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Resurrection Power | Pastor Daniel Batarseh (Full Easter Service) · Bible Study with Pr. Daniel Batarseh | Verse by Verse Series | Maranatha Bible Church - Chicago

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  Christ is risen. Let's begin by reading from the
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  word of God in 1st Corinthians. Chapter 1.
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  First grand chapter 15 beginning in verse 1.
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  This is the message of Easter. This is the exclusive message
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  for everyone every day. Now, I would remind you Brothers
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  of the Gospel, I preached to you, which you received in which
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  you stand and by which you are being saved, if you hold fast to
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  the word, I preached to you. Unless you believed in vain.
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  For I delivered to you as of first importance, what?
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  I also received that Christ died for our sins.
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  He had not died as A victim. He died a substitutionary death
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  for our sins. He was in complete control of
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  his death, burial and Resurrection. he was in full
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  control of the timing and of the method of his death, the day and
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  the way Verse 4. That he was buried.
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  He was raised on the third day in accordance with scripture and
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  that he appeared to cephas. Then there are 12 then he
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  appeared to more than 500 Brothers.
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  At one time, most of whom are still alive though.
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  Some have fallen asleep then he appeared to James.
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  Then to all the apostles last of all as to when untimely born, he
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  appeared also To me. And he wants to appear to you
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  this afternoon. That you may receive him as your
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  lord as his Lord ruler of your lord and savior, if you have not
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  done that. So yet, let us pray.
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  Our God and Father, we thank you for our Lord and Savior Jesus
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  Christ. We think, if you have died, he
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  died for our sins, and he was buried.
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  And, yes, he rose the third day Victorious.
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  Victor over death over sin, over the powers of Darkness, but we
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  thank you that your son. Jesus has he pleased you in
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  everything he has done Even then.
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  At the beginning of his ministry at his baptism.
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  You said this is my beloved Son in whom I am pleased and they
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  are not many days before the cross again on that mountain of
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  transfiguration who declared. Again, this is my beloved Son,
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  in whom I am pleased to hear him and through that is reduction.
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  What a powerful declaration that the Christ is a truly.
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  The Son of God. He has pleased, you father in
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  everything he has done and that is a reduction, just approve of
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  that at. You are satisfied and you are
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  pleased. Completely.
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  In what he has done, he has completed the work, he has
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  finished the task, he has a brought salvation and
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  justification to all those who put their trust in him and Lord
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  this afternoon. We pray that if there is any one
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  Among Us who does not know yet Christ as his Lord and Savior.
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  We bread, even this afternoon that you will reveal your son to
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  him or to her we pray. That this afternoon you bring
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  people from death into life in Christ Jesus as you were revived
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  us again Lord we wait upon you, we expect this afternoon.
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  The work of God Among Us as we submit to the Son of God and as
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  we worship Him in spirit and Truth, Lord, we give your son
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  this afternoon, all the glory, all the praise and all the
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  worship, and in his holy precious name, we pray.
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  Ray. I mean.
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  the Sabbath was cast, Mary Magdalene Mary, the mother of
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  James, and Salome brought spikes They might go.
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  Very early on Thursday of the week.
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  The sun had risen. They went to the tomb and they
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  were saying During the tube.
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  They saw a young man sitting on the right side dressed in a
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  white robe and they were alarmed and he said to them do not be
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  alarmed. You seek Jesus of Nazareth who
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  was crucified Christ is risen.
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  Amen. And I am excited to open up
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  God's we're with you in a few moments to just discover the
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  implications of the resurrection and our present-day, how
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  Christ's Resurrection transforms transforms us transforms.
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  The way we view everything including day-to-day life.
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  If you're here for the first time, which is very common.
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  During this time of the year, we want to welcome you.
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  We're so glad that you can join us.
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  Perhaps you have come because you desire to just see what this
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  is all about out of curiosity. Or perhaps you're here because
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  you've been compelled you made a promise or maybe a deal with
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  somebody that if you come they would have to do something for
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  you. Regardless of the reason you're
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  here, you are here and our hope and prayer is that, you will
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  hear the truth that can transform your life and change.
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  You not just today, but for all of eternity and it's during this
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  time where we, as Christians, we give to the Lord as an act of
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  worship because we believe that God has given us all things.
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  So if it is on your heart, Believers to do.
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  So do so with a cheerful heart and And a couple of gentlemen,
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  will be here in a moment to help you with that.
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  And as that is happening, it is my duty to give some
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  announcements that are important concerning the church.
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  And as we celebrate, Resurrection Sunday today.
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  Next week is going to be one of the most clear demonstrations of
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  what Christ does and human life because people will be
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  identifying with Christ, through the act of baptism.
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  And so we have many Souls who are saying yes to Jesus, through
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  that act of obedience, and they will be baptized in that balcony
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  over there next week, and they will stand where I'm standing
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  and in a brief moment, explain, just what Jesus Christ has done
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  in their Lives though. They all have the common
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  salvation, they have a unique story, and we invite you to be a
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  part of that experience to see that.
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  In all this chaos that we are seeing in our world Christ is
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  still in the business of redemption.
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  He still saving souls and we want you to see that and so we
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  invite you to be here next week at 1:00 p.m. to witness those
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  testimonies. And with that, That's pretty
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  much all that I have in terms of announcement other than if you
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  are willing after this service church is not about performance.
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  Like this is not an event that we do to, you know, impress
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  people, to make sure that they feel a certain way.
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  Leaving this place church is a family and Maranatha Bible
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  Church. Really takes a much joy knowing
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  that we are community. So we are going to Feast after
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  the service and there will be a potluck downstairs where we
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  will. So I invite you to not run away
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  today. Don't run away.
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  Stay with us fellowship with us. At least say hello.
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  Grab a bite to eat and just see what Christ has done in people's
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  lives as you just talk to them and get to know them.
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  And that will be immediately after the service. what I love
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  about the teaching of the Resurrection, that it is
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  intensely, practical As much as it is theological, it is, it is
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  profound Paul, never ceases to make this intensely relatable to
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  our day-to-day lives. And I wish today we can spend
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  our time talking about what what would happen if the resurrection
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  wasn't true. But let me give you a glimpse.
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  Paul says, in First Corinthians 15 the same chapter that Pastor
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  Daniel read from in verse 30, he says, why are we in danger every
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  hour? As Believers as Christians as
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  Christian leaders. He goes, why are we in danger
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  every hour? I protest Brothers by my pride
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  in you which I have in Christ Jesus our lord, I die every day.
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  Not a physical death of course but a death to self selfish
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  ambition to sin. I die every single day.
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  What do I gain if humanly speaking, I fought with beasts
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  at Ephesus. He's not speaking about actual
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  animals, he speaking about people who are acting like
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  animals. What do I gain?
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  If I wrestle with such people? If the dead are not raised, then
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  he goes on to say, let us eat and drink for tomorrow, we die.
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  If Christ didn't raise. Can I tell you something?
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  We are wasting our time, this afternoon.
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  If Jesus Christ. That Jewish man who walked the
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  Earth 2,000 years ago. Who was historically crucified
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  on a Roman cross who was buried but we believe as Christians who
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  Rose from the grave, if Christ did not actually arise that may
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  I say something? Let every Church shut their
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  doors. Let every Pastor quit their
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  jobs. Let every Seminary refund their
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  students that every private Christian School, send back
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  those children to their homes because of Christ is not raised.
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  Then our faith is in vain. Preaching is in vain, singing is
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  futile. This is all a complete waste of
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  time. Let's just go eat.
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  This is go drink that. Just go be married.
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  Let's just live for self. But if Christ did die.
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  Then this is the most important thing that you will hear.
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  That truth Alters reality, Jesus Christ, arising from the grave
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  changes, everything. Changes everything, and you will
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  hear how it changes everything, how we can change everything,
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  but we come here not to hear something that we haven't heard
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  before. We come here to rehearse a true
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  that we've believed, and that's why we sing.
