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THEME: WHAT IS GOOD IN GOOD FRIDAY It was Friday, a dark and terrible day. The soldiers stripped him and twisted a crown of thorns on his head. They whipped him, spat on him, and stuck him on the head with his staff. They mocked him and led him away to be crucified. On the cross, the crowds continued to shout insults at Jesus. And from noon to three in the afternoon, even the sun seemed to hide its face from this terrible sight, and there was darkness over the land. Bearing the sins of the world, alone with this burden, Jesus called out to his Father, *My God, why have you abandoned me?* I do not want to imagine the shame and insults that were inflicted on this man of love. I cannot begin to imagine the physical pain as nails were hammered into the flesh of his hands and feet; and the agony as the weight of his body tore at these wounds. And for those six dark hours, the life of Jesus drained away from him. Above all, crucifixion was a death of suffocation; with the weight of his body hanging from his outstretched arms, each breath required Jesus to pull himself up to fill his lungs - every breath an effort, until his strength failed and his breathing ended. In what possible way can we call this Good Friday? There is no question that the day of Jesus' death was the darkest of days of all history, as sinful man crucified God's son. Yet mixed with the terrible events of this day comes such a triumph of love and hope, that in the end, the goodness of God overwhelms the darkness of man; and so I am convinced that this Friday is a good day. To understand why I find this goodness - even in the death of Jesus - I begin by isteningâ€¦listening to the words of Jesus. In the four gospels, there are seven sayings that Jesus spoke from the cross. We do not have the time to look at all of them now, but permit me to focus on a few of them. 1. Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they do. It seems strange that Jesus should say that they did not know what they did. The chief priests and Pharisees who accused Jesus, the Jews who cried out for his cried out for his crucifixion, the Romans who were such experienced agents of cruel death--these people all knew what they were doing. I suppose that even Peter and the apostles knew what they did--by their denials, by their silence. But what the Jews and Romans did not know, and what the followers of Jesus were only beginning to understand, was not what they were doing, but to whom they were doing it. Jesus was not merely a religious leader, a teacher, or a miracle worker. He was the Son of God, and they were only now beginning to understand. Forgiveness is what Jesus came to offer us all. In his ministry, Jesus called for us to forgive one another - not seven times, but seven times seventy, The night before, when Jesus met for his last supper, he gave us the gift of communion, offering a new covenant in his blood, shed for all people, for the forgiveness of sins. And here on the cross, this purpose is made final: forgiveness. And not only does Christ desire to wash away the guilt of our sin, but he desires to replace it with his perfect righteousness. 2. Today you will be with me in paradise. It was part of the plan of humiliation that Jesus was crucified between two known criminals. It was deliberately staged to further shame Jesus by ranking him with criminals and losers. But the Lord of salvation was not to be limited by this association with sinners, for it was sinners that he came to save. Of the two men who died with Jesus, one had wasted his life as a criminal, and he now prepared to die by shouting his rage at the world and Jesus. The other had also wasted his life, but even in these last hours on the cross, he repented and saw Jesus as the Savior who he was; and he called to him, Remember me when you come into your kingdom. And Jesus promised him, *Today you will be with me in Paradise.* Certainly Jesus reminds us that it is never too late to turn to Christ. There are many things of which we will say It is too lateâ€¦I am too oldâ€¦The time is past. But we can never say that of turning to Christ. So long as one's heart beats, the invitation still stands: the invitation to turn and repent, believe and follow. And then comes the reply of Jesus: Today you will be with me in Paradise. 3. Woman, here is your son. Here is your mother. Dying, bleeding, anguishing, and still loving. That was the heart of Jesus on the cross. One who had every right to be preoccupied with his own misery and suffering; one who had to fight for every breath and every word; one who still looked down and saw his mother and his disciple John and loved enough to entrust them to one another's care. Even in this cosmic struggle with death and sin, he did not forget the people and human needs around him. Even on the cross, he thought more of the sorrows of others than his own. It is finished. Even as his life came to an end, Jesus knew that this day was good, for he had won the victory. The first three gospels tell that Jesus cried out with a loud voice, and John fills in the words: It is finished. This is not a gasping whimper of defeat. Not the feeble surrender of a broken man.. From somewhere deep within, Jesus found the strength to gather all his breath and cry out from the cross a shout of victory, the final exclamation that the work of salvation is done, completed. And to say even more, the same Greek word for finished is also the same word which means paid, paid in full. No more sacrifices, no more penalty, no more guilt. The price of our sin has been paid in full on the cross, paid for all time; and the Lord in his anguish knew the triumph of having accomplished and finished our salvation. Father, into your hands I commit my Spirit. Having accomplished his work of salvation, the Bible tells us that Jesus lay down his head - the same words as he recline in peace on a pillow. Now he died with a prayer on his lips. From the days of King David, Psalm 31 was well known to every Jewish child. 