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[Music] [Applause] [Music] [Applause] [Music] [Applause] [Music] [Applause] [Music] [Applause] [Music] [Music] [Laughter] [Music] [Music] [Music] [Applause] [Music] [Music] [Applause] [Music] [Applause] [Music] [Applause] [Music] [Applause] [Music] [Applause] [Music] Oh [Music] whole time [Applause] [Music] Oh [Applause] [Music] [Music] [Music] [Applause] [Music] [Applause] [Music] [Applause] [Music] [Music] [Applause] [Music] [Applause] [Music] [Applause] [Music] [Applause] [Music] Oh [Music] [Applause] [Music] [Applause] [Music] [Music] [Music] [Applause] [Music] [Applause] [Music] [Applause] [Music] [Music] [Applause] [Music] [Applause] [Music] Oh [Music] [Music] [Applause] [Applause] [Music] [Applause] [Music] [Music] [Laughter] [Music] [Music] [Applause] [Music] [Applause] [Music] [Applause] hey everyone welcome to life central church and to our online livestream Good Friday communion service it is so good to see you my name's Leon and my name's Allison it's so good to see you we really wish that we could be in the same room together but sadly we can't but it's so great to have you join us here on this Good Friday service from your own homes absolutely and we're gonna be taking communion together later on I would really encourage you guys so make sure you've got some communion stuff there so just some bread and some juice or some wine if you want to and if your family or with you your kids to young people be great to get them together we're going to be together for about 45 minutes and whether you're from life central at one of our locations or you're tuning in from overseas or from another church or whoever you are and maybe you're connecting in and you're not from a church but you know it's Easter weekend and you wanted to connect in we are so glad that you're here with us you know um all of us the last few weeks have been washing our hands a lot in fact my wife is a nurse has been trying to teach me to wash my hands properly I think for for many years and we're all doing that now and as many of you know I've been using that phrase often over the last few weeks the next time you wash your hands remember whose hands you're in and we're gonna look at that whole theme of hands and the hands of Jesus through the Easter week and beyond what does it mean for us you see I think we're gonna see as we look tonight at the hands of Jesus how they went into different postures through the Easter week and what those hands say and communicate to us now and just to get us in that kind of space so that we can reflect on this Good Friday you're not gonna see a little bit of a of a media piece telling the story of Good Friday and right after that Abby and Chris Eaton who is so grateful to have them as part of the church they've written a new arrangement of an old hymn called here is love and the lyrics will come up for that and so right in your home you can sing that incredible song but before we sing that song together just take a little look and reflect on Good Friday the crucifixion [Music] [Applause] [Music] [Music] [Music] [Music] [Music] [Music] [Music] [Music] here is love as the ocean loving kindness as the flood when a prayers of life are Ansan cheerful his precious blood ah moogan cease to sing his praise he can never be forgotten throughout his eternal day one amount of crucifixion fountains old plant deep and wide through the floodgates of God's mercy flowed a vast and gracious night crazy like my two rivers port instead yes it from and tensley's and perfect justice kissed again [Music] facing [Music] my heart will sing oh you've done for let's me I love accent see the fever all my days let me see kingdom only and my life be to thy praise shall be my glory nothing in the world I see that Haskell lives and sanctified me that I self has send me free Oh love [Music] ding my heart will sing love all you've done ever [Applause] mother my heart will sing of all you've done for here is love fast as the ocean loving-kindness as the flood when a bring saw the life for Anson shed for his precious bow as we look at the hands of Jesus in the Easter week you know there were some other hands raised right at the start of the week and I'm going to call this praising hands you know because Jesus rode into Jerusalem from Palm Sunday the triumphal entry or the crowd their hands were raised in praise for Jesus hamster felt great for Jesus and His disciples but then it was it was really soon that those hands came down from praising and they turned into fists as the crowd turned against Jesus I don't know about you but I might acquit then I might have stopped there but Jesus didn't Jesus didn't stop he didn't quit I wonder why then on the Thursday evening morn day Thursday we call it the Last Supper and and that meal that he took with his disciples which we're gonna celebrate and take at the end of our time together you know Jesus and got down from the table he took a bowl and you know we've been washing our hands through all this coronavirus but jesus took a bowl and didn't just wash the hands of the disciples he washed their feet can you imagine that that's the creator of the universe whose hands flung stars into space stooping down to wash the feet of his own creation Wow you know there are so many people at the moment using their hands out there to