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  We are singing not to a theory, not to a theological Point, not
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  to some historical fact, we are singing to a living, God, a
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  living Christ who hears us and sees us and who will do
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  something with us one day. Would you stand with me as we
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  rejoice in the resurrection and give God the glory?
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  Nothing nothing.
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  We give you all the thanks. Praise honor and Glory this
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  morning, Lord, on the cross. You showed us that you were
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  willing to save us. Lord in your Resurrection, you
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  show that you are able to save us Praise you.
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  God, we ask that you would send your spirit can do Mighty things
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  this morning. Make yourself tangible to us.
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  Lord, we pray that you would Open the Eyes of the
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  spiritually. Blind God, we pray Lord for the,
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  the weary Christian that you would renew their hope in God,
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  we prayed fill us with joy inexpressible this morning.
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  Your servant and his preaching. God, we ask that you would speak
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  to us clearly this morning by your word Jesus.
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  The Apostle Paul said that if Christ had not been risen, then
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  preaching is in vain, but if Christ has risen them, preaching
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  is of utmost importance. And what you and I are going to
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  experience in this moment is a transaction of truth that can
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  literally alter the Eternal Destiny of the person who would
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  rightly respond to what will be communicated in a few moments
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  and so maybe you don't have a Bible.
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  But if you do turn with me to the book of Acts and Let's
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  explore what the word of God has to say about this celebration,
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  that we are observing together. Now, I've talked to many
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  Believers over the years, who have expressed a certain
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  enjoyment when they read through the book of Acts and maybe you
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  are among those who can Echo that sentiment.
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  And I wonder if the excitement is encouraged by the powerful
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  conversion stories that lux second volume describes or maybe
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  it's the Milestones of the advancements of the early church
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  that was moved by early believers who fearlessly ran
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  into a dark world that was drowning and depravity.
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  Or maybe it includes a fact that there are just amazing Miracles
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  that take place that God has enabled the early church to
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  perform in order to validate the authenticity of the Christian
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  message. I'm sure that the thrill that
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  people read through this books includes those observations, but
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  one of the things that never ceases to charge, me and
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  challenge me, whenever I read through, the book of Acts is the
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  way in which the Christian shared their faith.
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  And not necessarily because of the unusual boldness that they
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  displayed, or the willingness to patiently endure suffering as
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  they traveled and suffered for the sake of this message, would
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  always grips me, what always brings me to a place of
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  contemplation, is the emphasis of their message.
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  It's what the apostles and the early Christians highlighted,
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  whenever they spoke on behalf of the Kingdom of God and the good
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  news of Jesus Christ. And what that is really, if
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  you've noticed it, I'm sure, you know what I'm talking about.
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  If you haven't, then you will see it today.
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  The fascinating idea that whenever they preached,
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  especially to those who did not believe, or who are unaware of,
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  what the Christian message is, they always introduced and
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  explained and heralded the resurrection of Jesus Christ.
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  That Christ arose that he's alive, not that he just died,
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  but that he was Vindicated. And that he is now exalted, they
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  shared that continually. There are faithful to that
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  message. They were consistent in that
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  presentation. And as you realize it, it
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  challenges you to think about why it's not an emphasis in Our
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  Gospel presentation, you read through the book of Acts and
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  you'll see it in their teaching you See it and they're
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  evangelizing, you'll even see it in certain dialogues and you get
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  the Impressions that the apostles and the early
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  Christians, really believe that this component was crucial to
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  understanding the core of what we believe.
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  It's not secondary, it's not optional, it's not a side issue,
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  the Lord Jesus Christ, died and was buried, and bodily arose,
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  and ascended into heaven. That truth is not something that
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  should be highlighted once a year.
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  It shouldn't because it was emphasized and explain
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  continually and so many contexts by these Apostles and these
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  ambassadors of Jesus Christ. So then again I ask the
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  question. Why is it so often?
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  I'm speaking to the believer. Why is it so often me included
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  that when we tell somebody about the message that can save them?
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  We rarely bring up the resurrection.
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  Why is it that we point to his suffering?
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  But we don't we don't really talk about how he is alive.
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  And I think one evidence of our ignorance in that if you're
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  honest, with yourself, as I was, when I was thinking about this,
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  even when you think about the Prophecies of Jesus Christ, as
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  the Messiah, from the Old Testament, we can we can easily
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  shoot off those that speak about his crucifixion and even as
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  burial, but are we as quick to do, so, when we speak about his
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  resurrection, can we point to where it says in the Old
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  Testament? Not that he would just die but
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  that he would also be made Live again.
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  So indeed, it is challenging because we find ourselves in
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  that place. Then perhaps it is an indication
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  that we don't really understand the full implications of the
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  Resurrection. It has almost become a secondary
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  point, a sub point to the gospel and that cannot be.
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  Because when we come to Apostolic Christianity, what you
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  see is that, it was in the Forefront of their preaching.
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  And if we are serious, if we are truly Evangelical.
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  If we truly preach this news and share it, unashamedly, then we
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  have to imitate what they did. And that is to emphasize the
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  resurrection. I hope that truth stirs you to
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  consider what will be said today.
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  Because we could thank God that in the preaching of the Apostles
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  they give us they give us the implications of the
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  Resurrection. They give us the results of
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  Jesus being alive and that he was risen.
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  And so today in this brief time together, I present to you for
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  outcomes. For results, astonishing
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  realities that are not only connected to the resurrection,
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  but are unachievable without it. And as you and I hear these
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  truths today, the prayer before this meeting is that we would
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  not just be all believers and the resurrection, but
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  Proclaimers of it. We would know why we need to
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  tell it as we would the cross. And the first point I bring
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  today is found in Acts 2 24. And actually 24.
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  This is the first Christian message that was preached by an
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  unlikely candidate one, who betrayed Christ more than once.
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  Oh, the mercy of God. And we read here in a short
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  verse in the middle of this sermon.
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  Peter says, in verse 24, God raised him up loosening, the
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  pangs of death because it was not possible for him to be held
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  by it. It was not possible for him to
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  be held by it. and so if we have to understand anything about the
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  resurrection, let us understand this first crucial point, that
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  the resurrection of Jesus Christ, dismantles, death, it,
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  disarms death, What a powerful statement death could not hold
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  him. Jesus Christ was raised by God,
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  not excluding the fact that he himself and the spirit of God
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  were included in an active way in the resurrection.
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  But to see one Vantage Point, Jesus Christ was raised by the
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  father because death had no grip death had.
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  No hold on him. And whenever I come across this
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  verse, I cannot help but Saw defied death in my mind and
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  visualize how death must have reacted when he was faced with
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  Christ in the grave. I love to just imagine the utter
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  shock of death. When he looked Upon A man that
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  he has never seen and all of the history of mankind entering into
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  his realm. You see death was able to claim
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  so many bodies of millions of millions of people leading up
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  and tracing all the way back to our first parents.
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  It's one after the other before Christ.
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  Not one man was able to die without the dread of decay.
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  Because of the corrupt flesh, there was a clutch that death
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  had upon them to a certain degree.
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  But something happens, 2,000 years ago For thousands of years
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  before that death is undergone an unbroken routine.
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  A possessing one, descendant of Adam after the next.
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  Until something happened. For the first time in deaths,
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  long dealing with mankind, he encounters a man who on the
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  surface seem to have died. A criminal's death was unlike
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  any man that he's ever faced before.
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  On that Friday night. Jesus Christ of Nazareth enters
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  into the realm of sheol and as he comes his arrival is there,
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  he was examined for the sins that would forfeit his flesh to
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  Deaths ownership. But something strange happened
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  on that evening. When the record of Jesus life
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  was presented, there was no trace of sin.
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  Was there any wickedness in his deeds?
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  Not one. Was there any iniquity on his
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  lips? Not a whisper.
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  Was there any transgression in his thoughts?
