The Jewish Final Solution to the World's Problem - Easter - Be All-End All of Christianity

[0:00] Father and God of our Lord Jesus Christ, and Father and God of all who know you by faith in him, we trust that this time that we shall share together will be uplifting and encouraging, enlightening to each and every one of us.

[0:17] We recognize that living in a fallen world as fallen human beings, there are periods of darkness and discouragement that come into our lives. And yet, despite the pain and the sorrow that often comes from living in a fallen world, there is that absolutely sure and bright and living hope that is vested in the person of Jesus Christ.

[0:43] He said, because I live, you too shall live. What a wonderful truth. What a wonderful promise linked to the integrity of the one who gave it.

[0:55] So we ask in this hour that you will use the truth that is conveyed from your word to establish our thinking and our being and our doing, and cause us to know that lives committed to you will never suffer loss that matters, but that we are continually in our inner man being renewed day by day as we submit ourselves to you and to your word.

[1:21] We thank you and we bless you for it in Christ's name. Amen. While you are turning in your Bibles to Matthew 28, and I trust that you all have a Bible or access to one, I'd like to make a few preparatory remarks, if I may, that I trust will serve as a preface for where we are going.

[1:45] We are dealing with an aspect in the life and times of our Lord Jesus Christ that just absolutely transcends anything that we could imagine.

[1:58] We're talking, of course, about the resurrection of Christ from the dead. And in your bulletin, we have already described that with the Latin expression, as many of you I'm sure are familiar with, the sine qua non, which being translated from the Latin simply means without which not.

[2:16] And what that means simply is that we are talking about a core issue. And the issue, of course, has to do with Christianity. And if you subtract or in any way remove the subject of the resurrection of Jesus Christ from Christianity, you don't have anything left that is of any substance, because it is the be-all, end-all of biblical Christianity.

[2:42] And the point has been made. If anyone had been able to produce the body of Jesus Christ, that would have been the end of Christianity before it ever had a beginning.

[2:58] But that tomb was empty. And the body was glorified and forever changed. And that body is now seated in the heavenlies at the right hand of his Father.

[3:11] This is the most monumental thing that man can contemplate as regards life and living. Job asked the question many years ago, if a man dies, shall he live again?

[3:23] Jesus Christ, in talking to Mary and Martha, said, He who lives, he who lives and believes in me, shall never die.

[3:38] And we're somewhat quizzical about that, because we look at the thousands and thousands of people who died right after Jesus said that. And they've been dying ever since.

[3:49] And you're still dying. And one day we will be among them. Unless we are taken. In the translation. So what did he mean? He inferred, as he had stated in other places as well, that man is not to live by bread alone, because man is more than a body.

[4:08] And when Jesus said, If a man believes in me, he will never die. He's talking about the true identity of that individual person. And your body is not your true identity.

[4:22] Your body is simply the outward expression of your true identity. Your true identity is something no one has ever seen. That is your human spirit.

[4:32] And when you place your faith and trust in Jesus Christ, God, the Holy Spirit, regenerates your human spirit on the inside, and he makes you new on the inside.

[4:45] And that renewed, regenerated part of your being will never know death, even though your physical body will. I think this is precisely what Jesus was talking about when he says he'll never die.

[5:00] What we think of as the person dies. And the reason we think of them in their physical body as the person is because that's how we identify them.

[5:13] We just know them at a glance, and we can call them by name. But you don't know that real person. Only God knows that real person. When Paul wrote to the Corinthians, he said, What man knows the things of a man except the spirit of man, which is in him.

[5:31] And that is the part, that's the real you. That's what's regenerated. That's what Jesus meant when he said, You'll never die. Because to be absent from the body, the real you, to be absent from the body, is to be present with the Lord.

[5:46] Now, longer ago than what we can imagine. And we would have to go back even before time and space were created.

[5:57] And that immediately loses our intellect because we can only think in terms of time and space. But this is devoid of time and space.

