you you you you you you you you you you you you you you you you you you you you you you you you you you you you you you you you you you you you you you you you you you you you you you you you you you you you you you you you you you you you you you you you you you you you you you you you you you you you you you you you you you you you you you you you you you you you you you you you you you you you you you you you you you you you you you you you you you you you you you you you you you you you you you you you you you you you you you you you you you you you you you you you you you you you you you you you you you you you you you you you you you you you you you you you you you you you you you you you you you you you you because because the room is going to be packed we can't have spaces in between and so we're expecting anywhere from 8 to 900 this room can only fit 550 so we need you guys to squeeze in so if you have spaces, if you're up in the front if you can come all the way up to the front just leave a few space for the pastors but outside of that if you guys can squeeze in then the ushers don't have to come and move you guys later on, so just kind of if you're up in the front, if you don't mind some of you guys, some of you who are a little bit younger just squeeze up into the very front seats, if you are coming in try to squeeze in, don't leave 2-3 spots in between or else in the middle of the service we're going to have to ask you to stand up so other people can get in so might as well do it now, okay alright, thank you Every year, we set aside this time, the whole week, and I know some of you guys have been coming the whole week, and this is your including the Passover meal, today is your fifth day, and I know some of you guys may be a little bit fatigued, but the reason why this is so important is that there are certain things that we can get away with, it becomes dry and old.

Whether it's your clothing, or maybe it's certain hobbies that you have, but the centrality of the cross in our lives, as soon as it becomes burdensome, or it becomes mundane, it affects everything that we do. It affects our worship, it affects our fellowship, affects the church, it affects the way we live, it affects our marriage, it affects the way we raise our children, and so being lukewarm to the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ is not an option for a Christian, and so this is something that we ought to be wrestling with every day of the year, but especially as we come to remember Christ's suffering on the cross and his resurrection on Sunday, that we want to take this time and set it aside, not just this period on Friday night, or Saturday, or the other days, but to really reflect and to come before God with eager hearts, when the Lord said those who seek Him with all their hearts, He says, He will be found, and that we determine in our hearts that we're going to seek Him with all our hearts, and that's why we gather here together this evening.

I want to read the account of Jesus' crucifixion with you. It's a little bit long, but I think it's worthwhile for us to remember the details of what happened in Mark chapter 16, 15. I'm going to be starting to read from verse 16. The soldiers took Him away into the palace, that is the praetorium, and they called together the whole Roman cohort.

They dressed Him up in purple, and after twisting a crown of thorns, they put it on Him, and they began to acclaim Him, "Hail, King of the Jews!" They keep beating His head with a reed, and spitting on Him, and kneeling and bowing before Him. After they had mocked Him, they took the purple robe off Him and put His own garments on Him, and they led Him out to crucify Him.

They pressed into service a passerby coming from the country, Simon of Cyrene, the father of Alexander and Rufus, to bear His cross. Then they brought Him to the place Golgotha, which is translated "place of skull." They tried to give Him wine mixed with myrrh, but He did not take it.

And they crucified Him, and divided up His garments among themselves, casting lots for them to decide what each man should take. It was the third hour when they crucified Him. The inscription on the charge against Him read, "The King of the Jews." They crucified two robbers with Him, one on His right, one on His left.

And the scripture was fulfilled, which says, "And He was numbered with transgressors." Those passing by were hurling abuse at Him, wagging their heads and saying, "Ha! You are going to destroy the temple and rebuild it in three days. Save yourself, and come down from the cross." In the same way, the chief priests also, along with the scribes, were mocking Him among themselves and saying, "He saved others.

Why should He save Himself? Let this Christ, the King of Israel, now come down from the cross so that we may see and believe." Those who were crucified with Him were also insulting Him. When the sixth hour came, darkness fell over the whole land until the ninth hour. At the ninth hour, Jesus cried out with a loud voice, "Eloi, Eloi, l'mak s'vachtani," which is translated, "My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?" When some of the visitors heard it, they began saying, "Behold, he is calling for Elijah." Someone ran and filled a sponge with sour wine, put it on a reed, and gave him a drink, saying, "Let us see whether Elijah will come to take him down." And Jesus uttered a loud cry and breathed his last, and the veil of the temple was torn in two from top to bottom.

When the centurion, who was standing right in front of Him, saw the way he breathed his last, he said, "Truly, this man was the Son of God." Let's pray. Father, we've come together to remember, to celebrate, and to praise you for what you have done. Lord, you know how easily we forget, how easily we get entangled with civilian affairs.

I pray that you would use this time, use our gathering, use this week to bring revival in our own hearts. Help us, Lord God, to remember the height from which we had fallen, and that we would repent, that we would redo the things, Lord God, that you have called us to do.