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  Free from corruption? Obedient to the law perfectly
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  observed. And death while staring at their
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  record of Christ Perfection and his unspotted righteousness for
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  the first time. Admitted, that he could not, he
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  could not arrest that, undefiled pure and holy body.
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  And for the first time he witnessed God glorify flesh and
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  exalted into his presence. The Lord Jesus.
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  The Lord Jesus was convinced of this truth even while he was
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  alive. Do you remember what he told his
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  disciples in that discourse in John 14:30 I will not talk much
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  with you for the ruler of this world is coming.
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  He has no claim on me. He has no claim on me.
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  Accusation is not even possible. There is no legal, right for
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  death to be able to say you stay here under my possession.
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  The pangs of death were loosened. and God, in a sense
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  was obligated to Raised Christ. And for the first time, death
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  felt felt the body. Loosen from his clutch and he
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  witnessed the Resurrection, The firstfruits of those who have
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  fallen asleep in Christ. What does that have to do with
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  you and me? Well, Jesus said it, did he not?
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  Because I live, you also will live Paul added to that by
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  marvelously stating to the Corinthians as I just said,
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  Christ is the first fruits he went before us and he set the
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  example, and the expectation that the same way he escaped
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  death, the same way. Death could not hold him death.
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  Cannot hold you. It cannot keep you and must
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  legally, Give You Up, not because of your own
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  righteousness. But because by faith, you've
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  been clothed in the righteousness of Christ and that
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  goes with you into the grave. And so, as death examines, you
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  from head to toe and looks into your thought life and looks at
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  what you've done in private. And in public with your hands,
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  with your feet, with your eyes, when he will see, is what he
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  saw, two thousand years ago. Christ spotless righteousness,
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  imputed unto you and me. And then he has to say I cannot
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  hold them down and God can say he's mine.
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  She's mine and puts us up from the grave and Embraces us for
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  all of eternity. Christ's victory over the grave
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  paves the way for our bodies that were once tainted by sin to
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  be gloriously. Transformed.
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  You know what I always find fascinating, whenever I come to
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  this time of the year and reflect upon the resurrection,
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  not just of Jesus but a fallen men who have put their faith in
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  him. Why didn't Christ just give us
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  brand new bodies? Why didn't he just let these
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  bodies rot in the grave and he can just close us with something
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  completely new. Because what we believe about
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  the resurrection is it is these bodies Go in and we'll come up.
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  Planted mortally raised up into immorality, perishable into the
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  imperishable. We do not believe that because
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  we put our faith in Christ, these bodies remain.
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  And there's a new suit waiting for us at the Gates of Heaven.
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  That diminishes the power of Salvation.
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  What we believe is that these bodies we'll be saved.
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  So that death nor Satan can never say there is a part.
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  Of atoms race that we were able to keep to ourselves.
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  God, redeems, the whole man, not just your spirit, not just your
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  soul but your flesh. What a triumphant call of
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  Victory to say even these bodies will be redeemed.
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  That is the extent and the completion of the saving work of
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  Jesus Christ, you understand? This is not a matter of just
• 43:11
  debate and if you stand on there, that's fighting, no, no.
• 43:14
  This assaults, the gospel, if we dare even say that these bodies,
• 43:19
  These will not be raised. They will be raised and it will
• 43:22
  be a declaration to death and Hades that Christ was even able
• 43:26
  to redeem flesh. The resurrection of Jesus.
• 43:32
  This arms death. But the resurrected Christ also
• 43:36
  makes Faith relevant. So come with me now to Acts
• 43:40
  chapter 3. When I mean the resurrection of
• 43:43
  Christ makes Faith relevant, I don't mean culturally relevant.
• 43:46
  You know that But relevant to our day-to-day life.
• 43:53
  After Peter and John called for the healing of a man who was
• 43:56
  lame from birth at the gate called beautiful.
• 43:58
  That's an axe chapter 3. You can imagine that such a
• 44:01
  miracle stunned, the crowd who witnessed it.
• 44:04
  And so as this astounded group of people come Peter and John,
• 44:09
  take advantage of the moment because they have the best
• 44:11
  sermon illustration. You can imagine a man who was
• 44:14
  born crippled who comes up and is now walking and leaping in
• 44:17
  the temple, time for a sermon. Don't you think?
• 44:21
  I saw you addresses the crowd, perhaps just like this, but I
• 44:23
  believe, obviously, there is much more because thousands were
• 44:25
  saved and he looks at them in the face and fearlessly
• 44:29
  addresses them and communicates the gospel.
• 44:32
  And would, you know, it, he brings up the resurrection from
• 44:35
  the dead and what he says here in Acts 3, 15 is for
• 44:40
  observation. And you look what he says to
• 44:43
  this group of Jews. You killed the author of Life.
• 44:47
  Whom God raised from the dead. To this, we Are Witnesses and
• 44:53
  His Name by faith. In his name, has made this man,
• 44:56
  strong whom you see and know, and the faith that is through.
• 44:59
  Jesus has given the man this perfect health and the presence
• 45:04
  of you all, you killed them, you are guilty.
• 45:12
  He does not pull any punches. He looks at this group, who
• 45:16
  probably early on were calling for the crucifixion of Jesus
• 45:20
  Christ on those streets in Jerusalem. and it does not
• 45:24
  diminish the crime and how heinous such an offense is and
• 45:29
  so he addresses them and he says you are the one who stand
• 45:31
  guilty, but then, he goes on to say that Jesus was responsible
• 45:38
  for this man who was just healed Notice the flow of thought,
• 45:43
  Peter mentions God, raising Jesus Christ from the dead and
• 45:47
  the next breath. He deals with the faith in his
• 45:49
  name, being the cause for this miracle, there's a connection
• 45:52
  there. There is a connection there.
• 45:55
  And the reason for this explanation is back in verse 12,
• 45:58
  when he sees the Jaws dropping of this site, he wants to make
• 46:02
  it in fatica Lee, clear that there is nothing of his own
• 46:05
  power, or John's or of their piety that made this possible.
• 46:10
  And he quickly explains that the only reason the cause for this
• 46:14
  miracle of taking place is because of faith in the name of
• 46:18
  the resurrected Lord. It is Jesus Christ who has
• 46:21
  performed this miracle in your presence as any true servant of
• 46:27
  God. Would he gives the credit to the
• 46:29
  Lord but it is also something to be said of how this this deals
• 46:34
  with us. Faith in the name of Jesus
• 46:37
  Christ. That's not some magical thing
• 46:39
  that we believe. It's not that if you just put
• 46:42
  certain words together things can happen.
• 46:45
  It deals with authority. It deals with ability.
• 46:49
  There's something about that name.
• 46:51
  That's connected to the person that when we do things in his
• 46:55
  name asked in his name things happen.
• 46:57
  What does that imply that when I pray in the name of Jesus or
• 47:02
  live for the name of Jesus or invoke the name of Jesus?
• 47:06
  For Christ to intervene upon that faith means that he is
• 47:09
  alert and he is aware, and he can intervene, which means what
• 47:15
  he's alive. He's alive.
• 47:18
  This is not just Theory. Again, this is not just some
• 47:21
  magical recipe. That if you say certain things,
• 47:24
  things will happen. What we are being told here is
• 47:27
  that Peter and John possessed the trust in the Lord to perform
• 47:30
  this wonder. And Christ was able to deliver
• 47:33
  because Christ is alive. Do you remember how the gospel
• 47:38
  of Mark ends? You remember that glorious.
• 47:41
  Highlighted insight about Christ even after his resurrection.
• 47:45
  Let me read it to you and realize that it applies today in
• 47:49
  Mark, 16 19. So then the Lord Jesus after, he
• 47:54
  had spoken to them, was taken up into heaven and sat down at the
• 47:58
  right hand of God. Okay, great.
• 48:01
  We'll see you in heaven, Lord. He was taken up into heaven
• 48:06
  bodily, ascended, gloriously seated at the right hand of
• 48:10
  God.. No.
