1 00:00:03,840 --> 00:00:08,960 Good morning. So what would life be like if 2 00:00:08,960 --> 00:00:13,000 there was no resurrection? We certainly wouldn't be here 3 00:00:13,000 --> 00:00:16,720 today, would we? Worshipping Jesus? 4 00:00:18,720 --> 00:00:21,760 We wouldn't know what to do or where to go when our hearts are 5 00:00:21,760 --> 00:00:26,320 broken by circumstances in life that we have no control over. 6 00:00:30,080 --> 00:00:35,880 And we come to church not for religious purposes or duty. 7 00:00:37,040 --> 00:00:42,560 We come as brothers and sisters in Christ because we all know 8 00:00:42,560 --> 00:00:44,080 that we need Jesus. Amen. 9 00:00:44,080 --> 00:00:48,360 And the older you get and the longer you live, the more you 10 00:00:48,360 --> 00:00:51,680 realize that you need Him 24/7, right? 11 00:00:52,960 --> 00:00:58,280 This not once in a while, and I'm thankful that we're gathered 12 00:00:58,280 --> 00:01:02,640 together here today to to learn more about him and to learn more 13 00:01:02,640 --> 00:01:06,800 about the gospel, the good news that the world needs. 14 00:01:08,080 --> 00:01:11,680 I don't have to tell you about the news media. 15 00:01:11,680 --> 00:01:17,480 There's wars and rumors of war everywhere, whether it's Ukraine 16 00:01:17,480 --> 00:01:25,520 or Israel or the potential conflict with China and Taiwan 17 00:01:26,720 --> 00:01:33,000 and now Venezuela, Nigeria. It tells us in the Bible in the 18 00:01:33,000 --> 00:01:35,840 last days there will be wars and rumors of wars. 19 00:01:36,320 --> 00:01:38,040 And boy, we sure have them, don't we? 20 00:01:38,880 --> 00:01:42,600 It seems like we have an all time high of world conflict and 21 00:01:42,600 --> 00:01:47,480 division and divisiveness and hatred, especially for truth and 22 00:01:47,480 --> 00:01:53,120 for the clarity of the gospel. And so we're fortunate, those of 23 00:01:53,120 --> 00:01:57,360 us who are here today that believe in Jesus Christ, we have 24 00:01:57,360 --> 00:02:01,480 hope and eternal hope, a living hope, a lasting hope and 25 00:02:01,480 --> 00:02:04,960 everlasting hope. If you're here today and you've 26 00:02:04,960 --> 00:02:09,080 never come to faith in Jesus, I pray today would be the day that 27 00:02:09,080 --> 00:02:13,240 you would recognize you need him and you would open your heart to 28 00:02:13,240 --> 00:02:17,520 him and invite him to commend your life and change your life 29 00:02:18,080 --> 00:02:22,920 and save you from the the power of sin that we all struggle with 30 00:02:23,440 --> 00:02:26,520 until we have Jesus. And when you have Jesus, you 31 00:02:26,520 --> 00:02:28,800 have a way out of your sinful tendencies. 32 00:02:28,800 --> 00:02:32,080 You have a way out of the patterns and habits and 33 00:02:32,080 --> 00:02:34,840 addictions that control your life and ruin it. 34 00:02:37,240 --> 00:02:41,120 So let's pray, Father God, you've brought each of us here 35 00:02:41,120 --> 00:02:47,280 today for a specific purpose. Somehow you work in our minds 36 00:02:47,280 --> 00:02:51,400 and in our conscience and call us to yourself. 37 00:02:51,400 --> 00:02:57,920 You draw us to yourself, Lord. That's the mystery of the faith. 38 00:03:00,120 --> 00:03:04,800 Is it that we don't seek You? You seek us, and then you cause 39 00:03:04,800 --> 00:03:08,800 us to seek you. You cause us to pursue you. 40 00:03:08,800 --> 00:03:12,920 You cause us, Lord, by your grace, to want to know the 41 00:03:12,920 --> 00:03:16,160 answer of life. Why are we here? 42 00:03:17,040 --> 00:03:19,200 Why do we go through what we go through? 43 00:03:20,360 --> 00:03:24,480 Why do we experience death? Why do we experience heartache? 44 00:03:24,480 --> 00:03:28,880 Why do we experience tragedy? Why do we experience broken 45 00:03:28,880 --> 00:03:31,360 relationships? Lord, all the things that affect 46 00:03:31,360 --> 00:03:36,240 all of us as human beings. And Lord, we are so grateful 47 00:03:36,320 --> 00:03:41,560 that you've opened our eyes to realize that you are the Christ, 48 00:03:42,680 --> 00:03:47,960 the Son of the living God, that you are the resurrection and the 49 00:03:47,960 --> 00:03:55,990 life. And whoever believes in you 50 00:03:59,030 --> 00:04:01,710 shall not perish, but have everlasting life. 51 00:04:04,270 --> 00:04:06,710 For you said I am the resurrection and the life. 52 00:04:07,790 --> 00:04:11,190 He that believeth in me, though he were dead, yet shall he live, 53 00:04:12,910 --> 00:04:15,830 and he that believeth in me shall never die. 54 00:04:16,959 --> 00:04:20,640 Oh God, thank you for coming into this world and not leaving 55 00:04:20,640 --> 00:04:26,240 us to our sin. You came because you knew we 56 00:04:26,240 --> 00:04:30,320 needed a way out of the madness and the insanity and the 57 00:04:30,320 --> 00:04:33,800 brokenness of human life apart from you. 58 00:04:33,800 --> 00:04:39,240 And we really don't experience life or no life until we come to 59 00:04:39,240 --> 00:04:41,920 know you. For you are life. 60 00:04:42,840 --> 00:04:46,080 You are the giver of life. There is no life apart from you. 61 00:04:46,080 --> 00:04:51,280 We just walk around as dead people until we come to know you 62 00:04:51,280 --> 00:04:54,560 and are born again and brought into a relationship with you 63 00:04:54,560 --> 00:05:00,280 where we have a new life and a life that's worth living. 64 00:05:01,400 --> 00:05:03,200 And we praise you for that, Lord. 65 00:05:04,320 --> 00:05:07,440 And as we enter into this new year, Lord, we pray by the power 66 00:05:07,440 --> 00:05:11,120 of your Holy Spirit that you would make each of us and this 67 00:05:11,120 --> 00:05:17,040 church in this ministry a mouthpiece for the gospel of 68 00:05:17,080 --> 00:05:19,840 Jesus Christ into a broken and lost world. 69 00:05:20,880 --> 00:05:23,520 That we would go out, each of us this year. 70 00:05:24,200 --> 00:05:27,040 And when we meet people and we run into people who are broken 71 00:05:27,040 --> 00:05:31,560 hearted and hopeless and despairing, that we would, Lord, 72 00:05:31,560 --> 00:05:37,760 be used by you to tell them the good news that Christ died for 73 00:05:37,760 --> 00:05:41,680 our sins according to the Scriptures, that he was buried 74 00:05:42,440 --> 00:05:45,000 and that he rose again on the third day. 75 00:05:46,320 --> 00:05:48,560 The day. Lord, we study these teachings 76 00:05:48,560 --> 00:05:52,160 that you've given us in First Corinthians 15 regarding the 77 00:05:52,160 --> 00:05:54,760 gospel. And what a wonderful Sunday that 78 00:05:54,760 --> 00:05:59,120 we can all be here together, starting this new year, focusing 79 00:05:59,120 --> 00:06:03,520 on the most important thing in life, and that's the gospel of 80 00:06:03,520 --> 00:06:07,120 Jesus Christ. So Lord, we commit ourselves to 81 00:06:07,120 --> 00:06:09,000 you. We surrender to you. 82 00:06:09,000 --> 00:06:11,320 We don't make promises or resolutions. 