The Family Tree — Good Friday — Rich Wilkerson Jr.

but these are um Paul's words to the church in Rome Romans chap 11 starting at verse 17 but if some of the branches were broken off and you although a wild Olive Chute were grafted in among the others and now share in the nourishing root of the Olive Tree do not be arrogant toward the branches if you are remember it is not you who support the root but the root that supports you then you will say branches were broken off so that I might be grafted in that is true they were broken off because of their unbelief but you stand fast through the faith someone say Stand Fast through the faith so do not become proud but fear for if God did not spare the natural branches neither will he spare you note then the kindness and the severity of God severity toward those who have fallen but God's kindness to you provided you continue in his kindness otherwise you too will be cut off and even they if they do not continue in their unbelief will be grafted in for God has the power to graft them in again for if you were cut from what is by nature a wild Olive Tree and grafted contrary to Nature into a cultivated Olive Tree how much more will these the natural branches be grafted back in to their own Olive Tree um I want to start with that scripture tonight because um really as we know Good Friday began at Passover and if you're new to Christianity if you're new to the faith um Christianity is a judeo belief that we come from a judeo-christian tradition which is we stand on the foundation of Jewish tradition and the Passover which is what we were taking a moment tonight receiving communion was when Jesus was at the Passover and he held the cups he was establishing and saying something that was quite radical he was saying in the past you have remembered the faithfulness of God as he's liberated you from Egypt a physical slavery into a physical freedom but tonight when you drink this cup it represents my blood and when you eat this bread it represents my body and as you do this you don't remember the past but rather you remember me because I am liberating you not into just a physical freedom but into a spiritual freedom and what's happening here in Romans chapter 11 is that the Apostle Paul is teaching those in Rome Gentiles those that do not have Jewish blood that they now by faith are being grafted in to the family of God and he's saying when you do this you don't get prideful and you don't become arrogant towards our Jewish brothers and sisters that were cut out not because God doesn't love them but rather because they do not believe in Jesus who's become a stumbling block and he's saying but if I got you in how much more could I get them in if they would simply believe we're going to come back to it but tonight on Good Friday as we're just setting Our intention for an amazing weekend I think a weekend of harvest as we preach the message of Jesus I want to teach tonight from the subject the family tree very good the family tree and uh do you know your family tree everyone everywhere whether they know it or not they have a family tree maybe you can go back to being in grade school you had to get out the big construction paper and you had to draw out your family tree and there was Grandpa and there was Grandma maybe you'd go back to great-grandfather and great grandmother and you would list everybody out and you could see this tree of this lineage of people I I think when it comes to families if we're being honest all of us we have some pride in our family and then some of us we have some shame in our family I got some pride I got some shame there's a lot of areas I'm very proud of my family I am a a Wilkerson and uh I love being a Wilkerson just the name alone uh it means something to me lots of Pride that have in my family my my family was always a a welcoming hospitable family we always threw parties um there was always somebody at our dinner table that wasn't blood there was uh there was always somebody living in my house I had cousins live with me we had troubled teens live with us it was just there was always a spare room it was always fill with somebody I'm proud of my family we used to throw big parties uh we didn't have a lot of money but my parents they put a lot of purpose on things we would have a Thanksgiving tradition our Thanksgiving tradition was that everybody who came to Thanksgiving they had to come with um a performance there was bulletins handed out at the door and if you came to our Thanksgiving you had to come with a talent your family had to perform somehow somewhere and and every one had came through our thanks Elton John was at our Thanksgiving one year and we had Elvis The Supremes somehow were at our Thanksgiving I love growing up in the Wilkerson house but how many youall know just because I have some pride doesn't mean I don't have some shame there were some things I didn't like at all about my family uh my mom God bless her she's watching right now by way of online shout out to my mom uh she used to keep plastic on the dining room chairs over the cushions for forever I I never saw those chairs without plastic I'm like Mom what's the deal bro what was even funny is that those chairs belonged in a room called the living room but the living