I do hope you had a wonderful week since we last met. My week was pretty much routine; nothing too exciting. For a preacher that is sometime a blessing. I did attend a very informative church planter’s meeting this past Monday. The topic was the internet video ministry. I’ve told you about that before, and I’m really excited about taking Friendship Harmony online. For those of you who have never been to our Church, or for our winter visitors who have returned north, this would give you the opportunity to experience Friendship Harmony. The cost outlay is somewhere in the $300-500 range. We could go cheaper, but the quality would be bad. I will not broadcast anything that would be an embarrassment to the Lord or the Church. We could also spend much more, but that would be overkill. You pray about this, and I’ll let you know as it develops.
All I can say about our service yesterday is, “Wow!” It was a very formal service, but extremely dignified and beautiful. We departed from our “normal routine.” We had two specials from two different soloists: Wen Anderson singing “The Old Rugged Cross,” and Eleanor McDonnel singing “He Has Surely Borne Our Sorrow.” Both specials were fantastic! Normally there are two hymns that I cringe whenever our music director announces them: “Silent Night,” and “The Old Rugged Cross.” I have nothing against the words in either; they are terrific. It is the tempo. Most people drag those songs to the point of boredom. Wen sang the song at the perfect tempo; not too slow nor too hurried. It flowed smoothly, yet sounded like a victory song, not a funeral dirge. Thank you Wen and you too Margaret for your accompaniment. After a responsive reading which was the words to a song in our book, Eleanor sang a song from which I adapted the message. Normally a song is adapted from a message the writer has heard. This time the message was built around the title of the song. The hymn writer, Mosie Lister, is still living. I have sent him a message on Facebook asking what led to the writing of this lovely song. If he responds, I’ll share it with you in a future Monday Morning blog. Eleanor’s rendition of the song was tremendous. Thank you Eleanor for doing such a super job. It led into the message perfectly. The sermon notes are below. Please feel free to use them for your own Bible study. Preachers and teachers may also use them in preparation for a class or a message. I must warn you though. The message is in the Catechistic Style. Most Baptists and other evangelicals are unfamiliar with catechism. They connect it to the “high church.” Catechism is nothing more than declaring a topic, then defining it by asking a question, then answering it citing Scriptural references. Many preachers use this style in their sermonizing, but do not name it as such. I have been preaching forty years this month, and this is only the second time I have preached catechistically. Charles Haddon Spurgeon preached this way occasionally, so if it was good enough for him, then I guess it will not hurt us.
He Has Surely Borne Our Sorrow
Various in the Catechistic Style
By Victor Cooper
3/29-31/12
Intro: This message was taken from the hymn of the same name written by Mosie Lister in 1963. In the Catechistic Style, which is foreign in name to most Baptists, we look at our sorrow bearing Lord.
I. Why was a sinless Christ sorrowful.?
A. Because by Adam’s sin, God’s entire creation fell under the curse. Romans 5:12 Wherefore, as by one man sin entered into the world, and death by sin; and so death passed upon all men, for that all have sinned:
B. Because Christ knew that all mankind would be born in sin, not the original righteousness He intended.
Psalm 51:5 Behold, I was shapen in iniquity; and in sin did my mother conceive me.
1. The verse is not implying that David was born as a result of an adulteress affair.
2. The verse teaches us that David was a sinner because his parents were sinners, because their parents were sinners etc... linking back to Adam and Eve who were placed under the curse for their sin and rebellion.
II. What did this curse cause?
A. Many things, the worst of which was man’s separation from God.
Read Genesis 3:16-19; 23-24.
1. Note they were cast out of the garden to till the ground. The best place to till the ground is in the garden.
B. God always met them in the garden. Now they had no more access to face to face walks with God. This was to man’s shame and man’s sorrow.
III. How does this make Christ sorrowful?
A. Because the sinless Christ became sin on our behalf. He became the very thing that brought about the curse in the garden encounter with Adam.
2 Cor. 5:21 For he hath made him to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in him.
1. Christ bore the sorrow to fulfill Isaiah 35:10 “And the ransomed of the Lord shall return, and come to Zion with songs and everlasting joy upon their heads: they shall obtain joy and gladness, and sorrow and sighing shall flee away.” (italics mine)
2. Isaiah predicted He would bare our sorrow.
Isaiah 53:11 He shall see of the travail of his soul, and shall be satisfied: by his knowledge shall my righteous servant justify many; for he shall bear their iniquities.
IV. If sorrow is so prominent, should it then abound?
A. No! Because Christ was victorious and as He bore our sorrow, so to He bears our victory.
1 Cor. 15:57 But thanks be to God, which giveth us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.
Before I say good bye for this week, let me make a few announcements about Easter week at Friendship Harmony. On Thursday morning at 9:00 a.m. we will be distributing flyers in several neighborhoods. These flyers will promote our Easter services. We really need help, so if you can spare an hour or so, please meet at the Church. Our Good Friday service will be held jointly with the Sovereign Grace Church of the Brethren in North Ft. Myers. The service will be at their Church beginning at 6:30 p.m. The Church is located at 1691 Pacific Avenue, and is two blocks from the Wal Mart on Pine Island Road. Incidentally, my Good Friday message is, “Tried And Convicted On Trumped-Up Charges.” We begin Easter services with a traditional Sunrise Service at 7:00 a.m. The service will be outside, weather permitting. After that service is concluded, we will come back into the Church for a fellowship breakfast. If you’d like to attend the breakfast but did not sign up yesterday, you may call me at 239.283.8331 and I’ll forward that on to our kitchen committee. I hope you will be there. Our Easter morning service will begin at 10:00 a.m. The message is titled, “What The Donkey Saw.” I hope you can enjoy all of the Easter week services. A Happy Easter to each of you and I’ll see you next Monday Morning With Pastor Vic.
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