Bristol Conference 1973-03 the Lord Jesus Christ — Stan Ford

At chapter 1, please, the verses we've been reading, the former treaties of Imaeus Oceophilus, of all that Jesus began, wrote, stood, and preached, until the day in which he was taken up, after that he had, through the Holy Ghost, given commandment unto the apostles whom he had chosen, to whom also he chose himself alive, after his passion, by many incalculable fruits, being seen of them for days, and speaking of the things pertaining to the kingdom of God.

The Foundations of the Christian Faith and the Church

May I please remind you a little of that which we have been considering. Before the first day, how the Acts of the Apostles were going to bring before us something of the foundation of the Church, and went up to Luke and did this wonderful history of the Church, he starts off by reminding us of the great fundamentals of the Christian faith.

We saw first of all how he spoke of the one who, as he moved in the scene, not only went about doing good, but he began both to do. And, then we saw that the outcome of such a life of this was his passion.

Last evening, I will swear, as I read the Scripture, and ponder the great life that you were, as we thought, to share with you a little, just a little, of the passion of the Savior. But no, Dr. Luke, it takes us a step further.

See for me, he's daring to say, you can never have a Church if you forget the walk of Christ in this scene. If you forget the death of Christ on Calvary Cross, but you can never have a Church. I need you to remember the glory of the resurrection of Jesus from the dead.

I need to actually remind you that the Lord himself emphasized this tremendous act. When on the Isle of Patmos, he revealed himself to John, he said, I am he. It always pierced my heart to remember what he didn't say.

He didn't say, I am he who puts the crown on the man. I am he who makes blind fire from the earth to see. I am he who in a wonky turn of office, I am he who says, I will be eternally grateful that Christ did feed the hungry, and did make blind fire from the earth to see, and did make the lame man whole, and did send the letter.

But I am not unmindful that if he'd never done this, there still could have been a Church. Each one of us here could have been here redeemed by precious blood. But if he had never drawn the cross, if he had never risen from the dead, not one of us would have been here.

So Jesus did not say, I am he who did these great things. He said, I am he who became dead. And hallelujah, I'm alive again forevermore. This is how Jesus introduces himself. This is just what Dr. Luke said again.

The Humanity, Holiness, Humility, and Hope of Christ

And so this morning, with your permission, and I trust with the Lord's help, we're going to consider Dr. Little of the tremendous statement to whom he showed himself alive by many infallible proofs. He was thinking during the past days of the Lord.

He pondered first and think of the wonder of his humanity. For this was the one who began both to do and to do. May I please, for the sake of my younger friends again, remind them of the things they've been taught in school and in Bible class.

Again, that when we think of the Lord Jesus, we are thinking of the one whom Matthew made the record. Emmanuel, God in heaven, great with wonder. The fact God ever came here as a man in Lucifer. Never let us forget that when we think of the Lord Jesus and we think of the wonder of his humanity, that we are thinking of the one who is God with us.

I have said so many times, and yet I dare repeat myself, that when I think of the part that that day suggests again is, I remember that I came to the body that the Father prepared even as I, a body of God.

I remember I came to the body prepared of the Father, but produced of the Spirit. Matthew dared to tell us he conceived of the Holy Ghost, a body that was prepared of the Spirit. Never let us forget Philippians 2, with possession of the palm, he put unto him that.

When I came, that dark Galilean night came to the manger in a stable. And we were made men, the living God of his humanity. But if we think of the wonder of his humanity, we think of the wonder of his holiness.

We pondered something of that, did we not? Tremendous story that was told of Boston Alcott, who came one day to Carlyle and said, you know, Carlyle, I can say I am one with the Father. I looked at him and said, but the difference is this, my friend, he looks against people to believe it.

Oh, that's it, is it? It's all very well to say that I'm God, but can you prove you're God? It's all very well for me to get into rapture, but the tremendous statement of Galileo that would be proved.

Oh, thank God for the wonder of his humanity. Thank God for the wonder of his holiness. He moved amongst men and proved that he was God. And if we think of the wonder of his humanity and the wonder of his holiness, why we rejoice, we praise God for the wonder of his humility.

But this was so great, it could be said of him as he moved amongst men, that he was meek and lowly of heart. You know what this means, don't you? You know what it's like that meekness never takes offense, and lowliness never takes offense.

I want to say here, brethren, that it is as fair to take offense as it is to take offense. Jesus never did this, but hallelujah, he never took it either. He was meek and lowly of heart. Oh, the wonder of his humility.

Then the wonder of his hatefulness. Oh, what would they say? Would you say they would say that the preacher was quite hateful? That's what I think. No, I'm not. He was not. Oh, the wonder of his hatefulness.

You know, the tragedy of you and me is that sometimes we have a reserve. We find ourselves loving sins that we shouldn't love, and we know we should. But isn't it glorious? Isn't it tremendous that we have a Savior?

