Who Did Not Want Jesus Christ To Be Alive? Satan, Principalities and Powers, Jewish Authorities, and the Romans: They're All on the List. But Only Because Christ Arose from the Grave Do We Have Assurance that Our Sins Are Paid For, and -- Believing on Him -- We Have the Promise of Eternal Life Ourselves.
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00:00All right, amen. Good. Outstanding.
00:04If you have your Bible, turn to the Gospel of John chapter 11 with me this morning, please.
00:10The Apostle John, the one the Scripture says, the one that Jesus loved.
00:18John chapter 11 and verse number 45.
00:23John 11, 45.
00:30Now, the 11th chapter of John should bring to mind immediately the resurrection of Lazarus from the dead.
00:37He'd been dead four days. He was dead. He wasn't swooning. He was dead.
00:43The Lord told him at the beginning, he sleepeth.
00:45Of course, that's a euphemism for the fact that he's gone.
00:48But the bottom line is he had to tell him, yes, Lazarus is dead.
00:53And so when we come down to the 45th verse, we begin to see the ramifications of raising him from the dead.
01:00What did it do among the leadership of Israel?
01:05And we'll find that in verse number 45.
01:09Then many of the Jews which came to Mary and had seen the things which Jesus did believed on him.
01:14But some of them went their ways to the Pharisees and told them what things Jesus had done.
01:21Then gathered the chief priest and the Pharisees a council and said,
01:27What do we?
01:30To say it as we would say it today, what are we going to do?
01:34We're faced with a dilemma.
01:36This man has a following.
01:39He's stirring the people up.
01:41What are we going to do?
01:45And so when we read the scripture, it says,
01:48For this man doeth many miracles.
01:51Now watch this.
01:52And if we let him thus alone, all men will believe on him.
02:00That's a good assumption.
02:01And the Romans, now watch this, the occupying imperial force.
02:08And the Romans shall come and take away both our place and nation.
02:18And one of them named Caiaphas, being the high priest that same year, said to them,
02:23You know nothing at all, nor consider that it is expedient for us that one man should die for the people.
02:30And that the whole nation perish not.
02:34This spake he not of himself, but being high priest that year.
02:39Now watch carefully what you're reading.
02:41He prophesied that Jesus should die for that nation.
02:48And not for that nation only, but that also he should gather together in one the children of God that were scattered abroad.
02:55Father, bless this holy book.
02:58In thy name I pray.
03:00Amen.
03:01You've noticed how that God can take an unbelieving high priest and use him to prophesy.
03:08Notice that?
03:10And what Caiaphas said was the truth in every sense of the word.
03:14Just like that girl in the book of Acts that had the spirit of Python, Pythias, what she was.
03:21The spirit of Python, the spirit of the serpent.
03:23She said, These be the servants of the Most High God, which show unto us the way of salvation.
03:28Was that the truth?
03:30Absolutely.
03:31But God would not ordain the source of it.
03:34This is why the apostle turned and rebuked her for what she said.
03:39So can God use anyone at any time, anywhere that he pleases?
03:43You better believe he can.
03:44He used this high priest to prophesy.
03:47But that's not what I want you to look at so much as I want you to look at verse number 48.
03:52And the Romans shall come and take away both our place and our nation.
04:00And we shall cease to be an identifiable entity.
04:04We'll be gone and we'll be away from the earth.
04:07Now, have you met any Amalekites lately?
04:11I don't suppose you have.
04:14But the truth of the matter is, Israel is called the ancient people.
04:19They've been here a long time, folks.
04:21Yes, they have.
04:22And one pogrom after another, Hitler tried the last one, I suppose.
04:27Six million Jews died at his hands to wipe these people from the face of the earth,
04:32and they're still with us.
04:34And God said to Abraham, I will bless them that bless thee and curse him that curseth thee.
04:39That's still in effect.
04:41So who didn't want Christ to be alive?
04:45We start with that this morning.
04:46Who did not want him to be alive?
04:49Well, first of all, Satan didn't.
04:51When we read it over there in the book of Ezekiel, chapter number 28,
04:54he said, you're the anointed cherub that covereth.
04:57Satan is a counterpart to Christ in the sense that he is an anointed one.
05:00He's a Christ himself.
05:02That's what anointed means.
05:03Mashiach in Hebrew, Christos in Greek, he's the anointed one, set aside with a special calling,
05:11with a special place.
05:12Satan hated Christ, my dear friend, with hatred like you wouldn't believe.
05:18He despised him.
05:20And when man was made and formed from the dust of the ground,
05:23and God breathed into his nostrils the breath of life,
05:26Satan realized standing before him was a creature that he had never seen before.
05:30For what he was looking at was a man that was made in the image of God.
05:35The breath he breathed came forth from the very lungs of God,
05:39a breath created so that this man could live.
05:42The breath of God, therefore, became the very soul of man.
05:46You are different.
05:47Don't ever let anybody tell you that there is no difference between you and a dog and a cat
05:52or an animal of some kind.
05:54You are infinitely, infinitely, infinitely above any animal creation
05:59walking the face of this earth.
06:01You want to reduce men to animals?
06:04You want to reduce them to a herd?
06:06You want to reduce them to nothing?
06:07You teach them that they're nothing more than just a biological thing,
06:11like an animal, like a cat and like a dog.
06:13And that's what they're telling you today.
06:15Why do they do that?
06:16They do that because they want to control you.
06:18They want to control you.
