Crucified With Christ — Edgar Reich

Be seated and it's such a privilege and honor to be with you and first of all I honor my lord and savior Jesus Christ. He's the one who made it possible for me to be here today and we give all glory to him.

But scripture also says give honor where honor is due and so we give honor to your absent pastor George Bandera and to his dear wife. And we give honor to the worship leader Pastor Dexter and we thank the Sullivan family for worship.

And we're so delighted to visit you the Midvale Gospel Church family and it's wonderful to be with you. I did pray for you beforehand if you don't mind because scripture says if I do anything without love it's worthless and so there's no use in me coming to speak to anyone unless I love you.

And by this the world shall know that we are his disciples. By the way we love one another and so it's such a privilege to be here with you tonight and to share. Pastor Dexter has said a few things about me that I didn't expect.

I actually came to talk. I have an Easter message and here he mentioned some of my past and you know what actually happened to me. I'll share my conversion story of what God did why I am a Christian now and then I will go on to the seven words of Christ from the cross as the Easter message.

And perhaps some other day we'll share the whole testimony with you. But for tonight God is an incredible God and he still speaks in signs visions and dreams. I was in business. I was a great sinner. I had left my family I had left my girls I had left my wife.

Conversion Through Vision, Repentance, and Obedience

And I woke up one morning on a Saturday morning around 7 a .m I was half awake half asleep and all of a sudden I was in a vision in a grave six feet down. I was lying flat on my back in the grave it was neatly cut out on all four sides.

There was a tree above the grave the grave a late afternoon sun it was cold and I said what am I doing here in this grave. I gotta get out and so I tried to sit up and I could not sit up. And then I said why can I not sit up.

And I looked at myself and here I was found with all of my sins from my life right from up here down to my feet and I could not move and so I started to call for help. I couldn't call very loudly because the sins were heavy on my chest and I couldn't move and I wanted to get out so desperately but I couldn't and no one came.

And then after a while I realized that my calling for help just to anyone would not do it that there was a person whom God had sent by the name of Jesus Christ and I had known about him through church and so I started to call on the name of Jesus Christ.

I called Jesus come and save me. Jesus come and save me. And as I was calling him the sides of my body started to turn white the flesh started to fall off. There were worms coming from the earth starting to feed on me and I realized at that moment that I would go to hell forever and ever and ever if I died that moment.

And I continued to cry for the Lord Jesus Christ. And after a while a person appeared on the bottom of the grave and I believe it was the Lord Jesus Christ. He bent into the grave he put his hand around my neck and helped me to sit up as I sat up all of my sins snapped off my body as if they were threads.

And that moment I woke up and I had fallen out of bed. I was next to my bed and I knelt next to my bed and I asked Christ for forgiveness. I repented of my sins and I asked him to come into my life as my Lord and Savior.

And from that day on there have been incredible miracles after miracle how God has restored me restored my relationship with my two daughters. They have forgiven me my wife has forgiven me but she had gotten remarried in the meantime and so I had a relationship that was not right before the Lord and the Lord said that I needed to cancel it and I didn't want to cause more hurt than I had caused already because the second person had expectations and would be hurting much but the Lord said no you've got to.

Then I got cancer on my face and brother Steve reminded me as his name was mentioned with cancer. I got cancer on my face and as I sat in a service the Lord said because you acknowledge me I have healed you.

And I went back home but the cancer was still on my face and I couldn't understand why. And then it took three or four days that I realized that the last step of obedience that I was working on which was to give up that relationship I had not done.

So I called that person up and I'm sorry I feel very very badly because I have caused much much pain in my life and why God would be merciful to me. I really don't know but he's so kind and so good. And so I terminated that second relationship.

And then the next morning I was washing at home and in my wash basin there was a little black animal and it was glistening and seemed to be moving. I said where did this come from. And I couldn't understand what it was.

It seemed to move like jelly. And then I looked in the mirror and the cancer had fallen off my face. I was scheduled for an operation. A doctor had analyzed that it was cancer and so God then fulfilled his promise.

