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 --> 00:00:22,080 message from God's Word will be a blessing to you. 7 00:00:24,560 --> 00:00:27,120 We join your Bible, please, in Matthew chapter 28 here this 8 00:00:27,120 --> 00:00:29,280 morning. If you are a guest with us 9 00:00:29,280 --> 00:00:31,800 today, and there are many of you, we are in a series on 10 00:00:31,800 --> 00:00:35,880 Sunday morning this year called Christ is All Colossians. 11 00:00:35,880 --> 00:00:40,160 Chapter 3, verse 11 tells us that Christ is all and in all. 12 00:00:40,160 --> 00:00:44,120 And so we've been looking this year so far at the different 13 00:00:44,120 --> 00:00:47,280 characteristics of Jesus Christ through the Word of God. 14 00:00:47,280 --> 00:00:51,240 We've seen, for instance, that Christ is healer, that Christ is 15 00:00:51,240 --> 00:00:55,520 omnipotent, that Christ is servant, that Christ is meek. 16 00:00:55,520 --> 00:00:58,240 Now the meek one kind of scared people for a little bit, but 17 00:00:58,240 --> 00:01:00,640 we've looked at what the Word of God talked about meekness and 18 00:01:00,640 --> 00:01:04,480 realized that we need to be meek people as well as the Word of 19 00:01:04,480 --> 00:01:06,920 God teaches as the world would teach. 20 00:01:06,920 --> 00:01:10,920 And even last week we saw the fact that Christ is forgiving 21 00:01:11,120 --> 00:01:14,040 due to the statement that He uttered on the cross, that very 22 00:01:14,040 --> 00:01:15,880 first statement of the seven statements. 23 00:01:16,080 --> 00:01:20,360 Father forgive them for they know not what they do. 24 00:01:21,320 --> 00:01:25,520 And so I thought as we go through our series of Christ is 25 00:01:25,520 --> 00:01:28,360 all and giving these characteristics that this 26 00:01:28,360 --> 00:01:32,600 morning's really in many ways is probably the simplest for us to 27 00:01:32,600 --> 00:01:36,000 be able to title and be able to find where we're to be in the 28 00:01:36,000 --> 00:01:38,720 word of God. Because Christ is servant, 29 00:01:38,720 --> 00:01:43,000 Christ is savior, Christ is forgiving, Christ is healer, 30 00:01:43,000 --> 00:01:46,280 Christ is omnipotent, Christ is all and in all. 31 00:01:46,280 --> 00:01:50,480 But this morning I'm so thank you that Christ is. 32 00:01:51,680 --> 00:01:53,080 And that's the title of the message. 33 00:01:53,080 --> 00:01:55,560 Christ is risen. Why you all Amen together. 34 00:01:55,560 --> 00:01:56,680 You don't even sound like Baptist. 35 00:01:56,680 --> 00:01:58,480 That's incredible. Thank you for that. 36 00:01:58,640 --> 00:02:00,480 Let's all stand together for the reading the word of God if 37 00:02:00,480 --> 00:02:03,160 you're physically able. Matthew chapter 28 beginning in 38 00:02:03,160 --> 00:02:09,240 verse #1. Matthew chapter 28, beginning in 39 00:02:09,240 --> 00:02:13,720 verse #1 where it says, In the end of the Sabbath, as it began 40 00:02:13,720 --> 00:02:17,000 to dawn toward the first day of the week, came Mary Magdalene 41 00:02:17,000 --> 00:02:19,000 and the other Mary to see the sepulchre. 42 00:02:19,280 --> 00:02:21,200 And behold, there was a great earthquake. 43 00:02:21,200 --> 00:02:24,080 For the Angel of the Lord descended from heaven, and came 44 00:02:24,080 --> 00:02:27,280 and rolled back the stone from the door, and sat upon it. 45 00:02:27,600 --> 00:02:30,360 His countenance was like lightning, and his raiment white 46 00:02:30,360 --> 00:02:33,440 as snow. And for fear of him the keepers 47 00:02:33,440 --> 00:02:35,800 did shake, and became his dead men. 48 00:02:36,040 --> 00:02:39,880 And the Angel answered and said unto the women, Fear not ye, for 49 00:02:39,880 --> 00:02:43,280 I know that ye seek Jesus, which was crucified. 50 00:02:43,720 --> 00:02:48,880 He is not here, for he is risen. Now certainly we rejoice in that 51 00:02:48,880 --> 00:02:51,640 phrase. He is not here, for he is risen. 52 00:02:51,640 --> 00:02:54,200 But I really want us this morning by the grace of God, to 53 00:02:54,200 --> 00:02:58,280 focus on that next phrase that is just as important, but maybe 54 00:02:58,280 --> 00:03:00,640 not talked about as much. And that's this. 55 00:03:01,200 --> 00:03:08,720 As he said, He is not here, He is risen, as he said, Come see 56 00:03:08,720 --> 00:03:12,320 the place where the Lord lay. Christ is risen. 57 00:03:12,520 --> 00:03:15,040 The title of our message. But we'll also see why that is 58 00:03:15,040 --> 00:03:17,880 so important for each and every one of us here this morning. 59 00:03:18,160 --> 00:03:20,040 And so why don't you go ahead and be seated and we'll pray 60 00:03:20,040 --> 00:03:22,800 together to ask the Lord to bless the message as we continue 61 00:03:22,800 --> 00:03:24,840 today. Heavenly Father, I do thank you 62 00:03:24,840 --> 00:03:26,520 for this morning. And again, thank you for the 63 00:03:26,520 --> 00:03:30,720 time to be able to be here, to be before these people that you 64 00:03:30,720 --> 00:03:34,280 have called us to, Lord, is an honor and a privilege beyond 65 00:03:34,320 --> 00:03:37,120 words. And so, Lord, I do pray for 66 00:03:37,120 --> 00:03:40,480 these next few moments that I would be filled with the Holy 67 00:03:40,480 --> 00:03:43,400 Spirit to be able to say exactly what needs to be said from Your 68 00:03:43,400 --> 00:03:46,040 Word, not my own opinions or my own thoughts. 69 00:03:46,040 --> 00:03:51,840 These people came not to hear just a list of my own thoughts 70 00:03:51,840 --> 00:03:55,160 of life or grievances or they came to hear Your word. 71 00:03:55,560 --> 00:03:58,840 And so I pray that that would be what I can present in a way that 72 00:03:58,840 --> 00:04:02,480 is understandable, in a way that communicates the grace of God 73 00:04:02,800 --> 00:04:05,600 that is so real in each and every one of our lives. 74 00:04:05,880 --> 00:04:08,320 And we ask it in Jesus name, Amen. 75 00:04:09,480 --> 00:04:12,000 Maybe been to a church before that has a children's message 76 00:04:12,000 --> 00:04:14,600 during the service. We don't do that here at Liberty 77 00:04:14,600 --> 00:04:16,360 Baptist Church. We have the children in the back 78 00:04:16,360 --> 00:04:19,600 and they have a class dedicated to them where I mentioned they 79 00:04:19,600 --> 00:04:23,320 get Bible teaching and they also have some fun stuff to do as 80 00:04:23,320 --> 00:04:25,720 well. But yet get get taught very well 81 00:04:25,720 --> 00:04:30,080 as you've seen the word of God. But just on Tuesday night, 82 00:04:30,080 --> 00:04:32,920 something that I've never done before in the almost 13 years 83 00:04:32,920 --> 00:04:36,000 we've been here, I had this idea of having all the children come 84 00:04:36,000 --> 00:04:38,360 up before the Lord's Supper and letting them take a look at the 85 00:04:38,360 --> 00:04:41,080 matzah of which we use for the Lord's Supper. 86 00:04:41,080 --> 00:04:44,400 That unleavened bread, letting them see that it is striped and 87 00:04:44,400 --> 00:04:46,520 it is pierced and it's without leaven. 88 00:04:46,520 --> 00:04:50,080 A reminder, a picture of who Jesus Christ was, that He was 89 00:04:50,080 --> 00:04:54,040 without leaven or the picture of sin, that He was hit by his 90 00:04:54,040 --> 00:04:55,120 stripes. We were healed. 91 00:04:55,120 --> 00:04:57,680 He was pierced. But I will tell you, I've been 92 00:04:57,680 --> 00:05:00,200 fearful of a few things and 13 years of ministry. 