06:20They want to lord over you.
06:22And you're going to see that happen.
06:23So who didn't want to see Christ arise from the dead?
06:26Satan did not want to see him arise from the dead.
06:29He hated the very thought.
06:31And God said over there in Ezekiel chapter number 28,
06:34I have set thee so.
06:36Luke chapter number 10, verse number 18.
06:39The Lord said, I beheld Satan as lightning falling from heaven.
06:44Do you realize that there are five casting downs of Satan?
06:47Five successive casting downs.
06:50First from the third heaven.
06:51Then from the second heaven.
06:52Then from the first heaven.
06:55Then from the earth and his ruling over it.
06:58And then into the bottomless pit.
06:59And then finally into the lake of fire.
07:02Satan will have his day in court.
07:04Make no mistake about it.
07:06And when God judges him, he'll judge him with righteous judgment.
07:10I don't want to be there at all.
07:12Amen, amen, amen.
07:14What else did not want to see Christ arise from the dead?
07:18Principalities and powers.
07:19In the book of Revelation, in the book of Daniel, rather, we read about an angel of God
07:25that had been sent as an answer to prayer.
07:29He was hindered for 21 days.
07:32And Michael had to go set him free.
07:34Every nation on this earth, I do believe, has a spiritual leadership and a spiritual guide to that nation.
07:40Did you know that in 2015, 2015, that they projected a huge image of Cali onto the Empire State Building?
07:50Did you know that?
07:522015, they didn't ask you about it.
07:54Didn't ask anyone's opinion.
07:55They just projected this image of Cali.
07:58If you've ever seen an image of Cali, you'll see this hideous face with its long tongue pointed downward.
08:04The long tongue shooting out of the mouth and going downward.
08:08Have you seen any entertainers lately up on the stage with a long tongue pointing downward?
08:14Have you noticed that?
08:15You ever wonder why that's unnatural?
08:17You understand, don't you?
08:18You realize that they're identifying themselves with something, you suppose?
08:22Cali is an Indian god, goddess, female goddess.
08:28She was worshipped by thuggies.
08:30This is where we get the English word thug.
08:33The British East India Company had ruled over India for some time, turned it over to the crown in 1858.
08:41And from that moment on, Great Britain set about to do away with the worshippers of Cali.
08:47Why?
08:48Because they were murderers and robbers.
08:50They would lay in wait for people as they traveled the countryside, join up with them.
08:55And that night while they slept, they would take their cords and they would choke them to death.
09:00They were vicious murderers and robbers.
09:03The worshippers of Cali, even up to the inn, many of them, when they went to the gallows and they were hung because they were murderers and robbers, still worshipped Cali.
09:13There was something about that demonic power that had filled their soul and their spirit.
09:18And so the man or the people behind this image of Cali being projected on the Empire State Building says
09:24that this is the spirit that we want to lead America into the future, that we want prosperity, we want peace, we want power, we want all of this.
09:33And so we're going to put Cali, we're going to project this image onto the Empire State Building.
09:40You know the one built back during the time of the Depression?
09:44Do you remember that one?
09:45The Empire State Building.
09:47So they projected the image of Cali.
09:49Did you know the Large Hadron Collider over there in Switzerland?
09:53When they built that thing that India sent them, an image of one of their gods dancing to what's called the Nataraj, Shiva?
10:03The Nataraja?
10:05Say, what is that?
10:06Well, it is invoking, calling up the spirits.
10:10You see, my friend, the Bible says in the New Testament that the things that the Gentiles sacrifice, they sacrifice the devils.
10:17But the Apostle Paul says that the thing that you're looking at and what you're dealing with is some carved out of stone.
10:23It's nothing in itself, but there's a spirit attached to it.
10:28You see, when you come into this house and you open the Word of God, this is just a book.
10:32It's got words in it, but it's a different book from any other book.
10:36You see, when you take the words of this book into your heart and into your soul, you're going to start receiving a spirit that goes with this book.
10:44You're not going to get away from that.
10:45This is a spiritual book.
10:47And if you receive it as from God, as He meant for it to come to man, you're going to start receiving the Holy Ghost that comes from this book.
10:56Once you become a believer in the Lord Jesus Christ, this is God's Word.
11:00Every book has a spirit.
11:02Every word has a spirit.
11:03Everything has a spirit.
11:05It's all, my dear friend, connected one way or another.
11:09And so the Large Hadron Collider built over a place with an old ancient site of calling of the oracles from the heart of the earth.
11:18This thing was built, and India sends them Shiva, and Shiva is dancing the Nataraja, and the Nataraja is the goddess that destroys, the god that destroys and rebuilds.
11:31And so now, here we have, and I'm not sure what all is behind it and motivation in it.
11:36Here's one thing I've learned the few years I've been on this earth.
11:39Don't believe half of what you hear.
11:42And don't believe the other half of what you see.
11:43Amen.
11:44Be very careful.
11:46Try it all.
11:47Test the spirits.
11:48Try everything that's coming your way.
11:51You say, when I preach, you know, wait a minute.
11:52You're talking like a conspiratist.
11:54Well, the New Testament is very clear.
11:56They conspired against Christ to put him to death.
12:00Remember that?
12:01You see how the media, do you see how current culture takes a word, redefines it, and demonizes it, and then applies it to you?
12:09How many see that?
12:10They redefine the word, they demonize it, then they apply it to you.
12:14Well, don't let them do it.
