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[0:00] chapter 20 and if you look in the left hand column we'll be looking at verses 45 through 53 now from the sixth hour until the ninth hour there was darkness over the land and about the ninth hour Jesus cried out with a loud voice saying Eli Eli lama sabachthani that is my God my God why have you forsaken me some of those who stood there when they heard that said this man is calling for Elijah immediately one of them ran and took a sponge filled it with sour wine and put it on a reed and offered it to him to drink the rest said let him alone let us see if Elijah will come to save him and Jesus cried out again with a loud voice and yielded up his spirit then behold the veil of the temple was torn into from top to bottom and the earthquake and the rocks were split and the graves were opened and many bodies of the Saints who had fallen asleep were raised and coming out of the graves after his resurrection they went into the holy city and appeared to many there are some absolutely intriguing things that are included in Matthew's account of our Lord's death on the cross curiously enough Matthew is the only one to mention them and it is those items that we are going to examine just briefly this morning simply because they really do stand out and I will tell you up front I wish I do wish I had some more authoritative and definitive answers to share with you than what I have but I don't so as regards some of the questions that will be automatically issuing forth from this passage I guess we'll just have to wait until eternity to find those answers but they are intriguing and it's pointless to speculate because speculation is something that is very shaky may or may not be true and it just isn't worth spending that much time on so one thing I do intend to do is because I have an audience that is I think more adept at scripture and scripture understanding certainly far more adept than what most congregations are across the country I would hope that perhaps what we have to share will stimulate your fertile minds and you may come up with something that could be very very helpful in which case yours truly would be most depreciative so if you look back at that passage we're going to resume some things that we considered last week and I realize that we're really talking about the resurrection of our Lord more than we are the death but of course they are inseparable so I do want you to look at the text that is here and we'll just point out a number of things and by the way these events that transpired in conjunction with the death of Christ I can interpret in no other way than to believe that they were incontrovertible signs that were given primarily to the nation of Israel represented by those people who were there and

[4:06] witnessed the death of Christ at his crucifixion and we have every reason to believe that there was a very generous cross section of the public we know that there were chief priests and scribes there we know that there were the common people there we know that there were relatives of Jesus there his own mother his apostles were there so there is a broad kind of what shall I say representation of the nation of Israel there at the crucifixion and this of course was a very very busy day they were anticipating the Passover meal and the slaying of the Passover lamb and it is I believe no coincidence that the texts make quite clear that Jesus will be on the cross only six hours from nine o'clock in the morning till three o'clock in the afternoon and the events that transpired during that six hours are monumental to say the least and let's look at the period

[5:13] Matthew chapter 27 you've got the text before you you can look at the portion that we read or you can look in your own Bible whichever you prefer but I'm thinking about zeroing in in particular on verse 51 or verse 50 Jesus yielded up his spirit that is he dismissed his spirit the immaterial part of his being and he committed it to God this is his physical death his spiritual death that already occurred it was I believe from that hour of darkness at 12 noon we are told that it was at noon that the sun refused to shine and there was utter darkness throughout the land for the space of three hours now there are those as I mentioned earlier who like to just attribute this to an eclipse of the sun and that of course happens every now and then most of us during our lifetime have witnessed an eclipse of the sun but you have never witnessed an eclipse of the sun that lasted longer than seven and a half minutes this was three hours very dramatic and probably very troubling and I don't have any reason to believe that this was kind of like a duskish kind of thing

[6:41] I suspect that it was just plain dark it was nature's way of rebelling against what was happening one of the greatest hymns I think ever written I believe the author also wrote a commentary on the book of Hebrews and on the book of Romans his name was William R. Newell and William R. Newell was a contemporary of D.L. Moody and when D.L. Moody who was of course the Billy Graham of his day this was back in the 1800s would go into different cities and hold evangelistic campaign many people would come to faith in Christ and William R. Newell was given the assignment of following along after Mr. Moody had been there and conducted his crusade and a number of people came to faith in Christ and William R. Newell's responsibility was to go into those areas and try to gather all of those people together who had made a profession of faith and begin getting them grounded in the faith with his Bible classes and the commentaries that he wrote on Romans and on Hebrews are absolutely outstanding but one of my favorite things that he's ever written is called a hymn called

[8:08] At the Cross At the Cross Where I First Saw the Light and one of those stanzas goes something like this Well in other words well in a sense that it is fitting it is appropriate Well might the sun in darkness hide and shut his glories in when Christ the mighty maker died for man the creature's sin Wow What a thought It was as if the sun put a lid on itself and just refused to expend its rays upon planet earth because of what was happening there and just darkened it It must have been tremendously eerie and in addition to that

