen TV. It's it feels like you're at home right there is one theologian who said sometimes we never get any place in worship because we never leave anyplace behind us and Christian worship really is a a leaving this world if you will taste of the world to come through what we call the ordinary means of grace through the preaching of God's word through these ordinances that Jesus gave and I and so I think I think you know there there are a lot of factors that have led to toot many churches I think losing this are missing out on this, but there's an opportunity for us here right that to really recover. I think reverence in worship and in a high view of prioritizing of gathering together with the people of God in humility and in submission to the word of God to receive the grace of God and man your listing to core Christianity with pastor Israel Sanchez. If you have a question for us about the Bible or the Christian life would love to hear from you. Here's our email address. You can write to us at questions at core, Christianity.com and here's one from Tabatha. She says I want to say thank you for not having a judgmental attitude when you're giving advice.

I can hear the love of Christ in each of your voices. Thank you and may God bless each one of you in your ministry. My question is why do so many other Christians often speak with condescension toward others. I can't speak for them, and I think I think you Scripture says knowledge puffs up. Love edifies. I think sometimes you know when we feel like were right. We can have this. This sense of arrogance were puffed up and begin to speak down to others, and so there there's an issue there. True knowledge, though the true knowledge of God in Jesus Christ should lead us to humility and to love.

Ultimately, the fruit of the Holy Spirit described in places like Galatians chapter 5 and so it isn't just that it were called to speak the truth and to have the right answers were were also called in Scripture and exhorted to do so in a particular manner that doesn't bring reproach upon us upon the church upon the. The word that we preach and so sometimes etiquette is important for us to speak the truth in a strong way in a forceful manner, especially when were addressing heresy and false teaching in its stuff that's leading people astray and then there are other times where we have to be tender and especially with the church with the sheep who are struggling with things and have questions. And that's oftentimes tie with the things we get on this broadcast is people are wrestling through things you think of Jesus his own disciples and and how often they needed help understanding something so so for us to really just wanting to come alongside of people and dig into the Scriptures and encourage them at that as they pursue God in faith. And so you know it is an issue when when people are just harsh and condescending.

The matter who they're talking to her what they're talking about and I think this is a spiritual issue right that were seeing there is a lack of the fruit of the Holy Spirit, and so the solution is is not you know what, let's get rid of knowledge. Let's get rid of theology that's not the main thing which is all love. It's letting the truth that we embrace the truth of God's word sing deep enough into our hearts that they begin to transform us and fill us with that love fill us with that compassion for each other. For those who are struggling, especially as the word of God brings to the surface. The things that we struggle with highlights our own shortcomings and failures in and were walking in repentance and receiving that gives us grace for others as well and in in their struggles, and with the questions that they have and so may God help all of us right, not just to know the truth and to speak the truth with boldness, but also to do so in a manner that is pleasing to the Lord that glorifies him and brings people in as opposed to pushing them away because there are instances I think were people will we know they'll use the truth like a hammer to to just crush people and and and in some instances it really does turn people off and and drive them away. So I think we want to be wise here and we want to be careful and I pray that the Lord helps us to continue to do that and also blesses you Tabatha.

As you seek to encourage the people around you. This is core Christianity with pastor Israel Sanchez. Here's a voicemail that came in from one of her listeners earlier this week along and Mark were essential for now they will ordinarily wait when we should be baptizes those who believe in Jesus Christ is not treated as the stressor like love you want to do it, do not want to do notes commanded by Christ and it's a means of grace. It's one of the ways of the spirit of God is at work in in our lives but we don't want to treat it as a work if you will that we do that saves us it's it's an act of God by the grace of the Holy Spirit solely through faith only saved by faith. And so you know there are there are extraordinary circumstances where you do see in stricter people who were baptized but still entered into heaven, the presence of God. So we don't want to draw just to the hard and fast line so the person didn't receive baptism with water that there's no way that they can be saved. For some people it's it's just not not possible for whatever reason.

Maybe they come to believe late in their life. Like the thief on the cross right up right as they're on their deathbed and so we trust the mercy of God and ultimately recognize that it's through faith alone, trusting in Christ and his gospel that we are saved and so appreciate your question and then think that should clear it up for you. God bless you and thank you once again for listening. Thanks for listening. Christianity request your copy of today's special offer. Visit us at core, Christianity.com and click on offers in the menu or call us at 1-833-843-2673.

That's 833 when you contact us. Please let us know how you been encouraged by this program and be sure to join us next time. As we explore the truth of God's word together