Communion Message
The Birth of Jesus Christ
December 5, 2004
Pastor Leighton Sheley

This is how the birth of Jesus came about: His mother Mary was pledged to be married to Joseph, but before they came together, she was found to be with child through the Holy Spirit. Because Joseph her husband was a righteous man and did not want to expose her to public disgrace, he had in mind to divorce her quietly. But after he had considered this, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream and said, "Joseph son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary home as your wife, because what is conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit. She will give birth to a son, and you are to give him the name Jesus, because he will save his people from their sins."

All of this took place to fulfill what the Lord had said through the prophet: "The virgin will be with child and will give birth to a son, and they will call him Immanuel" --which means, "God with us."

The Scriptures reveal to us the condition of man. They reveal to us how we got into this condition. Before mankind's decision to sin against God in the garden, we used to, as the Scriptures say, be able to walk with Him in the cool of the day; a very close relationship with God that was severed because of sin. But God through His infinite grace and His goodness desired to be reconciled to us and us be reconciled to Him, and He provided that through Jesus Christ.

Paul writes in Romans 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.

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!

May God bless the reading of His holy word. The Scriptures say at times like this we should examine our self, and so I'd like to invite you to join me as we kneel in the presence of our Lord and Savior.

Lord we are so thankful that You have been so gracious and good towards us who are so undeserving, and that You continue to be gracious to us for each and every one of us sin against You each and every day in some fashion. In either thought, word, or deed, we do things that are displeasing to you.

Thanks be to Your word that says if we confess our sin You are faithful and just and will forgive us our sin and cleanse us from all unrighteousness. Lord we ask You this day to forgive us our sin and to cleanse us, and the elements that we hold remind us of the price that has been paid for our salvation because of our sin.

Let's partake together of the bread in remembrance of Him, and also the cup.

Thank you Lord that we can be reconciled to You. Thank you Lord for Christmas. Thank you Lord for Christ, in Jesus' name we pray, and all God's people said, amen.