Communion Message
(Nothing can separate us from the love of God)
October 16-17, 1999
Pastor Leighton Sheley

For I received from the Lord what I also passed on to you: The Lord Jesus, on the night He was betrayed, took bread, and when He had given thanks, He broke it and said, "This is My body, which is for you; do this in remembrance of Me." In the same way, after supper He took the cup, saying, "This cup is the new covenant in My blood; do this, whenever you drink it, in remembrance of Me." For whenever you eat this bread and drink this cup, you proclaim the Lord's death until He comes.

You know when we partake of the communion elements we do more than just proclaim the fact, the historical fact, that Jesus died. We also proclaim the reason for His death. The Scriptures tell us the wages of sin is death, and since all of us have sinned and come short of the glory of God, all of us, all mankind for all time, have lived under condemnation. But that passage doesn't end there the whole passage says, the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God, the gift of God, is eternal life. Reading selected passages from Romans chapters 5 and 8, Therefore, just as sin entered the world through one man, and death through sin, and in this way death came to all men, because all sinned. But the gift is not like the trespass. For if the many died by the trespass of the one man, how much more did God's grace and the gift that came by the grace of the one man, Jesus Christ, overflow to the many! Again, the gift of God is not like the result of the one man's sin: The judgment followed one sin and brought condemnation, but the gift followed many trespasses and brought justification. For if, by the trespass of the one man, death reigned through that one man, how much more will those who receive God's abundant provision of grace and of the gift of righteousness reign in life through the one man, Jesus Christ. Consequently, just as the result of one trespass was condemnation for all men, so also the result of one act of righteousness was justification that brings life for all men. For just as through the disobedience of the one man the many were made sinners, so also through the obedience of the one man the many will be made righteous. Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus, because through Christ Jesus the law of the Spirit of life set me free from the law of sin and death. For what the law was powerless to do in that it was weakened by the sinful nature, God did by sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful man to be a sin offering. And so he condemned sin in sinful man, in order that the righteous requirements of the law might be fully met in us, who do not live according to the sinful nature but according to the Spirit. Those who live according to the sinful nature have their minds set on what that nature desires; but those who live in accordance with the Sprit have their minds set on what the Spirit desires. The mind of sinful man is death, but the mind controlled by the Spirit is life and peace; the sinful mind is hostile to God. It does not submit to God's law, nor can it do so. Those controlled by the sinful nature cannot please God. You, however, are controlled not by the sinful nature but by the Spirit, if the Spirit of God lives in you. And if anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ, he does not belong to Christ. But if Christ is in you, your body is dead because of sin, yet your spirit is alive because of righteousness. And if the Spirit of him who raised Jesus from the dead is living in you, he who raised Christ from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through his Spirit, who lives in you. Therefore, brothers, we have an obligation – but it is not to the sinful nature, to live according to it. For if you live according to the sinful nature, you will die; but if by the Spirit you put to death the misdeeds of the body, you will live, because those who are led by the Spirit of God are sons of God. For you did not receive a spirit that makes you a slave again to fear, but you received the Spirit of sonship. And by him we cry, "Abba, Father". The Spirit himself testifies with our spirit that we are God's children. Now if we are children, then we are heirs - heirs of God and coheirs with Christ, if indeed we share in his sufferings in order that we may also share in his glory. I consider that our present sufferings are not worth comparing with the glory that will be revealed in us. The creation waits in eager expectations for the sons of God to be revealed. We know that the whole creation has been groaning as in the pains of childbirth right up to the present time. Not only so, but we ourselves, who have the firstfruits of the Spirit, groan inwardly as we wait eagerly for our adoption as sons, the redemption of our bodies. In the same way, the Spirit helps us in our weakness. We do not know what we ought to pray for, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us with groans that words cannot express. And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose. For those God foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the likeness of his Son that he might be the firstborn among many brothers. And those he predestined, he also called; those he called, he also justified; those he justified, he also glorified. What, then, shall we say in response to this? If God is for us, who can be against us? He who did not spare his own Son, but gave him up for us all – how will he not also, along with him, graciously give us all things? Who will bring any charge against those whom God has chosen? It is God who justifies. Christ Jesus who died – more than that, who was raised to life – is at the right hand of God and is also interceding for us. Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall trouble, nakedness, danger of the sword? No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord. We have an hallelujah? Let's give the Lord a clap offering, shall we? Thank you Lord. Thank you Lord. Thank you Lord. Hallelujah. Hallelujah. Hallelujah. Thank you Lord. Thank you Lord. Thank you Lord. Thank you Lord. Thank you Lord. O, thank you Lord. Thank you Lord that we cannot be separated from You, that You are faithful to us even though we are not always faithful to You. Thank you Lord for Your mercies that are new every morning. Thank you Lord that we no longer have to live under the condemnation of our sin. We no longer have to live in fear of its dominion and its destiny. That we can walk out of this place today changed and transformed, cleansed. Thank you Lord. Thank you for Your word which tells us if we confess our sins You are faithful and just to forgive us our sins and cleanse us from all unrighteousness. Thank you Lord. Thank you Lord. Thank you Lord for the great love that You have for us. You sent Jesus to that cross to pay those wages of our sin to purchase a place in heaven for us. Thank you Lord. And Lord as we partake of these elements in the communion we proclaim the Lord's death, not just the fact of it, but the reason for it, the salvation of our souls. Let's partake of the bread and also the cup. Hallelujah, hallelujah. Thank you Lord. Nothing can separate us. Thank you Lord. Thank you Lord. Let's all say thank you Lord together. Thank you Lord. That's an expression from our hearts Lord as we worship You with everything within us, in Jesus' name we pray, and together we say amen. Why don't you greet a neighbor, in fact, at least 10 neighbors? Okay, this morning greet at least 10 neighbors.