Good Friday 2020: Let Us Watch And Pray

Good Friday: Call To Worship

Hymn Sing

Were You There - Anita Bryant

Welcome - call to communion

This evening has been put together in light of our current circumstance and our duty in every circumstance: Be watchful and Pray. Remembering what we have read in 2 Timothy about praying for our leaders and living a peacable life, mindful of what scripture declares to Gods people as they turn to Him…and espessially mindful tonight of the spirit and power that Jesus prayed with and for while the cross was yet before Him…In light of this let us be watchful and pray.

Hymn Sing

Blest Be The Tie That Binds - Tennessee Ernie Ford

Scripture Reading - Matthew 26:20-35

Matthew 26:20–35 KJV 1900

20 Now when the even was come, he sat down with the twelve. 21 And as they did eat, he said, Verily I say unto you, that one of you shall betray me. 22 And they were exceeding sorrowful, and began every one of them to say unto him, Lord, is it I? 23 And he answered and said, He that dippeth his hand with me in the dish, the same shall betray me. 24 The Son of man goeth as it is written of him: but woe unto that man by whom the Son of man is betrayed! it had been good for that man if he had not been born. 25 Then Judas, which betrayed him, answered and said, Master, is it I? He said unto him, Thou hast said. 26 And as they were eating, Jesus took bread, and blessed it, and brake it, and gave it to the disciples, and said, Take, eat; this is my body. 27 And he took the cup, and gave thanks, and gave it to them, saying, Drink ye all of it; 28 For this is my blood of the new testament, which is shed for many for the remission of sins. 29 But I say unto you, I will not drink henceforth of this fruit of the vine, until that day when I drink it new with you in my Father’s kingdom. 30 And when they had sung an hymn, they went out into the mount of Olives. 31 Then saith Jesus unto them, All ye shall be offended because of me this night: for it is written, I will smite the shepherd, and the sheep of the flock shall be scattered abroad. 32 But after I am risen again, I will go before you into Galilee. 33 Peter answered and said unto him, Though all men shall be offended because of thee, yet will I never be offended. 34 Jesus said unto him, Verily I say unto thee, That this night, before the cock crow, thou shalt deny me thrice. 35 Peter said unto him, Though I should die with thee, yet will I not deny thee. Likewise also said all the disciples.

Invitation to Communion

We are now going to partake in communion together. we are going to sing a hymn. In this hymn we are going to be praying for God to open our eyes to His Word, for Him to keep us awake, or wake us up, and make us watchful as we pray. Tonight, it may not be likley that you will physically fall asleep, but after a long days work at the end of a long week, you mind may be spent, your spirit exaughsted…pray for endurance, pray for revelation, pray that the bread of the Word will be nourishing and the prayers of the saints a sacrifice of worship before the altar of the Lord. - Let us pray

Prayer for Revelation By The Word

Hymn Sing

Break Thou Bread of Life - Tennessee Ernie Ford

Scripture - Matthew 26:36-46

Matthew 26:36–46 NASB95PARA

36 Then Jesus came with them to a place called Gethsemane, and said to His disciples, “Sit here while I go over there and pray.” 37 And He took with Him Peter and the two sons of Zebedee, and began to be grieved and distressed. 38 Then He said to them, “My soul is deeply grieved, to the point of death; remain here and keep watch with Me.” 39 And He went a little beyond them, and fell on His face and prayed, saying, “My Father, if it is possible, let this cup pass from Me; yet not as I will, but as You will.” 40 And He came to the disciples and found them sleeping, and said to Peter, “So, you men could not keep watch with Me for one hour? 41 Keep watching and praying that you may not enter into temptation; the spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak.” 42 He went away again a second time and prayed, saying, “My Father, if this cannot pass away unless I drink it, Your will be done.” 43 Again He came and found them sleeping, for their eyes were heavy. 44 And He left them again, and went away and prayed a third time, saying the same thing once more. 45 Then He came to the disciples and said to them, “Are you still sleeping and resting? Behold, the hour is at hand and the Son of Man is being betrayed into the hands of sinners. 46 Get up, let us be going; behold, the one who betrays Me is at hand!”