He can speak not only of the wonder of his humanity and holiness and humility, but we can speak of the wonder of his hatefulness and hatefulness. Ah, but he loved righteousness. He loved righteousness.

Christ’s Hope in the Resurrection

There's another wonder in the life of Christ. The wonder of his hope. He was the source of all divine truth. He knew that the Son of Man had written, Thou will not leave my soul in hell. As of yesterday, he will ask for unity, To see of the majesty and yet the mercy, Of the greatness and yet the glory and grace of our God.

And surely one of us was moved when we realized That he went to the cross and he went there with him. But ever I'll ever be hopeful. Thou will not leave my soul in hell. Praise God, here we see that hope fulfilled.

That God raised him from amongst the dead. One or two very simple things about the resurrection. I will not be able to deal with it fully now, but I hope that the Lord will help us and permit maybe tomorrow we may continue a little further in the doctrine of the resurrection.

The Historical Fact of the Resurrection

But this morning I want to say this. I won't say a word first about the indisputable facts of the resurrection, for it is the indisputable facts of history, as it is the indispensable facts of the gospel.

I am not speaking of the resurrection of Jesus Christ. I am not speaking of that which, even on the grounds of academic truth, harmed her a little, of that which has been said about the resurrection. There is one thing that historians have tried to do, and sometimes I regret to say, men that call themselves theologians have tried to do.

They have tried to take away the prick from the hearts of God's people of the fact that Jesus rose from the dead. But you cannot take away that prick. It is the indisputable facts of history. You know three theories, and there are many more than three, but there are three major theories concerning the resurrection.

First of all, the theory that I would call the stealing theory. Did they not come to the soldiers, those Jewish leaders, and give them money saying, you tell people while we slept that the title came in gold bobbins.

But if there is the stealing theory, there is the swooning theory. You know the sort of thing they ask us to believe, and sometimes it is put over as the modern law, although it originated in the 15th century.

Nothing foreign about that. But there is the swooning theory. That God did not really die, that is the swooning theory. The next major theory concerning the resurrection is the spirit theory. It is the theory that suggests that Jesus Christ did not rise in bodily form from the dead, but something happened and his body got disintegrated into gases and somehow through the cracks in that stone doorway he was able to get out.

And yet because it has been advanced by such learned men, we must face it. I said last week in speaking to a crowd of students in Cambridge, not concerning this, but concerning the matter of evolution, I said, gentlemen, I would rather believe the miraculous than the ridiculous.

It takes more faith to believe some of the things that have been propounded concerning this than to believe what the word of God says concerning it. Is that quite right? Well, let's look at them for a moment.

These theories, you remember,.

But when they found out that the stone had been rolled away, when they found out that the Lord Jesus was no longer in the tomb, those Jews became desperately afraid. And coming to the soldiers, they offered them money, saying, you tell the people the crowd is there.

The disciples came and stole the body. I cannot think of anything more ridiculous than this, really. As a matter of fact, just this very morning, it very often happens, and it's one of those sort of hat pains that most of us have.

I had it anyway. Standing in line for breakfast, well, I don't know, I didn't share what you see. Well, you see, what I'm trying to emphasize is this. Do you know what happens when you're asleep? The disciples came and stole the body.

Do you know what happens if they were asleep? How ridiculous. What an argument is this. I suggest that in the name of common sense, any one of us here can dismiss the stealing theory or the stealing theory as associated with the fleet of those soldiers.

Refuting the Swoon Theory

Let us hope there is not only the stealing theory, but there is the swooning theory. As you know, in effect, for many of you young folks in school have had to face this, I'm sure. In effect, the argument goes like this.

That they took the Lord and they nailed Him to Calvary's cross. For He not only had been nailed there, but He had been scourged. And it is an interesting fact that many researchers in history have put much time and much effort in trying to find anyone or the record of anyone who has been scourged who at the end of it was a lost.

There has not been a researcher in history who has ever yet been able to give any evidence of anyone having been scourged who at the end of it were a lost. Scourged in the course of the day. Jesus was not only alive, but hallelujah, able to carry His cross halfway up a hill.

I say, you young men, do you want to hear it? Do you? I've got to close to every inch of Him. It was a man! Out of His body! They say it was so intense was the pain of hell. Those who came around were not medical men.

They didn't realize that this was unconsciousness. They thought it was death. He was taken down from the cross and placed in a tomb. And there, in the coldness of that tomb, He reposed in the tomb and went away to the hills and did His resurrection.

I don't think anyone needs to give a lot of thought to it and let it be to us or those that throw it to us very lightly. It's sufficient to remind our crowds that they faced the Lord in the tomb and they found Him graceful.

And I want to ask a very simple question. I hope it does not sound out of place when we're dealing with such holy things. But how many of us who, in the course of our years, walking maybe down a path or... We have found ourselves with our foot upon an edge.