83 00:06:11,320 --> 00:06:17,160 Lord, all you ask us to do is surrender to you and yield to 84 00:06:17,160 --> 00:06:20,440 you to say, not our will, but your will be done. 85 00:06:21,240 --> 00:06:24,120 And that's I pray the prayer of all of us today. 86 00:06:25,040 --> 00:06:29,280 And we commit all these things to Lord the day. 87 00:06:29,280 --> 00:06:32,800 Lord, touch the hearts of all those you brought here in the 88 00:06:32,920 --> 00:06:41,640 specific and only way that you can to comfort, to encourage, to 89 00:06:41,640 --> 00:06:49,720 bring hope, to bring belief, and to bring peace, Father, and to 90 00:06:49,720 --> 00:06:53,120 each heart and the families that are represented here this day. 91 00:06:54,680 --> 00:06:58,120 Let us be different when we leave here today, more different 92 00:06:58,120 --> 00:07:01,640 than we've ever been before because of your word and the 93 00:07:01,640 --> 00:07:06,120 power of your Holy Spirit. And we pray and we ask these 94 00:07:06,120 --> 00:07:12,480 things in Jesus name, Amen. If you have your Bible turn to 95 00:07:12,480 --> 00:07:16,920 1st Corinthians chapter 15. You can Google it on your phone 96 00:07:16,920 --> 00:07:19,360 as well so you can see where we're at. 97 00:07:20,320 --> 00:07:23,760 And we're going to look at the 1st 8 verses today. 98 00:07:24,520 --> 00:07:29,680 And I wanted to thank you guys, Lewis, myself, Cindy Terry, the 99 00:07:30,280 --> 00:07:34,320 leaders of the church for your prayers, your love for each of 100 00:07:34,320 --> 00:07:38,000 us as we serve you. The gifts, the cards, the 101 00:07:38,000 --> 00:07:42,240 prayers, the texts, the phone calls are just amazing. 102 00:07:42,240 --> 00:07:45,160 As you well know, Cindy, my wife's been really going through 103 00:07:45,160 --> 00:07:49,880 it this year. So she was in the hospital for I 104 00:07:49,880 --> 00:07:53,080 think about 8 days over Christmas and they're trying to 105 00:07:53,080 --> 00:07:56,280 diagnose what's going on. She's having trouble walking and 106 00:07:56,280 --> 00:08:00,840 having stability, so it's sort of a challenge every day for her 107 00:08:00,840 --> 00:08:03,560 right now, but she's encouraging the Lord. 108 00:08:03,560 --> 00:08:06,480 She's trusting Him. She just said to me this morning 109 00:08:06,480 --> 00:08:09,640 as we were praying, Clerk, all I want to do is go deeper in 110 00:08:09,680 --> 00:08:12,680 Jesus. Isn't that awesome? 111 00:08:13,480 --> 00:08:16,720 I'm so thankful that I have a wife that knows Jesus and knows 112 00:08:16,720 --> 00:08:19,920 that He's the answer for every need that she has. 113 00:08:20,640 --> 00:08:24,120 And I feel the same way. So thank you for your love and 114 00:08:24,120 --> 00:08:27,640 your prayers. So anyway, we are in this book 115 00:08:27,640 --> 00:08:32,200 of First Corinthians chapter 15. Last time I spoke, prior to 116 00:08:32,200 --> 00:08:36,840 Pastor Lewis's time to teach in December, I had finished pretty 117 00:08:36,840 --> 00:08:41,360 much with the first part of this chapter regarding what the 118 00:08:41,360 --> 00:08:43,400 gospel is. I'm going to read it again and 119 00:08:43,400 --> 00:08:47,280 review and then get into a couple things this morning to 120 00:08:47,280 --> 00:08:51,440 help us understand more about this history that we have of 121 00:08:51,560 --> 00:08:56,120 Jesus raising from the dead. Moreover, brethren, I declare to 122 00:08:56,120 --> 00:09:00,000 you the gospel which I preached to you, which also you received, 123 00:09:00,000 --> 00:09:04,920 and in which you stand, by which you are also saved, if you hold 124 00:09:04,920 --> 00:09:08,960 fast that word which I preached to you, unless you believed in 125 00:09:08,960 --> 00:09:11,880 vain. For I delivered to you first of 126 00:09:11,880 --> 00:09:16,200 all that which I also received, that Christ died for our sins 127 00:09:16,200 --> 00:09:21,720 according to the Scriptures, and that He was buried, and that He 128 00:09:21,720 --> 00:09:25,320 rose again the third day according to the Scriptures, and 129 00:09:25,320 --> 00:09:28,840 that He was seen by Cephas. Then by the 12. 130 00:09:29,280 --> 00:09:33,400 After that He was seen by over 500 brethren at once, of whom 131 00:09:33,400 --> 00:09:36,400 the greater part remained to the present, but some have fallen 132 00:09:36,400 --> 00:09:39,800 asleep. After that He was seen by James, 133 00:09:40,040 --> 00:09:44,880 then by all the apostles, then the last of all, he was seen by 134 00:09:44,880 --> 00:09:49,400 me also as by one born out of due time. 135 00:09:51,080 --> 00:09:58,200 So the Gospels explain very clearly the history of of what 136 00:09:58,200 --> 00:10:00,200 had happened. I'm going to go to Luke chapter 137 00:10:00,200 --> 00:10:03,600 24 and I'm going to read a lot of scripture today. 138 00:10:03,600 --> 00:10:06,960 This would get you up to speed again in regard to the 139 00:10:06,960 --> 00:10:11,760 significance and the historical evidence that this is not make 140 00:10:11,760 --> 00:10:14,120 believe. This isn't something that some 141 00:10:14,120 --> 00:10:16,800 of this thought up. That would be an interesting 142 00:10:16,800 --> 00:10:19,320 story. This is all historical fact 143 00:10:19,320 --> 00:10:23,120 proven by the eyewitnesses that actually saw Jesus after his 144 00:10:23,120 --> 00:10:26,840 resurrection and Luke chapter 24. 145 00:10:27,200 --> 00:10:30,400 Now on the first day of the week, very early in the morning, 146 00:10:30,720 --> 00:10:34,280 they and certain other women with them came to the tomb, 147 00:10:34,280 --> 00:10:36,840 bringing the spices which they had prepared. 148 00:10:37,440 --> 00:10:41,560 But they found the stone rolled away from the tomb, and then 149 00:10:41,560 --> 00:10:44,880 they went in and did not find the body of the Lord Jesus. 150 00:10:45,360 --> 00:10:48,560 And it happened, as they were greatly perplexed about this, 151 00:10:48,800 --> 00:10:52,280 that behold, 2 men stood by them in shining garments. 152 00:10:52,720 --> 00:10:55,960 And then, as they were afraid, they bowed their faces to the 153 00:10:55,960 --> 00:10:59,640 earth and said to them, Why do you seek the living among the 154 00:10:59,640 --> 00:11:03,800 dead? He is not here, but is risen. 155 00:11:04,280 --> 00:11:07,880 Remember how He spoke to you when he was still in Galilee, 156 00:11:07,880 --> 00:11:11,360 saying the Son of Man must be delivered into the hands of 157 00:11:11,360 --> 00:11:15,760 sinful men and be crucified. And the third day rise again. 158 00:11:15,760 --> 00:11:21,600 So the Lord told his followers what he was going to encounter 159 00:11:22,160 --> 00:11:26,400 and that he was going to be crucified, and then he was going 160 00:11:26,400 --> 00:11:30,400 to die and He was going to rise again from the dead on the third 161 00:11:30,400 --> 00:11:32,680 day. It's interesting when He did 162 00:11:32,680 --> 00:11:37,840 that, they didn't catch on like saying, well, he's he's not 163 00:11:37,840 --> 00:11:40,200 going to stay dead. He told us he would rise again. 