93 00:05:00,200 --> 00:05:02,680 I don't know if I've ever been as fearful as I was during those 94 00:05:02,680 --> 00:05:05,400 5 minutes having those children sitting in the front and not 95 00:05:05,400 --> 00:05:07,880 knowing how they would respond, what they would say, if they 96 00:05:07,880 --> 00:05:10,200 would listen, if they would just start, you know, crawling all 97 00:05:10,200 --> 00:05:11,640 over each other and stuff like that. 98 00:05:11,640 --> 00:05:13,800 It was, it was a pretty interesting experience. 99 00:05:13,800 --> 00:05:17,440 But there's a story once of a pastor who did a similar thing 100 00:05:17,440 --> 00:05:20,440 on a Easter Sunday morning and he called all the children to 101 00:05:20,440 --> 00:05:23,760 come forward and he wanted to give them just a short message 102 00:05:23,760 --> 00:05:27,240 and he asked them this question. He said, do you know anything 103 00:05:27,240 --> 00:05:31,000 different about Easter Sunday? And of course, expecting a 104 00:05:31,000 --> 00:05:33,560 spiritual answer, he looks at those children and says, do you 105 00:05:33,560 --> 00:05:36,680 notice anything different about Easter Sunday? 106 00:05:37,200 --> 00:05:39,880 And one little girl studied the room for a moment and she 107 00:05:39,880 --> 00:05:42,240 blurted out, well, the church's fault. 108 00:05:45,120 --> 00:05:48,040 Now, that's not the answer he was looking for, but she 109 00:05:48,040 --> 00:05:50,800 definitely told the truth. And now I thank the Lord that 110 00:05:50,800 --> 00:05:53,800 Liberty Baptist Church on a normal Sunday is full by the 111 00:05:53,800 --> 00:05:55,880 grace of God. And we're just kind of well over 112 00:05:55,880 --> 00:05:58,680 full today. But I can certainly attest to 113 00:05:58,680 --> 00:06:02,360 the fact that the sentiment of that girl is right in the fact 114 00:06:02,360 --> 00:06:06,640 that it's the truth that were after that girl told the truth. 115 00:06:06,640 --> 00:06:08,880 That's what she saw it from her own perspective. 116 00:06:09,040 --> 00:06:10,760 The church is full. That's different than it 117 00:06:10,760 --> 00:06:13,480 normally is. She was just looking for the 118 00:06:13,480 --> 00:06:15,640 truth. And in our text this morning, 119 00:06:15,640 --> 00:06:18,840 it's the truth that the disciples needed, and it was the 120 00:06:18,840 --> 00:06:22,920 truth of which they needed to be reminded of, which is why we see 121 00:06:22,920 --> 00:06:28,480 that phrase in verse #6 as he said, because the woman who were 122 00:06:28,480 --> 00:06:32,680 at the at the tomb, as well as the disciples who had even 123 00:06:32,680 --> 00:06:35,760 bothered to go to the tomb that morning, all of them need to be 124 00:06:35,760 --> 00:06:40,000 reminded of the fact that Jesus was not only risen, but that he 125 00:06:40,000 --> 00:06:44,280 had already communicated to them that this is exactly what was to 126 00:06:44,280 --> 00:06:46,920 take place. We see in verse #1 of chapter 127 00:06:46,920 --> 00:06:50,840 #28 that it was the first day of the week, and Mary Magdalene and 128 00:06:50,840 --> 00:06:52,920 the other Mary were there at the sepulchre. 129 00:06:53,120 --> 00:06:54,800 I love the story of Mary Magdalene. 130 00:06:54,800 --> 00:06:57,160 We don't have time to be able to go into it this morning, but 131 00:06:57,160 --> 00:07:00,360 there's a woman that Jesus had healed from the oppressed of 132 00:07:00,360 --> 00:07:03,200 seven devils that were inside of her seven demons. 133 00:07:03,640 --> 00:07:07,720 And this woman had been freed from the affliction by Jesus 134 00:07:07,720 --> 00:07:10,520 Christ and she had great effect section for him. 135 00:07:10,520 --> 00:07:13,560 No, not to some of the wild stories that the world talks 136 00:07:13,560 --> 00:07:17,440 about today, but was just a pure follower of Jesus Christ. 137 00:07:17,440 --> 00:07:20,200 And there she was at the first day of the week with the other 138 00:07:20,200 --> 00:07:21,960 Mary. And it says that there was a 139 00:07:22,120 --> 00:07:24,560 great earthquake that took place. 140 00:07:24,560 --> 00:07:27,560 Now the earth shook at the crucifixion. 141 00:07:27,560 --> 00:07:31,200 We might remember that that when Jesus had given his life on the 142 00:07:31,200 --> 00:07:33,480 cross, the earth had shook at that time. 143 00:07:33,480 --> 00:07:36,360 And I've heard it said that the earth shook because it couldn't 144 00:07:36,360 --> 00:07:39,920 bear his suffering. But here it shook again just a 145 00:07:40,040 --> 00:07:43,600 few days later because it couldn't hinder his rising. 146 00:07:44,040 --> 00:07:48,760 Jesus rises from the dead. The the stone has been rolled 147 00:07:48,760 --> 00:07:50,720 away. There's we find in other 148 00:07:50,720 --> 00:07:53,200 passages the fact that those who are supposed to be guarding the 149 00:07:53,200 --> 00:07:55,440 tomb are not able to guard the tomb. 150 00:07:55,440 --> 00:07:58,240 What do we see? It says it's verse #4 that very 151 00:07:58,240 --> 00:08:00,640 fact. And the Angel says in verse #5 152 00:08:00,640 --> 00:08:02,960 Fear not ye. Now, why did the Angel say that? 153 00:08:02,960 --> 00:08:07,560 Well, because they were afraid. Usually if someone says don't be 154 00:08:07,560 --> 00:08:09,600 afraid, well, that's because someone is afraid. 155 00:08:09,640 --> 00:08:11,680 See these the deep things that you came to Liberty Baptist 156 00:08:11,680 --> 00:08:12,880 Church to learn this morning, isn't it? 157 00:08:13,280 --> 00:08:14,920 He said. Don't be afraid because those 158 00:08:14,920 --> 00:08:16,600 women are afraid. Look at what they've just 159 00:08:16,600 --> 00:08:18,920 witnessed, look at what they've just seen. 160 00:08:18,920 --> 00:08:22,160 But they haven't been able to make the connection of exactly 161 00:08:22,160 --> 00:08:26,640 why this has taken place. And so this Angel says this, he 162 00:08:26,640 --> 00:08:30,080 is not here for he has risen. And again, as a pastor, we could 163 00:08:30,080 --> 00:08:32,280 just take that phrase or really two phrases. 164 00:08:32,480 --> 00:08:36,240 He is not here for he has risen. And I could talk and preach on 165 00:08:36,240 --> 00:08:38,000 that here for well, quite a while. 166 00:08:38,000 --> 00:08:40,440 Just like, you know, an hour or two, just like you were hoping I 167 00:08:40,440 --> 00:08:42,159 would this morning. I won't do that. 168 00:08:42,159 --> 00:08:45,560 No, that was a joke, all right. But really, as much as I would 169 00:08:45,560 --> 00:08:49,000 like to speak on those phrases, we're aware of those phrases 170 00:08:49,000 --> 00:08:51,400 already. I really found great interest 171 00:08:51,400 --> 00:08:54,800 even in the this last week and preparing and praying about the 172 00:08:54,800 --> 00:08:59,120 message on that phrase that followed, which is this as he 173 00:08:59,120 --> 00:09:06,040 said, sure he is not here, sure he is risen, but this is exactly 174 00:09:06,040 --> 00:09:10,040 what he said would happen. Now consider these words for 175 00:09:10,040 --> 00:09:13,120 just a moment. It's not that the Angel said 176 00:09:13,240 --> 00:09:19,960 like he said what he said. As he said, you say pastor, are 177 00:09:19,960 --> 00:09:22,320 those phrases the same? And the answer is, well, no, 178 00:09:22,320 --> 00:09:23,960 because they have different words. 