12:16Go back to the old English Bible, go back to the old English dictionaries, and let that define the word.
12:22Amen.
12:23But in any event, Shiva dances the Nataraja.
12:27And so the Nataraja is the rebuilding.
12:29So what's the idea?
12:30Well, the idea is that we have those who do not want to see Christ arise from the dead because they don't want his spirit.
12:37They want another spirit.
12:39They want a spirit that came out of the pit of hell that we read about in the book of Revelation, chapter number 9, a Bodden and a Polyon.
12:48Are they going to get that spirit?
12:49Oh, they're getting it all right.
12:51Hardly a month goes by.
12:53Now, get ready for it as we approach the end of the school year.
12:57The school year is about over, okay?
13:00Just about over.
13:00And all of the grudges built up and all of that through the school year seems like for the last few weeks or months, they start killing people.
13:11The shootings.
13:12Have you noticed how that they're all a lot of times toward the end of the year?
13:16Where'd that come from?
13:18Where did all this murdering, all this murdering that goes on in the school?
13:23Kids killing kids.
13:25Where'd that come from?
13:26You took the Ten Commandments out, you took God out, and any time you create a vacuum, and nature hates a vacuum, any time you create a vacuum, something's going to rush in.
13:38What rushed in?
13:39Satan rushed in.
13:40That's what rushed in.
13:42And so now they're killing each other.
13:43Innocent kids are dying.
13:45Such a sad thing to see that happen.
13:48Innocent children dying at the hands of murderers, robbers.
13:53Do you suppose that the spirit of Cali that was projected onto that image up there in New York, do you suppose that someone might have received that spirit?
14:02Do you suppose they might have taken it into their heart and into their soul?
14:05A good study would be that see New York City from 2015 down to the present.
14:11I haven't had time to do it.
14:13Maybe one of you has time.
14:14When you get home, do a survey of New York City from 2015 down to 2025, 10 years, and see what's happened in New York during that period of time.
14:27Because they projected Cali onto a building.
14:30They didn't want to see Christ alive.
14:32You better believe they didn't want to see him alive.
14:34When the Lord Jesus approached a man possessed of the devil, the demons inside him says,
14:39Who art thou? Why did you come to us?
14:41We know who you are.
14:42You're the Holy One of God.
14:45Have you come to torment us before the time?
14:48Believe me, folks, they know who he is.
14:52Here's another group that did not want to see him arise from the dead.
14:56That's the Jewish authorities.
14:58They took a council how that they might destroy him.
15:012,000 years ago, two principal groups were ruling over the Jewish people.
15:06The Pharisee and the Sadducee.
15:08The Pharisee started while they were in Babylonian captivity.
15:12The Pharisee essentially believed most of the things that you believe.
15:15He believed in spirit.
15:16He believed in resurrection.
15:17He believed a lot of these things that you believe.
15:20Of course, most of the Pharisees personally rejected the Lord Jesus Christ.
15:25But when Nicodemus came to him, there in John chapter number 3,
15:28he says,
15:29We know thou art a man come from God, for no man can do the things thou doest except God be with him.
15:34Nicodemus no doubt had had no problem with anything Christ had done or taught.
15:37Son, he was a Pharisee.
15:40So the Pharisees, when it comes to their doctrine, you didn't really have a problem.
15:44But if you look in John chapter number 11, the Bible says,
15:48If we let him thus alone, all men will believe on him.
15:51And the Romans shall come and take away both our place and our nation.
15:55Their plate, their lives, and their belly meant far more to them than the truth of God's word.
16:01You see, there was a problem.
16:03There was a problem in Israel at the time when Christ was here 2,000 years ago.
16:07Number one was the high priest.
16:10The high priest was Caiaphas.
16:12Caiaphas, my dear friend, the high priest of Israel,
16:15was a man who was a wicked, godless, vile man.
16:21He died, and they put his body in what's called a charnel house.
16:27A charnel house is where you put bodies to decay,
16:32and then once the flesh is gone, you gather up the bones,
16:35and you put them in a bone box.
16:37It's called an ossuary.
16:39They did that 2,000 years ago.
16:41They gathered up his bones, put it in a bone box,
16:44carved some beautiful on the side there,
16:46and they carved Joseph, Caiaphas, son of Joseph,
16:49and put it in a cave in the valley that leads down into Hinnom.
16:542,000 years later, it was found.
16:56Found it.
16:57There's the bone box.
16:58There are the bones of Caiaphas.
17:00There are the bones of the man that lived 2,000 years ago.
17:03Here is an authority outside the Scriptures
17:07that completely supports the Word of God.
17:10Shows you that Caiaphas was actually an historical figure.
17:13It's quite remarkable, though,
17:15how that there's a box holding his bones.
17:18They couldn't find a box holding Christ's bones.
17:20It's quite remarkable the fact that when they found that,
17:23they found it leading down into Hinnom.
17:26And Hinnom is also called Gehenna.
17:30In the New Testament.
17:31And what it is, it's a picture type of hell itself.
17:34It's a place where they burned the refuge.
17:36It's a place where in the Old Testament,
17:38they raised up this image to Moloch.
17:40He had his arms outstretched.
17:41And they would lay their babies in his arms,
17:43and they'd roll down into his belly and be incinerated.
17:46And they would beat the drums.
17:48They'd beat the drums to cover up the screaming of those little children.
