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1 Corinthians 15:51,58 -But Thanks Be To God- Pastor Rick Beaudry 2025-04-20
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Would you open your bibles to first Corinthians chapter 15 verses 50 one through fifty eight? First Corinthians 15 beginning with verse 51. Behold, I show you a mystery. We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye at the last trump, for the trumpet shall sound, and the dead shall be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed. For this corruptible must put on incorruption and this mortal shall put on immortality. So when this corruptible shall have put on incorruption and this mortal shall put on immortality, then shall be brought to pass the saying that is written, death is swallowed up in victory. Oh death, where is thy sting? Oh grave, where is thy victory? The sting of death is sin and the strength of sin is the law. But thanks be to God which giveth us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ. Therefore, my beloved brethren, be steadfast, unmovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord for as much as you know, excuse me, that your labor is not in vain in the Lord. Father, we thank you for your holy word. And Lord, as its first fruits, we're so excited with the Jewish feast of first fruits coinciding with, what we call Easter or resurrection Sunday, Lord. And, just, the alignment today, just as just as Lord, when, you raised yourself from the dead the first day of the week, and that being also, the feast of first fruits. And Lord, we see here in first Corinthians 15 that you're the first fruits of the resurrection. So we see the types there, and, we we, thank you, Lord, that the dead in Christ shall rise first. We're a part of that first resurrection. And, Lord, we, just thank you so much for illuminating our hearts and minds and saving us and giving us the hope, a living hope, the blessed hope, Lord, of being raised from the dead, that we're not gonna be separated for all eternity from you, Lord, but to be asked in the bodies to be present with the Lord, for me to live as Christ to die is gain. And so, Lord, we we live with hope, a lively hope. And, Lord, so we thank you that death is nothing to fear. And as we, study this morning, we pray that evermore, Lord, you'd give us that sense of urgency, that yearning, that desire as our citizenship is in heaven that you bless, Lord. In Jesus' name, amen. Would you please be seated? In Hebrews nine twenty seven, we read in Hebrews nine twenty seven, it's appointed unto all men once to die and then the judgment. So contrary to what Elon Musk or Jared Kushner or Noah Yuval Harari or any of the tech, you know, giants today or contrary to what the devil told Eve in Genesis chapter three verse four, every single one of us are gonna die. Technology is not gonna reach a point to give people a hundred and forty, a hundred and fifty, a hundred and sixty or whatever years, you know. Some of these people you're listening to, they're saying they're they're going to figure out the, you know, the the gene that's messed up or whatever with CRISPR and fix it and, you know, people used to live 900 years old, you know, and they start to pontificate and and postulate and things like that and it's just not gonna happen because it how how do I know? Because it's appointed unto all men once to die and then the judgment. In Genesis chapter five, if you wanna look there, he died, he died, he died, he died, he died over and over again. So death is inevitable. Inevitable. Now there's a distinction here. Those that are in Christ, those that are Christians, some of us in this room here might not die. You might not die. You might not experience death. Do you understand that? But for the unbeliever, it's appointed unto all men, all of them. None of them can redeem themselves. None of them can can, make themselves live any longer than that appointed time. Everyone's going to die right on time. And God's the one that determines that. And so as the devil's such a liar saying, you shall not die. Then we get into the as we're approaching the tribulation period and, people are more and more rejecting the truth, mocking the truth, mocking the truth of the bible or trying to mix in, you know, heretical teaching with truth and and there again, it's like rat poison. If it's not a 100% true, then it's not the truth. And so during the tribulation period, people, because they reject the truth according to second Thessalonians chapter two, the lord gives them over to a strong delusion that they would believe the lie. What's the lie? The lie is Genesis three verse four, you shall not die. So people are gonna be convinced during the tribulation period that if they take the mark of the beast, that they follow the antichrist in place of Jesus Christ, that somehow he'll give them eternal life. The amazing thing about this is if I read from Genesis or excuse me, Revelation chapter six to 19, that I can see that over 50% or more billions of people are gonna die in a very short period of time. You know, we're gonna see one third of the planet, then another half of the planet. And you add that up, if you got 8,000,000,000 people, that's 4,000,000,000 people in just less than, you know, less than seven years. And people continuing to die, to die, to die, to die. And it just looks like just a horrific time, a time that Jesus said the world's never seen nor will ever see again. And so we're watching and we'll see also as we study through here that in the book of Hebrews in chapter two, it talks about how people are fearing death their whole life long. Do you fear death? I don't fear death. I mean, we sorrow. We we we grieve when someone that we know that's in the Lord, that's in Christ dies, but we don't sorrow as those who have no hope. Because of the resurrection, because Jesus challenged his enemies, destroy this temple in three days, I'll raise it up. A wicked and adulterous generation seeks after a sign. There's no sign gonna be given it except the sign of the prophet Jonah as Jonah is three days and three nights in the belly of the great fish, so shall the son of man be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth. And then we see the religious leaders after Jesus was crucified, they said that this deceiver said, you know, first when they heard him say that in John two, you know, they were like, wait a minute. You know, almost fifty years Herod's been, you know, about building this temple and you're gonna rebuild it in three days. And then later they find out, oh, he's talking about his temple, his body. So we better put a criterion of soldiers to guard the tomb so that this deceiver doesn't come out of there based upon his disciples there to steal the body and for them to lie about, he's raised from the dead. And, we know that didn't happen because those guys all wimped out when the shepherd was smitten and the sheep scattered. And they did us a favor by putting the, 2,000 pound stone in front of that tomb. And, you know, Joseph of Arimathea begged the body of Jesus that it wouldn't be just thrown in the area of Gehenna, the perpetual burning outside of Jerusalem, but that he'd have a proper burial. And, some people ask Joseph of Arimathea, a very wealthy man, you know, why are you giving that to that poor carpenter? Well, he'll only need it for the weekend, you know. So, no big deal. But in any event, he's there and this these soldiers are guarding it, and they did us a favor because as we look at the skeptics, skeptics have various views of the resurrection. Some say that Jesus really didn't raise himself from the dead. He was stolen. Well, we know that's not true. They paid the soldiers money to lie and say that he was stolen. Another one is the swoon theory where, oh, it's so cold inside of that tomb, you know, that he really didn't die. You know, that centurion spear that went in there and pierced the pericardium, the blood and the water coming out, He wasn't really dead, you know. He was still alive. And when he hit the cool air of the tomb there, you know, he resuscitated, you know. And, you know, that's that takes a lot more faith to believe that than the truth of the matter. And then you've got the disciples, the factor of the disciples. Who would be willing to go to violent death of martyrdom? All of them except for John the beloved, died violent deaths of martyrdom. John the beloved was boiled in oil and, wouldn't boil, wouldn't die, so he's exiled the island of Patmos where he wrote the book of revelation, the unveiling of Jesus Christ. And so each and every one of the disciples who were wimps before the resurrection, after the resurrection, were bold as lions, will obey God rather than men, willing to go violent deaths of martyrdom for the truth. And so they were unwilling to to, relinquish or give in. And they were eyewitnesses. They had eyewitness testimony of him handling them. And Peter, you know, talked about how the transfiguration we saw him and handled him, but we have the more sure word of prophecy. And then you look at the eyewitness testimony of those who've seen him, after the resurrection. So Mary Magdalene saw him first. The women at the tomb, saw him, in Matthew chapter 28, verse eight through 10. Then Peter saw him in Luke 24 verse 34. Then the two on the road to Emmaus, you remember in Luke's account, saw him. The disciples, with Thomas being absent saw him and then eight days later, Thomas being present, he didn't even use the door. He just came in through the walls right into the room. Peace peace, you know. The seven beside the Sea Of Galilee as Peter denied the Lord on three different occasions that even knew him, and Peter being so dejected after the resurrection, I'm going fishing. And the boys went with him, and they fished all night. They