Good Friday Message - Dealing With Discouragement: He Gave His Life for Us

The following message from Pastor Greg Laurie is made possible by Harvest Partners, helping people everywhere know God. To find out how to know God personally, go to knowgod.org. K-N-O-W, knowgod.org.

Hey, would you do me a favor? Share this message with someone who needs to hear it. We know Jesus gave his life so that we could have life. But why did he do that? Today, Pastor Greg Laurie points us to Scripture. Hebrews chapter 12. For the joy that was set before him, he endured the cross, despising the shame. The joy. What was the joy that was set before him?

It was every one of you. He went to the cross thinking of you, knowing that this was the only way that we could be forgiven of our sins. This is the day when the lost are found. This is the day for a new beginning. Amazing grace, how sweet the sound. Oh, can you hear only angels are singing. This is the day, the day when life begins.

The sad reality is most people are tuned to a certain mental radio station, W-I-I-F-M. It stands for what's in it for me. Every thought is measured against that question, what's in it for me? Well, today on A New Beginning, in a Good Friday message, Pastor Greg Laurie points out Jesus' attitude was just the opposite. He willingly gave his life not for a return on investment. He laid down his life just for us. While we were yet sinners, Christ died for us. This is the day, the day when life begins. I want you to grab your Bible.

I hope you have a Bible or open the Bible app on your phone or tablet and go over to Hebrews chapter 12, and the title of my message is Dealing with Discouragement. You know, it's interesting we call this Good Friday, but it doesn't seem all that good, does it? Imagine what it was like for them. I mean, remember, the apostles had not read Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John. They didn't know how the story ended.

They were living in real time. And in their minds, they thought Jesus, the Messiah, had come to overthrow the Roman government and establish the kingdom of God on earth. That's what Palm Sunday was about.

Remember, they're singing Hosanna, which means save now, like yes, the moment has come. Do it, Lord, but he was not on his way to overthrow Rome. He was on his way to die on the cross. And then when it actually happened, even though he spoke of it constantly, he would say, the Son of Man is going to be betrayed, and then he's going to be crucified. You know, rise again three days later.

That's pretty clear. But yet when it happened, they couldn't believe it, and their world as they knew it ended overnight. They couldn't see any light at the end of the tunnel. But there is light at the end of the tunnel.

There was for them because Christ rose, and we'll celebrate that Sunday. And there's light at the end of our tunnel. This whole quarantine is going to come to an end.

We're going to get out again. We don't know what the new normal is going to look like, but I know what we need to be doing in the meantime, and that thing we should be doing is right here in Hebrews 12. It says, Therefore. And by the way, whenever you read the word therefore in the Bible, find out what it's there for. So the author of Hebrews, who many believe to be Paul, is drawing on what has just been said. So what is before Hebrews 12? Obviously Hebrews 11. What's Hebrews 11? We call it the Heroes Hall of Faith. It's all these great men and women of God that persevered through hardship.

Hardship a lot worse than we're going through right now, as bad as it is for some. And so in light of that, or therefore, since we're surrounded by a great cloud of witnesses, so the author of Hebrews is saying, looking at the example of these great men and women of God, we read about in Hebrews 11 that persevered. In light of that fact and this great cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight and the sin that so easily ensnares us, and let us run with endurance a race that is set before us. And you might want to underline this verse. Looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of your faith. This verse is speaking to those who are disappointed and discouraged.

Later on, the author of Hebrews writes in Hebrews 12, 11, and I'm reading from the Phillips translation, So take a fresh grip on life. Brace your trembling limbs. Don't wander away from the path, but forge steadily onward on the right path.

The limping foot recovers strength and does not collapse. I love that. Don't wander away from the faith. Have you wandered away from the faith? Was there a time in your life when you were closer to God than you are right now? Listen. If you feel far from God, guess who moved?