[6:07] This is speaking of the God who is said to inhabit eternity. So we're talking about a time. Well, no, we aren't.

[6:18] There I go again. We aren't talking about a time. We're talking about, I guess we could say, an event. When there was nothing.

[6:29] No heavens, no earth, no planets, no stars, no angels, no people, no anything. Nothing. But there was this uncaused first cause.

[6:43] this being in a tripartite existence of Father, Son, and Holy Spirit existing from eternity past. And for reasons that are not divulged other than to say that He brought all things into being because it pleased Him.

[7:05] It's Revelation 4.11. Thou hast created all things and by thy pleasure they were created. So God brought things into existence including angels and humans and planets and stars and wind and air and water and earth and all that is simply because it pleased Him to do so.

[7:31] And He created beings to whom He gave a will and the will prevented them from doing what they should do automatically.

[7:44] But it enabled them to do what they should do should they choose to do so. Most chose to do so of the angelic sphere and we are told at least two-thirds of the angels that God created remained loyal and faithful to Him.

[7:59] We don't know, by the way, how many He created. And approximately one-third of the angelic beings He created rebelled against the Creator and they set a motion, set in motion a movement that still impacts civilization to this day because their rebellion also extended to the rebellion that was realized by our first parents Adam and Eve.

[8:26] And yes, we very emphatically believe these were real honest-to-goodness life and flesh physical human beings named Adam and named Eve and out of them all of humanity that exists or ever has existed has come and that means you are all related to each other.

[8:47] It just depends on how close the relationship but we are all relatives one of another. and those angelic beings that fell chiefest among them was referred to as Lucifer the son of the morning he succeeded in tempting Eve our first mother and she succumbed to his temptation and rebelled against God and Adam likewise ate of the fruit that she gave him and both of them both of them were mysteriously contaminated with some element that God did not create in them.

[9:25] So God is not responsible for having created evil but God is responsible for having created the potential and the possibility of evil and that is the way man went and I hope that you never forget the statement that I'm going to make now because it will really serve you well if you are able to identify yourself in this and that is this the most significant and outstanding consequence of the fall and failure of our first parents is what Adam and Eve experienced when they rebelled against God prior to the time of their revolt when they were in fellowship with God God was their center he was their centerpiece they were focused upon him the creator and that all changed after their disobedience the focus that had previously been upon God is turned inward and now the focus is upon self and may I just say that's what's wrong with us self-centeredness is the major consequence of the fall and failure of humanity we are all infected with this disease it is that natural inclination to put myself first why should

[10:54] I do that well the answer is simple it's because I'm more important than you are someone said it isn't it isn't it isn't hard to put others ahead of yourself or to declare others better than yourself if I could only find someone who was and you know that's a dirty little secret that we all have deep down inside we are all infected with this thing called I-itis it's part of the human condition and whereas their focus originally was upon God now the focus is turned inward and it is upon self and I think we can say without equivocation that self-centeredness is the culprit it is the root it is the enemy of all relationships because while I'm putting myself first guess who you're putting first yourself you want your way and I want my way now as long as we want different things that's okay but if we both want the same thing then you have what is called a conflict this is the destroyer of all relationships family marriage neighborhood school workplace it is the destruction of all relationships that is born out of this self-centeredness this is a curse that humanity has to live and when whole nations get involved in this it's called war and the combatants fight each other to see whose will and way is going to prevail because there's only going to be one winner come out of it or at least one who will lose less than the others

[12:46] Curtis LeMay who was the founder of the strategic air command otherwise known as SAT big B-52 bombers that were in the air all the time some of you young pups don't remember this but back during the Cold War years they had B-52s in the air 24-7 and they were loaded with atomic warheads all they were waiting for was word from the White House that they were to go to their target Curtis LeMay who founded the strategic air command made a very simple statement one time and he said war is all about killing people and when enough people have been killed the war is over and you stop and think about it and look back on every war that was fought that's exactly the mentality that's exactly the way it went so with this great conflict internal that we have to deal with God designed a plan whereby he would combat that it was it was an incredible plan well the word incredible isn't good you know what