caught no fish just as at the beginning of their calling. I'll make you fishers of men. Children, you caught any fish? No. Come and dine. Cast your net on the other side first of all, and their nets are full of fishes. Come and dine. And, they come to the shore, they have some fish with Jesus. And he says to Peter, do you love me more than these? Do you love me more than all these guys? Do you love me more than the fish? Feed my sheep. Tend my lambs. Feed my sheep. You know? Recommissioning Peter. He let Peter know that Satan desires you, Peter, to sift you as wheat. But I prayed for you that your faith failed not. And when you're converted, strengthen the brethren. And that's what the Lord did was restored Peter. He knew that all of them, when the shepherds smitten, would scatter. And then we read in first Corinthians 15 that over 500 brethren saw Jesus. First Corinthians 15 verse six. Then James, the Lord's brother, the brothers of the Lord didn't believe in him until after the resurrection. They thought he was beside himself at times, thought he was crazy claiming to be the messiah. But after, the resurrection, James, we see him in acts 15 as one of the leaders within the church, but not one of the apostles, but one of the leaders within the church. And then on the Mount Of Olives, he's seen so on 10 different occasions, Stephen, the very first martyr, saw him as he looked up into heaven and his face shining bright and Stephen's face shining bright like that of an angel and Jesus leaving the seat standing, giving Steven a standing ovation. Now turn to Mark's gospel chapter 16 so that we get this picture of the resurrection morning into our hearts before we, move on to into this text to dissect this text. In, I'm in Matthew, Rick, it's Mark. Mark 16. And when the Sabbath was passed, Mary Magdalene, Mary Magdalene, the one who seven demons Jesus cast out of her, and Mary, mother of James and of Salome had brought sweet spices that they might come and anoint him. Now Joseph of Arimathea and Nicodemus, you know, they're the ones that got the body and put it in the tomb there. Why are these women coming with this? Because the men don't know how to do it. They don't know how to do it right. So these ladies, they're gonna do it right. Alright? And we thank the Lord for the ladies to do it right. And brought sweet spices that they might come and anoint him. And very early in the morning, there's your sunrise service. The first day of the week, they came under the sepulchre at the rising of the sun. And they said among themselves, who will roll away the stone from us, the door of the sepulchre, that it's huge, over 2,000 pounds, gonna have to be thrust uphill. You've got the, soldiers there with a Roman seal punishable by death, and, who's gonna roll away the stone? So often before we get there, we're asking the Lord, how's that gonna happen? And we get there, and the stone's already rolled away. Right? Isn't that a great lesson? And the angels are sitting there on it. Why are you seeking the living among the dead? What a great question that is. He's not here. He's risen. And they looked and they saw the stone was rolled away for it was very great. And entering into the sepulchre, they saw a young man sitting on the right side clothed in a long white garment and they were affrighted. This is an angel. And he saith unto them, be not affrighted. Ye seek Jesus of Nazareth, who was crucified. He has risen. He is not here. Behold the place where they laid him. But go your way and tell his disciples and Peter that he goes before you into Galilee, there shall he see him as he has said unto you. So go tell the disciples and Peter because Peter's more dejected than all of them. He cursed. He swore that he didn't even know the Lord. And, and he thought everyone's gonna betray but not me, not Rocky, not gonna happen. And Jesus let him know, no Peter, you are. And, and they went out quickly and fled from the sepulchre for they trembled and were amazed neither said any of anything to any man for they were afraid. Now when Jesus was risen early in the first day of the week, he appeared first to Mary Magdalene out of whom he had cast seven devils. And in John's account, when she sees him, she's the first one, she thought he was the gardener, but voice recognition, she heard him say, Mary, and she says, Raboni, master, and she grabbed hold of him, and she wasn't gonna let go. You got away from me once. You're not getting away again. And he let her know, Mary, I'm gonna have to ascend to heaven here pretty soon. And he went, told them that he had been with him as they had mourned and wept. And when they heard that he was alive and had seen of her, they believed not. How many times does Jesus need to tell you that he's gonna be crucified, mistreated, but that he'd rise again the third day. And you're you're the elite. You're the you're the disciples. You're the apostles. You're the guys that have been with him three and a half years. And you don't believe. That's mind boggling to me. There's hope for you and I. And they went and told it under the residue neither believe they them. What a great group. How are gonna turn the world upside down with people like this? Afterward, he appeared under the 11 as they sat at meat and abraided them with their unbelief and hardness of heart. So that was Sunday, first day of the week later in the afternoon, and hardness of heart because they believed not them which had seen him after he was risen. And he said unto them, go ye into all the world and preach the gospel to every creature. He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved, but he that believeth not shall be damned. Pretty simple. Right? It's pointed unto all men once to die and then the judgment. If you believe, you don't face that judgment. But if you don't believe in John chapter three, you're condemned already because you don't believe. You're already living in condemnation. And these signs shall follow them that believe in my name. Shall they cast out devils? Shall they speak with new tongues? They shall take up serpents. And if they drink any deadly thing, it shall not hurt them. And they shall they shall lay hands on the sick and they shall recover. So then after the Lord had spoken unto them, he was received up into heaven. So the power of the resurrection, the power of the ascension. And, your new glorified body is gonna be a body like his that can go through walls and that can ascend to heaven. You can be one of those people that are space cadets out in space. Right? So then after the Lord has spoken unto them, he was received up into heaven and sat on the right hand of God. And they went forth and preached everywhere the Lord, working with them and confirming the word with signs following. And he told them, he said, Lord, I'm with you always even to the end of the age. You and I are at the end of the age. And Jesus is still with us, his bride, the church, with the great commission to go and make disciples. Disciples are learners, and the very heart of the gospel message we have is that he's risen. He's risen indeed. Produce a body and you destroy Christianity. The enemies of the cross, all they may do to destroy Christianity is to produce a body. And then everybody goes home. But because they couldn't produce a body and they tried to lie their way out of it, these people were so emboldened as you look through the book of acts as they're sharing the gospel and people's lives are being touched and changed and thousands of people are being changed as they come up to a guy that been begging for forty years. Peter and John said, silver and gold have we none but the name of Jesus Christ stand up and walk. And the guy starts walking. Whole city of Jerusalem's freaking out about it. And then the religious leaders come about and then, you know, why do you keep bringing this man's name upon us? You know? Why do you keep bringing this Jesus upon us? You know? And, then beat him, incarcerate him, do whatever you want. You can't stop him. They're gonna obey god rather than men. You can put him in prison. They're not gonna stop. As soon as they get a chance, they're gonna share the good news. And 3,000 get saved and the holy spirit's poured out in chapter two. And and again, these guys' lives are radically transformed and changed not only after the resurrect resurrection, but the outpouring of the holy spirit as they had the dwelling in. In John chapter 21, Jesus Jesus breathed on them and said, receive you the holy spirit. And, and then later, you know, he told them to wait for the promise of the father, tarry in Jerusalem. So a 120 of them are waiting in the upper room, for the Acts chapter, two for the outpouring of the holy spirit. So they had the indwelling of the holy spirit. Now they had the epi experience, the preposition upon, which is, as Jesus said in Acts chapter one verse eight, ye shall receive power after the holy ghost has come upon you. You're gonna be my witnesses in Jerusalem, Judea, Samaria, and the outermost parts of the world. So what are you a witness of? He's risen. He's risen indeed. Without a resurrected savior, then you're left with a religious system like Buddha Muhammad Confucius where your founder, your Christ, your whoever, your Messiah is a dead man. Who wants to follow a dead man? I don't wanna follow a dead man. I wanna follow somebody that said destroy this temple in three days, I'll raise it up and can do it. So that's why any of those pretenders today, I facetiously say, well, if you want to be God, have yourself crucified, be buried for three days, and raise yourself from the dead, and then maybe we'll examine your doctrine, your your, you know, your boasting that you do, Noah Yuval Harari, you know, and these guys. They're they're huge boasters. So it's appointed on all men once to die, but