[9:09] It was an earthquake Now they did not have Richter scales in those days and we don't know how intense the earthquake was but I can promise you this It got everybody's attention Things were shaking and rumbling and rattling and rolling in the midst of all of that darkness These people who were witnessing this could not help I should suspect but thinking something really extraordinary is happening here and it isn't just a crucifixion of some human beings Something else is going on and indeed something else was It was the Father in Heaven to whom Jesus had appealed when he cried out Why hast thou forsaken me my God my God and then into thy hands I commend my spirit And as we related to you earlier This three hour period six of which he was on the cross but three hours during this time it was then that the sinless

[10:17] Son of God was being made sin for you and for me And do you know it is not coincidental that three o'clock in the afternoon when Jesus died was precisely the time that many throughout the land of Israel were putting to death were executing were slaughtering the Passover lamb And this Passover lamb was the one of whom John spoke when he said Jesus the Messiah the Lamb Behold look at him the Lamb of God slain before the foundation of the world And not a bone of him was to be broken Remember when the soldiers came along and the reason they were urgent about this was because this was a Jewish thing Even though the Romans were actually the execution squad and they were carrying it out they were sympathetic somewhat to the Jewish tradition

[11:19] And the Jewish tradition was that bodies could not be upon the cross when the Sabbath occurred And the Sabbath would be coming in at about six o'clock in the evening That would be the start of the Sabbath And that's when they would prepare That's when they would eat the Passover meal after having slain the animal at about three in the afternoon So here it is When Jesus died at this particular time in connection with the slaying of the Lamb and the families throughout the whole land And this is the one of whom John said slain before the foundation of the world In other words this event that took place on Calvary was planned in eternity past And it was the fulfillment of his hour that had come And to see this event right before your very eyes and experience the darkness and the earthquake and everything else that was going on had to be so gripping for so many of these people

[12:31] And I suspect that it was even for the Roman soldiers who stood there And one of them said Surely this must be the Son of God Well He didn't mean by that what we mean by that Because he was coming from a pagan background and he was simply talking about a deity of which they regarded many And he was elevating Jesus to that status But we all know that he was already elevated far beyond that And when this event took place the earth shook and the rocks were split And I take it that that was a consequence of the earthquake of rock splitting and some of these rocks were very very large Golda Meir who used to be the prime minister of Israel at one time the only woman prime minister they had said regarding Israel that God gave the Arabs all the oil He gave the Jews all the rocks And if you ever visit Israel you will see rocks everywhere I mean they are in great abundance

[13:32] No limits to the limestone And these rocks that were there and obvious and exposed and all over the area large rocks and small rocks and metal sized rocks The earthquake was doing a job on them and things were moving and shifting and the rocks were breaking I cannot help but wonder if some of these rocks might have been limestone slabs that fit on the top of these graves because these tombs some of which were cut into the earth and you walk in them because they were kind of vertical which was probably the kind in which our Lord was but if you look at any of the pictures regarding Jerusalem and the wall particularly for showing approaching it from the east from the Mount of Olives you see hundreds and hundreds of tombs all over the place just outside the wall of Jerusalem and the reason that they are buried so close to Jerusalem is because the Jews were thinking that as close as you can get to the holy city the better and this was prime real estate to purchase plots that were close to the wall if you want to stop in my office on your way out and look at the picture that is on the wall there's a big picture like that and look very carefully at the wall around Jerusalem and you can see them hundreds and hundreds of tombs and these are just like coffins made out of stone with a limestone slab over their top and I cannot help but wonder if it was many of these limestone tops on these tombs that were split that were open and do you know what effect that would have?

[15:17] it would expose the bodies the dead bodies that were in those tombs now if the Jews had a real serious problem with dead bodies hanging on a cross when the Sabbath was underway what kind of a problem are they going to have with dead bodies being exposed all over with these rocks split and the lids disheveled and laid aside and corpses lying there horror of horrors that would be enough to make any religious Jew have conniptions I mean that would be a desecration that wouldn't quit and do you know what?

[16:03] that's exactly what it was intended to be it was God showing the desecration of the land that was occurring culminating in the death of their Messiah and there was virtually nothing they could do about them but the fascinating thing about this is and this is where I wish you would come in because if you've got some insight to this I would appreciate it we've got an extraordinary event that happens here but I want you to note the sequence in which it happens in verse 52 it says or verse 51 the earth shook and the rocks were split and the tombs were opened doesn't tell us how many but the tombs were opened and many bodies of the saints limited believers many bodies of the saints who had fallen asleep which is a euphemism for dead these were dead people they weren't sleeping in those tombs they were dead they were corpses many bodies of the saints who had fallen asleep were raised now it almost makes it sound like they were raised just as soon as those tombs were opened but that's not what the text says and it's very curious the order in which these things occur notice if you will had fallen asleep were raised and coming out of the tombs after his resurrection now that's going to put three days and three nights between the tombs being opened and they're appearing in the city after the resurrection because Jesus is going to be in the heart of the earth for three days and three nights so what is it time wise that we've got taking place here

