GOOD FRIDAY @ THE AMP

“MORE THAN A MOMENT”

Matthew 27:45–51 NIV

45 From noon until three in the afternoon darkness came over all the land. 46 About three in the afternoon Jesus cried out in a loud voice, “Eli, Eli, lema sabachthani?” (which means “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?”). 47 When some of those standing there heard this, they said, “He’s calling Elijah.” 48 Immediately one of them ran and got a sponge. He filled it with wine vinegar, put it on a staff, and offered it to Jesus to drink. 49 The rest said, “Now leave him alone. Let’s see if Elijah comes to save him.” 50 And when Jesus had cried out again in a loud voice, he gave up his spirit. 51 At that moment the curtain of the temple was torn in two from top to bottom. The earth shook, the rocks split

~INTRO~ 10 Mins / Welcome / Pray / Believe.

“Things can change quickly in life. “

You ever been in one of those situations where things were going good… and it seemed like you ALL YOU DID was turn ONE corner..and BAM!.....or you got one phone call… you opened a a letter from the college admissions department, or The doctor called you… a friend reached out to share something with you.... and it SEEMS LIKE IN THAT VERY MOMENT - The landscape of your entire life SHIFTS from HERE to THERE

and you have a completely NEW PARADIGM

There was a shift

because there was a moment

.... and everything CHANGED.

On June 4th of 1940 Winston Churchill, a newly appointed prime minister had to take up the task of telling a nation and the nations of the world that Britain and the Allied forces had suffered a massive military disaster and faced the threat of a possible invasion attempt by Nazi Germany.

This was what most would call the speech of a lifetime.

A moment that the WHOLE world was listening to this VOICE.

What would happen? What would He (& the free world do) Would He say its all over.... Or not?

Churchill stepped up to the podium in the house of commons of the UNITED KINGDOM Parliament and delivered his speech. A speech today that is described by many as the greatest oratorical moments of a war in recent history. It was ths speech where instead of giving in and saying “ invasion is immenent”… he went all in and said

“Even though large tracts of Europe and many old and famous States have fallen or may fall into the grip of the Gestapo and all the odious apparatus of Nazi rule, we shall not flag or fail. We shall go on to the end. We shall fight in France, we shall fight on the seas and oceans, we shall fight with growing confidence and growing strength in the air, we shall defend our island, whatever the cost may be. We shall fight on the beaches, we shall fight on the landing grounds, we shall fight in the fields and in the streets, we shall fight in the hills; we shall never surrender.

And even if, which I do not for a moment believe, this island or a large part of it were subjugated and starving, then our Empire beyond the seas, armed and guarded by the British Fleet, would carry on the struggle, until, in God's good time, the New World, with all its power and might, steps forth to the rescue and the liberation of the old.

This was … a MOMENT.

A moment in history - When Churchill Spoke

A defining moment in TIME.

When the resolve of a nation and a large part of the WORLD was put boldly on display and would be marked forever.

a man, a leader, a response, a word.... a moment that changed HISTORY:

~MAIN~ 15 MINS.

Theres another moment like this.....

In genesis 22 There is one of these defining moments (just takes a quick historical rewind of some 4,000 years) when this time it wasnt a man, it was GOD who SPOKE to a man named abraham and told him to do something that you and i wouldnt in our wildest imagine believe we could or would ever think of or be able to do:

To offer up Isaac as a sacrifice before the LORD

Genesis 22:1-2 “1 After these things God tested Abraham and said to him, “Abraham!” And he said, “Here I am.” 2 He said, “Take your son, your only son Isaac, whom you love, and go to the land of Moriah, and offer him there as a burnt offering on one of the mountains of which I shall tell you.””

the bible doesn’t pause… theres no conjecture, theres no argument.... just a response:

Genesis 22:3 “3 So Abraham rose early in the morning, saddled his donkey, and took two of his young men with him, and his son Isaac. And he cut the wood for the burnt offering and arose and went to the place of which God had told him.”

So Abraham does what God tells him & rises early the next day. A man of Faith.... & Action.