then the judgment. Now I've been listening to some music with my grandkids that I used to listen to. It's a band called POD. Do you know what POD stands for, the acronym? Payable upon death. Right? Payable on death. And so it's appointed unto all men once to die and then the judgment. Romans six twenty three says, the wages of sin is death. That's what you deserve. But the gift of God in contrast to that, eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord. And so the gospel message, all of us have an appointment with death. Job chapter 14 verse 14, Job says, Job asks a question, if a man dies, shall he live again? If a man dies, shall he live again? And then in this chapter, chapter 15 verse 22, for as an Adam, the edemic nature, the old fallen nature, your first federal head, your representative of humanity, Adam sinned. Adam fell. God told Adam and Eve, the day you eat of it, you shall surely die. The process of death physiologically began to take place, but death, the other definition, is separation from God. So we see Adam and Eve in their guilt, in their nakedness, trying to cover their nakedness, their guilt with fig leaves. Fig leaves aren't gonna cut it. Religious action on your part is not gonna cover your guilt and not gonna alleviate the the, judgment to come upon your life. In Matthew seven, many are gonna come to Jesus and say, Lord, Lord, they know what how do we call him. Did we not prophesy in your name? Did we not cast out demons in your name? Did we not do many wonderful things in your name? And he's gonna say, wait for me, I never knew you. Christianity is a relationship. I never knew you, you that practice iniquity. So you can be very religious like Nicodemus, one of the pharisees. And in John three, Jesus say, Nick, you must be born again. You gotta be born again. There's no other way. Your body and soul, you're like you're like Adam. Adam and Eve started out body, soul, and spirit. When they died in the garden, they died spiritually, which means separation from God. And when we have loved ones in our lives that die, we experience that separation, that pain of separation. And that should be a wake up call to everyone. When I do funerals, man, it's it's glorious when it's a believer. And the unbelievers in attendance, they're not having a very good time. But when you when you do a a funeral for an unbeliever, that that's that's even harder for a pastor. We'd like to say, hey, everybody winds up going, no, it's not true. You're lying to them. So when you share the gospel at a funeral, it's it's it's the most powerful powerful opportunity because people are faced with the inevitability of that appointment of death. They can't, you know, I mean, they'll they'll start out real early drinking so they don't have to face it. But, and then after this funeral, they'll go drinking again to assass their, you know, the torment of it all. And a few days later, they want it to be behind them, but, people don't wanna deal with that day of death. So they'll lie to themselves, and this is they'll say, well, what happens after you die, daddy? Well, nothing. You just go back into the ground. That's a lie. Well, what happens what happens when we die? Where's grandma? Oh, she's in heaven. But did she know Jesus? If she didn't know Jesus, she's not in heaven. That that's a that's that's just like a little fable. And others would say, you know, hey, there's no hell. Well, how do you know there's no hell? Jesus spoke more about hell than he did heaven. Because he doesn't want anybody to go to hell. God's long suffering not willing that any would perish, but that all would come to repentance. He takes no pleasure in the death of the wicked. He makes it real simple to go to heaven, that's believing in Jesus. But if you won't believe in Jesus, his death, his burial, his resurrection, then what's he to do with you? He made hell for the fallen angels, but he's not gonna force human beings into heaven. So here, every Easter, every Christmas, the two timers that are here, you hear, you're you're accountable for that information. You're accountable. You you can't stand before God and say, oh, I never heard. I didn't know. No. You're raised in a Christian nation that celebrated Christmas and Easter and other, you know, churches and other, you know, obvious, demonstrations and witnesses of who Jesus is. The claims of the cross, of his death, his burial, his resurrection, his ascension to the right hand of his father, and his coming again. You're around crazy prophetic Christians that are telling you that Jesus is coming again. And the evidence is lining up, the more sure word of prophecy. So all men are without excuse. And even if you never heard the gospel this morning, you're still without excuse because of his creation. He reveals himself through creation as a God of love. In Romans chapter one, you're without excuse. So when you stand before God, he's gonna ask you one question. Are you a murderer? No. He's not gonna ask you that. Because all have sinned and come short of the glory of God. He's simply gonna ask you, what did you do with my son? Well, the preacher was a real hypocrite, man. I didn't tell you to believe in the preacher, did I? Well, the church was I didn't tell you to believe in the church. Find fault with Jesus. You can't find fault with Jesus, can you? So don't get tripped up on all these these trippers, you know, these false Christs and false prophets and false churches and false doctrine and all. He warned you, let you know, be not deceived. So if a man die, shall he live again? As in Adam, all die because of the fall of your first federal head. Even so in Christ shall all be made alive. So it's not a universal salvation. It's qualified as those in Christ. Are you in Christ? If you're not in Christ, you're still in Adam. And the little g god of this world has usurped the authority that Adam had to go and be fruitful and multiply and as you serve that headship, so to speak, so the prince, the power, the air, the liturgy god of this world goes about trying to deceive people, to take them away from Jesus. But God uses the devil to exhibit and to expose your free will. God's not gonna force you to love him. God's not gonna force you into heaven. So the devil loves to give you an opportunity to be filled with pride, to be filled with whatever you want, to try and find another way. But Jesus said, I am the way, the truth, the life. No man comes to the father but by me. Jesus didn't produce a book and say, this is the way. I wrote a great book. This is the way. No. Jesus said, I am the way. The ego e me, the great I am. Who can do that? Did Buddha do that? I'm the way. Did Muhammad do that? I'm the way. Follow me. I'll show you where heaven is. They're dead. They're still dead. They're dead, man. They can't say I am the way. Only Jesus can do that and then back it up by raising himself from the dead and still bearing the scars on his hands and his feet in his side. Irrefutable proof. Irrefutable in a courtroom of law. But an even greater measure of evidence, prophecy. One third of the bible is prophecy, and only a God who stands outside of time can tell you ahead of time what's gonna happen. He can let you know five hundred years before Jesus is born what city he's gonna be born in. According to Micah five verse two, in Bethlehem, he's gonna be the babe of Bethlehem. He's gonna let you know that he's a Jew. In Genesis chapter twelve and fifteen and seventeen, that he's gonna be the, you know, Abra in the Abrahamic covenant. In Abraham, you know, in your seed, Abraham, all nations of the earth are gonna be blessed. Jesus, the Messiah is gonna be a Jew. Well, what tribe is he gonna be from? Well, in Genesis 39, he's gonna be from the tribe of Judah, the kingly tribe. That's prophecy. Way ahead of time. He's gonna be born of a virgin in Isaiah seven fourteen, Isaiah nine verse six. Born of a virgin? Why? Because in Genesis three fifteen, God prophesied that the seed of the woman, the virgin born son of God, that his heel be bruised, but he'd crush the serpent's head. That Jesus would be crucified, but he would destroy the devil and all the works of the devil because Jesus is the last Adam. He's the son of man. He's identifying with humanity. He's identifying with you. And Hebrews one said he didn't come back as an angel. He came back in his incarnation, the God man, fully God, fully man, as a human being to identify with man. To live the perfect life, to be crucified in your place so that he could take the wrath upon himself so that you wouldn't have any fearful looking to have judgment. All pointed on to all men and then the judgment, but not for those who are in Christ. Those that are in Christ, there's no fearful looking to of judgment because Jesus prayed, father, if you're willing, remove this cup from me, but nevertheless, not as I will, but thy will be done. And that cup is the cup of his father's wrath. Jesus took the cup of wrath upon himself. The father poured out his wrath upon his son so that you wouldn't have to face that wrath of judgment. Now the wicked dead, they're gonna be bodily resurrected from the dead in Revelation chapter 20. The sea's gonna give up the dead. The grave's gonna give up the dead. The earth's gonna give up the dead. All the dead bodies everywhere are gonna give up. And they're gonna stand before God at the great white throne judgment, and they're gonna give an account. That's called the second resurrection. If you're in Christ, you're part of the first resurrection. Jesus, the first fruits of the resurrection. And then a military sequential order. Who comes next? Those in Christ, the church. Who comes after that in that first resurrection? At the end of the tribulation period, the tribulation saints. Revelation 20 verse four, those who refused the mark of the beast