164 00:11:40,640 --> 00:11:44,840 No one picked up on that. Shows you how blind we can be as 165 00:11:45,160 --> 00:11:48,640 as human beings. And then they remembered his 166 00:11:48,640 --> 00:11:51,840 words. Then they returned from the tomb 167 00:11:52,160 --> 00:11:55,960 and told all these things to the 11 and to all the rest. 168 00:11:56,160 --> 00:12:00,160 It was Mary Magdalene, Joanna, Mary the mother of James, and 169 00:12:00,160 --> 00:12:03,000 the other women with them who told these things to the 170 00:12:03,000 --> 00:12:06,320 apostles. I find it fascinating that the 171 00:12:06,320 --> 00:12:10,560 guys weren't at the tomb. Why were the women there? 172 00:12:10,560 --> 00:12:14,560 Well, the women have a very important role in the history of 173 00:12:14,560 --> 00:12:18,520 Christianity. Jesus decided that he was going 174 00:12:18,520 --> 00:12:23,320 to reveal himself first to a woman and then tell her to go 175 00:12:23,320 --> 00:12:27,400 tell his closest followers who were all afraid, hiding out, 176 00:12:27,400 --> 00:12:30,640 hoping that they wouldn't be arrested or be crucified. 177 00:12:31,640 --> 00:12:35,240 And so these wonderful women had this privilege of having this 178 00:12:35,280 --> 00:12:38,920 encounter and they got to go tell the apostles. 179 00:12:39,680 --> 00:12:42,520 And their words seem to them like idle tales. 180 00:12:42,760 --> 00:12:45,800 They did not believe them. So these these women come to the 181 00:12:46,320 --> 00:12:49,400 the house and and begin to tell the story of what they had 182 00:12:49,400 --> 00:12:52,920 disencountered and and they thought that this seemed like 183 00:12:53,240 --> 00:12:55,040 make believe. There's no way that this could 184 00:12:55,040 --> 00:12:58,440 happen. But Peter that we remember 185 00:12:58,440 --> 00:13:03,400 Peter, Simon Peter had denied Jesus hours before his 186 00:13:03,400 --> 00:13:06,840 crucifixion. He probably wasn't in a good 187 00:13:06,840 --> 00:13:10,040 state, mentally or emotionally, definitely spiritually, because 188 00:13:10,040 --> 00:13:14,120 he knew he had denied the fact that he even knew Jesus. 189 00:13:15,160 --> 00:13:19,960 So Peter Rosen ran to the tomb, and stooping down, he saw the 190 00:13:19,960 --> 00:13:23,800 linen clothes lying by themselves, and he departed, 191 00:13:23,800 --> 00:13:27,440 marvelling to himself at what had happened. 192 00:13:35,400 --> 00:13:40,040 I find it fascinating that he ran to the tomb. 193 00:13:44,080 --> 00:13:49,520 Something in him caused him to think or to know that something 194 00:13:50,320 --> 00:14:00,120 miraculous must have happened. And he sees the garments lying 195 00:14:00,120 --> 00:14:05,560 there and thinking like what has gone on here? 196 00:14:05,560 --> 00:14:11,360 What has happened? Now down the road there, several 197 00:14:11,360 --> 00:14:13,080 of the other apostles are walking. 198 00:14:13,080 --> 00:14:16,640 Now behold, 2 of them were traveling that same day to a 199 00:14:16,640 --> 00:14:20,600 village called Emmaus, which was 7 miles from Jerusalem. 200 00:14:21,800 --> 00:14:25,200 They talked together of all these things which had happened. 201 00:14:26,200 --> 00:14:30,080 So it was while they converse and reason that Jesus himself 202 00:14:30,080 --> 00:14:33,760 drew near and went with them. But their eyes were restrained, 203 00:14:33,760 --> 00:14:36,760 so they did not know Him, so they weren't able to recognize 204 00:14:36,960 --> 00:14:41,640 who was walking along with them. He said to them, What kind of 205 00:14:41,640 --> 00:14:44,440 conversation is this that you have with one another as you 206 00:14:44,440 --> 00:14:48,480 walk and are sad? Then the one whose name was 207 00:14:48,480 --> 00:14:51,960 Cleopas answered and said to him, Are you the only stranger 208 00:14:51,960 --> 00:14:54,640 in Jerusalem? And have you not known the 209 00:14:54,640 --> 00:14:57,040 things which happened there in these days? 210 00:14:57,880 --> 00:14:59,520 And he said to them, What things? 211 00:15:00,160 --> 00:15:03,760 And they said to him the things concerning Jesus of Nazareth, 212 00:15:03,760 --> 00:15:08,160 whom was a prophet, mighty indeed in Word before God and 213 00:15:08,160 --> 00:15:11,480 all the people, and how the chief priest and our rulers 214 00:15:11,480 --> 00:15:14,720 delivered him to be condemned to death and crucified him. 215 00:15:15,360 --> 00:15:18,560 But we were hoping that it was he who was going to redeem 216 00:15:18,560 --> 00:15:21,360 Israel. Indeed, beside all this, today 217 00:15:21,360 --> 00:15:23,760 is the third day since these things have happened. 218 00:15:24,160 --> 00:15:27,120 Yes, in certain women of our company who had arrived at the 219 00:15:27,120 --> 00:15:31,840 tomb early, astonished us when they did not find His body, and 220 00:15:31,840 --> 00:15:35,800 they came saying that they had also seen a vision of angels who 221 00:15:35,800 --> 00:15:39,200 said He was alive. And certain of those who were 222 00:15:39,200 --> 00:15:42,080 with us went to the tomb, and found that just as a woman had 223 00:15:42,080 --> 00:15:45,560 said. But Him they did, we did not 224 00:15:45,560 --> 00:15:48,600 see. Then He said to them, O foolish 225 00:15:48,600 --> 00:15:52,000 ones and slave heart, to believe in all that the prophets have 226 00:15:52,000 --> 00:15:55,680 spoken ought not to Christ to have suffered these things and 227 00:15:55,680 --> 00:15:59,200 to enter into His glory. And beginning at Moses and all 228 00:15:59,200 --> 00:16:02,680 the prophets, he expanded to them all the scriptures, the 229 00:16:02,680 --> 00:16:06,440 things concerning himself. How awesome was that? 230 00:16:07,600 --> 00:16:11,520 They're getting like this eyewitness, perfect miraculous 231 00:16:11,520 --> 00:16:16,800 account of everything that was prophesized regarding Jesus 232 00:16:17,240 --> 00:16:21,600 coming to this earth throughout the Old Testament and that 233 00:16:21,600 --> 00:16:24,760 everything that happened, happened according to what the 234 00:16:24,760 --> 00:16:29,000 Scriptures had foretold. And he started way back in the 235 00:16:29,000 --> 00:16:32,240 time of Moses and he went through all the prophets. 236 00:16:32,640 --> 00:16:35,240 We don't have time today to look up all the verses that talk 237 00:16:35,240 --> 00:16:38,880 about what happened and how these were all fulfilled 100%. 238 00:16:39,880 --> 00:16:42,920 And he and he explained to them all these things. 239 00:16:44,160 --> 00:16:47,080 And so they drew near to the village where they were going, 240 00:16:47,440 --> 00:16:50,120 and he indicated that he would have gone farther, but they 241 00:16:50,120 --> 00:16:53,280 constrained him, saying, abide with us, for it is toward 242 00:16:53,280 --> 00:16:55,480 evening and the day is far spent. 