17:53When you start offering your kids to Moloch,
17:56my dear friend,
17:57make very sure that you're going to come and see a day
18:01that things are going to turn,
18:03and they're going to turn bad.
18:04It's such a shame that they're offering their kids to Moloch in America.
18:09Don't you think that's such a shame?
18:10But they'd scream.
18:13When Solomon became the king of Israel,
18:15David handed him a great kingdom,
18:18you could hear the drums of Moloch
18:20as they started beating
18:22because Solomon brought all that hell right into his own country,
18:26down on his own people.
18:28You know, friend,
18:30our choices have consequences.
18:33When we decide to do something,
18:35we may very well not like what's going to happen
18:38when it does happen,
18:39but it will happen.
18:41Did you know the king of Israel at the time,
18:432,000 years ago when Christ was here,
18:45was an Edomian?
18:46What's an Edomian preacher?
18:48That's the Greek for Esau or Edom.
18:50Who was Esau?
18:51He was the one who sold his birthright
18:53for a bowl of pottage.
18:55Now, lo and behold,
18:56imagine,
18:57we have a high priest,
18:59Caiaphas,
19:00who was a Sadducee
19:02that did not believe in the resurrection,
19:03and now we have a king
19:05who's an Edomian,
19:07an Esau,
19:08who is usurping the throne of David.
19:10You see,
19:11only a son of David
19:13was qualified to sit on the throne of David.
19:16And the Lord Jesus in Matthew chapter number 1
19:18is the son of David
19:20through Mary,
19:21of course.
19:22And so he's qualified
19:23to sit on that throne.
19:25Well, here we have it.
19:26And there it was,
19:272,000 years ago.
19:29And then there are the Romans.
19:31They did not want to see him
19:33alive.
19:35Why, preacher?
19:35Well, there wasn't anything personal.
19:38And it wasn't that the Romans disagreed
19:39with anything that he preached.
19:41They couldn't have cared less.
19:42As long as his God
19:43became part of the pantheon of gods,
19:45no big deal.
19:46Just another God to add.
19:48No big deal with the Romans.
19:50But the problem with the Romans
19:51is that they want the peace of Rome.
19:53They want the prosperity of Rome.
19:55You understand, of course,
19:56that the laws,
19:57the peace,
19:58and all of this,
19:59that order society
20:00is written by the law,
20:02is written by natural men.
20:03What is that?
20:04That's a man who's concerned
20:05about one thing,
20:07making life on this earth
20:09as comfortable
20:09as he possibly can.
20:11If you join in with that
20:13and you belong to that
20:14and you're part of that,
20:15it may make any difference
20:16what you believe,
20:17everything is hunky-dory.
20:19But once you accept
20:20the Lord Jesus Christ
20:21and realize that there is
20:23no other way to heaven
20:24but by him,
20:25you become a problem
20:26to Caesar.
20:27Because you're okay
20:29as long as you don't
20:30do anything about it.
20:31But when Caesar gets tired
20:33of your agitation
20:34and Caesar gets tired
20:35of this and that,
20:36he may come down
20:37on top of your head
20:37with laws
20:38to shut you up.
20:40That's why the framers
20:41of the Constitution
20:41of this country
20:42were way ahead of their time
20:44when they gave you
20:45that First Amendment.
20:46That First Amendment
20:47said that you have a right
20:48of freedom of speech.
20:50That freedom of speech
20:51sets you free
20:52from the king.
20:53The freedom of speech
20:54allows you to preach
20:54the gospel of Christ.
20:56Amen.
20:56Freedom of speech
20:57gives you a lot of things
20:58to be thankful for.
20:59But here's the problem.
21:01Anything that Caesar giveth,
21:03Caesar can taketh away.
21:05God gave me freedom
21:07of speech.
21:08He gave me freedom
21:09in my heart.
21:10He gave me freedom
21:11in my mind.
21:12He gave me freedom
21:13in my soul.
21:15I am free today
21:16because he made me free.
21:18Not because some man
21:19makes me free.
21:20I'm free because
21:21he made me free.
21:22And I thank God
21:23for that today.
21:24So the Romans,
21:25nothing personal,
21:27but they set a seal.
21:28Set a seal.
21:29They set a watch
21:30at the sepulcher
21:30and to make sure
21:31that he didn't come out.
21:32This, of course,
21:33was done at the request
21:34of the leadership
21:35of Israel.
21:36The Romans
21:37really didn't want
21:38to see him come back.
21:39Why?
21:40He was a troublemaker
21:41as far as they're concerned.
21:44So, my friend,
21:45what are we going to do with this?
21:46What are we going to do?
21:47The Bible says
21:48in Matthew chapter number 22
21:50and verse number 23,
21:51the same day came to him
21:53the Sadducees,
21:54which say
21:54that there is
21:55no resurrection
21:56and ask him
21:58and they teach
21:59that there was
21:59no resurrection.
22:01But my Bible tells me
22:02in the book of Job
22:02chapter number 19
22:03verse number 23,
22:051,900 years
22:07before Christ,
22:08an old man
22:09who was beaten,
22:11a man who was suffering,
22:13a man who had lost
22:14his everything
22:15that meant anything
22:16to him.
22:17He was sitting
22:18with a potsherd
22:19and with the sores
22:21and with the pain,
22:22the sorrow
22:22and the weeping
22:23and the dust
22:24and the sackcloth.
22:26And here's what he said.
22:28He said,
22:28Oh, that my words
22:29were now written.
