[0:00] Well, good morning and welcome to our morning service here in Garibust Free Church. We give a very warm welcome to any who may be tuning in by live link. We're going to begin our worship this morning by singing, or hearing singing in Psalm 98 in the Scottish Psalter.
[0:19] From the beginning of the psalm, O sing a new song to the Lord for wonders he has done, his right hand and his holy arm whom victory hath won. The Lord God, his salvation has caused to be known, his justice in the heathen sight he openly has shown.
[0:38] Down to the end of the verse marked four. From the beginning of the psalm, O sing a new song to the Lord for wonders he has done. For wonders he hath done, for wonders he hath done, His right hand and his holy arm.
[1:14] In victory hath won. In victory hath won. In victory hath won.
[1:30] The Lord for his salvation, He hath won. He hath won. A cause of glory he hath done, A cause of glory he hath done, A cause of glory he hath done, A cause of glory he hath done, His justice in the heathen sight.
[1:56] He openly he hath done, He openly have shown, He openly had shown, He might put off His grace and truth to Israel's house that we, to Israel's house that we, and the salvation of our God.
[2:40] O let all the earth as seen, O let all the earth as seen, O let all the earth as seen.
[2:56] O let all the earth as seen, O let all the earth as seen, O let all the earth as seen. O let all the earth as seen, O let all the earth as seen.
[3:10] O let all the earth as seen, O let all the earth as seen. I hate to pick up your voice, and love to hear.
[3:23] Sing praises and rejoice. Sing praises and rejoice. Sing praises and rejoice.
[3:39] Let's join together in prayer. Let's pray together. Our Father in heaven, although we are unable to sing openly that new song to your name, we rejoice in the knowledge of knowing that it's not just the words that we utter and the songs that we sing that you hear, but that you hear the thoughts and the intents of our hearts.
[4:13] And we ought to have made melody in our hearts as we were listening to the singing of that psalm. And we ought to have a sense of awe and adoration that you being such a glorious God, a God who is far superior to anything that you have created, a God who is pure and holy and unspotted from any blemish, that you would condescend to come down to hear the songs of your people here in this world.
[4:50] And that you would condescend to come down to enter into the experience of your people here in this world. Because even when we're unable to form words to express ourselves in your presence, when our experience surpasses our understanding, we're thankful that your Holy Spirit makes intercession for us with groanings that cannot be uttered.
[5:17] So we're thankful that we come into the presence of our God who is all-knowing. You're well aware of our circumstances. You see our difficulties.
[5:28] You're aware of our weaknesses. Yet you invite us to come to you. You invite us to come to you even in our sins. Because we don't come having to justify ourselves in your presence.
[5:42] We don't come seeking to clothe ourselves in a righteousness that will impress you. Because we know that we could never clothe ourselves with anything that would give you any satisfaction.
[5:57] So we're thankful that we come looking to our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. That we come seeking to be accepted in his righteousness. And that we do expect to be heard.
[6:11] That we do expect to enter into your presence. Because we're coming in his name. And you will not deny your Son. He has glorified you and you are willing to glorify him.
[6:24] So we're asking, O Lord, that you would accept us in his name. And that you would help us to enter into your realm. That we would indeed experience the power of the resurrection this morning.
[6:39] As we remember that this is the day that Jesus rose from the dead. This is something that's being celebrated throughout the world on this day.
[6:51] Yet it's celebrated by your people every day of their lives. Because they know that this is the only way that they can come into your presence.
[7:01] And they celebrate the fact that you have made it possible for them to experience the power of that resurrection every time they seek to approach you.
[7:12] That they are raised to sit together with Christ in heavenly places. And that they can expect to be given a revelation. As John was on the Lord's day.
[7:24] He was in the Spirit on the Lord's day. And being in the Spirit on the Lord's day, you enabled him to ascend into heaven. Where you revealed to him great things.
[7:37] And this is what we expect this morning. We expect that you're going to reveal yourself to us. We expect that you're going to reveal something of the glory and the majesty that belongs to you who sits upon that throne.
[7:52] Who is encompassed by an innumerable host of angels and the spirits of just men made perfect. We hope to join with them.
[8:03] And we pray that you would permit us to enter into that realm so that we would indeed see something of the glory that they behold. And that we would indeed see something of the future that you have promised for your people.
[8:19] The inheritance that is ours in Christ Jesus. So as we come into your presence on this the day that's been remembered worldwide as Easter Sunday.
