back to indexBerean Community Church - Good Friday Service
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>> Good evening, everybody. Welcome to our evening Good Friday service. We're glad you can join us to give worship to our Lord this night. And it is a special night in that at the center of our faith is our Savior Jesus Christ. And at the center of the redemptive plan is what we celebrate this week, Christ's death and resurrection, which to us is afforded to us our great salvation. And so again, we are privileged and we're glad that we're able to worship in this way. 00:13:49.000 |
And before we begin, I would like to just mention that if you are new, you're just joining us and tuning in for the first time, I want to welcome you and say that if you would like to connect with anybody at church or welcome team or any of the pastors, in the description of the video, there is a link for a welcome card. Please click that and give us your contact so that we can reach out to you. 00:14:08.000 |
Also, I'd like to give a reminder that this Sunday, we're going to be having our Easter service stream live at 10am. So please make sure you tune in for that as well. Also, I'd like to say a warm welcome and hi to our brothers and sisters from across life, virtually saying welcome to you. It's a great privilege for us to be able to again worship together with our brothers and sisters in that way. 00:14:31.000 |
If you would take a moment now to turn in your Bibles to Luke chapter 23, verses 33 through 46, I would like to take a moment to read from scripture the accounts of what happened on Friday. The verses will also be on your screen as you follow along. 00:14:48.000 |
And the scripture says, starting from verse 33, 00:15:13.000 |
And even the rulers were sneering at him, saying, "He saved others. Let him save himself if this is the Christ of God, his chosen one." 00:15:24.000 |
The soldiers also mocked him, coming up to him, offering him sour wine and saying, "If you are the king of the Jews, save yourself." 00:15:32.000 |
Now there was also an inscription above him, "This is the king of the Jews." One of the criminals who were hanging there was hurling abuse at him, saying, "Are you not the Christ? Save yourself and us!" 00:15:45.000 |
But the other answered and rebuking him said, "Do you not even fear God, since you are under the same sentence of condemnation? And we indeed are suffering justly, for we are receiving what we deserve for our deeds. But this man has done nothing wrong." 00:16:02.000 |
And he was saying, "Jesus, remember me when you come in your kingdom." And he said to him, "Truly I say to you, today you shall be with me in paradise." 00:16:14.000 |
It was now about the sixth hour, and darkness fell over the whole land until the ninth hour, because the sun was obscured, and the veil of the temple was torn in two. 00:16:24.000 |
And Jesus, crying out with a loud voice, said, "Father, into your hands I commit my spirit." Having said this, he breathed his last. 00:16:33.000 |
Now when the centurion saw what had happened, he began praising God, saying, "Certainly this man was innocent." 00:16:40.000 |
And all the crowds who came together for this spectacle, when they observed what had happened, began to return, beating their breasts. 00:16:48.000 |
And all this, Quentin says, and the women who accompanied him from the galley were standing at a distance, seeing these things. Amen. 00:16:56.000 |
We're going to begin our evening service with a time of singing praise. After that, there will be a short video presentation. 00:17:03.000 |
But at this time, would you please bow your heads with me in a word of prayer? 00:17:09.000 |
Our God, we truly do want to thank you for the privilege of being able to worship you. 00:17:17.000 |
And Father God, this evening we pray, God, that you would grant to us remembrance of the many times that we have perhaps heard this story. 00:17:27.000 |
Help us, Father God, to know you and your suffering. 00:17:31.000 |
Lord, we know that physically you were beaten. 00:17:35.000 |