• 48:13
  Then we are told in verse 20 and they being the disciples went
• 48:17
  out and preached everywhere, while the Lord worked with them,
• 48:24
  While the Lord worked with them and confirmed the message by
• 48:27
  accompanying signs. Jesus taken up into heaven,
• 48:31
  still working with them while they preached.
• 48:34
  What? I love so much about the way
• 48:36
  Mark ends this gospel. Is because Mark, by the spirit,
• 48:41
  gives us a certain facet of Christ that the other gospels do
• 48:44
  not give remember marks intention of showing Christ is
• 48:48
  to show that he was the perfect servant of God, right?
• 48:53
  That's why there are less Parables and mark less teaching
• 48:56
  and more action. More active, duty performed by
• 48:59
  Christ to show. This is the one whom Isaiah and
• 49:03
  the others spoke of not, just the Fulfillment of the servant,
• 49:07
  the perfect Israel. who obeyed God perfectly but our model, as
• 49:12
  Christians to see how we should serve the father with a
• 49:15
  particular attitude and ambition as Christ showed us being man
• 49:19
  himself And what you see there in that gospel is so much
• 49:24
  happening at such a rate. And what encourages me so much
• 49:28
  is that when you consider all of that, the spirit of God chooses
• 49:32
  to end the account of the servanthood of Jesus Christ by
• 49:35
  telling us that even after he arose, he still working.
• 49:43
  He worked while on Earth and after he arose as a serving that
• 49:46
  he was described in Mark, guess what?
• 49:48
  He's still doing. He's still working.
• 49:54
  The main point is this because he is alive our faith.
• 49:56
  Not only promises Christ intervention and death.
• 50:00
  It assures us Christ intervention in life in life
• 50:05
  today. Now, Peter indirectly is
• 50:07
  teaching us that Christ sees us. He hears us.
• 50:12
  He's leading us. He's guiding us and in his
• 50:14
  perfect wisdom, as a situation demands, he can intervene right
• 50:19
  before our eyes. He is still working.
• 50:23
  He's still Sovereign, he's still here.
• 50:28
  And we would say about the resurrection, we have no fear in
• 50:30
  death. Can you add something to that?
• 50:32
  Please, there is no fear in life either, not just in death, but
• 50:37
  even today because we serve a risen Christ.
• 50:40
  And as the Lord worked with the apostles, while they live for
• 50:42
  his glory, we do not believe that Christ will work with you
• 50:46
  and through you and in you. As you have the resurrection in
• 50:51
  the Forefront of your thinking and your meditation and you're
• 50:54
  planning, he is with me. He is with me.
• 50:59
  If you have faith in Christ that is the guarantee through the
• 51:02
  resurrection. It is not just I will see you
• 51:04
  when you give your final breath, I am with you in every breath.
• 51:09
  That's the truth of this. That's what makes Christianity.
• 51:11
  So, vibrant and Alive, we're not just here rehearsing some
• 51:15
  historical, things were here, realizing that there is a
• 51:18
  day-to-day Tea with Christ with Christ.
• 51:23
  As one of my favorite preachers said, how can we have a dead
• 51:27
  service with a living Christ and believe her?
• 51:30
  How can you have a boring? How can you have a boring
• 51:34
  existence? When you have the resurrection
• 51:37
  of Jesus Christ, imposed Upon Your Existence by faith.
• 51:44
  The resurrected Christ makes Faith relevant.
• 51:49
  Why? Preach of Christ hasn't raised
• 51:51
  well, what prey What hope? What's all this?
• 51:56
  What comfort? Thirdly the resurrected Christ.
• 52:01
  Now only makes Faith relevant. But inspires a Sanctified life,
• 52:07
  look at Acts chapter 4, do you notice that we're just going to
• 52:09
  one chapter after the next? In Acts chapter 4.
• 52:13
  Look with me here in verse 32. There's a just a few verses I
• 52:16
  want to read, but pay attention as I'm reading it, because this
• 52:19
  is important. now, the full number of those who believed in
• 52:24
  Acts 4:32, We're one heart. And soul.
• 52:31
  And no one said that any of the things that belong to him was
• 52:34
  his own, but they had everything in common and with great power,
• 52:39
  here it is. The apostles were giving their
• 52:42
  testimony to the resurrection of the Lord Jesus and great.
• 52:45
  Grace was upon them. All there is not a needy person
• 52:49
  among them for as many as were owners of lands or houses sold
• 52:54
  them and brought the proceeds of what was sold It's interesting
• 52:59
  to note that in verse 32 and verse 34 we are informed of an
• 53:02
  exceptional unity and generosity that was shared among the early
• 53:06
  church, there is such a Detachment from possessions.
• 53:11
  There was such a joy in the Lord that more than owning there is a
• 53:16
  desire to serve. And there was an ambition, a
• 53:19
  corporate ambition, to make sure that there is not one person in
• 53:22
  the midst, that would be in genuine need and if your need
• 53:25
  requires something of me than with great Delight, I will give
• 53:28
  you what you need. You look at how inspirational
• 53:32
  decision, you wonder how can it be how can you come to this
• 53:34
  height of humility and compassion?
• 53:37
  How did this culture become the way it was?
• 53:42
  And you would say, perhaps like I did at first that this is
• 53:45
  obviously the influencing work of the Holy Spirit.
• 53:47
  When God, the spirit lives inside of you, he can bring you
• 53:50
  to such lengths of love. But tucked in between verse 32
• 53:56
  and verse 34, is an interesting detail that is not disconnected
• 54:01
  to the surrounding context. I believe that it actually is
• 54:04
  somewhat of an indication of the inspiration of this community of
• 54:09
  love. That was shared in the early
• 54:11
  church. What do we see here verse 33?
• 54:15
  The apostles were giving their testimony to the resurrection of
• 54:18
  the Lord, Jesus, and great. Grace was upon them.
• 54:21
  All That seems like a very strange detail to tuck in
• 54:26
  between two verses that are communicating the Deep care of
• 54:30
  the church. Unless of course, there's
• 54:33
  something there to consider. I wonder if the knowledge of the
• 54:37
  resurrection of Jesus being taught and proclaimed, was a
• 54:41
  catalyst for this kind of culture fruitfulness to be known
• 54:46
  among these believers. Something about Christ being
• 54:51
  alive, raining, exalted did something to them in a very
• 54:56
  practical way. Not just theologically it
• 54:59
  transformed their character. It made them deal with other
• 55:03
  people differently, viewing them differently, handling them
• 55:07
  differently, loving them differently.
• 55:11
  You see the doctrine of the Resurrection is not just a
• 55:12
  theological imperative but a truth that transforms us and
• 55:16
  every detail when properly understanding the significance
• 55:20
  of Christ rising from the dead, it radically Alters the way you
• 55:24
  and I live, especially in the way you and I relate to one
• 55:27
  another. Something about the resurrection
• 55:31
  of Jesus that touch these Hearts, making them want to
• 55:35
  touch other hearts. I can't help but think about 1st
• 55:39
  Corinthians 15, we heard it in the beginning we heard it during
• 55:41
  the announcements. If you have the time and if
• 55:45
  don't make the time read that chapter, it is a theological
• 55:49
  Masterpiece from Paul defending the case of Christ being raised
• 55:54
  from the dead and he's dealing with Skeptics in the church.
• 55:57
  He's dealing with those who are being tempted, not to believe
• 56:00
  that Christ arose. And he goes from one point to
• 56:04
  the next. He goes from one illustration to
• 56:07
  the next. He goes from one example to the
• 56:09
  next and it is so profound. It is so deep.
• 56:13
  But what so touches me is the way Paul ends the thing.
• 56:17
  After giving such a persuasive study of what it means for
• 56:22
  Christ to be alive and what that does for you and me he ends with
• 56:26
  an emphatic, therefore therefore what they're for something about
• 56:31
  the future. Therefore, something is dealt
• 56:34
  with in the past. Paul says you just heard and you
• 56:38
  just read what it means for Christ to be alive.
