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Additional Notes Scarborough Chinese Baptist Church __________________________________________________________ Lent 2013 Daily Devotional __________________________________________________________ for the sermon series __________________________________________________________ Seven Words from the Cross __________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________ “Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing.” (Luke 23:34) __________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________ Week 1: February 4-10 The following series of daily readings and questions has been designed by Pastor Tom Cullen to lead up to the sermon for the coming week. There are five daily studies for each week. Allow about 20 minutes a day to complete each daily devotional. Endnotes 1. Warren W. Wiersbe, The Cross of Jesus, (Grand Rapids, Michigan: Baker Books, 1997) 50. The weekly sermons can be listened too at scbc.com Each week’s daily devotional guide is also available online at scbc.com under the small group tab. Week 1 – Seven words from the Cross 2. Edward H. Stephens, Words from the Cross, (St. Lois, MO: Creative Communications for the Parish, 1996), 3. 3. John Phillips,, Exploring the Psalms (Volume two) (Neptune, New Jersey: Loizeaux Brothers,1988) 127-128. 4. Brennan Manning, Above All (Brentwood, TN: Integrity Publishers, 2003) 112-113. “Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing.” (Luke 23:34) 3. Is there someone in your life that you have refused to forgive As Christ as forgiven you? Why do you find it difficult to forgive? __________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________ Reflection and Prayer Charles Price tells of a time when he was at a prayer meeting he heard a man pray, “Lord thank you for not making us cups but for making us pipes.” Charles wondered about that, but he discovered that that is a great picture of the Christian life. We are meant to be pipes where the mercy of God flows out to others. We are not meant to be cups holding his love and grace in. Write out a prayer asking God to help you forgive those who have hurt you and wronged you. Picture the person sitting across from you and tell them that you forgive them. Allow God’s Spirit to fill you with the grace of Jesus Christ and imagine that grace washing over the person you imagine in front of you. Write out your prayer below. __________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________ Week 1 – Seven words from the Cross Scarborough Chinese Baptist Church Lent 2013 Sermon Series Devotional Guide Seven Words from the Cross A study of our Lord’s words from the cross The final words of a dying man can tell you a lot about a man’s heart and mind. For instance, Louis XIV, king of France, demonstrated his self- awareness when he said to those gathered around his death bed, “Why do you weep? Do you think that I was immortal?” Contrast his humility with the pride of the dying Roman Emperor, Vespasian, who said, “Woe is me. Me thinks I am turning into a god.” Certainly those words tell you a bit about his character. I’ve always been inspired by the last words of John Wesley, that great preacher to the common man, whose last words were, “The best of all is, God is with us.” And another great preacher, Charles Spurgeon said this just before he died, “Jesus died for me.” Truly, you can tell a great deal about a person from their last words. During this Lenten season we’ll be looking at Jesus’ last words from the cross. Of course, these are not Jesus’ final words since he rose again. Our Lord’s final recorded words are in the book of Revelation. But the gospels do give us his last words before he died on the cross. They are important words because he is the truth and speaks the truth. So we need to consider carefully every word that Jesus speaks for it is bread to our souls. But these words are not only important because Jesus spoke them but also because of where he spoke them. In the words of Warren Wiersbe, “While our Lord was doing his greatest work on earth, dying for the sins of the world, he uttered some of his greatest words. These seven last words from the cross are windows that enable us to look into eternity and see the heart of the Saviour and the heart of the gospel.”1 I pray that as we study and meditate on these seven statements we will deepen our love, devotion, and understating of our Lord Jesus Christ. We begin our study with our Lord’s words found in Luke 23:34, “Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing.” “Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing.” (Luke 23:34) This is a seven week series. Each of the daily readings and questions have been designed to prepare us to hear the preached word on Sunday morning. There are five studies for each week. Allow about 20 minutes a day to complete each one. The sermon themes and dates are listed below. The devotions will be available the week before each sermon. You will notice that we need to take a short break in the study for our AGM. May the words of our Lord pierce our souls and transform our lives as we meditate on them. Lent Sermon Schedule Seven Words from the Cross February 10 – “Father forgive them…” (Luke 23:34) exposed nerve when he thundered, “If the crucified Christ has washed you in his own blood and forgiven you all your sins, what right do you have not to forgive yourself?” Beware the evil one who prowls the earth seeking to undo what God has done in the passion and death of Jesus Christ! …. To escape our demons we seek comfort in our addictions: Alcohol or being right, workaholism or winning, ice cream, television, religion, cocaine, movies, marijuana, money, power, sex, gambling, compulsive reading, or simply having the last word. What is conspicuously missing is an unshaken trust in the merciful love of the crucified, redeeming Christ.”4 Pray: Lord, even as you have forgiven me for my sins and tell me there is no longer any condemnation for me – keep me from condemning myself for past sins. Amen. February 17 – AGM February 24 – “Today you will be with me…” (Luke 23:43) March 3 – “Dear woman, here is your