Scripture says, Lord, that you have been pierced for our transgressions. 00:17:39.000 |
You were beaten and bruised. You were scourged, Lord. 00:17:43.000 |
But beyond all the physical suffering, we know that you endured an indescribable pain of the wrath of God, having carried our sins on your shoulders. 00:17:56.000 |
And so for that, Lord, your incredible work, we thank you so much. 00:18:00.000 |
And we pray, Father, that every single person this evening would give to you their adoration and praise, 00:18:07.000 |
would give to you their trust and faith, would give to you, Father God, the honor that you are due. 00:18:13.000 |
Lord, we thank you and praise you. It's in Christ's name we pray. Amen. 00:22:45.000 |
Sing, let's rise to enjoy the triumph of your grace. 00:23:12.000 |
And your saints below, join with your saints above. 00:24:07.000 |
Oh, take me deeper into the glories of Calvary. 00:24:45.000 |
Let the water and the blood from thy wounded side explode. 00:25:09.920 |
Not the lame of my year can fulfill thy love's demand. 00:26:46.120 |
I withdraw this bleeding breath when my eyes shall close in death. 00:31:59.240 |
The video that you just saw was a presentation 00:32:03.120 |
of a witnessing that was taking place in Jerusalem 00:32:07.360 |
and a gospel being shared straight out of the Old Testament 00:32:13.280 |
The events that we celebrate and remember this evening 00:32:20.760 |
but the prophecy about what was going to happen 00:32:23.400 |
was prophesied in Isaiah and many other places, 00:32:32.400 |
He left his witness so clearly in the scripture. 00:32:35.560 |
And what we're gonna be reading from and studying from 00:32:38.720 |
is in Isaiah 53, again, from the Old Testament. 00:32:41.520 |
So I'm going to be reading the prelude to Isaiah 53 00:32:45.720 |
and then we'll jump into the text this evening. 00:32:51.160 |
He will be high and lifted up, greatly exalted. 00:32:54.560 |
Just as many were astonished at you, my people, 00:32:56.960 |
so his appearance was marred more than any man 00:33:05.840 |
Kings will shut their mouths on account of him. 00:33:08.680 |
For what had not been told them, they will see, 00:33:11.080 |
and what they had not heard, they will understand. 00:33:19.160 |
Heavenly Father, we come before you with heavy hearts, 00:33:23.480 |
remembering the suffering that Christ endured for our sake. 00:33:31.120 |
that we would not simply be bystanders watching. 00:33:33.700 |
I pray, Father God, that you would bring to remembrance 00:33:42.020 |
We pray, Father, that as we walk through the preparation, 00:33:48.920 |
the prophecies that are laid out in Isaiah 53, 00:33:58.860 |
As you know, all over the world today is celebrated, 00:34:09.400 |
since it is a day that we remember the suffering of Christ? 00:34:17.960 |
humiliating way a human being can ever be executed. 00:34:22.420 |
We don't celebrate the crucifixion because of what happened. 00:34:26.900 |
We celebrate this day because of why it happened. 00:34:31.420 |
And so I wanna go through the text in Isaiah 53, 00:34:42.680 |
So if you have, the parents, if you were able to download, 00:34:56.560 |
There are six things that this text describes for us 00:35:00.120 |
of who Jesus is, and again, why do we call this Good Friday? 00:35:14.280 |
for he grew up before him like a tender shoot, 00:35:29.280 |
If you've ever planted anything in your home, 00:35:31.060 |
or gardening of any kind, a tender shoot is a description 00:35:35.880 |
and you're not sure if this is going to grow. 00:35:38.120 |
There's no nurturing, it doesn't have all the necessities. 00:35:51.120 |
talking about that not only is it a tender shoot, 00:35:56.180 |
but the ground itself could not cultivate it. 00:35:59.980 |
In other words, this is a description of his humanity. 00:36:03.380 |
The Bible says that he left everything, all of his glory, 00:36:06.320 |
and he took on frail humanity, took on a tender shoot. 00:36:12.220 |
what we celebrate this evening, or remember this evening, 00:36:27.820 |