support us to keep our shelves stacked in supermarkets to do all of those essential tasks to make life just a little bit more bearable for us but you know there's a whole group of people who can't be engaged in social distancing there are health and social care professionals and they're out there using their hands directly to care for the vulnerable in our society those who are sick those who are facing perhaps some of the most terrifying times in their lives and we're so grateful to them for all that they're doing and we'd just like to take a minute right now just to stop and pray for all of those people working in health and social care right now looking after us yeah Heavenly Father we are so grateful that you have given a science you've given us expertise you've given us gifts on skills and abilities and Lord we pray right now for those people who are using their hands to care for the sick and the vulnerable and the needy those who are laying aside their own safety and security in some situations and stretching out their hands to touch other people Lord would you protect them would you give them strength would you give them health would you give them courage will you make them resilient and sustain them Lord as they continue in that vital work and Lord we pray as well for people managing those circumstances and for people that are seeking cures and solutions to this terrible virus God would you touch them would you give them supernatural strength because we ask it in Jesus name Amen and you know after they may oh Jesus and His disciples headed to the garden and here we see again that their hands are used and this time they're praying hands and you know I think it's really important to stop and look and see what Jesus was praying for and actually Jesus was praying to get out of the situation he was in Matthew 26 verse 39 says my father if there is any way that you can deliver me from this suffering please take it away from me his prayer wasn't answered as he wanted did you hear that Jesus had unanswered prayer but Jesus didn't stop he didn't quit I wonder why how many of us we should we wish we could get out of this situation right now and I know I wish that I could get out of this situation right now maybe we could learn to tweak our prayer from when can I get out of this - what can I get out of this because if we look at Jesus's prayer he prayed something else that was really really important he said yet what I want is not important for I only desire to fulfill your plan for me absolutely because Jesus didn't stop his hands made it possible for us to be washed completely clean and you know the next time you wash your hands not only do I want to encourage you to remember whose hands you're in but I want you to remember that you're not only as you wash your hands remember that his hands what he did for us on the cross on Good Friday means that now we don't just wash our hands we are completely washed clean because of what Jesus did for us and just to mark that we want you to watch her an amazingly beautiful and moving little media piece called washed clean and then after that you're gonna hear another song that Chris and Abby and Philip Ahana have written called now to Jesus and and as you watch this media piece and then as you listen to that song on this Good Friday before we even get to the cross just let's take a moment just to thank God for what he has done by the hands of Jesus that have washed us clean [Music] [Music] [Applause] [Music] [Applause] [Music] [Music] howdy how the precious little of Jesus is for you for me there'll always be nothing nor shame nor stock as wrong bond who gave his life for us I mean [Music] you're but I will get you sow [Music] now to Jesus Jesus [Music] able to do morning we [Music] only you [Music] worthy of all praise worthy [Music] which is of your mind [Music] you're redeeming [Music] so [Music] afraid when darkness falls enjoy my [Applause] you will yes BC now to Jesus [Music] able to we could [Music] we [Applause] holy worthy we we only [Music] you Oh [Music] give me [Music] Oh [Music] Oh [Music] Jesus [Music] wow what a beautiful song unplanned to do this but I want to just pray just for a moment and maybe in your house in your room right now you know in your lock down you know with all that we've lost at the moment hey if you know Jesus you know we've got Jesus and you know lockdown couldn't keep love down as we're gonna see like later and over this weekend I want to just pray for you just for a moment just before we think around the cross together Jesus we want to thank you so much that you loved us that you stretched out your hands for us that even though those praising hands that turn to clenched fists you never stopped and when you prayed in the garden and and your father said you know you're gonna have to do it you have to go through and you went through anyway and god you're so amazing and so Jesus this Easter time the strangest Easter any of us have ever known God may we open up our hearts and our hands again to you Jesus we thank you so much we love you give me Jesus what a beautiful prayer to pray on Good Friday in Jesus name I want to pray for every single family every person in every home who's listening or watching or connecting in with this God may they know your presence in Jesus name Amen and you know we're gonna think