Ascension Presbyterian Lord's Day Worship

Ascension Presbyterian Church Longwood iconAscension Presbyterian Church Longwood

0 views

0 comments

01:39
With all the celebration and anticipation, let's take a moment really quietly to prepare our hearts for worship.
03:25
Grace and peace to you in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ, welcome to the corporate worship of our
03:34
God. Please stand. Christ is risen.
03:42
Christ is risen. Christ is risen.
03:49
The Lord reigns. He is clothed with majesty.
03:57
The Lord is clothed. He has girded himself with strength. Surely the world is established so that it cannot be moved.
04:08
Your throne, O Christ, is established from of old. You are from everlasting.
04:18
Your testimonies are very sure holiness adorns your house,
04:26
O Lord, forever. Amen. Please pray with me.
04:33
Father, Son and Holy Spirit. We come with eager expectation, knowing that you will meet with us here because you have called us and you keep your promises.
04:48
O Lord, we pray that our worship would be pleasing in your sight and we have great confidence in this because we have a mediator who is
04:59
Christ the Lord and his function as prophet, priest and king sanctifies all that we do for his glory and namesake.
05:10
And in this, we rejoice, O Lord, encourage and build up and strengthen your people today.
05:17
Fill their hearts with joy and gladness that they would go out of here with great hope and expectancy for the future.
05:25
We ask all this in Jesus name. Amen. Please kneel as you are able for the corporate confession of sin.
05:40
Let us join together with one voice confessing our sins. Gracious God, we confess that we have longed too much for the comforts of this world.
05:53
We have loved the gifts more than the giver. May your mercy help us to see that all the things we pine for are shadows, but you are substance.
06:04
We plead your forgiveness on the merits of Jesus Christ. Accept his worthiness for our unworthiness, his sinlessness for our transgressions, his fullness for our emptiness, his glory for our shame, his righteousness for our bed works, his death for our life.
06:25
We pray in Jesus name. Amen. Please stand. If you would mark iniquities,
06:37
O Lord, who could stand? But there is forgiveness with you that you may be feared.
06:45
O people of God, take heart today. Your sins have been heaped upon the crucified
06:51
Christ. And in him, you now have the forgiveness of sins.
06:57
Amen. Let us rejoice and worship the risen king by singing number 286.
07:06
Worship Christ, the risen king, number 286.
07:12
Please take up the insert,
09:30
Psalm 65. It says, Awaiting you in Zion.
09:37
And this tune is we're going to sing, All glory, laud, and honor will be fitting tune for us today for Psalm 65.
09:48
Let us begin. Please remain standing.
11:17
Revelation 19. This is the word of God.
11:33
After these things, I heard a loud voice of a great multitude in heaven saying,
11:39
Alleluia. Salvation and glory and honor and power belong to the
11:44
Lord, our God. For true and righteous are his judgments, because he has judged the great harlot who corrupted the earth with her fornication.
11:54
He has avenged on her the blood of her servants shed by her.
12:00
Again, they said, Alleluia. Her smoke rises up forever and ever.
12:06
And the 24 elders and the 4 living creatures fell down and worshiped
12:12
God, who sat on the throne saying, Amen, Alleluia. Then a voice came from the throne saying,
12:20
Praise our God, all you his servants, and those who fear him, both small and great.
12:26
And I heard, as it were, the voice of a great multitude as the sound of many waters and as the sound of many thunderings saying,
12:36
Alleluia. For the Lord God omnipotent reigns. Let us be glad and rejoice and give him glory for the marriage of the
12:45
Lamb has come. And his wife has made herself ready. And to her it was granted to be arrayed in fine linen, clean and bright, for the fine linen is the righteous acts of the saints.
13:03
Then he said to me, Blessed are those who are called to the marriage supper of the
13:12
Lamb. And he said to me, These are the true sayings of God. And I fell at his feet to worship him.
13:19
But he said to me, See that you do not do that.
13:25
I am your fellow servant and of your brethren who have the testimony of Jesus.
13:31
Worship God, for the testimony of Jesus is the spirit of prophecy.
13:37
Now I saw heaven open, and behold, a white horse. And he who sat on it was called
13:45
Faithful and True. And in righteousness he judges and makes war.
13:54
His eyes were like a flame of fire. And on his head were many crowns.
14:00
He had a name written that no one knew except himself. He was clothed with a robe dipped in blood.
14:08
And his name is called the Word of God. In the armies in heaven, clothed in fine linen, wore white and clean, followed him on white horses.
14:21
Now out of his mouth goes a sharp sword, that with it he should strike the nations.
14:28
And he himself will rule them with a rod of iron. He himself treads the winepress of the furnaces and wrath of Almighty God.
14:42
And he has on his robe and on his thigh a name written,
14:48
King of Kings and Lord of Lords. Then I saw an angel standing in the sun.
14:54
And he cried with a loud voice, saying to all the birds that fly in the midst of heaven, Come and gather together for the supper of the great
15:03
God, that you may eat the flesh of kings, the flesh of captains, the flesh of mighty men, the flesh of horses, and of those who sit on them, and the flesh of all people, free and slave, both small and great.
