Communion Message
The Eucharist is Giving Thanks
November 23, 2003
Pastor Leighton Sheley

Reading from 1 Corinthians:
For I received from the Lord what I also passed on to you: The Lord Jesus, on the night He was betrayed, took bread, and when He had given thanks, He broke it and said, "This is My body, which is for you; do this in remembrance of Me." In the same way, after supper He took the cup, saying, "This cup is the new covenant in My blood; do this, whenever you drink it, in remembrance of Me." For whenever you eat this bread and drink this cup, you proclaim the Lord's death until He comes.

This is Thanksgiving week and in the days to come we will be preparing to gather together with loved ones and give thanks to the Lord for all of the blessings that He has given to us as individuals, families, community, church, and as a nation. The time that we gather together week after week around this table is called by different names. In some circles it's called the Lord's Supper, in other circles it's called the Lord's Table, in other circles it's called the breaking of the bread, in other circles it's called the Eucharist.

That word Eucharist is from the original Greek word eucharisteo and that word is found in this passage that I just read to you from 1 Corinthians, and it's the word for thanks. And when He, Jesus, had given thanks, eucharisteo.

One of the commentaries that I read this week observed that being thankful, being grateful, requires memory. Being grateful, being thankful is the product of memory. Often times we'll have things brought to our memory; we'll remember some kindness that some person has done for us and we are thankful and we are grateful to that person for that kindness. As we gather together week after week, we remember the kindness that Christ has given to us. We do this in remembrance of Him.

As I was thinking about our time together I was reminded of a story that I was told over a decade ago, in fact over a quarter-century ago, come to think of it, back when I was in Bible College. I was told a story of a convention, a denominational convention, that was called. And that denominational convention was a place where the various pastors and ministry leaders would gather together to be encouraged and to determine where the denomination was going, and give their reports and so forth. And there was an arrogant attitude, an atmosphere at this particular denomination convention.

And the ministry leaders were busy talking about how successful they were and the numbers that they had in attendance, and the budgets they had to work with, and there at that convention was a very godly, humble denominational leader whose heart was pricked that such an atmosphere would exist at that convention. He was one of the featured speakers. He was one that they really look forward to because he was a great orator, and they were looking forward to him finding for them some buried treasure is scripture and revealing that to them.

And it finally came his session and he stood up in front of those church leaders and he said, I want to thank the Lord for saving me from pornography. And a hush settled across that congregation. He said, I want to thank the Lord for saving me from adultery. I want to thank the Lord for saving me from a life of theft. I want to thank the Lord for saving me from...and he went on and gave a litany of confessions that would embarrass any of us, and then he sat down and there was a stunned silence in the room. And his loving wife of many years leaned over and said, honey, I didn't know the Lord had saved you out of those things. And he leaned back to his wife and he said, honey, the Lord didn't save me out of those things, He saved me from those things.

He didn't save me out of those things; He saved me from getting into those things.

Jeremiah the prophet says the heart is deceitful above all things and beyond cure. Who can understand it? Jesus said for out of the heart come evil thoughts, murder, adultery, sexual immorality, theft, false testimony, and slander. These are what make a man unclean. Were it not for God and His graciousness to us, our hearts, deceitful as they are, as evil as they are, could run rampant.

If there is any good thing in any one of us, it is because God has placed that goodness in us. And to Him this day we give thanks, not only for saving us out of sinful and destructive lifestyles, but also for saving us from sinful and destructive lifestyles. If you are physically able I'd like to invite you to join with me now as we kneel in the presence of our Lord and Savior. The Scriptures say at times like this we should examine our self.

Lord, this day we confess that we are sinners, that our hearts are prone to wander from the God we love. We thank you Lord for the work of Your Holy Spirit in our lives. We thank you Lord for the patience with which You, by the work of Your Holy Spirit, mold and make us more into the image of Your Son Jesus Christ. If there is any good thing in us, it is because You have placed it there. We are saved by grace through faith in Jesus Christ not by works.

We thank you Lord that Your word says if we confess our sin You are faithful and just and will forgive us our sin and cleanse us from all unrighteousness. We thank you Lord for going to Calvary's cross and paying the wages of our sin. And Lord these elements that we now partake of we partake of in remembrance and gratefulness and thanksgiving to You. Let's partake of the bread and also the cup.

Thank you Lord, thank you Lord. For all that You've done, for all that You're going to do, we give You thanks, in Jesus' name we pray, and all God's people said...amen.