Help us, Lord, to sing these songs with true praise. Help us, Lord God, to be attentive, to listen carefully, Father God, to remember again afresh why it is that we are here, that we would celebrate in the communion, that we would remember the sacrifice of Christ, the suffering that He went through, that our sins may be atoned for, that we may be reconciled with you.

May this evening be revival in our hearts. Lord, we come. Lord, we come, Father God, to draw near to you. In Jesus' name we pray. Amen. Let's all stand for worship. There's a place. There's a place where mercy reigns and never dies. There's a place where mercy reigns and never dies.

There's a place where mercy reigns and never dies. There's a place where streams of grace flows deep and wide. flows deep and wide. flows deep and wide. All the love I've ever found comes like a flood, comes falling down. falling down. At the cross, at the cross, I surrender my life.

I'm in awe of you. I'm in awe of you. May your blood pen red and my sin wash white. I owe all to you. I owe all to you, Jesus. you, Jesus. There's a place There's a place where mercy reigns and never dies. There's a place where mercy reigns and never dies.

There's a place where mercy reigns and never dies. There's a place where mercy reigns and never dies. There's a place where mercy reigns and never dies. There's a place where mercy reigns and never dies. There's a place where mercy reigns and never dies. There's a place where mercy reigns and never dies.

There's a place where mercy reigns and never dies. There's a place where mercy reigns and never dies. There's a place where mercy reigns and never dies. There's a place where mercy reigns and never dies. There's a place where mercy reigns and never dies. There's a place where mercy reigns and never dies.

There's a place where mercy reigns and never dies. There's a place where mercy reigns and never dies. There's a place where mercy reigns and never dies. There's a place where mercy reigns and never dies. There's a place where mercy reigns and never dies. There's a place where mercy reigns and never dies.

There's a place where mercy reigns and never dies. There's a place where mercy reigns and never dies. There's a place where mercy reigns and never dies. There's a place where mercy reigns and never dies. There's a place where mercy reigns and never dies. There's a place where mercy reigns and never dies.

There's a place where mercy reigns and never dies. There's a place where mercy reigns and never dies. There's a place where mercy reigns and never dies. There's a place where mercy reigns and never dies. There's a place where mercy reigns and never dies. There's a place where mercy reigns and never dies.

There's a place where mercy reigns and never dies. Let me hide myself in thee. Let the water and the blood from thy wounded side which flow be of sin the double cure. Save from wrath and make me pure. Not the labor of my hands can fulfill thy lost demands.

Could my zeal no respite know? Could my tears forever flow? All could ever sin atone. Thou must save and thou alone. Nothing in my hand I bring. Nothing in my brain. Simply to the cost I pay. Make it come to thee for dress. Helpless love to thee for grace.

Foul I too have found to fly. Wash me state, O Lord, I die. Apologize to me. Apologize lady, man. When mine eyes shall close in death. When I soar to earth to come. See thee all I've just become. Rock of ages left for me. Let me hide myself in thee.

Rock of ages left for me. Let me hide myself in thee. Amen. You may be seated. Let me pray for us before we begin. Father, we pray that you would give us ears to hear. Help us, Lord God, to have hearts that are easily molded. And will, Father God, that desires to surrender.

I pray by the power of your spirit, Lord God, that you would anoint this time. That you would renew the hearts of your people. That you would restore proper praise. That you would restore worship and lordship, Lord God, into your church. That there would be a greater hunger, Father God, to know you, to come to you, to praise you, and to proclaim you in this church and in our generation.

I pray that you would bless this time by the power of your spirit, Lord God. Speak to us. In Jesus' name we pray. Amen. In our generation, there's a lot of discussion about the deity of Christ. Can you be a Christian if you still do not believe that Jesus is God?

That he was a good moral teacher. He was a man who did great things. Clearly he made a huge impact on human history. But is he truly God? If you look at the early church, for the first three, four hundred years, what they debated in the early church was not the deity of Christ, but his humanity.

The reason why they never really wrestled with his deity is because eyewitnesses in the first century who saw the resurrection of Christ existed in the first century. There were people who saw lame people walk. They had eyewitnesses of Lazarus who was raised from the dead. So clearly, he was not any ordinary man.

So they didn't have to be convinced about the deity of Christ because they saw his power and his miracles. So the thing that they debated in the early church is, how can a man who's done that be a man? How can a man who raises somebody from the dead, how can somebody who dies and is crucified and be raised and shows himself to 500 people, how can that be a human being?

And it took years of wrestling and struggling about the identity of Christ in the early church. There is no other time in Jesus' life where Jesus looks more human than any other time. We've been studying through the Gospel of Luke, and Luke emphasizes the humanity of Christ more than the other Gospels.

But even in the Gospel of Luke, we've seen the power of Jesus walking on water, feeding 5,000. Just by his one word he can get the storm to stop. But it is Jesus at the Garden of Gethsemane, and as he is beaten and crucified, and as he breathes his last breath, no other time in Jesus' life where he seems more human than any other time.