That's part of my testimony beloved and the rest. God willing someday if pastor George Bambara feels like it I'd be honored to give you the whole testimony. But let us turn to the word of God. For tonight because it is Easter and today is a solemn day a serious day a day when the Lord Jesus Christ was crucified for us that we might live.

Crucified With Christ and the Seven Words From the Cross

And so there are seven words of Christ from the cross. But I would like to start with Galatians chapter 2 verse 20. I have been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live but Christ lives in me and the life which I now live in the flesh.

I live by the faith of the son of God who loved me and gave himself for me. Please come back with me to the land of Israel almost 2 ,000 years ago it is 9 a .m. on a Friday morning three people are being crucified.

Two thieves and a person who will have a sign above his head on the cross saying this is the king of the Jews. And then we hear the noise. A big hammer drives nails through flesh into the wood of the cross.

The soldiers are laughing and gambling over a piece of cloth. People call to Jesus Christ. Are you really the son of God. Come down from that cross. If you can save yourself. The sound of the hammer comes again.

The feet of the son of God are held by soldiers and a nail is driven through both feet. The pain elevates the trickling blood from his thorn crowned head mixes with blood from his body. And now blood trickling from his hands and his feet.

He was oppressed and afflicted yet he opened not his mouth. He was led as a lamb to the slaughter and as a sheep before his shearers is silent. He opened not his mouth. The three crosses are lifted up with the three men and the crosses fall into holes in the ground.

The iron nails tear the flesh and agony increases. Crucifixion is a slow death by torture. The injuries by the nails are generally insufficient to cause enough injury with loss of blood to put a person to death.

Death occurs through asphyxiation when your body can no longer take in the air. And when the end of the day approaches before the Passover of the Jews they could not perform work on a Friday night after the sun went down.

Then your legs would be broken so that you can no longer use them to get air to breathe. Jesus Christ is in extreme pain. He's being tortured to death. Yet instead of thinking of himself and complaining or thinking of revenge he thinks of those that are hurting him and that are torturing him.

Forgiveness From the Cross

What kind of example is that he thinks of their destiny in hell forever and ever. He speaks his first word from the cross. And the first word from the cross is found in Luke chapter 23 verse 34. Luke 23 34.

Then Jesus said father forgive them for they do not know what they do. And this forgiveness was not only for the man at the cross who crucified him but it was forgiveness for all of mankind. For you and for me.

And what an incredible thought this is that a man who's being tortured to death should forgive. So the first word of Christ stands for forgiveness. Beloved. Are you truly crucified with Christ. Do you say you're crucified with Christ.

You believe you're crucified with Christ. May I ask you a few questions. Have you forgiven those that hurt you. May I ask you for a moment uh to to uh look at people that perhaps you work with. Is there someone that gets on your nerves.

Can you be honest about that with me. Thank you for your kindness. Thank you. And uh is there someone in your family that you cannot stand. Is there someone that you cannot deal with. Is there someone that has the kind of attitude and behavior that just drives you wild and you cannot help yourself.

And is there someone in church who has hurt you. Is there someone who has said something behind your back. Is there someone who has said uh you know that. So and so I don't like their clothing. I don't like the way they talk.

I don't like the way they walk. And they have put you down. Perhaps you're sitting on the left and they're sitting on the right or vice versa. Perhaps you keep some distance. You see I was a man who left his wife and daughters at the age of 11 and 13.

They forgave and they prayed for 18 years for me. That's why I'm standing here. So don't give up praying. There's hope. Amen amen. And uh perhaps there are those that have never talked with a family member or a church member for many years.

Two sisters were talking. The oldest sister said to the youngest sister will you babysit for me tomorrow night. The youngest sister said yes. But you got to be home by 12 midnight. I have to write exams the day.

And please be considerate. So she came to babysit. Her oldest sister went with her husband to party at 12 o 'clock. No sister. One o 'clock no sister. Two o 'clock no sister. At three o 'clock the oldest sister comes home all jovial and laughing with her husband.