[8:32] Help us, O Lord, to appreciate that it is being held once a year by the world. And help us, O Lord, that as your word goes forth this day that we would not be ashamed to proclaim the gospel of Jesus Christ.
[8:49] That this is the glorious good news of the gospel that he is risen. That he is not dead. And that we worship a living Savior.
[9:01] That we worship one who guarantees life to all who put their trust in him. And as your word goes forth wherever it goes forth today we pray that you would accompany it with the power of your Holy Spirit so that we would see lives being transformed.
[9:19] And that we would see those that don't appreciate the power of the resurrection experiencing it. Being brought into your own kingdom. Being translated from the kingdom of darkness into the glorious kingdom of light.
[9:37] Lord, this is within your power. And you're able to exercise that power. Your arm is not shortened. You are still able to do what you've demonstrated down through the generations.
[9:52] That you are the God who is almighty. That you're the God who speaks things into being. That you're the God who is able to quicken the dead.
[10:03] That you are able to give sight to the blind and hearing to the deaf. That you're the God who is able to do contrary to what is according to nature.
[10:16] Because you are the almighty God. And you're the God who gives life to everything that has life. And for your people you promise life eternal.
[10:27] Which far surpasses the life that we have in this world. So, as we come before you as a people here in Garibust, we pray that you would unite us together with your people wherever they worship.
[10:42] That we would all unite together at the throne of grace. and that we would seek the furtherance of your kingdom. That we would be praying that your will would be done here in this world as it's been done in heaven.
[10:57] And that we would see glorious days in our midst. Because you are able to accomplish that. We come Lord asking that you would bring us to the place where you would be able to do that for us.
[11:12] Because we know that it's not that you're unwilling. And it's not because you are unable that we see so little of your blessings being bestowed upon us as a people.
[11:26] It's because of our obstinacy. It's because of our unwillingness. And it's because of our desires to do our will rather than be reconciled to your will.
[11:40] And it's because we endeavor to do things in our strength rather than acknowledge our own weakness and admit that we cannot do the things that you can do.
[11:53] And give you the credit and the glory and the honor that is due unto your name. So that we would indeed see great things happening in our midst. We pray oh Lord that you would unite us with your people who worship you.
[12:08] We pray oh Lord that you would remember those that are suffering as a result of their profession of faith in Jesus Christ throughout the world.
[12:19] There are many being put to death because of their faith and there are many who are suffering great things because of their endeavors to be obedient to you.
[12:33] We pray that you would encourage them. We pray that you would strengthen them. and we pray that there would be fruit for their labor and that the gospel would continue to go forth to bring down the strongholds of darkness.
[12:48] That your kingdom would indeed come and that we would see it before it comes on the final day to bring your own people home to be with yourself.
[13:00] For as long as time exists we pray oh Lord that you would move us as your worshiping people to go forth and to conquer so that sinners would be saved whilst they're still on mercy's ground.
[13:13] That you would impress upon us the urgency of seeking to proclaim that good news not knowing what a minute or an hour might bring about in any of our experiences.
[13:26] Regardless of whether we're young or old we don't know the time that we will be called to leave this world and to stand at the judgment seat of Christ.
[13:39] Lord prepare us for that day and help us to prepare others for that day so that they would not be ashamed when they appear before you. We ask oh Lord that you would remember our rulers that you would remember our government our royal family that you would endow them with wisdom and that you would impress upon them that the only way that they're going to have the wisdom that they lack is by looking to you and acknowledging you as the only God who is able to arrest the great pandemic that has afflicted us as a people.
[14:21] You're the God who is able to overcome all the difficulties that we experience in this world this being one of the greatest of them at this time and we pray Lord that you would help them that you would help them by giving them guidance as to how to legislate in a way that would be for the good of the people not just for their physical and for their material good but for their spiritual welfare.