room was what the one room that you didn't you never lived in the living room should have been called the look room you can look at the living room but you can't live in the living room it was confusing to say the least uh there was things I was embarrassed about of course I I'm I'm being silly but man even tonight as we're here some of you when it comes to your family there are deep deep deep senses of Shame um areas that you like when you think about your family it could be from abuse to abandonment to betrayal to disfunction all of us have got something in our family that's somewhere that we're trying to hide that we're trying to keep out of the spotlight um you ever find yourself going like why did I do this just me okay um I turned 40 yesterday everybody just cuz I'm 40 don't mean I I got older doesn't mean I got wiser we'll find out we'll find out but even at 40 I'm still like why did I just do that thing um the other day a bunch of people got me like birthday gifts and this just it's so funny bro but like I open up gifts and like people would get me like a shirt or or like uh a jacket and immediately bro if I get new clothes immediately I have to put those clothes on I have to stand in front of the mirror my wife's always like what are you I'm like I just I just I if I go to the mall and buy an outfit I come home and I put it on in front of the mirror like how I look bro just me okay it's all right it's all right what's funny is is that my mom would tell me that rich your dad always used to do this your dad would always go and put his outfit on and if he got something new he had to try it on in front of the mirror what's even funnier is my little boy Wyatt is 6 years of age sitting over there and anytime we get him new clothes at 6 my man has to go and put it on and get in the mirror why is it it's because like father like son whether we want to admit it or not every one of us in this room whether we're proud of our family or ashamed of our family we cannot deny the family's impact and influence on our life true anthropologists and sociologists will talk about that there is no greater influence on your life than your family of origin three to four generations it's funny because people live today they're like I want to make a name for myself like that's the culture I'm GNA I'm going to leave my mark everyone's going to remember my name but if you're being honest some of you don't even know know your great-grandfather's name you don't know your great great grandmother's name however although you might not know their name it doesn't mean that they aren't influencing you right now this moment there is a direct path from your present to your past and if we don't learn from our past how many youall know we are doomed to repeat the past sometimes you hear that little phrase it runs in my family well if it runs in your family it might be chasing after you I think one of the healthiest things we can do in our sanctification process of becoming more and more like Jesus is to go on the Journey of dealing with the past so I can step into the bright future that God has for me all of us have a family of origin and sometimes even to me it seems like the culture understands the power of an origin story even more than the church like you can't deny it man like culture is obsessed with origin stories they gave us Star Wars what was it part four five and six we liked it so much we said we demand to know how this story began take us back to the beginning Hunger Games that wasn't good enough in the middle I want to know how on Earth did these people become this crazy we need to go and discover how did that become this if you see something good if you see something bad like we all grew up with The Joker and finally a bunch of us Millennials said how did the Joker become the Joker I want to empathize with his terrorism but I don't get it so they tell you the origin story they take you back to the beginning I want to take you back to the beginning there's an expression that old habits they die they don't die they die hard it's because things don't die they actually go go on and if you don't stop something and if you don't confront something you are bound to repeat it the Apple doesn't fall far from the tree it's very very true but tonight I wonder if you understand that although you have a biological origin story I wonder if you know your theological origin story I know the Apple doesn't fall far from the tree but I wonder do you know that you have a new family tree I wonder do you understand in the power of Good Friday because whether you know it or not maybe you don't know your origin maybe you don't know why you do what you do maybe you don't understand T night why you're stuck maybe you don't understand why is this pattern keep showing up in my life but what I want to encourage you with is that there is a better and a bigger origin story and Good Friday lands right here because it is our origin story of Faith it's how how we all get into the family of ((music playing)) God your family of origin is in the blood and this is why Jesus came and shed his blood we needed new blood and with it he gave us a new family tree it's the tree that sat on Calvary that is those of us that are a part of this family known as