They had a wonderful time at the very moment as they walk into the house the baby starts screaming and hollering. And the oldest sister walks into the house and thinks the youngest sister has not taken care of the baby.

And the oldest sister things that. And the youngest sister things that. The oldest sister has no love or concern for her. They walk by each other and left each other and didn't talk for 30 years. Is that you or are you crucified with christ.

You see matthew 6 14 and 15 says if you forgive he will forgive you. If you don't forgive neither will god forgive you. And so i'm i'm asking you today. Will you repent today of not forgiving. Will you ask god to help you.

Will you perhaps go back to that person that you cannot stand and that you're not speaking with and say i'm sorry i have wronged you. It's my fault that we're not talking. Or will you say to your enemy can i invite you for dinner.

You see matthew 5 44 gives us four things to do if you have an enemy pray for them love them do good to them. And you see when when we get hurt with someone else we try and walk away from the other person.

But jesus says that no we ought to do good to them love them pray for them and bless them bless your enemy. And here christ gives us the example from the cross and he says forgive. I forgave. Would you forgive this day.

Would you make a difference in your life on this easter day. Because if you're not forgiving then you're in disobedience to god. And you don't have the kind of relationship with the father that you ought to have.

Salvation and Speaking Life From the Cross

Please come back with me to the cross. Christ cross was in the middle of two other crosses where thieves were crucified. The thieves had likely committed murder because normally the jewish people wouldn't crucify just the ordinary thieves.

Or they had done really really bad. So these were evil people. These weren't good people that were being crucified. Now one turned to jesus and blasphemed him and said if you are the christ save yourself and us.

But the other thieves said don't you even fear god while you're dying. We are receiving what we deserve. But this man has done nothing wrong. Then he said to jesus lord remember me when you come into your kingdom.

Jesus spoke his second word from the cross. And the second word is found in luke chapter 23 43. And jesus said to him assuredly i say to you today you will be with me in paradise. The second word of jesus stands for salvation and beloved.

Jesus was in intense pain on that cross. Yet he still thought about others. He spoke life and salvation for a man which we consider to be scum and an outcast. One man had been slandering the other listening.

Jesus never reprimanded them. He never said you bad people you you got to do this or you got to do that. He just said to him. And he realized the soul of that man had turned to him and was defending jesus.

Do you ever defend jesus. Do you ever ask the lord to help you to to defend your lord. You see he saved that one but he didn't take him off the cross. And the reason he didn't take him off the cross is because we all have a cross to bear beloved.

If you say you're crucified with christ. Do you speak death or life with your mouth. Do you put down people criticize everything make people feel bad or gossip. Jesus gave us an example from the cross.

He spoke life. He gave salvation. Do you have eternal life in you. You say yes. I do. Well do you share it. I went to the graveyard to see the grave of a son of a friend of mine. His son had died as a muslim.

Two rows rows north from me was a young woman with a little boy and the holy spirit as i was turning said give this young woman a ride. And i i didn't think it was god speaking you know. And i thought uh no i cannot do that.

I'm going to be ordained. I i've got to put up the right message. I'm not going to give her a ride. And so i walked by her and then i heard this voice behind me. Someone said mister would you give us a ride to the bus station.

And i turned around and my mouse said yes. And so she came into my car and she told me her story. She said i was at my mother's grave. I'm a catholic and so i wanted to see her grave. Why did you come here.

And i said well i came to see the grave of a young muslim man. I had prayed for him but he never. He never regained consciousness. And so he died and he passed on into eternity. And so she said to me oh muslim.

She said i'm married to a muslim. Do you see my 70 year old boy here. I don't know what to do. Should i bring him up as a christian. Or should i bring him up as a muslim which is truth. And i asked her have you read the bible.

And she said no i haven't. I said have you read the quran. And she said no i haven't. I said would you read both. And then ask god to show you the truth so that you can bring up your son in the truth.

And she said to me mister can you help me and tell me what truth is. And i said well yes i have read some of the quran not all of it. And i have read the bible. And so i know what god says in the bible.

