1 00:00:03,320 --> 00:00:05,960 Welcome to the Liberty Baptist Sermon Archives. 2 00:00:06,200 --> 00:00:09,040 The message you're about to hear was preached at Liberty Baptist 3 00:00:09,040 --> 00:00:13,040 Church in Easton, MA. You can find out more about us 4 00:00:13,040 --> 00:00:17,280 or contact us at my libertybaptist.org or just look 5 00:00:17,280 --> 00:00:19,760 us up on Facebook. And now we hope that this 6 00:00:19,760 --> 00:00:22,040 message from God's Word will be a blessing to you. 7 00:00:24,480 --> 00:00:27,360 So would you turn to 1st Corinthians chapter #15 at this 8 00:00:27,360 --> 00:00:31,160 time every year, maybe every few years, we take the opportunity 9 00:00:31,160 --> 00:00:34,280 to be able to look at the resurrection of Jesus Christ. 10 00:00:34,280 --> 00:00:36,960 And the reason why is because it's important for us to 11 00:00:36,960 --> 00:00:41,480 understand why the resurrection of Jesus Christ was necessary. 12 00:00:41,480 --> 00:00:44,160 As a pastor, why would this be something that you would feel 13 00:00:44,160 --> 00:00:46,600 it's important to put in the rotation every couple of years 14 00:00:46,600 --> 00:00:48,240 or so? Well, because when it comes to 15 00:00:48,240 --> 00:00:50,800 the reality of the resurrection, I believe all of us have that 16 00:00:50,800 --> 00:00:52,120 understanding. If you're sitting here this 17 00:00:52,120 --> 00:00:54,960 morning here at Liberty Baptist Church that the direction of 18 00:00:55,040 --> 00:00:58,640 Jesus Christ was real, but yet at the same time, I also believe 19 00:00:58,640 --> 00:01:01,680 that there's not a lot of people, maybe nearly as many. 20 00:01:01,680 --> 00:01:04,239 I'd be a better way of putting it that can explain from the 21 00:01:04,239 --> 00:01:07,440 Bible why the resurrection of Christ was so important. 22 00:01:07,440 --> 00:01:10,000 What's next week all about? Why are we even having a 23 00:01:10,000 --> 00:01:12,680 Resurrection Sunday and Easter Sunday, if you will? 24 00:01:12,680 --> 00:01:15,280 Why are we? It's because Jesus Christ is 25 00:01:15,280 --> 00:01:18,320 risen and he is risen indeed. And it's not just that we know 26 00:01:18,320 --> 00:01:20,840 that because we've repeated enough and that's what we 27 00:01:20,840 --> 00:01:22,240 believe. It's because, well, that's what 28 00:01:22,240 --> 00:01:25,640 the Word of God teaches, and we want to be be able to explain to 29 00:01:25,680 --> 00:01:29,440 others why the resurrection of Christ is so important. 30 00:01:29,440 --> 00:01:32,840 And 1st Corinthians chapter #15 perhaps gives us outside of the 31 00:01:32,840 --> 00:01:36,800 Gospels, the greatest explanation of the reality of 32 00:01:36,800 --> 00:01:39,040 the resurrection of, of Jesus Christ. 33 00:01:39,040 --> 00:01:42,240 Now, again, I like going back to the well here over and over 34 00:01:42,240 --> 00:01:45,360 again over the years to make sure that we are well versed in 35 00:01:45,360 --> 00:01:47,960 our understanding of this great Bible truth. 36 00:01:47,960 --> 00:01:49,880 And so we're in First Corinthians chapter 15. 37 00:01:50,120 --> 00:01:52,120 We're looking at all kinds of different places in this 38 00:01:52,120 --> 00:01:55,480 chapter, but we're going to start in verse #12 which says 39 00:01:55,480 --> 00:01:57,600 this. Now, if Christ be preached that 40 00:01:57,600 --> 00:02:01,480 he rose from the dead, how say some among you that there is no 41 00:02:01,720 --> 00:02:04,640 resurrection of the dead? But if there be no resurrection 42 00:02:04,640 --> 00:02:06,840 of the dead, then is Christ not risen? 43 00:02:07,600 --> 00:02:10,039 Christ be not risen. Then is our preaching vain? 44 00:02:10,240 --> 00:02:12,640 And your faith is also vain. Yay. 45 00:02:12,640 --> 00:02:15,720 And we are found false witnesses of God, because we have 46 00:02:15,720 --> 00:02:19,520 testified of God that He's raised up, that He raised up 47 00:02:19,520 --> 00:02:23,680 Christ whom he raised not up. If so be that the dead rise not, 48 00:02:24,000 --> 00:02:26,640 for if the dead rise not, that is not Christ raised. 49 00:02:26,640 --> 00:02:29,920 And if Christ be not raised, your faith is vain, you're yet 50 00:02:29,920 --> 00:02:33,240 in your sins, and they also which are fallen asleep in 51 00:02:33,240 --> 00:02:35,960 Christ or perished. If in this life only we have 52 00:02:35,960 --> 00:02:38,680 hope in Christ, we are of all men most miserable. 53 00:02:38,880 --> 00:02:42,000 But now is Christ risen from the dead and become the firstfruits 54 00:02:42,040 --> 00:02:44,720 of them that slept. I don't know about you, but it's 55 00:02:44,720 --> 00:02:49,440 amazing to me to think that around 50 to 68, when First 56 00:02:49,440 --> 00:02:51,920 Corinthians was written, there were already people who were 57 00:02:51,920 --> 00:02:54,400 denying the very resurrection of Jesus Christ. 58 00:02:54,560 --> 00:02:58,040 This is not something that took place over 2000 years. 59 00:02:58,040 --> 00:03:01,840 This is something that was still or something rather that was 60 00:03:01,840 --> 00:03:04,720 already being taught and already being spoken of while the 61 00:03:04,720 --> 00:03:08,440 apostles were still alive. This issue of the resurrection 62 00:03:08,440 --> 00:03:11,560 wasn't true. And so Paul here in our text 63 00:03:11,560 --> 00:03:14,720 says that if you were to take away the resurrection of Jesus 64 00:03:14,720 --> 00:03:18,440 Christ, if you were to say to those who are skeptics, if you 65 00:03:18,440 --> 00:03:21,560 were to say to those who are non believers that maybe would scoff 66 00:03:21,560 --> 00:03:24,800 at the fact of a resurrection, if we were to concede to them, 67 00:03:24,800 --> 00:03:26,800 well, the resurrection isn't important. 68 00:03:26,960 --> 00:03:30,080 The resurrection really isn't a big deal if we were to concede 69 00:03:30,080 --> 00:03:32,880 that argument, he says. You are pulling a thread that 70 00:03:32,880 --> 00:03:37,320 you don't understand how much of the tapestry of the gospel will 71 00:03:37,320 --> 00:03:40,240 actually be unraveled. And really the end result is if 72 00:03:40,240 --> 00:03:42,320 there is no resurrection, there is no gospel. 73 00:03:42,800 --> 00:03:46,960 You can't just say to moderate yourselves to the deniers, to 74 00:03:46,960 --> 00:03:49,800 the skeptics, that there is no resurrection because as you do 75 00:03:49,800 --> 00:03:53,960 so, and you say there is no hope for the life to come, well then 76 00:03:53,960 --> 00:03:56,360 the Bible says that we are of all men, most miserable. 77 00:03:56,560 --> 00:04:00,360 If Jesus is just about this life and there is no other life, well 78 00:04:00,680 --> 00:04:03,360 then there's a problem because Jesus promised us there would be 79 00:04:03,760 --> 00:04:05,880 another life, that there would be another life to come. 80 00:04:06,040 --> 00:04:09,760 If Jesus had no preparation of this life to come, as he talked 81 00:04:09,760 --> 00:04:13,000 about in John 14, as he talked about to the thief on the cross, 82 00:04:13,000 --> 00:04:14,800 today you will be with me in paradise. 83 00:04:15,080 --> 00:04:18,440 If there is no hope of that, then Jesus Christ himself was a 84 00:04:18,440 --> 00:04:20,120 liar. And what are we left with? 85 00:04:20,279 --> 00:04:22,640 We're left with a puddle of really, well, nothing. 86 00:04:22,880 --> 00:04:25,080 We'll have religious platitudes. We can come to church, we can 87 00:04:25,080 --> 00:04:27,840 sing the songs, we can do all the things, but yet there really 88 00:04:27,840 --> 00:04:30,800 is nothing here. If there is no resurrection. 89 00:04:31,000 --> 00:04:34,200 The resurrection of Christ is the very capstone of the gospel. 90 00:04:34,400 --> 00:04:36,960 Without the resurrection, there is no gospel. 91 00:04:36,960 --> 00:04:38,880 And that's why we celebrate next week. 92 00:04:38,880 --> 00:04:40,840 That's why we celebrate an empty tomb. 93 00:04:41,000 --> 00:04:43,600 That's why we'll go through the whole process over this next 94 00:04:43,600 --> 00:04:46,600 week, considering the Last Supper and then considering 95 00:04:46,760 --> 00:04:49,880 Christ on the cross, and then most importantly, next Sunday 96 00:04:49,880 --> 00:04:51,960 morning, considering the resurrection. 97 00:04:51,960 --> 00:04:54,320 Because all of them were necessary. 