and were beheaded. Revelation six and seven, the innumerable multitude of people beneath the throne of God awaiting the resurrection. And then you've got the old testament saints. You got the two and witnesses in Revelation 11, that completes the first resurrection. Then there's a thousand years. Thousand years goes by at the end of that thousand years, the devil's loosed. The devil's in the abyss. He's loosed and he begins to tempt the Gentiles that are repopulating the planet during that thousand year rule and reign, and they rebel against God. God consumes them. And then we have the the great white throne judgment where all the wicked dead stand before God and they give account of what they did while they're in their body whether good or bad. In Revelation, excuse me, Luke chapter 12, there's a graduated punishment, a level of punishment. Some are beaten with few stripes, some with many. Knowledge brings responsibility. Being here this morning makes you more responsible. You're responsible because I'm not gonna teach you fairy tales and fables and things that tickle you or make you feel good. We're gonna use the word of God. And it's good news. It's not bad. It's good news. It's the best news you could ever hear. So we have to tell you the bad news too so that you'll appreciate the good news. Cause we don't want you to go away from here with a false sense of security that there's a universal salvation and that you're in Christ. You might not be in Christ, but you can be. You can leave here today knowing knowing that you know that you know that you know that you are in Christ Jesus. That you're a believer in Jesus Christ. So for as in Adam, all die, even so in Christ shall all be made alive. But thanks be to God. Don't you love that? But thanks be to God. It's appointed unto all men once to die and then the judgment. But thanks be to God. The resurrection of Jesus guarantees Christians, only Christians. The word Christian was a derogatory term as it began, but it's those who are Christ like, who are living for Christ. Are you living for Christ? Can people tell that you're a Christian? Are you a professor or a possessor? Does he possess you? Is he living and dwelling within your heart? The resurrection of Jesus guarantees Christians, number one, we transcend death. We transcend death. It's appointed an all man wants to die, but we Christians, some of us, are gonna transcend death. You're never gonna die. When that rapture comes, you're not gonna die. You're you're gonna you're gonna you're you're gonna be taken to heaven. You go like that. Boom. You're gone. In a moment, the twinkling of an eye, faster than you can blink, you're gone. You're never gonna experience death. Isn't that amazing? Yeah. Hallelujah. That's why I know who the two witnesses are. Right? Enoch and Elijah because it's appointed in all men once to die in the judgment. They didn't die. Could be Moses and Elijah, the mount of transfiguration. Right? Represented the law, represent the prophets. I don't know. Well, I do know. I wrote a book about it, but I'm not telling you. Behold, I show you mystery. We shall not all sleep. Not all of us are gonna sleep. Sleep is a a picture of death. For the Christian, you're just sleeping. If you die, you're just sleeping. There's no soul sleep. No. Don't go there. It's just a picture of like a sleeping, you're gonna awake in righteousness. But to be asked in the bodies to be present with the Lord, you're not gonna sleep because we know in Luke 16, there's no purgatory. There's no soul sleeping because there's a double compartment before Jesus was crucified. Where the old testament saints, Abraham's bosom, a place of comfort. The thief on the cross said, Jesus told him, this day will be with me in paradise, that place of Abraham's bosom, a place where Lazarus went carried by the angels in in the Abraham's bosom, a place of comfort. But the rich man was in a place of grievous torment in Luke chapter 16. And he said, father Abraham, send Lazarus. These rich guys are always used to ordering poor people around. Send Lazarus over to dip his finger in the water and to touch my tongue. And Jesus said, no, there's a big gulf. See, no soul sleep, no purgatory, no praying them out of the grave. They're awaiting judgment, those in the place of torment. They're awaiting a new place that God's gonna put them called the Lake Of Fire. Gehenna, where the worm died not, the fires never quenched. But it's a place of torment as this holding compartment is called, Hades or Sheol in the Old Testament. Sheol, the new new testament Hades in the Greek. But a compartment of comfort for Abraham and all the Old Testament patriarchs and everybody that had died prior to Jesus going to the cross. But we're told in Ephesians four that Jesus, before he ascended, we saw him at the Mount Of Ascension. Right? He ascended to the right hand of his father, walked the planet for forty days, and then ascended. Ten days later was Pentecost. But before he ascended, Ephesians four says, he first descended into that lower part and he emptied out that compartment of all those old testament patriarchs. Because now their faith that was imputed to them for righteousness was activated with actual sacrifice as they were looking future that one day Jesus would go to the cross. Jesus said, Abraham rejoice to see my day and he saw it and was glad. And in Hosea chapter 12, we're told that God spoke through similitudes, pictures, a picture book. And in Genesis 22, a father took his only begotten son to Mount Moriah, to Calvary, to Golgotha, to offer him as a burnt offering. Abraham took his son Isaac, his only son Isaac. Oh, that Ishmael lived before you know, in Isaac shall thy seed, singular, be called. That's a picture. And Jesus said the gospel is before preached unto Abraham. And so righteousness is imputed to Abraham and all the old testament patriarchs because they believe that Jesus one day would go to the cross and die for them. Righteousness is imputed to you and I because we look back today at the cross two thousand years ago that Jesus did in fact die, and he fulfilled over 300 prophecies in that first coming. Over 300. Are you a student of prophecy? You better be. You should be. Why wouldn't you be? I'd hate to be around the time of his first coming and not know the time of his visitation. Not be a student of the prophecies. At the end of the age here, being a student of the prophecies causes me to be ready. He's not gonna overtake me unaware. And so these old testament pectorics, they were emptied out. And Jesus Peter Peter tells us that Jesus proclaimed victory to all the spirits that were in hell. His triumph. Demons know. They said, we know who you are, Jesus. Have you come to torment us before our time? They know their destiny, and they know time is short. Do you know your eternal destiny? Do you know what time it is? Is time short? Are you gonna die today? Are you gonna die tomorrow? Do you have six more months? It's appointed unto all men once to die and then the judgment. There's no plan b. There's no second chance. There's no reincarnation. There's no annihilation, a cessation of being. You're you're you're conscious in hell. It's a place where the worm dieth not and the fire is never quenched. Now the good news, you don't have to go there. Jesus suffered in your place, so you don't have to suffer. And some of you may not even have to die. You might be raptured with me. And if you don't believe in the rapture, I'll explain it to you on the way up. Alright? I'll explain it to you. So some of us are gonna miss that appointment with death, the rapture, which transcends death. Jesus or excuse me. The apostle Paul said it this way in first Thessalonians four verse 16. The Lord himself, Jesus himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel and the trump of God. And the dead in Christ qualified, not all the dead, the dead in Christ shall rise first. And then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with him in the clouds meet the Lord in the air, so shall we ever be with the Lord. Ain't that exciting? That's the blessed hope. That's the way I wanna go. I keep telling my dad, dad, if you're watching, he he can't die yet. We're gonna go on the rapture. We've been studying the rapture for so many years. We both got saved in 1980. And man, we've been students of the rapture. We've been students of Lord coming for us. And, you know, a lot of the pastors and the guys were also, you know, pre trib rapture. Well, they're pre trib now. Even Walter Martin who wasn't pre trib, he's pre trib now. He went he went before the tribulation. So, I mean, he's there. And a lot of the pastors didn't get to go, but they went by way of death. Death is just moving. It's your moving day. You're moving out of this old body that won't house you. This tent this tent that's breaking down. I can't see anymore. I can't feel. Can't walk. Not operating properly. And you just you know, it gets old like a tent, a temporary abode, a temporary dwelling place. And the real use inside that, but god's got a new body, a glorious body, a body where there's no more pain or sorrow, no more tears, a body that's far superior to this old, edemic, decrepit body that's that's fading away. And so at the rapture, in John fourteen one through three, Jesus said, let not your heart be troubled. Why would they be troubled? Because Jesus kept telling them, I'm leaving you. I'm gonna be leaving you guys. I'm gonna be crucified. So let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid. In my father's house are many mansions, many dwelling places have worn, so I tell you, I go to prepare a place for you. And if I go to prepare a place for you, I will come again and receive you onto myself that where I am, there you may be also. Jesus is preparing your new body, your new dwelling