Rescue Good Friday

Call To Worship

Say: Listen dear brother and sister as God calls you to worship through His Word

Revelation 5:11–12 ESV

11 Then I looked, and I heard around the throne and the living creatures and the elders the voice of many angels, numbering myriads of myriads and thousands of thousands, 12 saying with a loud voice, “Worthy is the Lamb who was slain, to receive power and wealth and wisdom and might and honor and glory and blessing!”

Opening Meditation

The death of Christ is a Paschal (Easter) Offering, a covenant offering, a praise offering as well as a sacrifice; a ransom and and example; suffering and action; a work and a ministry; a means of justification and sanctification, atonement and consecration, redemption and glorification; in a word, the cause of our whole redemption. - Herman Bavinck

Text

Luke 22:1–23 (ESV)

1 Now the Feast of Unleavened Bread drew near, which is called the Passover. 2 And the chief priests and the scribes were seeking how to put him to death, for they feared the people. 3 Then Satan entered into Judas called Iscariot, who was of the number of the twelve. 4 He went away and conferred with the chief priests and officers how he might betray him to them. 5 And they were glad, and agreed to give him money. 6 So he consented and sought an opportunity to betray him to them in the absence of a crowd.

7 Then came the day of Unleavened Bread, on which the Passover lamb had to be sacrificed. 8 So Jesus sent Peter and John, saying, “Go and prepare the Passover for us, that we may eat it.” 9 They said to him, “Where will you have us prepare it?” 10 He said to them, “Behold, when you have entered the city, a man carrying a jar of water will meet you. Follow him into the house that he enters 11 and tell the master of the house, ‘The Teacher says to you, Where is the guest room, where I may eat the Passover with my disciples?’ 12 And he will show you a large upper room furnished; prepare it there.”

13 And they went and found it just as he had told them, and they prepared the Passover. 14 And when the hour came, he reclined at table, and the apostles with him. 15 And he said to them, “I have earnestly desired to eat this Passover with you before I suffer. 16 For I tell you I will not eat it until it is fulfilled in the kingdom of God.” 17 And he took a cup, and when he had given thanks he said, “Take this, and divide it among yourselves. 18 For I tell you that from now on I will not drink of the fruit of the vine until the kingdom of God comes.” 19 And he took bread, and when he had given thanks, he broke it and gave it to them, saying, “This is my body, which is given for you. Do this in remembrance of me.” 20 And likewise the cup after they had eaten, saying, “This cup that is poured out for you is the new covenant in my blood. 21 But behold, the hand of him who betrays me is with me on the table. 22 For the Son of Man goes as it has been determined, but woe to that man by whom he is betrayed!” 23 And they began to question one another, which of them it could be who was going to do this.

What is this New Covenant?

A Puritan Theology: Doctrine for Life The Nature of a Covenant

A covenant is an agreement between two or more parties, requiring mutual conditions from each.

An example of this would be you sign a contract to buy the house from another person and you use a bank to help you secure the home. The bank agrees to lend you the money to buy the home. You pay the owner with that money from the bank and then agree to pay back the bank with any stipulations that you have agreed on.

All agreements at their root as such come from the Bible.

The main point of today’s text is Jesus is inaugurating the New Covenant.

This Is what Jesus is establishing at this moment, the new covenant This was him referencing the promise he made to the people through Jeremiah

Jeremiah 31:31–34 ESV

31 “Behold, the days are coming, declares the Lord, when I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel and the house of Judah, 32 not like the covenant that I made with their fathers on the day when I took them by the hand to bring them out of the land of Egypt, my covenant that they broke, though I was their husband, declares the Lord. 33 For this is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel after those days, declares the Lord: I will put my law within them, and I will write it on their hearts. And I will be their God, and they shall be my people. 34 And no longer shall each one teach his neighbor and each his brother, saying, ‘Know the Lord,’ for they shall all know me, from the least of them to the greatest, declares the Lord. For I will forgive their iniquity, and I will remember their sin no more.”

This covenant, like the ones before it, is initiated by God, but unlike the ones before it is superior in it’s promises.

Hebrews 8:6 ESV

6 But as it is, Christ has obtained a ministry that is as much more excellent than the old as the covenant he mediates is better, since it is enacted on better promises.

How is it Established?

It is better because this covenant isn’t secured by the faith in animal sacrifices, which had to be done every year, but by the one time action of Christ’s death secured the covenant between man and God forever

Hebrews 9:24–26 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, 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.

So while the blood of Bulls and sheep could not blot away sins, God himself does with the shedding of his own blood.

Puritan John Owen Said this:

Works of John Owen: Volume 10 (Chapter IX: Being a Second Part of the Former Digression—Arguments to Prove the Satisfaction of Christ)

First, That Christ took and bare our sins, God laying them on him. (Took them willingly)

Secondly, That he so took them as to undergo the punishment due unto them. (suffered the wrath, shame, and death)

Thirdly, That he did this in our stead.(Place)

So in the same way you say I do when you marry, that one time act establishing a new family forever, Jesus in his statement it is finished, accomplishes the establishment of the New covenant and secures you in your Forgiveness of your sins forever.