98 00:04:54,320 --> 00:04:56,400 We can't take any of those elements away. 99 00:04:56,400 --> 00:05:00,640 The fact of Jesus perfect sinless life, Jesus shedding his 100 00:05:00,640 --> 00:05:03,360 blood on the cross and the resurrection, all of them are 101 00:05:03,360 --> 00:05:05,640 necessary, necessary. But the resurrection, as I 102 00:05:05,640 --> 00:05:08,920 mentioned, is that capstone that goes over all of it that 103 00:05:08,920 --> 00:05:11,800 authenticates that who Jesus Christ is. 104 00:05:11,800 --> 00:05:15,480 And if Christ has power over death when it comes to the fact 105 00:05:15,480 --> 00:05:18,720 that he could rise, then well, we have hope for eternal life as 106 00:05:18,720 --> 00:05:20,840 well. But yet the world has always 107 00:05:20,840 --> 00:05:24,560 mocked and denied the fact that there is this resurrection. 108 00:05:24,560 --> 00:05:28,720 The world has always tried to find ways to be able to explain 109 00:05:28,720 --> 00:05:31,520 away the fact that the resurrection is not real. 110 00:05:31,520 --> 00:05:33,840 So what I want you to do is to put your ribbon, if you, you 111 00:05:33,840 --> 00:05:36,000 have it this morning in First Corinthians 15. 112 00:05:36,000 --> 00:05:37,800 And we're going to look at a few different places. 113 00:05:38,000 --> 00:05:40,160 And 1st, I want to go to Matthew chapter 28. 114 00:05:40,160 --> 00:05:43,280 So why don't you just go a few pages back to Matthew chapter 115 00:05:43,560 --> 00:05:46,960 #28 and obviously we're at the end of the book of Matthew. 116 00:05:47,960 --> 00:05:50,640 Christ is resurrected and there's been all of these 117 00:05:50,640 --> 00:05:52,680 theories that are out there, and some of you may have remembered 118 00:05:52,680 --> 00:05:55,080 some of these from me speaking on this in the past. 119 00:05:55,080 --> 00:05:58,560 But one of those theories that is out there is the conspiracy 120 00:05:58,560 --> 00:06:01,760 theory. The fact that the disciples 121 00:06:01,760 --> 00:06:06,440 conspired together to make it look like Jesus Christ actually 122 00:06:06,440 --> 00:06:08,840 rose from the dead, but well, he didn't actually erase from the 123 00:06:08,840 --> 00:06:10,800 dead. Now the conspiracy theory is the 124 00:06:10,840 --> 00:06:13,360 oldest of all the theories, and the reason why is because we 125 00:06:13,360 --> 00:06:17,000 find it in the Word of God that when the tomb was found empty, 126 00:06:17,160 --> 00:06:20,200 the conspiracy theory was already put into motion. 127 00:06:20,200 --> 00:06:23,160 So Matthew chapter 28, look at verse #11. 128 00:06:23,560 --> 00:06:25,800 And it said this. Now when they were going, 129 00:06:25,800 --> 00:06:28,040 behold, some of the watch came into the city. 130 00:06:28,040 --> 00:06:30,960 Where is the watch? The guards that fell is dead. 131 00:06:30,960 --> 00:06:33,320 And here they are. They're coming into the city and 132 00:06:33,320 --> 00:06:35,960 showed under the chief priests all the things that were done. 133 00:06:36,400 --> 00:06:38,880 And when they were assembled with the elders, and had taken 134 00:06:38,880 --> 00:06:44,560 counsel, they gave large money to unto the soldiers, saying, 135 00:06:44,560 --> 00:06:48,400 Say ye, his disciples came by night, and stole him away while 136 00:06:48,400 --> 00:06:50,440 we slept. And if this come to the 137 00:06:50,440 --> 00:06:53,280 governors ears, we will persuade him, and secure you. 138 00:06:53,640 --> 00:06:55,560 So they took the money and did as they were taught. 139 00:06:55,840 --> 00:06:59,520 And this saying is commonly reported among the Jews until 140 00:06:59,520 --> 00:07:04,040 this day, the idea that these disciples overpowered these 141 00:07:04,040 --> 00:07:08,800 trained Roman soldiers move the stone away that was sealed and 142 00:07:08,800 --> 00:07:10,400 that this was what actually took place. 143 00:07:10,400 --> 00:07:12,200 And there's a lot of problems with this. 144 00:07:12,360 --> 00:07:14,800 First of all, as I just mentioned, these guards were 145 00:07:14,800 --> 00:07:17,240 trained Roman guards. I've heard different theories 146 00:07:17,240 --> 00:07:20,360 about how many were out there, but it doesn't really matter 147 00:07:20,360 --> 00:07:22,840 other than the Bible says that the watch was set. 148 00:07:23,000 --> 00:07:25,000 We know that these men were trained. 149 00:07:25,280 --> 00:07:27,240 And in their training, what do we see? 150 00:07:27,240 --> 00:07:30,520 That there should have been no reason that 11 fearful disciples 151 00:07:30,600 --> 00:07:33,160 disciples and that's what they were they were fearful disciples 152 00:07:33,160 --> 00:07:37,400 came and overpowered these men and took the stone rolled it 153 00:07:37,400 --> 00:07:40,120 away and all that. And they said this just take 154 00:07:40,120 --> 00:07:44,480 some money and just tell people that the disciples overpowered 155 00:07:44,480 --> 00:07:46,400 you. Now there's a problem with this. 156 00:07:46,400 --> 00:07:49,800 And that problem is, is that really they should have given 157 00:07:49,800 --> 00:07:54,280 their life for not having done that which they were required to 158 00:07:54,280 --> 00:07:56,760 do. But what was said of them is 159 00:07:56,760 --> 00:08:00,280 listen, if this gets into the hierarchies ears, we'll take 160 00:08:00,280 --> 00:08:02,200 care of it. Don't worry about anything. 161 00:08:02,200 --> 00:08:03,600 We will be the ones that. Take care of it. 162 00:08:03,800 --> 00:08:06,680 And it says that from that time on, it was commonly reported 163 00:08:06,680 --> 00:08:09,240 among the Jews that this was what took place. 164 00:08:09,520 --> 00:08:14,680 But yet this conspiracy that supposedly took place, there's 165 00:08:14,680 --> 00:08:17,480 several problems with it. And one of the main problems was 166 00:08:17,480 --> 00:08:20,000 this. A lot of people saw Jesus after 167 00:08:20,000 --> 00:08:23,120 he resurrected. I mean, a lot of people saw 168 00:08:23,320 --> 00:08:25,760 Jesus after he resurrected. He say, well, pastor, how do you 169 00:08:25,760 --> 00:08:27,080 know what we know from the Gospels? 170 00:08:27,080 --> 00:08:30,040 Another place that we know is from First Corinthians chapter 171 00:08:30,040 --> 00:08:31,960 15. So go back to First Corinthians 172 00:08:31,960 --> 00:08:33,799 15. I told you, keep that ribbon 173 00:08:33,799 --> 00:08:35,280 there because we weren't going to be gone very long. 174 00:08:35,280 --> 00:08:39,320 First Corinthians 15. Look again at verse #4 Actually, 175 00:08:40,520 --> 00:08:43,760 let's just start at verse #1 Moreover, brethren, I declare 176 00:08:43,760 --> 00:08:46,960 unto you the gospel which I preached unto you, which also 177 00:08:46,960 --> 00:08:50,400 you have received, wherein you stand, but by which also you 178 00:08:50,400 --> 00:08:53,440 were saved, or you are saved, if you keep in memory that which I 179 00:08:53,440 --> 00:08:56,120 preached unto you, unless you have believed in vain. 180 00:08:56,480 --> 00:08:59,440 For I delivered unto you first of all that which I also 181 00:08:59,440 --> 00:09:00,360 received. How? 182 00:09:00,360 --> 00:09:03,800 That Christ died for our sins. According to the Scriptures, He 183 00:09:03,800 --> 00:09:07,800 was buried and He the third day according to scriptures. 184 00:09:07,800 --> 00:09:09,840 So what is Paul continually appealed to? 185 00:09:09,960 --> 00:09:11,720 He died according to the scriptures. 186 00:09:11,880 --> 00:09:13,600 He rose according to the scriptures. 187 00:09:13,760 --> 00:09:16,960 This is what the scriptures prophesied, that he would die. 188 00:09:17,120 --> 00:09:19,440 This is what the scriptures prophesied that he rise again. 189 00:09:19,440 --> 00:09:21,320 This is what Jesus said of his own life. 190 00:09:21,560 --> 00:09:24,280 He says if you take down this Tabernacle in three days it will 191 00:09:24,280 --> 00:09:26,800 rise up again. This was being spoken of. 192 00:09:27,080 --> 00:09:30,880 No one, Paul is saying, should be surprised by the fact that 193 00:09:30,880 --> 00:09:34,600 Jesus died for our sins and rose again, because Jesus made this 194 00:09:34,600 --> 00:09:36,360 quite clear. And the story, story of the 195 00:09:36,360 --> 00:09:39,560 scriptures, if you will, makes it quite clear that this was 196 00:09:39,560 --> 00:09:42,640 what was to take place when you take the balance of Scriptures 197 00:09:42,640 --> 00:09:44,280 together. But in going with this 198 00:09:44,280 --> 00:09:47,400 conspiracy theory, go on to verse #5 it says this. 199 00:09:47,600 --> 00:09:50,600 He was seen of Cephas, and then of the 12. 