WEEK 5 SERMON DISCUSSION QUESTIONS FOR GROUPS

Eating and Drinking: The Altar and the Table

Introduction:

The table in the Bible is a powerful symbol of God’s provision, presence, and reconciliation. It represents a place where God provides for His people, where believers can experience His presence and fellowship with one another, and where broken people find reconciliation and a sense of belonging. Jesus’s meals with both friends and “sinners” illustrate the table as an invitation for all to be reconciled with God and with each other, and the Lord’s Supper is a specific, recurring reminder of this atoning sacrifice.

Bottom line: We should celebrate the covenant of Jesus in community.

Something To Talk About:

The altar and the table highlight the shift in worship from sacrifice to communion, where the table of fellowship with God and others also becomes a sacred “altar” for sacrifice and covenant. Daily tables, when approached with an awareness of God’s presence, can become altars where prayer, fellowship, and spiritual connection take place. This perspective invites reflection on how we engage with God and one another in sacred moments of both communion and sacrifice.

God makes personal covenants: God is not distant, abstract, or indifferent. Throughout Scripture, He reveals Himself as the God who makes personal covenants—sacred promises rooted in His character and faithfulness. When God makes a covenant, He is not simply offering terms; He is offering Himself. With Noah, He pledged protection. With Abraham, He promised blessing and a future. With David, He committed His steadfast love. And through Christ, He established the ultimate covenant—one not written on stone, but written on the human heart. God’s covenants are deeply personal because God is a personal God. He knows our names, our fears, our failures, and our hopes. His promises are not generic; they reach into the specific places where we need grace, strength, and assurance. A covenant means God binds Himself to us—not because we are worthy, but because He is loving. The beauty of God’s personal covenants is that He keeps them even when we struggle to hold up our end. His faithfulness is not fragile. His love is not conditional. His commitment is not temporary. When life feels uncertain, remember: you are living under a God who does not change, who does not forget, and who never breaks His word. His covenant is His heart—steadfast, unshakable, and for you.
Communion reminds us whose presence we are in: It draws our hearts back to the center of our faith—not our performance, not our reputation, not our worries, but the living presence of Jesus Christ. When we take the bread and the cup, we step out of the noise of our week and into the quiet certainty that God is near. Communion is not just a symbol; it is an invitation to remember that Jesus Himself welcomes us to His table. In that moment, we are reminded that we are not alone, not forgotten, and not unloved. We are in the presence of the One who carried our sins, bore our shame, and rose again so we could walk in freedom. His presence steadies trembling hearts and restores weary souls. Communion also re-centers our identity. The world constantly tells us who we should be. But at the Lord’s table, Jesus reminds us who we are: forgiven, chosen, redeemed, and deeply loved. And as we take the elements, we proclaim a greater reality—that Christ is with us now and will return. Communion is a sacred whisper to our souls: “You are in the presence of the King. Rest here.”
Communion renewed excites us for the future God promised: When we come to the Lord’s Table, we aren’t only remembering what Christ has done—we are renewed by what He is still doing and excited by what He has promised to come. Communion draws our hearts back to the cross, but it also lifts our eyes forward to the hope that awaits us. Jesus’ words in Matthew 26:29 (ESV), “I will drink it new with you in my Father’s kingdom,” remind us that communion is not just a memorial—it’s a preview of a celebration still ahead. In communion, God steadies our hearts. He reminds us that our story is moving toward restoration, not decline; toward glory, not uncertainty. The bread and cup point to the unshakable future secured by Christ—a future where every tear is dried, every sorrow answered, every longing fulfilled. As we partake, the Spirit breathes fresh courage into weary souls. He reminds us that God is not finished with us, with our families, or with this world. Communion renews our anticipation. It reignites our confidence in His promises. It whispers, “The best is yet to come.” So each time we lift the cup and break the bread, may our hearts be stirred with fresh excitement for the future God has promised.

Discussion Questions:

How does the concept of sacrifice (altar) relate to the idea of a communal meal (table) in the Bible?
How does our understanding of the “altar” influence how we approach the “table” (Lord’s Supper)?
What are some modern-day “altars” or distractions that prevent us from being fully present at God’s “table”?
How does the “table” represent a place of fellowship and covenant with God and with fellow believers?
When you hear that God makes personal covenants, what does that reveal to you about His nature and His heart toward His people?
What practical rhythms (prayer, Scripture, accountability, worship) help you remember and live out your covenant relationship with God?
When you take communion, what comes to mind first—Jesus’ sacrifice, His forgiveness, His love, something else? Why?
How does Jesus’ invitation to His table reshape the way you view yourself—your identity, worth, and relationship with Him?
What does it mean to you that Jesus wants to be present with His people, not just theoretically but personally and relationally?
How does remembering “whose presence we are in” challenge any casual or routine approach you may have developed toward communion?
What is one practical way you can prepare your heart this week so communion feels like entering a holy, treasured space with Jesus?

Take one thing home with you:

The heart of Communion is Jesus’s taking the worst, hardest, most baffling and defeating from us. He gives us His best — His way, truth, and life. For the bread reveals the Son of God who gave Himself entirely and utterly for us. The cup offers the blood shed to take away every sin. The essence of the Lord’s Supper is Jesus offering in the present moment all that His incarnate life, death, resurrection, and ascension have accomplished.

Paul writes, “When we bless the cup at the Lord’s Table, aren’t we sharing in the blood of Christ? And when we break the bread, aren’t we sharing in the body of Christ?” (1 Corinthians 10:16). The mystery is the wondrous exchange whereby Jesus keeps on receiving us as His own and giving Himself to us utterly as a means of redemption.