Good Friday | Steven Soon

You're listening to a message to go from acts Church.

We hope this message will light up your day.

My title message is as simple as good Friday. Right

if you're taking notes, that is the title of the message,

and let's go into it. I have a few points.

We'll see where the lot leads us. But the first

one I want to talk to us about. This is

the beginning. For many of us who use social media

a lot, your lingo mightst have changed to in the beginning,

all right, so if you get it out. If you don't,

but it's a viral video that is just hilarious, and

sometimes if you're not careful, we actually see in the begininging.

So the beginning, the beginning, the beginning. I want to

point us to scripture. If you can flip open your Bibles,

John chapter one, verse one to four, or for those

of you here who may not have your Bibles with you,

I've got it prepared on the slides, all right, and

we're gonna read it. Allow me to you bring us

through this scripture. In the beginning, the word already assisted.

Now the word is pointing to Jesus. Jesus. The word

here actually means Jesus in the beginning, the Word already existed.

The Word was with God, and the word words God.

He existed in the beginning with God. And we can,

in our own human understanding, we cannot fathom what does

the beginning mean? Think about it. In the beginning there

was God, something and simple as this our human minds

can never fathom. I guess these are questions that we

have ready when we enter eternity. I have so many

questions I want to ask God himself. Maybe I'm just

imagining right in the Golden Street where there are gold buildings.

One of it is a library that can go and

seek for all the answers that I have. Sorry, all

the questions I have, and one of it is this.

In the beginning, there was God so profound verse three.

God created everything true the Word him, and nothing was

created except through him. The Word gave life to everything

that was created, and his life brought light to everyone.

The first truth I want to bring to you is

this Jesus formed the universe. He created the heavens and

the earth. He was dead, The Word was moving when

the world was created. A God so vast and so

mighty that created the ever expanding universe. Still, this is

the second truth he created you. Take a moment to

compare the vastness of the universe to last Sunday, I

say something funny, puny humans like this. It's quite hard

to fathom, but yet he did so, the one that

created the ever expanding universe, that caused our ecosystem to

work in Planet Earth, every single creation an intrigued design.

He created you. It's so funny, you're so cute. I

got distracted, But yes, when he formed the world, I'm

going to equate this these two things. When he created,

he created the heavens and the Earth, and then he

created you. When he formed the world, here is another truth.

He had you in mind. It was part of his

plan all along. It's not like I'm going to create

the heavens and the Earth. I'm going to create a

planet Earth. I'm going to create all these things. Oh

I think maybe it'd be nice to have human beings,

puny humans, But no, God, when he created the world,

he already had us in mind. And why I'm trying

to say, is this right. If you think you're insignificant,

think again, there's purpose for you. There's the reason why

you are born onto the Earth as such a time

as this, God had you in mind and it's all

part of his plan. God loves you, my friends. God

loves you. If you feel unloved today, I want you

to know there's a big God that loves you so

much that even before the world was formed, he already

had you in mind. Now that was the beginning, and

then came the problem and we on all this all

too well. I'm not going to reiterate Genesis and how

Adam and If sinned, but I'm going to talk about

James one fourteen to fifteen. Let me read this with

us again. Temptation comes from our desires, which entices us

and drag us away. These desires give birth to sinful actions,

and when sin is allowed to grow, it gives birth

to death. We all know that because of what Adam

and Eve did, we inherited sin. It is part of us.

That's why in Bible says that we have a sinful nature.

Nature means it's part of us. It is already ingrained

in our very being. So the problem here is God

created this perfect world with starting with two human beings,

Adam and Eve. You know, for Edam and Eve, God's

plan for them was, actually they will be immortal. They

were supposed to be forever. See, heaven is heaven. Then

you have a garden of Eden that is a mirror

of heaven, and then there is God. And God created

Adam and Eve as a mirror image of God. And

Adam and Eve were supposed to enjoy eternity with God

without death. Death was not part of the plan. Sin

not part of the plan. But then it happened. They

were attempted because they had their desires, and out of

those desires, it gave birth to sinful actions. And we

all know this. When sin is allowed to grow, death

came into the picture. The very nature of sin draws

us away from God. And here's a simple equation. When

we are drawn away from God, death comes into the picture.

