What's So Good About Good Friday?

Woodrow Kroll here wouldn't train one pastor and some donor friends are standing by to train a second call 833-443-5467 or go online and train a pastor.com. Every gift counts and now every gift is double training pastor.com this is Robbie Gilmore from the Christian car guy and kingdom pursuit where we hear how God takes your passion and uses it to build the kingdom your chosen Truth Network podcast is starting in just a few seconds. Enjoy it and share it but most of all, thank you for listening and for choosing the truth network. This is the Truth Network deal on life insurance and consider joining the holy Roman Catholic Union of America also known as PR CU halite BRC UA life is a fraternal benefit society that offers a variety of different life insurance portfolios all stages of life BRC UA life is also known for fixed indexed annuity plans with up to 3.25% API as a fraternal organization, the PRC UA benefits such as scholarship tournaments and numerous published American cultural programs and much more. Consider joining the PRC UA this week. Now through April 15, 2021 you can earn more money and for your 2020 tax while boosting your retirement income open a new PRC UAL life annuity deposit of $500. Take advantage of their competitive rate classes in your annuity with 3.75 why one year guaranteed minimum guaranteed 2% to lower your taxable income while increasing your retirement PRC UA.org PRC UA will If Not for God stories of hopelessness that turn to hope. Your host Mike is not for God is on location and it is exciting where in a loud really cool restaurant placed Christian music is about to come on. It's called Dario and are ever famous, ever vigilant. Host Michael Zwick is right here, Michael.

Say hello to everyone and set up the stage for what's coming is one of the most exciting times of year and Isaiah 53 the gospel of the Old Testament, and it's so we got Isaiah 53, who has believed our report and whom has the arm of the Lord been revealed, for he shall grow up before him as a tender plant, and as a root out of dry ground. He has no form or comeliness.

And when we see him there is no beauty that we should desire him.

He is despised and rejected by men, a man of sorrows and acquainted with grief.

And we hid as it were our faces from him. He was despised, and we did not esteem him. Surely he will.

He has borne our griefs and carried our sorrows, yet we esteemed him stricken, smitten by God, and afflicted.

But he was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities. The chastisement of our peace was upon him, and by his stripes we are healed. All we like sheep have gone astray.

We have turned everyone to his own way and the Lord has laid on him the iniquity of us all. He was oppressed, and he was afflicted, yet he opened not his mouth. He was led as a lamb to the slaughter, and as a sheep before it shearers is silent, so he opened not his mouth. He was taken from prison and from judgment and who will declare him. His generation, for he was cut off from the land of the living, for the transgressions of my people he was stricken and they made his grave with the wicked with the riches of his death because he had done no violence, nor was any deceit in his mouth. Get it please the Lord to bruise him. He has put him to grief. When you make his soul an offering for sale, and he shall see his seed, he shall prolong his days in the pleasure of the Lord shall prosper in his hand, he shall see the labor of his soul and be satisfied by his knowledge my righteous servant shall justify many, for he shall bear their iniquities. Therefore I will divide him a portion with the great, and he shall divide the spoil with the strong, because he poured out his soul unto death, and he was numbered with the transgressions, transgressors, and he bore the sin of many, and made transgression for the transgressors and – do you actually wrote a book called the last words of Jesus that right yeah that's it right and we reference this particular passage a whole lot of the book.

Isaiah 53 powerful book of powerful prophecy written centuries before any of this stuff happened. But you see the graphic fulfillment of this in holy week. You see the graphic fulfillment of this and what Christ did on the cross at Calvary, which really we celebrate and a lot of times he asked the question was so good about Good Friday and is you have a pastor with me, whose taught this passage many times any song this passage is also senior and pastors wonderful church in the Kernersville area of North Carolina not too far from here. Pastor J boys Oaklawn church pastor Jay you hear Mike is it's moving were group guys here in this Dario cost me just this was a word and your Michael Zwick, the host of it not for God reading Isaiah 53. What resonates in your spirit just the whole. You know number one the miracle of this prophecy, and seven or so years and then the agony that the Savior went through this conversation yesterday with our staff is that we try to find a balance of celebrating the cross, but also lamenting the fact that Jesus had to go there for my wickedness for the iniquity of us all.

The word says and so in order to try to put together a Good Friday service member and a wraparound communion, and so we want to figure out how yes we definitely look back at the cross and say hallelujah for the cross.

What Jesus did for us but also, and he bore our sorrows. He he endured intense pain and suffering. So how do we also come to a place of repentance and intense gratitude for the so's the first time we've ever done a Good Friday service but we want to focus on the cross and leading up to the course the glorious resurrection if going to church on Sunday what another church on Friday what he talking praise the Lord thank you for doing that. What a blessing Michael Zwick. What a passage. It's a very interesting time here. It's really a time here very much like Christmas were an entire nation and entire world.