15:22
And I saw all the beasts, the kings of the earth, and their armies gathered together to make war against him who sat on the horse and against his army.
15:31
Then the beast was captured, and with him false prophet, who worked signs in his presence, by which he deceived those who received the mark of the beast and those who worshipped his image.
15:47
These two were cast alive into the lake of fire, burning with brimstone, and the rest were killed with a sword, which proceeded from the mouth of him who sat on the horse.
16:01
And all the birds were filled with their flesh. This is the word of God. Thanks be to the
16:08
Lord. So that was a very beautiful, providential thing for us that we would read that chapter today, after all the weeks and months of the books that we've read.
16:32
What a great chapter for this Resurrection Sunday. Let us now confess our faith in the joyful and exuberant singing of the
16:45
Apostles' Creed. Let us begin. I believe in God the
16:50
Father, All of Jesus Christ His only begotten
17:03
Son, our Lord, Who was conceived by the Holy Spirit, Crucified, Seated with the
17:58
Church, The Communion of Saints, The Forgiveness of Sins, The Resurrection of the
18:07
Blessed. Please take up the insert and find the one that says,
18:29
Now let the vault of heaven resound. It's a beautiful hymn, and the tune is familiar to us.
18:38
We are singing it to the tune of all creatures of our God and King. Now let the vault of heaven resound.
18:47
Let us begin. Please take up the hymnal and turn to number 290.
21:43
All hail the day that sees Him rise. Number 290.
21:49
We practiced this a couple times in prayer meeting, I believe. And we should have this pretty good.
21:56
Number 290. Let us begin. Please make preparations now for the prayers of the people.
24:57
We have the Ten Commandments today. I just want to ask you to jump in if there's a pause.
25:04
Men, if you're able to pray for these. Thank you. Let us pray together now with one voice.
25:14
O God, from whom come all holy desires, all good counsel, and all just works.
25:22
Give to us, your servants, that peace which the world cannot give, that our hearts may be set to obey your commandments, and also that we, being defended from the fear of our enemies, may live in peace and quietness through the merits of Jesus Christ, our
25:41
Savior, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, God forever.
25:48
The Lord says, I am the Lord your God. You shall have no other gods before me.
26:53
You shall not make for yourself an idol in the form of anything in heaven above, or on the earth beneath, or in the waters below.
27:30
...for you as idols. Lord God, they are many and numerous, and even if we smash the ones we already have,
27:37
Lord God, we, in our sin, will replace them. But Father, we ask that by looking to you, by worshiping you only, and focusing on who you are and what you've done for us,
27:48
Lord, that we would be a people who do not call idols, but worship you and you alone.
27:56
You shall not take the name of the Lord your God in vain. Have mercy on us and incline our hearts to keep this, your law.
28:35
Remember the Sabbath day to keep it holy. ...this, your law.
28:55
A day that we should set aside for your worship, that focuses on you, Lord God, and to worship you, praise you, hear your word of praise.
29:04
Father, I ask that you would allow us to cast out any other thoughts that we already have, or even if it helps prepare you for the next work week or anything like that, or that we would truly consecrate this day to you, that it would be a day that is set apart and different, that it would set the tone for our week, and that it would help shape a more ordered and worshipful life.
29:29
Honor your father and your mother. Lord, have mercy on us and incline our hearts to keep this, your law.
29:42
Thank you that you put us under authority, and this is the first amendment, we promise, we pray,
29:48
God, that we would remember that, and Lord, that we would honor our father and our mother, that we would honor our grandparents, anybody that you would put over us,
29:59
God, that our days may be long on the earth, that you've given us in Christ. You shall not kill.
30:10
God, have mercy on us and incline our hearts to keep this, your law. You shall not commit adultery.
31:11
God, have mercy on us and incline our hearts to keep this, your law. Dear Lord, we pray that you would take the life and their wife, and their wife alone, that all of these wives here would take the life of their husbands and their husbands alone.
31:31
God, we pray for those who are so unmarried that they would be given a spouse for who finds a wife, finds a good thing, and it's not good for man to be alone.
31:41
I pray, Lord, that you would protect us from all lust and adultery in any form, in any flavor.
31:49
We pray that you would be repulsive to us and that we find great satisfaction in our husbands or our wives.
31:57
You shall not steal. Lord, have mercy on us and incline our hearts to keep this, your law.
32:07
You shall not steal.
33:05
Take them to deprive them of their father.
33:46
You shall not give false testimony against your neighbor. Have mercy on us to keep this, your law.
34:59
You shall not covet. Have mercy on us and incline our hearts to keep this, your law.
35:16
God, we often covet the things of which you have given our neighbors for ourselves, knowing very deeply that you, by your hand, have given them, our neighbors, their blessings, their state.
35:35
It's a great people's sin to give us, Lord. We pray that you would fix our hearts on Christ, be content with all that you have given us, be content in our state that we are in.