He goes & on the way in verse 7 His son asks him a question:

Genesis 22:7-8 “7 And Isaac said to his father Abraham, “My father!” And he said, “Here I am, my son.” He said, “Behold, the fire and the wood, but where is the lamb for a burnt offering?”

AND ABRAHAM.... with FULL FAITH & ASSURANCE in a GOD HE KNOWS SAYS SOMETHING TO HIS SON:

8 Abraham said, “God will provide for himself the lamb for a burnt offering, my son.” So they went both of them together.”

AND .... We who know our bibles know this story that Abraham takes his son up to the mountain and says to his helpers “you stay here… me and the boy are going over THERE to WORSHIP

and he assembles it all, ties his own son DOWN on the altar of sacrifice & raises the blade and at the VERY LAST MOMENT...

GOD SPEAKS.

Genesis 22:11 “11 But the angel of the Lord called to him from heaven and said, “Abraham, Abraham!” And he said, “Here I am.””

it says “the angel of the LORD”

Genesis 22:12 “12 He said, “Do not lay your hand on the boy or do anything to him, for now I know that you fear God, seeing you have not withheld your son, your only son, from me.””

and they suddenly see a ram behind them supernaturally provided by God in the place of Isaac.... caught in thicket by its thorns & just as ABRAHAM declared......he took it sacrificed it INSTEAD OF ISAAC

His Son… that day, was replaced - or substituted and placed on the altar of sacrifice.... instead of Abrahams SON - The Son of PROMISE

they came down off that mountain connected back with the helpers & true to abrahams word....

… they ALL WENT HOME.

God tells him - surely ill bless you and wi will surely multiply your offspring as the stars of heaven as the sand on the seashore.

......

So why DIDN’T God make Abraham go through with it? (isaac was spared, He was saved, He was given the OUT)

Because God was …

even in THAT moment.... Like God is in EVERY MOMENT. (even right now)... was DOING SOMETHING that only the GOD of all creation CAN DO.

he was SIGNALING SOMETHING 4,000 Years ago that he is still signalling to a lost broken dying humanity EVEN TODAY

I. DON’T WANT YOU TO DIE..... I WANT YOU TO LIVE

BECAUSE I LOVE. YOU.

Moments come and MOMENTS GO

But this MOMENT … This MOMENT of SACRIFICE...

Why sacrifice important??

Sacrifice was Gods way of HOLY ALIGNMENT for his people. to Atone, to Make things RIGHT… only for a short period of time

God is Holy… Were not - and Sacrifice was the way in which the sins of one persons WORLD would be TRANSFERRED to the Head of an animal to CONSECRATE and ABSOLVE a person of their sins - Substitutionary Atonement (!!!)

But theres a few things you need to know about sacrifice & i promise this will all tie in:

Sacrifice was GRUESOME / It was bloody, it was a DEATH

Sacrifice was COMPLETE / Wholly.... & without reserve - you cant offer up half a goat! all or nothing.

Sacrifice was COSTLY / It came, usually, at great personal cost to the person offering - in faith - and with great personal cost.

Sacrifice was NECESSARY / For Gods people to be RIGHT again with God, for SIN to be overcome for that cycle or that season or that period of time (usually a year) it was absolutely necessary to do SO THAT you could stay in RIGHT STANDING with an awesome… and HOLY GOD.

and 2000 Years ago. This is what we see......We see a moment of HOLY alignment

A gruesome display of a sickening death the likes of which is still considered the most drawn out, agonizing way to do imaginable.

It was Complete

It was COSTLY

..... Because it was necessary.

GOD IS A GOOD GOD.... but HE IS A JUST GOD. AND HE WOULD DEAL WITH SIN THE RIGHT WAY - HIS RIGHTEOUSNESS WOULD DICTATE THE NECESSARY SACRIFICE - SUPREEME IN NATURE

and SIN requires a satisfactory atonement or dealing

GOD DECIDED THAT SIN WOULD NO LONGER SEPERATE US

When God said to Abraham: Genesis 22:2 “2 He said, “Take your son, your only son Isaac, whom you love, and go to the land of Moriah, and offer him there as a burnt offering on one of the mountains of which I shall tell you.””