• 56:41
  Therefore, well, therefore therefore what?
• 56:45
  In verse 58 of chapter, 15. Therefore, my beloved Brothers,
• 56:53
  be steadfast. Immovable always abounding in
• 56:59
  the work of the Lord, knowing that in the Lord, your labor is
• 57:03
  not in vain. I challenge anybody that loves
• 57:09
  theology. If your theology doesn't doesn't
• 57:13
  make you a practical Christian, you're not doing theology,
• 57:16
  right? I don't care how much you know
• 57:19
  this is not matter if it does not influence the way you live,
• 57:24
  you're wasting your time. This Mastermind this colossal
• 57:28
  intellect. Found in the Apostle, Paul, he
• 57:30
  loved to use that word. Therefore And here he says,
• 57:34
  therefore after understand that Christ will be the first fruits
• 57:38
  of those who have fallen asleep after realizing that the
• 57:41
  perishable will raise the imperishable, after realizing
• 57:44
  that death has lost its sting, all these things out, we quote,
• 57:47
  and sing about. He says, oh, would you be
• 57:49
  steadfast now? And immovable always abounding
• 57:55
  in the work of the Lord. Let's examine this text in the -
• 58:01
  if I am inconsistent. If I am easily influenced by my
• 58:05
  feelings or circumstances of inconvenience, if I am
• 58:09
  sporadically involved in the work of the Lord, I can make a
• 58:13
  conclusion based on this tax and it is this that is very likely
• 58:17
  that I have a poor view of the Resurrection.
• 58:23
  I have a blurred understanding of what it means for Christ to
• 58:26
  be alive if I'm so easily. Shaken found so easily offended.
• 58:32
  If my sacrifice of my service to Christ is voluntary based on my
• 58:35
  own desires and plans, you have not understood the resurrection.
• 58:40
  Because Paul says, if you really understand that Christ is alive,
• 58:42
  there will be something of an anchoring devotion and
• 58:44
  consistency that will keep you moving forward until you meet
• 58:48
  this Resurrection Christ. To believe in the resurrection
• 58:53
  of Christ. Believes in my resurrection.
• 58:58
  Which means as Paul says here that my labor is not in vain.
• 59:02
  My labor is not in vain, I may not be encouraged by people.
• 59:04
  I may not be praised. I may not be love.
• 59:07
  That may not be appreciated. Look, what Paul says, put the
• 59:11
  resurrected Christ before you and you will know a strength and
• 59:16
  you will know a seriousness and you will know an ambition that
• 59:21
  will bulldoze over all the things that would hold you down.
• 59:23
  Otherwise How much of Christ being alive was used by these
• 59:30
  teachers and these authors of scripture to cause the
• 59:34
  Christians to live in a certain way.
• 59:36
  It's all the way at the end of the book even in Revelation when
• 59:41
  Christ himself, through John writes, personal letters to the
• 59:43
  churches. How many times has he said
• 59:45
  things to the effect of and the ones with eyes like fire, And
• 59:49
  the one who walks in the midst of the lampstands.
• 59:52
  What does that mean? Is that poetry?
• 59:54
  No, it's all indications. That Christ is here.
• 59:57
  He sees he hears, he observes he's taking into account. so, if
• 1:00:04
  Christ is not raised, Then the white serve, what is this?
• 1:00:11
  It's in vain. But if he has risen from the
• 1:00:15
  dead, and there is great, joy in knowing that there is a reward,
• 1:00:20
  think about Paul the Apostle and how he suffered over and over
• 1:00:24
  again. And you know what he says, you
• 1:00:26
  know, what he says when he's standing and trial with chains
• 1:00:29
  around around his hands and his feet, it is with respect to the
• 1:00:34
  resurrection of the Dead that I am on child before you this day.
• 1:00:38
  This man was willing to go to prison, to be sued to be
• 1:00:42
  slandered for what the resurrection.
• 1:00:47
  I'm standing here because I believe this truth and I
• 1:00:49
  preached this truth and I'm willing to suffer for this
• 1:00:52
  truth. I'm telling you there's
• 1:00:55
  something that needs to be healed in our vision.
• 1:00:57
  Concerning Christ being alive. And one of the ways in which you
• 1:01:02
  will know, if you want to check the pulse of your faith in this
• 1:01:06
  truth, then look at your steadfastness.
• 1:01:09
  Are you movable? Are you easily bendable?
• 1:01:13
  Are you a bounding? You know, I bounding means like
• 1:01:15
  overwhelmingly serving the lord If that's not there, if you can
• 1:01:19
  be honest, and say that's not true.
• 1:01:21
  Then ask yourself. Do I really believe that Christ
• 1:01:23
  is alive? Do I really, really believe that
• 1:01:27
  these sermons that I here, week after week deals with a God, who
• 1:01:30
  is real? One.
• 1:01:32
  Who conquered death? Do I really understand that?
• 1:01:36
  And he will give you understanding.
• 1:01:38
  Christ is risen is not a slogan for once a year, Christ is risen
• 1:01:43
  as the banner over the Christians life.
• 1:01:46
  Because to believe Christ is risen.
• 1:01:48
  Also means Christ, will return. Which brings me to my final
• 1:01:54
  point. The resurrected Christ.
• 1:01:58
  Asher's coming judgment. We will ski skip a few chapters
• 1:02:05
  here. Let's go to Acts chapter 17 and
• 1:02:08
  this is Paul not speaking to is that speaking to two Jews.
• 1:02:14
  He's speaking to a gentile audience in Athens. some would
• 1:02:19
  say that Paul Sermon here was one of One of the failures of
• 1:02:23
  his ministry that he didn't mention Christ here, he didn't
• 1:02:28
  emphasize on the gospel. He was more philosophical.
• 1:02:31
  And his approach was in the best then that's debatable.
• 1:02:36
  Especially when you come to verse 13 of chapter 17, as he
• 1:02:40
  ends this sermon before a group of intellects with their noses
• 1:02:44
  in the air. We were told earlier all they
• 1:02:48
  did their entertainment in life was to hear something new.
• 1:02:52
  Just like what philosophy is all about.
• 1:02:55
  I remember being in my college class for philosophy and one of
• 1:02:57
  the first things, the teacher said was, if you think that you
• 1:03:00
  have the understanding of objective truth, you're wrong.
• 1:03:04
  That's not what philosophy is about.
• 1:03:06
  So my oh great, what's the point?
• 1:03:09
  We're just going to be running around in circles talking about
• 1:03:11
  things that don't matter. And I having an exclusive
• 1:03:14
  understanding of what this is all about, no, thank you.
• 1:03:17
  Just give me my great so I can move on.
• 1:03:21
  And these people just they just wanted to hear something fresh
• 1:03:24
  and something new. And so they they her Paul
• 1:03:27
  speaking and they invite him into their little classroom and
• 1:03:30
  say, tell us what you're saying, man.
• 1:03:33
  And they were in for a shock. Because in verse 30, we read the
• 1:03:37
  times of ignorance, God overlooked but now he commands
• 1:03:41
  all people everywhere to repent. Because he fixed a day on which
• 1:03:46
  he will judge the world in righteousness by a man whom he
• 1:03:49
  has appointed now, look at this and have this.
• 1:03:51
  He has given Assurance to All by raising him from the dead so
• 1:03:58
  far. We've heard that the
• 1:03:59
  resurrection guarantees victory over Death Christ supervision
• 1:04:05
  and intervention in our lives and provides the motivation to
• 1:04:08
  persist, and a Sanctified way of life in Christ imitation.
• 1:04:12
  And as we conclude with this, As we learn of another consequence
• 1:04:16
  of Christ, conquering death. And it is this because the
• 1:04:20
  resurrection is true. Repentance is necessary.
• 1:04:26
  Because the resurrection is true.