In Matthew 26, 37 to 39, Jesus at the Garden of Gethsemane, it says, and he took with him Peter and two sons of Zebedee and began to be grieved and be distressed. And he said to them, "My soul is deeply grieved to the point of death. Remain here and keep watch with me." As Jesus knew that the whole reason why he came was for this reason.

Now he is a few hours before he is crucified, and he is grieving, and he is distressed like any other human being would be. It says in 39, and he went a little bit beyond and fell on his face and prayed, saying, "My Father, if it is possible, let this cup pass from me, yet not as I will, but as you will." He came for this.

He prophesied this. He told his disciples, "We're going to Jerusalem, and this is going to happen." But as he is about to face his crucifixion, he has an honest human prayer before his Father. Is there another way? Because he saw the pain and suffering coming. Just like any other human being, we see the weakness of our Savior.

More than any other period, probably in human history. This is a very strange scene. Not only is he the King of kings and Lord of lords, he is the creator of the universe. All things are sustained because of him. And yet he is at the Garden of Gethsemane praying so fervently, it says, that his sweat turns to blood.

And his prayer was, "Is there another way?" We call this week the Passion Week. The word for "passion," the reason why we call it the Passion Week, is because the word in Greek for suffering is "paskal." It's not because there are strong emotions, obviously there are strong emotions, but we call it Passion Week because this is the week that we remember the suffering of Christ.

And obviously it culminates to what we are celebrating or remembering today. It's the suffering of Christ. Now, we have to be careful that when we study the suffering of Christ, that we don't study it like you study any other history. That this isn't something that happened many years ago and has something to do with us.

This is the history of our Savior who did this for me. For me. For you. Because of your sins. Because of my sins. This is not just any history. This is our history. His suffering, His struggling, His prayer was all because of us. In what way did He suffer?

I'm going to look at three separate things so that we can understand the depth of His suffering. And hopefully the goal of this evening is as we understand the depth of His suffering, that we would recognize what it is exactly that we are going to commemorate this evening in the communion.

First of all, His suffering was physical and spiritual. I know that many of you have been Christians for a while that you've seen movies of Jesus' crucifixion and you've heard many stories of His crucifixion. You've probably even heard details about His crucifixion. And as a result of that you may have become numb to it.

You may have become numb to the fact that the Son of God came and suffered for us, but I think it is important that we remember exactly what He went through. Crucifixion was one of the most excruciating ways to die. It was invented by the Persians in the 6th century B.C.

And the whole purpose of why they did it was to deter any enemies in order to eradicate anyone who will rebel against the nation. So they deliberately made it humiliating. They deliberately made it that even if you did get the death sentence, that you wouldn't get this. It was reserved for slaves, for political rebels.

The victims were typically flogged. Not an ordinary whip, but a whip that had the teeth of animal bones at the end so that every time you got hit it would strip the skin off of your bones. Oftentimes the beating itself would cause people to die. And the reason why they did that, one, is to make it public so that people who are watching this would see that if you ever, if you ever do anything against the state, this is what's waiting for you.

They did this publicly. And then to weaken them because of what the true suffering was going to come at the cross. After getting 39 lashes, because 40 lashes would be a death sentence, they would make the prisoner carry his own cross, which would have been anywhere from 100 to 150 pounds, on his own shoulders, publicly dragging this for everybody, all your family and friends and neighbors and strangers would come out to watch.

What could this man have possibly done that he would deserve this? After he would drag this being to the place of his death, they would nail him with five to seven inch spikes through the wrists and through the feet, typically in the ankle area. And the reason why they did that is because as they're hanging, they don't want it to rip and slip off.

Because part of the punishment was to hang on the cross as long as possible. And then on top of that, as he is hanging in this excruciating pain, they wanted it to last as long as possible, so they put a little seat under his bottom so that his desire to breathe, that he would be able to lift himself up even for one more breath.

And this would last anywhere from a day to four or five days. Just hanging on the cross. Knowing that he's going to die, that he would force himself to catch just another breath. And he would gasp for his breath, and then he would slump, and he would gasp for his breath, and then he would slump.

And this would last four to five days, typically. Eventually, crucifixion was outlawed because Emperor Constantine came in and said, "This is much too inhumane." You can imagine why Jesus prayed. He's there all the way. You know, we don't actually even have to imagine because the scripture records Jesus' words on the cross.

We know that at the end, before he gives his life up, he cries out, "My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?" And it's a direct quote from Psalm 22. Psalm 22 is a psalm of David in his distress. He's crying out to God, but most theologians believe, and you will, I think, will come to agree when we read it, that Psalm 22 is an account of Jesus on the cross crying out to his father.

