[0:00] Seasonal wise, but also love this time of year for our focus and emphasis on the Easter season. And what a joy it is, together, together. Thank you choir. Thank you children. Thank you parents and those who have worked with them.
[0:14] What a tremendous job. Take your Bibles from me to 1 Corinthians 15. 1 Corinthians 15. I'll be in a number of verses this morning. I am stepping outside the book of Romans just for this morning only.
[0:25] Because after praying and taking a moment and seeing what the Lord would say to my heart, He kept speaking this passage to my heart, so this is where we're at.
[0:36] Lord willing and desiring, we'll be back in Romans chapter 12 next week as we just continue to make our way through the book of Romans. But for this morning, we're going to be in 1 Corinthians 15.
[0:48] I'm going to start in verse 1. There will be a number of verses I read. Verses 1 through 34, and then I'll catch the last verse, which is verse 58. We missed being with you guys last week.
[0:59] I do appreciate the opportunity that Carrie and I and our kids slid away. We went down to Chattanooga and took some time to go worship with our oldest son, Hunter.
[1:10] He's in this week, but we went down and worshiped with him. Had a chance while he's there in a church he's connected to in Chattanooga. So thankful for that church family for giving us the opportunity. I'm a little loud, brother.
[1:20] I keep talking back to myself. I changed the batteries out in the microphone this morning, so it's a little louder. Okay, there we go. But if you are physically able and desire to do so, I'm going to ask if you would join with me as we stand together and we read the Word of God.
[1:34] We'll be reading a number of verses, so I can understand if you cannot do it. But we'll be reading 1 Corinthians 15, starting in verse 1, going to verse 34, and then going to the last verse, which is verse 58.
[1:46] It says, Now I make known to you, brethren, the gospel which I preached to you, which also you received, and which also you stand, by which also you are saved, if you hold fast the word which I preached to you, unless you believed in vain.
[2:00] For I deliver to you as of first importance what I also received, that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, and that he was buried, and that he was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures, and that he appeared to Cephas, then to the Twelve, and after that he appeared to more than 500 brethren at one time, most of whom remain until now, but some have fallen asleep.
[2:21] Then he appeared to James, then to all the apostles, and last of all, as to one untimely born, he appeared to me also. For I am the least of the apostles, and not fit to be called an apostle, because I persecuted the church of God.
[2:35] But by the grace of God I am what I am, and his grace toward me did not prove vain. But I labored even more than all of them, yet not I, but the grace of God with me. Whether then it was I or they, so we preached, and so you believed.
[2:48] Now if Christ is preached, that he was raised from the dead, how do some among you say there is no resurrection of the dead? But if there is no resurrection of the dead, not even Christ has been raised. And if Christ has not been raised, then our preaching is vain, your faith also is vain.
[3:02] Moreover, we are even found to be false witnesses of God because we testified against God that he raised Christ, whom he did not raise, if in fact the dead are not raised. For if the dead are not raised, not even Christ has been raised.
[3:15] And if Christ has not been raised, your faith is worthless, you are still in your sins. Then those also who have fallen asleep in Christ have perished. If we have hoped in Christ in this life only, we are of all men most to be pitied.
[3:28] But now Christ has been raised from the dead, the firstfruits of those who are asleep. For since by man came death, by man also came the resurrection of the dead. For as in Adam all die, so also in Christ all will be made alive.
[3:43] But each in his own order, Christ the firstfruits. After that, those who are Christ at his coming. Then comes the end when he hands over the kingdom to the God and Father. When he hands over the kingdom to the God and Father.
[3:57] When he has abolished all rule and all authority and power. For he must reign until he has put all his enemies under his feet. The last enemy that will be abolished is death. For he has put all things in subjection under his feet.
[4:09] But when he says all things are put in subjection, it is evident that he is accepted who put all things in subjection to him. When all things are subjected to him, then the Son himself also will be subjected to the one who subjected all things to him, so that God may be all in all.