The whatever religion or whatever secularism they thought into their talking about Jesus there there saying things like happy Easter course.

I prefer to see happy resurrection is that raises a lot of questions. Maybe the people are asking, but it's an interesting time but if it's a definite if not for God moment in history.

It is and you know we sing the song Jesus paid it all, all to him I owe sin had left a crimson stain, he washed it white as snow and in one of the things that I think about is that when we talk about the price that Jesus Christ paid for us on the cross. I mean we think about actually heard Pastor Chad Harvey preaching this past weekend about this and he said in churches are in areas like this. We always talk about that one person you so and so.

Jack was a murderer he was killing people and he said it. All of a sudden Jack got saved and he got radically on fire for Jesus Christ and greater Joni. He was a drug addict. He was in the streets he was doing this doing that.

All of a sudden he got saved, radically saved and Jesus saved his life. You know, one of my favorite stories about why the gospel is so important is that met a guy who is a retired probably in his 70s. He said you know what Mikey says when I was growing up.

He says this is true, he says I don't ever remember saying a coursework.

He said that's true he says I always pretty much told the truth, I was a good kid. I made good grades. I seem to do all the right things and people told me that I was a good person, he said, and then I came to the point where I was about 16 years old and I realized that I was just as lost as that person who is killing people. I was just as lost as the person who was on drugs on the street.

We look at the old they really need to be saved because there are bad people. The Bible says that no one seeks after God. It says in Romans 323 that all short of the glory of God. We all need Jesus. I don't care how good you think you are, how bad some time easier for the drug addict, or the person who is killing people in prison in real life. At least they know I need a Savior. My life is messed up sometimes it's harder for the person who thinks they got it all together and they don't have any problem. What do I need Jesus like that preacher said I needed Jesus just preaching now and I hear him sure that pastor Jay you know when you and I initially will get to know each other better. It was at time and relationship were like okay, let's share each other's testimony and we both struggled because you know you are dropping acid and I wasn't in a biker gang and had been to prison several times and on parole in but but there was this real system we have in common that man we we need could like what Michael just for someone that tremendous we need the grace of God always. This word always so important you know, just like these is all these words you see all of the Bible all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God in Romans 323 it says here all we like sheep have gone astray. Now the prophet Isaiah to theHoly Spirit picked probably the dumbest animal to compare us to she Peter Shepherd pastor Jay you hear that were all like those sheep and even the most sanctified little guys grown up in church like you and me neither. Got all absolutely. Do you not last two wins and eyes have been going through Psalm 23 in my Bible study and so the first week I really talk about sheep extensively help sheep. It's crazy that of course God did use that animal to compare us to wonder all these things about sheep how they are no there prone to wander by straightaway. They don't they don't stay with the fold.

Their defenseless they're not camouflage went through all these things about sheep and then I looked at the camera's and how do we will feel about ourselves that is true. We all are sheep in need of the great Shepherd there is great truth there about the cross. Right click in and leading up to a Good Friday and Easter all of Colossians 213 and 14. If you don't mind I would like to read those, Paul said you were dead because of your sins and because your sinful nature was, not yet cut away. Then God made you alive with Christ, for he forgave all our sins. I love this. He canceled the record of the charges against us and took it away by nailing it to the cross.

In this way, he disarmed the spiritual rulers and authorities.

We talked about this little bit this morning disarmed the spiritual rulers and authorities shamed them publicly by his victory over them on the cross and so while his disciples thought for a long time that Jesus would come and set up his kingdom with force. He actually did the upside down thing and he says Paul says he shamed them by his victory over them on the cross and so the cross is our victory and it's it's interesting that it's this upside down thinking that it was through death that now we have life. I think that's beautiful going back in everything return was what he did for us. So were dumb sheep. So what is God do. He sends the Lamb of God, what is the prophet say after he says we like sheep have gone astray. We've wanted everyone into his own way. He says that he was led as a lamb to the slaughter. He instantly switches back from sheep, the Lamb, and he said as a sheep before it shares a silent, he opened not his mouth in front of pilot the greatest time to defend himself. The greatest time to stand up as he was right ever been falsely accused Jesus times 100 times.

