3/29/24 Good Friday service

Am I e all te little d e prob spe for evening ladies and gentlemen it's good to see you all here this evening brothers and sisters it's good to see you all here this evening it's a great night to be in the house of the Lord even though tonight we mourn we don't mourn as those with no hope before we get started our children's Minister asked me to make the announcement that we do have a couple of rooms one on either side here for children if you got children that are you know unruly and you children in our worship services but if you need a separate place for them we are live streaming the service in those rooms they'll be on your left if you go this way and on your right if you go this way so one room on each side but now as we enter into this time of worship where we sing together and hear from God's very word I encourage you to join us as we sing of this of this God who humbled the God of the universe who humbled himself to the point of death even death on a cross I invite you to stand table join us [Music] s Man of Sorrows what a name for Ru sers to reclaim hallelujah what aor go rude in my

Place and he stood seal my par with his blood hallelujah what aor Man of Sorrows men of Sorrow Son of God purchased freom by his blood man who takes the for S hallelujah what a [Music] sing and heless we Godless Lamb of God was he full of atonement can it be hallelujah what aior of Sorrow blame [Music] sing Hallelujah what [Music] aor good evening let's pray together father thank you for this opportunity to worship together to come together of Believers and worship you and celebrate you and Lord tonight we continue to ask your blessing on our time together speak to us through song Through Your word draw our hearts to you is our prayer in Jesus name amen well good evening my name is Brian h OG I'm one of the elders at Potter's House in camton here and it's my privilege to share with you tonight and every story has a beginning and the there once was or one day or the story goes like this even

But on this good evening I have the privilege of sharing the beginning of the greatest beginning of a story ever and it's the greatest story ever and the best part is it's not a fairy tale or a movie or a book but it's completely and utterly true of course we're talking about the story of God specifically tonight I want to talk about creation and the beginning of this story starts with the most first line ever if you're familiar with the story before anything we know existed before plants and animals and the Earth and before even light existed it's that beginning that we're talking about tonight so like I said if you're even just a casual Observer if you're a longtime or a casual Observer of the Bible and history you've heard of the Biblical story of creation and you're familiar with those those famous words that were spoken over that form formless void that existed in Genesis 1:3 God said those words let there be light and there was God's word says words light just was and it's so beyond our comprehension it's immeasurable really for us to think about the enormity of the creation that God made all those things just by speaking verse that we can see with telescopes is a one with 24 after it SE and scientists agree that's probably a gross underestimation of the actual amount of stars and God just spoke and they were I mean that's that's mindboggling to think about that but yet God wasn't finished with his creation there he has one more creation to go and it's this his crown jewel of all creation his Masterpiece the one he cares the most about the one he loves above all others and we'll see how and why this creation is so special to him

And if you have your Bibles tonight I would invite you to take them out it could be a hard copy it could be a digital copy that's all right but if you have a copy of God's word I'd like you to so this next step begins here excuse me Genesis 1:26 through 29 says then God said let us make man in our image after dominion over the fish of the sea and of the birds of the heavens and over the livestock and over all the Earth and over every creeping thing that creeps on the earth so God created man in his own image in the image of God he created him male and female he created them and God blessed them and God said to them be fruitful and multiply and fill the Earth and subdue it have dominion over the fish of the sea and over the birds of air and the heavens and over every living thing that moves on the earth and God said behold I've given you every plant yielding seed that is on the face of all the Earth and every tree with seed in its fruit you shall have them for food so one of the first clues that this creation is different than all the other things that he created before that is the fact that when God said instead of saying let there be he spoke to the other members of the Trinity that were there with him God the Father God the son and God the Holy Spirit he said let us make man and in our likeness in our image and he also said that man would have dominion over all the Earth all the things that he previously created man would have dominion over and God expounds on his creation a little bit in chapter two of Genesis and that's another clue that this creation is special God it's different he gives more detail rather than just saying let there be light and it was and moving on God gives more detail and we

