Communion Message
(Greed)
July 14, 2002
Pastor Leighton Sheley

There is this story that is captured for us and recorded in the book of Luke 12th chapter, which records: Someone in the crowd said to him, that is Jesus, "Teacher, tell my brother to divide the inheritance with me." Jesus replied, "Man, who appointed me a judge or an arbitrator between you?" Then he said to them who were present, "Watch out! Be on your guard against all kinds of greed; a man's life does not consist in the abundance of his possessions."

And he told them this parable: The ground of a certain rich man produced a good crop. He thought to himself, 'What shall I do? I have no place to store my crops.' Then he said, 'This is what I'll do. I'll tear down my barns and build bigger ones, and there I will store all my grain and my goods. And I'll say to myself, "You have plenty of good things laid up for many years. Take life easy; eat, drink and be merry."'

But God said to him, 'You fool! This very night your life will be demanded from you. Then who will get what you have prepared for yourself?' This is how it will be with anyone who stores up things for himself but is not rich toward God."

You know, when we read through the Gospels time and time again, Jesus is addressing those who are there talking about the distractions of this world. I look at how this Western civilization in America is set up in society and it seems like there is a conspiracy to keep us busy. I think you probably know what I'm talking about. I remember a time when you could go in and get a smog check in 15 minutes; now it takes a whole lot longer. These mundane everyday things of life take our time and distract us from spiritual things.

I'm thankful that we have a church family where we gather together week after week and are reminded to look at things through God's eyes, because it puts things into proper balance. In life it shows us what's really important. What does it prophet a man if he gained the whole world and lose his soul? There's nothing more important than the state of your soul.

Now God has provided salvation for your soul, but He will not force you to be saved. He extends it as a gift. And like any gift, you have the choice of excepting or rejecting that gift of salvation. Salvation is a singular event insomuch as it's a point of time when we make that decision to declare Jesus Christ to be our Lord and our Savior. But it's also a process because we are by our very nature sinful and rebellious against the ways of God. There's a struggle the takes place within us each and every day between the old nature and the new nature, as Paul describes it in the book of Romans. Sometimes the old nature wins and we think, and we say, and we do things that are displeasing to God, that are rebellious against God, and that's sin.

Each and every day we need to call upon God for His forgiveness and for His cleansing. And that's what we do Sunday after Sunday when we gather around the Lord's table and partake in communion. I would like to extend the invitation to you this morning, if you're physically able, to join with me now as we kneel in the presence of our Lord and Savior.

Lord we are thankful for Your word because it is through Your word that we have insight into the unseen world in which we live. It's because of Your word that we know of You, and we know of Your kingdom. It's because of Your word that we know how desperate we are as sinners; how desperately in need of Your salvation.

It's because of Your word we know that You have had a plan to save us, and in the fullness of Your time, You sent forth Your only begotten Son born of the virgin; Jesus Christ, who lived a perfect life, who died on Calvary's cross not for anything that He had done for He was without guilt, but to pay the wages of our sin. He left an empty tomb as evidence that He had power over sin and death.

Thank you Lord for loving us with such a great love, an everlasting love. Thank you Lord for paying the wages of our sin. As we partake now we do so in remembrance of You. Let's partake of the bread and also the cup.

There is a story that's captured for us in Luke chapter 17. It tells about Jesus being on His way to Jerusalem and healing ten men who had leprosy. He told them to go and show themselves to the priest. And one of them, when he saw that he was healed, came back, praising God in a loud voice, and threw himself at Jesus' feet and thanked Him; and he was a Samaritan.

Jesus asked, "Were not all ten cleansed? Where are the other nine? Was no one found to return and give praise to God except this foreigner?" Then he said to him, "Rise and go; your faith has made you well." I would not want to be guilty of ingratitude as the nine. Let's give praise to the Lord and thanks this day.

(worship song is sung)