And i know what truth is. And i said there is a river in israel called the river jordan. And there was a man baptizing in that river. His name was john the baptist. And there was a man that came to him and wanted to be baptized.

And then heaven opened and god spoke truth from heaven to help us to know which is truth. He tried to tell us which is right. And i said to her can you tell me when god spoke from heaven what he did. Well she didn't know.

And i said he said this is my beloved son in whom i'm well pleased. And i said now guess who was standing in the water in that river jordan. Was it muhammad. Or was it buddha. Or was it hara krishna or was it the lord jesus christ.

Praise god god tells us right from heaven which is truth. And we arrived at the bus station. I didn't have time to talk with her anymore. She lived in the bronx. And we said goodbye. But you see a seed was planted and god will take his scripture in his word and his seed and then bring forth fruit.

So we don't need to worry about that. On another day i was in a dollar store and i was buying a babe a bible for a waitress we had talked with and the clerk had tattoos all over his arms. He asked me do you believe this stuff.

And i said yes i do. And he said well do you believe in god. And i said yes i do. And he said do you believe in dreams and visions. And i said yes i do. And he said i've had a vision. And i want to ask you whether it's from god or from satan.

And i said tell me. And so he said i was downtown in new york and i was walking on the street and a man walked next to me and he pulled the gun out. He held it to my head pulled the gun and blood shot out from my head from both sides and and i i pushed my hands over my head to to pull the blood back.

And i started running from that man. And i started running and i got to my car and i sat in my car and uh as i said and i closed the door. I was sitting for a moment holding my head and here at the window appeared that same man again and he pulled that gun again and he pushed it against the window and he shot me in the head again and blood spurted all over the place.

And he said was that vision from satan or was from god. And i didn't know what to tell him. And i sent up a prayer to heaven and i said lord you've got to help me. I have no idea what is happening here.

And the lord said this vision was from god. God loves this man this young man. And so i said to him you know that vision you had was from god because he loves you so very very much. The stuff you're involved in right now is going to get you to that place that you saw in your vision.

Would you promise me to read this book that i'm buying. Read read the gospel of john and see what truth is. And he promised me you see another seed was planted. So the question today is will you speak life or death.

Will you speak words of life. Would you repent today of speaking negatively of finding fault of gossiping of not witnessing. When you could you see these occasions god brought to me. It was so easy because i prayed and i said lord if i am to give my witness help me.

I can't do it. Okay. And god will help you if you're sincere and you will be able to share your faith. Just like that it comes easy. There's nothing hard about it because god loves you. So will you ask god to help you.

Will you ask god this day to help you witness your faith. Please come back with me to the cross. The first word was forgiveness. The second word was salvation. We now come to the third word. Several women were near the cross including jesus mom.

Jesus Entrusts His Mother to His Disciple

There was also his beloved disciple john one of the 12 disciples. Now jesus had brothers including james hoses uh simon and judas. They could have taken care of his mom. Yet while in intense pain on the cross jesus saw that his mother was standing with the disciple whom he loved the apostle john a christian.

Then jesus spoke his third word. And in john chapter 19. John chapter 19 verses 26 and 27 he said to his mom woman behold your son. Then he said to the disciple behold your mother. And what he said was mom.

This is your son. Now he has been following me. He is the one that is sent now to take care of you. And then he said to john john this is your mother now and so you take care of her. Now jesus loved his mother very much.

He honored her. He realized that a word was given her at birth that a sword would pierce her soul. And so we may also have put swords through the heart of our mothers. That sword was sin and the redemption of mankind for jesus what is our sword is also sin.

And maybe you and i need to go back to our mothers and ask them for forgiveness. But the opposite is also true where many of us have been hurt by our parents. I know of a man who has never gotten over that his mom called him a mistake.

We might laugh about that but he wrestled with that for the rest of his life. He couldn't get over it. He said he wasn't worth anything. But you see his worth is in the lord jesus christ who knew before the foundation of the world that he was a worthwhile person.