200 00:09:51,000 --> 00:09:55,440 After that he was seen of above 500 brethren at once, of whom 201 00:09:55,440 --> 00:09:58,440 the greater part remain unto this present, but some are 202 00:09:58,440 --> 00:10:01,560 falling under sleep. After that he was seen of James, 203 00:10:01,760 --> 00:10:04,560 then of all the apostles. And last of all he was seen of 204 00:10:04,560 --> 00:10:08,600 me also as one born out of due time, meaning he saw him on the 205 00:10:08,600 --> 00:10:11,360 Damascus road, one who was not with the disciples. 206 00:10:11,360 --> 00:10:14,640 He was born out of due time. He was born again after that 207 00:10:14,640 --> 00:10:20,000 initial ministry of Jesus Christ and sometime later after that. 208 00:10:20,360 --> 00:10:23,360 But what Paul is saying here is that there are far too many 209 00:10:23,360 --> 00:10:28,560 people who saw Jesus Christ to be able to say that Jesus Christ 210 00:10:28,560 --> 00:10:31,320 was stolen away. On top of the fact, there's a 211 00:10:31,320 --> 00:10:34,240 quote that I think is very good about this that I think really 212 00:10:34,240 --> 00:10:37,440 does put it into perspective. Men will die for what they 213 00:10:37,440 --> 00:10:40,360 believe to be true, though it may actually be false. 214 00:10:40,720 --> 00:10:44,040 They do not, however, die for what they know is a lie. 215 00:10:44,640 --> 00:10:47,640 Could you imagine the disciples knowing that they stole away 216 00:10:47,920 --> 00:10:50,960 Jesus Christ? But then 10 out of 11 of those 217 00:10:50,960 --> 00:10:54,960 disciples that remained ended up becoming martyrs, and John 218 00:10:54,960 --> 00:11:00,440 himself was also treated very poorly and put into exile on the 219 00:11:00,440 --> 00:11:04,120 Isle of Patmos. These men who knew supposedly 220 00:11:04,200 --> 00:11:06,600 that this was false, we're all willing to die for that 221 00:11:06,600 --> 00:11:07,800 falsehood. People don't do that. 222 00:11:08,280 --> 00:11:10,960 Now, they might believe something is false and die for, 223 00:11:10,960 --> 00:11:14,920 but not knowingly understanding that they have perpetuated this 224 00:11:14,920 --> 00:11:16,680 lie. And so we would reject this 225 00:11:16,680 --> 00:11:20,240 conspiracy theory out of hand. Obviously, there's also the 226 00:11:20,240 --> 00:11:22,960 swoon theory. Now, the swoon theory may be one 227 00:11:22,960 --> 00:11:24,400 of my favorites and my favorites. 228 00:11:24,400 --> 00:11:28,040 I don't mean that I agree with it, but it just is so outlandish 229 00:11:28,040 --> 00:11:30,760 that it's hard to even really take seriously. 230 00:11:31,000 --> 00:11:34,000 The swoon theory suggests that the cool, damp air of the tomb 231 00:11:34,240 --> 00:11:37,680 somehow revived Jesus after three days and he decided to 232 00:11:37,680 --> 00:11:40,040 exit. Despite not having access to 233 00:11:40,040 --> 00:11:43,200 desperately needed medical care and nourishment, Jesus managed 234 00:11:43,200 --> 00:11:45,760 to unwrap his dressings and then, in total darkness of the 235 00:11:45,760 --> 00:11:50,120 tomb, locate and roll away the stone sealing the tomb entrance. 236 00:11:50,480 --> 00:11:54,320 Still unnoticed by the guards, Jesus walked away on feet 237 00:11:54,320 --> 00:11:57,440 punctured by cross nails to rejoin the disciples. 238 00:11:57,440 --> 00:12:02,080 The idea that just being in that cool dark area revived him 239 00:12:02,080 --> 00:12:04,440 again. Now there are so many problems 240 00:12:04,440 --> 00:12:06,520 with this theory. I don't know that if we took the 241 00:12:06,520 --> 00:12:10,040 whole 50 minutes or so of Sunday school to address them all that 242 00:12:10,040 --> 00:12:13,120 we could properly do so. May I remind you that Jesus was 243 00:12:13,120 --> 00:12:16,640 beaten to bloody shreds by a whip that was used by the Roman 244 00:12:16,640 --> 00:12:18,280 guards? That cat of nine tails that 245 00:12:18,280 --> 00:12:22,440 would have had pieces of glass or bone or metal inside of it 246 00:12:22,680 --> 00:12:27,320 that was designed to embed in the flesh and then pulled across 247 00:12:27,320 --> 00:12:31,800 to RIP flesh into shreds. Jesus had spikes driven through 248 00:12:31,800 --> 00:12:35,280 his hands and his feet and he hung bleeding there for six 249 00:12:35,280 --> 00:12:38,680 hours. The Romans thrust a spear into 250 00:12:38,840 --> 00:12:41,400 Jesus side to confirm that he was dead. 251 00:12:41,400 --> 00:12:44,280 Remember, they were surprised that Jesus was already dead. 252 00:12:44,440 --> 00:12:46,520 And So what did they do? They thrust the spear in the 253 00:12:46,520 --> 00:12:49,880 side and the liquid came out, the blood in the water. 254 00:12:50,360 --> 00:12:53,120 So he wasn't just pierced in his hands and his feet, but he also 255 00:12:53,120 --> 00:12:55,480 had the piercing in his side as well. 256 00:12:55,920 --> 00:13:00,120 Jesus was prepared for burial with the the wrapping in the 257 00:13:00,120 --> 00:13:05,560 spices, which would have had probably up to 20 lbs or maybe 258 00:13:05,560 --> 00:13:09,600 even more of all of that. The heavy rock was in place of 259 00:13:09,600 --> 00:13:11,880 the train. Roaming guards were vigilantly 260 00:13:11,880 --> 00:13:14,880 guarding the entrance. And then after all that, he 261 00:13:14,880 --> 00:13:18,400 walked several miles to a place called Emmaus to talk to two 262 00:13:18,400 --> 00:13:21,840 believers who were there. Supposedly he did all of this 263 00:13:22,080 --> 00:13:25,640 while he was in this state. Here's where we have to kind of 264 00:13:25,640 --> 00:13:28,000 stop ourselves and admit this for a moment. 265 00:13:28,240 --> 00:13:32,680 The world will say anything to deny the fact of who Jesus 266 00:13:32,680 --> 00:13:35,080 Christ is and what Jesus Christ did. 267 00:13:36,200 --> 00:13:39,440 They would say that we're outlandish for believing that 268 00:13:39,440 --> 00:13:42,080 Jesus Christ rose from the dead, but they would think that a 269 00:13:42,080 --> 00:13:45,480 swoon theory is just, well, something that, you know, kind 270 00:13:45,480 --> 00:13:48,240 of makes sense. Well, it doesn't make any sense 271 00:13:48,760 --> 00:13:51,760 unless you're trying to deny that, which is very obvious 272 00:13:51,760 --> 00:13:54,200 right in front of you. And so there is that swoon 273 00:13:54,200 --> 00:13:56,800 theory as well. There's a hallucination theory 274 00:13:56,800 --> 00:14:01,200 that asserts that many people who saw Jesus Christ resurrected 275 00:14:01,200 --> 00:14:04,000 just imagined it. They were under duress. 276 00:14:04,240 --> 00:14:08,280 They were under stress, and as such, they just imagined that 277 00:14:08,400 --> 00:14:13,760 Jesus Christ rose from the dead. Now there's a major problem with 278 00:14:13,760 --> 00:14:16,040 this. You know, you can have a 279 00:14:16,160 --> 00:14:20,360 hallucination and I can have a hallucination, but we can't have 280 00:14:20,360 --> 00:14:23,040 a hallucination together. Do you understand what I'm 281 00:14:23,040 --> 00:14:26,040 saying? The hallucinations don't happen 282 00:14:26,040 --> 00:14:28,200 jointly. Could you imagine 11 disciples 283 00:14:28,200 --> 00:14:30,600 all hallucinating the same thing at the same time in the upper 284 00:14:30,600 --> 00:14:32,920 room? Could you imagine 500 people 285 00:14:32,920 --> 00:14:36,080 hallucinating the same thing at the same time as they saw Jesus 286 00:14:36,080 --> 00:14:39,720 Christ resurrected? There's absolutely no reason 287 00:14:39,720 --> 00:14:42,560 that anyone should believe that that is the case, that 288 00:14:42,560 --> 00:14:44,760 hallucinations are not corporate, they're personal. 