Communion Message
(Jesus protects the table)
October 30-31, 1999
Pastor Don Sheley

For I received from the Lord that which I also delivered to you: that the Lord Jesus on the same night in which He was betrayed took bread; and when He had given thanks, He broke it and said, "Take, eat; this is My body which is broken for you; do this in remembrance of Me." In the same manner He also took the cup after supper, saying, "This cup is the new covenant in My blood. This do, as often as you drink it, in remembrance of Me." For as often as you eat this bread and drink this cup, you proclaim the Lord's death till He comes. Therefore whoever eats this bread or drinks this cup of the Lord in an unworthy manner will be guilty of the body and blood of the Lord. But let a man examine himself, and so let him eat of the bread and drink of the cup. 

This is a very, very sacred moment for us as we by our participation in the communion service as Paul says we retell the story of Christ's death in a very visible way. Just a comment today. One of the great issues that I find disturbing to my spirit is the misconception of this table. It's properly entitled The Lord's Table, but history and religion have made it the church's table. They have stolen it from Jesus. You say what do you mean by that Pastor? Well, something so sacred, something so rich in spiritual significance, they've decided to build fences around it, that is, to get to the table you've got to do what they suggest you have to do. You have to meet certain requirements. You've got to be baptized in their church. You've got to be a member or you're excluded. That's what I mean. The church has stolen the table from Jesus. Now when I discuss this matter with my fellow pastors they become somewhat disturbed with me because they feel that by letting the Lord control the table I then open the gates to all kinds of misuse to this table. I say not so. We present it as a moment of spiritual inspection that is something we look into our own hearts. 

Paul said we examine ourselves and then we eat. I say, no, it's the Lord's Table and I don't have to defend it; I don't have to protect it because He does. You say how does He do that? I say well listen. Paul told the Corinthians there're some of you who've died and some of you are sick, and the reason is you've misused the table. You've come to it unworthily. You've taken a sense of arrogance and you haven't approached it with a sense of respect and adoration and deep devotion. You've misjudged the table. And Paul said because of that Jesus has done the judgment, some have died. So if Jesus is going to take care of the table, and He's going to protect it, I don't have to. This table is not for saints; it's for sinners. We're all sinners. I've sinned. You've sinned. There's not a one of us that claim perfection today. It's at this table I bow with you and I seek God's forgiveness and cleansing just like you do because I've sinned. Now when we open the table it allows every searching heart to come and participate. That is you may be here today and you may not understand all of the terms of religion. You may understand very little theology. You just know that you're here because something deep inside you is crying out for God so you came to His house today; you qualify. But I'm not a member. I haven't told anybody I'm a Christian. You can tell Jesus that you want to become a Christian on your knees today. 

Six weeks ago a lady across the bay awakened early on Sunday morning with a deep desire to be in God's house. She was 59 years of age. She told me this week when she came to talk to me in my office. She said, Pastor, I'm 59 years old and I have floundered through life. I have gone through five marriages. I have made a mess of living. She said six weeks ago I'd been listening to you read the Bible on the radio, and she said something stirred in my heart and I got in my car, she lives across the bay in Hayward, and she said I came. She said, Pastor, the last six seeks something has happened inside me. She said I feel like I've died and all that old life is behind. I feel like a brand-new person. I feel like I've just begun to live. And she said I sit here today and tell you I love Jesus. If we'd have put up restrictions and said only you who think you're real saints can come, she would have felt excluded. She may have walked out of church never to find Jesus. If you're here today, you're searching for God, you know you're not perfect, but you want more than anything else for Jesus to change your life and become your Savior; you come. And if you didn't partake, if you didn't take the glass and the bread you can just raise your hand, one of the ushers will be glad to give it to you. Some months ago I went away for a time of prayer and I said to my son; Son, give me, prepare for me, some worship tapes so that when I'm worshiping and reading the Bible I can listen to some beautiful music. So Karlton did that for me, and one afternoon in the motor home sitting down in the redwoods, I turned to this tape and heard this song; it's the gospel in its totality in a song. And if you want to know what the gospel is, the good news from Jesus just listen to its words. Let's kneel together.

O broken Lamb of God
It was for me He died
For all my sin and shame
My Lord was crucified
But through His brokenness
I am made whole again
And I see loveliness
In Christ the broken Lamb

The Lamb of God
Became the sacrifice
It was my debt and still
He paid the price
For every sin
And all iniquity
The precious Lamb of God
Was broken for you and me
The precious Lamb of God
Was broken for you and me

Glory, glory
Glory to the Lamb
(Repeat)

For He is glorious
And worthy to be praised
The Lamb upon the Throne
And unto Him
We lift our voice in praise
The Lamb upon the Throne

They took Him from the cross
And laid Him in a tomb
Where hope seemed all but lost
Their hearts were filled with gloom
But early Sunday morn
He rose triumphantly
And purchased for all men
The hope to live eternally

The Lamb of God
Became the Lord of lords
And He will reign
As King forevermore
He conquered death
And now He holds the key
The Lamb of God bought
Eternal life for you and me
The Lamb of God bought
Eternal life for you and me

Amazing love
How can it be
That thou my God
Shouldst die for me

We kneel before You dear Jesus in love and in adoration and praise. It's an amazing thing that You would leave heaven's portals 2000 years ago, come to this world, take upon Yourself the form of a human being, and Lord Jesus live amongst men, and then go to a cross to die for us. That's amazing. We didn't deserve it, but You loved us. Sin had left its judgment upon us because the wages of sin is death, but You took that death, You died in our stead so that we could live eternally forever. And today we want to say from the very depths of our heart, dear Jesus, we love You. Let's take the bread together, shall we? And then the cup. And everybody said, amen. Let's stand and greet the folks that have come to worship with us.