[4:27] Otherwise, what will those do who are baptized for the dead, if the dead are not raised at all? Why then are they baptized for them? Why are we also in danger every hour? I affirm, brethren, by the boasting in you which I have in Christ Jesus, our Lord, I die daily.
[4:44] If from human motives I fought with wild beasts at Ephesus, what does it profit me? If they're dead or not raised, let us eat and drink, for tomorrow we die. Do not be deceived. Bad company corrupts good morals.
[4:57] Become sober-minded as you ought and stop sinning. For some have no knowledge of God. I speak this to your shame. And in verse 58, Therefore, my beloved brethren, be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that your goal is not in vain in the Lord.
[5:19] Let's pray. God, we thank you so much. We thank you for the worship which we have already offered you. We thank you for the songs which we have sung, those songs which we have listened to. Lord, we pray that our hearts have been turned towards you and our minds would be fixed upon you.
[5:33] We pray now as we come at this time, Lord, that you would speak to us, that our ears would be attentive, that our hearts would be open. And Lord, that we would say, Here we are, O Lord, speak to us. And God, as we hear a word from you, may it not be hindered by anything in me, may it not be hindered by anything in this room.
[5:51] Lord, may you speak clearly, and may your people listen for your glory and honor. And we ask it all in Jesus' name. Amen. You may be seated. 1 Corinthians 15, verses 1 through 34, and verse 58.
[6:06] I don't know how many of you realized it or not, but when the choir began to sing that song, they opened the song. One of the very first stanzas in that song is what is referred to in history as the Apostles' Creed.
[6:18] I believe. I believe in God the Father. I believe in God the Son. I believe in His death and burial and resurrection. There have been a number of artists over the years who have recorded the Apostles' Creed.
[6:29] And the Apostles' Creed is something that was passed down throughout history. The early church had the reality of the testimony of the saints. And that to have the fellowship in the saints, you had to adhere to the Apostles' Creed.
[6:41] And you had to affirm, not just by word of mouth, but by testimony of life, that you believed and accepted those things. Found in the passage which I read this morning is another creed of the early church, which we will focus on in just a moment.
[6:56] That the church took seriously these things which it testified. The church which was built upon the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus Christ, affirmed beyond a shadow of a doubt the very testimonies which it proclaimed.
[7:08] And they affirmed them more often than not with the price of their life and the shedding of their blood. We understand that this affirmation was not just something to nod the head and to say yes, yes to, but rather it was something to say that I believe it and I believe it to the point that I will die to myself and die of myself for it.
[7:25] And it is with this motivation that Paul is writing. That we have this beautiful opportunity this morning. Once we close in this portion, we will move into a time of invitation, which I want to take seriously this morning.
[7:37] But then we'll also come into a time of celebration in which we partake of the Lord's Supper together. It will take us a little bit longer, but it is such a sweet time. But before we can get to the taking of the Lord's Supper, we want to come to the reality of this truthfulness of the resurrection.
[7:53] This morning, I want you to see from 1 Corinthians 15, the everyday importance of Resurrection Sunday. The everyday, all day importance of Resurrection Sunday.
[8:06] Easter is a special time of the year. Easter is really the only holiday which we can take back to a historical accuracy in the time in which we celebrate it. Because it is a Jewish feast following the Passover.
[8:19] We understand that. And the reason it changes on our calendar is because the Passover was dictated by the phases of the moon. So with historical accuracy, we can come to the reality of when Easter should be.
[8:32] No other holiday is that way. Christmas is not that way because no man really knows the time of the year in which Christ was born. We have a set time, December 25th, in which we celebrate it, but we do not know if that is historically accurate, but Easter is different.
[8:46] Easter is something that we can take back with accuracy because of the Jewish heritage of the Passover celebration. Knowing that with the sacrifice of the Passover lamb, who is Jesus Christ, we also had the dawning of the first day of the week, which is Sunday, knowing that Sabbath was Saturday, and that would be the day of the resurrection.
