Message Summary: “The central truth of the gospel is that God has provided a way of salvation for men through the gift of His son to the world. He suffered as a sacrifice for sin, overcame death, and now offers a share in His triumph to all who will accept it. The gospel is good news because it is a gift of God, not something that must be earned by penance or by self-improvement.” - Wycliffe Bible Encyclopedia

Listen to this message on your audio player.

"Be on guard for yourselves and for all the flock, among which the Holy Spirit has made you overseers, to shepherd the church of God which He purchased with His own blood" (Acts 20:28). "Knowing that you were not redeemed with perishable things like silver or gold from your futile way of life inherited from your forefathers, but with precious blood, as of a lamb unblemished and spotless, the blood of Christ" (1 Peter 1:18.19). "And having been made perfect, He became to all those who obey Him the source of eternal salvation" (Hebrews 5:9).


For over 40 years Brooksyne and I have been donating blood, beginning in our college years in Springfield, Missouri before we got married. Periodically in our Daily Encouragement messages we share with our readers an illustration from our blood donating experiences. A Community Blood Drive is held every two months at a local hardware store here in Mount Joy where the self-contained "Bloodmobile" is set up in the parking lot. In fact it will be here again this coming Saturday and we will once again be donating.

From the outset we want to make it clear that the motivation for our donating lifesaving blood is to help others who are in need of blood due to surgery, trauma or other medical reasons. Ester benefitted many times from blood donations during her open heart surgeries and about fourteen years ago I was given two pints of blood to replenish the loss of blood during a major operation.

Most readily donate blood because of the obvious need but Blood Centers also offer additional incentives such as several seen on the poster. We can always manage to find something at JB Hostetter hardware store for $5.00 or combine our vouchers for $10.00 of a higher priced item. For several years now they have offered two ticket vouchers for our local Minor League baseball team, the Lancaster Barnstormers.

In early July when we were in line waiting to donate, a lady offered us her ticket vouchers since she didn't plan to use them. Stephen accepted them gladly informing her that we used the vouchers in the past to take others to the game such as our Amish and Zimbabwean friends. Other donors apparently overheard our conversation and also offered their vouchers as they did not expect to use so we walked out with 14 vouchers!

Last week we mentioned a visit to an Amish home in which the young father is dying of cancer and shared about it in this message: "The God On The Mountain, Is Still God In The Valley". Knowing how hard this is on the children I offered to take the two young sons to a Barnstormer baseball game, their very first. Friday evening we went, along with their cousins, so it was quite a sight, this big English guy old enough to be their grandpa, walking along with little Amish boys. The boys enjoyed the baseball game, since they play baseball during recess outside their one room schoolhouse, as well as the fireworks after the game. We even saw Mad Chad, the chainsaw juggler, so they had quite a good time.

But our spiritual lesson today comes from my observation of what was printed on the ticket. Where the price of the ticket is indicated rather than a dollar amount it states "Blood". In a sense our tickets were paid for due to our donation of blood along with the other donors who gave us their vouchers. Now that was a significant donation since the field box seats where we sat run for $12.00 each which would have set me back $60.00. But it doesn't compare to an infinitely greater blood donation.

Today's first Scripture text is a part of the Apostle Paul's departing message to the Ephesian elders. He reminds them to "Be on guard for yourselves and for all the flock, among which the Holy Spirit has made you overseers, to shepherd the church of God which He purchased with His own blood" (Acts 20:28). What a marvel to consider that He purchased the church of God with His own blood.

And we can further individualize this purchase (redemption) with a powerful truth from the Apostle Peter in our second text, "Knowing that you were not redeemed with perishable things like silver or gold from your futile way of life inherited from your forefathers, but with precious blood, as of a lamb unblemished and spotless, the blood of Christ." As an old chorus states, "He paid a debt He did not owe. I owed a debt I could not pay. I needed someone to wash my sins away. And now I sing a brand new song, Amazing Grace. Christ Jesus paid the debt that I could never pay."

The final Scripture selection today has two words revealing the infinite value of Christ's blood sacrifice; He is the source of "eternal salvation".

“The central truth of the gospel is that God has provided a way of salvation for men through the gift of His son to the world. He suffered as a sacrifice for sin, overcame death, and now offers a share in His triumph to all who will accept it. The gospel is good news because it is a gift of God, not something that must be earned by penance or by self-improvement.” - Wycliffe Bible Encyclopedia



Be encouraged today,


Stephen & Brooksyne Weber

Daily prayer: Father, I am eternally grateful for Jesus who imputed His righteousness in me, just as You imputed my sin into the sinless Lamb of God who poured out His life for me on the cross. Through this merciful and selfless sacrifice of Christ I am justified. Jesus truly paid the price for my salvation just as if I'd died for my sins and yet He removed the penalty of sin for those of us who truly repent and believe. Thank You for this wondrous eternal gift paid in full by the atoning work of Your Son, Jesus, in whose name I pray.  Amen.

---

---

"Redeemed"  Video  Gaither Vocal Band

"Only By The Blood"  Video  Brian Free and Assurance

"Redeemed"  Video  Big Daddy Weave

"That's What The Blood Is For"   Video  Jason Crabb

"He Took My Place"  Video  Jason Bare    I heard this song for the first time this morning as I was listening to WDAC, our local Christian radio station and realized what a great message as it related to our theme today.

Finally today: