Good Friday Communion Service

I'd like to share just a focal point for us before we have communion and pray together once again, and I am aware that it's six in the morning and I know your limits, so be at rest. It's only going to be a short time, but I want to share with you what I think is a side of Calvary that sometimes we may overlook. Look in your Bibles, if you have them, please, at Galatians 6, verse 14. The Bible says, May I never boast except in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, through which the world has been crucified to me and I to the world. A few years ago, I overheard a man and a friend of his describing a necessary operation he was considering. They were discussing the procedure in detail. He was being told of the specific nature of how this was going to take place, going under the anesthetic, and he was told how he was going to be at some risk during the operation. Then he was told he was going to be in the hospital for five to seven, maybe even ten days as he was recovering, and then that he would be recuperating at home for probably six to eight weeks. As I heard this thing being detailed, I said, that's really intense. That's a serious, serious commitment. But then, as the conversation went on, they started to talk about certain benefits of this heart bypass operation, that this man was going to find that he was going to receive increased strength and get away from the fatigue that he couldn't seem to shake, that he was going to have greater vitality for each day of his life, that he was going to have improved resistance toward diseases, that he would be able to breathe more normally and comfortably, and most of all, he would greatly reduce the risk of heart failure. And so, as the man weighed all the benefits of the operation, he decided that the short, in terms of lifespan, trial that he'd have to go through was worth it. And he had the operation, and he's glad that he did. Now, I wonder if when it comes to the cross of Christ, the inclination in most of our lives is to focus on the pain, to focus on the denial, to focus on the surrender. And those are all worthy. I mean, make no doubt about it, the Bible is very clear that we must have that death. We talked about that on Wednesday night, Philippians 3.10, I want to know Christ and the power of his resurrection and the fellowship of sharing in his sufferings, becoming like him in his death. Folks, if you're not experiencing the power of the resurrection in your life, it's likely because you haven't really embraced the death of Christ in your life. But for just a few moments this morning, could we focus not on the pain of the operation, but on the benefits, at least some of them, that the Lord would want us to reach out by faith this morning and lay hold of, much as our sisters have shared here this morning in their testimonies. I have five, and we're going to pray these, so you might want to jot them down or at least take good note of them. Number one, the first benefit of the cross is in Colossians 2.15. It says this, and having disarmed the powers and authorities, he made a public spectacle of them, triumphing over them by the cross. The first benefit of the cross for your life is that the powers of the evil one have been broken over you. Somebody say something good. Please understand how important that is. I hear so many people saying, well, the devil's on me on this, and the devil wants to do this to me. The Bible says clearly that at the cross of Christ, Jesus nailed the final blow of legal authority over sin. So kids, you don't have to worry about the devil getting you, you don't have to worry about the evil one taking your life away, and adults, we don't need to be in submission to satanic plans and plots. We've been given power over the evil one, and it's for your life, but you've got to appropriate it by faith. You've got to put on the whole armor of God and live in the wisdom of that. That's one reason why we pray that way. Number two, the cross has given us freedom from guilt, freedom from guilt and shame. Hebrews 12.2, a wonderful scripture that describes how Jesus embraced the cross for us. It says this, let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith, who from the joy set before him endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. We live in a society where something in the neighborhood of 30 million people are depressed. What are the two causes of depression? Guilt is the main one, guilt from something somewhere that you haven't lived up, you haven't made expectations, and the other is anger and shame. Shame is an interesting word, isn't it? We don't talk much about it. There's not much shame in our culture anymore for the things of life. Shame can be a very touching moment before God. Shame is when we recognize in our vulnerability that we've fallen short. We're ashamed. A while back, I walked in, opened the door to our powder room and saw water on the floor, yucky water that had come out of the toilet bowl. I went on a search. Who did this? Who let this happen? I didn't ever have that. I didn't know it. No one did it. You know, it just happened. The toilet just went over on its own, Dad. Well, we finally got down to the root of it, and the culprit came out and had his head hung, and he said, well, I tried to stop it earlier, and it went off. He felt a sense of shame, but you know, in the eyes of God, when we take responsibility for our failures, the Lord's pleased. What the cross does, it takes away the shame and the guilt. Jesus bore