He was POINTING FORWARD TO THE SUPREME SACRIFICE:

God had also a SON - An ONLY SON.. WHOM HE LOVED (john 3:16 & Matt 3:17 “17 and behold, a voice from heaven said, “This is my beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased.”” )

Here is GRACE

But he TOOK IT UPON HIMSELF> Not ABRAHAM’s Only, beloved - MINE. would be enough to satisfy…

GOD DECIDED THAT ISAAC WAS ENOUGH to be SPARED and He was.

God decided that YOU WERE ENOUGH to be SPARED - and you CAN.

GOD HAS ALREADY DECIDED THAT YOU ARE ENOUGH - MAYBE YOU NEED TO STOP TELLING HIM YOUR NOT! (or maybe yourself!)

You Cant UNDO.... What God has DONE.

The realities of Good Friday are that In a MOMENT:

1.THERE WAS A SACRIFICE

On the original good friday there was a sacrifice, nothing was withheld - it was WHOLE. It was COMPLETE & in a manner WORTHY to SATISFY THE WRATH of GOD on SIN FOR ALL TIME - GOD was Satisfied FULLY

Jesus was the sacrifice:

He DIDN’T live the life i have lived.... But he DIED the Death that i definitely deserved!

When i read the story of isaac, i dont see a picture of someone JUST Narrowly MISSING the guillutine or just avoiding death… NO! i see the grace of God at work - When i see the substitution of the ram for Abrahams son i dont clap my hands and say isnt tha WONDERFUL to read that happened for ISAAC… NO!

I understand - That its the same picture i can see in my own life

Born to an earthly father.... Saved by a HOLY GOD.

Do you see it?

Isaac’s saving is the same saving God is doing to this very DAY.

Jesus SACRIFICE was enough friend. it was and it is enough for YOU.

AND IM HERE TO TELL YOU TODAY THAT YOU DONT HAVE TO LEAVE THIS PLACE TODAY WITHOUT EXPERIENCING THE SAME GRACE IN YOUR OWN LIFE!

2.THE VEIL WAS TORN.....There was a sacrifice so significant that that the VEIL was torn /

Matthew 27:51 ESV

51 And behold, the curtain of the temple was torn in two, from top to bottom. And the earth shook, and the rocks were split.

See this is massive.

behind the veil was Gods presence and not even the regular priests were allowed behind it.. only the High PRIEST at the right time of year and in the right way was allowed behind the veil - behind the veil was the ark, it was the presence of God, its where HIS GLORY this was evidence that the sacrifice was right, the price was enough & so sufficient was it that sin which always seperated GOD FROM MAN was no longer a barrier - but through the BLOOD of JESUS SHED on that CROSS> the veil, the barrier, the curtain that held a sinner back from a holy God - Through JESUS was no LONGER there

YOU KNOW WHY THE VEIL TORE FROM THE TOP? (because everything begins from above)

God is the great initiator in our lives..... come on somebody:

Gods grace -it comes from above & Makes its way to you! - it comes from heaven to you

Gods healing for you life - you cant earn it - by his stripes you are healed - it comes from the top down

Gods love and his affection for you his child - It begins ON HIGH.. and MAKES ITS WAY TO YOUR LIFE and TO YOUR HEART

The way he extends his forgiveness.... FROM THE TOP DOWN. Heaven Met earth / It was MORE THAN A MOMENT

It was the greatest sacrifice. Supreme. never to be repeated. Once for all.

The sacrifice was made (fully)… the Veil was torn...which meant.....

3.THE WORK WAS DONE......

The act was finished

John 19:30 “30 When Jesus had received the sour wine, he said, “It is finished,” and he bowed his head and gave up his spirit.”

its what we call the “the passion “work of the cross”

we now call the “FINISHED WORK” of the cross.

so why are you trying to mess with it?

Don’t mess with it - accept it!

All the sin that has ever existed in your life… and will ever exist has been covered by this work. the great work of JESUS on the cross.