35:50
Pray, God, that you would, by your Spirit, lead us to obedience to this, your law, righteousness, and goodness, and therefore our sanctification.
36:01
You shall love the Lord, your God, with all your heart and soul, mind and strength.
36:37
Please stand and take up the Psalm of the Month, our last occasion for singing it as the
36:43
Psalm of the Month, Psalm 51. Let's sing with great exuberance and joy for this communicates the repentant heart of sinners, of which we share with David.
36:59
Let's sing Psalm 51 together. Great job.
41:13
Please turn in your Bibles now to John chapter 20,
41:20
Gospel according to John chapter 20. This is
41:27
God's holy and infallible Word. Now the first day of the week,
41:39
Mary Magdalene went to the tomb early while it was still dark and saw that the stone had been taken away from the tomb, that she ran and came to Simon Peter and to the other disciple whom
41:58
Jesus loved and said to them, they have taken away the
42:03
Lord out of the tomb. We do not know where they have laid him.
42:11
Peter therefore went out to the other disciple and were going to the tomb.
42:17
So they both ran together and the other disciple outran Peter and came to the tomb first and he's stooping down and looking in, saw the linen cloths lying there, yet he did not go in.
42:31
Then Simon Peter came following him and went into the tomb and he saw the linen cloths lying there and the handkerchief that had been around his head, not lying with the linen cloths, but folded together in a place by itself.
42:46
Then the other disciple who came to the tomb first went in also and he saw and believed.
42:53
For as yet they did not know the scripture that he must rise again from the dead.
43:01
And the disciples went away to their own homes. But Mary stood outside by the tomb weeping and she stood and as she wept, she stooped down and looked into the tomb and she saw two angels in white, one at the head and the other at the feet where the body of Jesus had lain.
43:20
And they said to her, woman, why are you weeping? She said to them, because they have taken away my
43:29
Lord and I do not know where they have laid him. And when she had said this, she turned around and saw
43:37
Jesus standing there and did not know that it was Jesus. Jesus said to her, woman, why are you weeping?
43:45
Whom are you seeking? She, supposing him to be the gardener, said to him, sir, if you have carried him away, tell me where you have laid him and I will take him away.
44:00
Jesus said to her, Mary. She turned and said to him,
44:06
Rabboni, which is to say, teacher. Jesus said to her, do not cling to me for I have not yet ascended to my father, but go to my brethren and say to them,
44:17
I am ascending to my father and your father and to my God and your
44:23
God. Mary Magdalene came and told the disciples that she had seen the
44:29
Lord. And that he had spoken these things to her in the same day and evening being the first day of the week when the doors were shut, where the disciples were assembled for fear of the
44:42
Jews, Jesus came and stood in the midst and said to them, peace be with you.
44:49
We had said this. He showed them his hands and his side and the disciples were glad when they saw the
44:59
Lord. Oh brethren, Christ our Lord is risen today.
45:06
Amen. Let's pray together. Oh Lord, we thank you for this incredible time in history recorded here in the pages of scripture.
45:21
The day of your resurrection, your triumph over sin and death and Satan on the cross.
45:31
Oh Lord, I pray that this resurrection spirit would be in us as was prayed earlier on every day of the week on every
45:40
Sunday. But today, oh Lord, we with greater focus and energy give ourselves to this great reality of the risen
45:49
Christ. Pray, oh Lord, that this will bless your people.
45:54
We ask all this in Jesus name. Amen. Please be seated. For those of you who need some guidance and organizing your thoughts.
46:13
I have three areas that we'll discuss today.
46:19
The first is and probably one of the shorter because it's familiarity to us.
46:25
The doctrine of the resurrection of Christ. The doctrine of the resurrection of Christ.
46:36
The second and this is going to require some effort on our part. The drama of the resurrection of Christ.
46:48
The drama and third, the disciples and the resurrection of Christ.
47:01
So in your mind, doctrine, drama, disciples, doctrine, drama, disciples.
47:10
Brethren, the world has been irrevocably changed.
47:19
The world has been transfigured. We often make much of the difference between the antediluvian world, the pre -flood world and the world after the flood.
47:37
It seems to me the greatest transformation and transfiguration of the world occurred during the redemptive events of Christ's sacrificial death on the cross for sinners.
47:50
His death, his experiencing whatever the fullness of death is, he tasted it and experienced it.
47:58
And now the capstone achievement of history, the resurrection. Now we see a world of redemption and renewal ushered in by Christ.
48:13
I fear in our logical minds we we love to think of continuity in the covenants and we need to esteem that and treasure that and value that.
48:26
But the world was changed on that Sunday morning. For the first time ever, there was a real and true sacrifice for sins.
48:40
The types in the shadows are now gone in the light of Christ. The promise of peace with God is now a reality.
48:51
The anticipation of the incarnation of Christ in his birth was a promise of peace and and now peace has come.
49:04
The world has been changed. The world has been transfigured by the resurrection of Jesus Christ.
49:19
John Calvin said we're under now the doctrine of the resurrection of Christ.