it. He bore our shame for our sin. He bore our guilt on the cross. We can know, number two, freedom. Then number three, the cross means for us today, peace with God. Peace with God. Isaiah 53, it's worth using your fingers today, all right? Isaiah 53, this is the prophetic passage about Jesus Christ. It says here, surely he took our infirmities and carried our sorrows. Yet we considered him stricken by God and smitten by him and afflicted, but he was pierced for our transgressions and crushed for our iniquities. The punishment that brought us peace was upon him. You can't buy the peace of God with material success. You can't buy it with intellectual wisdom or understanding or power or influence over others. The Bible says the peace that we have with God comes because of the cross. And you know what? I have a sense today that some of us are in the midst of a lot of heavies and we're uncertain and we're wondering. One of the benefits of the cross is that whatever uncertainties, whatever heavies, whatever problems you're facing, the cross ensures you that you can have peace, that the Lord is with you, that the cross broke down the dividing wall, that you're not in antagonism with God. Think about what that means about the possibilities for your success today. How many people are out there doing their thing in their own power? The majority. Whose thing are you doing? In God's thing. And whose power are you doing it in? God's power. That ups the odds of your success, at least I would think it does substantially. Number four. I want to focus this time on this one. The cross means for us physical healing. Once again, look at Isaiah 53, would you? Because this is so easily misunderstood and it's affirmed, by the way, in case you're in, well, is it in the New Testament person? It's in Matthew chapter 8, verses 16 and 17, referring to this. Listen to what it says. Verse four. Surely he took up our infirmities and carried our sorrows. Beloved, in the Hebrew language, those two words are, the word for infirmities is the word for sicknesses, and every other place it's translated, and the word for sorrows is the word for pain. Surely he took our sicknesses, and surely he bore our pains, and by his stripes we are healed. One of the benefits of the cross to you today is healing. You say, well, I'm not sick today. You're going to touch people today who are, and there's going to come a day when you're going to need to know this. I just, I'm overwhelmed at the way in which we let these truths just kind of dissipate out of our lives. I want you to know today that whatever improvement I've had in the last four months over my rather serious back problem has been because the Lord's taught me how to appropriate the healing that's in the cross of Christ. I just want to declare that today. And I'm going to stand here before you in not too far distant future and tell you the Lord's healed me 100%. Now I rejoice when I hear someone like Carol say, boom, it was gone. But I want you to know, all of us may not experience healing in that way. We need to lay hold of it. But Jesus redeemed us body, soul, and spirit, and I don't have time to develop a lengthy teaching, let alone a series on this thing, but we need to know that there's healing. Let's all say, by his strides, oh good, let's try it together. By his strides, I am healed. Do you believe it today? Number five, fifthly, we have freedom from the curse and the blessing of Abraham. In the cross of Christ, we are no longer bound by the curse. That is to say, how many of you ever feel like you keep working harder and you're putting your money in bags with holes in it? Or you keep trying to love someone and they're rebuffing you more and more. You keep trying to do this, that, and it never seems to work. Folks, it's true, it's true, it's true that there are curses. Now that sounds something like, you know, it's black magic, what are you talking about? You know, this isn't some island or some place in the third world, no. But we were born under a curse, the curse of Adam. The Bible says that on the cross of Christ, Galatians chapter 3, Jesus bore the curse upon the cross for us and then the positive side is he gave us the blessing of Abraham. He gave us the blessing of Abraham and I just, you know, when I was studying yesterday, you know what the blessing of Abraham is? It's abundance. I looked it up, it's, look at Exodus chapter, well, I'm sorry, I'll read it for you, Genesis 24-35, the Lord has blessed my master abundantly. So as a benefit of the cross, you're not destined for poverty and destined to scrape and crawl all the way to the day you come to the throne of God, you're destined to be blessed. We need to believe that today, it's a blessing that God's put upon our life. Five things, let's run down the list again, shall we? Five things. Where are they? Okay? Go ahead. Let's say them together. First of all, we have victory. Secondly, we have freedom. Third, we have peace. Fourth, we have healing and fifth, we have blessing. Now, how many of you believe that at least one of those is for you to do? All right, I want you to stand with me. Lord, right now in the name of Jesus, we receive the dividends of the cross of Christ for our life. I want us to turn and pray together. We're going to leave those five specific blessings up there. Which one? Maybe you need three or four or five, but which one today, if you left here with nothing else, which one of those five do you need? Victory over the enemy, healing of your body, peace with God, freedom