[14:52] Lord that they would be aware that man is not just a physical being and that it's not just dependent upon this world's riches but that they might be made aware that man is soul as well as body and that we need to look to yourself because the body will perish regardless of who we are and regardless of what riches we may possess but the soul will continue forever because the soul is who we are not our bodies and it's a soul that you came to restore again even for your own namesake and we pray Lord that you would impress this upon everyone that is in positions of authority so that they would seek the welfare of people's souls and we pray especially for those that are church leaders who are bereft of that knowledge because we know that many of our churches have been turned into churches of Satan because they're ashamed of the gospel of Jesus
[15:59] Christ and they do not proclaim the truth just as Jesus brought the charge in his own day against those who had turned the synagogues into synagogues of Satan we ask oh Lord that we would not be ignorant of these things but that we might be aware that not everybody who claims to be your people and not everybody who claims to be a leader of your church are true leaders or true people in your church because we know that Satan comes as a wolf in sheep's clothing that he comes disguised as an angel of light and let us not be ignorant of his devices and let us not put our hope and confidence in man-made religions and rules but help us to look to your word of truth because it's the truth that will set us free and it's the truth that will endure when all other things will fail so we look to you to impress upon us your truth and we look that you would raise up your own people to proclaim this truth and that this truth would have an effect on your people's lives so that your people would be written epistles to this world that they would see where your people intend to go to that their destination is for heaven because they are citizens of heaven and that they would be known by the way that they conduct themselves that that's what they're living for and that that's what their hope is we pray therefore oh lord that you would sanctify us all by your truth and that you would help us oh lord to be shaped and conformed to the image of christ so that we might bear that light to the world because he made the claim that he was the light of the world but he also made the claim to his disciples you will be the light to this world so we're asking oh lord that we would be faithful and that we would seek to endure to the end and following in that light helping us to walk in that way that leads to yourself and to the destination that we all desire to arrive at lord we commit ourselves to you then at this time we pray for those in our midst to our suffering illnesses those who are waiting for operations those who are experiencing the afflictions and the infirmities that sin brought into the experience of man as they will be filled with a sense of alarm a sense of anxiety and a sense of uncertainty concerning what lies ahead of them we pray lord that you would draw alongside them that you would help them and encourage them to cast all their cares and concerns over onto you believing that you care for them and believing that you are truly concerned for their welfare not just their physical welfare which may have been brought to their attention but for their spiritual and eternal welfare we pray lord that they would come to make peace with you and that they would sense your presence with them and whatever they might have to go through in this life because if you're with us we can go through anything but if you're absent from us we will be filled with a sense of fear and anxiety so we pray oh lord that you would make your presence felt that you would draw alongside those that need you and that
[20:00] you would help them to be reconciled to yourself and to the providence that you've allotted them lord we commit them to your care we pray for those that grieve over the loss of loved ones that they would not grieve as those that have no hope but that you would give them to entertain hope by working in the lives of loved ones so that when they do depart this world that we will have a sense of peace lord we pray because we know and acknowledge that this is all of your work that only you can achieve it and we pray oh lord that you would bring it on that you would build up your house and that you would establish a name for yourself here in our community and in all of our communities we pray oh lord that you would remember our children and our grandchildren because you have promised that they also were included in the promises that you give to us so we pray because they are living in uncertain times they are under pressures that have not been experienced for a long time of ever in this world and we're asking lord that you would safeguard them that you would bring them to yourself so that they would be able to deal with the challenges that lie ahead of them we commit them to your care and we pray that you would claim them for yourself adopting them into your family so that they could call you the god of heaven and earth their father the friend that sticks closer than any brother the one who will never leave them nor forsake them lord help them to experience the preciousness of these promises for we're asking all that we ask with the forgiveness of our sins in
[21:58] Jesus precious name amen well we're going to read now in the gospel of Luke chapter 24 Luke's gospel chapter 24 from the beginning of the chapter but on the first day of the week at early dawn they went to the tomb taking the spices that they had prepared and they found the stone rolled away from the tomb but when they went in they did not find the body of the Lord Jesus and whilst they were perplexed about this behold two men stood by them in dazzling apparel and as they were frightened and bowed their heads to the ground the men said to them why do you seek the living among the dead he is not here but has risen remember how he told you while he was still in
[23:06] Galilee that the son of man must be delivered into the hands of sinful men and be crucified and on the third day rise and they remembered his words and returning from the tomb they told all these things to the eleven and to the rest now it was Mary Magdalene and Joanna and Mary the mother of James and the other woman with them who told these things to the apostles but these words seemed to them as an idle tale and they did not believe them but Peter rose and ran to the tomb stooping and looking in he saw the linen clothes by themselves and he went home marvelling at what had happened now that very day two of them were going to the village named Emmaus about seven miles from Jerusalem and they were talking with each other about these things that happened while they were talking and discussing together Jesus himself threw near and went with them but their eyes were kept from recognizing him and he said to them what is this conversation that you're holding with each other as you walk and they stood still looking sad then one of them named