289 00:14:45,000 --> 00:14:47,280 How did so many people hallucinate the same thing at 290 00:14:47,280 --> 00:14:51,840 the same time and give the same testimony of that which they had 291 00:14:51,840 --> 00:14:54,600 seen? And if that was the case, let's 292 00:14:54,600 --> 00:14:57,840 say they hallucinated the fact that Jesus rose from the dead, 293 00:14:57,840 --> 00:14:59,840 then the real question is the where's the body? 294 00:15:01,800 --> 00:15:04,000 Because if they're hallucinating these risen for the dead, that 295 00:15:04,000 --> 00:15:07,640 means the body was still there. And the testimony of even the 296 00:15:07,640 --> 00:15:09,440 unbelievers of that time was what? 297 00:15:09,640 --> 00:15:12,000 That Jesus body is gone. That you have to have some 298 00:15:12,000 --> 00:15:14,920 explanation for the fact of where Jesus body is. 299 00:15:14,920 --> 00:15:17,560 So we take that out of hand as well. 300 00:15:17,840 --> 00:15:21,240 There's the impersonation theory, the fact that those 301 00:15:21,440 --> 00:15:24,120 appearances weren't really Christ, but there was someone 302 00:15:24,120 --> 00:15:26,920 impersonating him. Once again, that still leaves 303 00:15:26,920 --> 00:15:28,760 the problem of where the body would be. 304 00:15:28,760 --> 00:15:31,240 There's no explanation. You know what that would be. 305 00:15:31,960 --> 00:15:34,600 I would say also the disciples were very reluctant to even 306 00:15:34,600 --> 00:15:38,760 believe it was Jesus at 1st, and Jesus beckoned them to examine 307 00:15:38,760 --> 00:15:41,440 him. Jesus had no problem telling 308 00:15:41,440 --> 00:15:46,360 Thomas to put his hands into his feet and put his hands in his 309 00:15:46,520 --> 00:15:48,680 finger into his hands and into his side. 310 00:15:48,680 --> 00:15:51,160 Jesus had no problem with close inspection. 311 00:15:51,160 --> 00:15:54,600 I think of Jesus who was in an intimate setting with the 312 00:15:54,600 --> 00:15:58,960 disciples by the seaside. When Peter and others said I go 313 00:15:58,960 --> 00:16:03,000 a fishing and they were close by together, there was no way that 314 00:16:03,000 --> 00:16:07,000 it could be an impersonation that took place in any way, 315 00:16:07,000 --> 00:16:11,000 shape or form. Again the the travellers to 316 00:16:11,000 --> 00:16:15,480 Emmaus, at first they were blinded to the understanding of 317 00:16:15,480 --> 00:16:18,120 who Jesus was. But then when Jesus prayed, it 318 00:16:18,120 --> 00:16:21,440 says in Luke chapter 24 that when he prayed, their eyes were 319 00:16:21,440 --> 00:16:25,120 opened and they realized, wow, this was Jesus and he was gone. 320 00:16:25,480 --> 00:16:27,720 And so we would reject that as well. 321 00:16:28,200 --> 00:16:30,920 There's the spiritual resurrection theory, the idea 322 00:16:30,920 --> 00:16:34,880 that Jesus's resurrection was not a physical resurrection, but 323 00:16:34,880 --> 00:16:37,200 really it was just more spiritual. 324 00:16:37,200 --> 00:16:40,880 It was more metaphorical. It really was a story about 325 00:16:40,880 --> 00:16:43,480 something else. And you can apply the principles 326 00:16:43,720 --> 00:16:46,160 to something else, but this didn't really happen physically. 327 00:16:46,280 --> 00:16:48,640 Now, this appeals to a lot of people because it appeals to 328 00:16:48,640 --> 00:16:53,000 their philosophical side, the idea that well, sure, there's a 329 00:16:53,000 --> 00:16:56,040 story to be told here in the resurrection, new birth, new 330 00:16:56,040 --> 00:16:59,240 life, but it's not as if that's really true. 331 00:16:59,240 --> 00:17:02,000 It's really more allegorical than anything. 332 00:17:02,320 --> 00:17:06,280 Again, that almost sounds reasonable to a certain extent, 333 00:17:06,319 --> 00:17:09,440 but there's only one problem. The Bible doesn't present it 334 00:17:09,440 --> 00:17:11,960 that way. The Bible does not present this 335 00:17:11,960 --> 00:17:14,280 as allegory. The Bible does not present this 336 00:17:14,440 --> 00:17:17,240 as a story that is meant to represent something else. 337 00:17:17,640 --> 00:17:22,599 Jesus himself did not speak of a spiritual resurrection that had 338 00:17:22,599 --> 00:17:26,839 nothing to do with the physical. Jesus promised that he would 339 00:17:26,839 --> 00:17:30,040 return physically in Acts chapter 1, and we won't turn 340 00:17:30,040 --> 00:17:33,360 there right now, but we could to Acts chapter 1 where Jesus made 341 00:17:33,360 --> 00:17:37,360 it very clear that as he was to ascend into heaven is he was 342 00:17:37,360 --> 00:17:39,160 going to come back. And what's the term? 343 00:17:39,320 --> 00:17:42,280 In like manner, the idea is that this was physical. 344 00:17:42,280 --> 00:17:44,520 Now, was there a spiritual element to the resurrection? 345 00:17:44,520 --> 00:17:46,400 Of course there was. We're not denying that's the 346 00:17:46,400 --> 00:17:48,720 case. Of course, what happened 347 00:17:48,720 --> 00:17:52,160 spiritually there was of great importance, but yet to try to 348 00:17:52,160 --> 00:17:55,200 make it into something that was not physical, again, to try to 349 00:17:55,200 --> 00:18:01,360 appeal to the deniers and the skeptics of who Jesus is, is not 350 00:18:01,360 --> 00:18:03,800 what we should be doing as believers. 351 00:18:03,800 --> 00:18:08,040 And again, what happened to the body, what you know, what took 352 00:18:08,040 --> 00:18:11,160 place to even die on the cross? These are questions that those 353 00:18:11,160 --> 00:18:14,800 people could not answer. So to summarize how Paul talks 354 00:18:14,800 --> 00:18:17,760 about the bodily resurrection this chapter, we could put it 355 00:18:17,760 --> 00:18:19,960 this way. Some are saying there's nothing 356 00:18:19,960 --> 00:18:22,800 after death. If that's true, then Christ 357 00:18:22,800 --> 00:18:25,840 didn't raise from the dead. And if that's true, we're false 358 00:18:25,840 --> 00:18:28,680 witnesses. And if that's true, our faith is 359 00:18:28,680 --> 00:18:30,960 worthless. And if that's true, there's no 360 00:18:30,960 --> 00:18:33,960 hope. You see what happens when you 361 00:18:33,960 --> 00:18:36,840 start pulling on that thread, that you start pulling on it. 362 00:18:36,840 --> 00:18:39,600 And again, we try to appeal, and I'm not saying we as in those 363 00:18:39,600 --> 00:18:42,360 who are in this room, but we try to appeal to the skeptics and 364 00:18:42,360 --> 00:18:45,480 the nonbelievers. We would do much better to just 365 00:18:45,480 --> 00:18:49,760 cling, Cling and claim to what the Bible says and let the chips 366 00:18:49,760 --> 00:18:53,520 fall where they may instead of trying to appeal to those who 367 00:18:53,520 --> 00:18:56,240 are unbelievers. Because if we do so and try to 368 00:18:56,240 --> 00:18:59,440 change what the Word of God says to appeal to them, what we end 369 00:18:59,440 --> 00:19:02,920 up doing is really taking away from the supremacy of Scripture. 370 00:19:03,160 --> 00:19:06,000 And we're trying to explain away the Scripture and telling people 371 00:19:06,080 --> 00:19:09,640 they need to believe the plain reading of the Word of God. 372 00:19:09,960 --> 00:19:12,480 Now, why was the resurrection necessary? 373 00:19:12,480 --> 00:19:15,360 Now, we've talked about all these crazy theories here and 374 00:19:15,360 --> 00:19:17,720 again, we've reviewed these in the past, but they're certainly 375 00:19:17,720 --> 00:19:19,640 worth reviewing again here this morning. 376 00:19:19,800 --> 00:19:22,000 But why was the resurrection necessary? 377 00:19:22,000 --> 00:19:24,200 There are several reasons for it this morning. 378 00:19:24,200 --> 00:19:26,360 You're good to write these down if you need to here this 379 00:19:26,360 --> 00:19:28,640 morning. The 1st is this because God 380 00:19:28,720 --> 00:19:32,200 always keeps His word? Why is the resurrect? 381 00:19:32,200 --> 00:19:33,360 That's a good time for that, Ralph. 382 00:19:33,360 --> 00:19:35,680 All right. Why is the resurrection 383 00:19:35,680 --> 00:19:38,640 necessary? Because God always keeps His 384 00:19:38,640 --> 00:19:40,680 word. The most basic of all arguments 385 00:19:40,680 --> 00:19:43,320 of why the resurrection was necessary is because what God 386 00:19:43,320 --> 00:19:46,840 promised that it would occur. You can go all the way to 387 00:19:46,840 --> 00:19:49,200 Genesis chapter 315. I know we've looked there 388 00:19:49,200 --> 00:19:50,920 before. We won't look again this 389 00:19:50,920 --> 00:19:53,240 morning, but you could look there and see that even in the 390 00:19:53,240 --> 00:19:56,840 very beginning, when it says I will put enmity between thee and 391 00:19:56,840 --> 00:19:59,720 the woman, between thy seed and her seed, remember that 392 00:19:59,720 --> 00:20:02,320 mentioning of her seed is very unusual. 393 00:20:02,320 --> 00:20:05,720 Really, it points to the virgin birth between thy seed and her 394 00:20:05,720 --> 00:20:07,640 seed. It shall bruise thy head, and 395 00:20:07,640 --> 00:20:10,400 thou shalt bruise his heel. Now, with our understanding, 396 00:20:10,400 --> 00:20:12,640 with the light that we have received, we look all the way 397 00:20:12,640 --> 00:20:15,960 back to Genesis 315 and realize even in the garden. 