around the cross right now and those hands that and that became praying hands they very soon on that Friday they were stretched out on that cross and they became pierced hands and you know the cross crucifixion is incredibly barbaric it's it's it's probably the most barbaric way that somebody could die in fact the romans the roman writer cicero said the idea of the cross should never come near the bodies of Roman citizens the Jewish culture and mindset they they would say anyone who's hung on a tree is under God's curse and yets that that's where the hands of Jesus were stretched out and his hands were pierced and his feet were pierced and you know he was wounded so much and I said earlier on that the Ellison's are nurse and so and my son is a nurse and my daughter Anor as a nurse and so often when we're all together which we're not at the moment obviously we're talking medical stuff or they're watching Grey's Anatomy or ER or something and I tend to leave the room at the gory bits in fact I remember a few months ago and we were doing some cooking together in the kitchen remember that and I got a knife I got a knife and it slipped and it went through my finger and blood and it was and I was very very dramatic and it was a wound that I talked about for a long time it's just terrified that it was a tiny little snake no no a huge it was a huge wound in my in my finger but you know what I read something years ago in a medical journal Believe It or Not that there are five main types of wounds that we experience in our bodies and as I described these wounds and as Alison reads a scripture I want you just to reflect on the wounds that Jesus took upon himself on the cross the first one is a contusion struck by a blunt instrument like a slap from prison guards then one of the temple guards standing nearby slapped Jesus across the face laceration where the skin is torn by tissue tearing like when a man is whipped then Pilate had Jesus flogged with a lead flipped whip abrasion skin scraped off rubbing against a rough surface like carrying a cross carrying the cross by himself he went to a place called place of the skull in Hebrew Golgotha avulsion skin literally torn off the body like hanging on a cross nails wrists and feet when they came to a place called the skull they nailed him to the cross and the criminals were also crucified one on his right and one on his left and then there's a puncture which is a wound caused by a sharp instrument like a soldier thrusting his spear into the side one of the soldiers however pierced his side with a spear and immediately blow and water flowed out you know you know when I read those five different wounds I thought Jesus had all of those wounds in his body and what that says to me and to us on Good Friday even in the middle of this coronavirus is that all of our wounds as humanity have been taken onto the person of Jesus there's no wound that you and I can experience that Jesus hasn't had in his body and that's why lockdown can't keep love down because the hands of Jesus that were pierced or pierced with your wounds and my wounds with our wounds and with the wounds of humanity I would have quit a long time before Jesus went on the cross if that was me but Jesus didn't stop he didn't quit I wonder why you know the story doesn't finish there because that's Friday and Sunday's coming and so we come to the final thing which we want to just allude to before we worship and take communion and that is presented hands because when Jesus died he then rose again and we'll celebrate that on Sunday on but then he went into that room where the disciples were and Anne Thomas had missed his first appearing after the resurrection and a week later Thomas was there and Jesus pitched up and and Thomas was saying I don't believe that Jesus has risen but Jesus came in and he presented his hands he presented the wounds to Thomas and he said there look see the wounds are still in my body that's just totally amazing and he was saying look I didn't quit even death itself couldn't stop me I'm back so why didn't Jesus quit when you are I and so many people along the way would also have quit well listen to these amazing verses from Hebrews they're really familiar but they're so incredible they're worth reading again therefore since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles and let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us fixing our eyes on Jesus the Pioneer and perfecter of faith for the joy that was set before him he endured the crow scorning its shame and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God consider him who endured such opposition from sinners so that you will not grow weary and lose heart as Jesus presented his nail-pierced hands what does that mean well what was the joy that was set before him well the joy that was set before him was you it was me it was you yeah it was all of us yeah everyone who was there yeah he was abandoned so that we would never be abandoned he was wounded so that we would be healed he was cast aside so we would be gathered in he was made sin so we would be set free from sin he was lonely so that we would never have to be lonely and he was broken so we could be made whole he was despised and rejected so we would be accepted and honored he was dead so we could know that death has lost its sting it's not the end