243 00:16:56,160 --> 00:16:58,720 And he went to stay with them. So he's getting ready to take 244 00:16:58,720 --> 00:17:00,440 off. They convince him to stay and 245 00:17:00,440 --> 00:17:02,960 hang out for a while. And they were probably 246 00:17:02,960 --> 00:17:05,640 wondering, like, how in the world does this guy know all the 247 00:17:05,640 --> 00:17:09,920 stuff he's just told us? Now it came to pass as he sat at 248 00:17:09,920 --> 00:17:14,240 the table with them, that he took bread and he blessed it and 249 00:17:14,240 --> 00:17:16,280 he broke it, and he gave it to them. 250 00:17:16,960 --> 00:17:21,720 So every week we take the Lord's Supper and this represents the 251 00:17:21,720 --> 00:17:25,839 body that was given for us, the Lord's body and the blood that 252 00:17:25,839 --> 00:17:28,840 he was shed for us for the remission of our sins. 253 00:17:30,600 --> 00:17:35,960 When Jesus was in the upper room the night before his 254 00:17:35,960 --> 00:17:39,960 crucifixion, he had what was called the Last Supper. 255 00:17:41,240 --> 00:17:47,600 And when he broke the bread and gave the cup, they had never 256 00:17:47,600 --> 00:17:55,920 experienced anything like that ever before because he's telling 257 00:17:55,920 --> 00:18:00,840 them that this represents him, his body. 258 00:18:02,280 --> 00:18:05,840 So that was the last thing they remembered before his 259 00:18:05,840 --> 00:18:10,720 crucifixion. And so here's Jesus now sitting 260 00:18:10,720 --> 00:18:13,560 with them at the table with them. 261 00:18:14,120 --> 00:18:18,440 He takes the bread, He blesses it, He broke it and gave it to 262 00:18:18,440 --> 00:18:20,840 them. There's no one that can break 263 00:18:20,840 --> 00:18:27,600 bread like Jesus, right? It's it's a supernatural 264 00:18:27,600 --> 00:18:33,360 encounter. And whenever he did that, it 265 00:18:33,360 --> 00:18:37,680 says their eyes were open and they knew him and he vanished 266 00:18:37,680 --> 00:18:42,040 from their sight right away. They said this is the Messiah, 267 00:18:42,640 --> 00:18:44,840 this is Jesus. We've seen him. 268 00:18:45,200 --> 00:18:47,800 He truly has risen from the dead. 269 00:18:48,400 --> 00:18:51,600 And they said to one another, did not our heartburn within us 270 00:18:51,600 --> 00:18:55,040 while we talked with us on the road and while we opened the 271 00:18:55,040 --> 00:18:58,600 Scriptures to us. And that's what happens to me 272 00:18:58,600 --> 00:19:01,800 and to you every time we open the Word of God, whether it's 5 273 00:19:01,800 --> 00:19:04,080 minutes or five hours, it doesn't matter. 274 00:19:04,480 --> 00:19:07,760 You read the Word of God. It's a living word and it goes 275 00:19:07,760 --> 00:19:09,920 into your heart and to your spirit. 276 00:19:10,120 --> 00:19:13,760 The Holy Spirit takes what it is you're reading and begins to 277 00:19:13,760 --> 00:19:17,960 burn things in your heart and make them real and make them 278 00:19:17,960 --> 00:19:24,320 alive and make them living. And they they said the evidence 279 00:19:24,320 --> 00:19:28,360 of this experience was that whenever this word was 280 00:19:28,360 --> 00:19:32,760 proclaimed to them, something was happening internally in 281 00:19:32,760 --> 00:19:36,760 their heart. And that's what my prayer is 282 00:19:36,960 --> 00:19:40,600 every time we come here together and gather whoever is preaching, 283 00:19:40,600 --> 00:19:45,600 whoever is teaching the studies throughout the week, the women's 284 00:19:45,600 --> 00:19:48,800 studies, the men's studies, a small group studies of the 285 00:19:48,800 --> 00:19:51,920 pastor teachings, the Wednesday night guys. 286 00:19:52,840 --> 00:19:56,880 Every time the word's broken, something's happening in the 287 00:19:56,880 --> 00:19:59,120 heart. And that's why you want to take 288 00:19:59,120 --> 00:20:02,240 advantage every time the church is open. 289 00:20:02,800 --> 00:20:06,920 And when the word is being broken, come and fellowship and 290 00:20:06,920 --> 00:20:09,720 allow the Lord to work in your heart through the word of God. 291 00:20:10,760 --> 00:20:15,200 And so they. Are amazed at what has happened 292 00:20:15,200 --> 00:20:18,480 so they rose up that very hour they returned to Jerusalem and 293 00:20:18,480 --> 00:20:23,600 found the 11 and of course we know Judas had committed suicide 294 00:20:23,600 --> 00:20:28,400 so he wasn't there yet anymore and the apostle left at this 295 00:20:28,400 --> 00:20:31,680 time who were with them gathered together saying the Lord has 296 00:20:31,680 --> 00:20:37,040 risen indeed and has appeared to Simon exclamation point and they 297 00:20:37,040 --> 00:20:40,360 told about the things that had happened on the road and how he 298 00:20:40,360 --> 00:20:43,600 was known to them by the breaking of bread. 299 00:20:44,720 --> 00:20:49,040 It's interesting how the Lord encourages us to take the Lord's 300 00:20:49,040 --> 00:20:54,320 Supper as frequently as we possibly can, because every time 301 00:20:54,320 --> 00:21:00,040 we take the Supper, Jesus says we remember his death till he 302 00:21:00,040 --> 00:21:02,000 comes again. Something happens to us 303 00:21:02,000 --> 00:21:04,760 supernaturally when we take the Lord's Supper. 304 00:21:04,760 --> 00:21:07,440 It's not a ritual, it's not a routine. 305 00:21:07,720 --> 00:21:11,480 It's something that glorifies God beyond what our imaginations 306 00:21:11,480 --> 00:21:16,080 could even consider, that He loves us to remember what He's 307 00:21:16,080 --> 00:21:19,120 done for us because it's easy for us to forget it. 308 00:21:19,760 --> 00:21:21,800 It's easy for us to take it lightly. 309 00:21:23,760 --> 00:21:26,480 And every time we have the privilege to break the bread 310 00:21:26,480 --> 00:21:29,960 together with Him and with one another, he does something 311 00:21:29,960 --> 00:21:34,760 supernaturally in US. And now in verse 36, as they 312 00:21:34,760 --> 00:21:38,600 said these things, Jesus himself stood in the midst of them and 313 00:21:38,600 --> 00:21:41,520 said to them, Peace to you. These are these are some of the 314 00:21:41,520 --> 00:21:44,800 occurrences of the eyewitness accounts after Christ rose from 315 00:21:44,800 --> 00:21:47,000 the dead. And they were terrified and 316 00:21:47,000 --> 00:21:49,200 frightened and supposed they had seen a spirit. 317 00:21:49,200 --> 00:21:51,240 He said to them, Why are you troubled? 318 00:21:51,240 --> 00:21:54,880 And why do you doubt? Why do these doubts arise in 319 00:21:54,880 --> 00:21:58,840 your hearts? Behold my hands and my feet that 320 00:21:58,840 --> 00:22:03,160 it is I myself handle me and see. 321 00:22:03,400 --> 00:22:06,600 For the Spirit does not have flesh and bones as you see I 322 00:22:06,600 --> 00:22:09,560 have. So he had this resurrected 323 00:22:09,560 --> 00:22:17,480 physical, actual body, flesh and and bone, but but a body that 324 00:22:17,480 --> 00:22:23,400 was now never going to die again, never suffer again. 