place, your new home, that of heaven. And in the picture of the Jewish wedding, there's the betrothal where you are chosen by him before the foundation of the earth. The father chooses a bride for his for his son. And this bride, she's, receives a dowry. She receives the earnest down payment of a of a dowry of a of the holy spirit. And there's five foolish and five wise in Matthew 25. The five wise, they've got the oil. They've got the oil of the holy spirit, their lamps are burning, and they're waiting for the fetching because they've already, you know, been marked out and chosen as part of the betrothal. Joseph and Mary were betrothed together. They don't come together sexually and, and they're awaiting with the with the, you know, the bridesmaids there in Matthew 25. They're awaiting the fetching where the groom can come at any moment. And so that would be the second part. That's the rapture. And then after the rapture, after the fetching, there would be the marriage ceremony. You go to heaven, you go to the groom's house, and he's built a room off the house of his father for you in your marriage to get started with. You know, you got your new body. And then there's the the bestowment of gifts unto you, his bride. Revelation 19, you come back with clean white garments. You come back for the marriage. What what do we call it? Where you have the not the rehearsal, but the reception. You come back to the bride's home and all the friends of the bridegroom come at the reception and you're all decked out with all your gifts and everything. And and that's the four parts of the Jewish picture of the wedding. So we're awaiting the fetching as the bride of Christ. We're already marked out. We already have the engagement ring on our finger, which is the holy spirit, the earnest down payment, marking us out saying, you belong. You've been redeemed. You've been bought. You've been paid for. Just haven't come for you yet. Just haven't come for you. Same with the planet. Made by the Lord, redeemed by the Lord, but just hasn't come to take possession of it yet. You know, to repossess it from the usurper, the little g god of this world that that took it. And so we we, we're looking, we're watching. In Luke twenty one thirty six, Jesus said, when you see these things begin to come to pass to look up for your redemption draweth nigh. And he also said, pray always that you'd be kind and worthy to escape these things. What things? The tribulation period. And to stand before the son of God. Location, location, location. Where's Jesus? He's in heaven. And he's gonna come. Where I am, there you may be also. And we're told in first Thessalonians chapter, one verse 10 that, that we're to wait for his son from heaven whom he raised from the dead, even Jesus who has delivered us from the wrath to come. What's the wrath to come? Pointed at all men once to die and then the judgment, there's wrath coming. God's gonna pour out his wrath on those that have rejected his salvation. Wrath's gonna be poured out. Judgment's gonna be poured out. But you've already been saved from that wrath, the soteriological wrath, which is a salvation wrath because you're saved. And then the eschatological wrath, you've already been saved because you're not appointed to wrath. Wrath is gonna be poured out during the tribulation period. And his son, even Jesus, who delivered us, which says delivered us from the wrath to come. There's no fearful looking to of dying, no fearful looking to of judgment, no fearful looking to of wrath being poured out during the tribulation period. Why? Because you're saved. Because you're the bride of Christ. Because you're his church, the bride. You're in Christ Jesus. Revelation three verse 10, because thou has kept the word of my patience, Jesus says, I will also keep thee from the hour of temptation, which shall come upon all the world to try them that dwell upon the earth, the earth dwellers. In John 11, Jesus purposely waited for Lazarus to die. Sent word to Jesus, hey, the one you love is sick. Hurry back. He purposely waits. Why? Because he wants to do something greater than healing. He wants to demonstrate because the hour is coming. The hour is coming of his crucifixion, his death, his burial, his resurrection. So he purposely lets his friend Lazarus die four days in the grave. And Martha says, Lord, by this time he stinketh. He's stinking the place up. He's corrupted. And Jesus said to Mary and Martha, I am the great I am. I am the resurrection and the life. He that believes in me, though he were dead, yet shall he live. And whosoever lives and believes in me shall never die. You're not gonna die. And the other aspect to interpret that is death is just moving out of this body in your new glorified body. So even if you do die, you're really not dead. You're more alive to be absent the bodies, be present with the Lord. Paul said, for me to live is Christ, to die is gain. You're gonna be more alive. So those people that we love that go before us into death, that we can't be with and we sorrow, but not as those who have no hope, they're more alive than we are. They have their new glorified bodies. They feel sorry for us. Tradition says that when Jesus said, Lazarus, come forth, and he comes waddling out of that grave with all the grave clothes on, that he never smiled again. Why? Because you guys prayed him out of heaven. You guys said, Lord, heal him. Heal him. Heal him. Lord, Lazarus, come forth. And he was experiencing the splendor of heaven, and now he had to come back to this wretched earth. Paul knew a man, whether in the body or out of the body, caught up in the third heaven and saw things that were you couldn't even describe. I can only imagine. And he came back to the earth and he said he told him, he says, for me to live is Christ to die is gain, but it's more profitable for you that it remain here. And that's how I look at our grandparents. I'm a grandpa now. But that's how I look at people that are that are been walking with the Lord for many years in the body of Christ. It's more profitable for us that they remain because we need them. They've walked with Jesus for so many years. They know how to pray. They're students of God's word. They're students of prophecy. They've had the trials. They've had the testing. They've had it all. And they don't carry around an iPhone. They pray. When they die, when they go, well, finally go, you have to admit you missed that prayer covering. You miss their prayers. You miss their voice. You you miss everything about them. I wanna go on the rapture with my dad. He's the last one left. After him, I think I'm gonna be the old guy. I don't wanna be the old guy. He's a good old guy. But thanks be to God. It's appointed on to all men once to die and then the judgment. They can't get around it, can they? They can't get around it. Did you used to fear death? Any of you ever used to fear death? Any any of you ever have a hard time at Easter, Christmas, or at funerals or places where you're reminded of the inevitability of your death? You didn't buy into Darwinian evolution, did you? You'd never believe something like that. But thanks be to God, the resurrection of Jesus guarantees Christians. Number one, we transcend death. And secondly, we are transformed. You're gonna be transformed. He says, but we all shall be changed. So the Lord did in Christ rise first, and we're the ones that are raptured. But here in Corinth, but we shall be changed so the living are transformed, but so to the dead are transformed. So when I'm raptured, I can't go up there in this edemic body. Boom. Moment, twinkling of an eye, I see here in first Corinthians, I'm transformed as I'm going. I got my new glory. I didn't go through the process of death, but there's definitely a transformation that takes place on my way up in a moment, the twinkling of an eye faster than you can blink. But the dead, the the account in first Thessalonians four says the dead in Christ rise first. So they're the first ones through resurrection, not rapture, that are transformed. And we're transformed in the process of the rapture, those that those that are alive. He says verse 52, in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trump, for the trumpet shall sound and the dead shall be raised incorruptible. There's your transformation. This corruption must put on incorruption. This mortal must put on immortality. So death is transformed, and we shall be changed. A metamorphosis, a transformation takes place. No longer body and soul. No longer endemic in nature. The natural man understands not the things of god neither can they know them because they're spiritually discerned. They're dead spiritually. We're alive spiritually. The process is beginning this sanctification, this work of sanctification within us, changing us from within in our being, being changed from glory to glory in the image of Christ. But this body, that process hasn't started. In fact, it's going in the reverse toward corruption. I need a transformation. I need a metamorphosis. I need I need more than just the inside to change. I need the body to be like Jesus, his body. In Philippians three twenty, it says, our citizenship is in heaven from whence we also look. Your citizenship is in heaven. You're a citizen of heaven. Do you yearn for heaven? Are you still in love with this world? Love not this world neither the things that are in the world, all that's in the world, the lust of the flesh, lust the eye. The pride of life is not of the father but of the world, and the world perishes and the lust thereof. But he that doeth the will of God abides forever. What's the will of God? To believe, to love God more than anything else. Friendship with the world is enmity with God. So our citizenship is in heaven from whence we look. We're looking for that blessed hope