398 00:20:15,960 --> 00:20:19,760 And maybe we could put it this way on mankind's worst day. 399 00:20:20,600 --> 00:20:24,160 There was still hope in the gospel on mankind's worst day, 400 00:20:24,160 --> 00:20:28,680 when when we see the sin of Adam and Eve laid bare before us. 401 00:20:28,840 --> 00:20:30,840 There was still hope in the gospel. 402 00:20:31,040 --> 00:20:35,560 And God has continually brought these references to the 403 00:20:35,560 --> 00:20:40,440 resurrection throughout God's Word, Psalm 18, Psalm 22, Isaiah 404 00:20:40,440 --> 00:20:43,040 53, which Lord will and will read this morning during the 405 00:20:43,040 --> 00:20:45,440 morning service. And then even if you were to go 406 00:20:45,440 --> 00:20:48,440 to Acts chapter 2, and I think of Brother Sandy last week, as 407 00:20:48,440 --> 00:20:52,240 he was going through Acts chapter 2 in our morning worship 408 00:20:52,240 --> 00:20:57,800 time, he pointed back to all of those references that that David 409 00:20:57,800 --> 00:21:00,520 wrote from the Psalms. And he's pointing to them and 410 00:21:00,520 --> 00:21:03,960 trying to show the people of Israel that the death and the 411 00:21:03,960 --> 00:21:08,040 resurrection of Jesus Christ was on the mind of God. 412 00:21:08,040 --> 00:21:10,680 Even in the Old Testament and the Scriptures that they say 413 00:21:10,680 --> 00:21:15,040 they held so, so tightly to really prophesied and told that 414 00:21:15,040 --> 00:21:16,960 which happened right before them. 415 00:21:17,840 --> 00:21:21,280 God keeps His word. Turn to Matthew chapter 12 very 416 00:21:21,280 --> 00:21:22,600 quickly. Why don't you do that Matthew 417 00:21:22,600 --> 00:21:26,120 chapter #12. And. 418 00:21:32,860 --> 00:21:35,900 We'll go to verse #38 we'll make mention of this on Friday as 419 00:21:35,900 --> 00:21:40,300 well because of the certainty of the three days and three nights. 420 00:21:40,300 --> 00:21:45,660 But look at verse #38 Matthew chapter 12, verse #38 it says 421 00:21:45,660 --> 00:21:48,020 this. Then certain of the scribes of 422 00:21:48,020 --> 00:21:52,220 the Pharisees answered, saying, Master, we would see a sign from 423 00:21:52,220 --> 00:21:54,280 thee. But he answered and said unto 424 00:21:54,280 --> 00:21:58,240 them, An evil and adulterous generation seeketh after a sign, 425 00:21:58,680 --> 00:22:02,320 and there shall be no sign given to it, but the sign of the 426 00:22:02,320 --> 00:22:07,280 prophet Jonas. 4 As Jonas was 3 days and three nights in the 427 00:22:07,280 --> 00:22:10,880 whale's belly, so shall the Son of Man be 3 days and three 428 00:22:10,880 --> 00:22:14,840 nights in the heart of the earth, a literal 3 day and three 429 00:22:14,840 --> 00:22:17,800 night period. Jesus says, I'm not going to 430 00:22:17,800 --> 00:22:21,640 give you a sign, but if you really want a sign, it will 431 00:22:21,640 --> 00:22:23,800 come. And this is what it is, is that 432 00:22:23,800 --> 00:22:27,560 there will be 3 days and three nights where the Son of Man will 433 00:22:27,560 --> 00:22:30,600 be in the heart of the earth. And by proxy, that helps us 434 00:22:30,600 --> 00:22:32,920 understand that from that time, after the three days and three 435 00:22:32,920 --> 00:22:34,960 nights, there would be what? A resurrection. 436 00:22:34,960 --> 00:22:39,000 So if Jesus did not, there was no resurrection, then Jesus was 437 00:22:39,000 --> 00:22:41,720 a liar. Because this is just one example 438 00:22:41,720 --> 00:22:45,160 of the many examples of which Jesus Christ had said. 439 00:22:46,040 --> 00:22:47,960 We understand this from the Bible. 440 00:22:47,960 --> 00:22:49,360 We understand this from prophecy. 441 00:22:49,520 --> 00:22:51,880 What was the standard of the prophet in the Old Testament? 442 00:22:52,120 --> 00:22:55,120 If he was mistaken once, then God wasn't speaking through him. 443 00:22:55,600 --> 00:22:58,560 That was the standard. Why do we hold the Word of God 444 00:22:58,560 --> 00:23:00,800 to the standard of perfection? There are people that would say, 445 00:23:01,080 --> 00:23:03,160 well, it really doesn't matter if the Bible is perfect or not. 446 00:23:03,320 --> 00:23:05,640 It does matter and here's why. Because the Bible says it's 447 00:23:05,640 --> 00:23:07,920 perfect. And so it does matter if it's 448 00:23:07,920 --> 00:23:10,320 perfect or not because we hold it to the standard of which it 449 00:23:10,320 --> 00:23:12,280 holds itself. We hold the profit to the 450 00:23:12,280 --> 00:23:14,400 standard of which it holds itself. 451 00:23:15,080 --> 00:23:17,080 What do we look at? Jesus in his life. 452 00:23:17,080 --> 00:23:21,640 He, His Word, and He Himself as the Word, made clear that there 453 00:23:21,640 --> 00:23:24,840 would be a resurrection. And because of that, we hold 454 00:23:24,840 --> 00:23:27,680 this to be true. And when we try to go backwards 455 00:23:27,680 --> 00:23:31,120 and try to moderate what we believe so to be able to placate 456 00:23:31,120 --> 00:23:33,880 those who deny the Word of God, we get ourselves in trouble. 457 00:23:34,080 --> 00:23:36,920 This Word of God has to be perfect, and every word that 458 00:23:37,040 --> 00:23:40,160 Jesus spoke as the Word of God must be perfect as well. 459 00:23:41,200 --> 00:23:43,680 Listen, Jesus is not a meteorologist. 460 00:23:44,840 --> 00:23:46,680 He doesn't get to be right 50. Percent of the time. 461 00:23:47,400 --> 00:23:48,960 Would you like to have that job? I think man, he. 462 00:23:48,960 --> 00:23:50,680 Could be wrong all the time they get paid more than all of us 463 00:23:50,680 --> 00:23:54,000 isn't that great? It's it's just baked into the 464 00:23:54,000 --> 00:23:56,160 cake that they're going to be wrong most of the time. 465 00:23:56,600 --> 00:23:58,840 That's not the way the word of God works. 466 00:23:59,080 --> 00:24:03,400 That's not the way Christ in his words as the living word works, 467 00:24:03,840 --> 00:24:06,760 God keeps his word. That's why the resurrection is 468 00:24:06,760 --> 00:24:11,040 necessary #1 but it's not just because it is because God keeps 469 00:24:11,040 --> 00:24:14,560 His word, but #2 because the resurrection proves His deity. 470 00:24:15,240 --> 00:24:16,840 The resurrection proves that word. 471 00:24:16,840 --> 00:24:20,640 Deity means that He is God. The resurrection proves that He 472 00:24:20,640 --> 00:24:23,480 is God. Romans chapter 1 verses 3 and 4 473 00:24:23,480 --> 00:24:27,640 say this concerning His Son, Jesus Christ our Lord, which was 474 00:24:27,640 --> 00:24:30,240 made of the seed of David according to the flesh, and 475 00:24:30,240 --> 00:24:33,520 declared to be the Son of God with power according to the 476 00:24:33,520 --> 00:24:36,640 spirit of holiness, by the resurrection of the dead. 477 00:24:37,160 --> 00:24:40,960 So what's being said here? That the stamp of approval once 478 00:24:40,960 --> 00:24:45,000 again on Jesus Christ and his deity is the fact that he rose 479 00:24:45,000 --> 00:24:45,920 from the dead. Why? 480 00:24:46,080 --> 00:24:48,160 Because we can't raise ourselves from the dead. 481 00:24:48,160 --> 00:24:51,640 People would try and they could make what's mankind trying to 482 00:24:51,640 --> 00:24:55,000 do, trying to extend his life. They go through cryogenics and 483 00:24:55,000 --> 00:24:56,400 these kind of things that are out there today. 484 00:24:56,400 --> 00:24:58,440 What are they doing? They're desperately trying to 485 00:24:58,440 --> 00:25:01,120 extend their life. They're going through treatments 486 00:25:01,160 --> 00:25:03,400 in this life. They're going through treatments 487 00:25:03,400 --> 00:25:08,120 in the afterlife in the sense of after their body is considered 488 00:25:08,120 --> 00:25:09,600 dead or right before it's considered. 489 00:25:09,600 --> 00:25:11,840 I guess it would have to be after scissors dead to go into 490 00:25:11,840 --> 00:25:15,600 cryogenic freezing and all these different things a mankind in 491 00:25:15,600 --> 00:25:19,280 vain wants to extend. But who's the only one that has 492 00:25:19,280 --> 00:25:22,320 power of life? He does and that's why the 493 00:25:22,320 --> 00:25:25,440 resurrection is so important. His resurrection was the 494 00:25:25,440 --> 00:25:27,000 authentication. He was God. 495 00:25:27,320 --> 00:25:31,560 Only God, the creator of life could accomplish such a feat. 496 00:25:31,800 --> 00:25:33,440 You know, it's interesting. I think one of the greatest 497 00:25:33,440 --> 00:25:38,160 proofs of the resurrection is found in the Book of Revelation 498 00:25:38,160 --> 00:25:40,280 as it deals with the deity of Christ. 