and as he was praying, or Pastor Nate was sharing with us 00:36:31.660 |
about how Jesus was praying at the Garden of Gethsemane, 00:36:36.940 |
and one of my kids asked, "Was Jesus scared?" 00:36:41.740 |
You know, when Jesus prayed before the Father three times, 00:36:49.100 |
"Is there a way for this cup, this suffering, to pass?" 00:36:54.220 |
And yet, he says, "But not my will, but thy will be done." 00:37:02.900 |
all throughout his life, he seemed like Superman. 00:37:08.280 |
when all the fishermen are afraid that they're gonna die, 00:37:16.860 |
he would just walk through the crowd and just disappear. 00:37:20.420 |
If he needed to get anywhere, he would just walk on water. 00:37:23.740 |
He would tell the storm just to stop, and it would stop. 00:37:40.860 |
doesn't seem like he has superhuman abilities. 00:37:43.340 |
But at the Garden of Gethsemane, he looks just like us. 00:37:58.820 |
he's been talking about how he's going to go to the cross, 00:38:01.700 |
how he's gonna be beaten, how he's gonna be buried, 00:38:06.820 |
He's been preparing them for the last three years. 00:38:10.540 |
And yet, just a few hours before the crucifixion, 00:38:38.940 |
But if you look at the text, and again, we can debate this, 00:38:42.040 |
but when you look at the simple presentation of the text, 00:38:51.420 |
Like any other human being, he saw the suffering coming, 00:39:09.000 |
because that's exactly how I would be feeling 00:39:10.940 |
in that situation, knowing that in just a few hours, 00:39:14.980 |
not only would I be beaten, I'd be crucified, nailed, 00:39:17.660 |
and I would experience the most excruciating pain 00:40:00.300 |
Anytime he was hungry, he could've turned fish, 00:40:07.100 |
Because the only reason why he performed these miracles 00:40:16.540 |
I think Jesus lived a very ordinary life, like us. 00:40:25.060 |
Sometimes we think of our Messiah as superhuman. 00:41:15.940 |
nor appearance that we should be attracted to him. 00:41:19.360 |
I don't know about you, but ever since I was young, 00:41:25.860 |
was always blonde hair, blue eyed, fair skin, 00:41:39.860 |
I mean, the picture that I've seen when I was younger, 00:41:49.220 |
He says there was nothing about his physical appearance 00:41:55.700 |
I remember years ago when I first became a Christian 00:42:00.220 |
in the mid 80s, an archeologist who was challenging 00:42:18.640 |
than the pictures that we have in the Western world. 00:42:21.700 |
And I was very curious, so I picked up the article, 00:42:27.860 |
of what a Jewish middle-aged man would have looked like 00:42:31.340 |
who worked with his hands all his life in that area. 00:42:34.340 |
And I remember looking at that picture, and I got scared. 00:42:37.380 |
Because it was so unlike the picture that I had in my head, 00:42:46.220 |
Because that's not a type of person that I would run to. 00:42:49.300 |
Because of Jesus, I pictured in my head, like a movie star. 00:42:55.860 |
He's a type of person that every young teenager 00:42:59.520 |
But the picture of Jesus that I saw in that newspaper 00:43:02.540 |
saying that this is what an average, not an ugly man, 00:43:07.260 |
an average man of this era who worked physically 00:43:13.220 |
His hair was unkept, wrinkles all over his face, 00:43:30.260 |
don't have easy access to medicine or to dentists, 00:43:33.660 |
and they've worked on the field all their lives, 00:43:44.700 |
but I've run into people thinking, treating them, 00:43:53.180 |
40, 50 year olds with no teeth and been out in the sun 00:43:56.020 |
all their life, and they look 20, 30 years older 00:43:59.340 |
than somebody who's in their 40s and 50s here. 00:44:01.860 |
See, we have a Hollywood version of what Christ looks like, 00:44:08.540 |
but the Bible describes that Christ was a man just like us. 00:44:13.980 |
Not only was he like us, physically there was nothing 00:44:16.500 |
about him that we would have been attracted to. 00:44:27.620 |
'cause even politicians have to be attractive. 00:44:33.940 |
Thirdly, Jesus experienced sorrow and grief in his life 00:44:43.460 |