We don't have to imagine what he was thinking because it records it for us. Psalm 22, 1 and 2 says, "My God, my God, why have you forsaken me? Far from my deliverance are the words of my groaning. My God, I cry by day, but you do not answer, and by night, but I have no rest." Verse 14, "I am poured out like water," meaning he's dying.

"All of my bones are out of joint. My heart is like wax. It is melted within me, my strength dried up like potsherd." And this is, this is a description of as he is wrestling and as he is fighting for his breath and in pain, he says, "My life is being dried up.

My tongue cleaves to my jaws. I'm thirsty. You lay me in the dust of death, for dogs have surrounded me. A band of evildoers have encompassed me. They pierced my hands and my feet. I can count all my bones. They look, they stare at me. They divide my garments among them, and for my clothing they cast lots." All four of the Gospels record Jesus crying out.

In his own words, Psalm 22, describing for us his suffering, Isaiah 53, 3, "He was despised and forsaken of men, a man of sorrows and acquainted with grief, and like one from whom men hide their face, he was despised and we did not esteem him." Jesus came to suffer.

Every part of his life was suffering. From the moment that he was born, just the fact that he had to humble himself, he emptied himself. This is God, King of kings and Lord of lords. And he was mocked the whole way. But the suffering doesn't end with the physical, and just on the cross.

His suffering was much deeper than that. Because he suffered for those who didn't deserve it. He suffered for us, the unrighteous. Have you ever suffered for the sake of somebody who's deliberately trying to harm you? I mean, if somebody wrongs us, our struggle isn't love. We don't struggle with loving somebody who's deliberately trying to hurt us.

We struggle with not carrying out vengeance. Christ suffered because he loved those who are hostile toward him. Every single one of us knows what it feels like to have somebody against us. Who's actively trying to destroy you, your reputation. Maybe they're doing something physical to you. But the fact that he suffered what he suffered for the unrighteous, for sinners.

Now, I've already shared with you, you know, the years that we're going out to homeless ministry, I don't know how many days I came back home thinking, "I'm not sure how long I'm going to be able to do this." You know, I spent the little money that I had to prepare food, gather clothing, and then some days they would be thankful, and then every once in a while, somebody would curse me out because I didn't bring enough.

Or maybe it wasn't organized enough. Maybe the pants didn't fit that way. And then at the end of the day, after laboring for two, three hours and sacrificing, and then I would, before I get in my car, I hear somebody cussing me out. And the whole drive home thinking, "I don't want to come back here next week." Years I had to wrestle through that.

How do you love people like that? Romans 5, 6-7 said, "For while we were still helpless, at the right time, Christ died for the ungodly. For one will hardly die for a righteous man, though perhaps for the good man, someone would dare even to die. But God demonstrates His love toward us, and that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us." Suffering for your own sins would be excruciatingly painful.

But then to go through this for the ungodly, go through this for the ungrateful, for the blasphemers, for the sinners, for the murderers, for the liars. Romans 7-13 it tells us the whole reason why He gave the law is so that the sin would become utterly sinful. You know why sin needed to be utterly sinful?

So that you would recognize what it is exactly that Jesus has done. Why the cross was necessary. Until we recognize the corruption of our own heart, cross is just a nice, beautiful story. This is just something that we remember. I don't forget this. Jesus died for me on the cross.

We sing great songs, and it gives us encouragement so that we can live a better life. But until the sin and the corruption in us is utterly sinful, you won't fully understand what it is that we celebrate today. In Romans chapter 3 10-13, Apostle Paul is surgically using the gospel to bring them to the point where whether they were Jews or Gentiles, they come to the point where they understood just how sinful they were.

So Romans chapter 3 10-18 is the doctor. Doctor of our soul basically giving the diagnosis for the sinners. Here's what he says. "As it is written, there is none righteous, not even one. There is none who understands. There is none who seeks for God. All have turned aside together.

They have become useless. There is none who does good. There is not even one. Their throat is an open grave. With their tongues they keep deceiving. The poison of ass is under their lips, whose mouth is full of cursing and bitterness. Their feet are swift to shed blood. Destruction and misery are in their paths, a path of peace they have not known.

There is no fear of God before their eyes." You may read that and think, "Well, you know, maybe there's some people who might qualify. Maybe it was the Jews. Maybe it was the Gentiles. Maybe it's the sex traffickers, the prostitutes, the tax collectors." Paul says, "All have sinned and fall short of the glory of God." All!

Jew, Gentile, Pharisee, Sadducee, tax collectors. Every single one. This is a description of all mankind. If you remember the sin of David, here's a king that was anointed by God, specially chosen to represent him. He said, "This is a man after my own heart." And David commits a grievous sin.

He takes someone else's wife. In order to cover it up, he kills her husband. A man who was loyal to him. I mean, it is as heinous as you can possibly think a man in his position can carry out. And David, a man of God, loved by God, anointed by God, chose to do this.