325 00:22:25,360 --> 00:22:27,480 So he gave them the opportunity to touch him. 326 00:22:27,480 --> 00:22:30,200 And it would have been great to have been in that room to see 327 00:22:30,200 --> 00:22:31,560 that. I don't know what you would have 328 00:22:31,560 --> 00:22:38,840 been. I've probably been like, he's 329 00:22:38,840 --> 00:22:40,720 really here. This is not a ghost. 330 00:22:40,720 --> 00:22:47,000 This is a real person. And then everybody else, I'm 331 00:22:47,000 --> 00:22:50,040 sure we're gathering around hugging them and who knows what 332 00:22:50,040 --> 00:22:56,840 they were up to. And when he had said this, he 333 00:22:56,840 --> 00:22:58,640 showed them his hands and his feet. 334 00:22:59,920 --> 00:23:02,960 And while they still did not believe for joy and marvel, he 335 00:23:02,960 --> 00:23:05,000 said to them, have you any food here? 336 00:23:05,600 --> 00:23:09,200 Now when he shows them the hands and the feet, the, the, the nail 337 00:23:09,200 --> 00:23:13,440 pier scars are still there and they'll be there throughout all 338 00:23:13,440 --> 00:23:15,520 eternity. When we're in heaven one day, 339 00:23:15,840 --> 00:23:19,440 we're always going to remember when we're with Jesus for what 340 00:23:19,440 --> 00:23:22,600 he did for us and why we're actually able to be there with 341 00:23:22,600 --> 00:23:24,360 him because of what he did for us. 342 00:23:26,640 --> 00:23:30,840 And we know Thomas, who wasn't at that particular meeting, he 343 00:23:30,840 --> 00:23:36,000 shows up down the road later. He actually, you know, didn't 344 00:23:36,000 --> 00:23:39,360 believe until we was able to put his hand into the Neil Pierce 345 00:23:40,240 --> 00:23:45,480 scars and then he recognized that it was the Lord himself. 346 00:23:46,400 --> 00:23:50,000 But Jesus knows that they're still like, and their rational 347 00:23:50,000 --> 00:23:55,160 minds thinking like, OK, I'm, I'm experiencing this. 348 00:23:55,160 --> 00:24:00,680 I'm seeing this, I believe now and I but how I need a little 349 00:24:00,680 --> 00:24:03,680 bit more help to really think that this is really real, right? 350 00:24:04,200 --> 00:24:06,760 So then Jesus says, do you have any food here? 351 00:24:06,760 --> 00:24:09,320 The Lord didn't need anything to eat, but he wanted to prove to 352 00:24:09,320 --> 00:24:12,560 him that he still liked to eat. And that's sort of interesting 353 00:24:12,560 --> 00:24:15,120 because when we get to heaven, we're just not sitting around in 354 00:24:15,120 --> 00:24:18,880 clouds, you know, kumbaya worshiping all the time. 355 00:24:18,880 --> 00:24:21,600 Our worships going to be involved in every activity that 356 00:24:21,600 --> 00:24:24,280 we experience in heaven and there's going to be food in 357 00:24:24,280 --> 00:24:25,640 heaven. What do you think about that? 358 00:24:25,640 --> 00:24:30,120 Are you excited about that? No, no food poisoning. 359 00:24:30,120 --> 00:24:34,160 I guarantee the the best fillets that are probably ever possible 360 00:24:34,160 --> 00:24:36,520 be able to be put out there on a table. 361 00:24:36,960 --> 00:24:39,640 This a marriage supper to the lamb that we're all going to 362 00:24:39,640 --> 00:24:43,400 experience in that that first opportunity to be with him in 363 00:24:43,400 --> 00:24:46,520 the Kingdom. This wonderful, wonderful days 364 00:24:46,520 --> 00:24:50,040 ahead for us and those the Lord. So they gave him a piece of 365 00:24:50,040 --> 00:24:53,600 broiled fish and some honeycomb and he took it and he ate it in 366 00:24:53,600 --> 00:24:57,320 their presence. Then he said to them, These are 367 00:24:57,320 --> 00:25:01,000 the words which I spoke to you while I was still with you, that 368 00:25:01,000 --> 00:25:04,600 all things must be fulfilled, which were written in the law of 369 00:25:04,600 --> 00:25:07,960 Moses and the prophets, and the Psalms concerning me. 370 00:25:08,720 --> 00:25:10,680 And he opened their understanding, that they might 371 00:25:10,680 --> 00:25:14,640 have comprehend the Scriptures. And he said to them, Thus it is 372 00:25:14,640 --> 00:25:16,960 written. And thus it was necessary for 373 00:25:16,960 --> 00:25:19,720 Christ's suffering to rise from the dead the third day. 374 00:25:21,320 --> 00:25:28,040 Now this is what I want us all to capture and think about, and 375 00:25:28,040 --> 00:25:32,440 that repentance and remission of sins should be preached in His 376 00:25:32,440 --> 00:25:36,400 name to all nations, beginning in Jerusalem. 377 00:25:37,520 --> 00:25:42,000 The last thing He said to them also said it in Matthew. 378 00:25:42,040 --> 00:25:47,720 He says it to us today. What needs to be done is that we 379 00:25:47,720 --> 00:25:52,640 need to tell people they need to repent from their sins and that 380 00:25:52,720 --> 00:25:59,080 Jesus will forgive them and cleanse them from their sins and 381 00:25:59,080 --> 00:26:06,600 give them everlasting life. This should be preached in His 382 00:26:06,600 --> 00:26:10,200 name to all nations, beginning at Jerusalem. 383 00:26:10,200 --> 00:26:15,760 So our job as followers of Jesus Christ in studying about the 384 00:26:15,760 --> 00:26:20,360 resurrection is to take this message that God has given to 385 00:26:20,360 --> 00:26:24,040 you and me and give it to everyone we possibly can. 386 00:26:24,040 --> 00:26:27,680 Amen. Looking for opportunities to 387 00:26:27,680 --> 00:26:30,880 tell people that don't know anything about what it is. 388 00:26:30,880 --> 00:26:35,280 We know that don't even think there's a possibility of 389 00:26:35,560 --> 00:26:41,120 forgiveness from guilt and shame and sin and we've all committed. 390 00:26:42,880 --> 00:26:47,680 The people for the most part are hopeless and they don't realize 391 00:26:47,680 --> 00:26:51,600 that there is the potential to have life after death. 392 00:26:54,040 --> 00:26:58,280 It's good news. I remember someone saying years 393 00:26:58,280 --> 00:27:01,960 ago, and if you've lost people to cancer or you've had cancer 394 00:27:01,960 --> 00:27:07,920 yourself and it's a wicked, wicked disease, if you had a 395 00:27:07,920 --> 00:27:15,200 literal cure for cancer, you would not hide that cure and 396 00:27:15,200 --> 00:27:18,960 that answer for that disease. You would be breaking down every 397 00:27:18,960 --> 00:27:23,400 hospital door in room where a patient was suffering from 398 00:27:23,400 --> 00:27:26,040 cancer and say, I got good news for you. 399 00:27:27,480 --> 00:27:31,000 I'm going to tell you something and if you believe it, you're 400 00:27:31,000 --> 00:27:32,960 not going to have cancer anymore. 