• 1:04:31
  Then repentance is necessary. I believe that this message here
• 1:04:36
  at least at this point Ruffles, our view of our traditional
• 1:04:40
  understanding of Easter. We write with rehearse as we
• 1:04:45
  sang and heard earlier that what Christ has done seals and
• 1:04:51
  assures us that God has declared his satisfaction in the atoning
• 1:04:57
  work of Jesus Christ by raising him from the dead.
• 1:05:00
  He is declaring to the world. He was sinless and his work on
• 1:05:04
  the cross was enough and it's suffice has and faith in him,
• 1:05:09
  guarantees your future to be like his But it comes to a text
• 1:05:15
  like this, and I see another dimension of assurance, another
• 1:05:17
  guarantee that the resurrection declares and it is not just the
• 1:05:22
  fact that you and I will conquer death.
• 1:05:25
  It is the fact that judgment is on its way.
• 1:05:30
  I have a feeling that this is not going to be emphasized and
• 1:05:33
  many places on Resurrection Sunday.
• 1:05:36
  It's a shame. because Paul preached, it Christ, raising
• 1:05:42
  from the dead was a warning to every generation that he's on
• 1:05:47
  his way. He's on his way.
• 1:05:51
  This is not just some cute thing where we think about Jesus at a
• 1:05:55
  distance who helps us in life and when we die, we'll have a
• 1:05:57
  warm embrace. There is a sounding alarming
• 1:06:02
  truth from the Resurrection. The moment it happened.
• 1:06:04
  It is this the world is speeding towards a judgment Jew and
• 1:06:11
  Gentile, small and great will be examined.
• 1:06:14
  And evaluated by the righteous standard of Jesus Christ.
• 1:06:19
  The one that God has chosen and has declared that I have, indeed
• 1:06:24
  appointed him to be the universal ruler, and a decider
• 1:06:29
  of the Eternal fate of every descendant of our first parents.
• 1:06:35
  You know, that means you and me, what a All say he will judge the
• 1:06:42
  world. By what standard in
• 1:06:45
  righteousness. There's going to be no curve
• 1:06:47
  here. There's not going to be
• 1:06:49
  favoritism. You can't have your lawyer
• 1:06:52
  stepping in your place. You can't have your pastor speak
• 1:06:55
  on your behalf. He will judge in righteousness
• 1:06:57
  and perfect Justice, perfect discernment, Perfect holiness.
• 1:07:05
  And that is exactly why the apostles preached the
• 1:07:08
  resurrection because it is inseparable from repentance.
• 1:07:14
  Did you see the pattern in the book of Acts, read it next time
• 1:07:16
  with those eyes and realize whenever the resurrection is
• 1:07:18
  mentioned, there was always a call to repentance Christ is
• 1:07:22
  risen. So repent the Lord conquered
• 1:07:24
  death. So give your life to the one who
• 1:07:26
  holds the keys of death and Hades.
• 1:07:31
  And I wonder if the reason why we don't emphasize the
• 1:07:33
  resurrection is means because we have to also speak about
• 1:07:36
  repentance and we don't want to do that, right?
• 1:07:41
  But the apostles did it and I don't know about you, I want
• 1:07:45
  this kind of Christianity. Not the modern fluffy version of
• 1:07:50
  it. The cotton candy idea of Christ.
• 1:07:54
  I want the real Jesus and the real gospel and real conviction
• 1:07:59
  and real conversion. I'm so glad to be in a
• 1:08:03
  congregation who believes in the totality of this book which
• 1:08:07
  includes lovingly calling people to repent.
• 1:08:11
  But may I remind, you Faithful believer of the why to our
• 1:08:14
  repentance the. Why to our repentance is because
• 1:08:17
  Christ is risen. That's why.
• 1:08:22
  And there's a fixed appointment that he will fulfill that God
• 1:08:25
  has determined on a specific day.
• 1:08:29
  That will deal with every soul. So when we go about, telling
• 1:08:33
  people about the gospel, we are not informing them.
• 1:08:37
  That there is a Christ who is raining.
• 1:08:39
  We are also saying with just, as much importance that, yes Christ
• 1:08:42
  is raining but he is also returning.
• 1:08:47
  I wonder what Easter Sunday would look like every year.
• 1:08:50
  If every assembly took advantage of visitors coming in to say
• 1:08:54
  that, Christ is returning. I'm reminding you that today as
• 1:09:01
  you're going to go have a lovely dinner with your family who are
• 1:09:04
  probably a mixed breed of Believers and non-believers.
• 1:09:09
  Regardless, let me tell you, as you go back to your day today
• 1:09:13
  Christ is coming back. He's not staying up there.
• 1:09:18
  He didn't stay in the grave and he's not staying in heaven.
• 1:09:22
  He's coming to judge. And I praise God for that
• 1:09:26
  because this world is a mess. And there's something even among
• 1:09:30
  those who don't have faith in Christ because we've been
• 1:09:34
  created in the image of God, too long for justice to be
• 1:09:37
  implemented. There is something wrong here.
• 1:09:40
  We're seeing corruption on every level.
• 1:09:43
  And why does that disturb us? Why is it that as humans?
• 1:09:46
  We have a court system, we have laws and dogs don't And monkeys.
• 1:09:51
  Don't you might believe that you're related to a monkey.
• 1:09:54
  I don't I believe I've been created in the image of God and
• 1:10:00
  instilled within that reality is a sense that there is right?
• 1:10:04
  And there is wrong. And when Romney has done and
• 1:10:07
  must be dealt with, where does that come from?
• 1:10:10
  Not from an explosion. But intricately woven from the
• 1:10:15
  beginning, God's intention to have something of himself in
• 1:10:18
  you. And in me, And so Christ is
• 1:10:24
  returning to make things, right? But here's the thing, if you're
• 1:10:27
  in the wrong, you're in trouble. He will judge the world in
• 1:10:32
  righteousness, not your standard of, what's good.
• 1:10:34
  Now, your standard of what's right?
• 1:10:35
  And wrong his and when you come to his standard, you will fall
• 1:10:41
  on your face. And Romans tells us your mouth
• 1:10:44
  will be stopped. When you see that the law of
• 1:10:47
  God, overshadows. All of us, including the best of
• 1:10:51
  us because we all fall short of his glory.
• 1:10:54
  All of us do including the preacher.
• 1:10:58
  We all will be found wanting. And so we are told here of a
• 1:11:03
  certainty of a judgment, but as certain as that judgment is so
• 1:11:07
  is the certainty of forgiveness. Because Christ isn't just raised
• 1:11:12
  from the grave. To say now you be a good boy
• 1:11:15
  down there and you be a good girl because when I come back
• 1:11:18
  I'm going to count your good works and make sure that it
• 1:11:19
  outweighs the bad. And if it does then you'll get
• 1:11:22
  in. the only thing that Christ will be looking for when he
• 1:11:27
  returns is, if you put your faith in him, If you have
• 1:11:31
  confessing admitted. I cannot attain my
• 1:11:36
  righteousness, and I cannot have eternal life.
• 1:11:40
  What hope is there for me with the news that judgment is on its
• 1:11:44
  way? And here it is.
• 1:11:46
  He drank that judgment on the cross.
• 1:11:50
  That's the good news. You don't have to fear what's on
• 1:11:53
  the way you don't have to shrink from shame.
• 1:11:57
  You don't have to lose sleep at wondering like I did in my
• 1:12:00
  college Years wondering if I stand before.
• 1:12:02
  God well I make it and I grew up with Should parents.
• 1:12:05
  I went to church a few times. I've read something of the
• 1:12:07
  Bible. Who would that be good enough?
• 1:12:08
  You don't have to be tormented with that uncertainty.
• 1:12:11
  You can have an assurance that is so powerful and so
• 1:12:16
  convicting. Convincing that you will remain
• 1:12:19
  immovable in your trust of love and eternal life, being yours in
• 1:12:24
  the name of Jesus Christ. And so, I call you today to not
• 1:12:29
  just be aware of the judgment to come.