It wasn't God. He's ready to receive you back again as a prodigal son or daughter if that describes you. And I hope you'll make that recommitment to Him or even a first time commitment. But I'll tell you right now, a lot of people are coming to the Lord and are coming back to the Lord. And we're thankful for that. But why are people coming back to the Lord?

Answer. It's scary out there. Depression and anxiety are up dramatically due to the coronavirus.

I cited a stat that calls to the national hotline from people suffering from emotional distress are up 891%. Alcohol consumption is up 55%. What are people doing? They're drinking as a way to escape. So these disciples were very discouraged on this first Good Friday. Their master, their Lord, their friend had been brutally murdered in cold blood before their very eyes. And they were thinking, how does this fit into any plan? See, their hope had been defeated and their dreams had been destroyed.

But then when they saw the big picture that this was all part of God's plan, then they were able to go on and literally change the world. So let me pick up on where I last left off. Hebrews 12. Looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith, who for the joy that was set before Him, endured the cross, despising the shame, and now has sat down on the right hand of the throne of God. It continues on, For consider Him who endured such hostility against Himself from sinners, lest you be wearied and discouraged in your soul.

That phrase consider Him can be translated compare yourself with Him. So contrast what He went through with what you're going through. I mean He went through so much. First of all, He was abandoned by His own disciples and He was betrayed by another. Judas Iscariot betrayed Jesus for 30 pieces of silver. You know, it's an amazing thing that Jesus continued to offer His forgiveness to Judas. Don't forget He went into the upper room and washed all of the disciples' feet, including Judas Iscariot. Yet, Jesus being God, knew exactly what Judas would do. If I knew Judas was going to betray me, I would not have washed his feet.

I would have broken his feet, right? And then amazingly, as Judas led that group of people, the temple guards and Roman soldiers, to arrest Christ in the Garden of Gethsemane, we read Jesus saying to him, Friend, why have you come? It was one last opportunity for Judas to believe. But you know, it really hurts when a friend betrays you, doesn't it? Zechariah 13, 6 says, One shall say unto him, What are these wounds in your hands?

And he will answer, These are the wounds I received in the house of my friends. His own friends betrayed him effectively, or at least abandoned him, and Judas betrayed him. But the worst was yet to come. Prior to the actual crucifixion, Jesus was scourged.

This has been described by experts as the halfway crucifixion. It was so brutal many people did not survive it. Because this device the Romans used, this whip, wasn't just a basic whip.

It had multiple strands embedded with metal and glass. So when it tore into the person's back, it would rip initially at the flesh. And then it would rip in deeper, exposing vital organs ultimately.

And the blood loss was so great that many would not survive it. Jesus was whipped 39 times. And there was a reason for that by the way.

And I will bring it up in a few moments. But then he had to carry his cross after losing all of that blood and having his back ripped open to be crucified on. And they nailed those spikes into his hands and his feet.

And they elevated it. And ultimately he cried, My God, my God, why have you forsaken me? Ok. But why did he keep going on? We're talking about why we should keep going on. We should keep going on because we should be looking to Jesus. See whatever you're facing right now, remember Jesus is with you. Jesus can help you cope with your anxiety and your fears and your depression. The Bible says you should cast all of your care upon him for he cares for you.

That's what keeps us going. But what kept Jesus going? The answer is right here again in Hebrews 12. For the joy that was set before him he endured the cross, despising the shame. The joy. What was the joy that was set before him?

Ready for the answer? It was every one of you. As Paul said, He loved me and gave himself for me. He went to the cross thinking of you knowing that this was the only way that we could be forgiven of our sins. Jesus told a story of a shepherd who had 100 sheep and one went astray. So he left the 99 and sought out that stray sheep until he found it and came back wrapped around his neck and he was rejoicing. And then Jesus said, There is more joy in heaven over one sinner who repents and over 99 people who need no repentance. The joy.

And that's the joy. The joy was knowing what the cross would accomplish. Pastor Greg Laurie will have the second half of his message in just a moment.