401 00:27:33,840 --> 00:27:38,160 You would tell everybody, well, we have a message that's greater 402 00:27:38,160 --> 00:27:42,040 than the cure for cancer. We have the message, the cure 403 00:27:42,320 --> 00:27:48,120 for death, that people can have life everlasting and forgiveness 404 00:27:48,360 --> 00:27:51,920 of their sin. And so Jesus, he went through 405 00:27:51,920 --> 00:27:56,280 all this, not only for you and me, but he went through this for 406 00:27:56,280 --> 00:28:00,760 everybody that would come to live after you and me, so that 407 00:28:00,760 --> 00:28:04,680 they would hear this perpetually from one generation to the next 408 00:28:04,680 --> 00:28:11,320 generation until he comes again and he says, and you are 409 00:28:11,320 --> 00:28:13,640 witnesses of these things. Now these people were 410 00:28:13,640 --> 00:28:15,600 eyewitnesses. They were standing there, they 411 00:28:15,600 --> 00:28:18,720 were experiencing his literal physical body. 412 00:28:18,720 --> 00:28:20,960 They heard his voice, they saw his presence. 413 00:28:21,480 --> 00:28:25,120 Behold, I send the promise of my Father upon you. 414 00:28:25,160 --> 00:28:28,440 And this is the power of the Holy Spirit. 415 00:28:30,960 --> 00:28:33,640 But Terry, in the city of Jerusalem until you were endued 416 00:28:33,640 --> 00:28:37,200 with power from on high. So they had to wait till they 417 00:28:37,200 --> 00:28:40,800 had the Holy Spirit's power to have the boldness and the 418 00:28:40,800 --> 00:28:45,040 courage to tell people about what Jesus had done for them, 419 00:28:45,040 --> 00:28:48,960 because they knew that they were potentially going to be martyred 420 00:28:48,960 --> 00:28:51,800 and killed because of following Jesus. 421 00:28:52,600 --> 00:28:55,560 And this is one of the greatest endorsements of the reality of 422 00:28:55,560 --> 00:29:00,480 the history of the resurrection. There's no way people would give 423 00:29:00,480 --> 00:29:04,520 their lives to potentially die and be martyred for something 424 00:29:04,520 --> 00:29:08,840 that was not true. These men and these women 425 00:29:08,840 --> 00:29:15,680 throughout the histories of life and martyrdom said this is worth 426 00:29:15,680 --> 00:29:19,920 dying for. This is worth giving my life 427 00:29:19,920 --> 00:29:27,400 for. We received the Holy Spirit when 428 00:29:27,400 --> 00:29:30,360 we were born again. When we receive Jesus into our 429 00:29:30,360 --> 00:29:33,800 heart as our Lord and Savior, we're not alone anymore. 430 00:29:33,800 --> 00:29:38,360 God lives within us and so when we hear the word of God, if 431 00:29:38,360 --> 00:29:40,760 we're believers, it resonates is the truth. 432 00:29:41,800 --> 00:29:45,400 We don't doubt anymore. We know it's true because he 433 00:29:45,400 --> 00:29:50,000 lives within us. What propels us to do what it is 434 00:29:50,000 --> 00:29:59,280 we do for God in Our Calling and our giftings is made possible by 435 00:29:59,280 --> 00:30:01,280 the Holy Spirit that lives in each of us. 436 00:30:01,280 --> 00:30:05,120 So you and me and, and, and everyone else that believes in 437 00:30:05,120 --> 00:30:08,800 the Lord, we're out in the marketplace, we're out in the 438 00:30:08,800 --> 00:30:13,160 world, we're out in the culture, we're out in our jobs, our 439 00:30:13,160 --> 00:30:16,960 occupations and our families and our sports activities, our 440 00:30:16,960 --> 00:30:19,360 leisure. And there's always an 441 00:30:19,360 --> 00:30:22,760 opportunity to run into someone that knows nothing about what we 442 00:30:22,760 --> 00:30:25,920 know. And the Holy Spirit convicts you 443 00:30:26,800 --> 00:30:29,600 and you think, how can I get a conversation going with this 444 00:30:29,600 --> 00:30:32,240 person I'm starting to enjoy being with? 445 00:30:32,960 --> 00:30:37,400 To tell them more about my life and how many kids I have, or 446 00:30:37,400 --> 00:30:40,840 where do I live, or what kind of job I have, or what kind of car 447 00:30:40,840 --> 00:30:43,520 I drive or where do I like to go on vacation, All that kind of 448 00:30:43,520 --> 00:30:46,480 stuff. Small talk, weather, politics, 449 00:30:46,480 --> 00:30:50,840 whatever. To find a way that I can tell 450 00:30:50,840 --> 00:30:53,560 them about what Jesus has done for me. 451 00:30:55,280 --> 00:30:59,440 Get that conversation going. And then hearing them either 452 00:30:59,440 --> 00:31:02,200 blowing you off and ignoring you or laughing at you, which 453 00:31:02,200 --> 00:31:06,840 happens sometimes, or someone saying, that's interesting, I'd 454 00:31:06,840 --> 00:31:10,680 like to know more about that. And they ask you questions and 455 00:31:10,680 --> 00:31:12,920 you build a friendship, you build a relationship. 456 00:31:13,360 --> 00:31:17,720 And, and because of those conversations, God uses you to 457 00:31:18,000 --> 00:31:20,960 to see people LED into the Kingdom of God to believe in 458 00:31:21,000 --> 00:31:25,160 Jesus Christ and become saved and on their way to heaven. 459 00:31:27,560 --> 00:31:31,880 And he led them up out as far as Bethany, and he lifted up his 460 00:31:31,880 --> 00:31:34,360 hands, and he blessed them. This is the last thing they 461 00:31:34,360 --> 00:31:37,520 remember seeing. Now it came to pass while he 462 00:31:37,520 --> 00:31:40,960 blessed them, that he was parted from them and carried up into 463 00:31:40,960 --> 00:31:43,320 heaven. So they saw the ascension occur. 464 00:31:44,040 --> 00:31:46,960 And this also is discussed in the book of the Acts. 465 00:31:48,080 --> 00:31:50,800 It said, Madam, brethren, why are you looking up? 466 00:31:52,680 --> 00:31:57,880 Remember that the same Jesus is being taken up from you shall 467 00:31:57,880 --> 00:32:02,760 come again in like manner. So physically I saw him come up 468 00:32:03,600 --> 00:32:09,240 and the Bible says the second coming of Jesus physically, eyes 469 00:32:09,240 --> 00:32:13,800 will see him come back to this earth, establish his Kingdom in 470 00:32:13,800 --> 00:32:18,720 Jerusalem for 1000 years, the millennial Kingdom and they 471 00:32:18,720 --> 00:32:22,920 worshipped him and they returned to Jerusalem with great joy. 472 00:32:23,920 --> 00:32:27,040 And we're continually in the temple praising and blessing 473 00:32:27,040 --> 00:32:30,800 God, I should say. So this was a real revival. 474 00:32:30,800 --> 00:32:35,080 This wasn't something like the Steelers will win the day and 475 00:32:35,080 --> 00:32:38,680 then we'll rejoice and we'll be excited and and then two hours 476 00:32:38,680 --> 00:32:40,160 later, we could care less, right? 477 00:32:42,760 --> 00:32:45,840 This is an event that you can't ever get out of your head. 478 00:32:47,040 --> 00:32:50,600 And and it says that they they return to Jerusalem with with 479 00:32:50,600 --> 00:32:53,360 this great joy. And I think we say happy New 480 00:32:53,360 --> 00:32:56,040 Year, right? I think we should say joyous New 481 00:32:56,040 --> 00:32:59,520 Year because happiness is based upon circumstances. 482 00:33:00,160 --> 00:33:01,800 And is everybody happy? Yeah. 483 00:33:01,800 --> 00:33:04,760 Sometimes you're happy, sometimes you're sad, sometimes 484 00:33:04,760 --> 00:33:06,520 you're mad, sometimes you're glad. 485 00:33:06,800 --> 00:33:08,680 But joy is a fruit of the spirit. 486 00:33:08,680 --> 00:33:12,960 When the joy of of the Lord is in US, they can't be drained. 