49:28
Calvin says we divide the substance of our salvation between Christ's death and resurrection as follows.
49:38
Through the death of Christ. Sin was wiped out and death extinguished through his resurrection.
49:50
Righteousness was restored and life raised up so that thanks to his resurrection, his death manifested its power and efficacy in us.
50:07
I titled the message today between the cross and the crown and if there was a secondary thesis statement would be this.
50:17
What happens between the cross and the crown vindicates the life and ministry of Christ and his humble estate prior to the cross and necessitates his ascension and eternal reign.
50:40
The resurrection says all of the claims about Christ are true.
50:47
Christ and his humiliation goes to the cross in humility. He's raised and triumph and now he is reigning and ruling as the ascended reigning and ruling
51:00
Lord King our King Christ. If you're able to turn with me to 1st
51:12
Corinthians chapter 15 again under this heading of the doctrine of Christ. So reflected upon this
51:22
I was again astounded with the simplicity of Paul's message and the depth and breadth of the doctrine herein contained.
51:36
Think about the simplicity of the statement. Parents teach your children and have them memorize verses 3 and 4 of chapter 15.
51:45
Every Christian should know these verses. I begin reading in verse 1 again we're trying to get exposed again to the doctrine of the resurrection.
52:04
Moreover brethren I declare to you the gospel which I preach to you which also you received and in which you stand by which also you are saved if you hold fast that word which
52:20
I preach to you unless you believed in vain. So there to stand fast and hold forth the word and the message that Paul preached in verses 3 and 4 is a summary statement of Paul's apostolic doctrine.
52:37
This is what Paul preaches. For I delivered to you first of all that which
52:43
I also received that Christ died for our sins according to the scriptures and that he was buried and that he rose again the third day according to the scriptures.
53:04
Children memorize those verses. Know them inside and out.
53:10
You could write an endless supply of volumes of systematic and biblical theology on those two verses.
53:20
Those very basic ideas are so deep and so profound and the resurrection the doctrine of the resurrection is most assuredly essential
53:33
Christian doctrine. You have to believe in the resurrection of Christ.
53:39
If you don't believe it you don't have Christ. You don't have salvation.
53:44
You don't have the forgiveness of sins. Between the cross and the crown the hinge of the resurrection informs everything that happens before the cross and everything that will happen after.
54:02
The resurrection is the place is the epicenter of God's redemptive purposes in Christ.
54:08
If he's not risen Paul will say we're still in our sins. Skip down to verse nine.
54:19
Paul says for I am the least of the apostles. I'm not worthy to be called an apostle because I persecuted the church of God.
54:31
But by the grace of God I am what I am and his grace toward me was not in vain and I labored more abundantly than they all but yet not
54:41
I. The grace of God which was with me therefore whether it was
54:48
I or they so we preach and so you believed. Now if Christ is preached that he has been raised from the dead.
54:58
How do some among you say that there is no resurrection of the dead?
55:06
I want to pause here. We have to remember this. This is all so familiar to us.
55:16
This has never happened before. We say well wasn't
55:21
Lazarus even in our context in John. Lazarus was raised from the dead.
55:27
Yeah but Lazarus would die again. This has never been seen before.
55:36
Christ dies. He's risen. He appears to his disciples and they can behold his hands and his feet and reach into his side.
55:45
It is the real Christ and he's risen and death no longer has a hold of him. He could never die again.
55:55
The apostolic preaching we'll touch on this a little bit later centers on the resurrection.
56:01
I think our witnessing and our proclamation of the gospel maybe needs to center more on the resurrection because this is really the crux of the matter.
56:11
He's either risen or he's not. If he's risen you better own him as your savior because there could be no salvation in any other.
56:22
And if he's not risen we're all going to hell. There is no forgiveness of sins. It all hinges here on the resurrection.
56:29
Do you believe in the resurrection of Jesus Christ? It's life or death, heaven or hell.
56:42
Verse 17 says if Christ is not risen your faith is futile. You are still in your sins.
56:54
Paul's conversion. We have to acknowledge this. He's a great persecutor of the church.
57:02
Paul is easily converted in my view because he is confronted with the risen
57:09
Christ. He had a heart of stone.
57:14
No question. But now he knew the history. He knew that Christ had died on the cross.
57:23
He knew that there was this little sect of Jews who said that Christ had been risen. He didn't believe it.
57:30
But now on the road to Damascus he would be confronted with not an empty tomb but a living
57:36
Christ. The disciples prior to the resurrection are cowards.
57:49
Peter denies Christ. The disciples run and hide and lock themselves behind doors prior to the resurrection.
57:58
They're very different after they knew who
58:03
Christ was. They were witnesses to his crucifixion and death and their eyewitnesses to him and his risen state.
58:13
The world was irrevocably changed on that Sunday.
58:20
There are three landmark events if you think about it in all of history.
58:26
Two of them have already happened. The creation of the world, the redemption purchased by Christ and the last day.
