Communion Message
More Significant Than The Common Cold
December 25, 2005
Pastor Leighton Sheley

All children are beautiful, and all children are adorable. I remember when my daughter was born and I would inspect her. I could hardly fathom how that little 5 lb. 11 oz. could contain life. I used to put my pinky in her hand and she would wrap her fingers around it, and she only covered the tip of my pinky; that little hand. We had a practice - we'd get in the car and her car seat was next to mine, and while I was driving I would put my hand out and she would put her hand on mine. She would hold my pinky. As she grew older she would hold the finger; as you grow older she would hold the hand; now she doesn't hold my hand because she's driving.

I remember looking into her eyes and thinking this is new life, these are new possibilities, these are new dreams, these are new horizons; I think that every parent does, perhaps my child will be the child that finds the cure for the common cold. Isn't it beautiful? Isn't he or she adorable?

Jesus Christ was more beautiful and more adorable for "He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation. For by him all things were created: things in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or powers or rulers or authorities; all things were created by him and for him. He is before all things, and in him all things hold together. And he is the head of the body, the church; he is the beginning and the firstborn from among the dead, so that in everything he might have the supremacy. For God was pleased to have all his fullness dwell in him, and through him to reconcile to himself all things, whether things on earth or things in heaven, by making peace through his blood, shed on the cross.

Once you were alienated from God and were enemies in your minds because of your evil behavior. But now he has reconciled you by Christ's physical body through death to present you holy in his sight, without blemish and free from accusation."

"If anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come! All this is from God, who reconciled us to himself through Christ and gave us the ministry of reconciliation: that God was reconciling the world to himself in Christ, not counting men's sins against them. And he has committed to us the message of reconciliation. We are therefore Christ's ambassadors, as though God were making his appeal through us. We implore you on Christ's behalf: Be reconciled to God. God made him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God."

Jesus, the child, cured something more significant than the common cold, for the Scriptures tell us that our sin was transferred to him and he died on Calvary's cross for our sin.

The Scriptures tell us that to at times like this we should examine our self, and I'd 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 you called us to be your ambassadors, and Lord we...we're not very good at it. You are perfect - we are not. Each and every one of us sin against you each and every day in thought, word or deed. We come to you this day as your words says: if we confess our sin and you are faithful and just, and will forgive us our sin, and cleanse us from all unrighteousness. Forgive us Lord we pray in Jesus' name. And in remembrance we partake now of the bread and also the cup.

Let's take a few moments and joyfully greet with 'Merry Christmas' our neighbors who've come to worship today.