[9:07] But the beautiful thing of Christianity is that we are not limited to celebrating Easter one time of the year. The splendor of Christianity is that we change the whole way we worship because of Easter.
[9:21] It is true, when you open up your Old Testament, that God dictates that His people would set aside the Sabbath, that they would take days of rest, that they would take days of reflection, and it wasn't just so their bodies would not wear out, but rather it was so that they would have time to be still and know that He is God, which by the way, I'm not sure if you realize it, but the world makes that very difficult.
[9:44] And God knew that if I did not give my people an opportunity to be still, that the world would make sure they were never still, and then not being still, they would never think of me.
[9:54] So God gave them the Sabbath. It was for man's sake, not for God's. And He wanted them to pause and to reflect and to stop. And we know that the Sabbath is Saturday. But why would the church begin to worship on Sunday?
[10:08] It's because that's Resurrection Day. It was so important that the early church comprised mostly and primarily of Jewish people who were Sabbath adherents began to worship on the first day of the week, which, by the way, was a work day.
[10:24] They would go to work that morning, and coming home tired, they had to gather together to worship because they wanted to remember every week that empty tomb. It was a celebration of an ongoing event.
[10:39] But this morning, I want us not just to see the weekly reminder, but the everyday importance of Resurrection Sunday. Brother Mark mentioned it when he did his announcements, but I'll point it to you here in this passage because this passage speaks to it more than any other.
[10:53] We see, first of all, its everyday importance because of the priority of the resurrection events. Paul, writing to the church at Corinth, says this, Now I make known to you, brethren, the gospel which I preached to you, which you also received, in which you also stand, by which you are also saved.
[11:11] I don't know if you've gathered the importance of this yet or not. He is talking about the gospel, that is the good news. He is speaking something to us, says, The good news which I told you, which you received, in which you stand, in which you are saved.
[11:23] This is something of eternal importance. If you hold fast the word which I preached to you, unless you believed in vain, here it is. For I delivered to you as of first importance.
[11:35] You know, people tell me all the time, the Bible is just so confusing. Oh, I wish that I could understand it, or I wish that I could gather it. But listen, my friend, sometimes God is so clear.
[11:45] If you ever want to know what is the most important thing in the gospel, God put it right here. For I delivered unto you that which is of first importance.
[11:56] Which means this is something we have to have right. This is the thing we have to be settled on. And what is it? This is the creed that was spoken by the early church and authored by Paul by the movement of the Holy Spirit.
[12:09] What I also received, here it is, Christ died for our sins. That's important. That's essential. That He died for our sins according to the scriptures. That He was buried.
[12:21] That's important. If there's death with no burial, then we've got a mistake. That He was buried and that He was raised on the third day according to the scriptures. Friend, there it is.
[12:31] The priority of the event that Christ died, that He was buried, and that He was raised on the third day. There are people who have disagreements about things which Jesus did.
[12:42] There are people who have different interpretations about the things which Jesus set up. There are people who have different interpretations about the offices of the church, but friend, listen to me. The thing that is of priority, the thing that is of first importance is that Christ died for our sins, that He was buried in a tomb, and that on the third day He raised to walk in the newness of life.
[13:02] That is where we must start, that is where we have to start, and that is where everything hinges. It has been said that Christianity rises or falls upon the resurrection. And where do they get that?
[13:13] They get that from this passage. Paul goes on, and I'm not going to take time to walk you through every one of these verses, but look at them, my friend. Paul says that Christ has been raised, and that if Christ has not been raised, then everything he preaches is in vain, which means if Jesus Christ wasn't raised, I don't care how much I tell you to be good.
[13:36] I don't care how much I persuade you to live a good life, to do good deeds, to operate in a good way. Those things, Paul says, are in vain if Christ hasn't been raised.