[13:55] I mean we've talked about that recently incredible means without credibility and it certainly has credibility so and I'd like to call it fantastic but you can't say that either because that's related to the idea of fantasy and there's nothing that is fantasy about this it is credible and it is something that God did and that is this this is just so mind-boggling this is so off the charts that no human being would have ever ever ever devised a thing like this this Trinitarian concept this Father Son and Holy Spirit made a contract among themselves that they would devise a system a plan whereby to counter the revolt and the rebellion of these volitional creatures angelic and human that God had created and rebelled against him and it was a plan to salvage the whole mess to redeem it to rectify it to fix it and he made a promise he made a promise to the first woman

[15:20] Eve that it would be her seed that would crush the head of the serpent and the serpent of course was the guise of Satan and the crushing of the head means to deliver a final blow and he also said that the serpent would strike the heel of the seed of the woman and that is to inflict a temporary damage and that's exactly what was done in the crucifixion of Christ so having made that promise God then waited 4,000 years to fulfill it and when he did it was fulfilled in this person born in a manger in Bethlehem out of the line and tribe of Judah a direct descendant of David the king and God prepared this physical body this egg and implanted this egg not from the womb of Mary but in the womb of Mary so that

[16:32] Mary did not contribute this but she carried this egg to full term and Jesus of Nazareth was born a human being but not just a human being he was born God man a theanthropic person a wedding of humanity and deity together in one body and this is what this is what Paul meant when he said God was in Christ reconciling the world unto himself and the manner in which he chose to do that was to provide this redeemer whose value and worth surpassed all of that of humanity combined simply because of who he was in his identity you see you need to understand that what

[17:35] Jesus Christ did was of such great significance because of who did it this was the God man who did it and in this agreement with father son and spirit Jesus was born with a body just like ours a body capable of experiencing thirst and hunger and fatigue and death and this body ultimately went to a cross and on that cross on that Roman cross Jesus Christ succeeded in absorbing taking upon himself the punishment that the corporate sin of humanity demanded and this is what he meant when he said God was in Christ reconciling the world unto himself this is the most amazing thing what I'm talking about is the most amazing truth the planet has ever heard or ever will hear it is called the good news and significantly enough while there are lots of items of good news all around and you can read about supplement in your newspaper but this that I'm speaking of is the only thing that can legitimately be called the good news in contrast to all other good news this the word became flesh and we beheld his glory the glory as of the only begotten of the father full of grace and truth and what

[19:26] Jesus Christ was able to accomplish something we'll never understand but God was satisfied with it this is why Jesus is spoken of as being the propitiation the propitiation of God that means the satisfier of God and when Christ died his death on that cross because of who he was he was able to balance the moral scales of the universe and provide a way of access and opening to this God against whom all of humanity had rebelled and we can come to this God through Jesus Christ and this brings up another issue very hot potato today having to do with the exclusivity of Christ some say you Christians are too narrow you believe that nobody can go to heaven except through Jesus Christ well as I've said before that's not our idea we didn't dream that up God said he provided a way and God could also as well say and don't find fault with the way I provided just implement it and be glad that I've even provided one way and he did and that way is through

[20:38] Christ so this is what gives us this glorious hope this is what gives us the confidence this is what gives us a message to preach then when Jesus paid that ultimate price what do you think he meant when he said it is finished he didn't mean I am finished he meant it is finished the great transactions done that for which I came into the world has been accomplished and the night that he was betrayed he wept as it were great drops of blood and he prayed and cried out and said oh my father if there is any way possible let this cup pass from me and what shall I say let this cup pass from and then he said but for this cause came I into the world Jesus Jesus is saying what I am about to experience now by way of arrest and trial and crucifixion is what

