Communion Message
(Take the snakes away)
February 17, 2002
Pastor Leighton Sheley

I was sent an e-mail this week from one of the organizations that we participate with, evangelism, and they asked the question, if we were to go into a major stadium and put a verse up, what verse do you think might be the best to put up? We're talking maybe a ballpark like the Giants ballpark for something like that. And I answered, I think that the best verse is probably John 3:16 -- so familiar to all. For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish but have eternal life.

John 3:16, so familiar to all, the very words of Jesus Himself. You know, just a couple of verses before that in John 3:14 Jesus says this: He says, Just as Moses lifted up the snake in the desert, so the Son of Man must be lifted up. Jesus said, Just as Moses lifted up the snake in the desert, so the Son of Man must be lifted up.

Now what did Jesus mean by that? Well, we know from retrospect that He was talking about being lifted up on the cross. This particular story that He is referring to is recorded for us in Numbers chapter 21 verses 4 and following. It reads: They, that is the nation of Israel, traveled from Mount Hor along the route to the Red Sea, to go around Edom. But the people grew impatient on the way; they spoke against God and against Moses, and said, "Why have you brought us up out of Egypt to die in the desert? There is no bread! There is no water! And we detested this miserable food!" Then the Lord sent venomous snakes among them; and they bit the people and many Israelites died.

The people came to Moses and said, "We've sin when we spoke against the Lord and against you. Pray that the Lord will take the snakes away from us." So Moses prayed for the people. The Lord said to Moses, "Make a snake and put it up on a pole; anyone who is bitten can look at it and live." So Moses made a bronze snake and put it up on a pole. Then when anyone was bitten by a snake and looked at the bronze snake, he lived.

I read this story and I think somebody had it as an inspiration for a particular scene in one of the movies a few years back -- Raiders of the Lost Ark. When I saw that, I was thinking of this particular passage. You may have seen it; you may not have. There's a scene in there where he is dropped into this ancient Egyptian temple, Indiana Jones of course, and he's got this torch and he's trying to protect himself and his companion, and he's trying to keep away this sea of snakes.

I think they said that there were tens of thousands of snakes that were brought in for that particular scene. He's trying to keep these snakes away and you see them slithering every place, through the walls, through the cracks in the walls, through the sand.

And I see these people of Israel being out in the middle of the desert and there are snakes everywhere, and what would be their natural tendency? To try to protect themselves, right? To try to save themselves. I've got to keep the snakes away. I've got to keep the snakes away -- there is one. I've got to keep the snakes away.

And then when they get bit, what would be their natural tendency? Let's go to the doctor. Let's get some medicine and what God said is if you get bit, look at that serpent that's been put at the top of a pole. That would be a rather demanding effort of faith if you had a snake sliding up your leg or down your collar, wouldn't it?.

Look at the serpent. Look at that snake at the top of that pole. That's what God said to do. Now I know we have some people here this morning, and I'm sure that what's going through their thoughts is, how can putting your faith in God's word to look at a bronze serpent bring salvation? How can it save you?

That's impossible; but with God all things are possible. And if God said put your faith in My word and I do what I say, look at that image there and you'll be saved, it's possible, because it's God.

You say, now Pastor, how does that relate to what we're doing today at communion? Well let me proposed to you this -- that there are those in our midst who may be asking this question, how can my putting my faith in God's word and believing in a man who lived 2000 years ago and who hung on a cross bring me salvation? How can that bring me salvation? That's impossible. To that I would respond, with God all things are possible. And if God said look to Jesus for your salvation, that's where your salvation is going to be found.

Romans 10:9 says if we confess with our mouth that Jesus is Lord, and believe in our heart that God raised Him from the dead, we will be saved. For it is with the heart that you believe and are justified, and it is with your mouth that you confess and are saved. As the Scripture says, "Anyone who trusts in Him will never be put to shame."

That's so simple isn't it, but it's so hard because we have this internal inclination. We've got to do something to save ourselves. We can't. Salvation has been provided for us in Jesus Christ.

We've been separated from God because of our sins; Psalm 59 tells us. And 1 John chapter 1 reads: If we claim to be without sin, we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us of our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.

In the moments ahead I invite you now to join with me as we kneel in the presence of our Lord and Savior and examine our self as the Scripture tells us we should do at a time like this. Would you join me?

Lord, we have such a tendency to try to understand things, understand the mechanical, and Lord some things are a mystery to us. We just don't understand them. But this we've learned, that if You've said it, it's true, because You are truth. You said if we confess our sins You are faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us of all unrighteousness. And Lord we want to be purified of our sin because we want to be able to enjoy Your presence.

You said if we confess and believe, we can be saved. And Lord we desire to be saved. And so Lord, as we now partake of these elements, we do so in remembrance of You, and we do so by faith believing in Your word. Let's partake of the bread and also the cup.

And we do give thanks today Lord. Let's say thank you Lord -- Thank you Lord. Let's say hallelujah -- hallelujah. Hallelujah. We worship You this day for You are great and greatly to be praised, and all of God's people said, amen. Amen.