1 In you, O LORD, I have taken refuge; let me never be put to shame; deliver me in your righteousness. 2 Turn your ear to me, come quickly to my rescue; be my rock of refuge, a strong fortress to save me. 3 Since you are my rock and my fortress, for the sake of your name lead and guide me. 4 Free me from the trap that is set for me, for you are my refuge. 5 Into your hands I commit my spirit; redeem me, O LORD, the God of truth. As our children might pray before they sleep, so Jewish children were taught to pray *Into your hands, I commit my spirit.* A prayer of confidence, a prayer of peace. A prayer of reliant trust that God would carry them through the darkness of the night to the rising of a new day. And so Jesus last words before he surrendered his life were the words of a child's trusting prayer. His work was done. Now he offered this quiet commendation, giving his soul to the care of a loving Father, trusting that the night of death would not be long, and that he would soon rise to a new day, a new life, a resurrection. The testimony of the words of Jesus is a message of grace - forgiveness for sinners, mercy to all who repent and believe, even mercy toward those who caused and implemented Jesus' death. It is a message of love - love for his mother and followers, love that embraces each of us. It is an affirmation of God's victory of salvation; this is finished and offered to all people, completed on the cross. And it is a message of confidence - confidence that death would not be the end, confidence that God remains in control, confidence that this dark time would be overcome by the victory of the salvation of God. These words bring joy to my heart as the love of God is spoken so clearly, so beautifully; and this incarnate love convinces me that this a good day, a wonderful day, and its blessings will last for all times. Yet another reason for seeing the goodness of this day comes as we are able to observe the events that surrounded the crucifixion of Jesus. In Mark's gospel, chapter 15, we hear this testimony: 37 With a loud cry, Jesus breathed his last. 38 The curtain of the temple was torn in two from top to bottom. 39 And when the centurion, who stood there in front of Jesus, heard his cry and saw how he died, he said, 'Surely this man was the Son of God!â€ The temple of Jerusalem was constructed in different sections, but the place where God was considered to live was called the Holy of Holies. This is where the Ark of the Covenant was seated; and the people of Israel were not permitted access to this holy place. Only the high priest, and then only one time each year, was permitted to enter into this place of the presence of God. So great was the fear of God that when the High Priest entered the Holy of Holies on the Day of Atonement, a rope would be tied to his ankle, so that if God should strike him down, they could pull him from that place. A great tapestry or curtain separated this holy place of God from the rest of the temple. This curtain visually and symbolically separated God's presence from the lives of men. And so it is no small detail that when Jesus died, that this curtain was torn in two from top to bottom. Dramatic language to testify that that barrier that had separated God from man and man from God, was in Jesus' death completely and forever destroyed. No more was God hidden from man. The doors of faith were opened wide so that because of Jesus' death, we would forever more have full and complete access to the presence of God, to his power, to his promises. They were no longer hidden, but open to all. In worship, our prayers we do not need to wonder if our prayers are heard through the curtain; we are heard directly by God. In our troubles, we are able to look up and know the presence of God and call upon him. And so we are able to share our good times and our troubles - not with a God who is far off and separated, but with a God who is present and involved in all the details of our lives. The promise of the birth of Jesus - Emmanuel, God with us - was completed in his death. What a privilege to be able to come into the presence of God. What a comfort to know that when we bow our heads and pray for forgiveness, that God is at hand to hear and bless us with his mercy. What a joy to know that when we celebrate health and family and salvation and goodness, that God is smiling with us. What an encouragement to know that when we are lost, or hurting, or in need and we cry out, that God is an ever-present helper. The Psalmist writes: 28 Then they cried out to the LORD in their trouble, and he brought them out of their distress. 