Let me do another equation for you. We're gonna look

at John chapter one, verse four. The word gave life

to everything that was created. We read this earlier, and

his life brought light to everyone. See the word Jesus

gave life to everything. So when sin was introduced into

our lives and we are drawn away from Jesus, naturally

we are drawn away from life. And the opposite of

life is death. Simple equation, it is not that God

imparted that I'm going to change mine. Where the reco Wow,

the recording still works right with the change of mind?

All right? Great? Where was I? Yep? So I lost

my train of thought? Hold on, okay, I got it

all right. It's not that God created death. It's simple, man.

God is life. We are pulled away from life, all

the source of life. Therefore death happens. It's not actually

part of the plan. But sin came in and he

complicated everything. You see, it's not just that God hts sin.

We all know this. It's not just that God ha sin.

It's that sin and God cannot coexist. God is not

going like, oh you do bad thing. Whoo who I'm

gonna punish you. No, Sin and God cannot coexist period.

There's no way it can happen. This is why God

hits sin, because sin pull us away from God. When God.

All God wants is to give life. Sin came into

the picture to bring death. And you see, I'm going

to bring you bad news. The bad news is this

that we have all sinned and have fallen short of

the glory of God. It's not just Adam and Eve.

If there's news to you, it's news to you. It's

the truth. If you can say you have never committed

a crime, have you ever lied? I don't think anyone

here can say we have never lied. I don't think

anyone here can say, Yeah, sure you may say I didn't.

I never killed anyone. But have have you ever helped offense?

Have you ever hold on to unforgiveness? Have you ever

had a grudge against someone? Have you ever had evil

thoughts towards other people? Because Jesus thought, it's not the

act itself, but the thought. Yeah, so happened to have

the thought. You have sinned, You have fallen, learned shot

of the mark. So all of us, I hope we

have established another truth here, which is a bad news,

that we have all sinned and follow show of the

glory of God. So for us, the natural progression is

death and eternal death. Now I'm going to talk about

the price. I've gotten help from two brothers to help

bringing our lovely wooden cross and get them to help

me as they bring that in. You see, when there

is a problem, there needs to be a solution, and

when there needs to be a solution in this case,

there's a price to be paid. But before we talk

about the price. I mentioned all the bad news, but

I want to mention this, God never once gave up

on us, in spite of all the things that has happened,

in spite of sin coming into our lives, in spite

of us doing things that God doesn't like, again and

again and again and again. You guys are so distracted

by the cross. But it's okay. The cross is a

good distraction. Amen. We should always pay attention to the cross.

But you see, no matter what we have done, whatever

since we have committed in the past, God never once

gave up on us. Another truth for you, even today,

if you have sin, God hasn't given up on you.

God loves you. But with his love he needed to

do something to resolved the problem so that we can

then commune with God again. Because remember, seeing that God

cannot coexist John three sixteen. We know this scripture all

too well. If you know it, let's recite it together.

For God so loved the world that he gave his

only begoden Son, that whosoever believes in him shall not perish,

but have eternal life or whatever last thing like. That's

the NLT version. God send his son, He gave his son.

He didn't land gay and he was the son of

God Jesus. That was the solution. That was the price.

You see, why is there a price in the first place?

God is just God. It is his character, and God

cannot go against his own character by saying oh, Sinnis commented,

it's okay, like I close one eye. God cannot do

that because he is a just God. He cannot go

against his own character. He cannot and no way possible

corrupt character because he's why he's perfect. So with every sin,

there is a penalty. And I hope that we have

established that it wouldn't. It wasn't just because God feels like,

oh I hate sin, so I'm going to punish you.

It's just by the main fact that if you've sin,

your end destination's death full stop, because you cannot be

with God when sin is around. And I want to

share a little analogy next, Like I want to share

this story about how a young man committed a crime

that warranted him to be cane for five rounds public

caning and needing to pay a fine of twenty thousand

ring it, which he didn't have the money for. It's

a teenager right. So when he was brought to caught,

they asked him all the questions you deny, they'll deny.

Of course, in the end he found that I can't

hide anymore. Yes, it was me I did it. And

then of course they mentioned the sentence five kning for you,

public caning and twenty thousand ringed. But then when the

judge sentenced that, the judge said, but I will pay

it for you, because there's no way you can pay it.

He wrote a check on the spot and gave that fine,

and he went through even with the public caning judge himself.