• 1:12:32
  But of the love that already came 2,000 years ago.
• 1:12:36
  Christ longs to save you. He longs to redeem you, he longs
• 1:12:42
  to make you clean. He longs to wash away every
• 1:12:44
  record of wrong that would rightfully condemn.
• 1:12:47
  You he wants to bring you into his Fellowship forever and ever
• 1:12:52
  and ever, I don't care how black your sin is, I don't care how
• 1:12:54
  dark, how perverse, how twisted it may be Christ, knows it all
• 1:12:59
  and he considered every detail of your depravity when he went
• 1:13:03
  on that cross and drank the wrath of God on your behalf.
• 1:13:07
  You may be ashamed to say it to others Christ already knows it.
• 1:13:10
  So why why do you shrink from coming to him?
• 1:13:13
  Why do you convince yourself that I must?
• 1:13:15
  Wash something of my hands before I can even communicate
• 1:13:19
  with them? I was like that.
• 1:13:20
  I couldn't I couldn't bend my knee on the side of my bed and
• 1:13:22
  that basement apartment to try to even speak to God.
• 1:13:25
  Because I was a hypocrite, I called myself a Christian and I
• 1:13:30
  was telling other people about some truths of the Bible just
• 1:13:32
  because it was a moral code in my life.
• 1:13:34
  But oh, I lived in sin. Blakeley and when I came to the
• 1:13:38
  realization of True Discipleship and what it means to be a
• 1:13:40
  follower of Christ, when I try to get on my knees to speak to
• 1:13:43
  him. I immediately sprung back up
• 1:13:45
  saying I'm not worthy for you to hear me yet.
• 1:13:49
  The Bible tells me in Asher's me and convinces me.
• 1:13:52
  That it's not because of my worthiness but it's about
• 1:13:55
  receiving what Christ has done on my behalf that debt has been
• 1:13:58
  paid by his blood on that check and you receive it and you live
• 1:14:02
  with that freedom. And when you doubt it, look back
• 1:14:05
  at that, check and same. That has been paid, that blood
• 1:14:08
  made it sufficient. And then you preach to your
• 1:14:13
  heart, that truth until it becomes an experiential reality
• 1:14:17
  and you live with a liberty. You just heard about the
• 1:14:22
  resurrection. You just heard about the gospel
• 1:14:25
  again. And to come from that place of
• 1:14:29
  judgment to Child of God, is through the canal, through the
• 1:14:34
  channel of repenting and believing in him.
• 1:14:39
  But as I just preach this, as I close in a moment, it is very
• 1:14:42
  likely that there is at least three responses in your heart.
• 1:14:46
  Sometimes, you can see it in people's faces too.
• 1:14:50
  Three reactions to the idea of the resurrection and it's
• 1:14:53
  actually found here in Acts 17 32. now, when they heard of the
• 1:14:59
  resurrection of the Dead, some mocked, But other said, we will
• 1:15:04
  hear you again about this. So Paul went out from their
• 1:15:08
  midst but some men joined him and believed.
• 1:15:13
  First, it's very possible that in this place on this beautiful
• 1:15:16
  Sunday afternoon. You're mocking me.
• 1:15:22
  And maybe not me, you're mocking these ideas that I am trying to
• 1:15:26
  present to you. There are scorn in your heart.
• 1:15:30
  Your jeering. Think this is all just fairy
• 1:15:34
  tale stuff. And I wonder if these men mocked
• 1:15:38
  and ridiculed because they seem like absolute nonsense rising
• 1:15:43
  from the dead. I wonder if it was their
• 1:15:48
  intellect challenging them. This is scientifically
• 1:15:50
  impossible. This is outrageous.
• 1:15:52
  This is irrational. Maybe And maybe that's your
• 1:15:56
  reason. But I have a feeling that it's
• 1:15:59
  something else. Actually, that's the surface
• 1:16:01
  level. That's the excuse.
• 1:16:03
  That's the mask. Because down deep inside, You
• 1:16:07
  know. That if there is a resurrection
• 1:16:10
  of Christ, then there is a raining Christ and if there's a
• 1:16:14
  raining Christ, there's a returning Christ.
• 1:16:18
  And if there's a returning Christ you'll be held morally
• 1:16:21
  accountable for your life and you don't want that.
• 1:16:26
  I don't want that, I've talked to so many people.
• 1:16:30
  And we talked about dinosaurs and who wrote the Bible and week
• 1:16:34
  and I just I got so tired of the parroting that I just cut to the
• 1:16:38
  chase. Can you just be honest with me
• 1:16:40
  man. Do you love your sin?
• 1:16:44
  You just hate the idea of there being a lord over your life and
• 1:16:50
  with stammering lips, they admit.
• 1:16:52
  So yes. I'm the commander of my life.
• 1:16:59
  I'm the determiner of my fate. You're terribly wrong.
• 1:17:04
  And so people Mock and they scorn And they go back into what
• 1:17:09
  they love and that is Darkness. Refusing the light that would
• 1:17:13
  expose their Darkness, but then secondly, we hear that there are
• 1:17:15
  others who said we will hear you again about this.
• 1:17:18
  In other words, some were some were scorning While others,
• 1:17:22
  desired a delay and discovering what this is all about.
• 1:17:27
  And so, they told Paul will be back.
• 1:17:29
  I just love to visualize it. There is a few who probably
• 1:17:32
  interrupted his sermon by. Are you kidding me?
• 1:17:34
  Resurrection, who brought this guy in here?
• 1:17:37
  And they walked off. And then there is others with
• 1:17:39
  their hand on their chin. Genuinely curious.
• 1:17:42
  Perhaps and wondering we like to see you another day as they
• 1:17:46
  walked off and followed their friends who are mocking earlier.
• 1:17:50
  But can I tell you something, whether these men were sincerely
• 1:17:52
  skeptical. Or they were those who just as
• 1:17:57
  much didn't believe but we're less rude about it.
• 1:17:59
  One thing is for certain delay is just as dangerous delay is
• 1:18:07
  just as dangerous as immediate rejection.
• 1:18:11
  Why? Because you will miss the
• 1:18:15
  opportunity if you're not careful.
• 1:18:17
  Look what happened here in verse 33.
• 1:18:19
  So Paul went out from their midst when they said we'll come
• 1:18:23
  back to you and hear from you. Again, we'll come back to next
• 1:18:25
  week service and hear what you have to say, Paul left, they
• 1:18:29
  miss their opportunity. It was gone, whether they
• 1:18:31
  received another one. Now, we don't only God knows.
• 1:18:34
  But the point is this, that if God has spoken to your heart,
• 1:18:37
  this afternoon, if something in you was pricked, if you're
• 1:18:40
  conscious is going off, don't put that off.
• 1:18:45
  What you just heard is of utmost importance and so make it a
• 1:18:49
  priority in your schedule. Even if you have to cancel some
• 1:18:51
  things that would interfere with you knowing for certain that you
• 1:18:56
  will also have resurrected life. Come and talk to a pastor speak
• 1:19:01
  with your friend, over lunch or dinner with your relatives, who
• 1:19:04
  brought you today. And inquire more, God is Not
• 1:19:08
  intimidated by your doubts. If he is true and this is true,
• 1:19:13
  then it will be able to endure the scrutiny of skepticism.
• 1:19:18
  But speak about it, talk about it.
• 1:19:20
  Inquire about it. Search about it, don't put it
• 1:19:23
  off because being a Christian. Now, me seem inconvenient to
• 1:19:26
  your carnality Some. Some were skeptical.
• 1:19:36
  Paul moved on, they missed their chance.
• 1:19:40
  And the last group we read here. Lastly, we are told some men
• 1:19:45
  joined him and believed. Some men joined him and
• 1:19:49
  believed. I love this text as a preacher
• 1:19:54
  because it reminds me that you can get mixed reviews from your
• 1:19:57
  sermon. And you were in line with the
• 1:20:00
  Apostle Paul. You're okay.