29 He stilled the storm to a whisper; the waves of the sea were hushed. 30 They were glad when it grew calm, and he guided them to their desired haven. 31 Let them give thanks to the LORD for his unfailing love and his wonderful deeds for men. 32 Let them exalt him in the assembly of the people and praise him in the council of the elders. Forever, in his death, Jesus makes God accessible to man. With praise on our lips, we give thanks and understand that this Friday is a very good day. In the death of Jesus, and soon in his resurrection, God gave to his children the victory of salvation that will never be overcome. Despite the darkness of the sky, despite the appearance that the forces of sin and darkness seem, for the moment, to have won the battle; the victory is God's. And so the victory is ours. And that is why I proclaim that this is a very, very good day. St. Paul expressed the means of this victory in Romans 6:1-5 1 What shall we say, then? Shall we go on sinning so that grace may increase? 2 By no means! We died to sin; how can we live in it any longer? 3 Or don't you know that all of us who were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death? 4 We were therefore buried with him through baptism into death in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, we too may live a new life. 5 If we have been united with him like this in his death, we will certainly also be united with him in his resurrection. The death and resurrection of Jesus. Out of all his life, it is these three days - beginning with his death on the cross and completed in his resurrection on Easter - that are lifted up as the climax of Christ's ministry. Even more, these events of death and resurrection are lifted out of history to become the eternal, united event of salvation that brought hope to the apostles and early church nearly 2000 years ago. And this death-resurrection event continues to create and empower hope and salvation for Christians in Cameroon and all around the world today. How can three days nearly 20 centuries ago make a difference in our life or our salvation today? I believe St. Paul answers this question in these opening verses of chapter 6 as he makes two critical declarations. First he says that we have been baptized into Christ's death so that we may also live a new life; and then, if we have been united in the death of Christ, certainly we will be united in his resurrection. He is declaring for all time that there is power in the event of the cross, and there is power in the event of the resurrection; and even more than that, we are drawn in to participate in the power of these events. It is possible that all of you have seen the Cameroon Indomitable Lions play a football match. But in that event, there is an automatic difficulty, since there are 22 players down on the field who are in desperate need of rest, and there are thousands and thousands of spectators in the stadium who are well rested and many in real need of exercise. But Paul tells us that when we come to the cross, there are no spectators, no one who is permitted to watch and observe without becoming a part of the event of salvation. You will either be drawn to the cross as a participant and allow Christ to transform your life, or you will reject it and depart lost and sinful and hopeless as you came. And so what does it mean that we are baptized into Christ's death, that we are united in his death and resurrection? Think of the most beautiful possession that you have in your house. If you were to show me a beautiful china plate, or a delicate crystal vase, or a porcelain figure, you would be showing me one of your beautiful treasures. But if in showing me this treasure, it slipped from your hands and fell to the ground and broke, how could it be repaired? Perhaps you could tie it together with string or apply pieces of scotch to hold it together, or join its pieces with small strips of rubber from tires; but these would not be satisfying. Perhaps you could glue it together again; but each time you looked, you would still see where the glue held the broken pieces together. You might be able to restore its function, but you probably have no way of restoring its beauty. There is only one way that it can be made perfect again, and that is to make it anew. This is what God offers to us through the cross. When we come in repentance and lay our sins at the foot of the cross, Jesus does not offer to cover up our brokenness. He does not offer to cement our broken pieces and broken promises and broken hearts back together, not even with the strongest of cement. He does not offer to apply paint to cover our sins, because the ugliness would still be there beneath the surface. What Jesus does offer is that we can be united in his death, so that our sin will fully die and be buried; but in this comes the promise that we shall rise with him, like on Easter. But when we rise, we do so perfect again. Recreated, not repaired. Pure, righteous, good--just the way God intends. In the cross, Jesus takes away all our sin, and then he gives us new life, and along with it he gives us his own righteousness. And when Paul says that we are united with Christ in his death, and united with him in his