Look that in Genesis chapter 2 Genesis 2:7 says this if you're following along then the Lord God formed the man of dust from the ground and breathe to his nostrils the Breath of Life himself into his creation another powerful expression of God's love for us and that he didn't stop there he also created a very perfect place for us as humankind we look in Genesis 8 and N the Lord God planted a garden in Eden in the East and there he put the man whom he had formed and out of the ground the Lord made to spring up every tree that is Pleasant to the side and good for food so God created a perfect place he created The Garden of Eden which has become a metaphor for us these now out of the ground the Lord God formed every beast of the field and every bird of the heavens and brought them to the man to see what he would call them and whatever the man called every living creature that was its name the man gave names to stock and to the birds heavens and to every beast of the field God showed his love and significance in Man by giving him a respon responsibility and job and he also trusted the man it doesn't man gave and birds and plants names that God said well that's maybe not a good name let's change it to this whatever the man called the every living creature name and God saw there was something lacking there was a need for a helper for the man Genesis 2 then should be I will make him a helper fit for him this is another expression of God's love God created a helper someone to walk beside a partner mate a soulmate and here's that description Genesis 2 21-2 so the Lord God caused a deep sleep to fall upon the man and while took one of his ribs and closed up its place with flesh and the rib the Lord God had taken from the man he made into a woman and brought her to the man

Then the man said this bone of my bones and Flesh of My Flesh she shall be called woman because taken out of man therefore a man shall shall leave his father and his mother and hold fast to wife and the man and his wife were both naked and they were not ashamed God took a rib from Man a part of him to make his helper partner soulmate so very much like him yet completely and utterly distinct this is another clue as to how special we were as God formed us and created ated us and God allowed it unspoiled greatly love mankind Beauty Perfection and innocence did make us in his own image and yet he also gave us a warning in Genesis 1: 16 and 17 God he said you may surely eat of every tree of the garden but of the tree of the knowledge of Good and Evil you shall not eat for in the day that you eat of it you shall surely what humans at this point they knew neither good nor evil but they did know obedience because God he told them to work in the garden told them to be fruitful and multiply and fill the Earth do it to not eat of the tree of the knowledge of Good and Evil and they understood that God place them there for those purposes and they were innocent at one time mankind was privileged to enjoy peace and closeness and fellowship with the Lord our first father Adam he communed with God fa to face however Adam and Eve they broke God's one rule if you look over at Genesis 3: 4-7 the Scriptures say this but the serpent said to the woman you will not surely die for God knows that when you eat of it you're and you will be God knowing good and evil so when the woman saw that the tree was good for food that it was a delight to the eyes that

Wise ate also gave to her husband who was with her and he ate then the eyes of both were opened and they knew that they were naked and they sued fig leaves and made themselves from the moment that the skin of that fruit was pierced by Adam's teeth his eyes were opened to the realities that were at one time bidden to him the knowledge of good and the knowledge of evil and it is a result of this act of rebellion that sin the world and there were all sorts of terrible new that came into existence at that moment things like sickness and suffering and tragedies at that exact moment and in their newf found knowledge Adam and Eve saw each other and they discovered that they were unclosed naked and they did what they could and they did what we all tried to do and they tried to cover themselves up and how sad is their attempt to clothe themselves well there's a big Leaf let's go grab that and see how that works and just as sad as that is for them to try to cover themselves up with leaves how sad are our attempts to cover God Almighty I'm sure that they probably looked at each other and they thought yeah that's good enough and yet they still stood completely disposed before the Lord of hosts this sin it is treason regard why because this Disobedience came not out of ignorance but because they believed the Serpent's words and they chose to rebel against their cre only once before in God's creation history had inspired and that was caused by the enemy as he led a third of the Heavenly hosts of Heaven to rebel against the Lord with his cunning words of what