499 00:25:40,560 --> 00:25:44,840 Because what is Satan interested in doing during the tribulation 500 00:25:44,840 --> 00:25:48,520 period He's interested in at that 3 1/2 year period, 501 00:25:48,680 --> 00:25:53,040 mimicking the very resurrection that the Antichrist also wants 502 00:25:53,040 --> 00:25:55,560 to show that he can resurrect as well. 503 00:25:55,560 --> 00:25:58,720 And of course, we understand that that is not, there'll be 504 00:25:58,720 --> 00:26:00,640 smoke and mirrors more than anything. 505 00:26:00,640 --> 00:26:04,520 But the idea is, is that what God has done? 506 00:26:04,520 --> 00:26:08,600 Satan always loves to copy. Satan loves to copy that which 507 00:26:08,600 --> 00:26:09,960 God does. And of course it's always a 508 00:26:09,960 --> 00:26:13,960 cheap imitation, but that's what is the case. 509 00:26:14,160 --> 00:26:16,520 And think of all the deities that are worshipped in the world 510 00:26:16,520 --> 00:26:20,640 today, but only Christ has resurrected from the dead. 511 00:26:20,960 --> 00:26:24,200 There's a song that I've heard sung before, but I, I like the 512 00:26:24,200 --> 00:26:26,520 sentiment of it. It says I walk by the tomb of 513 00:26:26,520 --> 00:26:29,200 Buddha. Looked inside and saw his bones. 514 00:26:29,520 --> 00:26:32,840 Traveled on to see Muhammad still wrapped up in his grave 515 00:26:32,840 --> 00:26:35,280 clothes. Then I journeyed to a garden 516 00:26:35,480 --> 00:26:38,800 where old Joseph left him lay. The precious Lamb. 517 00:26:39,080 --> 00:26:42,120 God's own begotten was no longer in that grave. 518 00:26:42,440 --> 00:26:46,800 If you knew him like I know him. You know He's alive if you felt 519 00:26:46,800 --> 00:26:49,960 Him, like I feel him resurrection deep inside you 520 00:26:49,960 --> 00:26:52,600 know He's living and death has died. 521 00:26:53,120 --> 00:26:58,320 Jesus deity is proved by the resurrection #3 it also proves 522 00:26:58,320 --> 00:27:00,360 His power. The resurrection proves the 523 00:27:00,360 --> 00:27:03,640 power of Jesus Christ. We often use the term, you'll 524 00:27:03,640 --> 00:27:07,040 hear me say that Jesus Christ has power over death and the 525 00:27:07,040 --> 00:27:09,400 grave. Again, mankind does not have 526 00:27:09,400 --> 00:27:13,280 power over death and the grave. Only God has that power and He 527 00:27:13,280 --> 00:27:17,640 has that power. Revelation one, verse 18 I am he 528 00:27:17,640 --> 00:27:22,440 that liveth and was dead, and I'm alive forevermore, Amen. 529 00:27:22,600 --> 00:27:25,280 And have the keys of hell and death. 530 00:27:25,360 --> 00:27:28,640 Who holds those keys? That would be Jesus Christ even 531 00:27:28,640 --> 00:27:32,520 in First Corinthians 1555. We'll go back and read more of 532 00:27:32,520 --> 00:27:35,880 First Corinthians 15 in the second, but it says, O death, 533 00:27:35,880 --> 00:27:40,120 where is thy sting? O grave, where is thy victory? 534 00:27:40,320 --> 00:27:42,560 The hope of the resurrection is real. 535 00:27:42,560 --> 00:27:45,160 Why? Because of the power of God, a 536 00:27:45,160 --> 00:27:47,240 power of which we do not possess. 537 00:27:47,600 --> 00:27:50,080 And again, if he couldn't raise himself from the dead, then how 538 00:27:50,080 --> 00:27:51,480 would he have the power to save us? 539 00:27:51,480 --> 00:27:55,160 And that's what Paul is arguing in our original text in first 540 00:27:55,320 --> 00:27:57,760 Corinthians chapter 15. If he doesn't have that kind of 541 00:27:57,760 --> 00:28:00,760 power, then. Well, we're of all men most 542 00:28:00,760 --> 00:28:04,040 miserable. The power of God. 543 00:28:04,040 --> 00:28:06,800 Compared to the power of man can't even be explained that 544 00:28:06,800 --> 00:28:12,600 there's no parallel that I can give you to be able to explain 545 00:28:12,600 --> 00:28:15,720 to you the power of God versus the power of man. 546 00:28:16,520 --> 00:28:20,960 You know, I, I think of the power of their studies. 547 00:28:21,000 --> 00:28:23,400 I think I've told you this before about the power of the 548 00:28:23,400 --> 00:28:28,160 Apollo 11 computer versus the power that you have in your 549 00:28:28,160 --> 00:28:31,240 iPhone. Somewhere along the line, it's 550 00:28:31,240 --> 00:28:36,400 been said that there's 100,000 times more computing power in 551 00:28:36,400 --> 00:28:39,240 this phone that all of us have in our pockets just about then 552 00:28:39,240 --> 00:28:42,880 there was the Apollo 11. I can't fathom that, but that's 553 00:28:42,880 --> 00:28:45,720 the case. But that doesn't explain it. 554 00:28:46,440 --> 00:28:50,240 I think of the power of which comes from one of these light 555 00:28:50,240 --> 00:28:52,760 bulbs up here, which now, because they're LEDs are 556 00:28:52,760 --> 00:28:55,840 probably what, 1315 watts, something like that. 557 00:28:56,800 --> 00:28:59,360 Compare that power to the power of the sun. 558 00:29:01,040 --> 00:29:05,560 That's a huge gap, much larger than the Apollo 11 to an iPhone. 559 00:29:05,920 --> 00:29:10,000 But that gap doesn't explain it. I think of the power of our sun, 560 00:29:10,000 --> 00:29:14,240 which according to what we're told is one of the smaller stars 561 00:29:14,240 --> 00:29:17,960 compared to some of those very giant ones that would dwarf our 562 00:29:17,960 --> 00:29:20,680 sun. And that doesn't explain it. 563 00:29:22,560 --> 00:29:25,960 The power of man compared to the power of God. 564 00:29:27,200 --> 00:29:29,840 I'll tell you, you want to get your brain smoking like, you 565 00:29:29,840 --> 00:29:32,000 know, the gears just could, you know, start to smoke after a few 566 00:29:32,000 --> 00:29:33,200 minutes. Just just dwell on that, 567 00:29:33,200 --> 00:29:35,560 meditate on that, how powerful our God is. 568 00:29:36,640 --> 00:29:41,960 That God is so powerful that he could take death and resurrect. 569 00:29:43,600 --> 00:29:46,480 It's amazing. It's absolutely incredible that 570 00:29:46,480 --> 00:29:51,440 the resurrection proved the power you can trust Christ to 571 00:29:51,440 --> 00:29:53,320 have the power to give us life after death. 572 00:29:53,920 --> 00:29:57,440 There's nobody else with that kind of power to accomplish that 573 00:29:57,440 --> 00:29:59,960 kind of job. There's so many that on their 574 00:29:59,960 --> 00:30:05,120 deathbed recognize and realize maybe not perhaps that Christ 575 00:30:05,120 --> 00:30:07,720 was real, but they recognize their way of living was wrong. 576 00:30:08,560 --> 00:30:11,320 I love reading. I don't know, maybe that love 577 00:30:11,320 --> 00:30:14,480 reading is the best way of putting it, but I take interest 578 00:30:14,480 --> 00:30:18,360 in reading the stories of those right is about they're about to 579 00:30:18,360 --> 00:30:23,240 pass and you see the stories of believers who pass with great 580 00:30:23,240 --> 00:30:25,880 peace. I've sat at the bedside of 581 00:30:25,880 --> 00:30:30,200 believers who at this church die with great peace and comfort in 582 00:30:30,200 --> 00:30:33,000 their last moments. But then you read of those who 583 00:30:33,000 --> 00:30:35,400 reject Christ in those last moments. 584 00:30:35,400 --> 00:30:39,760 They may not realize they needed Christ, but they realized that 585 00:30:39,760 --> 00:30:43,360 their way was not the right way and there was nothing that they 586 00:30:43,360 --> 00:30:48,160 could do in that moment. And you realize Christ has the 587 00:30:48,160 --> 00:30:52,160 power to be able to resurrect. What great comfort that we have 588 00:30:52,160 --> 00:30:54,440 from that. That's why First Thessalonians, 589 00:30:54,440 --> 00:30:57,480 we read the fact that we don't sorrow as other people sorrow. 590 00:30:57,480 --> 00:31:00,360 Those who have no hope of the fact that there is going to be 591 00:31:00,360 --> 00:31:02,440 that time, that great resurrection that will take 592 00:31:02,440 --> 00:31:05,600 place, and that we will be reunited with those who have 593 00:31:06,120 --> 00:31:07,720 called upon Christ as their Savior. 594 00:31:08,480 --> 00:31:11,960 That when Christians have funerals, it's not the same as 595 00:31:11,960 --> 00:31:14,200 the world's funerals. Why? 596 00:31:15,000 --> 00:31:18,480 Well, because we know Christ has the power to resurrect. 