resurrection, he is not inviting us to observe these events, but to become a part of them. To give to Jesus all our sins that this life might die its death, and allow him to give to us a new life, a good life. But if this sounds to risky for your comfort, then please understand the strength of Paul's language. The same word that he uses when he says that we are <> to Christ's death and life is the word that is used when a bone is broken and heals together again; if that bone is properly set and healed, it is as joined together with the strength that will last a lifetime. And it is God who does the healing. And so it is not that through the cross and through Easter, that we need to cling to God and hold onto Him; because I am afraid that I might let go. But it is God who with His almighty arms is holding onto us, embracing us, so that we will complete this journey - letting our sins die, so that we can rise to a new life in Christ. Redeemed, right, pure, and perfect. Rising to rejoice in God's love and mercy. And so while we are tempted to look at this day and see the darkness, and while it might seem as if evil has won, God has given us every reason to lift up our eyes of faith and see the good and the wonder of love and the victory that shine through. It is true that Christ has died; but in this, he gives us an eternal gift of love. So please do not turn away from the ugliness of the cross. But gaze upon it in faith, be drawn into it with confidence, and come celebrate the life that Christ offers to you. For in this journey from death to life, he will not let you go. We were therefore buried with him through baptism into death in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, we too may live a new life. If we have been united with him like this in his death, we will certainly also be united with him in his resurrection. This is a very good day.


	WHY WE DO NOT EXPERIENCE TRUE AND LASTING JOY. WHY WE DO NOT EXPERIENCE TRUE AND LASTING JOY. IT IS BECAUSE WE HAVE GOT IT ALL WRONG! SERMON DELIVERED AT THE CHURCH OF PATMOS, YAOUNDE, CAMEROON IN JULY 2002. PREACHER: REV. PROF. MICHAEL BAME BAME The seventy-two men came back in great joy. LORD they said, even the demons obeyed us when we gave them an order in Your name! Jesus answered them, I saw Satan fall like lightning from heaven. Listen! I have given you authority, so that you can walk on snakes and scorpions and overcome all the power of the Enemy, and nothing will hurt you. But donâ€™t be glad because the evil spirits obey you; rather be glad because your names are written in heaven..(Luke 10:17-20). Christians ought to be the most joyful people on earth. But surprisingly, they often are not. Some of the most dejected and depressed people I have come across are Christians, many of whom consider themselves to be born again. How can this be, someone may ask? The answer is short and simply. It is because most Christians who are seeking to experience Christâ€™s joy in their lives have got it all wrong. They have got it all wrong because they have been seeking for joy precisely where Christ has asked them not to. In the verses preceding the passage we have quoted above from the Gospel of Luke, we read hat Jesus, having called seventy-two of his disciples, sent them to go ahead of Him and proclaim the kingdom of God in every town He was going to visit. So they went two by two proclaiming the Kingdom of God with power. What a tremendous experience it was, and how it filled them with great joy. Never had they experienced such a manifestation of Godâ€™s power. As they preached, they confronted the demons that were opposing the coming of the Kingdom of God on earth. They commanded them in the name of Jesus, and every demon obeyed their command. They saw the kingdom of Satan tremble to its very foundation and his agents flee as they called out the Name of Jesus. They were excited and overwhelmed with joy. The bible says, they â€˜came back in great joyâ€™. Who could refrain from rejoicing after such an experience? There was nothing sinful in joy that came from seeing demons bowing and fleeing in honour of the name of Jesus. Can you imagine Christians in this country looking on in complete indifference as rosicrucians, freemasons, magicians, sorcerers bring their books and occult objects to be burned during a crusade and give their lives to Christ? Should not there be great rejoicing in the churches in this land if that were to happen? Rather, it would be shocking if Christians didnâ€™t come out rejoicing and shouting, Praise Jesus, the King of kings; praise Jesus, the Lord of lords. He has conquered Satan in Cameroon. Praise the Lord Jesus. Amen. It must, therefore, have shocked the disciples when Jesus said to them, Listen! I Satan has fallen from heaven. I have given you power so that you can walk on all his works, and nothing will harm you. But do not rejoice that his demons obey you. Rather, be joyful because I have written your names in heaven. There is only one thing that should give a Christian joy â€” and any other thing that is connected to it. This one thing is the knowledge that his or her name is written in heaven. Only this one thing can give true joy. For the joy that comes from knowing that our names are written in heaven, is joy that last for all eternity; and true joy