The Works of God

Over conversation with a friend, he told me that his brother had been taken in by a health and prosperity preacher who taught him that communion is ‘the meal that heals.’  It was easy enough to find what was meant by that, along with the book this preacher would gladly sell to you (emphases in bold are mine):

The Meal That Heals explains the power of the Communion experience to bring physical and spiritual healing to the life of a believer. . .  It shows the power of receiving daily Communion, which allows the life of Christ to work in your body, driving out every sickness, disease, and weakness that hinders your life.

If you watch the video this preacher prepared, you’ll notice that HE’S WEARING GLASSES!

So much for driving out every weakness.

I hate the health, wealth and prosperity gospel.  But there is one thing about the above I will agree with – we should come to the communion table expecting to get something.

But the something we should be longing to get – more than perfect health in ourselves or healing for our kids, more than extraordinary wealth or any sort of prosperity in this life – is more of God.

Pastor John summarized it really well during his sermon this past week, No One Will Take Your Joy From You:

The aim of corporate worship is to awaken and express together our joyful admiration of all the wonders and works of God.

“I will go to the altar of God,
to God my exceeding joy,
and I will praise you with the lyre,
O God, my God” (Psa 43:4).

I do not criticize you for coming to “get.” I think God is greatly honored when people come to corporate worship starving for God. And deeply desiring that they will meet him, and hear from him.

John Piper, No One Will Take Your Joy From You, May 8, 2011

And I think Pastor John would agree that God is greatly honored when we come to the communion table starving for God as well.