• 1:20:04
  Some of you in here are probably totally unstirred, like you're
• 1:20:06
  going to walk out of here. Like nothing was just said
• 1:20:10
  That's not my responsibility. And some of you will have
• 1:20:14
  questions and maybe it will last beyond this meeting, and you'll
• 1:20:18
  get some satisfaction and answers, but you'll live on in
• 1:20:21
  your life. While others here today, perhaps
• 1:20:26
  will understand that God is calling your name and if you
• 1:20:29
  respond by faith, your life will never be the same.
• 1:20:32
  Resurrection power will come into your life and you will live
• 1:20:36
  a transformed born-again new existence in the name of the one
• 1:20:43
  who saved you. Some join Paul, they come to him
• 1:20:49
  or tell us more about this my conscience Bears witness that
• 1:20:53
  this is true, that there is a resurrection that we will all go
• 1:20:57
  somewhere after this, and we will stand before our creator.
• 1:21:00
  But I need to know how to be on the side of his pleasure in his
• 1:21:03
  goodness and his favor. And I'm sure Paul sat there
• 1:21:07
  with, I don't know how many of them maybe five of them.
• 1:21:09
  We have two names and there's others, uh, name and explained.
• 1:21:12
  And he explained, and he explained, and their names were
• 1:21:15
  written in the books. Of Life.
• 1:21:17
  Would you like yours to be written in the book of life?
• 1:21:20
  So that when God opens the books on the final day and looks for
• 1:21:23
  your name, the name that has been written in blood Christ,
• 1:21:26
  Royal precious blood Jesus said something in John 11.
• 1:21:31
  I am the resurrection and the life whoever believes in me,
• 1:21:34
  though. He die yet shall he live?
• 1:21:39
  I am the resurrection and the life.
• 1:21:42
  And the way in which you can inherit that same Resurrection,
• 1:21:47
  glorified secure in his presence, forever, belief.
• 1:21:53
  Believe. Repent and believe turn from
• 1:21:57
  your sin, reject, that which will damn you and embrace the
• 1:22:03
  one who longs to save you. And if you're in this place and
• 1:22:07
  you're saying, that is me, that is something in my heart is
• 1:22:10
  saying, I must, I must Fly To The Cross if I have to I will
• 1:22:13
  throw myself at the foot of the cross.
• 1:22:16
  I want to tell you today that there is a resurrected Christ
• 1:22:18
  who sees and hears you now and if you but just in your heart
• 1:22:22
  look to heaven and say oh God please intervene Intervene have
• 1:22:29
  mercy on me. Son of David resurrected.
• 1:22:31
  Lord, please, would you rinse me from my wrong?
• 1:22:35
  And would you redeem me with your love that this man is
• 1:22:38
  trying to communicate to me? I need it in my life.
• 1:22:42
  I know this based on the authority of the word of God,
• 1:22:45
  those who come to him, he will never ever push away.
• 1:22:49
  He will embrace you and you will walk out of this place, not just
• 1:22:53
  to a lovely dinner. You will walk out of this place
• 1:22:55
  with a hope that can never be taken from you.
• 1:22:58
  I pray that you would I may never see your face again.
• 1:23:01
  Just like, Paul never saw these teachers and students and Athens
• 1:23:04
  again. But I pray that this would pluck
• 1:23:08
  something of your heartstrings to the point where you'll be
• 1:23:10
  able to sing the song of Salvation because you put your
• 1:23:13
  trust in the Risen Lord. Let's pray.
• 1:23:34
  But we thank you, as we pray, we're not praying Into Thin Air.
• 1:23:40
  These words are not going to fall to the ground.
• 1:23:45
  You hear us even now? And Lord, we ask that you would
• 1:23:52
  be pleased with what you've seen and heard in this place.
• 1:23:58
  And that Lord has we've done our part by singing and declaring,
• 1:24:01
  the glory of the Resurrection, you would do what only you can
• 1:24:04
  do. And that's make resurrection
• 1:24:05
  power, real and people in us, and we ask Lord that we would
• 1:24:10
  taste something taste, something of your life.
• 1:24:15
  And of your goodness and of your ability to rescue and intervene.
• 1:24:19
  And he'll thank you that because you're alive.
• 1:24:22
  You said, ask in my name and I will do it.
• 1:24:25
  I will do it. I will hear you and I will
• 1:24:28
  perform it. We thank you that this name is
• 1:24:31
  connected to a living God and we ask Lord that In This Moment by
• 1:24:35
  your grace salvation would come to this house that people would
• 1:24:39
  come from Death to life and that those who are redeemed, who find
• 1:24:42
  great trouble and being consistent in their Our service
• 1:24:45
  to that to that person truth. They once were enthralled by
• 1:24:49
  Lord. We ask that as Paul said in
• 1:24:51
  First Corinthians 15, help us. See just how awesome it is that
• 1:24:55
  you are alive and let it influence our service and our
• 1:24:58
  character and our treatment of one.
• 1:25:00
  Another oh, Inspire in this. That truth again, that you may
• 1:25:05
  be glorified, you are worthy. You are worthy of 10,000 lives
• 1:25:10
  to be lived in your name. But with the one life that we
• 1:25:13
  have week, Consecrate it for your namesake.
• 1:25:17
  And when we feel weary and tired and when we are in doing trials
• 1:25:20
  and suffering, may we be like Paul who is able to endure, who
• 1:25:24
  is able to endure chains because of the Resurrection, because of
• 1:25:28
  the hope for Israel. But we give you worship because
• 1:25:32
  you are alive and because you made us alive in Christ and your
• 1:25:36
  name. We pray.
• 1:25:37
  Amen. Let's Stand Together, shall We
• 1:25:39
  Worship the Lord Jesus Christ together?
• 1:29:12
  Rejoice. He's alive.
• 1:34:57
  And may, we not just revisit that truth next year.
• 1:35:02
  Rehearse that truth every single day of your life Christ is
• 1:35:05
  risen. He sees me, he hears me, he's
• 1:35:09
  with me, he's behind me, he's beside me.
• 1:35:11
  He's before me know that and if you don't know that that can all
• 1:35:15
  change today that can all change for you by simple repentance and
• 1:35:19
  faith in his name and watch how he will become more real to you
• 1:35:23
  than anybody else. That, you know what, we ask that
• 1:35:25
  you would make that true, please help us.
• 1:35:28
  Lord, Lord shattered, the curse of familiarity.
• 1:35:32
  Makes us numb to these things that at once, excited us O Lord.
• 1:35:36
  Would you touch our hearts of fresh Lord?
• 1:35:38
  There might be some in here like those those individuals before
• 1:35:42
  Paul and Athens Who Will Mock and they may not mock audibly
• 1:35:45
  but with their lives, they will reject it.
• 1:35:47
  Oh Lord. Please let it not be the case
• 1:35:50
  and for those who would delay because it's inconvenient for
• 1:35:52
  the moment. Lord, even now as we close let
• 1:35:55
  their eyes be open to the urgency of the matter.
• 1:35:59
  And for those who believe who came here, Leaving.
• 1:36:02
  Lord, may they go on believing in this Truth, for the sake of
• 1:36:06
  your glory. We ask these things in the
• 1:36:08
  precious name of the Risen Christ, the Lord Jesus Christ
• 1:36:12
  himself. We pray these things.
• 1:36:15
  Amen. And amen.
• 1:36:16
  And amen. Glory to God?
• 1:36:18
  Yes, we can applaud Now there are some food downstairs.
• 1:36:29
  It's been prepared, Fellowship, join us.
• 1:36:33
  Say hello. We would love to just get to
• 1:36:35
  know you and for those that we've known, you know, the drill
• 1:36:38
  we're family. So we'll see you soon.
• 1:36:40
  God willing. We'll see you next week.
• 1:36:42
  Have a wonderful day in the Lord.
• 1:36:43
  Take care.