[24:18] Cleopas answered him are you the only visitor to Jerusalem who does not know the things that have happened there in these days and he said to them and he said to him concerning Jesus of Nazareth a man who was a prophet mighty indeed and word before God and all the people and how our chief priests and rulers delivered him up to be condemned to death and crucified him but we had hoped that he was the one to redeem Israel yes and besides all this it is now the third day since these things happened moreover some women of our company amazed us they were at the tomb early in the morning and when they did not find his body they came back saying that they had even seen a vision of angels who said that he was alive some of those who were with us went to the tomb and found it just as the woman had said but him they did not see and he said to them oh foolish ones and slow of heart to believe all that the prophets have spoken was it not necessary that the
[25:29] Christ should suffer these things and enter into his glory and beginning with Moses and all the prophets he interpreted to them in all the scriptures the things concerning himself so they drew near to the village to which they were going and he acted as if he was going further but they urged him strongly stay with us for it is towards evening and the day is now far spent so he went in to stay with them when he was at the table with them he took the bread and blessed it and broke it and gave it to them and their eyes were opened and they recognized him and he vanished from their sight they said to each other did not our hearts burn within us while he talked to us on the road while he opened to us the scriptures and they rose that same hour and returned to Jerusalem and they found the eleven and those who were with them gathered together saying the Lord has indeed risen and has appeared to Simon then they told what had happened on the road and how he was known to them in the breaking of the bread and as they were talking about these things
[26:39] Jesus himself stood among them and said to them peace be to you but they were startled and frightened and thought they saw a spirit and he said to them why are you troubled and why do doubts arise in your hearts see my hands and my feet that it is myself touch me and see for a spirit does not have flesh and bones as you see that I have and when he had said this he showed them his hands and his feet and while they still disbelieved for joy and were marvelling he said to them have you anything here to eat they gave him a piece of broiled fish and he took it and ate before them then he said to them these are my words that I spoke to you while I was still with you that everything written about me in the law of Moses and the prophets and the Psalms must be fulfilled then he opened their minds to understand the scriptures and he said to them thus it is written that the
[27:41] Christ should suffer on the third day rise from the dead and forgiveness of sins should be proclaimed in his name to all the nations beginning from Jerusalem you are my witnesses of these things and behold I am sending the promise of my father upon you but stay in the city until you are clothed with power from on high and so on may God bless to us that reading from his own holy word now I want to say a few words to the children before we look at this passage but I also want to intimate to you a family service which we're hoping to hold in a fortnight's time on the 18th of April and I want to assure the parents who may be listening that you'll be kept very safe you will be socially distanced and you will be kept in your family bubble as you come to church and you'll probably be safer coming to church than you will be in any of the other places that you have to go to to the shops and so forth so
[29:01] I would encourage you to come and also just to make you aware that it will be a family service it's not just an ordinary service it will be and the service won't last as long as an ordinary service it'll last for about half the time of an ordinary service because we're aware that it's not easy to keep children happy sitting in church for an hour so we aim to reduce that considerably so that they will be able to sit for a while with us and hopefully hear something of what the Bible teaches so I would encourage parents to bring your children to the family service and hopefully if it's successful it'll become a regular feature in the life of our church so please consider that and
[30:02] I know that some people don't read the bulletin so for the rest of you who know families then please tell them about this service encourage them to come along to it now just to say a few words to the children before we start our main service I was wondering if I asked you what programs you like watching on television what your answer might be some people like to watch films
[32:07] E zero the one who's able to restore them.
[32:24] The one who's able to help them overcome their difficulties. And we should rejoice. And Easter reminds us that Jesus is alive.
[32:39] And that ought to give us encouragement because one of the things that we probably fear, maybe not when we're children, but as we get older and as we become aware that people round about us die.
[32:58] One thing that we might begin to fear is that we ourselves might die. But if we believe in Jesus, we don't even have to fear death.
[33:11] Because we will pass through death and the story continues beyond death. Jesus promised His disciples, because I live, you shall also live.
[33:26] And this is why we celebrate Easter. This is why it's such a joyous occasion. Because we're reminded, death is not the end.
[33:37] It's merely the beginning of eternal life for those who believe in Jesus. So let's just bow our heads in prayer to Him.
[33:49] Our Father in Heaven, we give You thanks for the gift that You gave to this world when You gave Your only begotten Son, our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.
[34:01] And we pray that You would encourage us all to look to Him, to look to, come to know Him, and to trust Him with all the things that we fear, even death itself.