But the problem with this is, he's a king. Who's going to call him out? Who's going to say anything? Well, David probably thought that he got away with it. He took his wife and killed her husband, had children, and was living a good life as a king. But the problem is, he was not the final king.

In Israel, there was a king above him. So he sends a prophet, Nathan, in order to show him the corruption of his heart. But he doesn't tell him directly. In 2 Samuel chapter 12, Nathan presents to him. He says, "David, let me tell you a story how this one man who was so rich, and his field was filled with lambs, and he was a very wealthy man.

And then he was this poor farmer who had one lamb that he loved since he was a child. And he adored and cherished that lamb. And there's this rich man, because just out of convenience, not even out of necessity, just out of convenience, instead of killing what he had, he took the man's lamb and slaughtered it and just used it.

And then he just went on. What do you think about that, David? David, when he hears this, this is his response in verse 5. David's anger burned greatly against the man, and he said to Nathan, "As the Lord lives, surely the man who has done this deserves to die.

He must make restitution for the lamb fourfold, because he did this thing and had no compassion." Nathan then said to David, "You are the man." You know why this story is here? You know why this story is here? They're not just telling us history. This is us. This is us.

Because we don't recognize the depth of our sin. And that's why we can go off and live selfishly. We know we're sinners. We just haven't been caught. We know there's dark things that we do when the lights are turned off. We know the things that we bury deep within, that maybe even our wives or our husbands or our children don't know about.

We know it's there, but we just haven't been caught. The scripture tells us that the law came to reveal the sin, so that you and I would recognize the desperate situation that you and I are in. See, Christ not only suffered, but he suffered for sinners, like David, like the tax collector, like the Pharisees, who was indignant about other people's sin, but they don't recognize their own.

We don't recognize that we're the tax collectors. We're the tax collectors. We're the prostitutes. The corruption in our heart cannot be worked off. The whole point of Israel's history was to bring us to the point, "Oh, what a wretched man that I am. I need a Savior." And the fact that he suffered for unrighteous, rebellious, hypocritical, self-righteous people like me and you, if you've ever tried to love somebody that is difficult to love, everything in you wants to hate them.

Everything in you wants to retaliate. Everything in you wants to take vengeance. Just even not doing it kills you. And yet, as Christ is hanging on the cross, and when he says, "Father, forgive them," "Father, forgive them," because they don't understand. They don't know who they're killing. They don't know who they're mocking.

They don't know why I came. They don't know what I'm doing. Imagine the suffering. But you know, as bad as that is, the greatest suffering came from the Father himself. The greatest suffering came from the Father himself. In Matthew 27, 45-46, it says, "Now from the sixth hour, darkness fell, which was about twelve o'clock, until the land of the ninth hour." So about twelve to three.

Twelve to three. It says, "The earth went dark." And about the ninth hour, Jesus cried out with a loud voice, "My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?" Dr. Harris, in his book, "The Darkness and the Glory," describes why the earth went dark for three hours. Many people hypothesize that it may have gone dark because God could not watch the suffering of his Son.

And there's even a song about it, "The Father Turned His Face Away." Dr. Harris, in his book, says, "The more logical and biblical understanding of this should be that the Father actually came." And I am absolutely convinced that he's correct. First of all, anytime a covenant is ratified, God is there.

Whether it is in Genesis chapter 15, where he makes a covenant with Abraham, and Abraham falls asleep, and God appears in that covenant. Where he is making a covenant with Moses, and he appears. And Moses is so afraid of his presence that he had to be veiled by his presence.

The scripture says over and over again that if anybody sees God, he shall die. And it would make perfect sense that God did not just hand him over because Satan had no power to punish Jesus. Satan's not the author of life. Satan is the accuser. He's not the judge.

He's not the executioner. He didn't hand him over. The reason why it went dark is because God had to come. The Father had to come and place our sins upon his Son. In fact, Isaiah 53.10, it says, "But the Lord was pleased to crush him." The Lord was pleased to crush him, putting him to grief.

The Lord did it. Mark chapter 14.27, the prophecy of Zechariah 13.7, Jesus said to them, "You will all fall away because it is written, 'I will strike down the shepherd, and the sheep shall be scattered.'" He says, "I will strike down the shepherd." He didn't say, "I will hand him over." "I will strike him down." Isaiah 53.6, "All of us like sheep have gone astray.

Each of us has turned to his own way. But the Lord caused the iniquity of us all to fall on him." The Lord caused it. I remember the first time reading that, it just blew my mind. That in the darkness, the Father brought the greatest pain. All the physical pain, all the suffering of isolation, the humiliation, all of that paled in comparison.

