Communion Message
Doctor, when do I die?
October 30, 2005
Pastor Leighton Sheley

David C. Needham says there's a true story of a little boy whose sister needed a blood transfusion. The doctor explained that she had the same disease the boy had recovered from just two years earlier, and her only chance of recovery was a transfusion from someone who had previously conquered the disease. Since the two children had the same rare blood type the boy was an ideal donor, and so the doctor asked: "Johnny, would you give your blood to Mary?" Johnny hesitated and his lower lip started to tremble, then he smiled and said, "Sure, for my sister, sure."

Soon the two children were wheeled into the hospital room; Mary, pale and thin, Johnny, robust and healthy. Neither spoke but when their eyes met, Johnny grinned. As the nurse inserted the needle into his arms, Johnny's smile faded. He watched the blood flow through the tube, and with the ordeal almost over Johnny's voice, slightly shaky, broke the silence. Johnny said: "Doctor, when do I die?"

Only then did the doctor realize why Johnny had hesitated, why his lip had trembled when he agreed to donate his blood. He thought that giving blood to his sister would mean giving up his own life, and in that brief moment he had made his great decision. That true story of that little boy...he thought that he was going to give up his life.

Two thousand years ago a boy came into this world knowing that he would have to give up his life, Jesus Christ. This boy's motivation was love, self-sacrificial love for his sister. The boy of two thousand years ago's motivation was love, the greatest love mankind has ever experienced.

Ephesians says: "How we praise God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly realms because we belong to Christ. Long ago, even before he made the world, God loved us and chose us in Christ to be holy and without fault in his eyes. His unchanging plan has always been to adopt us into his own family by bringing us to himself through Jesus Christ. And this gave him great pleasure. So we praise God for the wonderful kindness he has poured out on us because we belong to his dearly loved Son. He is so rich in kindness that he purchased our freedom through the blood of his Son, and our sins are forgiven."

The Scripture says without the shedding of blood there is no covering; there is no remission of sins. Jesus shed his blood on Calvary, not for any sin that he had committed, because he had committed none, but for the sins that we have committed.

The Scriptures say at times like this we should examine our self, and I would like to invite you, if you are physically able, to join with me now as we kneel in the presence of our Lord and Savior.

Lord the elements that we hold remind us of so many things. They remind us of your great love for us. They remind us that you have made promises in times past. They remind us that you keep your promises. They remind us of the birth of a child in Bethlehem. They remind us of the death on Calvary. They remind us of the empty tomb. They remind us of the great love where with which you have loved us. They remind us of the price of our sin. They remind us that that price has been fully paid. Lord we partake of these sacred elements in remembrance of you. Let us partake of the bread, and also the cup.

Singing - If ever I loved thee, my Jesus is now.

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