Sounded like wisdom the exact same thing to humanity he deceived Humanity into rebellion and every human being born of men from that moment on inherited this sinful nature we are sinners from the womb and sin is hatred of God that's why when we sin it is treason against our creator as well God Almighty and those got with those people who in spite of his holy Authority still raise their fists at God what happens to traitors well they're put to death yet God judged Humanity with tremendous mer look at the mercy of God Adam and instead they received and a promise that through the seed of the woman that Deliverance would come and God graciously those leaves really didn't help their condition at all and he gave them garments of skined them provided for them Robes of Mercy yet the relationship with God was fractured there was nothing that Adam or Eve could ever do to regain that Fellowship that they once got to have God the father and in that same way there is nothing that you or I relationship with God we can't do better we can't be sorry enough we need Deliverance this is the plan that God set forth from the very foundation of the world but Adam and Eve they couldn't take in the God's Redemptive plan in fact Adam and Eve they are still in TR danger they eat of the Tree of Life they would be eternally separated from merciful relationship with their creator that God did not want us to be object

Wrath forever his special creation Made In His Image could he let this happen and so God commanded them to leave to leave the garden and when his special creation his most beloved creatures looked at him with confusion he drove them away look at what it says in Genesis 3: 22-2 then the Lord God said behold the man has become like of us and knowing good and evil now lest he hand and take also of the tree of life and eat and live forever dot therefore the Lord God sent him out of the garden to work the ground he drove out a man and at the east of the Garden of Eden he placed the Cherub God was gracious eventually someone would take the judgment and the justice of that sword to show the mercy and the zachar 13:7 says awake o sword against my shepherd against the man who stands next to me declares the Lord of hosts strike the shepherd and the Sheep will be scattered however we cannot gain entrance to eternal life we will be destroyed by that sword of judgment because we're still Sinners the prophet Isaiah when he was in the throne room of Heaven he says that I saw the Lord seating on his Seated on his throne high and exalted and the train of his robe filled the temple and above him stood the seraphim each had six wings with two he covered his face with two with two he flew and one called out to another holy is the Lord of Earth is full of his glory and the foundations of the threshold Shook at the voice of him who was called and the house was filled with smoke and I said wo is me for I am lost some say woe is me for I am ruined for I am a man of unclean

Lips seen the king the Lord of hosts who can for God none of us none of because we're all Sinners by nature and by choice none of us anyone that can help us would y'all pray with me as we enter into a time of worship and so God we do ask that you would help us father help us to understand the sheer undeservingness of your grace we do not deserve bit of any good thing in this entire universe and yet you have given us so many good things and I pray that tonight as we consider the weight in the depth of our treachery against God help us also to be encouraged ened by the truth that my brothers will bring tonight we love you oh Lord as we all stand together let us sing in Jesus name amen As we sing this song it's come oh sinner we're singing to our former State for those of us who are in Christ we're singing to those Christ who may be among us today but we also recognize our current state though we are justified in Christ we [Music] also come and see Christ the Lord upon a tree of thns Adorn the K who lab to Brea [Music] iny and came to set us free come s come and for he call your s is do you that you deserve [Music] oh awesome scene where our Savior [Music] of the love of God come and

Standing all for he dies to save his enemies that all who draw near may know his peace s come rej through the death of Christ death is destroy all [Music] the this awesome God come and stand here [Music] what wonderous love is this oh my soul oh my soul what wonderous [Music] Cur for my soul for my soul Christ laid aside you can be seated it's on now all righty the need for atonement atonement is not a word we use every day is it so let's start out by a using a dictionary definition the Oxford dictionary says reparation for wrong or injury Webster says reparation for an offense or injury pretty much the same other sources say things like to atone for something is to make reparation in order to bring about peace to do Penance commensurate to the wrong that's done to set things right by appropriate compensation for the wrong yesterday God gave me a thought I was driving along and stopped at a stoplight right behind another vehicle fortunately and the light was red turns green we start out and all of a sudden I hear squealing tires smoke coming out from under this car as he's trying to stop he was running a red light and he did not hit the car in front of me fortunately but it was close just a couple of feet and of course he very embarrassed put it in reverse and backed up quick before anybody came behind him but I thought you know what if he had hit that fella no injury damaged his vehicle appropriate atonement would have been if he jumped out of his vehicle handed him

