Communion Message
(Take the last steps alone)
April 17-18, 1999
Pastor Ralph Huddleston

In Matthew chapter 26 it reads, Then He went a little farther and fell on His face and prayed, saying, "O My Father, if it is possible, let this cup pass from Me; nevertheless, now as I will, but as You will." All through our Lord's ministry I believe that He heard the call of the cross. There's really no point in time that we can identify when He knew that call. He always knew that call. As we gather around the Lord's table, I believe that each of us, individually, can hear the cross calling to us. That call is a call for compassionate prayer. Then Jesus went with His disciples to a place called Gethsemane, and He said to them, "Sit here while I go and pray over there." The nearer Christ came to the cross the more He felt the need to pray. He prayed for Himself. He prayed that God's will would be done in His life, and for the salvation of all of humanity. That's what He prayed for. I believe that we can never face the pressures of life and the temptation it holds without a daily pattern of disciplined prayer. The cross also calls for us to go a little farther. It says there in that verse, and He went a little farther. The cross always calls us to go a little farther than the rank-and-file Christian is willing to go. It calls us to go a little farther with the Lord than we may have ever been before. As we look at the cross and see Christ dying for us, how can we stay content with where we are right now? It's a call for us to go it alone. It says, He said unto them; tarry here, and watch with me. And He went a little farther. The disciples went with Christ to the garden, and then Peter, James and John went still farther with Him, but those last lonely steps He went alone. There will be some that will go with you part of the way. Still others that will go with you most of the way, but if you are going to go all the way into the will of God, you'd better be prepared to take those last steps alone. It's a call for total surrender, total and complete surrender, to God's will. "O My Father, if it be possible, let this cup pass from Me; nevertheless, not as I will, but as You will." Christ is saying here, if there is any other way for people to be saved than by My death on the cross, save them by that other way; nevertheless, if not, Your will be done. He's saying more than I want to live; I want Your will done. As we gather around the Lord's supper table we are agreeing with Christ. More than my life, more than my desire to live, I want Your will in my life. That is the only way that we will truly live. Amen? Amen. If you share that thought, that prayer, that discipline with me, join me on my knees. Together, let's tell the Father, more than our desire to live; we want Your will to be done.

Heavenly Father, we hear the call of the cross. We hear the call that says that we may have to go farther than we ever dreamed. We may have to go it alone, and we will have to give total surrender to Your will. Heavenly Father, thank you for this reminder. Thank you for Your word that gives us a pattern for our life's travels. Thank you for these emblems that You've provided that keep us focused on what price was paid on our behalf; what Christ prayed for Himself, for Your will, and for the salvation of all of mankind. Thank you Father. Thank you Lord Jesus. Let's partake of the bread together. And of the cup. Thank you that You continue to call us. You call us to perfection. You call us to be strengthened, to be faithful, to be trustworthy, and to trust. All of this is possible through the cross. Lord Jesus, we praise Your heavenly name. We raise Your heavenly name. We are not waiting till the end of time to speak Your name and to raise Your glory, we do it here and now, and it's in Your name that we pray. And everyone said. Amen. Amen. As we stand up together, let's greet those folks around you. Let them know that you're thrilled that they're here today.