597 00:31:19,560 --> 00:31:21,880 I've told you the story before, one of the very first funerals 598 00:31:21,880 --> 00:31:23,240 that I was a part. Of as a. 599 00:31:23,480 --> 00:31:25,920 Minister I didn't do anything in the funeral, but I went with 600 00:31:25,920 --> 00:31:29,080 Brother Turner to a funeral in Florida and he asked me if I 601 00:31:29,080 --> 00:31:31,280 wanted to go along with him to be able to observe. 602 00:31:31,280 --> 00:31:32,760 And it was a very difficult funeral. 603 00:31:32,760 --> 00:31:36,360 There was a an accident that took place and there's a young 604 00:31:36,360 --> 00:31:37,920 woman who died. She was in her 20s. 605 00:31:37,920 --> 00:31:40,240 And there was some suspicion about the boyfriend who was in 606 00:31:40,240 --> 00:31:42,880 the car as well. Nothing was proven, but yet you 607 00:31:42,880 --> 00:31:45,160 could tell the animosity that was there. 608 00:31:46,640 --> 00:31:48,760 You could feel and you could cut it with a knife. 609 00:31:50,040 --> 00:31:53,200 And I remember the family as they looked at this woman who 610 00:31:53,200 --> 00:31:55,800 had been cut down very early in life. 611 00:31:57,520 --> 00:32:01,360 And as a pastor, I typically if there's an open casket, we, we 612 00:32:01,360 --> 00:32:04,960 try not to have the family there when the casket closes it. 613 00:32:04,960 --> 00:32:07,760 It's something that it's best that the family does not 614 00:32:07,760 --> 00:32:10,560 observe. But this family wanted to be 615 00:32:10,560 --> 00:32:13,120 able to be there when the casket was closed, to be able to have 616 00:32:13,120 --> 00:32:16,040 the pallbearers take to the hearse, to be able to go to the 617 00:32:16,040 --> 00:32:17,720 graveside. And I'll remember this for the 618 00:32:17,720 --> 00:32:20,080 rest of my life. And I was probably no more than 619 00:32:20,080 --> 00:32:23,520 23 years old. So, you know, 3 or 4 weeks ago, 620 00:32:23,520 --> 00:32:27,520 right? But I was no more than 23 years 621 00:32:27,520 --> 00:32:30,240 old or so. And I will never forget for my 622 00:32:30,240 --> 00:32:35,880 life as that casket closed, the scream that came from her sister 623 00:32:37,760 --> 00:32:41,080 to know that she wasn't going to see her sister again. 624 00:32:42,000 --> 00:32:44,600 And it was as if she buckled right there. 625 00:32:44,600 --> 00:32:47,480 And I remember Pastor Turner coming to be able to to help 626 00:32:47,480 --> 00:32:51,760 her, to assist her from literally falling down on the 627 00:32:51,760 --> 00:32:56,200 ground because she knew in that moment there was no hope, 628 00:32:57,440 --> 00:33:00,720 because there was no power in the way that they had believed. 629 00:33:02,160 --> 00:33:07,400 But it is true that when you see the death of the brethren, and 630 00:33:07,400 --> 00:33:11,200 of course we sorrow when believers die because we'll miss 631 00:33:11,200 --> 00:33:14,360 them for now, but we know we'll be reunited. 632 00:33:14,880 --> 00:33:17,560 I think of my own mother when she passed away here in 633 00:33:17,560 --> 00:33:20,840 Massachusetts here several years ago now. 634 00:33:21,440 --> 00:33:24,520 And then we flew to Florida, flew her body to Florida and, 635 00:33:24,520 --> 00:33:27,240 and I did the funeral, had several people tell me you 636 00:33:27,240 --> 00:33:29,840 really shouldn't do the funeral. And I thought I have to, it's my 637 00:33:29,840 --> 00:33:32,480 mom. I felt a solemn obligation to be 638 00:33:32,480 --> 00:33:34,680 able to do so. And it was a sad day. 639 00:33:34,680 --> 00:33:36,440 It was one of the hardest days of my life. 640 00:33:37,640 --> 00:33:40,960 But I will tell you this, there was a piece as I stood before 641 00:33:40,960 --> 00:33:44,880 those people to be able to tell them, many of them Lutherans, 642 00:33:45,440 --> 00:33:48,520 that I had known when I was younger, to be able to preach 643 00:33:48,520 --> 00:33:53,200 the gospel and say to her, this woman is with Jesus today by her 644 00:33:53,200 --> 00:33:56,040 profession of faith that she knew Jesus Christ not because of 645 00:33:56,040 --> 00:33:58,360 a Lutheran Church, not because of a Baptist Church, not because 646 00:33:58,360 --> 00:34:01,600 of anything else, but because she had accepted Christ as her 647 00:34:01,600 --> 00:34:03,640 personal Savior. And I made sure of that. 648 00:34:03,640 --> 00:34:08,600 I talked to her about that. The power of Christ, it proves 649 00:34:08,600 --> 00:34:11,239 His power. Acts 224. 650 00:34:11,440 --> 00:34:14,880 Whom God hath raised up, having loosed the pains of death, 651 00:34:15,520 --> 00:34:17,560 because it was not possible, he should be holding of it. 652 00:34:18,719 --> 00:34:20,520 Can we put it this way? Death couldn't hold him down. 653 00:34:21,480 --> 00:34:23,040 Death couldn't hold down Jesus Christ. 654 00:34:23,719 --> 00:34:28,239 He has the power over death, and death has died, if you will. 655 00:34:28,639 --> 00:34:31,800 Because of Jesus Christ. And This is why this next week 656 00:34:31,800 --> 00:34:35,440 is so exciting for us to be able to remember that which Jesus 657 00:34:35,440 --> 00:34:37,960 Christ did. It proves His power. 658 00:34:38,159 --> 00:34:41,600 And then 4th and finally this morning, Why is it necessary? 659 00:34:41,600 --> 00:34:43,199 Why? Why is the resurrection 660 00:34:43,199 --> 00:34:45,960 necessary? Because it is necessary for 661 00:34:45,960 --> 00:34:49,719 salvation. The understanding of of the 662 00:34:49,719 --> 00:34:52,840 resurrection, the fact that Jesus Christ resurrected is 663 00:34:52,840 --> 00:34:55,320 necessary for salvation. Again, if there was no 664 00:34:55,320 --> 00:34:59,120 resurrection, we have no hope. That's so clear in First 665 00:34:59,120 --> 00:35:01,680 Corinthians chapter 15. Go to Acts chapter 4. 666 00:35:01,680 --> 00:35:05,920 Now Acts chapter 4. It's good to get our Bibles a 667 00:35:05,920 --> 00:35:20,380 little bit of exercise here. Acts chapter 4 verse #10 Acts 668 00:35:20,380 --> 00:35:25,420 chapter 4 verse 10 says this, Be it known unto all, to you all, 669 00:35:25,500 --> 00:35:28,840 and to all the people of Israel, the that by the name of Jesus 670 00:35:28,840 --> 00:35:32,440 Christ of Nazareth, whom ye crucified, whom God raised from 671 00:35:32,440 --> 00:35:35,480 the dead, even by him doth this man stand here before you hold. 672 00:35:35,480 --> 00:35:37,240 I love the boldness of Peter here. 673 00:35:37,360 --> 00:35:40,480 What a difference once the Spirit is in his life and what a 674 00:35:40,480 --> 00:35:42,800 difference when he is allowing his Spirit to work through him. 675 00:35:43,080 --> 00:35:46,000 He says you have crucified him. He has no problem naming names 676 00:35:46,000 --> 00:35:48,680 here, does he? You've crucified, but whom? 677 00:35:48,680 --> 00:35:53,040 What God raised from the dead by him does this man stand before 678 00:35:53,040 --> 00:35:55,000 you hold? Speaking of the miracle that 679 00:35:55,000 --> 00:35:59,120 took place in the previous chapter of the man who was 680 00:35:59,120 --> 00:36:02,080 sitting by the gate and who received the ability to walk 681 00:36:02,200 --> 00:36:04,240 through the power of God, verse 11. 682 00:36:04,400 --> 00:36:08,240 This is the stone which is said it not of you builders. 683 00:36:08,600 --> 00:36:10,280 Which has become the head of the corner. 684 00:36:10,280 --> 00:36:13,600 Now that goes back to Psalm chapter 18, verse #22 and Peter 685 00:36:13,600 --> 00:36:16,320 will also refer to this in his epistles as well. 686 00:36:16,600 --> 00:36:20,880 Peter was very clear that Jesus was the cornerstone, that He was 687 00:36:20,880 --> 00:36:23,160 not the cornerstone. He said, why is that important? 688 00:36:23,160 --> 00:36:25,400 Well, the Catholic Church would tell you that Peter was the 689 00:36:25,400 --> 00:36:28,760 cornerstone of the Church, but Jesus was very cool rather. 690 00:36:28,880 --> 00:36:31,640 Well, Jesus was clear who the cornerstone was, and Peter was 691 00:36:31,640 --> 00:36:34,280 under no pretense of who the cornerstone was, because he 692 00:36:34,280 --> 00:36:36,640 referred to the Old Testament. He repeated here in the New 693 00:36:36,640 --> 00:36:39,720 Testament, and then also in his own epistle said it as well. 694 00:36:41,800 --> 00:36:44,440 But look at verse 12. Neither is there salvation in 695 00:36:44,440 --> 00:36:47,560 any other, for there is none other name under heaven given 696 00:36:47,560 --> 00:36:50,080 among men whereby we must be saved. 