It's so encouraging when we hear that listeners are growing by hearing these studies. Dear Pastor Greg, I found Christ in the mid-1970s and I'm very thankful for my Christian life. I first heard you preach and learned about evangelism at your first harvest crusade at Anaheim Stadium where my friend Bill was saved.

Over my life, Jesus has protected me time and time again, including healing me from cancer. I've lived on the East Coast now for over 25 years and recently reconnected with you through your podcast, where I found each podcast is a real Bible study for me and I'm learning so much and it's causing me to study God's word more intently. At nearly 79 years old, I'm enthused and excited about my faith like I was those many years ago. Thank you for helping me rekindle my fire of love for Jesus in my old years.

Life is wonderful. What a great story of how Pastor Greg's teachings from God's word have made an impact on this man's life. And if you'd like to listen to Pastor Greg's podcasts, you can do that through Google, Apple or Spotify. Or just go to Harvest.org.

That's Harvest.org. Well, today, Pastor Greg is presenting a message called Dealing with Discouragement, helping us prepare our hearts for Easter. Let's continue. Now look at verse three. Consider him who endured such hostility from sinners against himself, lest you become weary and discouraged in your souls. That's what kept him going.

This is what will keep you going, looking to Jesus. So we're in a race, right? And in this race, we want to run to win. I know the popular trend with kids in athletics today is there's no winner, there's no loser. We're all winners.

That's ridiculous. There's winners and losers in every soccer match, every baseball game and in every race. We should run to win, and our motivation is doing it for the Lord. You know, in the ancient Greek games that started in Greece. Greek games would start in Greece, obviously. But the Olympics there, they would run for a prize, and it would be the emperor holding out the laurel leaves.

So maybe you're coming around the bend and you're on the last lap, and you'd see the emperor holding out the laurel leaves. I would give you a little extra motivation. I know when I used to run track and field as a kid in high school, if there was a pretty girl watching me, that always motivated me.

So I have a better motive for you than a pretty girl. Do it for Jesus because one day He's going to reward you for your faithfulness. That's why we do what we do. It isn't for applause. It isn't for notoriety or fame.

Listen, God has not called us to be famous. He's called us to be faithful. And we just want to hear Him say in that final day, well done, good and faithful servant. So it's looking to Jesus, keeping your eyes on Him. And it also means that we shed excess baggage.

Look at verse 1. Lay aside every weight and the sin that so easily besets you. A weight is anything that slows you down in the race of life. So it's good to periodically look at things that you're involved in and ask yourself the question, is this a wing or is it a weight? Does it speed me up in the race of life or does it slow me down?

This relationship, does this make me want to get closer to God or does it pull me away from God? And listen, what may be a weight to one isn't a weight to another necessarily. Sin is sin.

Lay aside the weight and the sin that so easily besets you. So one person's weakness, you guys, might not necessarily be another person's weakness. Sort of like metabolism. Steve Wilburn, who burns every calorie he eats. He never puts on weight. I remember when Steve was a young man.

I knew him when he was in his 20s. You know, he ate like a horse. And I'd say, Steve, one day you're going to get older and your metabolism will change and you will put on a lot of weight.

Well, he's older and his metabolism hasn't changed and that really bothers me. Because I want to eat two In-N-Out burgers in one sitting like Steve does and I can't. But, you know, we all have those weights and those sins in our life. So you might want to look at your life and say, is there anything I need to lay aside?

So I'm not being slowed down in the race of life. But look at verse 3. Consider Jesus. Why should I consider Jesus? I should consider Jesus because he never stopped considering me.

I should look to Jesus because he's always looking out for me. And I should live for Jesus because he died for me. And where is Jesus? Look at verse 2. Who for the joy that was set before me endured the cross, despising the shame, and now has sat down on the right hand of God.