Or i know a girl that was misused. I know a man that was sexually misused by the closest family member. That person is me. Or i know a man whose father is a drunkard and this boy was saving for university and his drunkard father found his stash took his money and he never made it to university.

Or i know a man who stole little things as a boy and went to reform school every night in reform school he went outside on a hill overlooking the road down below and he was hoping that his mom and dad would walk on that road and would forgive him and would help him to be a better boy.

That mom and dad never came and he went on to a life of crime. I know a woman that was abandoned by her mother at birth. She never wanted to know her mother. A professional counselor asked me to have a closer walk with god but she didn't want to forgive her parents.

You see and there is a commandment that says honor your mother and your father regardless of what they did to you they gave you life. But they are human beings. They're human beings. And so uh first timothy 5 8 says that if anyone does not provide for his own and especially for those of his household he has denied the faith and is worse than an unbeliever.

In matthew 15 5 and 6 jesus tells the pharisees that they had made a tradition that if you want to give money to the church you don't have to give money to your mom and dad. He said you have made god's commandment of no effect.

So perhaps there are those here today who want to close a walk with god and you have put aside your mom or your dad because they have hurt you deeply. Will you forgive them today and start again. Will you perhaps repent even today.

Will you ask god to help you. The fourth word comes after jesus was suffering for six hours. He was crucified at 9 am in the morning. It is now 3 p .m u .s time in the afternoon. He's distraught. His feelings are that he's deserted alone rejected renounced.

The Agony of Forsakenness and Christ Bearing Sin

He's under extreme pain distress and feels forsaken by his own father. How can this be. How can this be. And he cries out from the cross. And that is found in matthew chapter 27 46. And about the ninth hour jesus which is 3 p .m american time jesus cried out with a loud voice that is my god my god.

Why have you forsaken me. And the fourth word of jesus stands for agony. You see god is a holy god. God's divine nature cannot accept sin nor compromise with sin. Scripture is very very clear on this that god will judge you and me.

And that the wages of sin is death unless we have accepted the lord jesus christ. God was offering his own son as a sacrifice for all of mankind to be able to give them salvation and for us to have eternal life.

Praise god. Second corinthians 5 21 says. For god made him who knew no sin to be sin for us that we might become the righteousness of god in him. And has anyone ever said to you i love you. No more. I've had enough of you has a loved one separated from you.

Then you know what intense pain is. You know what loneliness is. Someone putting you down someone rejecting you leaving you all alone. I caused intense suffering to many and to my family. It was sin in my life.

You see sin separates us from from loved ones and it isolates us. Christ was separated from his father when he took all of the sins of mankind on himself that we might live and so beloved if any sin has overtaken you.

Will you come back to jesus today if we confess our sins he's faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. Will you repent. Perhaps today and ask god to help you.

Christ's Thirst and the Reality of Suffering

And the fifth word from jesus was shortly after the fourth. In john 19 28 he said i thirst. John chapter 19 28 i thirst. And the fifth word of christ stands for suffering. If you have visited a hot country and perhaps a desert you know what thirst is like jesus suffered but more.

So the son of god suffered thirst for souls of man. For your soul and for my soul. And when we speak about suffering it takes many forms. And brother steve has gone through a great deal of suffering with cancer and cancer is suffering.

Persecution causes suffering. A pastor friend of mine was running in africa with an african pastor. A gunship with soldiers was above their head shooting at them. The gunship in mozambique had just destroyed a church and some of the church members got killed.

And the white pastor running with the african pastor called out to his his african pastor where is our god now. Where's our god now. And the african pastor answered what are you talking about. I have never been closer to god than right now.

That same pastor saw a field full of killed of killed children in mozambique and he lost his faith for a while. And he and i met down in texas and i was hugging him and he was weeping. And i i was weeping with him too and i said god cannot sin.

God cannot sin. Pastor god cannot sin. Get back to him. God cannot sin. Satan's telling you a lie. Often we listen to satan's lie. You see god does not cause sin. He cannot sin. When king david took basheba did he ask god to sin.