And when Jesus said, "Father, if there is another way," I don't believe that he was just talking about his physical suffering. Because the real suffering happened in the darkness. Because Christ had to bear our sins, past, present, and future. All of it upon himself. My father, who passed away many years ago, he was a very calm man.

I've never seen him lose his temper. I mean, rarely. Even when we would get into trouble. My dad would never lash out. He would calmly say, "What happened?" And then he would bring my brothers into the room and say, "Who started it?" And then he would make us talk it out.

And even when we needed to get punished, he would just say, "Okay, pull up your pants." And then he would say, "How many do you deserve?" And then we'd say, "Three." And then, you know, try to be fair, and then he'd say, "Okay, three." And then he'd give us three.

And he would always be calm. He would just rationally just say, "Okay, then what should you do?" "Yeah, you guys slap each other." Right? "Get it out while I'm here." I've never seen him, even when he punished, like, really lose it. Except one day. I was a freshman in high school, and I went to a store, and I wanted to get something for my bike, which was stolen.

And so, I went to the bike, and I tried to get a wrench that I couldn't afford, so I stole it. And I put it in my pants, and I was walking out, and the security guard caught me. They called the police, they handcuffed me, and then they drove me home.

That was my first time. That was not my last time. They drove me home, and obviously, I was like, "I'm going to get it." You know? And if my mom finds out, I'm dead. My brother, my brother Paul finds out, he's going to kill me. I wasn't worried about Phillip.

Sure enough, I go home, but my mom's not there. And my dad happened to be coming home, and the garage door opens, and he sees me in the patrol car, in the back seat, and the police is getting me out of the car with my hands cuffed in the back.

And I could tell my dad was freaking out. It was during a period when they were struggling with church, and trying to pay bills, and here's this kid showing up to the house in a police, you know, with handcuffs, and my dad just, he didn't know what to do.

And for the first time, I saw him lose control. He told me to get on my knees in front of the police officers. So I got on my knees. By that time, the handcuffs were off, and the officers just watched. And he started beating me out of anger. So I sat there, and I was like, "I deserve it." And I remember he got so angry, he kicked me.

And this is the first time he's ever laid hands on me out of anger like that. The police officers were so, like, they didn't know what to do, so they just left. They left me to my dad, and then they left, and then I was sitting there, and about three hours later, they came back and said, "Oh, we forgot to read him his rights." So they knocked on the door, and they read me my rights, and then they left again.

I was surprised, obviously, because I've never seen my dad lose control like that, but I knew I deserved it. Because I knew what kind of heartache I was for my parents. I knew how hard they were struggling with their dry cleaner store, and I'd come in like that, and even though I was a young kid, nobody had to convince me that I was a sinner.

But I don't know what I would have done if I was not guilty. If he laid hands on me like that, and I wasn't guilty. That probably would have changed my relationship with him. It was because I deserved it. God, the Father, turns off the light. Through the whole account of Jesus, God kept on saying, "This is my beloved son, whom I am well pleased." He said this at the baptism.

He said the same thing at the transfiguration. "This is my son, whom I am well pleased. I love him." Jesus exclusively called the Father, Father. Jesus is called the Son, 45 separate times. John 3:16 says, "For God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten precious Son." John 3.35, "The Father loves the Son and has given all things to his hand." John 5.20, "For the Father loves the Son and shows him all things that he himself is doing." John 10.17, "For this reason the Father loves me, because I lay down my life so that I may take it up again." John 15.9, "Just as the Father has loved me, I have also loved you.

Abide in my love." And at the end of all that, before he goes to the cross, he asks the disciples, "Who do men say that I am?" "You're Elijah, you're the prophet, you're John the Baptist." "Now who do you say that I am?" "You're the Christ, the Son of the living God." Because he spent his whole ministry trying to convey his identity to the disciples, and what they knew was, "You're the Son!

You're the one that he loves! You're the one that he's pleased with! You're the one!" In Isaiah 53.7 it says, "He was oppressed and he was afflicted, yet he did not open his mouth. Like a lamb that is led to slaughter, and like a sheep that is silent before his shearers, he did not open his mouth." Now that's not completely true.

That's not completely true. He didn't open his mouth until the very end. He did open his mouth. But when he did open his mouth, he did not cry out to people for crucifying him, saying, "Why are you doing this to me?" He did not cry out to the leaders of Israel.

"After all that you have been given! After all the privilege that you've had! How did you not recognize me? How did you reject me?" He did not cry out to the soldiers who were beating him and mocking him. He did not cry out to any of them. But he cried out to his father.

"My God! My God! Why have you forsaken me?" He's never called God God before. Every single instance in the Bible up to this point, he said, "My father! My father! My son! My Abba Father!" And as he took the sins of the world upon himself, as God punished him for our sins, that pain was so excruciating, he finally opened his mouth.