179 00:09:23,960 --> 00:09:26,600 They're not the same. They are different, but there is 180 00:09:26,600 --> 00:09:28,800 a difference. Even if you were to go into the 181 00:09:28,800 --> 00:09:32,600 Greek, you would find that in the Greek word cathus that's 182 00:09:32,600 --> 00:09:36,400 there, that you find that this meaning this, that it's an exact 183 00:09:36,520 --> 00:09:40,840 conformity with according as meaning this. 184 00:09:41,000 --> 00:09:43,960 This wasn't just something that Jesus had alluded to. 185 00:09:44,520 --> 00:09:47,680 This is wasn't just something that Jesus had maybe, you know, 186 00:09:47,680 --> 00:09:50,960 casually mentioned while the disciples were busy doing other 187 00:09:50,960 --> 00:09:55,040 things. He had very clearly and very 188 00:09:55,040 --> 00:09:59,640 completely explained the process of his death and burial and 189 00:09:59,640 --> 00:10:03,120 resurrection to the people. And what the Angel is saying at 190 00:10:03,120 --> 00:10:07,840 that moment is that every word that he spoke to you has come to 191 00:10:07,840 --> 00:10:10,760 pass. It's as he said, not like he 192 00:10:10,760 --> 00:10:13,720 said. You know, some people say that I 193 00:10:13,720 --> 00:10:17,440 look like my father, but if you see my father, guess what? 194 00:10:17,440 --> 00:10:19,320 You'll realize we look different. 195 00:10:19,960 --> 00:10:22,840 I maybe like him, but I'm not as my father. 196 00:10:22,840 --> 00:10:26,480 I'm like my father. If a museum had a copy of a 197 00:10:26,520 --> 00:10:31,680 priceless painting that was like the original, you probably 198 00:10:31,680 --> 00:10:33,080 wouldn't give it much regard, would it? 199 00:10:33,440 --> 00:10:35,720 Because it may be like the original, but it's not the 200 00:10:36,040 --> 00:10:38,360 original. If a guy on the street corner 201 00:10:38,360 --> 00:10:41,640 wanted to sell you a Rolex, that at least it was like a Rolex. 202 00:10:42,840 --> 00:10:44,560 Maybe it's called a Rolox. I don't know. 203 00:10:46,000 --> 00:10:49,720 You'd say, well, hey, that's not that's not as a Rolex. 204 00:10:49,720 --> 00:10:54,480 That's kind of like a Rolex. If somebody said I'm going to 205 00:10:54,480 --> 00:10:58,520 take your Easter ham and give you something like it and you 206 00:10:58,520 --> 00:11:02,240 get home and you find a can of spam, you're going to find it's 207 00:11:02,240 --> 00:11:07,160 not the same. Jesus was not said to have risen 208 00:11:07,360 --> 00:11:11,880 like he had communicated, as if it was just in the generalities 209 00:11:11,880 --> 00:11:15,520 of that which he said. When Jesus gave the word that 210 00:11:15,520 --> 00:11:18,800 this was what would take place, you could take it to the bank. 211 00:11:18,800 --> 00:11:22,280 When Jesus said he would rise three days, guess what? 212 00:11:22,400 --> 00:11:25,800 Three days later, up from the grave, he arose with a mighty 213 00:11:25,800 --> 00:11:30,880 triumph for his foes. The Bible tells us it's just as 214 00:11:30,880 --> 00:11:34,160 he said, but yet the disciples forgot. 215 00:11:35,800 --> 00:11:38,400 And it wasn't, as I mentioned a few moments ago, that Jesus 216 00:11:38,400 --> 00:11:42,480 just, Pat mentioned this passing by like a wife may say to a 217 00:11:42,480 --> 00:11:45,840 husband, you know, I told you this and I say, when did you 218 00:11:45,840 --> 00:11:48,280 tell me that? And the answer is, well, she 219 00:11:48,280 --> 00:11:49,680 told me that when I wasn't listening. 220 00:11:51,240 --> 00:11:52,960 And you say, when was that part where you weren't listening? 221 00:11:52,960 --> 00:11:55,520 That would be most of the time, unfortunately. 222 00:11:57,440 --> 00:11:59,120 I got to be honest. I'm in the pulpit, folks. 223 00:11:59,120 --> 00:12:00,800 All right. It's not that I'm trying, it's 224 00:12:00,800 --> 00:12:02,200 just that's the way it ends up happening. 225 00:12:03,120 --> 00:12:07,240 But Jesus over and over again communicated those disciples 226 00:12:07,400 --> 00:12:10,080 that this was to take place. Can I give you a sampling? 227 00:12:11,040 --> 00:12:12,080 Thank you. I was going to do it anyway. 228 00:12:12,080 --> 00:12:13,960 Nobody answered, but I'm going to do it anyway. 229 00:12:14,360 --> 00:12:18,160 Matthew chapter 12, verse 40. As Jonas was 3 days and three 230 00:12:18,160 --> 00:12:21,440 nights in the whale's belly, so shall the Son of Man be 3 days 231 00:12:21,440 --> 00:12:22,840 and three nights in the heart of the earth. 232 00:12:23,360 --> 00:12:27,280 Matthew chapter 16, verse 21. From that time forth began Jesus 233 00:12:27,280 --> 00:12:30,880 to show unto his disciples how that he must go unto Jerusalem, 234 00:12:31,040 --> 00:12:33,840 and suffer many things of the elders and chief priests and 235 00:12:33,840 --> 00:12:37,600 scribes, and be killed, and be raised again the third day. 236 00:12:37,680 --> 00:12:42,080 Matthew 17, verses 22 and 23. The Son of man shall be betrayed 237 00:12:42,200 --> 00:12:45,400 into the hands of men, and they shall kill him, and the third 238 00:12:45,400 --> 00:12:49,360 day he shall be raised again. Matthew chapter 20, verses 18 239 00:12:49,360 --> 00:12:51,800 and 19. The Son of Man shall be betrayed 240 00:12:51,800 --> 00:12:54,280 under the chief priests and under the scribes, and they 241 00:12:54,280 --> 00:12:57,040 shall condemn him to death and shall deliver him to the 242 00:12:57,040 --> 00:13:00,520 Gentiles to mock and to scourge and to crucify him. 243 00:13:00,680 --> 00:13:02,680 And the third day he shall rise again. 244 00:13:02,680 --> 00:13:06,160 No, no, this is not someone who is trying to pass off a generic 245 00:13:06,160 --> 00:13:09,040 prophecy that would be answered no matter what happened. 246 00:13:09,200 --> 00:13:13,000 Like a so-called clairvoyant today can read the minds of 247 00:13:13,000 --> 00:13:15,680 people in the crowd by saying, I think there's someone out here 248 00:13:15,680 --> 00:13:20,200 that has a parent. Is there someone out here that 249 00:13:20,200 --> 00:13:24,840 knows someone that has a name that starts with the letter L or 250 00:13:24,840 --> 00:13:28,080 maybe that has a name with the letter L in the name? 251 00:13:29,520 --> 00:13:32,240 That's so generic that of course it would be answered. 252 00:13:32,680 --> 00:13:36,560 This is Jesus specifically saying exactly what would take 253 00:13:36,560 --> 00:13:40,160 place and it didn't happen. Like he said, you know, pay 254 00:13:40,160 --> 00:13:41,680 attention. I'm going somewhere with this. 255 00:13:41,680 --> 00:13:46,680 You may not think I am, but He said as He said, which means 256 00:13:46,680 --> 00:13:52,680 this according as an inexact conformity with, you know, 257 00:13:52,680 --> 00:13:54,600 perhaps one of the worst parts about all this. 258 00:13:55,280 --> 00:13:59,520 The disciples forgot, but the enemies of Christ remembered. 259 00:14:02,080 --> 00:14:05,720 The disciples forgot, but the enemies of Christ remembered. 260 00:14:06,040 --> 00:14:09,400 You're in chapter #28. Go up into chapter #27 to verse 261 00:14:09,400 --> 00:14:11,720 #62 You might even be on the same page. 262 00:14:15,520 --> 00:14:18,080 And it says this. Now the next day that followed, 263 00:14:18,080 --> 00:14:20,800 the day of the preparation, the chief priests and the Pharisees 264 00:14:20,800 --> 00:14:24,360 came together into pilot saying, Sir, what's those next two words 265 00:14:24,960 --> 00:14:28,200 we remember. We remember that the deceiver 266 00:14:28,200 --> 00:14:31,920 said, while he was yet alive, after three days I will rise 267 00:14:31,920 --> 00:14:33,960 again. No, hold on a second. 