[13:48] Oh, there are people all around the world that will affirm the reality of Jesus Christ. They'll affirm the reality of a great man who did great works, who did some things unexplainable, whose name was Jesus Christ from the city of Nazareth, born of the family of David.
[14:02] And they will affirm to you that this man was crucified somewhere around A.D. 30 by the Romans, that he was nailed to a cross upon a hill of Calvary, and that this man died. I mean, he literally died.
[14:14] And the reason we know that is because you don't crucify someone and they don't die. Crucifixion is 100% accurate. It always works. And that this man literally died.
[14:25] And they'll tell you that they took this man and they laid him in a tomb, but they leave him right there. And Christ left in a tomb does nothing. Paul says, I don't care what else you affirm about Jesus Christ.
[14:35] If you don't get to the resurrection, the rest is in vain. Paul says, if there is no resurrection, then there is no Jesus. And if there is no resurrection, then God himself has lied.
[14:45] Do you notice that Paul says he was raised according to the scriptures? Now, when Paul wrote this, the New Testament was not yet complete. We know that because he is writing part of the New Testament.
[14:56] So the passages, which we like to point back to to affirm the resurrection, were not there yet. What was Paul pointing back to? The Old Testament. The Old Testament testified to the death of the Savior.
[15:07] The Old Testament testified to the resurrection of the Savior. The Old Testament testified to the reality of a coming suffering servant who would die and bear the sins of many. I mean, read Isaiah 51, 53, 54, 55, and 56.
[15:21] Go to the book of Isaiah and tell me you can't see Jesus hanging out there. Go to the book of Psalms and see where the psalmist cries out, my God, my God, why have you forsaken me? You say, no, wait a minute. Jesus said that on the cross.
[15:33] Yes, but 500 years prior to that, they said that in the book of Psalms. You go to the Old Testament and you tell me if the suffering Savior is not there and then you go to the book of Job and you see if Job does not say that I know that I will see my Redeemer living in the land of the living and tell me if the resurrection is not there.
[15:51] My friend, listen, if the resurrection is not true, then God is a liar. But he's not. It is absolutely essential. The resurrection must be true.
[16:03] It has to be true. And all of Christianity hinges on the reality of the resurrection. You can be good. You can live your life morally accurate.
[16:16] You can do things pleasing to man. But if you live out the resurrection, it's in vain. It's in vain. The Bible tells us that the priority rests on the resurrection.
[16:32] Now we see, moving on, the fruits of the resurrection. Paul goes into this reality and says, Some of you say that the dead are not raised. And if the dead are not raised, then Christ is not raised.
[16:42] And if Christ is not raised, our preaching is in vain. If Christ is not raised, your belief is in vain. If we believe in Jesus Christ in this life only, we are of all men most to be pitied.
[16:53] Why? Because according to this world's standards, Jesus was a failure. You ever thought about that? According to this world's standards, Jesus failed.
[17:05] I mean, he messed up. He let himself get caught. He could have called an army to defend him, but he didn't. He willingly was led away like a lamb to the slaughter.
[17:17] Allowed himself to be crucified. According to this world's standards, Jesus failed. But the Bible tells us but Christ has been raised.
[17:27] You see that there? Verse 20. But now Christ has been raised from the dead. The first fruits of those who are asleep. Now I know sometimes we get in this situation.
[17:40] It's a little warm in here. There's body. It doesn't matter how much we turn the air on. It's going to stay warm in here. Some of us ate a really good breakfast this morning. Some of us have been up for a long time this morning and our coffee may be wearing off a little bit this morning.
[17:53] I had my coffee as it was dawning towards the first day of the week. Right? I had mine. It was still dark outside. I understand that. And I know there's the tendency the kids are in here with us.
[18:04] Hallelujah. The kids are. I love the kids. Right? I love your kids. Some of you catch that later. I love your kids. I love mine too. But I love yours when they're with you. Right?