Verse three, he was despised and forsaken of men, 00:45:04.340 |
humanly speaking, he didn't grow up with privilege. 00:45:09.780 |
He experienced suffering like any other human being. 00:45:13.680 |
Hebrews 4, 15, it says, "For we do not have a high priest 00:45:33.940 |
Many people say that Joseph, his father, earthly father, 00:45:42.580 |
is not in the picture by the time Jesus comes into ministry. 00:45:50.780 |
which would have been very typical of that time. 00:45:53.180 |
So being the oldest brother, he had the burden 00:45:57.400 |
to take care of his mother, his brothers, sisters, 00:46:22.900 |
Every measurement that he made was exactly perfect. 00:46:30.860 |
Well, it's not sinful to make crooked tables. 00:46:45.420 |
You know, maybe Jesus may not have been an average child. 00:46:50.300 |
And you know what happens to children who aren't average 00:47:01.020 |
because his parents were always comparing them to Jesus. 00:47:03.820 |
My guess is he experienced suffering like the rest of us. 00:47:12.420 |
I could imagine the loneliness that Jesus must have felt. 00:47:23.340 |
of living in a fallen world is loneliness, isolation. 00:47:31.940 |
and we're trying to connect through the internet, 00:47:38.260 |
when Adam and Eve fall is they hide from each other. 00:47:41.060 |
And you can be surrounded by hundreds of people. 00:47:49.140 |
Loneliness isn't equated with the number of people 00:48:08.140 |
because he was the only one that was righteous. 00:48:19.540 |
In fact, I believe Jesus was more acquainted with sin 00:48:23.740 |
than all of us because he was more fully aware. 00:48:27.140 |
Remember when Jesus was taken up to the mountain 00:48:36.780 |
and shows him all the things that he is in charge of. 00:48:40.380 |
And he says, looking at all the glory of all the kingdoms, 00:48:45.900 |
Can you imagine Jesus looking at all what he has declared, 00:48:58.220 |
because of the filth that was in this kingdom? 00:49:03.260 |
When he was looking at what Satan called glory, 00:49:23.140 |
All that, all the kingdom that Satan is talking about, 00:49:40.500 |
We dress up, we watch our speech, our conduct, 00:50:14.100 |
He experienced the temptation that we experienced. 00:50:22.180 |
and the agonizing prayer that he offered up to his father. 00:50:29.540 |
Now, whether you wanna call it fear or anxiousness, 00:50:37.380 |
was he acquainted with his own grief, number four, 00:50:40.740 |
Jesus also experienced our grief and our sorrows 00:50:48.140 |
Verse four, "Surely our griefs he himself bore 00:50:58.740 |
"But he was pierced through for our transgressions. 00:51:02.820 |
"The chastening for our well-being fell upon him 00:51:12.940 |
the scripture says that he experienced our grief 00:51:24.020 |
you know, I don't know if Jesus would really understand. 00:51:26.420 |
If you are a Jewish man between the age of 30 and 33 00:51:36.660 |
Or maybe if you're a male, you can relate to him. 00:51:43.860 |
so he doesn't know the kind of strife that I have. 00:51:52.740 |
So the challenges that come living in a fallen world 00:52:01.460 |
Well, he knows that more intimately than you and I know. 00:52:14.300 |
You know when they suffer, you suffer along with them. 00:52:23.660 |
He's turning 23 this year, this Sunday actually. 00:52:27.020 |
You know, this is our church's 23rd anniversary 00:52:43.820 |
I was walking back and forth down the hallways 00:52:51.980 |
And I remember that day like it was yesterday, 00:53:03.220 |
So eventually we realized something was wrong, 00:53:16.860 |
and give him lollipop or promise him something 00:53:21.420 |
But as soon as we put him on that x-ray table, 00:53:24.860 |
he was only a year and a half to possibly two years old. 00:53:27.700 |
And as a grown man, I literally had to get on the table 00:53:34.620 |
because he was screaming at the top of his lungs 00:53:44.940 |
was because I was on top of every other part of his body 00:53:59.780 |
and the agony of what my son was going through. 00:54:06.220 |
If you have children or maybe your father or mother. 00:54:15.500 |
we could see the sin that was growing in them. 00:54:54.820 |
I don't remember too many times that I spanked him. 00:55:09.660 |
And again, I'm not in the habit of spanking him, 00:55:21.180 |
And I could tell he felt really bad for disappointing us. 00:56:05.020 |
When they get punished, you get punished with them. 00:56:09.460 |
And as a father, every single one of my children, 00:56:26.900 |
I know that sin is going to bring a hardship. 00:56:37.820 |
Jesus, not only suffered because of his humanity, 00:57:10.500 |
That he'd be willing to let go of all of his glory 00:57:22.380 |
And yet he came and he suffered on our behalf. 00:57:31.660 |
Young, old, rich, poor, educated and uneducated, 00:57:38.100 |
100% of humanity has been infected by this disease. 00:57:43.100 |
And the fatality rate for this infection is 100%. 00:57:48.380 |
When God looked at us, instead of smashing us, 00:58:11.060 |
We esteemed him as strict and smitten by God and afflicted. 00:58:18.020 |
Even though Christ came to die for the sins of the world, 00:58:42.020 |
They thought he was going to feed him and heal him, 00:58:49.340 |
But when it looked like Jesus was just gonna give in, 00:59:37.300 |
and he started hearing, "Barabbas, Barabbas?" 00:59:40.220 |
How do you think he felt when he turned around 00:59:59.180 |
The leaders were angry, the crowds are disappointed, 01:00:12.540 |
the Lord has caused the iniquity of us all to fall on him. 01:00:24.380 |
Jesus kept silent despite the great injustice. 01:00:38.220 |
and like a sheep that is silent before its shearers, 01:00:57.420 |
and it wasn't your fault, but you got into trouble. 01:01:05.620 |
and you got pulled over and they gave you a ticket. 01:01:09.180 |
The whole time, you say, "I didn't do it, I didn't do it." 01:01:14.300 |
Maybe you're at work and you worked your tail off 01:01:19.220 |
and somebody else at work got the promotion besides you 01:01:33.180 |
Do you remember how you felt when you felt injustice? 01:02:01.860 |
they said one of the consistent characteristics 01:02:04.660 |
of somebody in the interrogation who is not guilty 01:02:11.740 |
they react with anger and they persist in their anger, 01:02:46.540 |
When Jesus was being captured by the temple guards, 01:02:51.220 |
Peter took out his sword, he's, "I'm ready to fight." 01:02:55.660 |
Jesus rebukes him, said, "Put your sword away." 01:03:19.560 |
Jesus says, "I could have called 12 legions of angels 01:03:55.760 |
a few days ago, raised Lazarus from the dead. 01:03:59.040 |
This is a man who wakes up from his slumber and says, 01:04:08.480 |
This is a man, all he has to do is say, "Get up and walk." 01:04:16.440 |
And yet, these soldiers come, he says nothing. 01:04:31.040 |
In John 19, 10 through 11, before Pilate, he says, 01:04:36.120 |
"You do not speak to me," Pilate says to him, 01:04:40.220 |
"Do you not know that I have authority to release you 01:04:44.640 |
Jesus answered, "You would have no authority over me, 01:05:22.100 |
You know, I was talking to my wife, thinking, 01:05:27.420 |
just how much restraint that Jesus must have practiced 01:05:33.980 |
Because all Jesus had to do when he became angry 01:05:52.180 |
Consider how often you and I are bitter, are angry, 01:06:01.180 |
what we would do with that power in our anger. 01:06:06.060 |
But Jesus was restrained all his life, all his life. 01:06:11.060 |
The sinners were spitting on him, striking him, 01:06:45.560 |
He wept for them, 'cause he knew what was coming. 01:07:19.800 |
Verse 10, it says, "But the Lord was pleased to crush him, 01:07:27.320 |
"He would render himself as a guilt offering. 01:07:44.660 |
He was pleased in the sense that he willed it. 01:08:13.320 |
Every decision that I made was to protect them. 01:08:18.140 |
Every decision I made was to provide for them, 01:08:23.880 |
But never have I ever even entertained the thought of 01:08:32.940 |
so that another child would benefit from their suffering. 01:08:39.900 |
The father and son planned from the beginning 01:08:55.460 |