Just at night. That was also trials 3 to 6 trials of the Roman trials and yeah the Jewish the illegal Jewish trials all the high priest house in the former high priest thousand it all that is falsely accused. The ripping out his beard. There Begum there spit in his face their production of sucker possums and who hit you hit you. He was oppressed. He was afflicted, yet he opened not his mouth open on his velvet says it three different times in their and here Jesus Christ was the one that John the Baptist said, behold the Lamb of God that taketh away the sins of the world. So we have the Lamb of God who then could go in John 10 and say I am the good shepherd these both the Lamb these both the sacrifice for us dumb sheep so that he can be our Lord is the Lamb he's the Lord he's a lion he's coming back in on that cross. He was humiliated in this language Michael Zwick thank you for focusing is not for God today and I'm Stu Epperson I just honored to be run alongside your day here at Dario in Winston-Salem just had to work a room full of 50 guys get in the word to get all of their locations.

Do this and once in a while were able to have a celebrity like Michael Zwick company doesn't show from your if not for God, you brought this passage up and look at this. This is so counterintuitive to how things are done. Every religion is we gotta get to God and make God like us. Except for one belief is God came to us. It's so crazy and so antithetical that we think that Isaiah opens up icing who has believed our report says this is this is this is nuts. Someone check these guys out here, there, done. But then he goes into the graphic nature.

He's despised. He's rejected. There is no beauty in him that we should desire he's a man of sorrows and acquainted with grief. We hid as it were our faces from him. We don't want to look on that cross will want to see that he was despised, and we did not esteem him.

He's born aggrieved is smitten by God afflicted.

He's one of our treasures is bruised for our iniquities. The chastisement of our peace was upon him, and by his stripes we are healed stripes of Christ. Yet you know it it's it's so true and and when I think about that. He died on the cross persons he was.

He was beaten. He was buried.

He rose from the grave. He was seen by over 500 people and then they saw him ascend into heaven, but it's it's like you know you see a lot of these commercials and they say will what's the catch.

The catch is you have to believe in you have to believe in him and you have to you have to realize first that you need a Savior is actually a story that Jesus tells in its it's in believe it's Luke 18 and he says also he spoke this parable to some who trusted in themselves that they were righteous, and despised others.

Two men went up to the temple to pray, one a Pharisee and the other a tax collector.

The Pharisee stood and prayed thus with himself, God, I thank you that I'm not like these other men, extortioners, unjust, adulterers, or even as this tax collector. I fast twice a week. I give tithes of all that I possess in the tax collector, standing afar off, would not so much as raise his eyes to heaven, but he beat on his breast, saying God be merciful to be a center I tell you this, this man went went down to his house justified rather than the other.

For everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, and he who humbles himself will be exalted and so yes he died on the cross for our sins. Yes, he was beat.

Yes, he rose from the grave. But he said you have to believe in me, and an inner order to believe in him, you have to you have to trust in him and you have to realize that you need forgiveness. I see you turning to something step I just I think it is a what your thought about that. I mean, Mike.

You know, really. There's there's a real responsibility out there like people that are hearing this, don't just flip the channel like your eternal destiny is there and honestly there's nothing we can do about that for you but there is someone we can introduce you to will change everything that you were talking about absolutely every Sunday if the gospel and no matter what message I'm preaching again with a mic to to favor versus you know them in the Bible.

Ephesians 289 for by grace are you saved through faith and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God not of works, lest anyone should boast in that I follow that up with. Of course John 316.

The most popular verse probably half the world for God so loved the world he gave his only son, that whoever believes in him will not perish but have everlasting life. Yeah, a person must come to that point were they realize they are center and in need of a Savior and I like to call a transfer of trust they placed their faith in their trust in the work of Jesus that they believe that he did indeed die and was buried in the rose again has the power to then give them the free gift of eternal life and absolutely blessing it in wherever you are right now Michael can assure the poem I wrote a letter shows on November share this shirt is on my show sure this will sure this is from last words of Jesus in this poem because I love the fact that you brought up that the two men went to the temple to pray is only one other prayers which are now the prayer that was more articulate and eloquent and farmworkers sparkling attracted was the prayer of the Pharisee and the sky was a professional prayer. Bunting was firmly went into ceiling and came right back down in his opera was working on it like I got you read it. I love that so across the quarters, redemptive history, whose prayers got answer the prayer of the Pharisee or the public and the cry of the prodigal or the older brother the petition of the proud, or of the penitent.

The offering of Cain or the sacrifice of Abel. So here's the poem to brothers a sacrifice made one run, a lamb. The other his effort he brought the toilet is spayed. The younger children lamb and was accepted by another. The older murdered his brother and was marked by death like no other.

Two men went to the temple to pray the righteous stood proud, disgusted by the sinner at his side, the other locally bound with barely a word to say no salvation to the hottie man, but the center joyously saved to brothers soft.

The father's heart to please one praised himself his own righteous condition.