58:35
The world, the hinge of the world, it all changed and turned at the resurrection after the crucifixion leading on to the ascension.
58:48
Christ even now is reigning and ruling as the risen Christ. I don't believe he would do it but he could walk into this church service and we could behold his hands and his feet and his side.
59:12
Christ is not an idea in the ether. He is a living, breathing person who happens to be
59:18
God. Paul's argument here is not, he's not entertaining the idea that there is no resurrection.
59:30
He has seen the risen Christ. This is the reality of faith. He says in verse 20 now
59:37
Christ is risen from the dead and has become the first fruits of those who have fallen asleep.
59:51
Do you realize how much the world changed on this day? Sins were really atoned for.
01:00:04
The chasm, the gulf between heaven and earth has been compressed.
01:00:12
The God -man freely moves from heaven to earth. In time and in space and in history at a defined moment, at a precise occasion in history, the world is irrevocably changed.
01:00:31
There's forgiveness of sins. There is the hope of a resurrection.
01:00:38
The world is a completely different place now since Christ has come.
01:00:49
Continuing the doctrine, this has implications for us. Look at verse 42.
01:00:54
I'm skipping over important things, but I know this is familiar to you. Just re -exposing us to this idea again.
01:01:03
So also is the resurrection of the dead. Verse 42. The body is sown in corruption.
01:01:11
It is raised in corruption. It is sown in dishonor.
01:01:18
It is raised in glory. It is sown in weakness. It is raised in power. It is sown a natural body.
01:01:24
It's raised a spiritual body. There's a natural body and there is a spiritual body.
01:01:36
So it is written the first man Adam became a living being. The last Adam became a life -giving spirit.
01:01:50
What's so interesting about this when we think about the creation account God forming
01:01:55
Adam from the dust of the ground. You remember I said that the breath of God into Adam's nostrils animates and makes the clay sculpture alive.
01:02:06
And that Adam and that frailty he sinned. But now the last
01:02:12
Adam has come as a life -giving spirit. He comes and is clothed in the flesh of humanity and yet he does this and he performs this life of faithfulness and obedience without any sin.
01:02:25
Therefore he is the only qualified one to have the sins of us all laid upon him that we might have forgiveness.
01:02:40
Children in the Passover rites of our spiritual parents in Israel they would have a young spotless lamb and what's forgotten about this is that they would raise this lamb and spend time with the lamb maybe even name the lamb and they would scratch under his chin and rub his ears and pat him on his side and they would love the lamb and then
01:03:16
Passover would come and his throat would get slashed and he'd bleed everywhere and he would let out a howl if you've ever heard this the screeching howl of the lamb being slaughtered it's a sound like no other and the proper instruction of the children by the parents would be to say put your hand on the head of that lamb.
01:03:48
You should die for your sins but this lamb is going to die in your place.
01:03:56
So they put their hand on the head of the lamb the lamb that they love to begin to become very fond of and that lamb would die for them to see the seriousness the weightiness of their sin and what's happened for us is we too have placed our hand on the head of the lamb of God and we've said in faith we've said my sin for your righteousness when we put our hands on Jesus and say oh
01:04:29
Christ take away my sins. One of the things that we forget in communion and I'll try to periodically remind us is there there's a an irony a paradox of sorts is
01:04:47
I'm the reason because of my sin that Christ has to go to the cross.
01:04:53
The lamb dies because of my sin and Jesus and his love for his people says
01:05:00
I joyfully take on your sin. I will die for you spectacular the greatest story reality drama in the world.
01:05:17
Turn back to our text in the interest of time Westminster standards are wonderful and larger catechism question 36 ask the question who is the mediator of the covenant of grace the only mediator of the covenant of grace the answer is is the
01:05:50
Lord Jesus Christ who being the eternal son of God of one substance and equal with the father think about that incredible statement only
01:06:13
Christ could be the mediator because he's the only one who is of one substance and equal with the father and also one with man in the fullness of time all those prophecies the waiting became man and so was and continues to be
01:06:37
God and man in two distinct natures and one person forever
01:06:45
Jesus is still and he looks like Jesus of Nazareth because he's not shed that humanity it's a glorified humanity it's a resurrected humanity it's a humanity that you and I too will share our frail bodies which are dying are going to be transformed and glorified because Christ is the first fruits question 50 of the larger catechism says wherein consists
01:07:20
Christ's humiliation after his death Christ's humiliation after his death consisted in his being buried and continuing in the state of the dead and under the power of death till the third day the day that we celebrate today and you're going to love this which have been otherwise expressed in the words he descended into hell we sang it in the liturgy the
01:07:57
Apostles Creed how essential is the doctrine of the resurrection of Christ central essential doctrine question 52 to end our discussion of the doctrine of the resurrection how is
01:08:17
Christ exalted in his resurrection Christ was exalted in his resurrection in that not having seen corruption and death
01:08:31
I love this parenthetical phrase of which it was not possible for him to be held death cannot hold him and having the very same body in which he suffered with the essential properties thereof but without mortality and other common infirmities belonging to this life really united to his soul he rose again from the dead the third day by his own power
01:09:08
I thought I'd maybe stop there for just a moment we often think of some force or something else acting upon Jesus to raise him from the dead he's raised under his own power that's amazing