A stack of hundreds said there you buy yourself a new car atonement done I'd be happy I'm sure the driver there would be happy but what about Los of life how you atone for that not really a way to atone for that is there I work at e training center and every year we do a tech course for our students there who are preparing to serve God bringing the Gospel to people who have never heard around the world the ministry that I'm a part of is called and this course is called missionary technology one of the things we serve bottle of water but my pocket here I have a little Jewel this is a piece of mouse poop and I asked the students how much of this here before you don't want to drink it that's all it's going to take is that one piece nobody wants to drink it for some reason why is and I was actually going to do it but I'm sure I'm going to make a mess if I try so I'm going to skip that part tainted water piece of mouse poop is in here nobody wants it anymore so here are the questions we each need to answer for ourselves today why do I need atonement what have I done to offend God what can I do to make things right with God well as you've already heard it all started back in the Garden of Eden God made that perfect place us he presented Adam and Eve with a simple choice to prove their love obey leave that tree alone till God says otherwise obey and eat despite God's Will and God's warning and of course we know what that warning was you shall surely die and we all know the rest of the story Adam and Eve listen to Satan and

Disobey God thereby breaking fellowship with God and turning the authority that God had given them over to Satan sad since then all of Adam's descendants all the way down to you and I are born separated from God we're separated by our sin we're all responsible for Adam's choice to disobey God and for our own multitude of choices to disobey God that atonement must be to the S satisfaction of the one who was wronged it must measure up to the perfect and holy God of the universe the one who was wrong literally given us the whole world and we said thank you but we don't want your we don't want you teacher to walk with us every day in the garden we want to be in charge of ourselves every time we sin we're saying it again we reject you God how can we atone for that how can we make that right we spiritually dead we have died we have no hope we have nothing to offer that's not tainted by our death you see as repulsive as it is to ingest Mouse Poop tainted water far more repulsive to God we are tainted death Corpses spiritually speaking so before God everything we have to offer is Tainted by death by that stinking foul corpse smell clear that the wages sin is death what do we have to offer that's not tainted by that we atone for our inherited sinful State and our own sinful State Psalms 14 David says the fool heart there is no God they are corrupt they do abominable things there is none who does good the Lord looks down from heaven on the

Children of man to see if there are any who understand who seek after God they have all turned aside together they have become corrupt there is none who does good even one Psalms 515 David says as a man after God's Own Heart stating on behalf of the human I was brought forth in iniquity and in sin mother conceiv me Psalms who can't atone are estranged from the womb they go astray from birth job now man who did his best even sacrificing just in case his kids messed up and yet he said man that he can be Pure or he that is born of a woman that he can be righteous trust in are not pure in his sight how much less one who is abominable a man who Dr is like water Disney and its great wisdom says follow your heart Jeremiah says the heart is deceitful above all things and desperate who can understand it so far we've heard from the Old Testament let's see if we can find a little more encouraging in the New Testament surely it's better Mark 7:20 Jesus said what comes out of a person is what defiles him for from within out of a man's heart come evil thoughts sexual immorality theft coveting wickedness deceit sensuality Envy slander Pride foolishness all these things come from within and they defile a person this is repeated almost word for word in Matthew 15:19 Romans 3:9 says for we already charge that all both Jews and Greeks are under sin as it is written none is righteous know not one no one no one seeks for God all have turned aside together they have become worthless no one does good not even one their throat is an open grave they use their tongues to deceive the Venom of asps is under their blood in their

Paths and the way of not known there is no fear of God Before Their Eyes now we know the law says it speaks to those who are under the law so that every mouth may be stopped and world may be held a no human being will be justified in his sight since through the law comes the knowledge of sin then verse 23 for all have sinned and fall short glory of God Romans 5:12 therefore just as Sin came into the world through one man and death through sin and so death spread to all men because all sinned sadly I don't have good news were helpless the unrighteous God We All Fall sh short no matter how hard we try already corrupt made the choice to follow Satan's word we are conceived into the family of Satan we are dead spiritually we have nothing to offer the wrong that let alone we've done on our own our sinic there is no cure of good work that will fix our problem we desperately need a way to atone for our sin nothing to offer I'm sorry that's where I have to leave you I invite you once again to stand as you're able and join me as you sing the [Music] oh to see the dawn of the Darkest [Music] Day [Music] na oh to see the pain written on your face bearing the awesome way every evil deed crowning your blood stain BR this the power of the Cross Christ for us took the