Jesus is going to pray.

You are sitting.

Jesus is:

Grieved & distressed: a heavy sorrowfulness. He feels it in His chest. It is a weight to take a breath. If you have ever had an anxiety attack you know a small portion of what He is feeling physically. For Jesus this weight was exceedingly so - even to the point of death. The battle before our Lord is exceedingly beyond what the body is made to battle. We my friends have never faced such a battle.

Jesus ask:

Of Peter and the two sons of Zebedee, Jesus ask in his state of distress that they be watchful.

Jesus goes:

In this state Jesus goes forward to pray. He goes to pray that the pain of separation that is about to befall Him - the pain of the full wrath of God will pass. Not that He won’t partake of it, but that He will be victorious in His partaking…

The prayer reads (in greek):

“My Father, since this cannot pas away unless I drink it, Your will be done.”

Jesus is not shrinking back, He is rather persevering beyond the flesh, He is resisting to the point of shedding blood.

Jesus finds:

Jesus returns from praying, to find his disciples sleeping and thus failing to keep watch

Jesus continues:

Jesus will go through this pattern a total of three times before His betrayer will arrive. All the time, while Heaven and Hell enter into the greatest of battles His disciples sleep.

Jesus is betrayed - His prayer answered as we watch it unfold.

Hymn Sing:

When I Survey The Wondrous Cross - The White Sisters

Must Jesus Bear the Cross Alone & Old Rugged Cross - The Hollywood Harmoneers

Scripture - Philippians 3:7-17

Philippians 3:7–17 NASB95PARA

7 But whatever things were gain to me, those things I have counted as loss for the sake of Christ. 8 More than that, I count all things to be loss in view of the surpassing value of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and count them but rubbish so that I may gain Christ, 9 and may be found in Him, not having a righteousness of my own derived from the Law, but that which is through faith in Christ, the righteousness which comes from God on the basis of faith, 10 that I may know Him and the power of His resurrection and the fellowship of His sufferings, being conformed to His death; 11 in order that I may attain to the resurrection from the dead. 12 Not that I have already obtained it or have already become perfect, but I press on so that I may lay hold of that for which also I was laid hold of by Christ Jesus. 13 Brethren, I do not regard myself as having laid hold of it yet; but one thing I do: forgetting what lies behind and reaching forward to what lies ahead, 14 I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus. 15 Let us therefore, as many as are perfect, have this attitude; and if in anything you have a different attitude, God will reveal that also to you; 16 however, let us keep living by that same standard to which we have attained. 17 Brethren, join in following my example, and observe those who walk according to the pattern you have in us.

Beloved, we remain here, not to be asleep, but to live as Christ. That is to be watchful and to pray. To be watchful in our awareness of our Fathers will and to pray in our pressing onward in it.

You are perfect in Christ, but even so, being perfect, you live by the standard that you are - you and I walk by the pattern of the saints, by the pattern even of Christ our Lord. In this we identify in both His death and His life.

Don’t you realize that one cannot identify in His life less they also and firstly be identified in His death. That the flesh be put to death, even when the battle against it is so heavy upon your chest that it results in the sweating of blood. In this rejoice, for in this you commune with Christ.

Jesus is our forerunner. He boar the cross alone so that you need not to bear it alone…but make no mistake, we do my beloved take up our cross…and in the same light that Christ prayed…in the light of the victory of the Fathers will, so we walk in the fullness of assurance of the victory of Christ.

This is grace - this is the good and perfect will of God.

We will sing now - who am I?

As you sing it, I want you to answer the questions:

What have you done - nothing

What could you do - nothing

Who are you - beloved of God

Do you regard your race as run - no

Do you press on as to win the prize - yes

Is the prize won in your pressing on - no

Is the prize already won in Christ - yes

In your pressing on do you know the prize more dearly and see it more clearly - yes

You might say you continue on in that which you have attained that you might obtain it all the more fully.

Hymn Sing:

Who Am I - Elvis Presley

Amazing Grace - Elvis Presley