[21:46] I'm all about this is why I came this was my purpose for being here this is the reason for Bethlehem this is what Christianity is all about and when he went to that cross and was able to cry out it is finished and then father into thy hands I commit my spirit and Jesus spirit the real internal being of Jesus left his body no one saw it leave and no one will see yours leave either when you die because it's immaterial but it will leave and to be absent from the body is to be present with the Lord into thy hands I commit my spirit and the spirit returned to the father and Jesus went to the grave and then in order to demonstrate that God the father was fully propitiated satisfied with the payment that Jesus

[22:56] Christ made he brought him back from the dead because the payment was complete he was satisfied amazing absolutely amazing and without this thing called the resurrection there is no Christianity you can just forget it this is what Paul meant when he said if Christ be not risen from the dead your faith is vain it means it's empty powerless and our preaching also is vain this gospel message we preach death burial and resurrection of Christ just a bunch of hooey just superstition just old religious tales that's all it amounts to if Christ be not risen from the dead the implications are staggering one of which is if Christ be not risen from the dead untold hundreds of millions of people have been completely hoodwinked they've all been conned they've all put their faith in fluff in nothing and there is no resurrection and this of course is the position of most of those with an atheistic bent there is no heaven there is no hell there is no anything when you die it's all over and that's it forget it if Christ be not risen that's probably the way it is but if he is everything changes and if

[24:37] Jesus Christ is who he claimed to be and did what the Bible says he did you cannot think of anything that is more important than your being related to him did you find Matthew 28 you probably thought I never would but let's look at it if we may after the Sabbath as it began to dawn toward the first day of the week Mary Magdalene and the other Mary came to look at the grave and behold a severe earthquake had occurred for the Lord descended from heaven and sat upon it that must have been so neat this stone by the way was huge it could have been as much as five feet in diameter and approximately a foot thick just a great big round slab of limestone and into the cave which was also made out of limestone if you've ever been to

[25:37] Israel you know there is limestone all over the place I mean they've got stones and stones and stones God used to say that God gave the Arabs all the oil and he gave us all the rocks so they've got stone everywhere and they mill it and chisel it and they take these huge round slabs just a great big round disc anywhere from four to five feet in diameter and they go in and literally carve and chip out of a mountain a cave they just this limestone is soft and so many of the people in Israel were stonemasons and stone cutters and they had tools that would work this limestone and they would go in and literally carve out a cave and then at the front of the cave they would create a trough a trough that would be just as wide as that wheel or that stone was thick and they would put an angle on that trough so that it was sloped and you would roll that stone down and it would stop there right in front of the opening and it was very difficult to remove it because you had to push the stone uphill up the grave to get it open and that's what the angel did and I'm sure he probably used one finger he might have used two but it would have been no problem he rolled away the stone and sat upon it his appearance was like lightning and his garment as white as snow virtually all the time angels are described they are this brilliant white dazzling white kind of like the whiteness that Jesus had on the mount of transfiguration just dazzling and the garments his garment is white as snow and the guards shook for fear now these were Roman guards and we know they were Roman guards because the chief priests and scribes went to

[27:37] Pilate this is in the preceding chapter which will not take time to read but you can do so at your leisure in chapter 27 these Sadducees and Pharisees went to Pilate and they besought him saying listen there was a rumor floating around that after three days Jesus of Nazareth was going to come back from the grave now we don't think there's any truth to that at all in fact we wouldn't put it past his disciples to steal the body and then go out and make this audacious claim that Christ has risen from the dead and we want your cooperation in thwarting such a plan would you grant that a Roman guard detail could be there for three days and three nights to make sure that nothing happens and that the tomb is not disturbed Pilate must have been amused by it all but he said you have a watch okay go and make it as secure as you can and I'm sure that what he did was he dispatched a Roman guard to the site of that tomb with the intent that they would be there 24-7 for three days and when he says and they put a seal upon it it was the seal of