is joy that lasts for all eternity. What is joy? Joy is not laughter or a smile; for we can laugh and smile without having joy in our hearts. We can make ourselves laugh and smile or be made to laugh and smile by others; but we cannot make ourselves joyful, neither can someone else make us joyful. Joy is something that is given to us from within. It is a feeling of well-being, an overwhelming certainty, that all is well with us. We can experience this feeling and certainty in the absence of outer or inner peace. The hymn we often sing in times of sorrow, When peace like a river attendeth my way, comes close to expressing what joy is. It explains more clearly than any other hymn I know why Christ tells his disciples that we can have joy only when we know that our names are written in heaven; and that it is in vain that we seek it elsewhere. Every verse of this hymn has some bearing on our theme, and so I am quoting it in its entirety: When peace like a river attendeth my way, When sorrows, like sea billows roll, Whatever my lot, Thou has taught me to know, It is well, it is well with my soul. It is wellâ€¦. with my soul It is well, it is well with my soul. Though Satan should buffet, though trials should come, Let this bless assurance control, That Christ has regarded my helpless estate And has shed His own blood for my soul. My sin â€” oh, the bliss of this glorious thought! My sin â€” not in part, but the whole, Is nailed to the cross, and I bear it no more; Praise the Lord, praise the Lord, O my soul! For me, be it Christ, be it Christ hence to live! If Jordan above me should roll, No pang shall be mine, for in death as in life Thou wilt whisper Thy peace to my soul. But, Lord, it is for Thee, for thy coming, we wait; The sky, not the grave, is our goal: Oh, trump of the Angel! oh, voice of the Lord! Blessed hope! Blessed rest of my soul. Only those who have the blessed hope of eternal life and eternal rest from their labours have the joy of Christ in them. They alone have the certainty that all is well with them both in time and in eternity, both here on earth and in heaven. Such persons may truly sing, It is well, it is well with my soul. For it is truly well with their souls. You might still remember a question I asked in sermon I preached not too long ago: Is your name written in heaven? After that sermon, one of our members, whom I know has had an encounter with the Holy Spirit and is truly born again, came to see me. She told me that her mind has been troubled ever since I asked the question, whether we know that are names are written in heaven. She then said, Pastor, I do not want to assume that my name is written in heaven. I want to know whether my name is written in heaven. Pastor, tell me, how can I know that my name is written in heaven? Dear Christian brother and sister, do you know whether your name is written in heaven, or do you merely assume that it is written in heaven simply because the Bible says that those who believe in Christ have their names written in heaven? I once saw a poor man come to Church in Bastos for a revival service. He was ill; he had a swollen leg. He could not afford drugs to treat himself because he had no means of earning a living. His wife and two children were also ill. He came that afternoon hoping that God might heal him and, if possible, his wife and children. In the course of the service, the Holy Spirit came upon him. And He felt the burning and sanctifying presence of the Holy Spirit in his heart. Suddenly, he felt the weight of his sins being lifted from him; and he knew that his sins had all been forgiven. Joy came into his heart and he began jumping and praising the Lord, though his leg had not been healed. He went home in the same physical condition as he came but there was such joy in his heart, because he knew that his name was written in heaven. This man got it right and ever since he has been spreading the joy of salvation wherever he goes. If we follow teaching of the Lord about joy, true joy will be ours everyday of our lives, no matter our circumstances. The joy that comes from the knowledge and certainty that we are citizens of heaven is joy that never cloys and last for eternity. If you have this joy, then you have got it all right.
CHRISTIANITY,TURNED UPSIDE DOWN IN A WORLD TURNED UPSIDE DOWN. Sermon Delivered at the Church of Patmos on the theme:CHRISTIANITY,TURNED UPSIDE DOWN IN A WORLD TURNED UPSIDE DOWN. Date: Sunday July 2002 Place: Church of Patmos, MECC, Yaounde, Cameroon. Preacher: Rev. Prof. Michael Bame Bame. The world in which we live is turned upside down. It is a world where people walk with their hands, their heads are down and their feet up in the air. It is a world where criminals make the laws and people of good character are treated as criminals. It is a world where people laugh when they should be crying and cry when they should be laughing. It is a world where blind people guide those who see and show them the way they should follow. The world was turned upside down in the Garden of Eden, when Satan told Eve that God was a liar and Eve believed Satan. A world where God is a liar and Satan tells the truth is a world turned upside down The world was turned upside down when Cain murdered his only brother out of jealousy and told God that he