Easter At Friendship Harmony

Good Monday Morning To You!!!

I trust you had a Happy Easter. Mine was fantastic. It started with a Sunrise service at Church. Due to wind, and chilly temps, at least by our standards, we had our service indoors. Some people were a little disappointed, but several years ago in Cincinnati, we had a sunrise service under similar conditions. Three of my older people caught pneumonia. I want to try to be sensitive to people’s needs. The decision to stay inside was totally mine and was made with the best intentions. Next year Easter is later, so the chances are better that we’ll be outside for the service.

After the sunrise service we had a fellowship breakfast. Breakfast has always been my favorite meal of the day, and yesterday’s was delicious. Thanks to all who prepared it. It was a job well done!

Sunday School was good, and the morning service was very uplifting. I had planned to preach part two of the four part series, “Coming With His Coming,” but the LORD had other plans. I preached a message titled “Three Crosses On A Hill.” The message came from a track I saw. I used their three main points, then added my own sub-points. The notes are below, and the video will be ready by Tuesday morning. You can view it at www.youtube.com. From their home page, type in Friendship Harmony Baptist Church, then scroll to the message you wish to view. We are currently working on posting the messages on facebook. We will keep you informed.

Three Crosses On A Hill
Luke 23:32-43
By Victor Cooper
Main points plus A‘s & B’s
copied from a tract.
C’s and other sub-points are mine.

I. The cross of rejection
A. One man died in sin - he was a dying sinner.
1. Sinner. Heb.> Hatta’> one devoted to sin
Gk.> hamartolos> erring one
a. “Sin” literally means missing the mark.
Q. What mark?
A. God’s mark of sinless perfection.
b. Is there anyone here this morning sinlessly perfect?
c. Romans 3:23 For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God;
i.e. all have missed God’s mark.
2. Remember, in Scriptures, death means separation, not cessation. Cessation would be too easy.
a. He was about to be eternally separated from God.
b. Salvation and forgiveness would become eternally impossible.
B. He died with sin in him.
1. Sin is more deadly than any poison.
Illustration: 11613. The Judas-Tree’s Fatal Appeal
There is a curious tree known as the Judas-tree. Long before its leaves appear, gorgeous blossoms would ornament the branches. Looking like scarlet sunbeams caught among the boughs, and held prisoners by their interlacings, the brilliant beauty of the crimson flowers attracts thousands of tiny insects. The wild bees also seek to draw honey from their exquisitely shaped cups.
But every insect—bee or butterfly—that ventures to rest upon the edge of its blossom is overcome by a fatal, curious sort of opiate, or sleeping-draught, which the flower-juice contains, and drops dead upon the ground beneath!
Thus, walking around Judas-trees, one sees the soft grass strewn with dead and dying bright-winged insects!
The Judas-tree reminds us of sin. Sin may look bright, pleasant and attractive to our eyes; it may appear harmless to indulge in it. But lurking behind “the pleasures of sin” is a fatal poison.
Encyclopedia of 15,000 Illustrations
a. Sin destroys body, soul and spirit
b. Sin brings condemnation.
John 3:18b …he that believeth not is condemned already…
C. The cross for him would not be the end, but simply the doorway to damnation and eternal Hell!

II. The cross of redemption
A. One man died for sin - He was a dying Saviour.
1. He ”…knew no sin…” (2 Cor. 5:21b)
yet
B. He died with sin upon Him. He was covered with it -
yours, mine, and everyone else’s. 2 Cor. 5:21a For he hath made him to be sin for us…
1. God had to turn His back upon the sight of it.
But remember,
you will only ask for salvation from a Saviour; i.e. one who actually can save.
2. Sin covered does not mean sin filled.
a. The only way God could forgive my sin was for Jesus to take my sin.


C. The cross for him would not be the end, but simply the doorway to His resurrection and Satan’s eventual downfall!
III. The cross of reception
A. One man died to sin - he was a dying saint.
1. He too was separated; not from God but to God!
2. Theologians call this, glorification.
B. He died with sin taken from him.
1. God erases them! Isaiah 43:25a I, even I, am he that blotteth out thy transgressions for mine own sake…
2. God throws sin away. Psalm 103:12 As far as the east is from the west, so far hath he removed our transgressions from us.
3. He changes sin’s color. Isaiah 1:18 Come now, and let us reason together, saith the Lord: though your sins be as scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they be red like crimson, they shall be as wool.
4. God forgets about sin. Hebrews 10:17 And their sins and iniquities will I remember no more.
C. The cross for him would not be the end but simply the doorway to eternal life!

Conclusion: Isaiah 55:6-7/1 John 1:9 Seek ye the Lord while he may be found, call ye upon him while he is near: [7] Let the wicked forsake his way, and the unrighteous man his thoughts: and let him return unto the Lord, and he will have mercy upon him; and to our God, for he will abundantly pardon. [1:9] If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.

I hope you have a good, safe, and healthy week. If you’re traveling, please be careful. Some of our winter visitors have already gone back north, while others will be leaving soon. We miss our winter friends when they are gone. They help to make Friendship Harmony the special place it is. Remember: you can experience at least the preaching portion of our Church by going to www.youtube.com. From their home page, type in Friendship Harmony Baptist Church, then scroll to the message you wish to view. By the way, as an added bonus, the Sunrise Message is also on youtube. It too will be posted on Tuesday. I’ll meet you on the video, and I’ll see you next Monday Morning With Pastor Vic!!!

My Favirite Holiday: Easter!!

Good Monday Morning To You!
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.