Or did he do it on his own. When he killed the husband of basheba uriah who did that. God no sin. Did that you see because david decided to do it. So when we do evil we cannot blame god. And when others get hurt uriah got hurt because of sin.

We cannot blame god for that. That's a lie from satan. So when we see things happening yes they're also judgments from god. And sometimes we are like job and he may let us suffer so that we learn. But god does not sin.

Perhaps you have lost a child and you blame god. A pastor and his wife up in canada was waiting for their six-year-old son. They were sitting in the kitchen and they heard the school bus driving up to the front door and then there was a screech and somebody screamed and they ran to their door.

And here in the walkway was the little six-year-old son. The school bus had driven over him and he had he was dead. The mother sang close sang to the ground and the father went over and he picked up that little boy.

And then as he picked up that little boy he went to the middle of his front lawn and all the neighbors came running and they were weeping and screaming. And he held up that little boy up into heaven and he said god i thank you i thank you for this little life you gave me for six years to enjoy.

I'm so blessed that i've known this little son of mine. I thank you. I thank you for the joy that he gave me. And now father you love my son more than i could love him. So you've taken him home. But father i will not give up my faith.

I will believe in you i will serve you and i will love you and i will do what you ask me to do. And he put that little boy down in the grass and all the neighbors were weeping and all the neighbors said well we got to find out where this man's church is because we got to go to church.

And they came to church and they all got saved. And then the mayor heard about it. And the mayor came to the church and he got saved. And then the whole town heard about it and most of the people in the town got saved because of one little boy and the faith of a father.

Sometimes we wonder where god is when we're hurting. Right. When we are in extreme pain i look back at my footprints in the sand there was only one set of footprints. I realized that this was the lowest and saddest time of my life.

This always bothered me and i questioned the lord about my dilemma. I said lord you told me when i decided to follow you you would walk and talk with me. But i'm aware that during the most troublesome period in my life there's only one set of footprints.

I just don't understand it. Why. When i needed you most you you left me. And god whispered into my ear and he said my precious son i love you. And i will never leave you nor forsake you. Never ever. During your trials and your testings and your pain i will be there.

When you saw only one set of footprints. It was then that i carried you praise god. Won't you repent today of unbelief. Unbelief is a sin. God loves you incredibly even in your excruciating pain. He says i'll give you life and i'll give it to you more abundantly.

It Is Finished: Victory and the Believer's Calling

Would you repent from unbelief this day. Would you ask god to help you. And now we come to the sixth word in john chapter 19 verse 30. It says it is finished. It is finished. And the sixth word of jesus stands for victory.

The slot. The last three words are closed together. Jesus had said in the garden of gethsemane when he was taken prisoner. I can pray to my father. And more than 12 legions of angels will come and help me.

They'll get me off this cross. Now one legion one roman legion was 5120 men. So 12 legions of angels would be 61 440 angels. You know what they would have done to the people. You know how many angels it took to destroy sodom and gomorrah.

When you read the book of revelation you see the power of angels in judgment. And so we know that jesus didn't need to go through such agony. If he wanted to be to to to be set free from that cross he could have destroyed all who heard him.

He did not do. So he could have said i quit and win with my angels. I'll do it my way. No. He carried through the task that god had given him to do. He was not a quitter. Christ did the work the father wanted him to do.

And hebrews 2 14 and 15 says that through death he might destroy him who had the power over death that is the devil and release those who through fear of death were all their lifetime subject to bondage.

Have you been called by god to do a task. Are you a quitter. Scripture says. Take up your cross and follow me. Matthew 10 38 says. And he who does not take up his cross and follow after me is what does anyone remember that scripture is not worthy of me is not worthy of me.

So each one of us need to take up their cross and follow him. What task has god given you. Is it to be the very best housewife in the world speaking life to your children and to your neighbors. Or is it being the best plumber you as a plumber you can always talk about the springs of life coming through your tap.

And then you can say but i've got a source where there's water with eternal life where you won't be thirsty anymore. I can give that to you free of charge. Should you be starting a ministry. Should you be a missionary.