487 00:33:12,960 --> 00:33:16,320 It's it's eternal, it's supernatural, it's something you 488 00:33:16,320 --> 00:33:19,440 can draw from no matter what you're going through and what 489 00:33:19,440 --> 00:33:22,440 you're dealing with in life. The joy of the Lord is our 490 00:33:22,440 --> 00:33:28,760 strength and we see that in the lives of each other. 491 00:33:29,200 --> 00:33:33,960 When we suffer, we're not excited about suffering and 492 00:33:33,960 --> 00:33:36,000 tragedy and difficulty and heartache. 493 00:33:36,440 --> 00:33:41,200 But when Jesus is in the midst of your suffering, there's this 494 00:33:41,200 --> 00:33:46,360 presence of joy, isn't there? It's and it's not something we 495 00:33:46,360 --> 00:33:49,000 can manufacture or try to make happen. 496 00:33:49,000 --> 00:33:52,040 It's something that's supernaturally is given to you 497 00:33:52,040 --> 00:33:56,760 and me as a gift. It's a fruit of the Spirit, the 498 00:33:56,760 --> 00:34:00,080 love, the joy, the peace, the long-suffering, the gentleness, 499 00:34:00,080 --> 00:34:03,800 the goodness, the meekness. All the attributes of Jesus are 500 00:34:03,960 --> 00:34:11,920 in us because Christ is in US, Christ in you the hope of glory. 501 00:34:13,960 --> 00:34:21,560 And so whenever we we watch that little video clip there of of 502 00:34:21,560 --> 00:34:25,480 Jesus showing up at at Lazarus death. 503 00:34:26,800 --> 00:34:30,840 It's it's interesting because Lazarus is about his figure 504 00:34:30,840 --> 00:34:37,520 about 30 years old when that happened and Jesus, he knew all 505 00:34:37,520 --> 00:34:41,960 about it ahead of time and he didn't show up immediately 506 00:34:41,960 --> 00:34:46,239 because there was a reason for what had happened and why it 507 00:34:46,239 --> 00:34:51,400 happened the way it happened. But Lazarus was supernaturally 508 00:34:51,400 --> 00:34:54,840 resurrected from a terminally dead condition. 509 00:34:54,840 --> 00:35:00,520 Of course, it wasn't the final resurrection because even though 510 00:35:00,520 --> 00:35:03,240 he was healed and brought back to life, he eventually died, 511 00:35:03,240 --> 00:35:06,440 right. But but Jesus resurrection was 512 00:35:06,440 --> 00:35:10,360 the fact that he can never die again and never will die again. 513 00:35:11,240 --> 00:35:13,600 And so whenever we're resurrected, we're never going 514 00:35:13,600 --> 00:35:27,360 to die again. And so this this issue of what 515 00:35:27,360 --> 00:35:35,600 happened with Lazarus was the fact that it was a precursor of 516 00:35:35,600 --> 00:35:39,960 about 6 days before Jesus would actually be raised from the dead 517 00:35:39,960 --> 00:35:44,440 himself. And they wanted to eliminate 518 00:35:44,440 --> 00:35:49,000 him, the enemies, because of what he had done for Lazarus. 519 00:35:49,000 --> 00:35:52,280 Because a lot of people there were skeptics up until that time 520 00:35:52,280 --> 00:35:56,200 regarding Jesus and his message of repentance and remission of 521 00:35:56,200 --> 00:36:00,720 sins became believers because what had happened to Lazarus. 522 00:36:01,560 --> 00:36:06,440 So they saw Jesus as being a great threat to the rest of the 523 00:36:06,880 --> 00:36:10,640 nation of Israel, and they wanted to eliminate him and get 524 00:36:10,640 --> 00:36:18,520 get rid of him. And so Mary and Martha and 525 00:36:18,520 --> 00:36:23,720 Lazarus lived in Bethany and Jesus throughout his lifetime 526 00:36:23,720 --> 00:36:26,040 had developed a friendship with them. 527 00:36:26,400 --> 00:36:29,560 So on his way to celebrate Passover, he would stay at their 528 00:36:29,560 --> 00:36:30,920 house. So they were really, really 529 00:36:30,920 --> 00:36:35,520 close friends and Jesus hung out there a lot with them. 530 00:36:37,480 --> 00:36:44,880 And whenever Martha first came and said, Lord, if you would 531 00:36:44,880 --> 00:36:47,680 have been here in time, he wouldn't have died. 532 00:36:48,960 --> 00:36:54,400 He saw the anguish in her, the heartache, the desolation, the 533 00:36:54,400 --> 00:36:59,360 confusion. Because Jesus is a man of 534 00:36:59,360 --> 00:37:01,240 sorrows and acquainted with grief. 535 00:37:02,520 --> 00:37:07,000 There's not one thing you and I go through that we go through 536 00:37:07,000 --> 00:37:12,760 alone as his kids. He suffers with you when you're 537 00:37:12,760 --> 00:37:20,000 suffering. He, he enters into your life and 538 00:37:20,000 --> 00:37:24,440 the times that you're broken and your your heart is blown apart. 539 00:37:25,560 --> 00:37:28,160 He's there to bring comfort. He's there to bring courage. 540 00:37:28,160 --> 00:37:34,320 He's there to bring strength. He's there to bring hope and 541 00:37:34,320 --> 00:37:39,680 reason and peace. And the longer you walk with the 542 00:37:39,680 --> 00:37:44,160 Lord and the more you begin to know Him and the older you get 543 00:37:44,160 --> 00:37:53,160 in your relationship to Him, He never doesn't show up and 544 00:37:53,160 --> 00:37:57,240 minister to you. Now at first when you're going 545 00:37:57,240 --> 00:37:59,680 through whatever it is, you, you, you want a miracle right 546 00:37:59,680 --> 00:38:02,120 away. You want help now, not like 10 547 00:38:02,120 --> 00:38:03,760 minutes from now or two days from now. 548 00:38:04,120 --> 00:38:07,880 Lord, I need you right now. And he's there. 549 00:38:07,880 --> 00:38:11,080 We just don't sense it sometimes He, he lets us like get 550 00:38:11,080 --> 00:38:14,600 desperate to really push into him and the struggle to really 551 00:38:14,600 --> 00:38:18,800 find him. He says if you seek me with all 552 00:38:18,800 --> 00:38:23,440 your heart, you'll find me. If you seek the Lord with just a 553 00:38:23,440 --> 00:38:26,480 superficial heart, He's still there, but He's not going to 554 00:38:26,480 --> 00:38:29,760 show up the way you want him to. But when you're desperate for 555 00:38:29,760 --> 00:38:33,240 Him and you're crying out to Him and He knows you're at the point 556 00:38:33,240 --> 00:38:38,080 of ready to receive and experience Him, He will show up 557 00:38:38,320 --> 00:38:43,200 in a very powerful way. So even though Jesus knew he was 558 00:38:43,200 --> 00:38:50,800 going to raise Lazarus from the dead, when Martha shared her 559 00:38:50,800 --> 00:38:53,200 brokenness to him, you know what it says in the Bible? 560 00:38:53,880 --> 00:38:58,160 Jesus wept. Why would He weep? 561 00:39:00,000 --> 00:39:02,280 He knows the end from the beginning. 562 00:39:03,600 --> 00:39:11,640 Beginning from the end. He weeps for us because He knows 563 00:39:11,640 --> 00:39:16,680 we don't understand at times. Why, Lord, why? 564 00:39:19,800 --> 00:39:25,640 And our hearts are broken, but he puts the heart back together 565 00:39:25,640 --> 00:39:28,160 again. And I find through crisis and 566 00:39:28,160 --> 00:39:34,680 adversity and suffering and tragedy, it's a paradox because 567 00:39:34,680 --> 00:39:38,080 it's the best thing that can happen to a human being because 568 00:39:38,080 --> 00:39:44,640 it causes them to look for God and then perhaps even maybe 569 00:39:44,640 --> 00:39:47,160 believe in God because of what they've gone through or what 570 00:39:47,160 --> 00:39:51,360 they're going through. He's a master physician. 