And it was later found out the teenager that commented

the crime, it's actually his son. Just this had to

be upheld. He cannot change that. As just someone who

holds justice to the highest level, he cannot go against

the justice system and say I give you a lighter sentence,

a lighter punishment. But what he did he paid the

price himself, which his son was not able to. And

as Christians, we believe that no amount of good words

can ever eradicate sin from our lives. Good works have

no power to forgive us for our sins. That needs

to be a perfect sacrifice, so holy that something as

unholy as sin can only be ransom. It's a lengthy,

it's a mouthful, but just let that sink in for

a little bit. There needs to be a perfect sacrifice,

so holy that something as unholy as sin can only

be ransom. That means no amount of good what you

do can ever measure up. You can try your best,

your whole life, do whatever you can, donate all your riches,

but it can never pay for the price of your sin.

There can only be only true, perfect sacrifice, and blemished

holy sacrifice can sin be ransomed. His name is Jesus.

I just want to share a little bit of what

Jesus went through during Jesus's trial. Man, he was really

messed up by the Roman. So yes, I'm going to

share some details, but not so detailed in a way

that you know, because again we have children here. Now.

One thing is this when Jesus was brought to trial,

and all these happened in one night, by the way,

when Jesus was arrested, he was brought to trial, and

it was right after that that the beating started. One

of the tools of beating were whips, and the whips

were not any ordinary whip. The whips were lined with

little bones, shut little bones, so when you whip onto

a person, the bones were latched onto skin. I don't

need to explain what will happen when they pulled it out.

Those were the whips that were used to whip Jesus.

I want to talk about the crown of thorns pressed

onto the scarp of our Savior. Many times we picture

the thorns maybe shot thorns. You think of roses. The

thornes are not very long, right. The towns were actually

up to three inches long, roughly about this, up to

three inches long, pressed into the scalp with very thin skin,

scalp of Jesus. Then came the grueling journey of carrying

the heavy cross. This is nothing, man, this itself is

already heavy. A man across that Jesus war that was

heavy in his broken state. He carried that cross all

the way to Galgatta. And when he was carried there,

who was laid down the cross? And let me share

if you the nails that were kneeled through Jesus. The

nails kneil. That nail through Jesus was seven to nine

inches in length. It's about this thing for a moment.

This not just seven to nine inches. It was one

inch in diameter, and it's not a round nail, it's

a squarish nail. Those nails went through the hands and

feet of Jesus. He witnessed how in that moment his

closest people left him, Peter, whom he said, on this rock,

I'll be at my church. Of course this happened after,

but this showed how much trust he had towards Peter.

Get bitter the unit Jesus. Three times on the day

that Jesus suffered, the most disciples scattered as well, fearing

for their lives. He experienced in men's loneliness. He was

not clothed when he was beaten up. There was no cover,

there was no cushion, and he was hung without clothes

as well on the cross. Of course, today, if you

look at pictures and murals, they will put a loincloth.

But in reality there was nothing. He experienced in men's shame.

The whole journey, from the moment the crowd was pressed

onto his skup to being hung on the cross. I

don't think any one of us can ever imagine the

degree of pain that he was going through with what

was caused by the whip and the crown of taunts itself.

I believe he was bleeding excessively and the whole journey

it took from where he was flogged with the cross.

It's not a short journey with the loss of blood. Actually,

if you think about it biologically, he could have at

any point gave his last breath on the way to

the cross, but he chose not to because he had

to fulfill his mission. He had to go all the

way to the cross. That means it took him immense

effort to stay alive until his time was up. I'm

taking some time to share this because Christians we talk Jesus,

we sing Jesus, we pray to Jesus. But many times we,

including myself, take what Jesus went true for God. That's

why we sin easily. That's why we fall easily temptation come.

It's okay, God, Well understand, so killer I do it? Really? Yeah?

I pray for forgiveness. Do you have any idea the

price that was paid for your forgiveness? It's heavy, I know,

but it's reality. Every time I lie, it's as if

I'm nailing one nail to the cross. Every time I last,

as if I nailed another nail to the cross every time,

my whole unforgiveness, as if I nailed another nail to

the cross. It was our sins, my friends, that nailed

Jesus to the cross. Wasn't the Romans, wasn't pontious pilot,

It wasn't the religious leaders that schemed against Jesus. It's

all of us. None of us are exempted. We nailed

Jesus to the cross. Enough bad news. Here's the good news.

I know it's very solemn, but I think it was

much needed. The good news is this, He has taken

all of this to the cross and paid the final price.