And when he opened his mouth, he said, "My God! My God! Why have you forsaken me?" The question that we should be asking -- the question that you and I should be asking, if we really understand what it is that he's done for us and who it is that we are -- we should be asking, "My God!

My God! Why have you not forsaken me? Why have you not forsaken me? I know my sins. I know my hypocrisy. Even after all these years, why does he put up with me? Why does he love me? Why didn't he discard me? Why does he persevere with me? You know your sins.

You know we don't deserve him. It's because we could not. He did. This is why we're here today. My hope and prayer, not just in our church, but in our generation, that Jesus would receive Jesus would receive the glory that he deserves. That you would come to church to praise his name.

That you would magnify this God who forsook everything for me and you who didn't deserve it. Who took the punishment, the wrath of God that you and I deserved. Took it upon himself. That you and I would become worshipers. Who worship him in spirit and in truth. Choose. Choose you this day who you will serve.

Stop teeter-tottering between two opinions. If the world is what you covet, make up your mind. Go for it. But if it is God that you will serve, make up your mind. Take up your cross and follow him. Our God deserves all of us. Our God deserves our praise. Our God deserves our youth.

Our God deserves our finance. Our God deserves our life. I'm going to ask the praise team to come. I'm going to ask the praise team to come. They're going to lead us in a praise song. And we're going to open up the communion table right after. And I'm going to ask you.

If your heart has become dull, you don't know how detestable that is before God's eyes. Imagine if I gave you my son that you didn't deserve and you receive him kind of like, "Thank you, Jesus." That's why lukewarmness is so offensive to God. Either you receive him, you believe him, and you give him your life and you follow him with all your heart, proclaiming him till the day you die, waiting for glory to come when he comes, or walk away.

Don't bring shame to the name of God because you want to stay in the middle. Let's make up our mind. Let's come before the Lord. Repent. You've been living lukewarm. You've had one foot in the door, in the kingdom, the other foot coveting everything that everybody else is coveting.

Repent. Turn. Remember the height from which we had fallen. Repent and do the things that you did at first. I pray that as we open up the communion table that you would come prepared. Don't do it because it's Friday. Don't do it because it's open. Don't do it because you're here.

Come before the Lord and ask the Lord to break your hearts, to cry out and to grieve over your sin. You know, when James and John came to Jesus and said, "Would you let us sit to the left or to the right?" Jesus says, "Are you able to drink the cup that I drink?" And they in their arrogance said, "Yes." Not knowing.

Jesus says to them, "You will drink the cup, but to sit in the left or the right is not for me to give you." Now, were the disciples able to drink the cup? Some people will look at that and say, "Well, they did suffer." But Jesus' cup wasn't just physical suffering.

Jesus' cup is that he absorbed the wrath of God. The disciples could not drink of his cup. So what did he mean when he said, "You will drink of my cup?" I believe what he meant was, "Because I drank the cup of the wrath of God, you are able to drink the cup of the new covenant." So the reason why you and I are able to participate in this communion table tonight is because Christ took the cup of wrath on our behalf.

So I pray that as we open up the communion table that the weight of what it is that we're doing would hit us, revive us, and renew us. Let me pray for us and then we'll open up the communion table. Search us and know us and see if there's any hurtful ways in us.

Lord, if we've become numb to the truth of who you are, if we are compromised, if we have been making excuses, open our eyes, Lord God, that we may see the glory of the gospel of Jesus Christ, that we may encounter you, that we may know you, that we may follow you.

We pray, Father God, that your name may be honored and glorified and the church may be renewed and revival would come for the purpose of your glory. In Jesus' name we pray. Amen. Behold the Lamb who bears our sins away, sane for us. And we remember the promise made that all who come in faith find forgiveness at the cross.

So we share in the spread of life and we drink of his sacrifice as a sign of our bonds of peace around the table of the King. The body of our Savior Jesus Christ torn for you Eat and remember the wounds that healed the death that brings us life paid the price to make us one.

So we share in the spread of life and we drink of his sacrifice as a sign of our bonds of love around the table of the King. The blood that cleanses every stain of sin shed for you Drink and remember he drained death's cup that all may enter in to receive the life of God.

So we share in the spread of life and we drink of his sacrifice as a sign of our bonds of grace around the table of the King. And so with thankfulness and faith we rise to respond and to remember our call to follow in the steps of Christ as his body here on earth.

As we share in his suffering we proclaim Christ will come again and we'll join in the feast of heaven around the table of the King around the table of the King. That which I also deliver to you that the Lord Jesus in the night in which he was betrayed took bread and when he had given thanks he broke it and said this is my body which is for you.

Do this in remembrance of me. In the same way he took the cup also after supper saying this cup is a new covenant in my blood. Do this as often as you drink it in remembrance of me. For as often as you eat this bread and drink the cup you proclaim the Lord's death until he comes.