01:09:32
Lazarus comes forth because Jesus does something Jesus is risen by his own power he lays his life down and he takes it up again all himself willingly obviously in submission to the father and in this the catechism continues whereby he declared himself to be the son of God to have satisfied divine justice to have vanquished death and him that had the power of it referring to the enemy
01:10:12
Satan and to be lord of the quick and the dead all of which he did as a public person the head of his church for their justification quickening in grace support against enemies and to assure them of their resurrection from the dead at the last day my friends the doctrine of the resurrection has transformed everything in fact it has transfigured the world let's consider the second point let's look again at john chapter 20 there's a key verse here that I'd like us to think of and I'm going to point that out to you now in the interest of time it's for as yet they did not know the scripture that he must rise again from the dead the beauty of this week is last week we considered the triumphal entry and you'll remember that I said that it doesn't really go according to plan
01:11:25
Jesus doesn't instruct the Jews to take up arms and to throw out the Romans doesn't happen the disciples they witness all of these marvelous events they participate in the first Lord's Supper and you think about all that has happened in this one week it's essentially the doctrine and the whole idea of the church and the identity of the church is now formed by the time of the resurrection it's going to be crystallized in just a few days with the outpouring of the
01:12:00
Holy Spirit at Pentecost and his ascension just prior to that all this is happening in this very short and compressed space of time but they didn't understand and what
01:12:18
I find compelling about this and this drama and I don't have an answer
01:12:25
I have speculation why does Mary want to go to the tomb early so other evidence that suggests she's going there to prepare the body but it seems that Joseph of Arimathea and Nicodemus have already done that in our context you read verse 9 chapter 19 you would see that Mary in her grief goes and she just wants to be near him she wants to be near his dead body she had high expectations we need to participate in the drama that unfolds when we read these passages they don't fully understand what's going to happen they don't understand it after it happens when even when
01:13:19
Jesus is there they don't fully grasp what has occurred and then there's disciples who have a foot race to the tomb
01:13:31
John gets there first and he he just looks in Peter climbs in the hole and looks around inside there and they see the linen cloths lying there this is a funny aside but children
01:13:52
I think you should make your bed because the risen Christ folds up his handkerchief when he leaves can you get into the drama of this all their hopes are penned on Christ and then he's crucified and the disciples are scattered they think he's the
01:14:15
Messiah but now can he be the Messiah he's died on the cross now they're hiding behind locked doors because the
01:14:23
Jews are going to come after them and maybe put them on a cross and I don't understand this verse 10 says the disciples went away again to their own homes he's not there now the empty tomb is very important to us but it's not enough so what do you mean the grave robbing theory could be true if he's just not in there anymore than than the grave robbers could have taken the resurrection requires that Jesus appear to Mary and the women and his disciples and even to 500 of the brethren at once can you get a sense of the drama we thought this was the one who is going to save Israel oh he is but but he's crucified on that cross a
01:15:32
Roman cross yes and there he is accomplished redemption for his people but he he lays in the grave he's died like every other man yes he dies like every man but but death cannot hold him on the third day
01:15:50
Christ is risen for they did not know the scripture that he must rise again from the dead and then the appearance of Mary to to Mary the angel she's outside the tomb weeping she's just concerned where have they taken the
01:16:16
Lord's body it's like a family who doesn't know where their departed loved ones body is they're grieving they're weeping they just want to bury their loved one the angels appear to her why are you weeping because they have taken away my
01:16:38
Lord and I do not know where they have laid him and then
01:16:44
Jesus the risen Christ not just an empty tune but a risen
01:16:49
Christ appears to her and asks her why she's weeping oh the drama of it all you could spend a beautiful biblical theology out of the words look at the second half of verse 15 she's supposing him to be the gardener we pass over that don't we he's the capital
01:17:16
G gardener you could build a whole thing on that we don't have time to consider it but there's something there more than just a descriptor the master gardener is there then she sees him he says to her
01:17:39
Mary and something in the inflection of his voice her eyes are blind to the risen
01:17:46
Christ until she hears his voice his sheep hear his voice and he cries out to her
01:17:52
Mary then she responds Jesus even tells her and apparently she lays hold of him and grabs her arms and wraps them around him in some way he says do not cling to me for I have not yet ascended to my father but go to the brethren and say to them
01:18:19
I am ascending to my father and to your father and to my God and to your God and it continues into Sunday night verse 19 the same day at evening being the first day of the week when the doors were shut where the disciples were assembled for fear of the
01:18:41
Jews Jesus came and stood in the midst and said to them peace be with you we sing at Christmas peace on earth and mercy mild
01:18:55
God and sinners reconcile that hopeful expectation for the first time tangibly in history after the fall it's all that stuff that happens is anticipatory waiting for this there is peace with God Jesus could say my peace shalom be with you and as I mentioned in Sunday school today as the father sent me
01:19:23