he did yell and scream before he gave up his final breath. 01:09:20.380 |
"How could you betray me after all I've done for you?" 01:09:27.060 |
"How can you abandon me in my greatest time of need?" 01:10:20.500 |
He cried out to the one who put him on the cross. 01:12:36.860 |
Because the world celebrates it, it must be important. 01:12:54.540 |
Something, some historical figure who's done good. 01:13:00.540 |
And it's a tragedy that we would remember his suffering 01:13:18.420 |
The same invitation that he gave 2,000 years ago. 01:13:24.740 |
Come to me, he said, all who are weary and heavy laden. 01:13:59.460 |
No amount of love of the father, love of the mother, 01:14:11.900 |
He said, come to me, all who are weary and heavy laden, 01:14:16.740 |
This rest he's not talking about is vacation. 01:14:26.500 |
when we are reconciled to the author of life. 01:14:29.140 |
Jesus said, if you drink of the water from this world, 01:15:29.100 |
If I need to direct you to some right people, 01:16:02.820 |
will not just pass us by like it does every year, 01:16:09.060 |
and never really having any real impact in our lives. 01:16:12.900 |
Let the suffering of Christ and his resurrection 01:17:02.980 |
It doesn't have, you don't even have to quote scripture. 01:17:19.500 |
If there's anybody out there who's been curious, 01:17:30.180 |
Just come before God and say, "God, if you're there, 01:17:44.540 |
"that the God of the universe had compassion on me, 01:17:48.500 |
"and he died and took my sorrows upon himself, 01:18:04.660 |
He is faithful and just if you confess your sins, 01:18:19.620 |
and I'm just gonna give you a few minutes to pray, 01:18:21.700 |
and then we'll go straight into the final worship. 01:18:37.340 |
Lord, I remember that night when you opened my eyes, 01:18:58.740 |
Open their eyes, soften their hearts, Lord God, 01:19:11.620 |
They may hear the loving voice of their Savior 01:19:26.660 |
I pray for our brothers and sisters, Lord God, 01:20:09.020 |
help us, Lord God, to live as salt and light. 01:20:13.180 |
Open our eyes to see those who are living in fear, Father, 01:20:21.460 |
Help us, Lord God, to be a light in this dark world. 01:20:24.060 |
May this unique opportunity that you are giving us, 01:20:27.980 |
may it not pass by like another day, another year. 01:22:30.620 |
♪ Bore the wrath we stand forgiven at the cross ♪ 01:23:42.620 |
♪ Bore the wrath we stand forgiven at the cross ♪ 01:24:54.620 |
♪ Bore the wrath we stand forgiven at the cross ♪ 01:26:05.620 |
♪ Bore the wrath we stand forgiven at the cross ♪ 01:26:34.620 |
♪ What a cost we stand forgiven at the cross ♪ 01:27:00.620 |
- And before we pray and finish our Good Friday service, 01:27:08.620 |
We don't have our normal early rise service this year, 01:27:11.620 |
but again, at 10 o'clock, we wanna invite you to come 01:27:14.620 |
and again, learn with us, not only his suffering, 01:27:18.620 |
but his resurrection and what it means for us as Christians. 01:27:39.620 |
I pray, Father God, that you would cause all of our hearts, 01:27:51.620 |
Lord God, not just superficially from a distance, 01:28:04.620 |
Help us, Lord God, to see your word differently. 01:28:11.620 |
Help us, Lord God, to see finance differently. 01:28:14.620 |
Help us to see what is going on around us, Lord God, 01:28:19.620 |
Help us, Lord, not to see it and to act like the rest 01:28:24.620 |
Help us to live, behave, and speak as men who have hope, 01:28:31.620 |
Lord, as you promised that one day that you will come, 01:28:35.620 |
and that when Christ, who is our life, when he appears, 01:28:43.620 |
Help us, Lord God, to prepare our hearts for Sunday worship, 01:28:49.620 |
that this celebration all around the world, Lord God, 01:28:53.620 |
I pray as people's hearts are more fertile now than ever, 01:28:58.620 |
that you would anoint this special season for your glory, 01:29:03.620 |
that we may hear of thousands, of millions of people 01:29:09.620 |
who may have never heard the gospel if it wasn't for this.