22:30Oh, that they were
22:31printed in a book,
22:33that they were graven
22:34with an iron pen
22:35and led in the rock forever.
22:38For I know
22:39that my Redeemer liveth
22:40and that he shall stand
22:42at the latter day
22:42upon the earth.
22:43And though after my skin worms
22:45destroy this body,
22:46yet in my flesh
22:48shall I see God.
22:49Whom I shall see
22:50for myself
22:51and mine eyes
22:52shall behold
22:53and not another
22:53though my reins
22:55be consumed within him.
22:57And so Job cried out
22:58in the midst of all
22:59of his sorrow,
23:00his faith
23:01that God would raise him
23:03from the dead.
23:04Amen.
23:05That was 4,000 years ago,
23:08almost,
23:09long before any Sadducee
23:11ever drew his first
23:12breath of life.
23:14Job's preaching to us
23:15and he's telling us something
23:16and he wants us to get it.
23:18Now in the book of Luke,
23:19chapter number 24
23:20and verse number 5,
23:22the Bible says,
23:23And they were afraid
23:24and bowed down their faces
23:26to the earth.
23:27And they said unto them
23:28when they saw these angels,
23:30Why seek ye the living
23:31among the dead?
23:33This is what you would call
23:35a pithy saying.
23:36It's the kind of saying
23:37that has power
23:38in just a few words.
23:40It just drives home the point.
23:42It gets a hold of you.
23:43I want you to think about it.
23:45What are you doing?
23:47Seeking the living
23:47among the dead.
23:49I mean,
23:49if you go to a dead church,
23:51why would you expect life?
23:52If you belong to a dead religion,
23:54why should you expect life?
23:56If your life is nothing but death,
23:58why should you expect
23:59any life in it?
24:00If you read nothing but
24:01criticisms
24:03and destructive comments
24:06about Christ
24:06and our Bible
24:07and our Lord,
24:08why should you expect
24:09any life in your soul
24:11and in your spirit?
24:12Amen.
24:13Amen.
24:14Garbage in,
24:15garbage out.
24:16You're living a culture today
24:18that is a dead culture.
24:20Oh yes,
24:21I mean,
24:21everybody's taking care
24:22that they live
24:23the fullest that they can live.
24:24But what about the old ones?
24:27I'm one of the old ones.
24:29Did you know
24:30that most of the people my age
24:32are depressed?
24:35Most of the people my age,
24:36they don't live.
24:38They're tired.
24:39They're worn out.
24:40They've got no hope.
24:41They've got no future.
24:42They're just,
24:43it's it.
24:43It's over.
24:44I mean,
24:45I've run my course.
24:4778 years.
24:49I've run my course too almost.
24:51But I'm not depressed.
24:53Not in the least.
24:55Oh no,
24:56no,
24:56no,
24:56no,
24:56no.
24:57I've got a fire inside me
24:59that can't be put out.
25:01There's a life rising up
25:02inside my soul
25:03that no words
25:05are going to quilt.
25:06There's something about me
25:07that lets me know,
25:09oh yes,
25:09my old body.
25:10It's about one.
25:11It's finished.
25:11It's served me pretty good.
25:12I mean,
25:12one day I'll let you have it.
25:15You can have it.
25:17And when you,
25:17when you,
25:18when you get it,
25:18I'm sure you won't
25:19to keep it too long.
25:20You know,
25:21dead bodies aren't worth
25:22a whole lot
25:22to keep them around
25:23too long.
25:24and you can have it,
25:26but I won't be in it.
25:29I know that my Redeemer
25:31liveth.
25:33I know.
25:34These angels said,
25:36I seek you the living
25:37among the dead.
25:39All you friends,
25:40dead kids,
25:41that crowd you run with.
25:42All you hear out
25:42is death out of them.
25:44Criticism.
25:45GD this,
25:46GD that.
25:47All the other
25:48four letter words.
25:50I'm in a plethora of it
25:51every day of your life.
25:52You're just one
25:53right after another
25:54after another.
25:55And you wonder
25:55why you're depressed.
25:58Did you know
25:58that these teenagers today,
25:59the kids that are growing up
26:00in this country,
26:01are committing suicide
26:02and an alarming rate?
26:03Do you realize that?
26:04Why?
26:05They got more stuff
26:07than anybody's ever had.
26:08They got more entertainment
26:09than anybody's ever had.
26:11We got cell phones.
26:12We got 60 inch TVs.
26:15We got the whole nine yards.
26:17Yet they're not happy.
26:21You know why?
26:22They get nothing
26:23for the inward man.
26:25They get nothing
26:26for their spirit.
26:28And what they do,
26:29it may come in directly
26:30from some kind of
26:30a demonic thing
26:31like Cali
26:32coming through
26:33some social media app,
26:35some social media thing.
26:36They see this,
26:37see that,
26:37whatever.
26:38Sure,
26:38they get all kinds
26:39of garbage like that,
26:40but they get nothing
26:40for their spirit,
26:41nothing for their soul.
26:43They're dead.
26:43Why is that?
26:45It's because
26:45they rejected Christ.
26:47They said no to Him.
26:49Why seek ye the living
26:50among the dead?
26:52John chapter number 20
26:53and verse number 26.
26:55After eight days again,
26:56His disciples were within
26:57and Thomas with them.
27:00Then came Jesus.
27:01Watch this.
27:02The doors being shut
27:05and stood in the midst
27:08and said,
27:09Peace be unto you.
