Communion Message
(The center of it all)
August 26-27, 2000
Pastor Donald Sheley

For I have received from the Lord that which I also delivered unto 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 oft 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 the blood of the Lord. But let a man examine himself, and so let him eat of the bread and drink of the cup.

Paul writes a corrective letter which we know as the letter of Galatians to some Christians who had somewhat misunderstood all the great truths of Christian faith, and Paul concludes his letter by saying, God forbid that I should glory save in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ. Paul has taken time to, in his letter, to discuss himself and his ministry. But he wants it known very clearly that all that he is and all that his faith is to him is because of the cross of Christ. It's in that cross he finds reason to praise and rejoice. Praise is the expulsiveness of gratitude. It's the fragrance of appreciation. Paul oft times would break forth in these expressions, he writes, blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ who hath blessed us with all spiritual blessings in heavenly places in Christ. Now this was a typical Pauline expression of praise. It was not a wild demonstrative outburst but a heart-prompted transmission of gratefulness.

Someone has said that praise is a coronary concert beamed heavenward, for Paul writes making melody in your heart to the Lord. Praise is a divinely devised means and a heaven approved way of saying, thanks God for all of Your benefits You so profusely bestow upon me. Praise has a soul’s enriching effect and a contagious result, for a rejoicing individual solicits company making a symphonized presentation of joyful praise to Him alone who is worthy. David writes, O magnify the Lord with me and let us exalt His name together. But where at Calvary could the heart of the true believer receive its greatest inducement to exalt and praise in the mercy and the loving kindness of our Lord? For the cross work of Christ has a throb of love which reaches to the utmost depth in pity, which goes to the greatest length in mercy, which lifts to the loftiest height in power, which keeps through the endless ages in faithfulness, and which makes possible the richest most boundless gifts of grace. It calls when men are careless, it invites when they are indifferent, and it helps when they are helpless.

The apostle Paul knew what it meant to stand within the shadow of the cross to linger at Calvary. He knew that the preaching of the cross, though lightly regarded by the perishing throngs, was the potent agent in eternal redemption. He knew as well that the power of the cross was the answer to his being crucified unto this world of organized deception. He knew also that the preservation of the cross secured him in the everlasting love of God from which no created thing could possibly ever sever him. So he writes, God forbid that I should not stand at the cross filled with praise, and ah what boundless possibilities there are of boasting in the cross. Think with me. Earth's greatest victory was won there. Heaven's most wonderful person was voluntarily humbled there that earth's most wicked creatures might be exalted to the heavenlies. The door of deliverance was there divinely unlocked for the enslaved sons of Adam to be gloriously emancipated. It happened at the cross. The windows of hope were there widely opened that beams of mercy might shine upon depraved creatures of a doomed race. It was there that mountains of opportunities began there to loom above the settled gloom of the sinner’s bleak outlook. It was at the cross that the golden daybreak of eternal salvation took place.

Paul said, add up life and you have to admit that everything that takes meaning and everything that has purpose was purchased for us by Christ at Calvary. God forbid that I should glory save in the cross of my Christ. And you know we come to the communion service many different ways. I'm going to ask you to do something today, maybe you've never done before, but to raise your hands in just a solemn quiet expression of adoration to God who sent His Son to die for us. Would you join me as we just lift our hands in a solemn expression of adoration? Lord God, we love You today and we acknowledge with the apostle Paul that all that is meaningful, all that is worthy of praise, all that gives life purpose and dimension is because of Calvary and Your love displayed there O God. We worship You. Let's bow together, shall we?

Lord Jesus we agree with the great apostle that the cross really is the center of it all for there You undeniably imprinted history with a scene of love that has no contrast. For there, Jesus, You died for us. You who knew no sin, You became sin for us that we might be made the righteousness of God. And on this beautiful summer Sunday here in the quietness of this moment we bow in loving adoration and worship to You our wonderful Christ. We love You today and we praise You from the very depth of our being. And these emblems that we hold each Lord's Day are a constant reminder that even though we've sinned You love us still, and there's forgiveness for us because You've told us that if we confess our sins You will be faithful and just and will forgive us our sins. We're sinners. We've failed You this week dear God. We ask for Your forgiveness and know that You promised that for us because these emblems we hold are the evidential proof of Your desire to forgive. Thank you Jesus. Let's take the bread together, shall we? And then the cup. Thank you Jesus, and everybody said, amen. Let's stand and greet one another, shall we?