[29:04] Rome and that seal of Rome carried a tremendous amount of authority no one in their right mind would even consider violating a seal of Rome and what it was of course was a little puddle of wax that they would pour on the stone hot wax then they would take the signet ring that was given to them that marked the realm of Rome and put that ring in that hot wax and there it had the seal of Rome on it and the word was anyone who would violate tamper with or remove that seal was subject to a terrible terrible penalty so that's going to discourage anyone from doing anything but the text tells us that in verse 4 the guards shook for fear of him and became like dead men we are not told how many guards there were my guess is there were four but we don't know that for sure and they would sleep probably two three hours at a time and switch shifts and there would be a couple of guys dozing and by the way if you knew anything about

[30:15] Roman soldiery to fall asleep on guard duty was a cardinal sin you might never get out of prison you might even be executed it was the ultimate insult to the emperor of Rome to be assigned to any task that he had given and you fall asleep on the job these guards shook for fear of him and became like dead this is absolutely terrifying you see this this this thing standing there before you arrayed in these dazzling garments that are almost blinding and we don't know how physically large this angel was but I don't think he was a dwarf very intimidating and when they saw this they shrunk back and were absolutely terrified they don't know if they're going to die or what the effect of this is going to be they are scared witless the angel answered and said to the women

[31:20] I take it he's just ignoring the guards and he said to the women do not be afraid for I know that you are looking for Jesus who has been crucified he is not here for he has risen just as he said come see the place where he was lying and go quickly and tell his disciples that he has risen from the dead behold he is going before you into Galilee there you will see him behold I have told you and they departed quickly from the tomb with fear of course they were scared great joy talk about mixed emotions scared to death and euphoric at the same time it is just they are in shock emotionally psychologically every way you can imagine their minds are reeling am I dreaming was this a vision did this really happen they look at each other can you verify what I just saw did you see the same thing they're just and behold

[32:20] Jesus met them and came up and took hold they come up and took hold of his feet and worshipped him and Jesus said to them do not be afraid go and take word to my brethren to leave for Galilee and there they shall see me I don't know what the big deal was about Galilee we do know that that's where Jesus originated he was born in Bethlehem but he was reared in Nazareth of Galilee and that's where he conducted the vast majority of his ministry he didn't spend much time in Jerusalem most of his time was spent in Galilee where most of his miracles were done and now he's telling them to rendezvous in Galilee in other words let's go home and they're going back while they were on their way verse 11 some of the guard came into the city and reported to the chief priest all that had happened now I just boy I have seen so many things in the Bible where I would have loved to have been a fly on the wall and seen and heard what was taking place there can you imagine these guards who had been absolutely terrified out of their skulls relating to the chief priests what happened at the tomb now let's try and think about this a little bit we don't know how many guards there were we don't know how many are here it's just plural we don't know if there were two or four half a dozen but there's more than one and here they are trying to explain to these religious rulers because actually they're not under their jurisdiction they're under the jurisdiction of Rome but it was

[34:09] Rome it was Pontius Pilate who dispatched these Roman guards with the cooperation of the Jewish priest who referenced their concern about his disciples coming and stealing away so they're kind of working loosely in cahoots and because the last words they were given were from these Jewish priests they're the ones to whom they report after having seen this angel and can you imagine what this is like these pagan heathen Roman soldiers talking to these Jewish authorities trying to describe what they had witnessed at the tomb and describe this angel and what he said and everything I'm convinced of one thing they were very very believable there is something about truth that is available when people are speaking out of a panicked kind of experience they may get a little carried away in trying to describe it but they're trying to illustrate and trying to reflect on what happened and explain it to somebody who wasn't there my guess is they were very convincing now the problem is what are these religious rulers going to do with this so there is there is no indication that they say to these soldiers you're just a bunch of liars you're just trying to cover your tail that's all no no there's no accusation made like that

[35:50] I get the impression, and this is just a Wiseman impression, I get the impression that these guards were very convincing and that the religious rulers to whom they were reporting are not doubting what they're saying.

[36:09] But they've got a real problem now. What does this mean? So, immediately, they want to pool their ignorance, and they gather some others together, and we are told in verse 12 that when they had assembled with the elders and counseled together, what are they talking about?