Christianity that is our new family tree 1 Peter chap 2:4 says it this way he himself Jesus bore our sins in his body on the tree so that we might die to sins and live for righteousness by his wounds you have been healed anybody grateful tonight that there's healing power through the blood of Jesus come on South Miami come on City come on Miami Gardens listen to this you have a new family Ephesians 2: 19 consequently you are no longer foreigners and Aliens but fellow citizens with God's people and members here it is of God's household built on the foundation of the Apostles and Prophets with Christ Jesus himself as the Chief Cornerstone ((applause)) you find yourself forgiving people who were wrong to you you find yourself walking in joy that you never knew you could walk in why because your daddy gave you something woo I'm part of a new family and this family is changing me and tonight on Good Friday I wonder do you know what the family tree is saying to you do you understand the power of the cross because this night is the night of your origin story how did that become this how are we here why are thousands gathering tonight why are many joining the family it is not by our works and it's not by our effort but it is by the shed blood of Jesus Christ who invites us into a new family and I don't know who I'm talking to tonight maybe it's new or maybe it's reminder but I want to tell you what the cross is saying cuz the cross is your family tree and God's family tree shouts I love you you might not feel loved you might not think that you are worthy of love but I'm so grateful that the family tree exists because the family tree shouts at you whether you feel it or not the reality is you are loved you're loved the family tree is so much more than a symbol I I know it's kind of interesting because um if you'll just stop for a moment and think about the idea that Jesus was crucified and hung from a tree the Cross isn't it wild that like people wear crosses around their necks like if you knew nothing just like hey what's that around your neck oh it's an execution tool like imagine if we were in like Beed Guillotines you know or like you know Jacob the Jeweler diamond out Gallows like it's like that would never no it's because it's more than a symbol the family tree is a statement it is a shout it is declaring out loud that God loved you so very much that he sent his only begotten son that he died on a cross that he bled from his hands and his feet why because he loves you he loves you if you ever have a moment that you don't feel loved or worthy of Love or validated or co-signed or celebrated you just go back to the family tree and say that thing is shouting at me 2,000 years later you are loved Romans 5 58 but God demonstrates his own love for us in this that while we were still Sinners while we were outside the family when I could not get in the family tree showed up and shouted at me you are so loved it's a sacrificial love it's a radical love he loves you so much how much he says you're worth dying for my grandpa used to tell a funny joke he was a preacher he would say when it comes to your breakfast every morning there's a big difference between the chicken and the pig the chicken is involved with your breakfast but the pig is committed to your ((music playing)) breakfast your God is not just in involved in your life he is committed to the very fact that he laid his very life ((applause)) down God's family tree says I understand you Cross of Christ is the place that allows you to know that God understands your pain tonight God gave his only son imagine the pain of that it's one thing to die for someone it's another thing for me to even consider giving you my boy I I can't even begin to Fathom the pain of the father tonight you don't just have a god who's looking down from heaven watching you with his arms crossed and saying have at it no he is a God that you can trust because he's walked in your shoes ((music playing)) he's experienced what you've experienced look at what Hebrews chapter 4 says for we do not have a high priest who's unable to sympathize with our weaknesses but we have one who has been tempted in every way just as we are yet was without sin let us then approach the throne of grace look at that the throne of grace unmar favor that when I come into his throne room I'm going to be met with Grace let us come into the throne of grace with confidence so that we may receive mercy and find Grace to help us in our time of need let me just tell you you don't have a distant God who doesn't get you he gets you and the cross the family tree says over and over again I understand you you can cast your care upon me because I get what you're going through he knows about loss he knows about rejection he knows about family drama come up with any issue you are facing tonight I might not be able to relate to it you might look at me and say Rich that's cute great talk man but you don't have much credibility because you've never walked in my shoes and you would be right but that is not true about Jesus he says I've walked right where you have walked and I've experienced everything that you've experienced I know what it feels like and so because I know what it feels like you can trust me I'm credible family treat