was not the keeper of his brother. The world was turned upside down the day the Israelites denied God who through great miracles freed them from slavery in Egypt. They obliged Aaron to make them a god to lead them. He molded a gold bull, pointed to it and said: Israel, this is your god, who led us out of Egypt! The people offered sacrifices to the gold bull and dance around it. That day, at mount Sinai the world was totally turned upside down. Human beings endowed with reason, molded a gold bull and called it their god. It is unthinkable. But in a world turned upside down everything is possible: In a world turned upside down those who believe that God is all-powerful wear magic rings and amulets to protect themselves, children go to bed with their parents; people with university degrees, who ride in the most expensive cars and live in luxurious homes go to bed with animals; homosexuals and lesbians are ordained to the pastoral ministry, and human beings eat the flesh of other human beings. This is the world in which we live. It is a world where what is normal has become abnormal and what is abnormal normal. In this world that is turned upside down, the Christian faith has also been turned upside down. What is normal in the Christian life has become strange and abnormal; and what is strange and abnormal has become familiar and normal. From what we read in the New Testament about the life of the Apostles and the early Christians, the normal Christian life should be one in which the Holy Spirit is in control and directs the Christian; not one in which the Christian is in control and directs himself or herself. The normal Christian life should be one in which Christians hear the Holy Spirit speaking daily to them, giving them guidance on the minutest matters, and pouring out untold blessings of God on them. The normal Christian life should be one in which a Christian can say with buoyant certainty: when I was praying, the Holy Spirit said to me. This is the normal Christian life. That is the way it was with the Apostles and the first Christians, as we read in the Book of Acts and in the writings of the leaders who succeeded the Apostles. But that is not the way we think about and live the Christian life today for Christianity has been turned upside down in the world in which we live. The normal Christian life has become strange and abnormal. Today, Christians who say the Holy Spirit speaks to them, are considered strange and abnormal, surprisingly, by other fellow Christians, and quite often are looked upon as suffering from some mental disorder; whereas Christians in whom the Holy Spirit is not manifesting any of His gifts, and who have never claimed that the Holy Spirit spoke to them are considered as living a healthy, mature and normal Christian life. From what we read in the Book of Acts, the Apostles and the early Christians lived with the Holy Spirit and the Holy Spirit lived with them. He was a divine Person, and He revealed His presence to them through His gifts. They could hear Him speak to them. When for example the Christians in the Church of Antioch were praying the Holy Spirit spoke them in a voice they could hear. He said, Set apart Barnabas and Paul to do the work for which I have called them. When our Lord Jesus Christ was about to leave His disciples He said to them: I am not leaving you alone. I am going to ask the Father, and He will send you another Helper. He is the Spirit who reveals the truth about God. When He comes, He will not speak on His own authority; He will speak of what He hears and will tell you of things to come. (John 14:15-17 & 16:13) Since Christianity has been turned upside down, Christians, who do not experience the presence of the Holy Spirit, hardly bother to ask themselves whether they are living normal Christian lives. They feel more comfortable in the presence of Rosicrucians and Freemasons, sorcerers, native doctors, and atheists, than in the presence of Christians who have been baptized with the Holy Spirit. They feel comfortable where the spirit of Satan is at work; and are restless and overcome with fear where the Spirit of Christ is at work. And though they dread the presence and manifestations of the Holy Spirit, some of them boldly claim that they have the Holy Spirit living in them. The world has indeed been turned upside down; and Christianity has also been turned upside down How was normal Christian worship like in the early Church? We have some information on how the Apostles and early Christians worshipped. Listen to the instructions Paul gives in 1 Cor. 14:26ff. concerning normal Christian worship. He says, This is what I mean, my brethren, when you gather for worship, one person has a hymn, another a teaching, another, a revelation from God, another a message in tongues, and still another an interpretation of what is said. Everything should be done in order. If some one is going to speak in tongues, two or three at the most should speak, one after the other, and someone else must explain what is being said. But if no one is there who can explain, then the one who speaks in strange tongues must be quiet and speak only to himself and to God. Let two or three prophets speak, and let the others judge what is said. If a revelation is made to another sitting by, let the first be