My question tonite is this - what will you do with it?

~CLOSE~ 5 Mins ~STAND with me! / THIS IS MORE THAN A MOMENT _ for people tonite!

This can be more than a moment.. for you.

Not an ordinary friday night....

This can be a moment of complete transformation. where heaven comes down. and where you.... go From death to life.

friend.....ALL Life is found through the CROSS.

I wanna show you a picture of my bible.

This is a picture of what God does when you give him your life.

One side: in this case is the back..... It has nothing on it. its void. its lifeless. Nothing to it.

But the other side: has a cross on it. Imprinted. marked forever.

This is what God can do right now with your heart.

/ I want you to bow your heads and close your eyes.

Altar Call.

Back into worship.

NOTES:

This was a sacrifice that was actually POINTING FORWARD to a GREATER… the GREATEST Sacrifice that would be MADE WHICH WOULD B

INSTEAD OF ABRAHAM, OR ISAAC or JACOB … or ANY OF US.

it wouldn’t be human… or just human. it would be DIVINELY HUMAN Sacrifice.

It would BE JESUS in that PLACE

BUT THIS TIME: GOD WOULD GO THROUGH WITH IT: There wouldn’t be a sudden change in the story or shift or replacement animal or object or thing:

NO - JESUS CHRIST - THE SON OF GOD… the perfect LAMB of GOD who takes away the sins of the WORLD…

Would be given up

Would be abandoned.

Would be FORSAKEN.

In a moment. ......God abandoned His own Son.

But it was MORE than a moment

THIS WAS THE GREATEST EVENT IN HUMAN HISTORY & THE WORLD WOULD NEVER BE THE SAME AGAIN.

This sacrifice - would be So that Abraham, Isaac, you, me, we - EVERYONE could become SON’s of the MOST High God. So we could be SONS & DAUGHTERS of GOD.

Matt 27:46 “46 And about the ninth hour Jesus cried out with a loud voice, saying, “Eli, Eli, lema sabachthani?” that is, “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?””

It was the moment.

The SON OF GOD FORSAKEN ON A CROSS.

Abandoned, Forsaken, Sacrificed. Dead on a CROSS.

This was the FINAL MOMENT - the end of the ROAD for the SINS of the world to be the BARRIER between a HOLY all CONSUMING GOD and the PEOPLE, the CREATION that He so desired to be reconciled once again to himself.

EXCEPT there was a moment years before that - which also seemed like the moment but wasn’t the moment but almost was the MOMENT: it also Featured a FATHER, a SON… a sacrifice.

its the story of God asking Abraham to Sacrifice his son, his ONLY son ISAAC whom you love”

… and GO To to the land. of MORIAH

Genesis 22:9–12 ESV

9 When they came to the place of which God had told him, Abraham built the altar there and laid the wood in order and bound Isaac his son and laid him on the altar, on top of the wood. 10 Then Abraham reached out his hand and took the knife to slaughter his son. 11 But the angel of the Lord called to him from heaven and said, “Abraham, Abraham!” And he said, “Here I am.” 12 He said, “Do not lay your hand on the boy or do anything to him, for now I know that you fear God, seeing you have not withheld your son, your only son, from me.”

Isaac was a test of Abrahams love and devotion to God. And he didnt HOLD back.

Isaac was a test of Gods promises because He was supposed to be the PLAN for God to bring about the blessing of the whole world and the promise of Abrahams descendants was on the line.

but.....Abraham loved God, Abraham obeyed God, Abraham knew the COST was excruciating but HE KNEW That no Matter what would happen God would have HAD TO HAVE HAD A PLAN.

Gen 22:7-8 “7 And Isaac said to his father Abraham, “My father!” And he said, “Here I am, my son.” He said, “Behold, the fire and the wood, but where is the lamb for a burnt offering?” 8 Abraham said, “God will provide for himself the lamb for a burnt offering, my son.” So they went both of them together.”

In other WORDS: “I don’t know SON… BUT I KNOW THE ONE WHO KNOWS.”