268 00:14:34,400 --> 00:14:37,000 There were those who were opposed to Jesus Christ. 269 00:14:37,000 --> 00:14:40,480 They called him a deceiver, and they said, we remember what he 270 00:14:40,480 --> 00:14:43,160 said, that he would come back again. 271 00:14:43,280 --> 00:14:46,840 And so verse 64 command therefore, that the sepulchre be 272 00:14:46,840 --> 00:14:50,800 made sure until the 3rd day, lest his disciples come by night 273 00:14:50,800 --> 00:14:54,120 steal him away, and say unto the people, He is risen from the 274 00:14:54,120 --> 00:14:55,920 dead. So the the last error shall be 275 00:14:55,920 --> 00:14:58,480 worse than the first. And Pilate said something very 276 00:14:58,480 --> 00:15:01,800 interesting here. What he said in verse #65 you 277 00:15:01,800 --> 00:15:06,480 have a watch go your way. Make it as sure as he can. 278 00:15:07,320 --> 00:15:09,600 And you have to wonder, even in the mind of Pilate, with all 279 00:15:09,600 --> 00:15:12,360 that he had watched and all that he had consented to, then you 280 00:15:12,360 --> 00:15:14,280 have to even wonder in that very moment. 281 00:15:14,280 --> 00:15:17,200 Well, guys, do the best you can, because I can't even guarantee 282 00:15:17,200 --> 00:15:19,080 you what's about to happen over the next day. 283 00:15:20,040 --> 00:15:22,680 So they went and made the sepulchre shore, sealing the 284 00:15:22,680 --> 00:15:28,440 stone and setting a watch. What am I saying by bringing 285 00:15:29,080 --> 00:15:34,920 these people who consented to Christ being on the cross? 286 00:15:34,920 --> 00:15:37,960 Why would I mention that here this morning? 287 00:15:38,560 --> 00:15:41,440 Well, because we as the people of God and those who were here 288 00:15:41,440 --> 00:15:44,040 this morning, all of us, you know, sometimes we need to be 289 00:15:44,040 --> 00:15:46,000 reminded of the things that we should already know. 290 00:15:47,320 --> 00:15:50,560 It was Peter who said that he want to put forth those in 291 00:15:50,560 --> 00:15:52,720 remembrance. No, he didn't say that in the 292 00:15:52,720 --> 00:15:54,520 Gospel because he remember a lot in the Gospels. 293 00:15:55,160 --> 00:15:57,240 But later on his epistles, he said, I want to put you in 294 00:15:57,240 --> 00:16:00,920 remembrance of the things that they've been taught and the 295 00:16:00,920 --> 00:16:03,880 things that you've seen. Because each and every one of 296 00:16:03,880 --> 00:16:08,200 us, we can get forgetful about the promises of God. 297 00:16:08,720 --> 00:16:12,160 Which brings us to an undeniable truth this morning that I want 298 00:16:12,160 --> 00:16:15,280 you to know in the time that we have here this morning that I 299 00:16:15,280 --> 00:16:17,080 really want you to focus on today. 300 00:16:17,360 --> 00:16:22,520 And that thought is this. When the Word says it, believe 301 00:16:22,520 --> 00:16:27,080 it. When the Word says it, believe 302 00:16:27,080 --> 00:16:28,680 it. Now why would I say that? 303 00:16:28,680 --> 00:16:31,240 Well, Jesus Christ is called the living Word. 304 00:16:31,240 --> 00:16:35,400 And John 11 in the beginning was the Word, and the same was with 305 00:16:35,400 --> 00:16:37,040 God. And the Word was God. 306 00:16:37,040 --> 00:16:40,880 When Jesus Christ opened his mouth, when Jesus Christ spoke, 307 00:16:41,000 --> 00:16:45,040 when Jesus Christ communicated something in his gospels, you 308 00:16:45,040 --> 00:16:46,960 can believe it. You can take it to the bank. 309 00:16:47,040 --> 00:16:51,440 It's not that he's 99% correct. It's not even that he's 99.9, 310 00:16:51,520 --> 00:16:54,400 9%, correct? He's not as pure as Ivory soap, 311 00:16:54,400 --> 00:16:58,400 you know, 99.999%. Like who's deciding what that 312 00:16:58,400 --> 00:17:01,560 .001% is and what is it? Why can't they get rid of it? 313 00:17:01,680 --> 00:17:02,680 I don't know. They can't. 314 00:17:03,000 --> 00:17:05,040 It's been 100 years. They can't figure out what that 315 00:17:05,040 --> 00:17:09,640 .001% that's leftover is. But when Jesus Christ speaks, 316 00:17:09,920 --> 00:17:14,040 it's not even to the degree that can be rounded up to 100%. 317 00:17:14,200 --> 00:17:18,839 Every word of God is true because he's the living word. 318 00:17:19,160 --> 00:17:20,800 Now I want you to go to John chapter 14. 319 00:17:20,800 --> 00:17:22,079 Will you turn your Bibles please? 320 00:17:22,240 --> 00:17:27,040 As it's been our has been our habit here over this series to 321 00:17:27,040 --> 00:17:30,440 be able to look at our text, but then go to another text that is 322 00:17:30,480 --> 00:17:34,120 a pivotal text in the word of God to help us understand a 323 00:17:34,160 --> 00:17:36,920 greater truth. And John chapter 14 is one of 324 00:17:36,920 --> 00:17:40,680 those pivotal texts because really in the timeline we're 325 00:17:40,680 --> 00:17:44,160 going back a few days before Jesus was on the cross, the 326 00:17:44,160 --> 00:17:46,760 night before he was betrayed, if you will. 327 00:17:47,160 --> 00:17:50,360 And look at John on chapter 14, the living word, who is speaking 328 00:17:50,360 --> 00:17:53,080 here. He says this to disciples who 329 00:17:53,080 --> 00:17:57,080 are about to lose their master, physically speaking. 330 00:17:57,080 --> 00:17:58,880 They've walked with him for three years. 331 00:17:59,040 --> 00:18:02,240 They're about to lose the physical presence of their 332 00:18:02,240 --> 00:18:05,000 master. And he says this to them, Let 333 00:18:05,000 --> 00:18:09,320 not your heart be troubled. You believe in God, believe also 334 00:18:09,320 --> 00:18:11,120 in me. John 14, verse one. 335 00:18:11,120 --> 00:18:15,120 Now verse 2, in my father's house are many mansions. 336 00:18:15,720 --> 00:18:19,600 If it were not so, I would have told you, I go to prepare a 337 00:18:19,600 --> 00:18:22,680 place for you. And if I go and prepare a place 338 00:18:22,680 --> 00:18:27,400 for you, I will come again and receive you unto myself, that 339 00:18:27,400 --> 00:18:31,480 where I am you may be also, and whither I go? 340 00:18:32,640 --> 00:18:36,440 And the now saith unto him. Now Thomas always had a 341 00:18:36,440 --> 00:18:39,280 question. Thomas had a problem with this. 342 00:18:39,720 --> 00:18:43,760 Every time he speaks up. It's not exactly the most 343 00:18:43,760 --> 00:18:46,760 comforting of words. And so Jesus is communicating 344 00:18:46,760 --> 00:18:50,240 this beautiful thought. And Thomas says, Lord, we know 345 00:18:50,240 --> 00:18:53,520 not whither thou goest, and how can we know the way? 346 00:18:54,680 --> 00:18:59,920 And Jesus instead of rebuke, what he gives him is 347 00:18:59,920 --> 00:19:04,000 encouragement. And he says this I am the way. 348 00:19:05,120 --> 00:19:07,880 What's that next? Those next two words, the truth 349 00:19:08,760 --> 00:19:13,200 and the life. I am the way, the truth and the 350 00:19:13,200 --> 00:19:16,880 life, and no man cometh under the Father, but by me. 351 00:19:17,760 --> 00:19:20,080 And interestingly enough, as I've been in preparation for 352 00:19:20,080 --> 00:19:23,560 this message this last week, I've come to the realization 353 00:19:23,560 --> 00:19:27,480 that while the the title of the message could be Christ is 354 00:19:27,480 --> 00:19:33,640 risen, it really should be this. Christ is truth because the 355 00:19:33,640 --> 00:19:36,240 message of the resurrection is this. 356 00:19:36,680 --> 00:19:42,120 He is truth, and if the Word says it, believe it. 357 00:19:42,720 --> 00:19:45,400 That's true. If it's the living Word, Jesus 358 00:19:45,400 --> 00:19:49,960 Christ in numbers chapter 23, verse 19, God is not a man that 359 00:19:49,960 --> 00:19:53,560 he should lie, neither the Son of man that he should repent. 