doesn't just say I understand you God's family treat Whispers there is hope for you I think it was the philosopher Theologian kard who said that faith can only be understood in retrospect like how on Earth are we calling this Good Friday in fact I always work really hard with our team I'm saying it is Good Friday but there's something powerful about going through the motions that we are going to a funeral that's what I want our services to be like I we like energy at Vu and we like loud services but I think sometimes you have to change your posture and you need to put yourself into the place of what everybody else felt that night because it was far from good on that Friday it was anything but good to the disciples it was anything but good to Mother Mary it was anything but good to those that loved Jesus but the family tree Whispers There's Hope for you because it's only God who could take the worst day in history there is no worse day I know there's troubling times right now I know it's scary as we look at the landscape of the world I know there's pressures all over the place but I'm telling you the worst day in history already happened the day that God's son died on a cross not for doing anything wrong but rather for doing everything right only God could take the worst day in history and thousands of years later thousands across the globe not just in Miami not just at Fu church but across the continents would show up and celebrate and declare it is Good Friday ((music playing)) woo and it exist ((music playing)) because we serve a God who says there's always hope whatever you're facing you might be in the worst moment of your life you might be going through your greatest crisis and God Whispers you from that tree there is hope I can take this bloody bad day and I can turn it into a good day trust me do you know your origin story yes your biological family is influencing you but there is a family of faith that you're invited into that will change not just the trajectory of your tomorrow it will change your eternity Jesus was broken so your shattered Destiny could be put back together Jesus was wounded so you could be healed Jes Jesus was crushed so you could be changed forever Jesus was forsaken so that you could step into your future that's what good Friday is about amen Romans 11 is this powerful passage of scripture Romans written by the Apostle Paul even in literature is um described as one of the most powerful literature on the planet today and Paul is dealing with the tension of God's firstborn Israel but God rich in Mercy and God full of kindness and God's desire to always save a broken world says branches fell off because Jesus the son of God came and they could not believe because the Messiah came in a way that they did not think that he could come in it didn't look like the right package and so they rejected him but here comes the Apostle Paul and he looks out at most of us here tonight Gentiles and says there is room for you because you can be grafted into the Olive Tree grafting is an interesting process it's done in hor ornamental horiculture where it takes one branch and begins to join it with a tree trunk and a Vine and a root system and over time that Branch can join that tree trunk and it too can begin to Blossom and Bud and flourish because the branch got joined by the right ((music playing)) root and I want you to see what the cross was doing that we who were not the firstborn we who were not born into the family we who were born not with righteous blood but we were born as Sinners he said because of what Jesus did on Calvary you can be grafted into the family this this term grafted has been all over my language recently it's always been there in Romans 11 but many of you know that this past fall uh as a church we stepped out on it just feels like for 9 years as a church we've just every year has been some massive stretch of faith and massive Miracle but believe it or not some here after eight years the biggest one happened where my my father who's my hero uh was diagnosed with a rare blood cancer called Miley fibrosis and with it we ended up purchasing the building in Miami Gardens which people are gathering in tonight for the first Good Friday service that Vu has ever hosted in fact can we just give them a big round of applause one more time I think it's pretty awesome want to celebrate ((music playing)) it but things happened quickly CU my dad got sick quickly and what you'll know about Miley fibrosis is that you can look good on the outside but the problem is he's got bad blood wow and the only way for Dad to be cured is that he needed new blood and thank God for modern science of course we pray the prayer of faith but we also talked to doctors there is a process called a stem cell transplant and a stem cell transplant requires a matching donor and after looking for donors his sister became a match and she had to have stem cells taken out of her body and she said that it was painful and it hurt but they took those stem cells and they put them into Dad's Body once the stem cells go into your body that doesn't mean anything's changed yet what has to happen is that those new cells have to begin to graft much like the Olive Tree they have to latch on they have to take your body