[34:17] Because He came to give us life, and He came to give that life that gives us so much joy and satisfaction.
[34:28] So we pray, O Lord, that You would help us to have Him as our Savior.
[34:40] That You would help us to come to Him. And that You would help us to look to Him for all of our needs. For we ask it in His precious name.
[34:51] Amen. Now we want to go back to Luke chapter 24 and take a few thoughts from the passage that we read together.
[35:18] And as you all know, the reason that we celebrate Easter is because of the resurrection of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.
[35:31] And the resurrection is one of the foundational doctrines of our faith. Paul says, writing to the Corinthians, that if Christ is not risen, then our faith is futile.
[35:48] And we're still in our sins. And those who have fallen asleep in Christ have perished. Now, excuse me.
[36:06] You'll notice that none of the evangelists tried to describe the resurrection for us. And the reason that they don't try and describe the resurrection for us is quite simply because nobody witnessed the resurrection.
[36:31] They witnessed His death. And they recorded everything leading up to His death, what He was going through, His sufferings, and to saints.
[36:47] But there were no eyewitnesses to the resurrection. And that's the reason that it's not recorded. Because nobody saw the resurrection.
[37:00] They just record the historical facts. The resurrection remains a deep mystery.
[37:11] we don't know how it takes place. But we're required to believe it. And they do furnish us with reasons why we should believe it.
[37:24] Now, we notice first of all that it was the angels that announced the resurrection. It was the angels that announced the birth of Christ.
[37:37] they went to the shepherds and announced that the Lord of glory had taken our nature and was born into our midst.
[37:50] And here we have them announcing the resurrection of the Lord Jesus Christ. And I'm seeing that He has conquered death. that He has entered into a glorious state.
[38:06] That He has triumphed over the limitations that He had experienced for a time in this world where He experienced the weaknesses of human flesh.
[38:20] And the limitations that that flesh put upon Him. but now He has triumphed over all the limitations and all the weaknesses and all the enemies and the final one being death itself.
[38:39] Now, we see them here at the tomb as if they were guardians of it. And we read from Scripture that the angels took a deep interest in the salvation that is being offered to sinners.
[38:57] They probably take a deeper interest in it because it wasn't offered to fallen angels. But it has been offered to fallen mankind.
[39:11] And they marvel that the Lord of glory was willing to condescend to the level that He condescended to.
[39:21] That He was willing to suffer all that He suffered. And that He was willing to die in order to redeem sinners. And they can hardly understand the slowness of the disciples to lay hold of that.
[39:45] They're kind of rebuking them for looking for Jesus at the grave. Why are you looking for the living among the dead? How hard is it for you to believe and understand what Jesus taught you?
[40:01] Did He not tell you that He would rise again? Why are you looking for Him in the tomb? Why have you come here? Why are you looking for the living among the dead?
[40:14] It's as if the angels are rebuking them when they come to the tomb. In Matthew's Gospel we're told that the angel said to them I know that you're seeking Jesus who was crucified but He's not here for He's risen as He said to you.
[40:37] You shouldn't be surprised at this. He told you that He would rise. Come and see the place where He lay. the angel is announcing a fact and He's giving a rational explanation for that fact.
[40:59] The fact is the tomb is empty and the rational explanation for the tomb being empty is He's risen just as He told you that He would rise.
[41:15] He is not dead. He is alive. Now the undoubted fact that's recorded for us by the evangelists is what they actually witnessed.
[41:31] They witnessed that the grave was empty on the third day. How was the grave empty? three days prior to this they had witnessed the body of Jesus being put into that tomb.
[41:50] Put into that grave. They had witnessed that a stone was rolled to the entrance of that tomb. And not only was a huge stone rolled to block the entrance of that tomb but they had witnessed that that stone was sealed.
[42:11] And not only was it sealed but there was a guard of Roman soldiers given to make sure that nobody would enter that tomb.
[42:23] And they arrived three days later to find the tomb is empty. These are historical facts. Things that they could record.
[42:35] They didn't record things that they didn't see. They recorded the things that they witnessed. And the only explanation that can be given for what they have witnessed is the explanation that the angel gives.
[42:55] He is risen because he's not dead. He's alive. now the woman that got there before the disciples were called to believe the testimony of the angels.
[43:13] And the disciples were called to believe the testimony of the woman. And the world are called to believe the testimony of the disciples.
[43:26] So why is it that the majority of people in the world still will not believe and receive the historical facts that were recorded?