.... and we know that the way it all ended was a great DISPLAY of FAITH and the MIRACULOUS

Genesis 22:13 ESV

13 And Abraham lifted up his eyes and looked, and behold, behind him was a ram, caught in a thicket by his horns. And Abraham went and took the ram and offered it up as a burnt offering instead of his son.

ISAAC wasnt SAcrificed. The Ram, caught in the thicket by his horns.... WAS.

Why is this relevant today: 2023… Good Friday.

Even way back in our bibles: This moment FORESHADOWED… POINTED TO… WOULD SHOW US A TYPE OF… the WAY GOD WOULD FINALLY… IN A MOMENT MAKE THE PERFECT SACRIFICE… ONCE & FOR ALL .. FOR THE SINS OF THE WHOLE WORLD>

the Parrallells are there you just have to LOOK AT them,

IS was Abrahams ONLY SON - JESUS was Gods ONLY SON.

Isaac was Abrahams son that He loved / God loved Jesus and told the world to listen to him.

Isaac willfully gave himself to be bound upon the altar on mount Moriah - He got up on the altar in Obedience to His father Abraham / Jesus willfully gave his own life and submitted himself to the will of the father and “got up on the cross” and did the will of God.

But Isaac didn’t Die. Jesus did.

Isaac was spared. Jesus wasn’t.

Isaac came down from the Altar. Jesus did not come down from the CROSS. He stayed there

Isaac was saved - Jesus was NOT.

Isaac was protected by God - Jesus was completely and totally abandoned by God.

Isaac’s Heart CRIEs were answered - Jesus were not.

why?

This supernatural sacrifice was a shadow of the supreme sacrifice which was to come.

God supernaturally PROVIDED a RAM Caught in the Ticket by its HORNS:

JESUS WORE A CROWN OF THORNS. IT WASNT JUST A SYMBOL OF MOCKERY. IT WAS A SIGN OF SUBMISION!

The ram was caught / Jesus wasnt trying to run away.

Jesus wilfully chose to WEAR a CROWN of THORNS: the THORNS of WHICH didnt just HOLD HIM in place on HIS HEAD.. they SUNK INTO HIS HEAD to

THIS WASN’T THE SAME SACRIFICE: THIS WAS A BETTER SACRIFICE

THIS WASNT A TEMPORAY SOLUTION FOR ONE YEAR OR ONE FEAST CYCLE.. THIS WAS FOR ALL FEASTS AND FOR ALL CYCLES AND FOR ALL OF ETERNITY.

Hebrews 5:7–10 ESV

7 In the days of his flesh, Jesus offered up prayers and supplications, with loud cries and tears, to him who was able to save him from death, and he was heard because of his reverence. 8 Although he was a son, he learned obedience through what he suffered. 9 And being made perfect, he became the source of eternal salvation to all who obey him, 10 being designated by God a high priest after the order of Melchizedek.

SO HERE WE ARE

IN THE SAME PLACE (THE SAME MOUNTAIN Some scholars believe) where JESUS would lay down his life.

In the same place. and in much the same way except there wouldn’t be a LAST MINUTE intervention from HEAVEN.

This would be followed through.

JESUS FULFLLED the PURPOSE FOR WHICH HE WAS SENT.

To be WHOLLY… WILLFULLY.. UNJUSTLY - PUT TO DEATH & not for NO REASON: for EVERY SINGLE PERSON WALKING ON THEE FACE OF THE EARTH FOR ALL OF THE WORLD: and for the SIN OF THE WORLD… to TRANSFERED TO THE HEAD AND THE BODY & to the LIFE OF JESUS

Hebrews 9:24–25 (ESV)

24 For Christ has entered, not into holy places made with hands, which are copies of the true things, but into heaven itself, now to appear in the presence of God on our behalf. 25 Nor was it to offer himself repeatedly, as the high priest enters the holy places every year with blood not his own,

Hebrews 9:26 (ESV)

26 for then he would have had to suffer repeatedly since the foundation of the world. But as it is, he has appeared once for all at the end of the ages to put away sin by the sacrifice of himself.