What are the Blessings of this New Covenant?

Here is a list of the blessings

justification - Romans 5:17-19

Romans 5:17–19 ESV

17 For if, because of one man’s trespass, death reigned through that one man, much more will those who receive the abundance of grace and the free gift of righteousness reign in life through the one man Jesus Christ. 18 Therefore, as one trespass led to condemnation for all men, so one act of righteousness leads to justification and life for all men. 19 For as by the one man’s disobedience the many were made sinners, so by the one man’s obedience the many will be made righteous.

You have your sin’s forgiven forever. You are declared legally in God’s sight righteous, so while you may yet sin you are in every way guilt free from every sin commited or that you will commit. This forgiveness is eternal or everlasting.

Hebrews 10:14 ESV

14 For by a single offering he has perfected for all time those who are being sanctified.

Isaiah 53:5 ESV

5 But he was pierced for our transgressions; he was crushed for our iniquities; upon him was the chastisement that brought us peace, and with his wounds we are healed.

This permanent forgiveness is a unique aspect of the New Cov. In the Old Cov. it was temporary needing to be redone every year.

In application this means

Romans 5:1–2 ESV

1 Therefore, since we have been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ. 2 Through him we have also obtained access by faith into this grace in which we stand, and we rejoice in hope of the glory of God.

Romans 8:1 ESV

1 There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.

You can have peace if you are werried over your sins. If you experience guilt still today over your sins of the past, that is the devil and his ilk trying to run a play on you. Grab onto your salvation and repeat what God has done back to them. If you are overwhelmed with guilt remeber you are no longer condemed with God, so you may have peace in your soul. You may say “you have no idea what I’ve done or has happened to me!” But God says you now have peace, so grabe that peace, it is your secured by the shed blood of Christ.

2. Regeneration and Sanctification

Let me put this another way, You are made new (Reg.) and you can successfully be changed and are changing to look like Jesus. God will not save you and leave you he will change you to reflect his son.

Regeneration

Ezekiel 36:26–27 ESV

26 And I will give you a new heart, and a new spirit I will put within you. And I will remove the heart of stone from your flesh and give you a heart of flesh. 27 And I will put my Spirit within you, and cause you to walk in my statutes and be careful to obey my rules.

You have been by the NC been moved from the Kingdom of Darkness to the kingdom of Light Col 1:12 , you are a new creation John 3:3

Colossians 1:12 ESV

12 giving thanks to the Father, who has qualified you to share in the inheritance of the saints in light.

John 3:3 ESV

3 Jesus answered him, “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born again he cannot see the kingdom of God.”

Your mind which was a slave to the world, competely dead to God and his ways has been made new, been born again for him

Ephesians 4:23 ESV

23 and to be renewed in the spirit of your minds,

Colossians 3:10 ESV

10 and have put on the new self, which is being renewed in knowledge after the image of its creator.

Because of this New life you are able to be conformed into the image of Jesus which is sanctfication

Jeremiah 31:33 (ESV)

33 ...: I will put my law within them, and I will write it on their hearts. And I will be their God, and they shall be my people.

So the law of God is now written in your heart. You are able to do the things of God. You’re able to understand the ways of God, Your’e able to walk in the statues of God and love the law of God and he provides the fuel to obey God.

Application:

do you feel stuck in your sins? You because of what Jesus secured on the cross can change! I know men who upon salvation lost their addictions, and I know men who upon salvation learned to carry their crosses and kill their sins daily.

this applies to both Spiritual and Physical things

If you’re addicted to something God has given you the Holy Spirit to overcome it. He has made you alive to overcome, the problem often is that we have physically become dependent on something that our bodies crave. The Holy Spirit will lead you out of it. This has helped me loose 30 lbs this year and 50 lb last year. you can with the Holy Spirit, the prayers of the saints, and good church family overcome.

Maybe your pride is your hinderance, as you read the scripture as you walk in faith the Lord will deflate you of self and inflate you with himself. As your learn the wickedness of sin and understand just how vile it is and see the goodness of God you will see yourself in light of Christ. Your image will shrink as Jesus grows bigger to you. To quote Lewis “You seem bigger Aslan.”

3. Adoption and Preservation

People will cutely say we are all God’s children, well that is not so. Unless you are born again you are a child, but you’re a child of this world.

John 1:12–13 ESV

12 But to all who did receive him, who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God, 13 who were born, not of blood nor of the will of the flesh nor of the will of man, but of God.

You by the NC become the actual Children of God. If your adopted by God you cannot fall away.