27:12Had to get in, preacher.
27:14Why walk through the door?
27:14That's how he got in.
27:15Just as easily
27:17he could have walked
27:17through the wall.
27:19Wait a minute.
27:20Wait a minute.
27:21Are you telling me
27:22that the body
27:22he was in
27:23after the resurrection
27:24could not have,
27:26you couldn't take that body
27:27and nail it on a cross?
27:28No.
27:29No.
27:31Nails would never nail
27:32that body on a cross again.
27:34He just showed up.
27:36He just walked into the room.
27:38Oh, preacher,
27:39I don't believe that.
27:39Well, that's okay.
27:40You can believe or not believe.
27:42But the truth of the matter is
27:43you'll have to face that one one day.
27:46You'll have to deal with him one day.
27:49The doors being shut.
27:51He was in the midst.
27:52Stood there.
27:53The doors being shut.
27:55You see,
27:55this old wore out carcass
27:57one day
27:58goes back to the earth
28:00from whence it came.
28:01But I've got a body
28:02that wasn't made
28:03from anything
28:04from this earth.
28:05A body that was made
28:06from above.
28:07It's called a glorified body.
28:09A house,
28:09a tabernacle not made with hands
28:11eternal in the heavens.
28:12Amen.
28:13I look to be clothed upon
28:14with that
28:14so I can just walk through a wall.
28:17Just appear.
28:18Here's what it says
28:19in John chapter number 21
28:20and verse number 12.
28:23The scripture talks about him
28:24on the ship
28:25and they were dragging
28:26their nets
28:27and then when they came to land
28:29they saw a fire of coals
28:30and fish laid thereon.
28:32and bread
28:32and Jesus said unto them
28:33bring of the fish
28:35which you have now caught
28:36and Simon Peter went up
28:37and drew the net to the land
28:38full of great fishes
28:40and hundred and fifty and three
28:41and for all there were so many
28:44yet was not the net broken.
28:47Jesus saith unto them
28:49come and dine
28:51and none of the disciples
28:53durst ask him
28:54who art thou
28:55knowing
28:56that it was the Lord.
28:58The last time they ate
28:59is when he
29:02girded himself about
29:03with a towel
29:04he got down on his hands
29:06and his knees
29:06and he washed their feet.
29:09Then he took the bread
29:09and said this bread
29:10is the New Testament
29:12in my body.
29:13This is my body
29:14that is broken
29:15and given for you.
29:16Then he took the wine
29:17and said this is the New Testament
29:18of the blood.
29:19This is the covenant
29:20that seals it.
29:22And so he had that with them.
29:23It was a very solemn time.
29:25There's a place in Israel
29:26you go over there now
29:27they call it the place
29:28of the upper room.
29:29It's a building
29:30obviously
29:31it's been built
29:32over the spot
29:33but they're pretty adamant
29:34about the fact
29:34it's the spot
29:35where the Lord's Supper
29:38and so when you go in there
29:39we have a little
29:40a little meeting
29:42and it's quite a
29:43it's quite a sweet thing
29:44it is
29:44because you're standing
29:45where the Lord's Supper
29:47was
29:47where they took it.
29:49Of course this was him
29:50taking the Passover
29:51and turning it into
29:53what we call
29:54the Lord's Supper today.
29:55But you see
29:56this is no longer
29:58before the cross.
30:00He no longer has the cross
30:01waiting on him.
30:04His passion is over.
30:06He has suffered on the tree.
30:08He has bled
30:08and he's died.
30:10They've laid his body
30:11in the tomb.
30:12And for three days
30:13his body lay in the tomb.
30:15But on the third day
30:16according to the scriptures
30:17his body was raised
30:20from the dead.
30:21And now he meets them
30:22on the bank.
30:23I don't know
30:24how many people
30:24were out there.
30:25How many ships
30:26were on that bank?
30:27Maybe they saw this man
30:28over there cooking fish.
30:30Some of these people
30:31didn't cross their mind
30:32who it was
30:33but it wasn't for them.
30:36It was for these
30:37disciples.
30:40Come and dine.
30:42It's kind of a
30:43warm feeling
30:45you get from the fact
30:46that
30:46you mean all he wanted to do
30:48is just come and sit there
30:49with him
30:50and have something to eat.
30:51Yeah.
30:53You see that's what
30:54this is about folks.
30:55Here we are this morning.
30:57Here we are preaching.
30:59Singing.
30:59Worshipping God.
31:01We got all this past.
31:03And it's past.
31:04It's history.
31:05But there's a future.
31:07We're going somewhere.
31:10And he gives us
31:11an invitation.
31:12He says you can't
31:13go back there
31:14and die again.
31:15And you can't spend
31:16all your life
31:17standing at the cross.
31:18He's alive now.
31:20Be careful
31:22that crowd
31:23spends all their time
31:24at the cross.
31:25Now I'm going to
31:26preach the cross
31:26and I fully believe in it
31:28but folks
31:28why seek you the living
31:29among the dead?
31:32He's not here.
31:33So you don't spend
31:34your time at the tomb
31:35either.
31:36He's not here.
31:38He's alive.
31:39He's risen.
31:41Oh boy
31:41wouldn't it have been good
31:42if I'd been able
31:43to go over there
31:44and sit down with him.
31:45Would you scoot over
31:46a little bit
31:46and give me a little bit
31:47of room right here?