Isn't that interesting? He's seated at the right hand of the Father. I know of one time in the Bible where Jesus stood up. Stephen was put to death by stoning because he boldly proclaimed the gospel and he stood before the Sanhedrin. And suddenly he had a vision of heaven and he says, I see Jesus standing at the right hand of the Father. And the Bible says his face was shining like an angel. That's interesting to me.

He's normally sitting. But in the case of Stephen, he was standing effectively welcoming him into heaven. Let me ask you this. Are you going to be welcomed into heaven? I mean, I can't imagine going through life without the assurance that I'll go to heaven when I die. Do you have that assurance right now?

I sure hope so. Because that is why Jesus died on the cross. So you could be forgiven of your sin and know that you will go to heaven when you die. Ok, there's another thing you should be doing in addition to considering Jesus. You should be remembering Jesus.

What do I mean by that? When Jesus was in the upper room with his disciples for what we call the Last Supper, he was not his normal jovial self. And you guys, I think Jesus was a joyful person. Usually when we see him portrayed in religious art, he's never smiling.

Rarely. And he looks kind of wimpy too. But we know from Scripture, he had to be a pretty strong guy. He carried his cross.

Endured the scourging. Even upon just pilots said, Behold the man. So I think Jesus was a man's man without a question. I think he was also a joyful man. And I think when he got together with his disciples, they had fun. They laughed together. They enjoyed it. But they could see that there was something going on with Jesus. They didn't know it was the Last Supper, but he did. And then he took the bread.

And then he took the cup. And he said, Do this in remembrance of me. Why should I do this in remembrance of him?

Because he, for a moment, has never forgotten about me. Let me say something now about communion. It's really for believers only. You know, we're told to take these elements in remembrance of him. In the upper room, Jesus took the bread. He said, This is my body which is broken for you.

Take and eat of this. And then he took the cup. And he said, Drink this cup and do this in remembrance of me. The apostle Paul elaborates on this and tells us when we receive the elements of communion that we should not do so in a reverent manner.

King James' unworthy manner. What it means is, I understand that they represent these elements, the bread and the cup. The broken body and the shed blood of Christ. Now we don't believe in transubstantiation here, which means that the bread literally becomes the flesh of Jesus or the juice becomes the blood of Jesus.

But we believe that they do symbolize his broken body and his shed blood. So you don't want to do this in a cavalier way. You know, I think sometimes people receive communion and they'll say, Well, you know, a little religious ritual would do me some good. A little religion would do me some good. Listen, you don't need a little religion.

You need a lot of Jesus. And this thing that we do, which is a very precious thing for us as believers, is for that. Believers. Those who have put their faith in Christ. And Paul actually says, If you receive the elements of communion without believing in the one they represent, you can actually eat and drink judgment to yourself.

So let me pause for a moment and say this. Are you sure right now that Jesus Christ is living in your life? Are you certain right now that if you were to die, you would go to heaven?

If the answer to those questions is no, I would like to lead you in a prayer where you can ask Jesus to come into your life and then celebrate communion with us. So if you want your sin forgiven, if you want your guilt taken away, if you want to know that you'll go to heaven when you die, if you want this friendship, this relationship with God, or if you've fallen away and you want to come back to the Lord, why don't you just pray with me right now a simple prayer. Just pray these words. Lord Jesus, I know that I'm a sinner, but I know that you're the Savior who died on the cross for my sin and rose again from the dead. Now come into my life, Jesus. I choose to follow you from this moment forward. In Jesus' name I pray.

Amen. Today on A New Beginning, an important prayer from a Good Friday communion service with Pastor Greg Laurie. And if you've just prayed with Pastor Greg and asked Jesus to be your Savior, we'd like to follow up with you by sending a free resource. It's our New Believers' Growth Packet. We'll send it to you to help you begin to live this new life.

Just ask for it when you're right. A New Beginning, Box 4000, Riverside, CA 92514. Or call us at 1-800-821-3300. We're here to take your call around the clock seven days a week.