all the way down to dead that you actually have to literally every day with blood transfusions be kept alive how many of you know to come to Christ before you get new life you have to die to the old life something's got to die so something can resurrect ((music playing)) why is it it's cuz I got bad blood and so do you but there's a donor and his name is ((applause)) Jesus it is blood spilled from calvary's Hill and I'm telling you that if you'll open yourself up it'll Gras on the inside of you and you too can be welcomed into the family of God is because of the Cross come on if you're grateful tonight give him some praise give him some praise at all of our locations standing to your feet standing to your feet standing to your feet dad was 43 days in the hospital and those stem cells grafting into his body he's not out of the woods yet but he's not in the hospital anymore we give God praise for that but the hope for dad was that there was a donor that matched the hope for dad was would the cells Graft in Paul is saying to us who are not the firstborn and he's even saying to the firstborn he's saying if you'll believe simply by faith you too can be grafted in to the family tree that expression the Apple doesn't fall far from the tree well the good news for you and I is that the Apple didn't fall too far from the cross you're not too far from God and It's shouting at you there's hope for you you don't have to go through the religious traditions of this weekend maybe you're here tonight you just came because that's just what you do no you could actually have a radical moment of standing in awe and wonder of a righteous and perfect God who loves you so much much that he shed his blood that says I understand you and at any moment whether you feel the emotions that you feel even right now in this service tomorrow Monday Tuesday any day of the week you can cry out to me and I will hear you and I will meet you with grace and mercy no matter how dark or dismal your situation becomes because of your new family treat there is always hope it's not cliche it's not some kind of f it it's the truth of the cross and tonight we come in with a different posture one that is reflective one that is deeply moved by this sacrifice where would I be without Jesus oh I'm grateful I know how the story goes but I don't want to miss a moment the more I mature in the Lord I want to go backwards and I want to be there in that moment and I want to consider deeply the price that he paid see he didn't just die for you it's better than that he died as you and he didn't just resurrect for you it's better than that he resurrected as you and I know my family treat and I know I am now a part of the family of God I know that I'm a Child of God not because of what I've done but because of the one I've believed in tonight we're going to sing a bit of this song glorify at all of our locations but before we sing it before our location pastors come up and dismiss the services I just want to give people an invitation with your head bowed and your eyes closed just as we take a moment standing in reverence of the one who laid his life down I wonder do you know Jesus you don't have to wait for Sunday he already got up out of that grave and he loves you and he is for you and tonight he died for all of your sins for all of your transgressions for all of your mistakes and a relationship with him begins simply by believing in him so if that's you on Good Friday if you don't know him tonight you can on the count of three would you be be bold let your hand up high enough and long enough just so I can see it I see Hands going up across this room here in South Miami trust it's happened at other locations but if that's you on the count of three ready one two three if that's you that's me Rich that's me you're being grafted in you're getting new blood you're being covered you're being welcomed into the family of God church can we lift our hands towards heaven can we pray this prayer say dear Jesus Jes tonight I give you my life give you my life forgive me forgive me I Repent I and I look towards you I look toward you thank you thank you for paying the price thank you for making a way making a way for me tonight T I'm so grateful for your sacrifice sacrifice I love you Jesus I love you Jesus I want to follow you I follow in Jesus name everybody said hey this is Rich and Don sh Wilkerson and we want to say thank you so much for watching and engaging with today's content maybe today you want to make the decision to follow Jesus why don't you pray this prayer with me dear Jesus today I choose to entrust my life to you forgive me of my sins make me a new creation I love you in Jesus name amen we're celebrating with you the decision that you've made and we want to walk this journey out alongside you yeah and if you just prayed that prayer why don't you go ahead and follow the prompts that are on the screen right now we're so glad that you took some time to watch today's message do us a favor if it encouraged you if it impacted you go ahead and share this and if you haven't already go ahead and subscribe to the Vu Church YouTube channel so you can continue to get more content like this we love you guys and we're declaring The Best Is Yet To ((music playing)) Come