31:48I'd like to
31:50I'd like to have a bite
31:51of what you're eating here.
31:52I'd like to hear
31:53what the master
31:53has to say.
31:54I mean it was
31:55that informal.
31:57Come over here.
31:58Sit down.
31:59Have a bite.
32:00This is where you are today.
32:02It's been done.
32:03It's paid for.
32:04It's passed.
32:05Hallelujah.
32:06We got a future.
32:08Come over here
32:08he said.
32:09Sit down.
32:10Let's have a bite.
32:12Come and dine.
32:13The master said.
32:15Come and dine.
32:15Are you hungry?
32:16Well he's got something
32:17for you to eat.
32:18Are you curious?
32:20That's alright.
32:21Curiosity's fine.
32:23Sit down.
32:24Listen to what he has to say.
32:25Come and dine.
32:27The master said.
32:28I mean that's one of the
32:29that's one of the
32:30nearest to the heart
32:31simple things
32:33you'll find
32:34in the whole New Testament.
32:35It's all behind now
32:37and we look to the future.
32:39The apostle Paul says
32:40I press toward the mark
32:41of that high calling
32:42of Christ Jesus.
32:43He's going to the future.
32:44Now
32:45why do you want
32:46to come and dine?
32:47I'll finish with these
32:48few little things
32:49right here.
32:50Why would you want
32:51to come and dine?
32:52Well the apostle
32:53sums it up
32:54in 1 Corinthians 15
32:55verse 12.
32:57He said
32:58if Christ be preached
32:58that he rose from the dead
33:00how say some among you
33:02there is no resurrection
33:02of the dead?
33:04But if there be
33:05no resurrection
33:05of the dead
33:06then is Christ not risen?
33:08And if Christ be not risen
33:09then is our preaching vain
33:11and your faith
33:13is also vain
33:14I don't know
33:17if you've ever studied
33:18much about other religions
33:19I do
33:20and I don't make fun
33:21of these people
33:22I don't mock them
33:23there's nothing to mock
33:25and make fun of
33:25when you're in darkness
33:27you're in darkness
33:27but there's a part
33:30over there in India
33:31called the Agora
33:32they cover themselves
33:34in human feces
33:35they eat human feces
33:37they're literally
33:39living on the edge
33:41of death
33:41they're skeletons
33:43they
33:44it's all about death
33:46bones
33:47they wear bones
33:47on their body
33:48and it's so sad
33:50because they're trying
33:51to reach something
33:52that they'll never reach
33:54it's in vain
33:55it's all in vain
33:56it's all in vain
33:58it's all in vain
33:59any religion
34:01outside of our Lord
34:03Jesus Christ
34:04is in vain
34:05there's only one way
34:07to the Father
34:07that's through the Son
34:09you say
34:11why does it have to be
34:12that way
34:12well you can ask God
34:13one day
34:14amen
34:15you may not be able
34:16to handle the answer
34:17right now
34:17and the answer
34:19may not be anything
34:19that you think it is
34:20I want you to keep
34:21this in mind
34:22of Him
34:22through Him
34:23and to Him
34:24are all things
34:25meditate on that
34:27of Him
34:28right
34:30through Him
34:31and to Him
34:33are all things
34:35just keep that in mind
34:37we know a little
34:37about Him now
34:38we will know more
34:40but can you imagine
34:42a being that is eternal
34:43that's almighty
34:44how long do you think
34:45it will take you
34:45to fully take in
34:47the essence
34:48of who He is
34:49think about that
34:50that taken eternity
34:52in itself
34:52just to take it in
34:54but think about it
34:56He said your faith
34:57is vain
34:57is this all vain
34:59what's vain mean
35:00it means empty
35:01you're just wasting
35:02your time
35:03the apostle says
35:04if Christ be not risen
35:051 Corinthians 15
35:0716
35:07if the dead rise not
35:09then is not Christ
35:10raised
35:11and if Christ be not
35:12raised
35:12your faith is vain
35:13you're yet in your sins
35:15well how many of you
35:17had that happen to you
35:18when you felt
35:18those sins
35:19lifted
35:20I got the old man
35:24still got him
35:24but there's a new man
35:25I've been forgiven
35:27somebody said
35:29I knew you
35:30before you got saved
35:31a lot of people
35:32did
35:32and you ought to
35:34appreciate the fact
35:35that I'm not
35:35what I used to be
35:37I've been saved
35:39my sins
35:40have been forgiven
35:41and here's a strong one
35:431 Corinthians 15
35:44if Christ be not risen
35:45then is our preaching
35:47vain
35:47your faith is also
35:48vain
35:48yea and you found
35:49false witnesses
35:50of God
35:51did you know
35:52a false witness
35:53is not something
35:54they throw around
35:54in the Bible
35:55that's one of those
35:56things that God
35:57says an abomination
35:58to God
35:59it's listed with those
36:00who sow discord
36:01among the brethren
36:02a false witness
36:03is a terrible charge
36:05to lay against anybody
36:06to call him
36:07a false witness
36:08so the apostle Paul
36:09says if Christ
36:10be not risen from the dead
36:11I'm a false witness
36:12well let me tell you
36:12something
36:13he's alive
36:141 Corinthians 15
36:17verse 18
36:18then they also
36:19which are fallen
36:20asleep in Christ
36:21are perished
36:21this is serious
36:23business this morning
36:24what's that mean
36:25preacher
36:25if Christ is not
36:26risen from the dead