360 00:19:53,760 --> 00:19:56,120 Hath he said and shall not he do it? 361 00:19:56,240 --> 00:19:59,040 Or hath he spoken and shall not make it good? 362 00:19:59,240 --> 00:20:02,320 When God speaks, it says in numbers all the way back in the 363 00:20:02,320 --> 00:20:05,800 Old Testament. You can realize that it will be 364 00:20:05,800 --> 00:20:08,200 true. When the word says it, believe 365 00:20:08,200 --> 00:20:09,760 it. When it's the living Word, 366 00:20:09,880 --> 00:20:12,040 believe it. But I also want you to recognize 367 00:20:12,040 --> 00:20:13,840 this morning. That it's not just the living 368 00:20:13,840 --> 00:20:17,840 Word, Jesus Christ, but it's also God's holy word that we 369 00:20:17,840 --> 00:20:19,240 have in front of us this morning. 370 00:20:19,320 --> 00:20:22,360 It's all the Word and it's all true. 371 00:20:22,480 --> 00:20:26,720 Psalm 12 verse 6 says this. The words of the Lord are pure 372 00:20:26,720 --> 00:20:31,000 words, as silver tried in the furnace of earth, purified 7 373 00:20:31,000 --> 00:20:32,760 times. So how can you know God's word 374 00:20:32,760 --> 00:20:34,880 is true? Well, I have a question for you. 375 00:20:35,280 --> 00:20:37,000 Is God true? Yes. 376 00:20:37,640 --> 00:20:38,840 If He speaks, is it true? Amen. 377 00:20:40,000 --> 00:20:44,360 Is that His word? Then it's true, you say, well, 378 00:20:44,400 --> 00:20:49,040 it can't be that easy. And the answer is it can. 379 00:20:50,760 --> 00:20:54,840 It really can, because it comes down to this. 380 00:20:55,280 --> 00:20:59,920 It either it is or it is not. It's a binary choice. 381 00:21:00,560 --> 00:21:04,280 It either it is or it is not. Because it cannot present itself 382 00:21:04,280 --> 00:21:07,680 to be something and then simply just be a good book. 383 00:21:08,360 --> 00:21:10,880 Because it doesn't present itself as just a good book. 384 00:21:11,600 --> 00:21:16,920 Think of Thomas Jefferson who was some had some level of of 385 00:21:16,920 --> 00:21:20,120 honor for the word of God in his own way, but yet did not like 386 00:21:20,120 --> 00:21:23,440 the miracles of Jesus Christ. And before the days of cut and 387 00:21:23,440 --> 00:21:28,840 paste on your PC, he literally cut and pasted out the good 388 00:21:28,840 --> 00:21:31,520 teachings of Jesus and paste them on a book. 389 00:21:31,520 --> 00:21:34,120 And he said it really be much better if we could just get the 390 00:21:34,120 --> 00:21:37,400 good moral teachings of Jesus Christ and not have all the 391 00:21:37,400 --> 00:21:39,720 miracles and the other things that are so unscientific. 392 00:21:40,960 --> 00:21:45,160 And my answer to that is, well, we take it all because it is all 393 00:21:45,160 --> 00:21:49,440 presented as true. So that doesn't make sense. 394 00:21:50,000 --> 00:21:53,840 Well, does it make sense that Jesus Christ could raise after 395 00:21:53,840 --> 00:21:55,840 three days and could save our wicked souls? 396 00:21:56,920 --> 00:21:59,600 I would say if he could do that, he could do anything else that 397 00:21:59,600 --> 00:22:03,160 you find in this book. When the Word of God says it, 398 00:22:03,720 --> 00:22:06,840 believe it. So what should you believe 399 00:22:06,840 --> 00:22:09,560 today? What should you believe in the 400 00:22:09,560 --> 00:22:13,200 word of God today? Well, I've got a few things that 401 00:22:13,200 --> 00:22:16,240 I want you to recognize briefly here this morning. 402 00:22:17,120 --> 00:22:18,880 You're the word of God says you're a Sinner. 403 00:22:20,040 --> 00:22:24,120 Believe it. James 115 says, then when lust 404 00:22:24,120 --> 00:22:28,280 hath conceived, it bringeth forth sin and sin, when it is 405 00:22:28,280 --> 00:22:33,480 finished, bringeth forth death. The idea is every one of us are 406 00:22:33,480 --> 00:22:36,840 self focused. Every one of us are sinners. 407 00:22:37,760 --> 00:22:39,320 Let me ask you a question. I heard someone say this a few 408 00:22:39,320 --> 00:22:41,480 weeks ago and I kept rattling around in my mind because it's 409 00:22:41,480 --> 00:22:44,200 so true. If you see a picture of yourself 410 00:22:44,200 --> 00:22:46,560 and a group of people and you look at that picture, who do you 411 00:22:46,560 --> 00:22:53,960 look at first? Because you're a Sinner, and so 412 00:22:53,960 --> 00:22:57,200 am I. Our focus is on ourselves. 413 00:22:57,440 --> 00:22:59,000 Yeah, that's that's scary, isn't it? 414 00:22:59,000 --> 00:23:00,920 Once you realize that's the way we are. 415 00:23:01,040 --> 00:23:05,240 Because everything in our life, first and foremost in our flesh 416 00:23:05,280 --> 00:23:06,760 is about ourselves. Why? 417 00:23:06,920 --> 00:23:09,560 Because we were born in our sin and iniquities. 418 00:23:09,560 --> 00:23:12,920 And just as the children just told us a few moments ago, for 419 00:23:12,920 --> 00:23:15,720 all have sinned and come short of the glory of God. 420 00:23:16,160 --> 00:23:20,200 Romans 5 verse 12 says wherefore by as one man sin entered into 421 00:23:20,200 --> 00:23:23,800 the world and death by sin, and so death passed upon all men, 422 00:23:24,480 --> 00:23:28,240 for that all have sinned. The word of God says you're a 423 00:23:28,240 --> 00:23:32,280 Sinner, believe it. You know the Word says that 424 00:23:32,280 --> 00:23:35,360 there's life after death. Believe it. 425 00:23:36,680 --> 00:23:41,080 Hell is real. As a pastor, I don't like 426 00:23:41,080 --> 00:23:44,240 talking about it. I find no pleasure standing in a 427 00:23:44,240 --> 00:23:48,520 pulpit and thundering down about the realities of hell. 428 00:23:49,400 --> 00:23:57,160 I say it not with a heart that wants to talk down to you, but I 429 00:23:57,160 --> 00:24:02,040 say it with a heart that wants to desperately warn you that it 430 00:24:02,040 --> 00:24:05,360 is real. And while I take no joy in 431 00:24:05,360 --> 00:24:09,840 Speaking of its reality, I must speak of its reality because the 432 00:24:09,840 --> 00:24:14,800 Word of God says it's true. Revelation 20, verses 14 and 15. 433 00:24:15,280 --> 00:24:18,800 And death and hell were cast into the lake of fire. 434 00:24:19,480 --> 00:24:22,880 This is the second death, and whosoever was not found written 435 00:24:22,880 --> 00:24:27,840 in the book of life was cast into the lake of fire. 1 436 00:24:27,840 --> 00:24:30,640 commentator said this. The vague and tenuous hope that 437 00:24:30,640 --> 00:24:34,160 God is too kind to punish the ungodly has become a deadly 438 00:24:34,160 --> 00:24:36,480 opiate for the consciousnesses of millions. 