Many a person that I've seen hobbling about but all they did was to stand on a thin plank. Yet He was one. And through His hand we're driven now. And He's hot!

And having pounded round and round and round with His graceful hand,.

He suddenly became conscious. And with hands that in the ordinary sense of things would have swung at Him. He not only was able to unwind somehow in the grave clothes but grind them back and place them in perfect order for they saw those grave clothes lying in order.

And then He was able somehow, without the soldiers knowing, to walk indeed to the mouth of the tomb, to roll that stone as though a field were upon it, to roll it back, and then to walk up to Jerusalem and every now and then meet some of His disciples and say, and give them the impression I wonder if they do and in the campus of academy.

I think we can dismiss the swooning theory. There are too many questions that cannot be answered. But then of course if there was the feeling theory and the swooning theory there was the spirit theory.

Refuting the Spirit Theory

Very simply the spirit theory works like this. I'm wobbling as you know there are many groups of people J .W. who say this. What happens is that that body gets integrated into the atlas and somehow it got out.

Yet it was not a physical body. It was a spirit body. But they never answer the greatest of all questions that when Jesus stood underneath the table He offered them His hands and legs and the spirit flesh and bone as you see.

I have to believe the people that suggest that they believe the bible as you see I have. All the three major theories concerning the resurrection why I don't think they need a tremendous amount of consideration.

Yet the wonder is their children they are still believed in the circle of Christendom. I want to tell you young people something. I'm not going to spend one million my life trying to build up something that one day God is going to destroy.

Not me. I want to be pretty for Christendom. I want to take my stand by the side of the lone man of hell. I want to walk in fellowship with him. There is one other thing I think that is rather conjecture.

The Stone, the Seal, and the Guard

You know I sometimes when speaking to youngsters in school about the resurrection I sometimes say this. I say to the youngsters now what actually did they do with the body? The class will say well they placed it in a tomb and then what did they do?

And we find out they rolled stones. And then what did they do? Oh, they set a seal. They stood a bulge. Now you'll never forget that we're similar to some beings. A stone, a seal, a bulge. Tell me yet what kingdom is so?

Oh they get their way all over the place. Oh that's men walking. And what kingdom was the seal? I want a little help, an explanation. They find out that this was the vegetable kingdom. Told you. Oh they've got that.

Isn't it remarkable? Isn't it by the way in the light of what we're going to consider the kingdom of Satan and of God isn't it remarkable that old Satan took the three kings, the three kingdoms into which everything falls.

Mineral, vegetable, animal. And I'm going to keep the king of kings right in there. But I don't know yet. He is the king of kings, isn't he? And whether it be mineral or vegetable or animal with a mighty triumph for his power.

The Resurrection as the Indisputable Fact of History

But one of the things which has, for many in balance, infallible fruits. One of the things which has settled in my heart forever. The public resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead. It's all possible.

Maybe it won't help you at all. I can only lay a help to me. You will understand that in my studies I very frequently have to give time to considering the religions, the other religions especially those that appertained in that day.

And the remarkable fact is that even in our day as in that day most religions have associated with them women. And to get at that, that mainly the women when some of their leaders have died have been the cause of the erection to their memory of memorials.

Consider why it's lost. You can take it concerned three years past. The poor woman was erected to Christ. The poor woman at the first memorial was erected to Christ. It was the women that came to the tomb.

That's it, women. Glorious women. They came to the tomb. They came for it. Why is it that they are so different? They're memorials. They're not these women. There's only one answer, isn't there? You don't erect a memorial to someone who isn't dead, do you?

He was alive. They never erected anything to a dead Christ. He was living. It wasn't until Romanism began to lift its head five hundred years after that they even started to think about it. I won't say here and now that I have not followed cunningly divine things.

The Christian faith to me is not just a matter of emotion. The Christian faith to me is that which can stand the torchlight of the greatest thinkers and yet claim the trust of the humblest saints. And I assure you, it's not in the first category I would place myself, but he showed himself by many infallible truths.

The Resurrection as the Indispensable Fact of the Gospel

This is the indisputable fact of history. But then I want to remind our hearts, in the light of the building of the church as we see it in Acts, that it is not only the indisputable fact of history, but it is the indispensable fact of the gospel.

The portion of the word of God you go to to preach the gospel. But there is not a man that can turn away saying I have preached the gospel unless he has mentioned the resurrection of Jesus Christ from amongst the dead.

He may have not dealt with him as an object. He may just have reminded men and women and people of this. There can be no gospel. When the apostle wrote to the church of Corinth he said this is the gospel, that Christ died, that he was buried, that the Virgin said this is the gospel.

His grace, he died, his grace, he was buried, he was on the dead. This is the gospel. The more you and I think of the gospel, the more we realize that unless Jesus lives we have nothing to offer. But hallelujah, Jesus does live.