[18:14] It's a wonderful thing to have the children with us. And I know there's a lot of activity and craziness going on in the pews. But friend, listen to me if you're going to check out. Don't check out right here.
[18:27] You can check out at the end if you want to. But don't check out right here. Because I want to talk to you about the fruit of the resurrection. You say, okay, Jesus has been raised.
[18:38] That's good. Cool. No, it doesn't stop right there. Look at what it says. But now Christ has been raised from the dead. The first fruits of those who are asleep.
[18:51] Now, I'm going to be honest with you. In these passages that come, I lived for a long time misunderstanding these and kind of arguing with God about these. But God opened my eyes this week and allowed me to see this, okay?
[19:01] Because this is so important. Look at what it says. For since by a man came death, you know that man, right? Men, be careful. Don't say it was Eve's fault. The Bible says that death came as a result of Adam's sin, which means that Eve could have sinned and Adam could have not sinned and man would still be alive forever and ever and ever.
[19:19] But it was Adam's responsibility. And sure, Eve took of the fruit of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil and ate it. But let's be careful. Adam was standing right beside her and then she gave it to Adam and Adam ate also, which means Adam let her eat to begin with.
[19:33] That was his responsibility. Men, by the way, there's this thing called biblical manhood and responsibility of the men. I'm not trying to be at all a degrading of you ladies at all, but I'm just saying men are really good about saying, yeah, if she hadn't have taken that and ate, if she hadn't have done that, we'd be okay.
[19:52] Wait a minute, wait a minute, wait a minute. He was there too. By a man came death. So then also, by a man also came the resurrection of the dead.
[20:06] He was fully man and fully God when he died upon the cross. He was fully man, fully God when they laid him in the tomb. And he was fully man and fully God when he came out of the tomb. That's what's so good. He could still be touched and handled.
[20:17] And it says here in verse 22, here's this verse. It was all so confusing to me. It seems so simple, really. For as in Adam all die, so also in Christ all will be made alive.
[20:29] As in Adam all die, so also in Christ all will be made alive. Now this is just me being vulnerable with you. I used to read this verse and kind of get frustrated because I do not believe in the universal salvation of all men.
[20:41] I don't believe that everybody's always going to be saved. In the end, love wins. I know that was a great book several years ago, not really great in my mind. It was a bestseller, this great title. Love wins.
[20:51] In the end, love wins and everybody's saved. We all go to heaven. Hallelujah. It's all good. I don't see that in scripture because my savior tells me that narrow is the way that leads to eternal life and there are a few that find it, but broad is the way that leads into destruction and there are many who go by it.
[21:05] So when I read my scripture, it kind of contradicts some of that belief. But I would read this verse and I would kind of scratch my head and say, well, it kind of seems like all will be made alive in Christ, which kind of seems to imply universal salvation, but that was just me in my ignorance because I want to tell you this morning, here's the fruit of the resurrection.
[21:22] Because Jesus Christ came out of the tomb, the tomb will not be able to hold anybody ever again. You say, well, there you go. You just said we're all going to be saved. No, wait a minute.
[21:32] That's not what I said. That's where I messed up. We will all live eternally somewhere. Jesus Christ is the first fruits of the resurrection.
[21:45] And when you go to the book of Leviticus in the Old Testament and you go throughout the law of the Old Testament, they're always bringing the first fruits to the Lord, the first fruits, the first fruits. They harvest their harvest and the very first fruits, the best thing, the thing they've been waiting on, they give it to God.
[22:00] And the reason they gave the first fruits to God is because they knew if they were faithful to give the first, then the rest would come, right? More would come. They were trusting God for more. Jesus is the first fruits of the resurrection so that those who sleep will be made alive.
[22:13] Which means this, all men of all times, of all ages, are going to live eternally somewhere. Which means, friend, listen to me, because Jesus busted out of the tomb, if you read the Gospel of John, that's literally what it means.
[22:29] He blew apart this two and a half ton stone. He blew out of the grave because He came out, so will you someday. Each in their own order.