Blame bore the Wrath [Music] we now fle now the ground quak as it maker his head [Music] viory of the Cross Christ became s for us took the blame for the Wrath we stand [Music] the oh to see my name written in the wounds for through your toughing I am free [Music] one through yourself love the power of the Cross [Music] CHR is the power of the Cross Son of God for us what a [Music] love we stand for be seated light to be here this evening and share my testimony my love for my Lord and Savior Jesus Christ he came and he died I want you to imagine with me this evening what that would be like to leave the glory of heaven and come down to this vile older the praise and worship of God and he agreed to do this the sights and sounds that Jesus saw when he first opened the baby in that manger dark damp smelly what a change from the glory of heaven and he

Willingly CH to do that the Bible says that before the foundation of the world was established the father and the Son and the Holy Spirit devised a plan together to save lost Sinners and in this plan Jesus agreed to die for the salvation of Sinners satisfy Justice and Holiness of God for years I've coupled Easter message message and the Christmas message to the Easter message because they are so intertwined together the separate the world and Jesus gladly accepted that commission promising that he would do the work which the father had GI all the righteousness by obeying the law of God Hebrews 7:22 calls Jesus the shy or the te of the New Covenant imagine that he promised to do that a lot was on the line and Satan knowing what his mission was that he was to carry and Satan take him off point at every turn that he could we see this as he was tempted in the wilderness Temptation turning the Rocks into bread turn and the Bible says another place that in all ways he was tempted like we without sin now when the devil every Temptation time Luke 4:13 as I was meditating on that preparing this message that more opportune time that he was looking for was it in the Garden of Gethsemane he was tested almost beyond comprehension as Jes was contemplating completing his mission to die for our sins in his mind the thought was overwhelming how do I know that because

The Bible says the stress was so great on him that he sweat drops of blood see in his human nature he had all the emotions that we have and since he was also God exactly what laid for him in the coming hour the horrible suring that sometimes brought the victims death that Isaiah described this way they shall see my servant beaten and blooded so disfigured scarcely he was a person standing there Isaiah 52:14 from ways that to put someone to death nail as he pleaded despising the shame what was the joy I love the commentary that WBY has written use it a lot and in his commentary on Hebrews 122 he says it this way knew that he would exalted back to heaven and the glor include Jesus completing the mission that God had given him and the joy in presenting Believers other in glory in Jude 24 and 25 it says now to him who is able to keep you from stumbling and to present you faultless before the presence of his glory with exceeding Joy you hear the word again to God our Savior who alone is wise be glory and Majesty Dominion and power both now and forever more one of the joys that having a relation with Jesus Christ but I think that Jesus has the joy having relationship with us the Bible makes that quite clear I think who salvation relationship with him the older I get the long relish the fact that his death on the cross was

Something very personal day I have breath to draw his last words on the cross were it finished faithful Mission completed the sinless Lamb of God was taken sins and fully paid the price what I deserved aren't you glad he did what an awesome while we were yet sinners died for us he paid the price so I invite you to stand and join us we sing Jesus Paid It All [Music] thed is small child of weakness Watch and Pray find [Music] in Jesus Paid It [Music] all he [Music] in Lord [Music] th change the heart [Music] of to [Music] my Jesus my soul to lip shall still [Music] wased it white as snow oh life up from the dead my and [Music] the praise the one who paid my debt and this life up from