son…” (John 19:26-27) Friday February 8 Forgiving others March 10 – “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?” (Matthew 27: 46) Pray: Dear Lord: May your grace be real to me today. Let your grace so permeate everything I say and do that I will be a gracious person to those around me. March 17 – “I am thirsty.” (John 19:28) Read: Ephesians 4:17-32 March 24 – “It is finished” (John 19:30) 1. How does this passage say that we are to forgive others? (verse 32) March 29 (Good Friday) – “Father into your hands I commit my spirit.” (Luke 23:46) _________________________________________________________ _________________________________________________________ 2. What then is the source of our power to forgive others? _________________________________________________________ _________________________________________________________ _________________________________________________________ Week 1 – Seven words from the Cross “Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing.” (Luke 23:34) 2. How have we been delivered from condemnation? (verse 2,3) ______________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________ 3. What was the result of God setting us free? (verse 4-8) ______________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________ Monday February 4 Setting the Scene Pray: Dear God, as I begin to think about Jesus’ death and the words he spoke open my ears that I may hear your voice; open my eyes that I may see Jesus dying for me; open my heart that I may be filled with your Spirit. Transform me so that I may truly live for you. Read: Luke 23:26-34 ______________________________________________________________ 1. Jesus is led outside the city in order to be crucified and as he goes a large number of people follow him. He turns to the many who are weeping and suggests that they stop weeping for him. Why does he say this? (verses 29-31) ______________________________________________________________ _________________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________________ ` _________________________________________________________ Reflection and Prayer _________________________________________________________ 4 What difference does it make to you knowing that there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus? Reflect on these words by Brennan Manning. Is he describing you? “The Christian with a poor self- image, deceived by Lucifer, is reluctant to take risks. In a classroom, Bible study, or an evening with friends, she never asks a question. If she stays silent, the group (she hopes) may assume she is a profound thinker. Rather than risk a negative evaluation – “What a stupid question!”- she feels that is safer to say nothing, wear an intelligent mask, and let the group suspect she is brilliant. Needless to say, she experiences great anxiety over her mistakes. Our tendency to berate ourselves for real or imagined failures, to belittle ourselves and savage our self-worth, to dwell exclusively on our dishonesty, self-centeredness, and lack of personal discipline is the hegemony of low self-esteem, spawned by Satan. 2. Luke describes the crucifixion very simply – “When they came to the place called the Skull, there they crucified him …” (v. 33) From what you know about the crucifixion describe the physical pain that Jesus is feeling. ______________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________ 3. Think of the emotional and psychological pain that Jesus must be feeling. What do you think it would feel like to be hung naked between two criminals? _______________________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________________ Where is the crucified Jesus who bore our infirmities and carried all our sins in this self-destructive situation? In his keynote address in Atlantic City, Francis MacNutt touched an Week 1 – Seven words from the Cross “Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing.” (Luke 23:34) 4. In the midst of his pain Jesus utters a prayer (verse 34). Who do you think he is praying for? What is he forgiving? ______________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________________ ` ______________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________ 5. What strikes you about his prayer? On this planet where those two infinite lines intersect: the vertical line and the horizontal line. The point is Calvary! We draw all our lines from the cross. The upright of the cross, driven like a stake into the ground, is where we begin our vertical line. We extend it up into infinity. The crossbar of the tree, flung wide as though to embrace the world, is where we begin our horizontal line into infinity. That is how the Lord measures His mercy – in terms of the cross.”3 Pray: Write out a prayer to God _______________________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________ ` Thursday February 7 __________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________ No Condemnation Pray: And can it be that I should gain, an interest in the Savior’s blood? Died he for me, who caused his pain? For me, who him to death pursued? Amazing love! How can it be that thou, my God shouldst die for me?” 6. When you think of your relationship with Jesus is there anything that you feel he needs to forgive in you? Read: Romans 8:1-8 __________________________________________________________ Focus: “…. there is no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus. __________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________ 1. What is the condition of those who are “in (union with) Christ Jesus?” (verse 1) _______________________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________________ (“Condemnation” is a legal term that refers to the punishment that is given after sentencing – penal servitude.) Week 1 – Seven words from the Cross “Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing.” (Luke 23:34) 2. Meditate on verses 11 and 12. How far is east from west? How far has God removed your sins? 7. Circle the words or phrases that best describe your feelings toward God’s forgiveness of your sin. __________________________________________________________ undeserved partial based on my goodness 3. Do you believe there is some sin that God has not forgiven in your life? What? Does that belief contradict this passage? complete a free gift limited by time selective for all based on the cross of Christ __________________________________________________________ free flowing for you for everyone else but not you __________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________ 8. Do you sometimes find it difficult to believe that God forgives you of sin? What keeps you from accepting his forgiveness? Reflection and Prayer _________________________________________________________ One of my favorite expositions of Psalm 103:11,12 comes from John Phillips: _________________________________________________________ “For as high as the heavens are above the earth, so great is his love for those who fear him.” That is the vertical measure. We take a point on this planet and we draw a line upward. We extend that line beyond the clouds, up beyond the remotest planet, up beyond the highest star. Up! That is the vertical measure. “As far as the east is from the west, so far has he removed our transgressions from us.” That is the horizontal measure. We take a point on this planet and we draw a line horizontally, but we must be careful. We must not draw the line from north to south because that would be a finite distance. Light travels from pole to pole fourteen times a second. The northsouth measure is finite, not so the east-west measure. If we travel north from a given point, sooner or later we will reach the north pole, a definite point; then we travel south to the south pole, another definite point. East and west are a different matter. We can start to travel east and there is no point, so long as we continue in that direction, at which we start to travel west; or we can start to travel west and, no matter how long we continue, there is no point at which we start to travel east. West is always west; east is always east. So we take a point on earth and draw a line vertically into infinity. We also draw a line horizontally into infinity – “so far has he removed our transgressions from us.” There is a point Week 1 – Seven words from the Cross _________________________________________________________ Reflection and Prayer This is an amazing event. Jesus is being rejected, ridiculed, shamed and tortured and yet he utters a prayer of forgiveness. Truly he is a great God. Review your answer to # 6. Ask God to forgive you of the sins you listed – then write out a prayer of thanksgiving for his forgiveness. Know that he has paid the price for your sin and if you confess (that means to call your sin, “sin”) your sin he is “faithful and just and will forgive your sins and purify you from all unrighteousness.” (I John 1:9) _________________________________________________________ _________________________________________________________ _________________________________________________________ _________________________________________________________ _________________________________________________________ _________________________________________________________ “Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing.” (Luke 23:34) Reflection and Prayer Tuesday February 5 Accepting Christ’s forgiveness Pray: Dear God, help me to see the wonder of the cross today. May I know something of the pain that you went through because of my sin. May I experience the joy of the truth that you bore my sins in your body on the tree. Enable me to realize that I am dead to sin and can live for righteousness through faith in Jesus. Today’s Scripture falls in the context of a larger passage that speaks of living for Jesus in every circumstance, especially in difficult, unjust circumstances. Read: I Peter 2:18-25 1. For whom did “Christ suffer” on the cross? (verse 21) If you were to watch any Hollywood action movie today you would probably discover a hero moved by one motivation – revenge. Everyone seems to want revenge. Have you considered what would happen to the world and yourself if God was motivated by revenge? Thankfully that’s not how God operates. “Jesus’ first word from the cross is God’s last word for sinners: forgiveness. That forgiveness doesn’t come cheaply, yet when Christ reappears at Easter, forgiveness is a fact. We can count on it, live on it…” 2 even practice it. Pray: Dear God, I know it was because of me that you suffered and died. Thank you for bearing the pain, the shame and death of my sin. Thank you for not seeking revenge against me – but instead forgiving me and enabling me to live for righteousness. Amen. __________________________________________________________ 2. What does verse 23 say the crowd did at Jesus’ crucifixion? __________________________________________________________ 3. In what two ways did Jesus respond? (verse 23) What do you think of his response? __________________________________________________________ Wednesday February 6 As far as east is from west Pray: “Create in me a pure heart, O God, and renew a steadfast spirit within me. Do not cast me from your presence or take your Holy Spirit from me. Restore to me the joy of your salvation and grant me a willing spirit, to sustain me.” (Psalm 51;10-12) __________________________________________________________ Read: Psalm 103 __________________________________________________________ Focus: “…as far as the east is from the west, so far has he removed our transgressions from us.” 4. What did Jesus “bear” on the cross? What was the result? (verse 24) __________________________________________________________ 1. On a separate piece of paper list all the spiritual blessings mentioned in this Psalm that are yours through faith. Highlight the ones that you enjoy. Highlight the ones that seem foreign to your experience. __________________________________________________________ _________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________ _________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________ _________________________________________________________ Week 1 – Seven words from the Cross “Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing.” (Luke 23:34)