Crucified

IT IS FINISHED CRUCIFIED April 5th, 2020 FVCC LOGO SPLASH WELCOME/ANNOUNCEMENTS Welcome to Fox Valley Christian Church, where every member is a missionary. We are leading up to Easter and in doing this we have been looking at Christ. We have been walking through key moments in the Gospel of John that help us to see Christ. We have seen that He is here, that He is our Savior, and that He is the one that stepped forward for us. Today we are going to see how He brought finality to His plan and what that means for us. But first, let’s begin with prayer. PRAY MEMENTO When I was in High School, the movie Memento came out. This movie was told in such a unique and clever way. You would see a clip from the beginning of the movie (in chronological order) and then a clip from the very end of this period of time. Each clip would bring you closer to a central point. The viewer knew the beginning and the end, but not this central point. Everything was leading to one point in the very middle. When that point finally came, at the end of the movie, the viewer realized that the movie had to be shown in that order. If you watched this movie in chronological order … then anything after that central point would have seemed purposeless. Everything hinged on this point in the middle and that is where the writer and director choose to end the movie. IT IS FINISHED Today we are going to look at the most significant point in Christian history, in human history, and in your life. We are going to look at the Crucifixion of Christ. We are going to look at the point in time where Jesus speaks the words, “It is finished.” But here is the crazy thing. Jesus says, “It is finished,” He does what is necessary so that it is finished … but then the Bible has more to say. But then humanity continues on. We are still in this world. We are still living each day, but apparently something has already been finished. Why? Why is there more to the story if it is finished? What does it mean that it is finished? How does this affect me here and now? Last week we looked at John 18 and 19. This week we are going to continue in John 19. In John 19 we see Jesus crucified. We see Pilate recognize Him as King of the Jews. Not as one that claims He is King of the Jews … but Pilate actually affirms that He is King of the Jews and that is why He is being crucified. Then Jesus has this personal moment from the cross where He ensures that His mother will be cared for. Which brings us to the last moments for Jesus before dying. JOHN 19:28-30 28After this, Jesus, knowing that all was now finished, said (to fulfill the Scripture), "I thirst." 29A jar full of sour wine stood there, so they put a sponge full of the sour wine on a hyssop branch and held it to his mouth. 30When Jesus had received the sour wine, he said, "It is finished," and he bowed his head and gave up his spirit. It is finished. He knew it was finished, He did this to fulfill scripture, It is finished. TETELESTAI Finished, fulfilled, finished … the Greek word used here is tetelestai (te-tell-ah-sty). This word means “to be fully accomplished – be perfected.” This is an interesting word. It marks that the prophecies have been completely fulfilled and it marks that Jesus’ mission has been accomplished and brought to completion. It is also a financial word. In the last couple of centuries scholars have found thousands of papyrus scraps with Greek writing on them. Many of these are mundane commercial documents in which we find this word. When looking at these receipts and contracts, researchers observed that receipts are often introduced by the phrase tetelestai, usually written in an abbreviated manner indicating that the bill had been paid in full. The obligation has been completed. The debt has been paid off. Tetelestai -- it is finished. So … what exactly has been finished, what debt has been paid, what prophesy fulfilled, what mission completed? SIN IS DEFEATED Sin has been defeated. Do you remember what John the Baptist said when he saw Jesus? We talked about this in the first week in this series … John said, “Behold, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world!” There He is, the sacrifice that has come to take away the sin of the world. To defeat and forgive the worlds sins. HEBREWS 9:24-29 24For 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. 25Nor was it to offer himself repeatedly, as the high priest enters the holy places every year with blood not his own, 26for 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. 27And just as it is appointed for man to die once, and after that comes judgment, 28so Christ, having been offered once to bear the sins of many, will appear a second time, not to deal with sin but to save those who are eagerly waiting for him. He has already dealt with sin. He has saved the sins of many. He came to take away the sins of the world. Sin has been dealt a final blow, it is finished. RECONCILED TO GOD In defeating our sin, He has reconciled us to God. Sin is an attack on God, it is going against God. Since our debt has been paid and our sin has been forgiven, we have been reconciled to God. Because of Jesus’ sacrifice, because He is now in the presence of God on our behalf … Hebrews tells us HEBREWS 4:16 16Let us then with confidence draw near to the throne of grace, that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need. Now we can come to God. We are not just reconciled to God, but we can come before Him. We no longer need to have a sacrificial system, because Christ’s death … His sacrifice is enough to remove our sin and allow us to be in the presence of God. This separation from God is finished. THEN WHY IS THE WORLD STILL TURNING? Then why is the world still turning? Then why are we still here? Why are we still dealing with suffering, why are we still in a world where there is temptation and sin? If it is finished, why does the story still go on? Why didn’t Jesus just speak the words, “It is finished,” and boom … there we all were in Heaven, praising God? How can it be finished and still going? Here is why … Because Jesus’ mission on Earth is finished … but we still have a role in this. We have a responsibility. This is one of the hardest things for people to understand. We want God to give His life for us and for us to just have to say, “thanks” and for all to be good. It doesn’t work that way. We want God to give His life for us and us to just say, “Okay God. You are Lord of my life,” but for nothing to change. It doesn’t work that way. - If you look the same today as you did when you gave your life to God. Then you didn’t give your life to God. If you look the same today as you did when you declared that Jesus was Lord of your life. Then you didn’t make Jesus Lord of your life. If you look the same today as you did when said that you repented from your sin and that you were turning to God. Then you didn’t really repent from your sin. If you are still as much in the darkness today as you were when you said you wanted to be in the light … then you are not under His grace, redemption is not yours, victory over sin is still a hands length away … and although the final blow to sin has been dealt … you are missing the party. Do you want to know why the world is still spinning if it is finished? It is because God loves you so much that He is giving you every opportunity to turn to Him. What you are experiencing right now is an opportunity for you to turn to Him. To repent. To believe in Him. To really have faith in the only sure thing, the one that is faithful. WE HAVE A ROLE IN THIS We have a role in our salvation, listen to our role in this: Listen to the “if” statements that we seem to miss when we think about God’s victory over sin. IF WE CONFESS AND IF WE BELIEVE ROMANS 10:9-10 9because, if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. 