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Sabbath, April 23, 2005 Newark Seventh-Day Adventist Church
Romans 8:31-35 Pastor Tom Hughes

Communion Service Message

Father in heaven as we open Your Word, we pray that You will bless us as we read it and as we celebrate what You did for us on the cross. In these songs that we sing, in our musical Communion, and observance of the good gift that You gave us on Calvary’s cross, it is truly amazing love that You, our King, should die for us. Bless us now as we continue in our service. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

Romans 8:31-32… “What shall we then say to these things? If God be for us, who can be against us?
32He who did not spare his own Son, but delivered him up for us all, how shall he not with him also freely give us all things?”

In other words, if God gave you Jesus Christ to die on the cross in your place to pay for your sins, how can He give us any greater gift than that? Amen? And it is amazing that our King died on the cross to set us free; that Christ the King of the Universe left His throne in glory, came millions of miles all the way down here to this lowly planet; died on the cross so that we could have eternal life!

Now God says to you, If you will believe in Me… it’s very simple, people. If we woke up tomorrow morning and every Bible was blank except for John 3:16, we would have enough Biblical knowledge to find salvation – without a doubt.

John 3:16…“For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.”

When he gave His us Jesus, He gave us all things. Amen?

When he gave His us Jesus, He took all our sins and nailed them to the cross. That means every single thing you’ve ever done wrong in your life, every single thing you regret, every single fault you have, every mistake you’ve made – everything you’ve ever done that is wrong or evil – if you believe that Jesus Christ is your Savior and you receive Him this morning, you will be forgiven – completely – for every single one of those sins. They will be blotted out. Those sins will be nailed to that cross. When you receive this Communion, you will be washed, you will be clean, and you will have eternal life!

It doesn’t get any better than that! Do we deserve it? Absolutely, not. Can we find it in our hearts to let God love us even though we don’t deserve it?

You know I have seven grandchildren. My son just told me that next Sabbath he’ll be preaching his first sermon. My son who was an atheist, by the way, ten years ago – at least that’s what he told his dad. “Dad, I’m an atheist.”

“Well, congratulations, son, you’ve just taken your first step toward God.”

Not the reaction he was looking for.

“Whad’da you mean?”

“Well, it’s a circle, son. J Until you question God, you can’t find Him. And when you question Him, you’re about as far away from Him as you could get. So every step you take from now on is only going to bring you closer to Him.”

He looked at me like I was out of my mind; but I wasn’t out of my mind. And we prayed for him. My dear wife prayed for him every day. And he gave his heart to Jesus, and I had the privilege of re-baptizing my son.

And I love my son. I would die for my son in an instant without thinking about it for even a second. I will tell you right now if it’s a choice between him and me, it’s gonna be me! ‘Cause I love him with all my heart and I would do anything that is Christian and principled to avail him of every blessing ‘cause I love my son!

And he told me his son, my grandson, who’s seven years old, for the last month has been getting his dad to look up Bible texts for him because he has a sermon he wants to preach about how Jesus is greater than the world! J Seven years old! Now I want to hear that sermon! And I don’t care; I want to hear that one. That’s one I want to hear! Wouldn’t you just love to see what a born again seven year old has to say about his Savior? That would be interesting to me.

My great, great, great grandfather prayed for his descendants that they would be ministers that God would call his descendants to the ministry and use them in a mighty way. He was a Welsh Congregationalist minister. His son became a minister. Then my grandfather who was a piano player for the Orpheus Glee Club and toured with them doing Christian hymns all over Wales.
I was in the ministry for ten years before I ever knew about my great, great, great grandfather’s prayer. I was already in the ministry for ten years before I even heard the story; so, it wouldn’t surprise me.

Now you know how much I love my son and my grandson. When I give my grandson a gift, he doesn’t say to me, “Dad, it’s too much. Take it back. I don’t deserve it. I don’t want it.”

Has anybody here ever had a grandchild who when you gave them a gift they said, “Oh, no, please, I can’t accept it. Get it away from me!”

What do they usually do: “Oh! Thank you!…” rip, rip, tear!

Little kids know how to receive love, don’t they? They don’t question it. They feel they deserve it “‘cause that’s my Pop Pop, and if he buys me a gift, he loves me, man. I know my Pop Pop loves me. So if my Pop Pop hands me a gift, he wants me to have it! I’m making him happy by accepting it. It thrills him for me to accept it. So I’m gonna just thrill him to death, man! Gimme that present! Thank you, Pop Pop!”

Now I’ve literally seen them jump up and down, dance with glee, fight to tear that paper off, get mad when the paper wouldn’t come off ‘cause they were upset; ‘cause they wanted to get in there and get that present!

Now God says to us, “My child, I love you. Here’s eternal life. I forgive you for all your sins. Here’s the greatest gift I could ever give you. Here’s my only begotten Son! I will let Him die for you!”

And we sit there and stare at it like we could care less! We can’t even find it in our hearts to say, “Amen!” or “Thank You, God!” We don’t jump up and down, we don’t rip the paper off – we take it for granted! We take if for granted as if it means nothing!

And the resurrection of Jesus Christ: He is alive from the dead! If you really believe that how can you live your life the same old way you always have? How can you not let it change you?

Romans 8:33-34…“Who shall bring a charge against God's elect? It is God who justifies.
34Who is he who condemns? It is Christ who died, and furthermore is also risen, who is even at the right hand of God, who also makes intercession for us.”

Christ says you’re pure.

Christ says you’re holy.

Christ says you’re forgiven.

Christ gives you complete and absolute and total forgiveness for all your sins, washes you in his blood, and gives it to you!

H. M. S. Richards said,
“It’s not hard, it’s not complicated. If you believe, you get it.”

He (Jesus) says, “Whosoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.”

Do you believe in Jesus?

Do you love Him?

Do you have faith in Him?

Do you trust Him? Then you get it! You get eternal life!

Here it is! Here’s the greatest gift ever given to anyone in the history of the universe. It’s yours today!

Will you let God love you?

Will you accept it?

Will you receive it like a little grandchild and say, “I know I’m not worthy, but thank You, God! I want it. I’ll take it. Change my life, God, and help me to live for You from this moment on.”

Father in heaven as we separate to wash one another’s feet, may we truly accept this gift. As our feet are washed, make the sins be washed away in the murky water. May we be made pure and holy by being justified by His grace. May we come back in here to celebrate the bread and the wine and to rejoice in the beautiful gift that You have given us. We pray in Jesus’ name. Amen, and Amen.

Symbols: Foot Washing, Unleavened Bread, Grape Juice, not alcoholic

All Scriptural References: New King James Version

Ellen G. White References: www.whiteestate.org

Transcription: Wendy J. Riebel

This sermon is also available on cassette tape.

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