Jeremiah 32:40 ESV

40 I will make with them an everlasting covenant, that I will not turn away from doing good to them. And I will put the fear of me in their hearts, that they may not turn from me.

John 10:28–30 ESV

28 I give them eternal life, and they will never perish, and no one will snatch them out of my hand. 29 My Father, who has given them to me, is greater than all, and no one is able to snatch them out of the Father’s hand. 30 I and the Father are one.”

Because you’re a child of God he provides for you Matt. 7:11

Matthew 7:11 ESV

11 If you then, who are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father who is in heaven give good things to those who ask him!

He like a good father disciplines you and forms you

Hebrews 12:3–11 ESV

3 Consider him who endured from sinners such hostility against himself, so that you may not grow weary or fainthearted. 4 In your struggle against sin you have not yet resisted to the point of shedding your blood. 5 And have you forgotten the exhortation that addresses you as sons? “My son, do not regard lightly the discipline of the Lord, nor be weary when reproved by him. 6 For the Lord disciplines the one he loves, and chastises every son whom he receives.” 7 It is for discipline that you have to endure. God is treating you as sons. For what son is there whom his father does not discipline? 8 If you are left without discipline, in which all have participated, then you are illegitimate children and not sons. 9 Besides this, we have had earthly fathers who disciplined us and we respected them. Shall we not much more be subject to the Father of spirits and live? 10 For they disciplined us for a short time as it seemed best to them, but he disciplines us for our good, that we may share his holiness. 11 For the moment all discipline seems painful rather than pleasant, but later it yields the peaceful fruit of righteousness to those who have been trained by it.

Application:

This is much more then once saved always saved...

4. Resurrection and Glorification

There is a scene in the Last battle when the last king of Narnia Tirian enters into the New Narnia and the first hing he sees are 7 Kings and Queens all the children of Narnia become magnificent and beautiful, truly royal, though they had died in his world they lived in the one to come.

Jesus will take us all to that new Earth. Heb. 2:10

Hebrews 2:10 (ESV)

10 For it was fitting that he, for whom and by whom all things exist, in bringing many sons to glory,

He will bring you to glory you shall be made physically new, Satan will be permantly defeated but only after he watches men and women he has as slaves plundered from him 1 Cor 15:54-57

1 Corinthians 15:54–57 ESV

54 When the perishable puts on the imperishable, and the mortal puts on immortality, then shall come to pass the saying that is written: “Death is swallowed up in victory.” 55 “O death, where is your victory? O death, where is your sting?” 56 The sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the law. 57 But thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.

You shall see your God face to Face Rev 22:4

Revelation 22:4 ESV

4 They will see his face, and his name will be on their foreheads.

You will be with him and the saint forever more.

The Supper.

The supper declares this to men and women. Our God he is present among us as we take of it. The promises of the NC are as it says for us and our children Acts: 2:39

Acts 2:39 ESV

39 For the promise is for you and for your children and for all who are far off, everyone whom the Lord our God calls to himself.”

And so we take this supper today, not only as individuals before God, but as families declaring these promises to one another and back to God. We remeber what he did and by taking of these elements we spiritually partake of Jesus as he says we do.

1 Corinthians 11:17–26 ESV

17 But in the following instructions I do not commend you, because when you come together it is not for the better but for the worse. 18 For, in the first place, when you come together as a church, I hear that there are divisions among you. And I believe it in part, 19 for there must be factions among you in order that those who are genuine among you may be recognized. 20 When you come together, it is not the Lord’s supper that you eat. 21 For in eating, each one goes ahead with his own meal. One goes hungry, another gets drunk. 22 What! Do you not have houses to eat and drink in? Or do you despise the church of God and humiliate those who have nothing? What shall I say to you? Shall I commend you in this? No, I will not. 23 For I received from the Lord what I also delivered to you, that the Lord Jesus on the night when he was betrayed took bread, 24 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.” 25 In the same way also he took the cup, after supper, saying, “This cup is the new covenant in my blood. Do this, as often as you drink it, in remembrance of me.” 26 For as often as you eat this bread and drink the cup, you proclaim the Lord’s death until he comes.

Now please prepare for the supper with me.

Remind them the danger of taking the supper if an unbliever or in sin 1 Cor. 11:27-30

1 Corinthians 11:27–30 ESV

27 Whoever, therefore, eats the bread or drinks the cup of the Lord in an unworthy manner will be guilty concerning the body and blood of the Lord. 28 Let a person examine himself, then, and so eat of the bread and drink of the cup. 29 For anyone who eats and drinks without discerning the body eats and drinks judgment on himself. 30 That is why many of you are weak and ill, and some have died.

(READ INSTRUCTIONS on event)

Benediction

Say: As we close our service of worship dear brother and sister please stand for our benediction and receive by faith this blessing from God

Romans 15:13 ESV

13 May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, so that by the power of the Holy Spirit you may abound in hope.