[22:43] First, those who are Christ at His coming. And then, the kingdom is handed over. You ever read the Scripture and you see the Scripture where it says that in that end time when the kingdom is to be handed over to God, that Jesus is setting up on the throne.
[23:01] And when He's setting up on the throne, it says that all of mankind are brought to Him, right? He puts some on His left hand and some on His rights. What is He doing? He is separating the righteous from the wicked.
[23:13] You remember the story which He told of the farmer who went out and planted the good seed, the wheat, but one of His enemies went out and planted the tares among the wheat. And that farmer's servant says, let us go out and get the tares from the wheat.
[23:24] And Jesus says, no, no, no, no, no, we're not doing that because we might destroy the wheat. We're going to let the wheat and the tares grow up together. But in the end day, then we will separate the two. This is the fruit of the resurrection.
[23:35] The resurrection promises us that 100% of mankind will live eternally somewhere. And the decisions we make today about the risen Savior will determine where we live eternally somewhere.
[23:49] When you go to the book of Revelations and you open up Revelations and you get to about Revelations chapter 20, there's this glorious passage in there about those who will live eternal life in His presence, that they will be gathered around the marriage supper of the Lamb, that they will live eternally with Him.
[24:04] He will wipe every tear from their eyes and they will sing glory, hallelujah. But the wonderful passage that is there is preceded, preceded by a passage which we often overlook, which says that those who do not know Christ, whose names are not written in the book of life, will live eternally in the lake of fire.
[24:26] And the reality of eternal life in heaven is compared to eternal life in hell. And you cannot have one without the other. If there is no eternal destruction and eternal condemnation for denying Jesus Christ, then there cannot be an eternal reward for those who have accepted Jesus Christ.
[24:45] Many want to believe in heaven and they want to discount hell and they say, well, God is not fair. God will, I mean, God is so fair that God is not so mean that He would ever cast anyone into an eternal hell. And you're right, God is not that mean, but He is righteous.
[24:58] And He is holy. And He Himself took on the flesh and busted open the tomb to show us He can do it. And the fruit of that is that He will do it. This is not our only life.
[25:11] Don't live your best life now. You don't only live once. You live once eternally somewhere. And the fruit of the resurrection is this. The decision you make today based upon the Savior who came out of that tomb then will dictate the life you will live eternally.
[25:31] And you can't argue with that. Because as in Adam all die, so in Christ all will be made alive.
[25:43] You can't say, well, I'm just going to die and nothing happens after death. Well, my friend, I think there's going to be a big shock to you when your tomb opens up and Jesus calls you by name and He calls you out.
[25:58] Because it's Jesus who determines your eternal life just as it was Adam who determined our temporary death. We have to make that decision.
[26:10] The fruit of the resurrection is that all will live eternally somewhere. Number three, and I'm wrapping up, we'll do the Lord's Supper. Number three, not only do we see the priority of the resurrection, the fruit of the resurrection, look at the motivation of the resurrection.
[26:28] Now friend, I want to talk to the saints. Those who can amen and rejoice and celebrate. Those who know Jesus Christ as their Lord and Savior. Those who have surrendered all and given their life to Him.
[26:42] Those who can proclaim and say because He lives, I can face tomorrow. Those who know that there will be a day when we fight life's final battles and we cross that Jordan River and we see Him and we know forever that He reigns.
[26:55] That's the ones I want to talk to right now. Because look at what Paul says. Paul is speaking of the reality of the resurrection. He gets into the truthfulness of it, the importance of it.
[27:07] And then he says in verses 33, 34, and 58. Now I know I skipped 35 through 57 and some of you say, well, you're taking the passage out of context.
[27:17] Well, let me put it in context for you really quick, okay? Because in verses 35 through 57, all Paul is talking about is the kind of body we will have when we are resurrected.