The other beg for mercy with a heart of contrition, no peace for the elder son, but the younger found salvation to criminals, ascended to Calvary, condemned to die, one enjoying the hateful throng the other. Listen humbly, his heart to the middleman drew nine a greater death met the first the strong wildlife everlasting came to the second from on high. One man for spirit another man high and pious.

One man loanable another proud and pompous which man are you both those men asked for salvation across the first season is arrogant, said Estelle Vermeer sameness meter salvation request Meiners a sinners prayer. He's a sinner. It's a prayer but but Jesus never responded to him once does he want out of the six he want to get the belt across the right back and listen.

He didn't want the Jesus to save him. He wanted Jesus to fix one of that little potent you want to that little get out of jail, get off the cross free card right. But the other man also asked for salvation.

It was arguably Pastor Jake and Michael.

The most inarticulate raw hit you nonphysical prayer in history, but it was the most powerful.

He said Lord greatly started if you confess your mouse uses Lord. Romans 910 is the Lord remember me now why those words remember me well it depends on what you remember for member. There's $10 million buried on a rock in the backyard is pretty good right good memory Lord, remember me. Joseph said to the Baker remember me when you get the Pharaoh's court unity and thankfully did you know eventually right.

Jesus said the last time Jesus heard the words merely by the way was the night before when he broke the bread and he held the ship that the chalice of one he said remember me when you drink this when you meet this remember me. So when you're remembering the only one. When you member the password to get you into eternal life. The name of Jesus. The only name above any name, remember me when not if we believe he was coming. You come into your kingdom is: Kings, Lord, you're coming back, remember me when you come in your kingdom.

He had all right there in Jesus said, truly, truly, I say to you today right here right now you listening this is for you. You need to pull the car over and you need to get right with God and calling him like that sees you stop what you're doing and call upon the Lord for salvation today. You will be with me in paradise. 11. Charles Spurgeon said that the thing that our Lord's last companion on earth was his first friend as he walked into the gates of heaven that powerful Michael Zwick there's a call everyone to trust Christ. There is a call and when you're if you're listening to this right now. I think you know your your either a Christian and you say yeah I believe this and and that's awesome on or or your daughter, your questioning and and a lot of it. You know when when you first come to Christ that comes by faith and you say well I'll all trust in Christ. Maybe when I figure out all these questions that I have.

I got a lot of questions and I will figure that out before I come to Christ. But you know if you wait till you figure out all the questions it says in first Corinthians 1312 it says now we see through a glass darkly, then we shall know just as we are fully known, were not can I have all the answers until we get to heaven and I talked to some of the greatest scholars that the best theologians and in unite I think about that. The story of Ravi Zacharias when he said he was going through an airport one time and he said there was a heap didn't know it was going. He pulled over and he looked at a one of the screens in the asked somebody for right directions about where he wanted to go to the next step for the next plane flight, and the lady told him how to go in his office and he saw this lady coming running up to him and she says, excuse me, she said, are you Ravi Zacharias and he said yes and she said it's amazing you have questions to you know there there are there are answers that you know there are answers that we don't know that we don't know the answers yet, but we do have the answer that right. You have answer Jesus is the answer and were not knock you if the only time you go to church is Easter because this could be the only chance you have to hear the good news of Christ, and were just glad you're doing that are watching something, but if you do have a deer in the Northline area you want to hear some worship and some encouragement in a safe, no sterile place, then to the doors open Oaklawn pastor in teller one maybe having to learn more about that big check us out@oaklawnlife.com Oaklawn Lake KLA WN life LIF.com so I would love to have you worship with us the bills and using it that resurrection Sunday this year is very close to April Fools' Day or as I call it national atheist day no Unisom some 14 the full has set his heart there is no cuts earlier see how that corresponds but were open to people the power of the resurrection, that is there so much there might what your eyes because you wrap up Michael Zwick hosted is never God what your challenger one out there in terms of the resurrection Lord is resurrecting me what a great song what your challenger.

I challenged everyone as is. I would assume a lot of the people listen to this are believers, is that do whatever you can to tell people this greatness, I mean people are working trying to work their way into heaven all over the world and we tell you you can't do it.

It can't be done, that that's not how it works. It's as simple as is like pastor Jay said.

Ephesians 289 for it is by grace that we are saved on. There's no other way and in in and do whatever you can do just to tell people that good news media sharing this program was someone that needs to be encouraged the news to hear the love of Christ that a loving God would send his only son.

What were little group of guys here. You guys all say this with me and try to capture this where the stereo it is as if not forgot on location, a cool rare opportunity readily to the show on the road, meet some people and were able to meet the host and and he's signing autographs and all that stuff with all say John 316. You do that is to share this verse was someone that's a great legislative John 316 for God so gave his only begotten son, that whosoever believes in everlasting life. If not, forgot this is the Truth Network