697 00:36:50,280 --> 00:36:52,400 And where does that all link with the fact that He was 698 00:36:52,400 --> 00:36:55,080 crucified and that He rose from the dead? 699 00:36:55,520 --> 00:36:59,760 The resurrection is a necessary element of the gospel message. 700 00:37:00,040 --> 00:37:03,080 You take out the crucifixion, you ruin the gospel message. 701 00:37:03,400 --> 00:37:06,040 You take out the perfection of Christ before the crucifixion, 702 00:37:06,640 --> 00:37:10,320 you ruin the gospel message. You take out the resurrection of 703 00:37:10,320 --> 00:37:13,360 Christ, you ruin the gospel message. 704 00:37:14,040 --> 00:37:18,120 It is necessary for salvation. Peter understood this. 705 00:37:18,640 --> 00:37:21,200 Paul understood this. You go to Romans chapter 10 706 00:37:21,560 --> 00:37:24,600 where it makes it clear that we must call upon Christ to save 707 00:37:24,600 --> 00:37:28,480 us. The risen Savior is the one who 708 00:37:28,480 --> 00:37:29,840 we call upon. Now go back. 709 00:37:29,840 --> 00:37:32,440 To First Corinthians chapter #15. 710 00:37:32,920 --> 00:37:34,520 Now I want to read those last few verses with you. 711 00:37:34,520 --> 00:37:37,160 We can't cover all of First Corinthians chapter 15. 712 00:37:37,320 --> 00:37:38,840 I'd encourage you. It's a great chapter to read 713 00:37:38,840 --> 00:37:40,280 this week. You might need to take it in a 714 00:37:40,280 --> 00:37:43,200 couple bites because it is a larger chapter, but it'll be a 715 00:37:43,200 --> 00:37:46,280 great chapter to read. Running up to Easter Sunday 716 00:37:46,800 --> 00:37:53,760 verse #51 says this. Behold, I show you a mystery. 717 00:37:54,320 --> 00:37:58,040 We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed in a 718 00:37:58,040 --> 00:38:00,680 moment, in a twinkling of an eye, at the last trump. 719 00:38:01,120 --> 00:38:04,520 For the trumpet shall sound, and the dead shall be raised 720 00:38:04,520 --> 00:38:06,920 incorruptible, and we shall be changed. 721 00:38:07,160 --> 00:38:11,040 For this corruptible must put on incorruption, and as mortal must 722 00:38:11,040 --> 00:38:15,120 put on immortality, so when this corruptible shall have put on 723 00:38:15,120 --> 00:38:18,400 incorruption, and as mortal shall have put on immortality, 724 00:38:18,640 --> 00:38:21,480 then shall be brought to pass. The saying that is written, 725 00:38:21,760 --> 00:38:24,240 death is swallowed up in victory. 726 00:38:24,320 --> 00:38:26,960 Victory, O death, where is thy sting? 727 00:38:27,000 --> 00:38:30,880 O grave, where is thy victory? The sting of death is sin, the 728 00:38:30,880 --> 00:38:33,960 strength of sin is the law. But thanks be to God which 729 00:38:33,960 --> 00:38:36,600 giveth us the victory. Through our Lord. 730 00:38:36,600 --> 00:38:39,120 Jesus Christ. Therefore, my beloved brethren, 731 00:38:39,120 --> 00:38:42,000 be steadfast, unmovable, always abounding in the work of the 732 00:38:42,000 --> 00:38:43,520 Lord. For as much as you know your 733 00:38:43,520 --> 00:38:46,360 labor is not in vain in the Lord. 734 00:38:46,520 --> 00:38:49,720 So is death real. It is real, but it's sting has 735 00:38:49,720 --> 00:38:52,680 been taken away. Is the grave real? 736 00:38:52,760 --> 00:38:55,040 Yes, but it's victory has been taken away. 737 00:38:55,040 --> 00:38:58,600 Why? Because of the resurrection of 738 00:38:58,800 --> 00:39:00,680 Jesus Christ. And there will be another 739 00:39:00,680 --> 00:39:04,160 resurrection, that we will be risen and we will be changed and 740 00:39:04,160 --> 00:39:07,560 we have glorified bodies and we won't deal with the problems of 741 00:39:07,560 --> 00:39:09,400 these bodies. And probably all God's children 742 00:39:09,400 --> 00:39:12,000 say Amen about that. I got up out of bed last night 743 00:39:12,000 --> 00:39:15,840 and I started stooping over like this and my wife made some kind 744 00:39:15,840 --> 00:39:18,120 of comment made me feel real bad about how old I was. 745 00:39:18,120 --> 00:39:21,480 But I thought, you know what a glorified body sounds pretty 746 00:39:21,480 --> 00:39:22,920 good. Amen. 747 00:39:23,240 --> 00:39:26,240 That we don't deal with the difficulties and the aches and 748 00:39:26,240 --> 00:39:31,560 the pains and even going to to Revelation and 21 and 22 and 749 00:39:31,560 --> 00:39:35,840 considering the glories of heaven and what it is, why the 750 00:39:35,840 --> 00:39:40,760 resurrection is what helps us ensure that this is the case. 751 00:39:41,680 --> 00:39:44,040 And that's why it says in verse #58 therefore. 752 00:39:44,200 --> 00:39:46,200 If you were. To summarize the entire chapter, 753 00:39:46,200 --> 00:39:49,000 this this great defense that Paul gives. 754 00:39:49,400 --> 00:39:51,400 Of the resurrection, because remember, there were people who 755 00:39:51,400 --> 00:39:53,680 are already doubting the resurrection in his time. 756 00:39:54,440 --> 00:39:57,320 People are already doubting it. He says, therefore, my beloved 757 00:39:57,320 --> 00:40:03,240 brethren, be steadfast, unmovable, always abounding in 758 00:40:03,240 --> 00:40:06,400 the work of the Lord, for as much as you know that your labor 759 00:40:06,400 --> 00:40:09,320 is not in vain in the Lord, you say, well, pastor, what does 760 00:40:09,320 --> 00:40:13,080 that have to do with the rest of the chapter? 761 00:40:13,400 --> 00:40:16,880 Well, let me give you this and we'll be done because of the 762 00:40:16,880 --> 00:40:20,640 resurrection. Stay strong because of the 763 00:40:20,640 --> 00:40:27,680 resurrection, Stay strong, be steadfast, be unmovable, abound 764 00:40:27,680 --> 00:40:30,880 in the work of the Lord. Because of the resurrection, we 765 00:40:30,880 --> 00:40:35,040 can stay fast and where we are because of that resurrection, we 766 00:40:35,040 --> 00:40:38,120 can move forward in the work in which He's called us to do. 767 00:40:38,760 --> 00:40:40,080 Remember Acts chapter one, verse 8? 768 00:40:40,080 --> 00:40:43,040 And ye shall receive power to do what? 769 00:40:43,280 --> 00:40:46,680 To go to Jerusalem, Judea, Samaria, the uttermost parts of 770 00:40:46,680 --> 00:40:48,360 the earth. That is true for us today. 771 00:40:48,360 --> 00:40:51,760 We've received that power, and we could call it resurrection 772 00:40:51,760 --> 00:40:55,360 power, if you will, that has been given to us. 773 00:40:55,800 --> 00:40:59,640 For as much as you know, your labor is not in vain in the Lord 774 00:40:59,960 --> 00:41:03,560 as we work for the Lord, as we serve the Lord, as we do what 775 00:41:03,560 --> 00:41:07,960 the Lord has called us to do. The same Lord who had the power 776 00:41:07,960 --> 00:41:13,000 to resurrect and is the same Lord who wants to empower you to 777 00:41:13,000 --> 00:41:16,040 do his work. That's a great promise for us. 778 00:41:17,080 --> 00:41:20,960 You know, if I said to you, maybe you're in a difficult 779 00:41:20,960 --> 00:41:23,960 situation and I'd say to you, why stand behind you? 780 00:41:24,280 --> 00:41:26,240 That might give you courage and it might not depending on the 781 00:41:26,240 --> 00:41:27,280 situation. I don't know. 782 00:41:28,720 --> 00:41:33,240 But it's as if Jesus Christ is saying, as you serve me, I stand 783 00:41:33,240 --> 00:41:37,480 behind you and I stand with you. That ought to encourage the 784 00:41:37,480 --> 00:41:42,840 believer, that ought to embolden the believer, that empowers the 785 00:41:42,840 --> 00:41:46,560 believer to continue to do that which God has called us to do. 786 00:41:46,760 --> 00:41:49,800 Is the resurrection necessary? Oh yes, Oh yes. 787 00:41:50,480 --> 00:41:52,920 The world wouldn't say so, but we know that it is. 788 00:41:52,920 --> 00:41:55,000 Why? Because God keeps his word, 789 00:41:56,120 --> 00:41:59,880 because the resurrection proves his deity, it proves his power, 790 00:42:00,320 --> 00:42:03,240 and because the resurrection is necessary for salvation. 791 00:42:04,160 --> 00:42:06,840 Thank you for listening to the sermon from the pulpit of 792 00:42:06,840 --> 00:42:09,760 Liberty Baptist Church. If this message was a blessing 793 00:42:09,760 --> 00:42:13,240 to you, or if there's any way we can serve you, please let us 794 00:42:13,240 --> 00:42:17,840 know by contacting us at info@mylibertybaptist.org. 795 00:42:18,120 --> 00:42:22,640 Or you can visit us this Sunday at 800 Washington St. in Easton, 796 00:42:22,640 --> 00:42:25,480 MA. May the Lord bless you as you 797 00:42:25,480 --> 00:42:26,680 grow in His Word.