and you know Jesus presented his wounded hands to two other guys as well the guys on the road to Emmaus listen listen to what it says in Luke 24 when he was at the table with them like we're gonna be a little bit in a few minutes when he was at the table with them he took bread gave thanks broke it and began to give it to them then their eyes were open and they recognized him and he disappeared from their sight they asked each other were not our hearts burning within us while he talks with us on the road and opened the scriptures to us could it be that when he gave them that bread when he gave them that juice there when he stretched out his hands could it be that they actually saw the marked the wounds that were still in the hands of the resurrected Jesus and maybe that was the moment when they rested when they realized that before them was the resurrected their risen Lord and he came with outstretched hands and say hey I've taken all the wounds of humanity all your wounds all our wounds and I taking them onto myself and I'm back and I'm presenting myself to you so that's why we call Good Friday good that's why Jesus stretches out his hands again to you that's why he wants to wrap his arms around you and your family in your room in your house in your living room tonight that's why we now are going to worship and then we're gonna take communion together and we're gonna thank Jesus for those praying hands that became pious plans that became presented ants but now wanna gather us in this season unprecedented season for most of us of crisis and challenge but our Jesus is still here with his hands stretched out for you you know as we worship and sing if you're watching on the church online programming and you would like someone to pray for you on Good Friday we have some online pastors that would love to do that you just need to indicate it on the platform there or maybe if you're watching on Facebook and you just say something that someone would love just to pray for you and the find a way to connect with you and we're gonna invite you where you are to sing this incredible him that the guys are going to lead us in when I survey the wondrous cross then Alison and I gonna get the privilege of leading you virtually online to take communion and then we're gonna wrap up our evening together so I'd really encourage you guys to sing this is an incredible here you know thousands and thousands and thousands of Christians have sung this for many many years and I guess I've celebrated Good Friday like we're doing tonight and as we think back and remember the outstretched hands of Jesus but not just on the cross but are now presented stretching out to you and to me inviting us to come close when I survey the wondrous cross [Music] so what I survey i sir [Music] which stuff of my riches I [Applause] [Music] oh my korsak's see [Music] [Music] such Oh [Music] so [Music] [Music] [Music] we see ah [Music] [Music] to [Music] so see [Music] my [Applause] [Music] so five team my life bye [Music] so guys I want to invite you now to take communion with me and Allison okay we're here and you're in your homes and your rooms but you know Jesus is with us his hands are outstretched for us so I'd love you now just to take that little piece of bread and I'm going to read a scripture and then I want you to share it maybe share it with each other in that room if you're on your own hey you're not on your own Jesus is with you take it this this speaks of the body of Jesus the Bible says I handed down to you what came to me by direct revelation from the Lord Himself the same night in which he was handed over he took bread and gave thanks then he distributed it to the disciples and said take it and eat your fill it is my body which is given for you do this to remember me let's eat let's eat [Music] thank you Lord Jesus I want to thank you that we are still your body even though we're in our own homes even though we're not physically in the same space even though some people watching and connecting with us may not even be in the same country as us God we are your body and we join with your body across the planet on Good Friday - thank you so much for this incredible gift of your son who gave his body who was so broken so that we could be so whole locked-down could not keep love down his hands reached out the pierced hands became the presented hands that now lift us up and we thank you and we receive you again in Jesus name and as well as the body of Christ that was broken for us of course the blood of Jesus was poured out for us as well and we're gonna drink this juice for us it may be wine for you but we're gonna drink this now in remembrance of Jesus and his blood and as we do that I'm just going to read this scripture for you he did the same with the cup of wine after supper and said this cup seals the New Covenant with my blood drink it and whenever you drink this do it to remember me whenever you eat this bread and drink this cup you are retelling the story proclaiming our Lord's death until he comes [Music] so let's drink let's drink thank you Jesus [Music] I want you to take the hand of someone in your house right now okay if that's not too awkward for you and we hadn't planned to do this we haven't gone through this but I mean Alison just love you guys as a church and we love leading you and being part of the