Communion Message
All of Our Best Intentions
September 26, 2004
Pastor Leighton Sheley

In preparing for our time together today, I was reminded of something that took place in my home a long, long, long time ago. I've said often times that I've learned more about our heavenly Father's love for us by being a father than I could have ever learned if I had read thousands and thousands of books.

My son was about three, maybe four, maybe five, somewhere in there, it was tax time and we were struggling to make ends meet, we had a single income, and for some reason that year I had failed to arrange for enough withholding. That issue was compounded by the fact that I had nothing in savings, and I was a stressed dad. I know some of you men have been in those kinds of situations.

Well I must have not been very good at keeping my stress a secret because my some walked into my little office there at the home as I was trying to figure out how to deal with this issue. And I can remember this day, he said, Daddy, will this help? And he opened up his hand and in his hand was one penny. Believe me folks that was his best, and that was his all. That was a gift from grandpa.

And I've got that penny taped to a 3 x 5 card in my memorabilia with the date and the circumstances, but the story is right here and will be with me for the rest of my life. With all of his best intentions, with giving everything that he had, it wasn't enough to pay the IRS.

With all of our best intentions, with us giving everything we have, it's not enough to pay the price of our redemption. We cannot save ourselves. Thanks be to God who has paid the price of our redemption by going to Calvary's cross and suffering there for our sin, and furthermore, we don't have to hide from him. He invites us to come.

We find these words written for us in Hebrews: Since the children have flesh and blood (speaking of us), he (speaking of Jesus) also shared in their humanity so that by his death he might destroy him who holds the power of death--that is, the devil-- and free those who all their lives were held in slavery by fear of death. For surely it is not angels he helps, but Abraham's descendants (and elsewhere we find where people of faith in God, we are considered Abraham's descendants).

For this reason he had to be made like his brothers in every way, in order that he might become a merciful and faithful high priest in service to God, and that he might make atonement for the sins of the people. Because he himself suffered when he was tempted, he is able to help those who are being tempted.

Therefore, since we have a great high priest who has gone through the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold firmly to the faith we profess. For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but we have one who has been tempted in every way, just as we are-and yet was without sin. Let us then approach the throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need.

Each and every one of us today is in a time of need, because each and every one of us has sinned in some fashion, but let us come before the throne to seek his mercy and his grace in our time of need.

I invite you, if you are physically able, to join with me now as we kneel in the presence of our Lord and Savior.

Lord, we are forever thankful that our salvation is not dependent upon us. If it were we would be uncertain of where we would be spending eternity. Thank you Lord for giving us the assurance of your holy word. Thank you Lord for Jesus, for Calvary's cross, for the empty tomb, for grace and mercy and love towards us who are so undeserving. Forgive us our sin and cleanse us this day we pray in Jesus' name, and the elements we now partake of, we take of in remembrance of you proclaiming your death until you come again. Let's partake of the bread and also the cup.

Thank you Lord. Thank you Lord. In Jesus' name we pray, and all God's people said...amen.