from guilt and shame, or blessing in your life. Turn again in those same threes or fours with your family or friends. This is the one I need, Lord, today. Thank you for what you're providing for me. Go ahead and pray together, would you? Lord, we receive today this communion, not just as a commemoration of death, but Lord, a celebration of life. Lord, not just a reminder of your suffering for our sin, but Lord, also a confirmation of your dividends given to us, Lord, that we might be fully prepared to live life pleasing to you. So, Lord, we take this bread today, and we give thanks, and we bless you for the overwhelming gifts that you give to us. Thank you today, Lord, for victory over the enemy. Thank you, Lord, for freedom from guilt, father, and shame, or whatever we carry in our lives. Thank you, Lord, for peace with you, despite whatever struggle or trial we may be going through. Thank you that peace is available. Thank you, Lord, so much today for healing, healing our bodies, restoring us, and thank you for blessing us, Lord, removing the curse and blessing us so richly. We love you, Lord. We celebrate that as we share your table today. The ashes will come now, please. Hold your portion as we continue to sing the third verse of the old rodded cross. Let's hold our portion now, shall we, in front of us. Would you just, with all of your heart, thank God for his eternal provision on that day nearly 2,000 years ago. On this day, Lord, even in the eternal now, we receive victory, freedom, and peace, and healing, and blessing because of the cross. We cherish the cross. Let's share together the body of Christ. Now we share together the cross. As the ashes come, it's not just forgiveness of sins. It's the power of God. We overcome by the blood of the Lamb and the Word of our God. Let's receive together this cup once again, holding to our share as we sing the fourth verse. To my always glory I'll cherish till my trophies I find. I will cling to the old rodded cross and exchange it someday for a new one. Let's stand again, shall we? We receive now with thanksgiving the cup of the Lord, and our hearts are rejoicing today. Lord, we want to pray together for the anointing of the Holy Spirit to make alive to us all these dividends, Lord. That we not walk in a shadow of what we've been given because of the cross. Lord, that we not just stop short by simply focusing on only one portion of what you've provided, but we take the full measure of the benefits that you've given. So now we receive, Lord, as individuals of the family of God and as joint families today. Make us one, Lord, sharing your benefits in Jesus. The truth is, in order to confirm that what I've told you today about the cross of Christ is true, not just someone's wishful thinking. Not three days later, Jesus rose from the grave. And he said that not one word of his promises would fail. Whatever promise you've laid hold of today because of the cross, believe God, won't you? And as a great family of God, can we join hands, put your cups on your chairs, and let's ask God for a great blessing upon our congregation. Lord, because of the cross, Lord, we want to be a congregation, a church hidden behind the cross of Christ. And yet, Lord, we want to be a church, Lord, a body of believers living in the full provision of what Jesus died to give us. That we might have life to share with those around us, Lord, who are hurting and lost and separated and alienated. Lord, we want to be a people rich in the grace of God. And we ask you, Lord, as we fasted these last hours, to pour out grace upon us. Do so, Lord, and do exceedingly, abundantly beyond that which we've been able to even ask or think. That you'd be glorified, Lord, and that people would be drawn to Jesus, our Lord. You did not wait for me to draw near to you. But you clothed yourself with friendly manners. You did not wait for me to cry out and be near you. You did not wait for me. I'm more than you think. Raise your wonderful name, Lord. Now, Lord, we look forward to Easter with great anticipation. Let us meditate on that which we've even celebrated today. Let us boast of nothing except the cross of Christ. In whom we have all the benefits and dividends of God Almighty. In Jesus' name, amen. Well, I trust today that you're going to leave here anticipating the Lord. And I want to, but time doesn't allow because many have to go to work today. I want to just go down the list and say, which of those benefits are you receiving today? Don't wait for something else to happen. Now's the time. If you need healing, receive it right now. If you need freedom from guilt, right now. If you need peace with God, right now. And so, blessing and victory. If you need it now is the time. And Sunday when we come together, you're going to find, I'm sure like Carol does this morning, a certain celebration that you can't contain. When you've had your own resurrection, folks, it's kind of tough to just slam it on down there. And I'll be praying for you as you invite your neighbors and friends to worship with you this Sunday. Remember the times, 7 o'clock, of course, on Saturday. Let's say it together. 8, 9.30, 11.15. And the reason why I want you to come early is because we're starting with a special reenactment. I'll let it right there. Just be here on time. And if you've been fasting, I highly recommend you don't go out and eat six donuts. Work your way into a normal routine. God bless you. Have a wonderful day. Give someone a hug, would you today? Tell them God loves them today. Amen.