[36:31] What are they saying? Well, it ought to be kind of obvious. They've got to come up with something. What's the solution here? God forbid we say he rose from the dead.

[36:44] Can't say that. So, what can we say? We've got to come up with a story. Listen, this is a perfect example of the evil that a fallen mind is willing to go to in order to protect a lie.

[37:09] This is a perfect example of the depravity of the human heart. They counseled together. Look, we've got to come up with some kind of an explanation here.

[37:26] And the only one that is not workable, that is not satisfying, is to say, Jesus of Nazareth rose from the dead.

[37:38] He who was dead is alive again. We can't do that. No. We are not going there. So, they call these soldiers over.

[37:50] And they start dishing out the shekels. And they say, listen, this is to be your story. This is the official explanation.

[38:02] Get this and get it straight as they keep clinking the coins their way. And you are to say, while you were sleeping, his disciples came and stole away the body.

[38:18] And then when you awoke, he was gone. Got that? Now, I know this is not going to play well with Pontius Pilate. And I know what your military superior is going to say about guards who fell asleep.

[38:33] But trust us, we will take them aside. We will smooth things over. And you will not be charged with this.

[38:44] We'll take care of it. Just trust us. We'll fix it with them. We'll square it with them. You're not going to hang for this. So, they took the money. And they left.

[38:59] And this story was widely spread among the Jews. And is to this day. That is, as of the day that Matthew was writing this account.

[39:11] You know something? Two thousand years later, this is still the official story among the Jews. But if anyone were going to ask any questions at all, just think of a sharp prosecuting or defense attorney in a cross-examination.

[39:33] Now, you say that Jesus came, that Jesus' disciples came and stole away his body while you were sleeping.

[39:46] Right? Yes, sir. That's what happened. Okay. Well, if you were sleeping, how do you know what happened? And if you were sleeping, how do you know it was Jesus' disciples?

[40:03] Well, you see, as far as the record is concerned, they were never asked these questions. We're just asking them now.

[40:16] And we're just showing a little more evidence as to the fallaciousness and the nonsensical nature of the whole thing. Everything hinges upon whether or not Jesus Christ came out of that tomb.

[40:32] And I mean everything. Your belief, your salvation, your life, your eternity, everything is hinging upon this.

[40:45] And the consequences are staggering. This event occurred and is noised abroad for the sole reason that we might have a good news, a gospel to preach.

[41:03] And this good news is disseminated to people who have volitions and wills. And you can buy it or you can reject it.

[41:16] But you cannot do both. And you cannot do neither. That's what he meant when he said, he that is not with me is against me. You've got to be one of the two.

[41:26] And the bottom line is this. If this is true, then your eternal destiny is wrapped up in your relationship to this.

[41:43] When you believe on Jesus Christ as your Savior, you believe who he was, why he came, who sent him, what he did, why it matters. When you put your confidence and trust in that, you become identified with Jesus Christ in his death, burial, and resurrection.

[42:04] It's just as if those things happened to you. Because you are in Christ. And what he experienced, you experienced.

[42:15] That is a phenomenal thing to consider. But that's the way God regards it. And nothing short of that will do. Question that you need to deal with is, do you know when or that you did come to that position in your life at some point in time?

[42:37] Now, don't worry about it. If you don't know the day or the hour or the month, that's not important. But do you know when or the month, that you're in the day or the month, it's not important.

[42:48] Do you know when the day or the month, it's not going to happen? Do you know when or until you're in the day or the month, it's not going to happen to you. What's going to happen? Do you know when you passed from spiritual death unto spiritual life? Because the life of Christ was infused in you. And how is it that that's done?

[42:59] We don't know. We don't understand. All we know is when a believing sinner puts their faith and trust in Jesus Christ, God responds to that response.

[43:14] And God makes you over on the inside. So that if any man be in Christ, he is a new creation. Old things have passed away.

[43:24] Behold, all things are become new. We still don't know how God does that. We just know that he does. And he does in response to our faith.