439 00:24:37,360 --> 00:24:42,240 That's a deep, deep quote. But the idea of what this 440 00:24:42,240 --> 00:24:45,680 commentator Wolver just saying is this is there's far too many 441 00:24:45,680 --> 00:24:48,400 people that have been lulled to sleep by the fact that God is 442 00:24:48,400 --> 00:24:53,400 too kind to send anyone to hell. But the fact is that God desires 443 00:24:53,400 --> 00:24:56,800 that none perish, but it all come to repentance. 444 00:24:56,800 --> 00:24:58,040 We'll talk more about that in a moment. 445 00:24:58,720 --> 00:25:01,440 Hell is real. The lake of fire, that final 446 00:25:01,440 --> 00:25:04,480 resting place is real. But I also want to tell you this 447 00:25:04,480 --> 00:25:07,400 morning that heaven is real as well. 448 00:25:08,320 --> 00:25:12,480 Heaven is real. Many people have no problem 449 00:25:12,480 --> 00:25:14,200 believing in heaven. It's just the other thing they 450 00:25:14,200 --> 00:25:17,760 don't want to think about. But it is true that both are 451 00:25:17,760 --> 00:25:21,400 real places, that it's not just this life and then everything is 452 00:25:21,400 --> 00:25:25,160 over, but rather that after this life there is a life to come. 453 00:25:25,880 --> 00:25:29,760 Revelation 24 verses one through 4, just a few verses after what 454 00:25:29,760 --> 00:25:33,040 we just read said this. And I saw a new heaven and a new 455 00:25:33,040 --> 00:25:35,720 earth, for the 1st heaven and the first earth were passed 456 00:25:35,720 --> 00:25:40,800 away, and there was no more sea. And I saw John or I John saw the 457 00:25:40,800 --> 00:25:44,560 holy city, new Jerusalem coming down from God out of heaven, 458 00:25:44,720 --> 00:25:47,160 prepared as a bride, adorned for a husband. 459 00:25:47,360 --> 00:25:50,680 And I heard a great voice out of heaven saying, Behold, the 460 00:25:50,680 --> 00:25:54,320 Tabernacle of God is with men, and he will dwell with them, and 461 00:25:54,320 --> 00:25:57,120 they shall be his people. And, and God himself shall be 462 00:25:57,120 --> 00:26:01,960 with them and be their God, and God shall wipe away all tears 463 00:26:01,960 --> 00:26:04,360 from their eyes. And there shall be no more 464 00:26:04,360 --> 00:26:09,520 death, neither sorrow nor crying, neither shall there be 465 00:26:09,520 --> 00:26:13,760 any more pain for the former things or passed away. 466 00:26:14,680 --> 00:26:18,920 Are you tired of pain? Who isn't tired of pain? 467 00:26:20,560 --> 00:26:24,600 The Bible says there will be a time for those who go to heaven. 468 00:26:25,200 --> 00:26:29,080 There'll be no more pain. This is not just some silly 469 00:26:29,080 --> 00:26:33,160 promise to weak people who can't handle the realities of life. 470 00:26:34,440 --> 00:26:37,120 Now, the word of God says it. You can believe it. 471 00:26:37,120 --> 00:26:40,600 That's right. Bible tells us that we're 472 00:26:40,600 --> 00:26:41,440 sinners. Believe it. 473 00:26:41,440 --> 00:26:43,400 The Bible tells us there's life after this. 474 00:26:43,400 --> 00:26:45,960 Believe it. The Bible tells us that you can 475 00:26:45,960 --> 00:26:51,320 be saved from that judgment and that condemnation. 476 00:26:52,040 --> 00:26:54,840 Believe it. You know, the Angel said in 477 00:26:54,840 --> 00:27:00,880 verse #6 in our text, Come and see, come and see. 478 00:27:01,920 --> 00:27:04,480 The women were afraid. They didn't believe. 479 00:27:04,720 --> 00:27:07,440 And by the way, there's a beauty to the fact that Jesus revealed 480 00:27:07,440 --> 00:27:10,200 Himself to those women first before the disciples. 481 00:27:10,720 --> 00:27:14,640 You realize that if those women were in court in those times, 482 00:27:14,640 --> 00:27:18,040 that their account of that day wouldn't even have been 483 00:27:18,040 --> 00:27:21,120 recognized. They would have been silly women 484 00:27:21,520 --> 00:27:25,000 who couldn't even have spoken out in court of what they saw, 485 00:27:25,640 --> 00:27:27,920 but yet Jesus saw great value in them. 486 00:27:28,280 --> 00:27:31,400 To be able to reveal himself to them before even his own 487 00:27:31,880 --> 00:27:37,080 disciples come and see was the message. 488 00:27:37,800 --> 00:27:42,160 But it reminds me all the way back to the beginning of Jesus's 489 00:27:42,160 --> 00:27:47,160 ministry when it says in John 137 through 39. 490 00:27:47,480 --> 00:27:50,920 And the two disciples heard him speak, and they followed Jesus, 491 00:27:51,480 --> 00:27:54,200 And Jesus turned and saw them following, and said unto them, 492 00:27:54,200 --> 00:27:57,160 What seek ye? And they said unto him, Rabbi, 493 00:27:57,160 --> 00:27:59,680 which is interpret, Master, where dwellest thou? 494 00:28:00,240 --> 00:28:05,680 And his answer, come and see. There's a beautiful harmony 495 00:28:05,680 --> 00:28:08,240 about the fact that the beginning of Jesus's ministry 496 00:28:09,040 --> 00:28:13,200 was come and see. And at the near end of Jesus's 497 00:28:13,200 --> 00:28:16,720 earthly ministry, it was this. Come and see. 498 00:28:17,840 --> 00:28:20,040 You know what the message of Jesus Christ is for you today 499 00:28:20,040 --> 00:28:22,000 when it comes in regards to the gospel. 500 00:28:22,600 --> 00:28:27,720 Come and see. I don't know if Jesus could save 501 00:28:28,280 --> 00:28:32,400 someone like me. And my answer to you would be in 502 00:28:32,400 --> 00:28:35,120 this world today, our 8 billion or so souls. 503 00:28:36,160 --> 00:28:40,760 And God can save each and every one of them, including you. 504 00:28:40,760 --> 00:28:46,080 And that includes all who have trodden upon this earth for all 505 00:28:46,080 --> 00:28:48,800 time. His message to you is this. 506 00:28:49,920 --> 00:28:53,000 Come and see. He wants you to be saved. 507 00:28:53,680 --> 00:28:57,400 Ephesians 289 For by grace, are you saved through faith? 508 00:28:58,000 --> 00:28:59,520 We just talked about grace a few moments ago. 509 00:28:59,520 --> 00:29:02,600 Grace is God's unmerited favor. It's the things that He gives us 510 00:29:02,600 --> 00:29:04,760 that we don't deserve. What do we deserve? 511 00:29:04,760 --> 00:29:07,840 Well, we just talked about it. Death, hell, it's what we 512 00:29:07,840 --> 00:29:10,200 deserve. By grace, are you saved through 513 00:29:10,200 --> 00:29:11,920 faith? It's not of yourself. 514 00:29:12,560 --> 00:29:16,200 It's the gift of God, not of works. 515 00:29:17,120 --> 00:29:20,320 Just any man should boast. Can I talk plainly with you? 516 00:29:21,320 --> 00:29:22,840 Somebody say you're just going to start now. 517 00:29:23,000 --> 00:29:25,920 All right. Can I talk plainly with you for 518 00:29:25,920 --> 00:29:29,880 a few moments? Some of you have been lied to by 519 00:29:29,880 --> 00:29:33,720 false religion. Some of you been lied to that 520 00:29:33,720 --> 00:29:36,960 you just have to be good enough and you'll be OK upstairs. 521 00:29:37,480 --> 00:29:39,000 So that's the kind of talk that's out there. 522 00:29:39,480 --> 00:29:44,720 You'll be OK with a quote, big guy, if you just do enough, if 523 00:29:44,720 --> 00:29:48,240 you keep your nose clean, if you go through the religious 524 00:29:48,240 --> 00:29:52,160 obligations, if you just make sure you give enough. 525 00:29:52,800 --> 00:29:54,920 Maybe some of you even thought, oh pastor, we know why you 526 00:29:54,920 --> 00:29:57,120 passed the plates around here. You must have passed the plates 527 00:29:57,120 --> 00:29:59,600 because the people that give more, they have more assurance 528 00:29:59,600 --> 00:30:01,360 that they're going to heaven than the ones that don't. 529 00:30:02,080 --> 00:30:04,840 If that's your opinion, I would hope that you would never given 530 00:30:04,840 --> 00:30:06,960 the offering plate here. We don't want your money. 