36:27how many of you
36:28ever carried a casket
36:30out to the graveyard
36:31carried it out there
36:33and it holds the body
36:34of somebody
36:35nearest to you
36:36that you love
36:37more than anything
36:39on this earth
36:40could be a son
36:42a daughter
36:43a husband
36:45a wife
36:45a mother
36:46a father
36:47a sister
36:48a brother
36:48someone close
36:50to you
36:51very close
36:52I've been there
36:53been there
36:55and if Christ
36:57be not risen
36:57from the dead
36:58they're gone
37:00I'm going to ask
37:03you a question
37:04if that's all
37:06if all you believe
37:07is that you live
37:08like a dog
37:09and die like a dog
37:10what do you have
37:11to offer me
37:12and my family
37:14and my children
37:16you ever watch
37:18St. Jude
37:18I watch them all the time
37:21I pray for those
37:22little kids
37:22St. Jude
37:24Danny Thomas
37:26started that
37:26when they started
37:29only one in five
37:30survive cancer
37:31now
37:31only one in five
37:34die
37:34that's wonderful
37:36it would be
37:37even more
37:38if none of them
37:38did
37:39but look at those
37:40little children
37:41their mamas
37:41and their daddies
37:42holding them
37:42crying
37:43little babies
37:43think about that
37:44what they do
37:46what they deserve
37:47they deserve that
37:48of course not
37:49what hope
37:50do you have
37:51to offer them
37:51what can you give them
37:52you can't give them
37:54anything
37:54you have nothing
37:55you have nothing
37:55whatsoever
37:56these little babies
37:58die
37:58they die
37:59they're gone
38:00they got no
38:01opportunity
38:02there's no life
38:03it's just been
38:04taken from them
38:05they're perished
38:06oh my goodness
38:08gracious
38:09what a miserable
38:10religion this would be
38:11if you didn't know
38:14without a shot
38:15of a doubt
38:15that you'd see
38:17your loved ones again
38:18but I like what
38:20Paul said
38:211 Corinthians 15
38:22verse 20
38:23he said
38:24but now
38:25is Christ
38:26risen from the dead
38:27and become the
38:28first fruits of them
38:29that slept
38:29yes
38:31and so he says
38:32so when this corruptible
38:33shall have put on
38:34incorruption
38:35and this mortal
38:36shall have put on
38:37immortality
38:37then shall be brought
38:39to pass the saying
38:40that is written
38:40death is swallowed up
38:42in victory
38:42now listen to this
38:43he shouts
38:44into the face of death
38:46he shouts
38:48and he says
38:48oh death
38:49do you hear me
38:51where's your sting
38:54oh grave
38:57where's your victory
38:59that's what he did
39:02yelled it into their face
39:04death is personified
39:06in the book of
39:06revelation
39:07chapter number 6
39:08riding a horse
39:09death
39:10and he shouts
39:11into its face
39:12says your sting
39:14has been taken
39:14from you
39:15and then the graves
39:17the bible says
39:18the hour is coming
39:19when all that are
39:20in the grave
39:21shall hear the voice
39:21of the son of God
39:22and come forth
39:23amen
39:24I am the resurrection
39:26and the life
39:28amen
39:29yes sir buddy
39:30I believe in the resurrection
39:31I believe he arose
39:33from the dead
39:34I believe he'll never
39:35die again
39:36I believe he's seated
39:37at the right hand
39:38of the father
39:38and I'll say
39:39oh death
39:40where is your sting
39:42amen
39:44grave
39:45where is your victory
39:46you get on YouTube
39:48and you got all these
39:49nurses on there
39:50doctors
39:52and there may be
39:54some in the house
39:54today
39:55or maybe watching
39:55I don't know
39:56but
39:57my experience
39:59has been this
39:59nurses
40:00see more death
40:02than the doctors
40:03why
40:05because they're there
40:06they're tending
40:06to them
40:07and so these nurses
40:09are starting to write
40:10on YouTube
40:10about the death
40:11of Christians
40:13people who
40:14love the Lord
40:15and they're talking
40:16about the experiences
40:17that they witness
40:18and that blows
40:19their mind
40:20they say
40:21once you listen
40:22to what I've got
40:22to say
40:23and see this
40:24you will never
40:24be an unbeliever
40:25again
40:26there's just too
40:27many unexplained
40:28things
40:29associated
40:30with the passing
40:31of one of his
40:32saints
40:32scripture says
40:34precious in the
40:34sight of the Lord
40:35the death of his
40:36saints
40:37oh how's it
40:38going to come to you
40:39preacher I have no
40:39idea but I know
40:40who's going to come
40:41that's all that
40:43matters to me
40:43I've told him
40:46time and time
40:47again
40:47Lord I know
40:48you're going
40:48to come and
40:48get me
40:48just don't
40:49let me know
40:50when
40:50that's good
40:54enough for me
40:55amen
40:56father bless
40:57your word
40:58thank you for
40:59the time
40:59in your house
41:00bless it to
41:01the hearts
41:01of the people
41:02I pray that
41:04you'll be glorified
41:04this morning
41:05we lift up
41:06our Lord Jesus
41:07thank you for
41:08all the good
41:09folks that are
41:10visiting thank
41:10you for all
41:11the visitors
41:11Lord thank
41:12you for them
41:12bless your word
41:14now as it goes
41:15forth in Jesus
41:17precious name
41:18amen
41:19all right
41:20let's stand