I also send you Jesus now is very much taking the disciples them and pointing them in the direction of the work that they are to do the church the new covenant church is being established and the disciples are being sent out to tell everyone in the world about the good news that God and sinners are reconciled dramatic time well the last thing
01:20:04
I like us to consider is the disciples as I mentioned when you read the synoptics and you read
01:20:16
John you get the sense that the disciples they shrink back in this moment just prior to the resurrection they don't have a lot of courage but something happens and that something is the resurrection in his appearance to them and and Peter in his brashness which was unwise before he becomes as bold as a lion
01:20:46
Paul is not ashamed of the gospel of Christ why he's seen the risen
01:20:54
Christ everything that Christ said about himself has been proven to be true and now he wears a crown and he reigns in rules
01:21:03
I fear nothing he could say should be true for us
01:21:09
Christ is risen we should be very bold when
01:21:18
I have you not turn in the interest of time I'm going to read a couple of quick passages from the preaching of the apostles the end of the sermon at Pentecost Peter says men and brethren let me speak to you freely of the patriarch
01:21:44
David just see how the resurrection children is woven into this
01:21:51
David one of the top five guys of all time he is both dead and buried and his tomb is with us to this day some archaeologists someday will probably find the place where David's bones are they can't do that with Jesus there are no bones to find they're in a living body still therefore being a prophet referring to David and knowing that God had sworn with an oath to him that the fruit of his body according to the flesh he would raise up the
01:22:28
Christ to sitting to sit on his throne he foreseeing this spoke concerning the resurrection of the
01:22:40
Christ that his soul was not left in Hades nor did his flesh see corruption this
01:22:52
Jesus God has raised up of which we are all witnesses therefore being exalted to the right hand of God and having received from the father the promise of the
01:23:04
Holy Spirit he poured out this which you now see and hear the resurrection is the central doctrinal piece of apostolic preaching it seems that Paul starts with the resurrection and he can go in any direction after that should be true for us the greatest sermon in terms of effect ever preached is probably this one and the centerpiece of the message is the resurrection of Christ chapter four of acts says now as they spoke to the people the priest the captain of the temple and the
01:23:51
Sadducees came upon them being greatly disturbed that they taught the people and preached in Jesus the resurrection from the dead and they laid hands on them and Peter and John would be arrested they're forbidden to preach it and and why do these men who are timid and fearful and denying and faulty why are they so strong now why will they not be restrained they're going to get beaten they're going to be in prison they will not stop preaching
01:24:28
Christ in him crucified why the resurrection they've seen the risen Christ Peter in the same chapter in verse 4 chapter 4 verse 8 says
01:24:43
Peter filled with the Holy Spirit said to them rulers of the people and elders of Israel if we this day are judged for a good deed done to a helpless man by what means he has even made well referring to the healing let it be known to you all and to all the people of Israel that by the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth whom you crucified whom
01:25:10
God raised from the dead by him this man stands here before you whole this is the stone which was rejected by you builders which has become the chief cornerstone nor is there salvation and any other for there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved and finally in chapter 4 multitude of those who believed were of one heart and one soul neither did anyone say that any of the things he possessed was his own but they had all things in common and with great power the apostles gave witness to the resurrection of the
01:26:06
Lord Jesus and great grace was upon them all chapter 5 really quickly the apostles are put on trial once again the captain went with the officers verse 26 and brought them without violence for they feared the people lest they should be stoned and when they had brought them they set them before the council and the high priest asked them saying did we not strictly command you not to teach in this name and look you have filled
01:26:37
Jerusalem with your doctrine and intend to bring this man's blood on us but Peter and the other apostles answered and said we ought to obey
01:26:48
God rather than men the God of our fathers raised up Jesus whom you murdered by hanging on a tree him
01:27:00
God has exalted to his right hand to be Prince and Savior to give repentance to Israel and forgiveness of sins and we are his witnesses to these things and so also is the
01:27:15
Holy Spirit whom God has given to those who obey him and they heard this they were furious and plotted to kill them one last one
01:27:32
I'll touch on to refer to Paul in Acts chapter 17 it says and this is the
01:27:39
Areopagus the Mars Hill interaction with the philosophers the others therefore he reasoned in the synagogue with the
01:27:49
Jews and with the Gentile worshipers and you should be asking yourself what was the content of Paul's preaching and in the marketplace daily with those who happen to be there then
01:28:05
Epicurean and Stoic philosophers encountered him and some said what does this babbler want to say others said he seems to be a proclaimer of foreign gods why because he preached to them
01:28:21
Jesus and the resurrection between the cross and the crown the history and the future and all the problems and all the questions are resolved a couple of words of application here will close timid doubtful fearful men scattered even according to prophecy when the shepherd was struck now after the resurrection become bolder than lions let's not forget that these guys mostly came from the area on the north side of the
01:29:14
