April 9, 2023
Morning Service

“Living Hope”

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Last Sunday we began a week of events that we often call “The Passion Week” which is the final week leading to the death, burial, and resurrection of our Lord Jesus Christ.  We tried to walk that path together this week as we met together and examined what Jesus did each day.  We began with the excitement of the Triumphal Entry as Jesus allowed His worshippers to proclaim His praises openly.  Jesus showed righteous indignation as He cleansed the Temple of those who were taking advantage of those who had come to worship God.  He had several encounters with the religious leaders and that brought out within them a spirit that wanted Him killed.  Wednesday we sat with Jesus as He discussed the coming time of tribulation and persecution we will one day face and remember His call to “Watch!”  We also saw one of the most precious acts of worship recorded in the Bible as Mary brought her flask of oil and anointed Jesus’ head and feet for His burial out of her love for Him.  Thursday began well enough as we shared the Last Supper with Jesus and the disciples as He explained to us the spiritual meaning behind our communion service.  It changed however as Judas left and made an agreement to betray our Lord with the religious leaders.  We watched Jesus become “troubled and deeply distressed” in the Garden of Gethsemane.  It was there a spiritual battle took place as Jesus cried out to His Father yielding His own Will to that of His Father.  Angels came and ministered to Him empowering Him to endure all that would happen in the whirlwind that followed.  He was betrayed, arrested and all of His disciples abandoned Him.  He was tried, convicted, and beaten just as Isaiah had foretold 600 years earlier.  Pilate, despite his better judgement, handed Jesus over to be crucified.  Steve’s song “Watch the Lamb” tells this story very well.

“Watch the Lamb” 

John 19:28-30 After this, Jesus, knowing that all things were now accomplished, that the Scripture might be fulfilled, said, "I thirst!"  (29)  Now a vessel full of sour wine was sitting there; and they filled a sponge with sour wine, put it on hyssop, and put it to His mouth.  (30)  So when Jesus had received the sour wine, He said, "It is finished!" And bowing His head, He gave up His spirit.

            It was in that moment that the veil in the Temple that separate the people from the Holy of Holies (the presence of God) was torn from the top to the bottom.  This symbolized that through Jesus our broken relationship with Jesus was now restored.  Every believer now can come boldly into the presence of God having their sin forgiven and paid for in full.  Jesus was removed from the cross and taken to a grave where He was sealed in by a large stone.  Thank the Lord the story does not end here; something happened.

 

Luke 24:1-12 Now on the first day of the week, very early in the morning, they, and certain other women with them, came to the tomb bringing the spices which they had prepared.  (2)  But they found the stone rolled away from the tomb.  (3)  Then they went in and did not find the body of the Lord Jesus.  (4)  And it happened, as they were greatly perplexed about this, that behold, two men stood by them in shining garments.  (5)  Then, as they were afraid and bowed their faces to the earth, they said to them, "Why do you seek the living among the dead?  (6)  He is not here, but is risen! Remember how He spoke to you when He was still in Galilee, (7) saying, 'The Son of Man must be delivered into the hands of sinful men, and be crucified, and the third day rise again.' "  (8)  And they remembered His words.  (9)  Then they returned from the tomb and told all these things to the eleven and to all the rest.  (10)  It was Mary Magdalene, Joanna, Mary the mother of James, and the other women with them, who told these things to the apostles.  (11)  And their words seemed to them like idle tales, and they did not believe them.  (12)  But Peter arose and ran to the tomb; and stooping down, he saw the linen cloths lying by themselves; and he departed, marveling to himself at what had happened.

 

Luke 24:36-40 Now as they said these things, Jesus Himself stood in the midst of them, and said to them, "Peace to you."  (37)  But they were terrified and frightened, and supposed they had seen a spirit.  (38)  And He said to them, "Why are you troubled? And why do doubts arise in your hearts?  (39)  Behold My hands and My feet, that it is I Myself. Handle Me and see, for a spirit does not have flesh and bones as you see I have."  (40)  When He had said this, He showed them His hands and His feet.

            This week that we have just walked together through contains the most important events that make up the foundation of our faith.  Jesus lived a perfect life, gave His life upon the cross, and was raised from the grave to live forever more sitting at the right hand of the Father making intercession for us.  This entire week was full of prophecy fulfilled confirming to us that “Jesus is the Son of God who takes away the sin of the world.”  Why would God do this?  Why would He go to such great lengths to repair the broken relationship between man and Himself?  He did this all because He loves you and desires to have a relationship with you.  This was the plan from the foundation of the world.  God took on the flesh of man (Jesus) in order to pay in full your debt of sin, that you could never pay. His faithful obedience of offering His life created the pathway for you to be reconciled with Him and His Father.  He chose to suffer in a way that no one had ever suffered before, both physically and spiritually, motivated by His love for you.  Today this message of love is singing out to you.  God has done His part and now it is up to us now.  We too are in the grave of our sins and Jesus is calling us out to “Rise up” and follow Him by accepting the gift of salvation He offers to us.  The kids have a song for us that is speaking to you to do exactly that. “Rise up” out of the darkness of sin and evil and come to the light of Jesus and let Him make everything right.

 

“Rise up!”

 

Joh 3:16-21 For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.  (17)  For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved.  (18)  "He who believes in Him is not condemned; but he who does not believe is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God.  (19)  And this is the condemnation, that the light has come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil.  (20)  For everyone practicing evil hates the light and does not come to the light, lest his deeds should be exposed.  (21)  But he who does the truth comes to the light, that his deeds may be clearly seen, that they have been done in God."

            You are here this morning to be invited to a relationship with your Creator.  A relationship that has been broken by our sin that separated us from God.  The result of what we have experienced throughout this week is that Jesus has created a path for us to restore that broken relationship.  His death paid the price for our sins and His resurrection proved that He was successful in doing just that.  Today is the celebration of that empty grave and the hope it gives us who follow Jesus.  He has been successful in defeating the enemy He came to battle; sin and death are conquered through His blood.  As Jon Carl comes and closes us with this song, I want you to realize the magnitude of this moment.  He did this all for you.  He gave His all for you and simply asks for you to accept the gift of salvation He offers to you and “Follow Me.”  If you are already following Jesus, then let this be a moment of renewal for you to rededicate yourself to the One who gave His all for us.  This song helps us to know what to do with that fact.

 

Heavenly Father open our eyes and hearts to fully grasp the price of the salvation You freely offer to us.  Help us to walk daily with gratitude that You loved us enough to pay the price for our sins for us.

 

“He Paid It All”