Theise PA and life [Music] up from the de [Music] Jesus [Music] a stain he was be seated it is my great privilege to be here tonight and to stand behind this Podium to bring good news message of the go resurrect the hope of the Resurrection I want to years it was a miracle like no other more than a thousand years before Jesus's birth it was prophesied in Psalm 1410 where you will not abandon my soul show or let your Holy One see corruption body would not remain in the grave rise from the dead up again no one takes it from me but I lay it down own accord I have authority to lay it down and I have authority to take it up again father there are many more references mentioned in the Gospel where he talks a resurrection to his dis for time sake we're not going to do that tonight I invite you this explore for yourself be very enriching so what's the big deal about if I can that reverently what deal about the resurrection how does it provide instruction rather than a path toward hope we would still be in our sins and definitely without hope those who died simply would have if there was really no resur we were living as if there was we're to be pied Paul says in 1 Corinthians 15: 15 to 19 we are even found to be misrepresenting God because we testified

That he raised Christ he did not raise if it is true that the dead are not for the dead are not raised not even Christ has been raised and if Christ has not been raised your faith is to Peter alone on the day of the Resurrection the two disciples on the road to EMAs the 10 disciples without the disciple with Thomas to the disciples when they were fishing at the Sea of Galilee to the 11 and more than 500 all at once and to the apostles immediately before the Ascension the resurrect of his God the Father in Acts 2:24 it was not possible for him to be by it in Romans 811 it says if the spirit of him who raised Jesus from the dead dwell Christ Jesus the dead will also give life give life to your mortal bodies through his Spirit who dwells in you the resurrection was also spoken of an act of Christ it says no one takes it own accord I have authority to lay it down and I have authority to take it up again in his in his resurrected body 2426 enter into his GL three transform our low to be like his glorious body by the resurrected body was also or is also lifegiving the Adam became a the last Adam became a lifegiving spirit the hope of the Resurrection hope defined I'm not sure if it was confident expectation of God's promises so what is this Hope Resurrection I propose to you because burial in Christ Jesus from the law of sin and death for God has done what the law wakened by the flesh could not do by sending his own like of sinful flesh and for sin he can sin in the flesh in order that the righteous requirement of the law might be fulfilled in us who walk not according there is no outstanding sin debt it has been paid for in full we are

Completely forgiven aced and so deeply loved by our father I believe the hope of the resurrection should cause us to live differently invite you to consider tonight appropriating that hope of the resurrection and allowing said but this I conf you that according to the way which they call a sect to worship God I worship the God of our fathers believing everything laid down by the law written the in God which these men the themselves accept that there will be a and the unjust so I always toward both God and man I don't have it all but I'm qu joh 1223 to 24 truly truly I say to by itself alone but if it dies it Bears much fruit beautiful picture that shows us that Jesus resurrected body was altogether different from the one that was buried in been swn into corruption dishonor and weakness but in the resurrection he forth perfect in glory and power body that Jesus possessed as a man became a spiritual became spirit that wheat that kernel of wheat that was put in the ground or when it is put in the ground has to die but when it comes to life it represents the stalk the glory the star and when came out of that grave and he rose again he was the glory of his father tonight by reading John 11 25- 26 where it says Jesus said to her I am the resurrection and the life whoever believes in me though he die yet shall and everyone who lives and Believes In Me shall never die do you believe this he was talking to her brother Lazarus was dead and she why not characterize your life and your walk does it fuel your faith

Inate your has transformed your life I'll ask you to join me one more time as we sing of the hope that we have in Christ buried with [Music] him Our Hope in and Christ Alone Christ Alone what is confidence that our to [Music] him ET oh sing Hal Hallelujah now and we confess Christ who sends the way that bring night unto the shore the rock of [Music] Christ oh sing [Music] hallelu hopes oh sing hallelu now we confess Christ Our Hope in life [Music] and [Music] Christ every will Heaven bring everlasting life with him then we will rise and we will feal oh sing hallelu and ever we confess [Applause] [Music] Eternal sing hallelu now and ever we [Applause] [Music] confess [Music] amen hey Christ is our hope and amen we

Don't have to wait for Sunday to share that good new amen came he lived a perfect life he atoned for your sins and for mine and I so thankful that we get to share that good news with you tonight if you don't know about that talk to the person that invited you or talk to one of the speakers that were up here we want