[43:42] There are numerous accounts recorded for us of the disciples having seen him after he rose from the dead.
[43:52] We have at least ten recordings of the interviews that he had with his disciples. These were the people who could say we saw him, we touched him, we know and verify this is the same person that we saw being laid in the tomb.
[44:14] That it was the same person that we saw after the resurrection living, alive, talking to us, eating with us.
[44:30] Now, Paul goes on to record that he was seen by more than 500 witnesses. Now, people refuse to believe today because they say, well, we weren't there and we don't know anybody that was there, so how do we know that it happened?
[44:50] Well, you believe other things happened. you believe historical accounts that are thousands of years old. Why? Because they were recorded by the people who were living at that time.
[45:05] Now, when Paul said that he was seen by over 500 witnesses, the people that he was speaking to could go and ask these people for themselves. Did you see him?
[45:17] What did you see? What did you witness? was it the same person? It could have been verified by anybody that listened to the teaching of the apostles.
[45:29] They could go to the people that had witnessed his appearances. Now, if you had 500 witnesses filing into a court of law, there is no judge in the world that would find contrary to what these witnesses have claimed.
[45:53] It's overwhelming evidence. When the prosecution are trying to prosecute a criminal, one of the strongest pieces of evidence that they can have is to produce witnesses that saw the criminal performing the act that he's being charged with.
[46:21] Now, if a prosecutor finds two witnesses, he's rubbing his hands. If he finds three witnesses, he's delighted.
[46:33] But if he had 500 witnesses, he could more or less relax and say, the case is open and closed. there's no judge that's going to find anything contrary to what these witnesses claim.
[46:53] Yet people refuse to believe the accounts that we have given in the Gospels. But they don't cast the same doubts on any other historical book.
[47:06] Why is that? why are people so determined to continue believing a lie? Well, the only reason that can be given to that is because we are as fallen as the Bible tells us we are.
[47:29] And we're more prone to believe what Satan tells us than we are to believe what God tells us. we're willing to be deceived because it makes it more comfortable for us to be deceived.
[47:45] Because if what the Bible says is the truth, we have to face up to that truth. And we would rather bury our heads in the sand and deny it and come up with all the excuses that Satan will furnish us with.
[48:02] Nobody can prove it. Well, can anybody prove what you're thinking? You know that you're thinking it. Can you prove it?
[48:13] Because nobody can see your thoughts. How do we know what you're thinking? Yet you know what you're thinking and you know that what you're thinking is real. So why can't you prove it?
[48:25] Because your thoughts are invisible. Because they have been generated from an attribute of your soul. they come from your mind. Can you see your mind?
[48:35] Can the surgeon see your mind as he does brain surgery? Can he see your thoughts? Yet they are there.
[48:46] You know they're there but you can't prove that they're there. The same is true concerning your emotions. You know if you love somebody. You know if you hate somebody.
[48:59] You're never going to prove it to anybody. because nobody can see your feelings. Because that comes from an attribute of your soul.
[49:13] You cannot prove it. But does that mean it doesn't exist? Of course it doesn't mean it doesn't exist. It comes from your spiritual side. Because that's the side that was created in God's image.
[49:27] and many people refuse to believe in God because they don't see Him. Well God doesn't claim to be seen. He's a spirit. But to make it easier for us He took our nature so that we could see Him.
[49:44] And those who see Jesus see God. If you have seen me you have seen the Father. Father. But Satan will convince us of so many excuses that he will fill our minds with.
[50:03] Because we don't really want to believe the truth. But the truth of the matter is Jesus is alive.
[50:16] He has risen. And if Jesus is alive then that means that we're going to stand before this Jesus. Because Jesus cannot tell a lie.
[50:33] And the truth is He's coming to judge the world. And we will all stand before Him and tell Him why we chose to believe what wasn't historically accurate over against the historical facts that are recorded for us here in this book.
[50:58] He has risen. We have witnesses that recorded the fact that He has risen. Now the second thing that I want to look at is the importance of the resurrection for believers.
[51:15] because as I said at the outset this is one of our foundational doctrines. The light that is constantly set before us in the scriptures is that if Christ is not risen then our faith is in vain and you're still in your sins.
[51:39] If Christ has not risen then we cannot be saved. we are still in our sins there is no hope for us.
[51:51] Paul writing to the Romans said the word of faith which we preach is that if you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus Christ and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead you will be saved.