571 00:39:51,360 --> 00:39:54,960 He knows how to touch the heart. He knows how to pull out the, 572 00:39:54,960 --> 00:39:58,920 the stuff that needs to be exposed and to, to be repented 573 00:39:58,920 --> 00:40:01,480 of and to, to be seen as as ugly as it is. 574 00:40:01,480 --> 00:40:04,680 And why he had to die that violent death on the cross for 575 00:40:04,680 --> 00:40:08,240 the sins that we've committed against him, past, present and 576 00:40:08,240 --> 00:40:13,080 future. The the lack of. 577 00:40:16,680 --> 00:40:21,200 Compassion that we have for this great God at times is that's 578 00:40:21,200 --> 00:40:24,560 what I marvel about. I say, Lord, how can you love me 579 00:40:25,920 --> 00:40:29,360 so much when I've loved you so little? 580 00:40:31,520 --> 00:40:37,760 But His love for me and you is not predicated or conditioned 581 00:40:38,720 --> 00:40:43,240 upon a temperature of what He thinks or sees and how we love 582 00:40:43,240 --> 00:40:47,960 Him. It says He loved us, and while 583 00:40:47,960 --> 00:40:54,360 we were yet sinners, Christ died for us, our worst place in life 584 00:40:54,360 --> 00:40:58,920 and time. He died for us because He loves 585 00:40:58,920 --> 00:41:06,640 us. So when we look at this section 586 00:41:06,640 --> 00:41:12,320 in First Corinthians 15, I pray, and this is a long chapter, 587 00:41:12,320 --> 00:41:15,840 we're going to get into a lot of interesting teachings regarding 588 00:41:15,840 --> 00:41:19,240 what happens to the body after death and the type of the 589 00:41:19,240 --> 00:41:23,600 resurrection that occurs. For the resurrection from the 590 00:41:23,600 --> 00:41:29,480 dead, for those resurrection of righteousness believers and the 591 00:41:29,480 --> 00:41:32,920 resurrection of condemnation and guilt for those who are 592 00:41:32,920 --> 00:41:37,360 unbelievers who unfortunately will suffer all eternity and 593 00:41:37,360 --> 00:41:42,920 hell because they refused to believe on Jesus and accept Him 594 00:41:42,920 --> 00:41:48,720 as their Savior. All these people that were 595 00:41:49,320 --> 00:41:53,320 exposed to this experience, Peter Cephas, that's another 596 00:41:53,320 --> 00:41:56,680 name for Simon Peter. Then they called him the 12, 597 00:41:56,680 --> 00:41:58,320 even though there was only 11 left. 598 00:41:58,320 --> 00:42:03,080 They were known as the 12 apostles, the 500 people that 599 00:42:03,160 --> 00:42:13,320 saw him at one time, then James Peters or Jesus brother, half 600 00:42:13,320 --> 00:42:17,400 brother that the whole life of growing up as a kid in the 601 00:42:17,400 --> 00:42:21,600 house, as I mentioned last time, all these other brothers were 602 00:42:21,600 --> 00:42:23,760 always getting in trouble. I'm sure getting spanked. 603 00:42:23,760 --> 00:42:29,760 Jesus never got spanked once and they would call him goody 2 604 00:42:29,760 --> 00:42:32,800 sandals. Jesus never does anything wrong. 605 00:42:32,800 --> 00:42:35,480 You love him more than you love me because he never he's 606 00:42:35,480 --> 00:42:37,760 perfect. They didn't even know what they 607 00:42:37,760 --> 00:42:41,040 were saying. Surely he was perfect and is 608 00:42:41,040 --> 00:42:49,720 perfect without sin. And then Paul, we'll get into 609 00:42:49,720 --> 00:42:52,040 that next week. He says last of all, he was seen 610 00:42:52,040 --> 00:42:55,960 by me also as by one born out of due time. 611 00:42:59,360 --> 00:43:02,840 And how Paul got saved is a miracle in and of itself. 612 00:43:03,920 --> 00:43:07,560 Martyring Christians, putting them in prison, having them 613 00:43:07,680 --> 00:43:12,200 killed because they followed Jesus and the and the humor of 614 00:43:12,320 --> 00:43:14,320 Jesus. Guess who I'm going to pick to 615 00:43:14,320 --> 00:43:17,600 be one of the leaders of my, my New Testament church? 616 00:43:19,040 --> 00:43:21,360 Paul Tarsus, You got to be kidding me. 617 00:43:22,000 --> 00:43:24,400 This guy was a murderer. You can't trust him. 618 00:43:24,400 --> 00:43:29,800 We hate you know no way but God chooses a weak and foolish 619 00:43:29,800 --> 00:43:33,360 things of this world to confound the wise that no flesh your 620 00:43:33,360 --> 00:43:37,040 gloriness present. I am the last person and I Lewis 621 00:43:37,040 --> 00:43:39,400 will say the same to be doing what we're doing. 622 00:43:39,400 --> 00:43:41,360 You got to God. You got to have a good sense of 623 00:43:41,360 --> 00:43:45,240 humor to you would call us out of our sinful lifestyles and our 624 00:43:45,240 --> 00:43:49,280 self centeredness and our pride and our greed and all these 625 00:43:49,280 --> 00:43:53,440 weaknesses of our human feralities and feelings. 626 00:43:54,280 --> 00:43:58,480 And you, you choose to speak through us. 627 00:43:58,920 --> 00:44:01,560 He could speak through a donkey, right? 628 00:44:03,360 --> 00:44:05,240 He can speak through an ass, right? 629 00:44:08,320 --> 00:44:12,840 So it's humbling. So as a worship team can come 630 00:44:12,840 --> 00:44:21,440 forward, 11:45 I stop at 11:45. Lewis stops at 1155 S. 631 00:44:24,840 --> 00:44:27,240 Do you like me better than Louis because I quit sooner. 632 00:44:30,440 --> 00:44:32,800 No, I used to like preach for an hour and a half. 633 00:44:32,800 --> 00:44:35,920 I was telling Louis and finally I realized like people checked 634 00:44:35,920 --> 00:44:40,480 out like a long time ago. So we only have so much 635 00:44:40,640 --> 00:44:43,800 bandwidth. But anyway, it's a privilege to 636 00:44:43,800 --> 00:44:47,240 be able to teach this to you today, and I pray that the Lord 637 00:44:47,240 --> 00:44:51,000 will touch your heart and bring healing to where it needs to be 638 00:44:51,000 --> 00:44:53,760 healing. I know some of our family in 639 00:44:53,760 --> 00:44:55,960 this church has lost loved ones this year. 640 00:44:56,400 --> 00:44:59,000 Some are dealing with serious illnesses. 641 00:44:59,480 --> 00:45:04,120 Some are dealing with wayward family or broken kids, marriages 642 00:45:04,120 --> 00:45:06,080 that have been in disarray, whatever. 643 00:45:06,560 --> 00:45:10,120 But we're also grateful for all the answers to prayer that we've 644 00:45:10,120 --> 00:45:14,160 had at Calvary Chapel this year, all the wonderful things that 645 00:45:14,160 --> 00:45:17,360 God has done in your lives and the lives of many that we care 646 00:45:17,360 --> 00:45:20,520 about and love. So keep praying, keep trusting 647 00:45:20,520 --> 00:45:25,600 the Lord, keep asking questions, and we're here for you to help 648 00:45:25,600 --> 00:45:29,680 you in your path and your walk as you help us as well. 649 00:45:30,680 --> 00:45:32,680 Let's take the Lord's Supper together.