The scene that you did today, you repented, nail done

forgiven things that you did growing up that sometimes comes

back and haunt you. I want to tell you this.

There's someone here that is struggling with this. It's something

that you did last time that kept coming back every

once every few months. I want to tell you this.

You repented. He has been niled to the cross once

and for all. Don't let the devil tell you that

you're still bound by it. The Lord has paid it.

Don't make a mockery of what the Lord has done.

He paid the price he paid it. Don't act like

he didn't do so. Gotta be strong, Gotta fight the

voices of the enemy and say no, I am delivered, delivered,

I'm free. Death has no hole on me. Sin, power

of sin no longer bound me down Isaiah fifty three,

vers Five. But he was pierced for our rebellion, crushed

for our sins. He was bitten so we could be whole.

He was whips so we could be healed. This was

prophesied before Jesus even came, and all of it fulfilled.

Christ went through it all so that our rebellion will

be paid for, our sins will be crushed. We can

be whole again, we can be healed. Jesus was shamed

so that you no longer need to live in shame,

my friends. Now really we're entering the good news. In

Matthew twenty seven forty six, before Jesus drew his last breath,

he said this, eloi eloi lama's abaktani, which translated to

my God, my God, why have you forsaken me? Thees

has become a lot of theological debate of why Jesus

would say that. Some say, oh, in that moment the

weight of the scenes of the world upon him, so

God's presence left him. But the truth is Jesus was

drawing reference from Psalms twenty two. The same thing was

written down and said by David, eloi eloi Lama is

about Tani, my God, My God, why have you forsaken me?

But you see, when Jesus mentioned that scripture, he was

not just talking about the first sentence, because by the

end of Psalm twenty two, you will realize that David

was talking about God, his refuge, God his hope, God

his help. What started with agony ended in victory. Jesus

foretold what's to come the dog. He is in agony now,

but he's gonna end in victory. And we all know

this that three days after Jesus died, he rose again.

He went into the pits of hell, took the very

key from Satan himself, and brought it back up and said,

death has no hole on my beloved all of us.

John eleven, twenty five. fIF this I'm gonna draw to

an end. Jesus told her I am the resurrection and

the life. Anyone who believes in me will leave even

after dying. This means that When you believe in Jesus

and you call upon the name of Jesus, you are

calling upon resurrection. Let me repeat that again in case

you missed it. Every time you call upon the name

of Jesus, you are calling upon resurrection. When he said

I am the Resurrection and the Life, he's not saying

I can resurrect, I can bring you resurrection. It's not

just a state, but he's saying I am resurrection. Mean

every time you speak Jesus, you're speaking resurrection. Every time

you call upon Jesus in the darkest, most vulnerable moments,

resurrection came. Every time you look at a desolate situation

that you're struggling, you're like, I have no way out.

Lord Jesus, you're calling resurrection. You're calling resurrection. Another scripture

Galicians two twenty. My old self has been crucified with Christ.

It is no longer I who live, but Christ lives

in me. So I live in this earthly body by

trusting in the Son of God who loved me and

gave himself for me. Now I'm gonna try to blow

your mind a little bit, because it blew my mind

and got ministered to me every time I read this scripture. Previously,

I always thought it's a dying to self, dying to self,

dying to self. It's Christ, Christ, who lives me is

dying to self. No more me. But I'm gonna give

you a revelation that God gave me. Our Self is

made of mortality, mortal bodies with a lot of limitations

that is constantly degrading. In case you didn't know, this

is biology, all right. But when we say it's no

longer I who live, but Christ who lives in this

mortal body, we're saying we're no longer bound by our mortality,

but we're hanging on Christ, the resurrection and the life.

I hope you recognize this powerful truth because I've always

seen this as a denial only. But it's not your

self denial. It's saying that we are no longer bound

by our mortial bodies and its limitations. The resurrecting power

of crisis in this. If Christ lives in me, and

Christ is the resurrection in the life, then he can

make things that are did come to life again. Resurrection

is in you. That means whatever you're going through it

can be raised to life, can be raised to life.

I'm not saying this as a motivational talk. I'm saying

this as truth, and the sooner we open our hearts

to this, the quicker we will experience God in a

profound manner.

We hope you've been blessed by this message. For more

information on our church, please visit as Church RG. We

are also active on Facebook and Instagram. We're believing that

this week is going to be a good week, a

hit for you.

God bless