and glorious appearing, Titus two thirteen, Jesus Christ. Luke twenty one twenty eight, when you see these things begin to come to pass, look up knowing that your redemption's drawing nigh. For the savior, the lord Jesus Christ, verse 21, who shall change our vile body. He's got the power to change you from within and from without, your whole being. Only he has that power. There's no technocrat that's gonna be able to change your vile body, transform you or transhuman or whatever that may be, what they're imagining. You have to remember that the unholy trinity of the devil being a counterfeit God the father, the antichrist being a counterfeit Jesus Christ, and the false prophet a counterfeit holy spirit. They'll take a lot of truths, biblical truths that originate with God because Satan can't create. Satan can counterfeit. And so he'll counterfeit ideas. He'll counterfeit hopes that people have that someday you can merge with machine, man and machine, transhuman. And we thank the Lord. We applaud the Lord for medical science and advancements and and cures and things like that. Great. But you're not gonna reach the place of the tree of life and immortality. Not gonna happen. Why? Because the bible says it's appointed unto all man once to die, and then the judgment. The wages of sin is death. If you're a sinner, you're gonna die. If you're not a sinner, you can live. So you got a choice. You can start out your life and you're even shaping in iniquity. In sin did your mother conceive you. So you're a sinner even in the womb in that you're ademic in nature. Your nature is a fallen nature. Ademic, fallen, unworthy of heaven. But you could just for the sake of argument, you could say, you know, well, I'm the rich young ruler, I've never sinned. I've never done anything wrong. But James says if you fulfill the law, 613 precepts of the law, you fulfill the old law, and you're missing just one because that sin is missing the mark. Your whole life long, you're gonna have to be perfect, 100% hitting the bull's eye every time. I I I failed miserably yesterday over and over again. Over and over again. Many times. And I go to bed at night, and I think about what I did, and I argue, and I talk to the voices in my head. And, you know, I wake up in the morning, and I'm so glad that God's mercies are new every morning. That I don't need to justify myself. Just as if I've never sinned. Right? I can't do it. So I'd rather go the other way. I'd rather Jesus have all that weight of sin, all that weight of my guilt upon his shoulders that he would drink the cup of wrath from his father being poured out. For him to say, my God, my God, why has thou forsaken me? Why are thou so far from my roaring as he's crying out upon the cross? And that he that knew no sin, he becomes sin at that point, and the father pours out on his wrath because the father is gracious and kind and he's a loving god, but he's also a just, which we forgot in our culture, a just and a holy god. And he must punish sin. He doesn't wink at sin. Grandpa's wink at sin. Never seen my grandkids do anything wrong yet. They're perfect. And some of you, you got grandkids and I feel sorry for you having second cutest grandkids there are, you know. And that's how the Lord looks at us. In some ways as a grandpa, just as unmerited favor, his grace that's extended toward us, and he's merciful. He understands our frame. He remembers that we're fashioned from the dust of the ground. He doesn't expect a whole lot from us. And except you become as a child, you'll no wise enter the kingdom of God. So come in that childlike humility saying, daddy, papa, pick me up. Pick me up. There's a little girl at the baseball game yesterday, a friend of, Britney's, Peyton, and and her daddy, is out to sea. A lot of you raised families and you went out to sea, and your families left home. And at the ball game, I'm the guy. And she's lifting her hands up, pick me up, pick me up, pick me up. You know, first I got her over and bought her my donut, you know, and all that. That smooths it out a little bit. But then she's wanting to be held. Her daddy's not there to hold her. God just wants to hold you. He just wants to hold you and draw you close. He doesn't want you to go through the the pain and the suffering of adulthood, you know? He wants you to come as a child. Her hands were really cold and trying to hold on to her and hold her close, and and that's how the Lord wants to hold on to us. When our kids go prodigal on us, when they stray and they alienate themselves from us and everyone that can alleviate some of that suffering, it just hurts. It breaks God's heart. He keeps looking out the window for his prodigals to come home. He doesn't want them to be eaten food in the pig's pan and to be abused and mistreated and all. Who shall change our vile body that may be fashioned like unto his glorious body according to the working whereby he is able even to subdue all things unto himself. First John three two and three, beloved, now are we the sons of God. It does not yet appear, but we shall be. But we know that when he shall appear, that we shall be like him. He's coming in the clouds. He's gonna say, come up. And we're as we're going up there, he's gonna he's gonna as we're looking for his appearing, we're gonna be fashioned like him. And he that has his hope in him purifies himself even as he is pierced, a purifying hope that I know that he's gonna make me like him. That being confident in this very thing that he that's begun a good work in me that he's gonna complete it. And to that day of Jesus Christ. He says, verse 53, for this corrupt all must put on incorruption and this mortal must put on immortality. It is a huge bummer to carry around this old body. This old human nature. So if any man be he's a new creation. I'm a new person. No longer body, soul, body, soul, and spirit. But that old person, that old Rick is still there. And he's a carcass. I gotta carry that dead carcass around, and it stinks. And it's so humiliating being a human being. That propensity to sin, that propensity to anger, that propensity to selfishness. Oh, wretched man that I am. Who shall deliver me from this body of death? Oh, I gotta get that life of the spirit in chapter eight of Romans. I gotta get this new body. I gotta get rid of this old wretched man. I've reckoned him dead. I've mortified the deeds of the flesh. All speaks of death to self, but he's still there. He's still there. He's still warned. In Galatians five, the flesh against the spirit and the spirit against the flesh. And I'm reminded how very much I need Jesus every moment of every day that my sufficiency is of Christ. I can't even be a Christian and live the Christian life without his help moment by moment. And I'm yearning, I'm groaning with all creation. I'm groaning with all creation in Romans eight for that day of redemption, that day when he comes for me. And we can put behind this curse, This cursed earth and this curse within me. This is a demic curse. If Eve just wouldn't have eaten that fruit. It's the woman you gave me. It's the serpent. Oh, she's so beautiful though. I stepped over the line, Lord, because she's so beautiful. I'd rather be with her. That's a transgression. Eve was deceived, Adam's transgressed. Not good for man to be alone, I guess. So now we're together in misery. We call it marriage. Yeah. For we know that if our earthly house of this tabernacle were dissolved, we have a building of God, a house not made with hands eternal in the heavens. If any man be in Christ, he is a new creation. The old things are passed away. All things are become new. In Luke 12 verse 24, except a corn of wheat fall to the ground and die, it abides alone. But if it dies, it bears much fruit. You gotta die. You wanna be transformed, you gotta die first. You gotta be that seed, that gladiola bulb that goes into the ground. It looks so old and crusty. Gotta die. That seed's gotta die. And then there's a regeneration, a resurrection of life, of fruitfulness. That which thou sowest has not quickened except it die. First Corinthians 15 verse 36. Verse 42, so also is the resurrection of the dead. It is sown in corruption. It is raised in incorruption. We're transformed. It is sown in dishonor. It is raised in glory. It is sown in weakness. It is raised in power. It is sown a natural body. Is raised a spiritual body. We're transformed. What's God's solution for your body? What's God's is he gonna reform you? Are you gonna go to a 12 step reformation or go be re you know, rehabbed? Is he gonna make a better you through psychology, pop psychology and meds? No. His solution for you is death. You gotta die. If any man come after me, let him deny himself, take up his cross daily and follow me. Our problem is selfishness. And physiologically, emotionally, in every way, shape, and form, He wants you to be a new creation in Christ Jesus. He doesn't want to band aid over you and make you a better Adam. No. Adam's gotta die. We all have to die. It's appointed on all men once to die. The problem is there's too much of us still alive. Do you know that when we're whining, when we're complaining, That's an indicator there's too much of you alive. Dead men don't whine. People who are crucified. Jesus says, father, forgive them for they know not what they do. I'm gonna have to die daily until that day that Jesus raises me from the dead, transforms me. There is no other way except Jesus. It's appointed unto all men once to die, but then the judgment. We transcend death. We're transformed. And thirdly and finally, we are triumphant through death or rapture. Verse 54. So when this corruptible shall put on incorruption, this mortal shall have put on immortality, Then shall be brought to pass the saying that is written, death is swallowed up in victory. For me to live is Christ to die is gain. It's my moving day. I just move out of this body. He he exalts. He says, oh, death, where is thy sting? Oh, grave, where is thy victory? We are held down. We're held with fear to be absent the bodies, be present with the lord. Now in Hebrews chapter two verse 14, Jesus identifies with us as the son of man, as the god man, as Philippians two taking on the form of a man. For as much then as the children are partakers of flesh and blood, he also himself likewise took part of the same. Jesus became a man, not an angel. Flesh and blood. He's tempted in all points like we, yet without sin. He knows the feelings of our infirmities. How difficult it is to live in these human fallen bodies with a fallen nature. That through death, so he's our last Adam. That through death he might destroy him that had the power of death, that is the devil, the usurper, the one assumed that federal agency or headship when Adam fell. Verse 15, and deliver them who through fear of death, people all their lifetime are fearing death, fearing judgment, fearing that day, lying to themselves, oh, it doesn't matter. Well, Voltaire boasted the great French revolter. He boasted that during his lifetime, he would destroy Christianity. That he destroy God's word. Disprove it. And the attending nurse said she never wanted to attend the death like in a hospice of an atheist, of an unbeliever like that ever again at war with God because of the screaming, because of the shrieking, because of the torment that he's under. So to Anton LaVey, so to many of the satanists throughout history that have been so bold in their mocking of God, at their deathbed, they don't just die in many cases, they're tormented by demons. And so the Geneva Bible Society bought Voltaire's home and began to print bibles thereafter. The bible continues. The word of God continues. The word of God never comes back void. There's no power in the universe that can stop the truth of God's word. That's why we plant our feet and stay with the word of God. Because we know it's the word of God that doesn't come back void. All their lifetime, they're in bondage. And then we see a guy like Job. I love I love Job here. He had times where, you know, he was really rocked. Satan's bragging on Job or the Lord's bragging on Job. Have you considered my servant Job man perfect and upright in all his ways? Man that fears God and excuse evil. And Satan says, well, I studied Job and, you know, I can't get near him. You got a hedge of protection around him. If you take away all of his stuff, then he'll curse you to your face. And God's saying, no, my people, those that are in Christ Jesus, they love me because of the cross. They love me because of Jesus. I could take away all their stuff with a economic crash where they own nothing, and they'll still be happy because they have me. I promise I'll never leave them nor forsake them. So God says, alright, Satan. He's in your power. Go ahead. Take away all the stuff. And as in a moment, everything's gone, including his children. All of his wealth, everything's gone. Only thing left is the encouraging wife she he has. And and then Satan takes it another strategy. Take away his health, and he'll curse you to your face. And Job's reduced to scraping himself with a potsherd, boils all over the crown of his head down. And how does he respond? Naked came I in the world, naked I'm gonna go. The Lord giveth, the Lord take it away. Blessed be the name of the Lord. How's his wife respond? Curse God and die. You'd be better off dead. Later, Job's thinking he'd better off dead, better never have to been born. It was so rough, so tough what he was going through. Trying to reconcile what was going on. How could this be happening to me? This is unfair. Then Eliphaz, Bildad, Zophar, miserable comforters come around and they begin to postulate of philosophically, biblically of why this has happened to you. You just didn't have enough faith, Job. If you had had more faith, you know? And then I see him say, though he slay me, yet will I trust in him. He knows the way that I take. And when he's tried me, I'm gonna come forth as gold. This is being worked together for good. Because I love God. I'm called according to his purpose, not my purpose. And then I love in Job 19 verse 25. He says, I know that my redeemer lives and he shall stand on the latter day upon the earth. And though worms come after my skin in the grave, you know, and destroy this body, yet in my flesh shall I see God. David said, I know that I'm gonna awaken his likeness, the hope of the resurrection, the transformation, the triumph. It's appointed on all men once to die and then the judgment. The sting of death is sin and the strength of sin is the law. The law condemns me. The letter of the law kills. What am I gonna do? In Colossians, Galatians three thirteen, it says Christ has redeemed us from the curse of the law being made a curse for us for it is written, cursed is everyone that hangs on a tree. Jesus took the curse. Colossians, I love this, in Colossians two fourteen, blotting out the handwriting of ordinances that was against us, was contrary to us and took it out of the way and nailed the charges to the cross. Every charge in Revelation 12 that the devil has, the accuser of the brethren, every charge according to the letter of the law, as he studies your life and says, God, this guy's a hypocrite. Every charge is a true charge. He doesn't have to lie about you and I. It's true. We're sinners. It's true. We're failures. And he takes those charges and he nails them to the cross And Jesus dies for those sins. Blotting out the handwriting of ordinance. The hand of God that wrote the 10 commandments. The hand of God that wrote in John eight beneath in the dust as a woman was caught, the very act of adultery, and the law says she should be stoned. Where's the man? Not there. This woman, she should be stoned. And the very finger of God that wrote many many tekko you farson. In Daniel chapter five, as Belteshazzar's knees are knocking, you've been waiting the balance. You've been found wanting. Your kingdom's over, divided, given to the Medes and the Persians, Belteshazzar. He that is without sin cast the first stone. And from the eldest of the youngest, they walked on out of there. And Jesus looks at the woman caught in the very act of adultery. Woman, where are thine accusers? The accuser of brethren, the devil takes the letter of the law to accuse. There's no condemnation of those who are in Christ Jesus. Nowhere, Lord, neither do I condemn thee. For the son of man came not to condemn the world, but that the world through him might be saved. I came to him to save the lost. I came to for the sick, not the self righteous pharisees. It's those who are sick that need a physician. I'm the great physician. I can put your life back together. I can transform you and change you. Nailing it to his cross and having spoiled the principalities and powers. He took the devil. He took all the demons. He spoiled them all. Genesis three fifteen, his heel was bruised, but he crushed the serpent's head. The devil thought that he could keep Jesus in that grave. The devil thought that I can get Jesus to take a shortcut to the to the crown and to the throne. If he bowed down and worshiped the devil, I'll give you all these kingdoms of the world. But Jesus said, no. I'm going by way of the cross. Because for the joy that's set before me, I'm willing to endure the cross because I wanna save humanity. I wanna save my bride. The only way I can save him is to drink that cup. There's no other way. Openly triumphing over them in it. Verse 57, but thanks be to God which gives us the victory. But thanks be to God which gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ. 58 verse 58. Therefore, my beloved, so therefore, here's the application from the doctrine. The doctrine of the resurrection. The resurrection chapter of 15 here. Produce a body, you destroy Christianity. If Christ be not resurrected from the dead, the application is we're of all men most miserable. We had to eat and drink today for tomorrow we die. Hedonism. Just live for self. But since he is resurrected from the dead, Paul has proven that point here. Now in verse 58, he gives you and I the response. If you're still alive, if you're still breathing, therefore therefore wherefore, my beloved brethren, be steadfast. Don't be vacillating going all over the world on YouTube. Be steadfast, immovable. Be a lighthouse. Be the light of the world. When the winds and the waves and everything come crashing against you, be like a lighthouse, a beacon of light. Be steadfast and movable, always abounding on the work of the Lord. Why? Because you know that your labor is not in vain. You know you're triumphant. You know you're gonna be rewarded. It's not in vain. God's gonna reward you. He's gonna reward you at the great white throne not excuse me, the Bema Seat Judgment. The apostle Paul, he didn't just shadow box. He just just didn't run the race. He run to receive the prize. He pressed toward the mark of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus. It was worth running for Jesus. And in second Timothy chapter four, he said, for I'm now ready to be offered. That offering speaks of a a drink offering. Paul had nothing left. He'd already given it all. And now he's got a drink offering at his death. Nero's gonna cut his head off. I'm now ready to be offered, and the time of my departure is at hand. Is this the day you're gonna die? Where's your appointment with death? The time of my departure is at hand. I'm an accused criminal by the Roman government. They're going to execute me for being a Christian. That's the crime against me. I'm a Christian. Is there enough evidence against you as being a Christian to make your testimony a capital crime? I'm now ready