531 00:30:07,760 --> 00:30:10,440 What we want for you to understand is the purity of the 532 00:30:10,440 --> 00:30:12,720 gospel. And if that's a stumbling block 533 00:30:12,720 --> 00:30:15,440 to you, then don't even look at that plate when it goes by. 534 00:30:16,120 --> 00:30:20,240 I'm as serious as I could be because it's not of the works of 535 00:30:20,240 --> 00:30:21,960 which we have done. Titus says this. 536 00:30:22,400 --> 00:30:25,440 Paul says to Titus, it's not of works of righteousness which we 537 00:30:25,440 --> 00:30:28,520 have done because our righteousness is like filthy 538 00:30:28,520 --> 00:30:30,480 rags. And some of you just keep 539 00:30:30,480 --> 00:30:31,800 wondering, why am I not getting the head? 540 00:30:31,800 --> 00:30:33,760 Why am I not going anywhere? Why do I still not know that I'm 541 00:30:33,760 --> 00:30:37,360 going to heaven? Because you keep doing and you 542 00:30:37,360 --> 00:30:41,720 do good, but you also do bad. You say, well, who are you to 543 00:30:41,720 --> 00:30:43,680 tell me I'm doing bad? Someone who's trying to tell you 544 00:30:43,680 --> 00:30:48,520 the truth because you do bad and I do bad. 545 00:30:49,000 --> 00:30:51,080 You say what bad do you do? Well, I'll let you talk to Diane 546 00:30:51,080 --> 00:30:53,720 after the service and tell you all about it, OK? 547 00:30:54,240 --> 00:30:56,240 She'll be glad to tell you. And anyone who's been a member 548 00:30:56,240 --> 00:30:58,920 of this church for 5 minutes could probably tell you a few 549 00:30:58,920 --> 00:31:02,160 things too. But This is why I know I'm not 550 00:31:02,160 --> 00:31:04,960 saved by my good works and you're not saved by your good 551 00:31:04,960 --> 00:31:07,120 works, but you're saved by the good grace of God. 552 00:31:07,120 --> 00:31:09,480 When he says you could be saved, believe it. 553 00:31:09,600 --> 00:31:13,480 Listen When he says he wants you to be saved, believe it. 554 00:31:13,480 --> 00:31:16,280 It's not just the fact that you can be saved. 555 00:31:16,400 --> 00:31:19,840 It's the fact that he desires for you to be saved. 556 00:31:20,320 --> 00:31:23,320 He desires for all to come to repentance. 557 00:31:23,320 --> 00:31:27,120 The Bible says that he came to seek and to save that which was 558 00:31:27,120 --> 00:31:28,520 lost. You ever had someone come over 559 00:31:28,520 --> 00:31:30,960 to your house and you it's because you invited him over. 560 00:31:30,960 --> 00:31:37,320 You kind of hope They said no. By the way, got four people 561 00:31:37,320 --> 00:31:38,480 coming over to church after church. 562 00:31:38,480 --> 00:31:42,720 And I know I'm just kidding. You ever invite someone over and 563 00:31:42,720 --> 00:31:45,440 you said, you know, I hope they say no and at least at least I 564 00:31:45,440 --> 00:31:47,640 was hospitable about it. That's kind of the way it works. 565 00:31:48,760 --> 00:31:51,280 You know, with the Lord, He does not extend the invitation and 566 00:31:51,280 --> 00:31:57,040 hopes you say no. His desire is that you come to 567 00:31:57,040 --> 00:31:59,200 repentance. He brought you here today. 568 00:32:00,840 --> 00:32:02,520 No, He brought you here today. He said I brought myself. 569 00:32:02,520 --> 00:32:07,240 No, He worked within your life to put people in your path. 570 00:32:08,360 --> 00:32:12,960 He will be here today because He wants you to have fellowship 571 00:32:12,960 --> 00:32:15,800 with him. When God says He wants you to be 572 00:32:15,800 --> 00:32:20,720 saved, believe it. But I'd also say this, when the 573 00:32:20,720 --> 00:32:24,800 word of God tells us our time is limited, believe it. 574 00:32:26,960 --> 00:32:28,800 So I've got plenty of time to think about this. 575 00:32:29,520 --> 00:32:32,200 Maybe you do and maybe you don't. 576 00:32:34,080 --> 00:32:35,840 Look at. James tells us that our life is 577 00:32:35,840 --> 00:32:38,800 but a vapor. If I was to bring a spray bottle 578 00:32:38,800 --> 00:32:42,320 up here and just to spray it in the air, we'd see it for two or 579 00:32:42,320 --> 00:32:45,320 three seconds and it would be like nothing ever happened. 580 00:32:46,920 --> 00:32:51,240 And that's our life. It's here for a moment and it's 581 00:32:51,240 --> 00:32:55,360 gone the next. We're friends with a family that 582 00:32:55,880 --> 00:32:59,720 used to be a pastor in Connecticut and just a few days 583 00:32:59,720 --> 00:33:04,680 ago traveling down the road foggy Connecticut, a foggy 584 00:33:04,680 --> 00:33:10,280 morning crossing a state highway, a car with a mom and a 585 00:33:10,280 --> 00:33:13,360 bunch of little kids because they couldn't see what was 586 00:33:13,360 --> 00:33:16,240 ahead. Hit a head on collision with 587 00:33:16,240 --> 00:33:21,000 another vehicle and a 7 year old boy passed into eternity. 588 00:33:22,280 --> 00:33:26,040 And I heard that in my heart broke for that family as they 589 00:33:26,040 --> 00:33:29,200 all experienced broken bodies, but that one young man slipped 590 00:33:29,200 --> 00:33:31,640 into eternity to be with his Jesus. 591 00:33:34,160 --> 00:33:37,320 My heart breaks for them. But you don't know what tomorrow 592 00:33:37,320 --> 00:33:39,280 is. And I'm gonna try to make you 593 00:33:39,280 --> 00:33:40,600 paranoid. I'm just telling you. 594 00:33:40,680 --> 00:33:42,520 You don't know, you say, well, I do know. 595 00:33:42,520 --> 00:33:45,160 Well, you know you're lying. You don't know. 596 00:33:45,160 --> 00:33:49,000 And what I'm saying is when the word of God says you don't know 597 00:33:49,000 --> 00:33:54,600 you have tomorrow, believe it. Thou knowest not what a day may 598 00:33:54,680 --> 00:33:59,400 bring forth, Believe it. There's a lot of believers here 599 00:33:59,400 --> 00:34:01,960 this morning. I believe there's a lot of 600 00:34:01,960 --> 00:34:03,520 people who know Jesus Christ, their savior. 601 00:34:04,040 --> 00:34:06,800 I'm thankful for that. You even said Amen. 602 00:34:06,800 --> 00:34:08,040 That's that's good. Yeah. 603 00:34:10,600 --> 00:34:12,320 You know, the word of God talks to you too. 604 00:34:12,320 --> 00:34:15,400 You know when the Bible says he'll never leave you or forsake 605 00:34:15,400 --> 00:34:19,760 you, believe it. When the Bible says that he will 606 00:34:19,760 --> 00:34:22,840 be a friend that sticketh closer to a brother than a brother. 607 00:34:23,280 --> 00:34:28,440 Believe it when the Bible says that that that you can have a 608 00:34:28,440 --> 00:34:32,040 peep in the midst of the storm, as Paul talked about, when he 609 00:34:32,040 --> 00:34:37,639 said that his grace was able to work within his life and made 610 00:34:37,639 --> 00:34:40,120 him in his weakness made him strong. 611 00:34:40,120 --> 00:34:43,840 You can believe that. You know the Bible says that God 612 00:34:43,840 --> 00:34:49,080 is holy and we are to live holy. You ought to believe it when the 613 00:34:49,080 --> 00:34:51,320 Bible tells us that you can't live a holy life on yourself, 614 00:34:51,320 --> 00:34:53,360 which is why the Holy Spirit lives inside of you to help you 615 00:34:53,360 --> 00:34:56,520 live out that life. You need to believe it when the 616 00:34:56,520 --> 00:34:58,800 Bible says if we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to 617 00:34:58,800 --> 00:35:00,960 forgive our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness, 618 00:35:01,960 --> 00:35:06,120 Believe it. When the Word says it, believe 619 00:35:06,120 --> 00:35:07,920 it. Here's the problem. 