Fear so much as I did see it three or four years ago, but three or four years ago I used to find myself spending time on a campus and I would see there on the wall God is dead. Now fear so much, say to you, think of what they wrote to them.

I mean if they really thought, they'd be very frightened, wouldn't they? God is dead, they write. So that means that once he was alive, he was alive and he is God. Ridiculous people get it. I believe that that phase is almost past when he's accused of death.

I only know this, that my God isn't dead. Hallelujah, my God is living, as ever he was. Of course, men that come to him very often are dead in exorcism things, but God is dead. God is alive. And I remember that while Jesus lived, there is a forgiveness of sin.

Forgiveness of Sin Through the Risen Christ

You remember the loveliest story, that tremendous story in the 13th chapter of Acts, when the servant of God stands and dares to say, but he whom God raised up again for no corruption, be it known therefore.

How many times have your Sunday school teachers reminded you that whenever in the Bible you come across the word therefore, you need to have a second look at it, see what it's there for. And here it is, as simple as can be, as simple as can be.

God, be it known therefore unto you men and brethren, that who this man,.

Didn't I say it was the indescribable act of the cross? But Jesus rose all of a sudden again. I'm glad today that I can go out and in the name of the blessed Christ offer to men and women the forgiveness of sin, pardoning forgiveness of sin found in Christ, but praise God there is comfort found in Christ.

The Lord as Helper in Pain and Suffering

Do you have favorite verses in the Bible? I'm sure you do. I know I do. Of course, I don't know if it's a tragedy, but it's the fact that my favorite verse mostly changes every day. But nonetheless, it's a lovely thing to have favorite verses, isn't it?

The 13th of Hebrews has been a chapter which over the years I have spent very much time in. I've lived in the 13th of Hebrews very much. I believe the 13th of Hebrews has as much to say to us as almost any chapter in the Bible.

It brings the whole matter of separation, sanctification, and service. It brings the whole matter of the war. But in that 13th of Hebrews there's a lovely, lovely thing.

This is what it says. This is what it says. I will never leave these iniquities. He hath said, I will never leave these iniquities. In fact, we might fondly say, the Lord is mine. You'd have stopped at every word, wouldn't you?

The Lord. We deserve a lot of that, wouldn't you? During the day, we've been speaking about the fact that the Lord is. Whenever the Lord is and a realization dawns on our soul that the Lord is. Whenever the Lord is, the peace hath come.

The Lord is my helper. I will not fear what men shall do unto me. You know, I didn't know this morning. Most of you, I didn't know it until this morning that our dear sister had had this call. You know what, I'd love to have that.

I'd love just to have whispered to her and placed her in the anger. I will not fear what men shall do unto me. Because Jesus said, I have not come to deliver us necessarily from the pain and suffering and punishment in all.

Fellowship With Christ in Suffering

And then we hear this girl reclaim that military hostness. Standing by the side of a man who's gone over a land and lost a leg for it had been blown off and broke her arm.

For they'd been blown off and lost the sight of his face. So he was both dumb and blind that I don't know how he lived. What more of that little ruse that dear Matron of Goliath's Christian almost I've met.

Dear Matron Morgan said to Miss Diane, Tell him God loves him. Tell him God loves him. A man God loves him but he's lost a leg.

And broke her arm. Some of his shoulder and with a great lump on the throat cried his name Christ. That's a joke. You can't see me and you can't talk to me but I want to tell you this. I've never been called to pass through what you've been called to pass through.

I'd rather pass through it.

With Jesus than without him. We don't know what tomorrow brings forth but we know this. Healed it there. Hallelujah healed it there. The Lord is my helper. I will not fear what men shall do unto me. Oh what a thing to do.

Christ Continues to Work in His People

What is it Luke dares to say? He began what to do and to teach and it might mean anything. Hallelujah he's still doing it. He began then and he's doing it now. He began what to do and to teach and on with a cry for his glory and resurrection for he lives today and we can say that this is this indisputable act of the gospel because Christ died.

I'm glad of that. He didn't want to be holding the keys of hell. You know if you were a Christian you couldn't go to hell. He got the key and he holds it for you. Praise God he lives. This indisputable act of history and this indispensable act of the gospel is that which God in his mercy wants us to rest in our presence with him.

Don't let your passion live in agony. Remember he's there because I live. We know him. We may know him we only can ask around that we may know. Amen. Just one other little word about these notes. You know lots of folks are coming to me and saying I'm trying to get this gospel but I can't help it.

They're there. But you won't forget that they were typed on a typewriter that was made in Germany. And I bought it in Australia and it's English papers that pass it out in America. So you must expect from the states won't you?

You won't hold any spelling or typing mistakes against me whatever else it is. The Lord bless you. And brethren let's go from this place to Lidwofi.