[27:30] He is talking about the type of body we will possess. We may not be in a body like this and that's just a totally different message. We will be resurrected. That is, we will be raised. We will be raised in a different type of body, sure, but the reality of it is still there.
[27:45] And if you want to do a case study on what you look like in resurrection, there you go. You can see it in those verses. But now we're looking at the motivation the resurrection gives us.
[27:56] Verse 33 says, Do not be deceived. He's writing to the church. He keeps referring to my brethren. He's writing to the saints at Corinth, which by the way, there's no more wicked church in all of scripture than the church at Corinth.
[28:10] He still called them saints because they were called according to Christ. But look at what he says, Do not be deceived. Bad company corrupts good morals. He says, You will be influenced by those you hang around with.
[28:25] And look at verse 34. This becomes our motivation. Become sober-minded as you ought and stop sinning. Who? Me? You? All of us. The believers, right? For some have no knowledge of God.
[28:39] I speak this to your shame. Friend, do you understand the reality? I mean, believers, listen to me. If you're here and you've never accepted Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior, my heart's desire is that before you leave today, you will acknowledge Him as your Lord and Savior.
[28:55] I pray that you would pick up the second point, that you would realize that you will live eternally somewhere. If you do know Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior, friend, listen to me. We live in a time where more people deny the existence of God than any other time in history.
[29:13] We live in a time when more people lack the knowledge of God than at any other time in history. But we also live in a time of accessibility to the things of God greater than any other time in history.
[29:26] You can hear preachers who have died many, many years ago. You can hear audible recordings that have been remastered and speak with great clarity of the greatest men of God that have ever served in the pulpits of God.
[29:40] You can go to churches and read archives and archives of the historical work of God among the people of God. You have access to Bibles on your phones, in your hands, in your pockets.
[29:51] Everywhere I go, I have a number of Bibles with me. I have any translation of Scripture that my heart's desire and I can pull it out of my phone. I can open my phone and I can go to the Life on Mission app and I can walk you through the Life on Mission app showing you how your world is chaotic without Christ but with Christ He gets everything back in order.
[30:10] You can go to the church's website at wartracebaptist.org There are about eight pages of sermons that I have preached in the past. You can go on there and you can click a little tab called The Story and you can watch the gospel presentation of the story or lo and behold you may open it up on your phone and show someone else the gospel presentation without ever saying a word.
[30:32] You may just be able to put your phone or your iPad up there. There's a reason we put it on there by the way and you can just hit play and it will take you through the reality of the fall of man to the risen Savior and it will extend the gospel invitation.
[30:44] You can do all of these things and you don't even have to speak but the Bible says but there are a number among you who do not know God and I speak this to my and your shame because if we know Him that's our fault.
[31:02] If He is really risen if the tomb is really empty if the Savior busted open the grave if the angels were there testifying if the guards were there lying like dead men if Mary ran back and said He's alive He's alive I've grasped the risen Savior if the believers ran and saw the tomb and He wasn't there if they were in the locked doors and He all of a sudden walked in if they worshipped Him and Thomas said lest I see Him and put my hands in His hands and my fingers in His side and eight days later He was given the opportunity to do it if they died and paid the price of their lives for the truthfulness of the resurrection then why does the world not know about God?