620 00:35:07,920 --> 00:35:10,560 We've been conditioned. When man tells us something, we 621 00:35:10,560 --> 00:35:12,520 know man's not always shooting straight with us. 622 00:35:13,880 --> 00:35:16,400 And maybe even right now you're hearing me and say, OK, yeah, 623 00:35:16,400 --> 00:35:18,200 pastor, you're really funny. You're really handsome. 624 00:35:18,200 --> 00:35:21,160 Thank you. Because I know that's what 625 00:35:21,160 --> 00:35:23,640 you're thinking. But you're thinking you're 626 00:35:23,640 --> 00:35:24,960 really funny. You're all these things. 627 00:35:24,960 --> 00:35:27,400 But I just don't know if I believe it. 628 00:35:27,760 --> 00:35:32,000 And my answer is from just some of the things I've just said. 629 00:35:32,280 --> 00:35:35,840 Don't believe it because of me. Who am I? 630 00:35:37,600 --> 00:35:41,800 I'm just like you. I may be a pastor that has a 631 00:35:41,800 --> 00:35:43,560 calling upon his life, but I'm just like you are. 632 00:35:44,720 --> 00:35:50,800 Don't take my word for it. Search the scriptures and Jesus 633 00:35:50,800 --> 00:35:55,640 told the Pharisees those religious hypocrites, he says 634 00:35:55,640 --> 00:35:58,240 search the scriptures for in them you think you have eternal 635 00:35:58,240 --> 00:36:00,560 life meaning this. They clung so tightly to those 636 00:36:00,560 --> 00:36:04,360 scriptures but they didn't even know the scriptures who didn't 637 00:36:04,360 --> 00:36:06,520 even follow them. Just go back and search those 638 00:36:06,520 --> 00:36:08,800 things you think you know so well, because if you read them 639 00:36:09,080 --> 00:36:10,640 you'd realize I am who I say I am. 640 00:36:11,840 --> 00:36:15,760 But man will let you down. God will never let you down. 641 00:36:17,600 --> 00:36:18,880 I'll give you this story and I'll be done. 642 00:36:20,320 --> 00:36:23,080 Some of you who've been here a while have heard me reference my 643 00:36:23,080 --> 00:36:28,520 Uncle Al before now. My Uncle Al I love greatly. 644 00:36:28,520 --> 00:36:32,880 He's my father's brother. My father had two brothers much 645 00:36:32,880 --> 00:36:36,680 older than him. He was born about 20 years after 646 00:36:36,880 --> 00:36:41,280 his two older brothers. And so I love my Uncle Al. 647 00:36:42,000 --> 00:36:45,640 But my Uncle Al, he was a talker. 648 00:36:46,960 --> 00:36:49,800 And I remember being a young guy, just a little guy to every 649 00:36:50,600 --> 00:36:53,480 holiday he'd come over to the house and especially as a young 650 00:36:53,480 --> 00:36:55,920 boy, he'd sit me on his knee. He said, Adam, we got to go 651 00:36:55,920 --> 00:36:58,200 fishing. I said, I like that. 652 00:36:58,440 --> 00:37:00,600 I like to go fishing. He says, next time I come, I'm 653 00:37:00,600 --> 00:37:04,560 going to bring you a fishing pole every holiday. 654 00:37:05,800 --> 00:37:07,440 He said, every holiday you bring you a fishing pole. 655 00:37:07,440 --> 00:37:08,920 No, I'm still waiting for the first fishing pole. 656 00:37:10,600 --> 00:37:15,040 My Uncle Al was the one that if you were to search his name, and 657 00:37:15,040 --> 00:37:19,360 I did this just a few days ago, I searched his name and the word 658 00:37:19,360 --> 00:37:21,640 bingo. Say pastor, where you going with 659 00:37:21,640 --> 00:37:23,760 this? I searched his name and the word 660 00:37:23,760 --> 00:37:25,600 bingo. The first thing that came up was 661 00:37:25,640 --> 00:37:28,960 a Riviera Bingo casino in Cranston, RI, which I didn't 662 00:37:28,960 --> 00:37:32,600 even know existed. But the second thing that came 663 00:37:32,600 --> 00:37:39,680 up was his indictment in 1993 for running a bingo parlor and 664 00:37:39,680 --> 00:37:41,600 running a scam out of a bingo parlor. 665 00:37:42,480 --> 00:37:46,680 And one of the greatest moments in Rivero history, if you were 666 00:37:46,680 --> 00:37:51,240 to look online, is my uncle being indicted by the FBI and 667 00:37:51,240 --> 00:37:55,000 his son who was also indicted. My cousin with a jacket over his 668 00:37:55,000 --> 00:37:58,000 head going into federal court. That is the high watermark of 669 00:37:58,000 --> 00:38:04,160 the Rivero family. 1993 Tampa, FL Right there you say, pastor, 670 00:38:04,160 --> 00:38:06,800 why are you saying this in front of all of us? 671 00:38:07,760 --> 00:38:12,080 I'm saying this because man will let you down. 672 00:38:14,640 --> 00:38:21,600 I have let people down. You have let people down and you 673 00:38:21,600 --> 00:38:26,200 say, well, I'm a better person than your uncle or I'm a better 674 00:38:26,200 --> 00:38:28,520 person than this other guy over here. 675 00:38:28,880 --> 00:38:32,160 You've missed the mark completely because the Bible 676 00:38:32,160 --> 00:38:35,040 says this in Second Corinthians. Comparing ourselves among 677 00:38:35,040 --> 00:38:39,560 ourselves, we're not wise. Compare yourself to another 678 00:38:39,560 --> 00:38:41,880 Sinner just makes you both sinners. 679 00:38:43,640 --> 00:38:45,120 Well, I'm a bigger Sinner than that Sinner. 680 00:38:45,120 --> 00:38:46,400 I'm a lesser Sinner than that Sinner. 681 00:38:46,400 --> 00:38:51,200 You're both still sinners. Listen, if someone sinks on the 682 00:38:51,200 --> 00:38:55,360 boat quickly and someone sinks on the boat and it takes some 683 00:38:55,360 --> 00:38:58,400 time, the boat still going down, you're in the same predicament. 684 00:38:59,280 --> 00:39:01,520 It's only Christ who could save you. 685 00:39:02,720 --> 00:39:05,920 When the Word of God says it, believe it. 686 00:39:06,600 --> 00:39:07,840 Remember that little girl at the beginning? 687 00:39:08,960 --> 00:39:12,760 She spoke the truth. No, a lot of people didn't want 688 00:39:12,760 --> 00:39:15,440 to hear what she had to say about how many people were in 689 00:39:15,440 --> 00:39:18,680 the church that day, but she spoke the truth about the church 690 00:39:18,680 --> 00:39:21,480 being full. Do you want to leave here full 691 00:39:21,480 --> 00:39:25,600 today in your heart? Well, the way you can be full in 692 00:39:25,600 --> 00:39:28,960 your heart today is recognizing that you're a Sinner and 693 00:39:28,960 --> 00:39:32,960 standing in condemnation before a thrice holy God. 694 00:39:34,440 --> 00:39:37,120 But yet Jesus, the way, the truth and the life said this. 695 00:39:37,160 --> 00:39:40,600 I'll go and prepare a way before you and you can be saved. 696 00:39:41,200 --> 00:39:45,800 And if he said it, believe it. Thank you for listening to the 697 00:39:45,800 --> 00:39:48,440 sermon from the pulpit of Liberty Baptist Church. 698 00:39:48,840 --> 00:39:52,040 If this message was a blessing to you, or if there's any way we 699 00:39:52,040 --> 00:39:55,160 can serve you, please let us know by contacting us at 700 00:39:55,320 --> 00:40:00,040 info@mylibertybaptist.org. Or you can visit us this Sunday 701 00:40:00,240 --> 00:40:03,960 at 800 Washington St. in Easton, MA. 702 00:40:04,200 --> 00:40:07,040 May the Lord bless you as you grow in His Word.