to be offered the time of my departure. It speaks of a tent. Time to take this tent down. This tent was a temporary abode. It's wearing out, beaten, beaten beyond recognition. The time of my departure is at hand. Jesus tabernacled among us in a human body in John one. He took on the form, and the word became flesh and dwelt. The word dwelt means tabernacle, dwelt among us. Paul is dwelling in the human body just as Jesus in this time of the departure is at hand. Death is just moving. You're just gonna move out of this body in a new glorified body. I fought a good fight. The Christian life's a fight. It's a fight for truth. Earnestly contending for the face. Somebody's gotta fight. Can't just all be mealy mouthed and given to every heretical wind of doctrine that's sweeping through. People's eternal destinies are are are in the balance. Lot of opposition. Lot of affliction. He's a target. I fought a good fight. Are you fighting a good fight? I finished my course. Have you finished God's plan and purpose for apprehending you? Have you finished your course? Are you wanting to finish? Are you ready to quit? I kept the faith. Henceforth. Now he's looking to the reward. Henceforth, there's laid out for me a crown. It's the Greek word Stephanos. Remember the first martyr in the church in Acts seven? Stephen Stephanos. It's a Stephanos crown for the Olympian, the Olympic athlete. It would be a celery wreath. And Paul said, there's laid up for me now, therefore, a crown of righteousness. Jesus wore a crown of thorns so that I can wear a crown of righteousness, so that Stephen can wear the martyr's crown, the crown of life. Paul, that crown of life too. A crown of rejoicing. A crown of glory. Jesus wore that crown of thorns so that you could have an incorruptible crown that faded not away. The rewards you have in Revelation four, you're gonna be able to lay at the feet of Jesus in an act of worship, ascribing worth unto him as you sing with the four and twenty elders. Thou art worthy, oh lord, to receive glory, honor, and power for thou has created all things and for thy pleasure they are and were created. Which the lord, the righteous judge shall give me at that day, and not to me only, but unto all those who love his appearing. Do you love his appearing? Are you looking for his appearing? Are you saying, you know, Lord Jesus, I got some more stock and bonds I wanna buy, more treasury certificates. I got some more land I wanna buy. I got some more investments I wanna make. I got some more cruises I wanna take, more things I wanna do. Could you just hold off a little bit? I wanna get married and have some kids, you know? I want my kids to have grandkids. Could you hold off a bit? Could you just wait a little while? Or are you loving as a period? Are you on tiptoes watching? Is it today? Is it now? Is it this moment? Or we go back to sleep. It's always tomorrow when we're asleep. Do you love his appearing? Are you a student of prophecy? Do you know what time it is? Is your house in order? If God came to you and sent Nathan to the prophet and said, Hezekiah, the sickness the sickness you have king Hezekiah is under death. Get your house in order. It's appointed on all men once to die and then the judgment. Are you ready? Are you ready to meet Jesus? You better be. All of us better be. We better be washed in the blood of the lamb. We better have our name written in the lamb's book of life. If you've got the oil, you're ready. The oil of the holy spirit, you're you're the five wise virgins ready. You're watching, looking for a soon return. The foolish ones are putting it off till tomorrow. They're the ones that are gonna be surprised. They heard the gospel. They heard the truth. They went to church. They heard the Easter messages, but they didn't prepare. Be prepared. Do you fear death? It's appointed unto all men once to die and then the judgment. I don't fear death. I'm saved. Death is moving out of this body. Death is a transformation. This transform my new glorified body. Death is a triumph. Oh death, where is thy sting? Oh grave, where is thy victory? But thanks be to God which gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ. For as in Adam, all die even so in Christ shall all be made alive. Jesus said, and he backed it, destroy this temple and in three days I'll raise it up. Jesus said, I am the resurrection and the life. He that believes in me, though he were dead, yet shall he live. And whosoever lives and believes in me shall never die. Believe us all this? Jesus is the great I am. Jesus is I am the good shepherd. I am the door. There's no other way. He's the only way. I am the bread of life. I am the light of the world. How many more I am statements does he need to make? He's either a lunatic, a liar or he's lord as CS Lewis would say. The only one that could claim all those I am statements is either a lunatic or he's a liar and he can't back it up. Destroy this temple three days, I'll raise it up. Or he in fact is Lord. He's all my I choose the Lord part. How about you? Let's pray. Father, we come before you. And Lord, we thank you for the certainty that we have. We thank you that our faith in you and in your son is an intelligent faith. It's it's a faith of of of study. It's a faith of gift gifting as you gift us that faith, that measure to believe and trust in you. And faith comes by hearing and hearing by the word of God. And as we study, as we get into your word, and as we look at the facts and all the evidence and all the different arguments, Lord, we come to the conclusion. The only way to deny this truth is to go insane. Only the fool has said in his heart, there is no God. He's either a liar or he's insane. And Lord, we don't wanna choose that route of insanity, of resisting the holy spirit, of kicking against the goads. Lord, we surrender afresh today, and we thank you, Lord, that we're saved. We thank you with all the chaos and all the lunacy and the craziness that's going on out there right now, Lord, that we can be secure in you, that we can know that peace that surpasses all understanding that guards our hearts and minds through Christ Jesus. That you're on the throne, you're in control, and you don't want any of us to think for one second that we can fix that mess out there. That's too big a job. Lord, we pray that we'd be obedient with what you've called us to do, to share the good news of your coming kingdom, to proclaim, to shout from the rooftops that he's risen, risen indeed. Lord, we pray that you would spread that measure of faith. We pray, Lord, that the fields that are white to harvest, Lord, that there'd be great fruit for your kingdom and glory. Lord, use us. Make us fruitful in these last days, Lord. Let the joy of the Lord be our strength. Don't let us succumb, Lord, to the discouragement, the depression, and the insanity of the times in which we're living. As all our culture is built on materially begins to erode, begins to fade, begins to crumble. Lord, help us as Christians stand strong spiritually, emotionally, physically in you. You're our strength, Lord. While your heads are bowed and your eyes are closed, if if you're new to the gospel, if you've never heard the gospel, it goes something like this. For God so loved you that he gave his only begotten son. He gave him at the cross of Calvary to die in your place, to die for your sins, to pay for your sins. Because it's appointed unto all men once to die and then the judgment, but God doesn't want to judge you. He chose to judge his son in your place. So he poured out his wrath upon his son in hopes that you would believe in his son as your savior. To believe, what's that mean? Not like the demons and intellectual consent that Jesus is, you know, the son of God. Believe means to depend upon, to trust him, that Jesus is your savior, that he's your righteousness, that he's your everything. And as you plant that trust, as you deposit that trust in him, he said, it is finished to tell us I paid in full. All your sins have been paid for. You appropriate that free gift of eternal life by receiving Jesus into your heart and life. He's your righteousness. Anyone here this morning, on this Easter morning, this resurrection morning, anyone here, you want you to you want to go from body and soul to body, soul, and spirit? You wanna be born again? Anyone here this morning, just lift your hand up. We wanna pray with you. Wanna lead you in prayer. Anyone this morning? You don't wanna face that appointment of judgment. Anyone this morning? Father, thank you for the assurance of salvation. Thank you for the joy and the blessing of knowing our sins are past, present, and future have already been paid for. Thank you that Easter for us this morning, resurrection Sunday is a morning and afternoon of rejoicing in your victory. Rejoicing in our victory, Lord, that we're saved. That you came to seek and to save those who were lost. We were lost and now we're found. We thank you. We praise you. And Lord, we pray that our children and our grandchildren would follow suit. We pray that our family members that don't know you would yield once again. We pray for those who have once known you but backslidden would come back around, Lord, to rededicate their hearts and lives onto you. We pray for my dad who's sick that you'd heal him. We pray for Kathy's toe. We pray for all those in the prayer list that who are sick that you'd heal them also. And Lord, that you would come soon for us, your church, your bride. In Jesus' name we pray. Amen.
About This Podcast
Calvary Chapel Bremerton - Sunday Service
Listen to Rick Beaudry, Pastor of Calvary Chapel Bremerton, teach the Word of God cover to cover, chapter by chapter, and verse by verse. Be edified and built up in your faith with solid Bible teaching. New episodes on Mondays in the Pacific Standard Timezone.