10For with the heart one believes and is justified, and with the mouth one confesses and is saved. MARK 16:15-16 15And he said to them, "Go into all the world and proclaim the gospel to the whole creation. 16Whoever believes and is baptized will be saved, but whoever does not believe will be condemned. Sweet. I just need to believe. Okay, but what does it mean to believe? JAMES 2:19-24 19You believe that God is one; you do well. Even the demons believe—and shudder! 20Do you want to be shown, you foolish person, that faith apart from works is useless? 21Was not Abraham our father justified by works when he offered up his son Isaac on the altar? 22You see that faith was active along with his works, and faith was completed by his works; 23and the Scripture was fulfilled that says, "Abraham believed God, and it was counted to him as righteousness"—and he was called a friend of God. 24You see that a person is justified by works and not by faith alone. If we believe, we will obey. If we believe, we will obey. I have said this before, I know I will say it again, but in the state we are in … I believe that there are many that are turning to God and trying to figure out what this all means. So let me say it again. Imagine you are in a burning building. You are trapped in a corner. Fire all around. A firefighter bursts through the flames, reaches out their hand, and says, “Do you want to live?” “Yes, that’d be great.” “Then I need you to trust me and I need you to do exactly what I say.” If you believe the firefighter, if you trust the firefighter, if you have faith in the firefighter … you will obey the firefighter. No matter what they tell you to do, you will obey it because your obedience is an expression of your faith. Your obedience is the completion of your faith. It proves your faith. It is evidence of your faith. Have you said that you believe in God, but there has never been a change? Have you said you believe in God, but you never actually repented and turned to Him in obedience? If so, then do you really believe? If you believe … it will be evidenced in how you live. If you believe He is a conquering King … you will make it perfectly clear that you are on His side. IF WE TURN BACK For some of you, you believed … you were all in … but then you got fooled and thought that as long as you were obedient once … then you were good for all time. You thought as long as you were a little obedient you are okay. You thought as long as you gave some of your life, that was all that was needed. You could still hold on to a little of your life, you could still cling to some of your greed, some of your lust, some of your anger, some of your materialism … 2 PETER 2:20-21 20For if, after they have escaped the defilements of the world through the knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, they are again entangled in them and overcome, the last state has become worse for them than the first. 21For it would have been better for them never to have known the way of righteousness than after knowing it to turn back from the holy commandment delivered to them. If we turn to God and then turn away … that is far worse than never turning to Him to begin with. If we give most of ourselves to God, but hold on to just a little …there is a chance that we can be entangled again in our sin and turn from Him. IT IS FINISHED It is finished. Jesus has defeated sin. He has done what is necessary so that we can repent. So that we can return to God. So that we can resist the Devil. So that we can evidence our faith through works. But God is a good loving God and He wants as many people as possible to know Him and to turn to Him. So although Christ’s work on the cross is finished, God has held His hand of judgment to give you a chance to turn to Him. To repent. To believe. To evidence your faith with obedience to Him. What are you waiting for? If you have never turned to Him. If you have never really turned in obedience to Him. Turn to Him now. Don’t wait a second longer. If you turned to Him, but have found yourself slowly fading away from Him. Repent. Turn back. Don’t wait a second longer. Turn to the one that began a good work in you so that He can bring it to completion. PRAY OFFERING/ANNOUNCEMENTS It is time for our offering. Each week we have an offering focus. We focus on our ministries, our missionaries, the work that God is calling us to both local and global … and we focus on the stewardship and generosity that God is calling us to as believers. This week … our offering focus was scheduled to be on our building & grounds. That seems ironic given our current circumstances. But the reality of it is, we are going to gather again at our physical location and until then we need to continue paying for the building, the utilities, and preparing for future improvements to the lighting, the parking lot, the heating and cooling, and other improvements. So we want to encourage you that if you are able to continue to give. You can give online at www.fvcc.com/give. You can also mail your checks into the Church at 40w150 Main Street, Batavia, IL 60510. Parents … we want to encourage you, if you have not already … to go to www.fvcc.com/kids and check out our two children’s worship services there. One is for our Elementary aged kids and one is for preschoolers. AWANA … we also now have resources online for all of our kids in AWANA. They can see videos from their leaders and continue to be engaged there. Go to www.fvcc.com/AWANA Finally … please continue to pray, pray, pray … and you can join us daily for prayer on our Prayer Calls. Just call (951) 799-9548 COMMUNION We are now going to transition here and join together in communion. I want to remind you during this season, it is not what you are eating and drinking that make this time significant. It is who we are gathered around and remembering. Jesus. Our Lord. Our Savior. The lamb who takes away the sin of the world. During this time, I want to encourage you to turn to God. To put your full faith in Him. To really believe that He is Lord and King and to align your life so that you are living according to His good and perfect will for your life. After you take communion, turn the volume up a little, and join us as we praise God. The one who gave everything so that we could be forgiven, restored, redeemed. PRAY WORSHIP SONGS FVCC LOGO SPLASH