Communion Message
(On Eagles Wings)
January 26, 2003
Pastor Leighton Sheley

Pastor Ron Walters, one of our ministry team here, was preaching a sermon one Sunday night and he went into depth on what it means to be borne up on the wings of eagles. He told us that eagles will prepare their nests high in the trees or preferably high in the cliffs, and of course, those little eaglets have life pretty easy for a period of time. They're fairly protected where they are.

A number of years back I was out with some of our men up at Shasta, and we had an opportunity to see the majesty of an eagle. Those wings must stand 10 - 12 feet. That bird was just incredibly gorgeous. A little later we saw that same bird, we're pretty sure it was the same bird, surrounded by we counted 14 vultures. And they were having a disagreement, 14 against one. And that eagle was holding its own against those 14 big birds. Beautiful majestic creatures.

Well at a point in time the parent of the eaglet will take that eaglet and soar high into the sky and drop that eaglet. Now that eaglet has lived comfortably in his nest and he has no idea of how to fly. It's flight training 101. And that little eaglet is crying out for help and screaming and just humbling and summer salting all through the air, and just before it seems like all hope is gone and the eaglet will lose its life dashed against the rock, that parent eagle will swoop down at incredible speeds and will grab hold of that eaglet; catch it, and take it back up and do it again, and again, and again.

Now I'm sure I've never been in the mind of an eaglet, but I'm sure that first time down he isn't thinking about flying at all. He's thinking about the ground rushing up to meet him. But after that relationship is built of trust, he doesn't have to worry about dashing against the ground, he's more able to concentrate on learning how to fly. Because you see he wasn't designed by God to spend his entire life safe in a nest. He was designed by God to soar, and when he soars he glorifies his creator.

Often times it seems like we have been dumped from a high altitude and we are the humbling and summer salting and we see disease, death, and destruction rushing up towards us, and it seems like all hope is gone. But God has promised to never leave us nor forsake us. He is our protector. He is our tower of refuge. He is our mighty fortress, and the Scriptures say if you call on His name, you will be saved. Many of us that come and gather together in this place have called on the name of Jesus to save us from our sin, to save us from sins destiny, and often times we call on Him time and again to cleanse us, to purify us, to refresh us.

We find these words recorded for us in Romans chapter 5: Therefore, since we have been justified through faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have gained access by faith into this grace in which we now stand. And we rejoice in the hope of the glory of God. Not only so, but we also rejoice in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character; and character, hope. And hope does not disappoint us, because God has poured out his love into our hearts by the Holy Spirit, whom he has given us.

You see, at just the right time, when we were still powerless, Christ died for the ungodly. Very rarely will anyone die for a righteous man, though for a good man someone might possibly dare to die. But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.

Since we have now been justified by his blood, how much more shall we be saved from God's wrath through him! For if, when we were God's enemies, we were reconciled to him through the death of his Son, how much more, having been reconciled, shall we be saved through his life! Not only is this so, but we also rejoice in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have now received reconciliation.

Reconciliation is a word that has to do with relationship. You see, before mankind's decision to sin, to rebel against God, the Scriptures say that God used to walk with us in the cool of the day. We enjoyed a personal relationship, a personal friendship, with God. But because of sin, because of mankind's decision, that relationship was severed. For sinful man cannot stand in the presence of a holy God.

But God has not left us to destruction. He provided a means of reconciling us to Himself through Jesus Christ. The word here says, Since we have now been justified by his blood. Justified means just as if -- just as if. We stand before God just as if we had never sin. We are garbed in righteousness provided by Jesus Christ. The Scriptures say at times like these we should examine our self, and so I would like to invite you, if you're physically able, to join with me now as we kneel in the presence of our Lord and Savior.

Lord we thank you that you are ever faithful, that you never leave us, never forsake us. So often, Lord, we leave You. We forsake You. We choose a different course. We think things and say things and do things that are displeasing to You. We don't bring glory to You. Lord we thank you for Your word which says if we confess our sin You are faithful and just and will forgive us our sin and cleanse us from all unrighteousness. Lord as we partake of these elements this day in Jesus' name and remembrance of Him we ask You to forgive us and to cleanse us. Let's partake of the bread, and also the cup.

Thank you Lord. Thank you Lord. Thank you for Your faithfulness. In Jesus' name we pray, and all God's people said, amen. Let's stand and greet those who have come to worship with us.