[52:07] you need to believe it. You need to put your trust in him. You need to believe it in your heart and confess it with your mouth.
[52:24] Now the apostles gave us the accounts that we have in the letters of the New Testament. The apostles were ordained by God the apostles needed to be eyewitnesses of the resurrection of Jesus Christ so that they could verify what took place.
[52:47] Paul referring to himself says that he was an apostle born as one out of due time because he wasn't along with the twelve. But he had to see him risen and when he was converted that was his experience.
[53:04] on the road to Damascus he saw the risen Lord and if he hadn't seen him he couldn't be an apostle. The Lord Jesus Christ himself based the claim that he was the Messiah on this fact.
[53:24] Destroy this temple and I will raise it up again in three days. to be our Savior he had to present the perfect sacrifice for sin.
[53:43] How do we know that the sacrifice was accepted? Well we know that the sacrifice was accepted because he is risen. When somebody is sent to jail because they've been found guilty of a crime the law is not satisfied until that penalty has been paid and only when the penalty is fully paid will that person be liberated from jail.
[54:15] He will come out from the prison. Jesus entered that prison that our sins deserve.
[54:28] He had to pay the full penalty and God being a just God would not allow him to escape the pains of death until that penalty was filled and full paid and full.
[54:45] He could not be liberated from the power of death unless the penalty was paid. God would be saved.
[54:57] And the resurrection is the proof that God accepted the payment that was given. It was depicted in the high priest going in once a year to make atonement for the sins of the people.
[55:13] He went beyond the veil. The veil that was blocking God from everyone. Nobody could enter that veil. If anybody dared to go beyond that veil he would have been struck down dead.
[55:28] And they feared that. And they feared it even when the high priest entered. They were waiting in anticipation to see if he was going to come back out again.
[55:39] And when he came back out again they knew that atonement had been made. God had accepted the atonement that was offered.
[55:50] that was depicting what Jesus would have to do. He would have to enter beyond the veil of death.
[56:04] And he demonstrated that he overcame it and paid the full penalty by coming back again. He is risen.
[56:17] This is the only way that we can be justified. Paul writing to the Romans in chapter 8 says it is God who justifies.
[56:31] Who is he who condemns? It is Christ who died. And furthermore he is also risen who also makes intercession for us.
[56:43] That's the only way that we can be justified in the sight of God. God. And nobody dare bring a charge against anybody that's justified in the sight of God.
[56:56] Because it was Christ who paid the penalty. It was Christ who died. And furthermore it is Christ who has risen. risen. And what's he doing after he has risen?
[57:09] He is interceding for us. And he's as if he's saying to the father you can't condemn these people because they have believed in me.
[57:19] What have they believed? they have believed that I paid the penalty for them. So you cannot exact the penalty twice. It would be unjust of you to demand that they pay the penalty themselves if I've already paid it.
[57:35] They are justified in your sight. And he's interceding along these lines. You can bless them because I've earned life for them.
[57:49] you can give them out of the fullness of the storehouse that gives life to people. Because these are justified.
[58:02] It's Christ's resurrection that makes it possible for us to be sanctified. Paul writing to the Colossians says that if you were raised with Christ then seek those things that are above.
[58:19] What do we seek that is above? We seek the righteousness, the holiness, the true knowledge that we were created in. Because that's what sin robbed us of.
[58:32] And that's what Christ has laid up for us. And if we have been raised with Christ, that's where our hearts are yearning for. We're wanting to be clothed in that righteousness.
[58:45] We want to be made holy like he is holy. We want to have our true knowledge of him, not the lies that Satan penetrates our minds with.
[58:57] We want to know the true God and his true reality. That was Paul's aspiration, that I may know him and the power of his resurrection.
[59:09] And that's the desire of every Christian. If we've been raised with him, we set our minds on the things that are above.
[59:21] Because we know that this is our inheritance. We know that we have a perfect righteousness. We know that we will be made perfectly holy.
[59:31] And we know that we will see him as he actually is. We will have a true knowledge of him. it's the resurrection that gives comfort to believers in times of death.
[59:54] Because if we know that a person has died in the Lord, then we're not afraid for them. We know that they've gone to a better place.
[60:07] This is the words of comfort that Jesus spoke to the sisters in Bethany. I am the resurrection and the life. He that believes in me will not die.
[60:27] Isn't that comforting? He comforts us concerning our death and concerning the death of all believers.