Sea of Galilee these are fishermen and all from basically the same region they are now the ones who would turn the entire world upside down they will now not flinch in the face of their torturous martyrdoms how is this possible their eyewitnesses to the resurrection they counted a privilege to suffer for Christ and the application for you and for me is that we need to be bold and courageous unwavering unflinching in our devotion our allegiance to Christ we must proclaim not only his salvation and his forgiveness we should proclaim the crown rights of his kingdom this world belongs to the
01:30:05
Christ we need to take this message to the world second your sins are forgiven the righteous one died in your stead you now walk in faith clothed in his righteousness death no longer has dominion over you you should never be afraid of death again because the resurrection you died with Christ when you laid your hands in faith when
01:30:42
God took your hand and put it on his dear son and laid it on him as a sacrifice not only did you get the forgiveness of sins and the sacrifice you got caught up in resurrection you become part of the resurrection class of people you died with him you're now raised with him to walk in newness of life walk in this forgiveness salvation and newness of life in Christ you've been set free from the bondage of sin and death walk in it savor it delight in it enjoy it
01:31:18
Christ has won it for you stranglehold of sin has been broken the dread of death has been lifted the ruler of this world that dragon serpent has been defeated you've been freed from all of his tyranny you've been freed from the power and bondage of sin you have been freed from the dread of death that would transform a life to live in light of these truths oh brethren
01:32:05
Christ is risen today and in this we rejoice amen let's pray together oh lord we thank you for your mercy and kindness we ask for your blessing on the remainder of our day and oh lord
01:32:28
Jesus we take you to be our savior we're the reason you go to the cross and you joyfully accept it we're the reason you die and you accept it and you are raised that we might to have a resurrection life lord pray that you would help us to appreciate these things we ask this in Jesus name amen
01:33:05
I made a an error I want to I wanted to close with this
01:33:11
I pray that you'll forgive me this is one of my favorite passages in the first Corinthians I was going to come back to it here right at the end just take a second so first Corinthians 1547 and it's so beautiful the first man was of the earth made of dust the second man is the
01:33:40
Lord from heaven as was the man of dust so also are those who are made of dust in Adam but listen to this part and as is the heavenly man so also are those who are heavenly that's us and as we have born the image of the man of dust because of the resurrection we also shall bear the image of the heavenly man hallelujah amen let's continue our worship through the presentation of tithes and offerings we stand and let's pray together oh lord we thank you for salvation and we thank you for this beautiful life you've given us we pray that our working and our all that we do in life would be reflective of the truth of our communion with you we pray that these tithes and offerings would be used for the rapid advance of your kingdom we ask all this in Jesus name let us with great joy with a reflex of doxology let us give glory to God in the singing of the glory of pottery let us begin
01:35:36
Lord be with you it has more significance now because the world was changed lift up your hearts let us give thanks to the
01:36:23
Lord it is right in a good and joyful thing that we should at all times and in all places give thanks to you oh holy lord father almighty everlasting
01:36:37
God because you sent your beloved son to redeem us from sin and death and to make us heirs in him of everlasting life that when he shall come again in power and great triumph to judge the world we may without shame or fear rejoice to behold his appearing therefore with angels and archangels and with all the company of heaven we praise and magnify your glorious name evermore praising you and singing please be seated the
01:38:34
Lord you prepared a body for sacrifice and we are responsible for placing you on the cross because of our guilt and shame as our
01:38:54
Savior you take it on joyfully that you might save us we thank you
01:39:02
Lord that that righteous body was pierced that suffered that it died that your righteous blood was shed for the remission of our sins we thank you that you didn't stay in the grave you redeemed us from sin and death to make us heirs in you of everlasting life oh lord we set apart these creaturely elements of bread and wine and consecrate them for this service that we might discern the body and blood of Jesus Christ crucified for us to make us one with him and to make for us to take him and make him one with us and oh lord we rejoice in these things in Jesus name our
01:40:08
Lord Jesus on the night in which he was betrayed took bread he took the cup after some new covenants in my blood drink from it all of you for as often as you eat this bread drink this cup therefore we proclaim the faith in light of all these things let us with sobriety and earnestness consider and pray the prayer of approach we do not presume to come to this your table oh merciful lord trusting in our own righteousness but in your manifold and great mercies we are not worthy so much as to gather up the crumbs under your table but you are the same lord who always shows mercy so deep the flesh of your dear son
01:41:18
Jesus Christ that our sinful bodies may be made clean by his body our souls washed through his most precious blood
01:41:33
Christ our Passover was sacrificed for us the gifts of God for you the people of God never let's make this commitment together almighty we thank you for feeding us with the spiritual food precious body and blood of your son our
01:51:13
Savior Jesus Christ for assuring us in these holy mysteries living members of the body of your son and heirs of your eternal kingdom and oh lord grant us this other benefit that you will never allow us to forget these things daily now father send us out to do the work you have given us to do you as faithful witnesses of Christ our
01:51:49
Lord to him to you to the Holy Spirit the honor and glory now and forever please stand receive now the blessing the
01:52:34
Lord bless you and keep you the Lord make his face to shine upon you and be gracious to you the