Again, dial 1-800-821-3300. Or go online to harvest.org and click Know God. Pastor Greg, I hold in my hands your brand new book called Billy Graham, The Man I Knew. Loved the book.

One of your best, by the way. And I'm going to flip all the way back to the back of the book, the second paragraph of the chapter you call Acknowledgements. And I find this fascinating. Here's what you write. You say, My collaborator, Marshall Terrell, and I have consulted a veritable library of Graham books, articles, periodicals, YouTube videos, and thousands of documents on the internet, including the 1,004-page file the FBI kept on Billy. Research reached as far back as the Civil War.

Oh, my goodness. This book contains dimensions of Billy's life and background, which have never been explored anywhere before. That part I found absolutely fascinating. The fact that you have done, I mean, you knew Billy. It says so in the title, Billy Graham, The Man I Knew. But you have dug so deeply into giving us such a rich biography on the man that you call the single greatest evangelist who ever lived.

That's right. Well, I want people to understand his place in history. He's truly a historical figure along the lines of our great presidents and people that impacted our country and even people that impacted our world. And so we wanted to go back to Billy's roots, his father, his grandfather, his great-grandfather. So we tell the story with a wide overview, but then we go in deeply into his life.

And what I wanted to do, Dave, was show the human side of Billy. You know, sometimes a person can fade into history, and people never really had any interaction with him, and they almost become one-dimensional, like President Lincoln on the $5 bill. But he was a real flesh-and-blood guy, Abraham Lincoln, and so was Billy Graham. And it was my privilege to spend a lot of time with him, a lot of time just hanging out with him, a lot of time asking him questions, a lot of time listening to him preach.

And I got to know him, dare I say, as a friend. And he was just such a great man to observe. You know, the private Billy was even more impressive than the public Billy. And the public Billy was very impressive. I mean, I can't think of a greater preacher I've ever seen. But privately, he was very humble, very gracious, and always was interested in whoever he was speaking to.

They might be a famous person, like a president, and they might be somebody you've never heard of before. Billy took an interest in people in general and had a wonderful way about him. And every time I was with him, I almost had to pinch myself.

I mean, I was with him a lot, so it wasn't like every time I was with him, I had butterflies in my stomach or something like that. But I never stopped realizing this is Billy Graham I'm hanging out with here and talking to. And it was great to access him and hear things from him and share things with him and be of some small help to him in the final years of his ministry. As Billy was ending his ministry, I was starting my Crusade ministry. And he asked me to assist him with illustrations and building bridges to younger audiences.

So I loved doing that. In fact, I found more pleasure in prepping a message for Billy Graham than I found in prepping one for myself. And when Billy actually used some of the material I gave him, it was just like one of the greatest moments of my life.

I can imagine it was. You know, Billy was the kind of man we all wish we knew personally. And you'll get to know him in this brand new biography.

It really is an inspiring journey. Again, it's called Billy Graham, the Man I Knew. In fact, Anne Graham Lotz, Billy's daughter, commented about the book.

She wrote, In this page-turner of a book, I learn things about my father that I never knew. Greg Laurie has done a masterly job of setting my father's life in historical and cultural context. I pray that Billy Graham, the Man I Knew, will draw readers to the Gospel, where they'll find the love of God that he preached so fervently and faithfully. So can we send a copy of this your way? Pastor Greg is making it available to thank you for your donation of any size. And please know there are no churches or large organizations covering all the broadcast expenses.

No, it's only through the investments of listeners that these insights can come your way each day. So thanks for being a partner with us. With your donation today, be sure to ask for Billy Graham, the Man I Knew. You can write A New Beginning, Box 4000, Riverside, CA 92514. Or call 1-800-821-3300. Call anytime 24 hours a day, 1-800-821-3300.

Or just go online to harvest.org. Well, next time, Pastor Greg points out Easter isn't just for church folks. He points out Easter is for everyone, because we all need the hope of the resurrection. Tune in next time for A New Beginning with Pastor Greg Laurie.