[60:42] He comforts us in times of persecution. When the church was experiencing fierce persecution shortly after the death and the resurrection of the Lord Jesus Christ and John was imprisoned in Patmos, these were the words of comfort that Jesus spoke to him.
[61:09] Fear not, I am he that liveth and was dead and behold, I am alive forevermore. Fear not, regardless of what destruction the world can inflict upon my church, fear not.
[61:32] Regardless of the fact that you had to suffer and that you're exiled and many of your companions were put to death, fear not because I am alive, the one who was dead and who is alive forevermore.
[61:48] You have nothing to fear. the church is in my hands and the gates of hell will not prevail against it. The resurrection also brings before us a pattern of our own resurrection.
[62:12] Paul writing to the Corinthians says concerning the body, it is sown in corruption, it is raised in incorruption, it is sown in dishonor, it is raised in glory, it is sown in weakness, it is raised in power, sown a natural body, raised a spiritual body.
[62:35] Jesus experienced that. The only point that possibly he didn't experience is what he says that it was sown in corruption.
[62:46] because the psalmist tells us that he was promised that his body would see no corruption. Professor Don McLeod used to tell us when he taught on that subject that the moment that Jesus said it was finished and he gave his spirit into the father's hands, the exaltation began.
[63:13] The father began to exalt his son. How did he begin to exalt him? He saw no corruption. But for the rest of us, we will see corruption.
[63:30] But we've got the glorious hope we will be raised in corruption. He was put into that tomb in dishonor.
[63:40] glory. He came out of that tomb in glory. He had glory when he rose. He was put into that tomb in weakness.
[63:56] He was raised with power. He went into that tomb with a natural body and he came out of it with a spiritual body.
[64:08] glory. It was the same body but it had undergone changes. And he demonstrated that in the way that he appeared and disappeared. He wasn't doing that with his natural body but he was doing it with a spiritual body.
[64:25] He was going through walls and appearing in their presence without coming through the door. power. These are the spiritual qualities, the spiritual glory that the body will have in the resurrection.
[64:44] Now it's a great comfort for God's people to know that Christ has that power and that that's the power that he imparts to all of his people because he had that power before he came.
[65:03] But he didn't have it in human nature because he didn't have a human nature before he came. But he earned this not for himself. He was already in possession of that.
[65:14] He earned it for his people. He earned it for our human nature so that he could impart these blessings to us who are his people.
[65:30] And this is the glorious hope that all of God's people have as they look forward to the morning of their own resurrection.
[65:44] That although their bodies may have been sown in corruption that it will be raised incorruptible. Although it was sown in dishonor it will be raised in glory, sown in weakness, raised in power, sown a natural body that will be raised a spiritual body.
[66:06] What a day when Christ comes again with the souls of all those who have gone to heaven. The souls looking forward to being reunited to the bodies that will then come forth from the grave to inhabit these glorious bodies that Christ has secured for them.
[66:36] The same bodies but having undergone a glorious transformation where their souls will find a home forever. we can understand why the angels urged the woman to go quickly and to proclaim this glorious news to the disciples.
[67:02] What more glorious news could anyone have than to go and proclaim the gospel of Jesus Christ? This is the gospel of Jesus Christ.
[67:15] That Jesus died and that he rose again on the third day. That he triumphed over the greatest enemy that we will ever have to confront.
[67:31] What great news the gospel of Jesus Christ is. May God bless it to us. Let us pray. Our Father in heaven, we come before you to rejoice in the resurrection of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.
[67:52] Because it gives us the proof that death can be overcome and it gives us the guarantee that those who believe in him will overcome it.
[68:04] Lord help us that we will put our hope and confidence in him alone and that you would have mercy upon us for our sins and shortcomings. For we ask it in his precious name.
[68:17] Amen. We're going to listen to Psalm 16 being sung in the same Psalms version. And we're going to hear it being sung from verse 8 to the end of the Psalm.
[68:35] Before me constantly I set the Lord alone. Because he is at my right hand I'll not be overthrown. Down to the end of the Psalm.
[68:46] Before me constantly I set the Lord alone. Before me constantly I set the Lord alone.
[69:05] Lord. Because he is at my right hand I'll love thee over Lord.
[69:27] Therefore all my heart is glad.
[69:37] My tongue with joy will sing away.
[69:57] My heart is ZANG EN MUZIEK If you're only one to see the tombs decay, you have been told to me that the heart of life divine this child I know that you write and joy from your face will shine.
[71:26] Amen.