[31:49] because that's our fault that's our fault we nod to head and say yes I'm so glad I have a risen Savior and I am and we acknowledge the reality of it and then we walk out the doors and we hope someone else can find Him but we don't want to be the agent to introduce them Paul says being shipwrecked being beaten being mocked being hungry being thrown to the wild beasts being stoned and left for dead he says believers it's true he really does live it's true it's absolutely true look at what it says in verse 58 and I'm closing therefore my beloved brethren friend listen to me
[32:52] I know some of you say man I came for Easter and that pastor got all in my business and preached a message I mean you don't preach those type of messages on Easter Sunday because that's when you have your biggest crowds and you don't do that pastor but listen Paul told them because he loved them and I'm telling you this because I love you this morning sunrise service about 50 of us gathered together sunrise service what did I tell you I told you I'd come back to it the great commission and lo I'm with you always you know what that presence is linked to go therefore and make disciples of all nations baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit and lo I'm with you always the presence of Jesus is linked to the obedience of his people and I want you to live a life walking in his presence I mean I want Jesus to be with you so much that as you're going down the road you're like oh Jesus I know you is hanging out over there man Christ just keeps popping up everywhere sometimes he pops up in a song sometimes he pops up in a scripture sometimes he pops up in a brother or sister in Christ sending you a message sometimes he pops up in meeting a stranger who wants to talk to you about Jesus sometimes he pops up because you have an opportunity to tell a stranger or a friend or a neighbor or a family member about Jesus but he keeps popping up and look at what he says therefore my beloved brethren because I love you so much be steadfast immovable what does it say always abounding in the work of the Lord knowing that you're told is not in vain in the Lord some of you are saying well yeah pastor that's easy for you to say this is your job that's all you have to do pastor right two days a week three hours a week that's all you work
[34:44] I know pastor you have all the opportunity in the world to do this well let's just take me out of it Paul is writing to the church at Corinth Corinth is a very busy city it is a very wicked city and the people he is writing to are the everyday believers who all have jobs and he tells them because Jesus has risen and because we will be raised too therefore be steadfast immovable always abounding in the Lord because my friend listen your labor is not in vain your labor is not in vain my personal Bible reading I'm reading in the book Ecclesiastes right now I wish that someone other than Solomon had written Ecclesiastes but then it wouldn't be Ecclesiastes right the wisest man ever lived wrote that book and in writing that book he said things that are very difficult he says I considered everything
[35:45] I looked around I saw pleasure I saw riches I saw comfort I saw turmoil I saw struggle I saw ease he says after considering everything I came to this conclusion all is vanity because everybody dies the man labors and he gains money and then he dies he doesn't know what they're going to do with his money after he dies it's all vanity but you know I'm so thankful for those last few verses of Ecclesiastes to know God and to obey him completely this is the true purpose of life my friend I want to ask you what fruit does the resurrection have in your life or is it just information you gained that's the invitation we're about to take part in the Lord's Supper but before we do that
[36:50] I'm going to pray we're going to have a time of invitation Miss Lynn will come up when we take part in the Lord's Supper I will read from 1 Corinthians 11 we will serve one another I will not read the portion in 1 Corinthians 11 that tells us to be careful how we take the Lord's Supper because it will not be in context of where we're at right after Paul displayed the reality of the Lord's Supper and the Passover meal and he is telling the church at Corinth the same church same portion of scripture he tells them that many of them fall asleep because they take the Lord's Supper in vain so I don't always give intentional invitations but today I am today it's twofold the first question is what are you doing with the resurrection of Jesus Christ what difference has it made in your life do you know him as your Lord and Savior will you welcome him when he raises you or will you be terrified when you stand before him when he raises you and what fruit is coming forth from that and the second part is this if you know him where are you my friend with one another it says we're not to take the Lord's Supper in an unholy manner in an unrighteous manner there's something we need to come lay at the altar something we need to come cry out someone we need to bring up here with us to intercede with us is there someone we need to be reconciled to it's a beautiful thing but it's a holy thing and the beauty of it is is we have the opportunity now to prepare for it in just a moment let's pray
[38:30] Miss Lynn Miss Tricia's gonna come and then we'll have a time of invitation Lord I thank you so much for this day God I thank you for all you've done thank you for that empty tomb I thank you for every promise that it gives us the comfort that it provides motivation we can have because of it Lord I pray now right now that you'd search my heart that you would try me and know me oh Lord that you'd help us to stand open and bear before you and say here we are oh God do your work whatever it is you want me to do oh God we want to respond Lord I thank you for the chance you're giving us even now we ask it all in Christ's name Amen