If I can ask the leaders to come and open up the communion table and those of you who are in the youth chapel when you are ready please make your way to the cafe area and take your cup and you can go back to your seats. I ask again as we take communion if you are here as a guest and you are not a baptized believer in the church that we ask that you would remain seated.

There is no special power for taking it. This is a commemoration of what Christ has done to remember Christ so we ask that you remain in your seat if that is not the case. We do have a welcome booth and an outreach table that if you have questions about anything that you heard you can go and one of our pastors and some of our church members will be there to answer your questions so you can go to that.

For the rest of you guys if you can come toward the middle and again if you see any lagging or any traffic please make sure that you stand in two separate lines. These aisles are pretty small so we are going to have to move pretty quickly. If you are gluten free and if you need special for that you can go to the table to my right and to your left.

So again as the worship begins we ask that you would just take some time to pray and when you are ready one by one that you would come to the front. (Prayer is sung) (Prayer is sung) (Prayer is sung) (Prayer is sung) (Prayer is sung) (Prayer is sung) (Prayer is sung) (Prayer is sung) (Piano music) (Piano music) (piano music) (piano music) >> The committee table is going to be closed in a minute, so if you haven't come up, we ask you to come now.

>> All right, let's all stand up for the closing praise. >> On a hill far away. >> On a hill far away stood an Oregon cross, an ember of suffering and shame. And I love that old cross, where the dearest and best held the world, the lost sinner was slain.

So I'll cherish the Oregon cross, till my trophies at last I lay down. I will cling to the Oregon cross, and exchange it someday for a crown. In the old rugged cross, in the old rugged cross, stained with blood so deep, I, a wondrous beauty I've seen. What was on that old cross, Jesus suffered and died to pardon and sanctify me.

So I'll cherish the Oregon cross, till my trophies at last I lay down. I will cling to the Oregon cross, and exchange it someday for a crown. To the Oregon cross I will ever be true, its shame and reproach gladly bear. And He'll call me someday to my home far away, where His glory forever I'll share.

So I'll cherish the Oregon cross, till my trophies at last I lay down. I will cling to the Oregon cross, and exchange it someday for a crown. I will cling to the Oregon cross, and exchange it someday for a crown. Before I pray, I have a quick announcement. For those of you who are helping with the cleanup, they're going to be meeting over there.

Oh, at the water fountain. Okay, so go to that area. And again, if you are visiting us, there is an outreach table set up outside. So please go to that after the service. And then this coming Sunday, obviously, we're going to be continuing our remembrance and celebration of Jesus' resurrection.

At six o'clock sharp, we're going to be starting our early rise service. So try to come a little bit earlier. After the morning service, we're going to be having breakfast. A McDonald's breakfast is going to be served. And then after the second and third service, we will have lunch provided for the church.

So if you are bringing family and friends, there are resources that you can go. The table is going to be set up, but also lunch will be provided. After the resurrection, early rise service, and then lunch for second and third service. All right, let's pray. Father, we thank you so much for your grace upon grace upon grace.

Lord, help us, Lord, that our hearts would not ever become so callous. That the suffering that Christ went through for us would never become old news to us. But that you would renew us day after day. And that we would eagerly wait for the coming of Christ. That until he comes, that we would shine that light, Lord God, to all those who are around us.

That more and more souls, Lord God, would be able to hear the hope that we have in you. Lord, we pray, as you warned us, that because of wickedness is going to increase at the end times. That love is going to grow cold. Help us, Lord God, to be on our knees, to wrestle, to struggle.

That that would not happen to us. That your word would penetrate our hearts. That your Holy Spirit, Lord God, continue to guide us and lead us. That the fellowship of the church will be iron sharpening iron. That you would help us to see the world, Lord God, through your lens.

Help us to see how desperate we are. How hopeless we are when we are not near you. Help us to see the loved ones that are around us that do not know you, Father God. If we have become callous because it had been so many years, Lord, that they've resisted you.

Help us not to lose hope. Help us, Lord God, to fast, to pray, to seek you with all our hearts. That this short life that we have, that we would live it for your glory. So we pray that as we continue and go our way, that Sunday morning, Lord, that we would come to celebrate the power of the resurrection.

That we would come to worship, to celebrate, to sing. That all those around the world, all the churches, Lord God, who are preaching the gospel this Sunday. That you would anoint it with power. That many, many souls, Lord God, would hear the truth of who you are. That you would deliver them from the bondage of Satan.

Open their eyes to the glory of the gospel. That more souls may come to Christ as a result of your churches redeeming the time. So we pray, Father God, that you would make us people of prayer. Of much prayer. To be devoted to prayer. That it is only by your will, by your might and your spirit, that we can ever possibly bear fruit.

So for that end, send us. That we may be the aroma of Christ. In Jesus' name we pray. Amen.