community and to be honest with you I'm finding it increasingly hard not to be with you guys and but we want to just join our hands and we want to say to you hey as you doing your hands together let's remember but even though we can't connect physically right now the outstretched Pierce presented hands of Jesus the praying hands of Jesus you know the reality is Jesus prays for us right now you know the Bible says that when Jesus died and was resurrected he he ascended to heaven and he sits at the right hand of the Father he's praying for us right now he's praying that our faith will not fail he's praying that we will stand strong he's praying that we will come through this situation stronger than we went into it and he's praying for us and so I want to preview and we just want to blink our hands together and we want to pray for you guys so much so would you do that if you're in your houses right now and you're with your family or whoever you were in that room with just linked hands and let's pray safer and you begin to pray for each other Jesus we thank you so much for hands Lord we've already thought about the hands of those people on the frontline those those that are stacking shelves that are delivering that they're working for the NHS that they don't have the option that many of us have to to stay safe in our homes they put their hands and they put their whole bodies on the line for us and God that speaks of sacrifice but Jesus tonight on Good Friday as we hold a hand right now we are reminded that there is someone who laid down his life not for his friends cuz we weren't his friends but even for his enemies and that person is Jesus that's why this is Good Friday and so Lord we pray that as we remember him as we remember him Jesus we thank you God we thank you that you gave your life so that we could have life Lord I want to pray for every single family we pray together Allison and I pray blessing upon you right now that you and your own would know the hand of God on your life in Jesus name and now Lord as we celebrate what you did on Good Friday we want to worship you our hearts are full they're challenged but they're full they're full of love and praise for you and so now Lord we want to sing we want to worship we want to thank you this is our God the God who prayed the God who was whose hands were pious the God who presented his hands the God who now prays for us at the right hand of the Father the God whose hand holds us no matter what we're going through who will never ever let us go this is our God and we worship you tonight in Jesus name we're gonna sing a final song to go and encourage you worship Jesus as we sing this song together [Music] we'll see your grace your grace is enough more than that you were we'll be ah for you Johnny the spirit I will fall and I were [Music] we see your presence your presence Jesus lied but [Music] you I am I [Music] by a spear I and [Music] I will and [Music] I [Applause] I will your feet and [Music] go so freely gave [Music] freely UK you know for us to render your life upon that Crazy's the put our food this is our guy let's eat on rather is gone [Music] rescue fish [Music] for free for [Music] [Music] for this rescue [Music] so good to connect with you and spent some time with you in your homes tonight you know we we're hoping and praying that you have an amazing Easter weekend it is the strangest Easter any of us have ever known but we really hope pray you have a great weekend yeah we do have a really lovely Easter weekend but remember stay safe the sun's out but don't let that take you out of your houses stay safe stay at home stave lives absolutely and you know on Sunday we'd love you to connect with us for our online Easter Sunday service 11:30 again at 4 o'clock there's a family event going out as well that you can access whenever you want and then in the evening at 7 o'clock we've got a throwback to our reckless love production from Easter 2018 guys have an amazing time we're gonna our online pastors will hang around for a little bit if you want to chat to anyone if you want to have prayer for anyone then that would be amazing guys have an amazing Easter weekend we love you guys and we hope that soon we're gonna be in the same room together but hey Jesus is with us and so let's look up let's look around and remember remember the next time you wash your hands remember whose hands you're really in god bless you everyone [Music] [Music] [Music] [Music] [Applause] [Music] [Applause] [Music] [Applause] [Music] [Applause] [Music] [Applause] [Music] [Applause] [Music] [Music] [Music] [Applause] [Music] [Applause] [Music] [Applause] [Music] [Music] [Music] [Music] [Music] [Applause] [Music] [Music] [Music] [Applause] [Music] Oh [Music] [Applause] [Music] [Music] [Music] [Applause] [Music] [Applause] [Music] [Applause] [Music] [Applause] [Music] [Applause] [Music] [Music] [Music] Oh [Music] Oh [Applause] [Music] [Music] [Music] [Applause] [Music] [Applause] [Music] [Applause] [Music] [Music] [Music] [Music] [Applause] [Music] [Applause] [Music] [Applause] [Music] [Applause] [Music] [Applause] [Music] [Applause] [Music] [Applause] [Music] [Applause] [Music] [Applause]

Channel: LifecentralChurchUK

Views: 794

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Id: yiGaCnjEa0c

Length: 81min 58sec (4918 seconds)

Published: Fri Apr 10 2020