[43:36] You see, our faith or our belief or our trust in him is the answer that we give him for what he did for us on that cross. Our response is by faith, by belief, by trust.

[43:52] Biblical Christianity is the only faith in all the world that operates solely on the basis of what the founder did for us.

[44:04] Not on the basis of what we can do to please the founder. That is amazing. That is amazing. You search far and wide for all of the religions and isms and cults of the world.

[44:17] And you will not find one that operates on the basis of pure grace. God was in Christ reconciling the world unto himself.

[44:29] Would you pray with me, please? Dear friend, you may be here today, perhaps for the first time, or maybe you've been here dozens and dozens of times.

[44:44] But have you ever really come to grips with who Jesus Christ is and why it matters so much? If not, I can promise you.

[44:57] I can promise you, you have a life that is unsatisfying, that is perhaps filled with puzzles, questions, maybe resentment, maybe anger, maybe bitterness, all kinds of issues.

[45:18] The world is not a good place for you. You're out of sorts. And if you are not in Christ, you're being out of sorts is an indication of that.

[45:29] In order for us to be right with our fellow man, with our spouse, with our children, with our parents, with our neighbors, in order for us to be right with them, we have to be right with God.

[45:48] And you cannot be right with God if you're not in Christ. That's where the blessings and benefits that God provides comes from.

[46:01] And our prayer this day, this Resurrection Day Sunday, would be for a new life, a new birth for you.

[46:13] And if you, dear friend, right where you are, if you would be willing to be really honest with yourself and with God, can you really say you know that Jesus Christ is your Savior, you know that heaven is your home, and you know that your sins are forgiven?

[46:33] Because if you don't know that, life is pretty tough. And even as a Christian, it can be tough. But Jesus Christ provides a sweetness for the toughness that the world doesn't know anything about.

[46:45] And you're at least entitled to that. So I'm going to pray right now. And I'd like to pray for you if you want me to. And while everyone's head is bowed, nobody looking around, I just need to know if you have a need in that way.

[47:06] No one's asking you to come forward. No one's going to identify you. I just need to know whether you want me to pray for you. Anybody? Anybody? Just slip up your hand and put it down again. Anyone? Okay.

[47:18] Anybody else? Okay. God bless you. God bless you. Loving Father, for those who've been courageous enough to indicate a need and a desire for prayer, we simply ask that you will, as only you can, take this precious gospel of Christ dying for our sins, apply it to these hungry, hurting hearts.

[47:47] We believe that no one is here by accident this morning. And for anyone, for those who've indicated a need, we pray your blessing upon them, your enlightenment for them, encouragement for them.

[48:01] We know that there's a lot of anxiety where salvation is not certain. And, well, there should be, because it's the most serious issue that man ever faces.

[48:12] And we pray that you'll undertake for these dear folk who've raised their hands and indicated, well, honest enough to acknowledge a need. And we pray that you will meet those needs specifically, whether it is for salvation or assurance, that you will provide the information that is needed for them, and that they can enjoy the peace and the comfort that comes from knowing Christ.

[48:39] Thank you for such a wonderful Savior. And, Father, we just pray for open hearts and minds. And we pray that anyone and everyone here who may not know you would be willing to pray a prayer like this.

[48:54] Oh, God, I don't even know for sure if you exist. But I want to know, and I'm willing to be shown. And if you're willing to show me, I want to be open to the truth.

[49:06] And I'm trusting you for it. So if you're there, and if you're who the Bible says you are, I'm going to expect some information from you. And I want a mind and heart that will be willing to evaluate it honestly and to receive it if I find it to be true.

[49:25] That's my commitment to you. And, Father, we trust that you will undertake for each and every one here. We all have different needs to different degrees, and you're mindful of them all.

[49:36] And once again, we want to thank you for the glorious, glorious truth that Christ died for our sins, was buried, and risen from the dead.

[49:47] In that we rejoice and will rejoice in his wonderful name. Amen.