[18:02] I wish I could put a better handle on this it's enigmatic and no Mark Luke and John do not help us at all because they simply don't include this particular event only Matthew has it so what we have here is they are coming out of the tombs after his resurrection they appeared they entered the holy city Jerusalem see they're outside the city nobody was allowed to be buried in the city so they've entered the holy city and appeared to many we don't know how many and we don't know how many there were that were resurrected and what happened to these people were they like God forbid were they like Dracula who returned to the tomb of course not that's pure nonsense but what became of these people did they die again were they translated and they're appearing to many in the city they had to have appeared to some people who had known who they were or the effect would have been completely lost so what is it that is taking place here and why this three day interval why what kind of a body did they have it's inconceivable that these people could have been resurrected after having decomposed bodies deteriorated perhaps nothing left but bones and skin they're not going to be recognizable these people have to have some kind of a body some kind of appearance that would not be decrepit and decayed but yet recognizable

[19:59] I cannot attribute anything to it but a glorified body a body that has been changed and if you would for just a moment come if you will please to 1st Corinthians chapter 15 if you will forever cement in your mind the principle that scripture interprets scripture in fact that's the only reliable interpreter of scripture that there is no human is 1st Corinthians chapter 15 and then if we may let's read let's start with verse 12 now if and this too is a first class conditional clause it should not be translated rendered if that makes it look questionable when we say if it's always conditional and it's better rendered with the word since rather than if and if you read it the way it ought to be in the original it is now since

[21:12] Christ is preached that he has been raised from the dead how do some among you say that there is no resurrection of the dead but if there is no resurrection of the dead not even Christ has been raised and if Christ has not been raised then our preaching is vain and the word vain here means empty worthless but no account or value at all what we have been preaching about him is just so much religious hot air that's all it is no validity to it that would certainly be true if Christ has not been raised and not only is our preaching empty and vain so is your faith because you put your faith in empty vain preaching and what does that make your faith same thing no validity to it at all this is a suppositional thing moreover in addition to that we are even found to be false witnesses of

[22:15] God because we witnessed against God that he raised Christ whom he did not raise if in fact the dead are not raised see what that makes us the apostles say we're all just a bunch of liars and of course as George pointed out earlier it's very difficult sometimes it's very difficult to get a man to die for what he knows to be true but to get a man to die for what he knows to be a lie that's a real stretch he has to be a mental case of some kind these apostles were willing to put their lives on the line and even surrender them because they knew what they knew and there was no way that anyone could drive it from them in fact our Lord even warned them in advance that the time is coming fellas you need to know this the time is coming when those who would put you to death will think that they are doing

[23:18] God a service now where does that come from that comes from the fallen warped skewed logic with which men are born this is why we have the scriptures is to straighten out our logic with facts from the word if the dead are not raised not even Christ has been raised and if Christ has not been raised your faith is worthless you are still in your sins then those also who have fallen asleep in Christ those who have already died they have perished permanently forever if we have only hoped in Christ in this life we are of all men most to be pitied but now Christ has been raised from the dead the first fruits the first fruits of those who are asleep now come back to that text if you would in

[24:24] Matthew 27 the text tells us that they were coming out of the tombs after his resurrection of course it was after you know why it couldn't be before you know why they couldn't come out of those tombs when the tombs were opened because Christ had not been raised and Christ is the first fruits in the agricultural economy of Israel the first fruits literally meant everything to the whole economy and to the bread basket of the nation because the first fruits always had to do with the very earliest ripened green when it came time for harvest they would put the seed in and they would water it and the sun would put its power and energy to it and the stalk would begin to grow and they would mature and they would get tall and as you looked over a field of grain here is a patch and over there is a patch and you look at those stalks and they are ahead of the others they are ripened earlier they are ready to be harvested earlier and the others are coming along later and they are called the first fruits logical name for the things that are first ripened the first fruits and

[25:48] Jesus Christ is the first fruits from the dead this is why Lazarus wasn't Lazarus was not resurrected Lazarus was raised from the dead but he was not resurrected with a glorified body as far as we know the text doesn't tell us but as far as we know Lazarus had to die again and we don't have any details regarding that but Jesus rose from the dead and he had the same body that went into the tomb yet it was a body that had undergone some dynamic that we don't understand whereby his earthly physical body was transformed into what is called a glorified body a body that will not be subject to time and space a body that will allow him to pass through solid objects it's just inconceivable but it happens a number of times and one

[26:48] I'm thinking of is when the Jews the disciples were gathered together scared to death because the crucifixion was history and they were convinced that the authorities were going to be rounding up the followers of Jesus and they were all holed up in this one place and the text tells us that Jesus appeared in the midst of them and it doesn't say anything about somebody knocking on the door and somebody going to the door and opening the door he just appeared in the midst of them in the same way he did the disciples on the road to Emmaus what kind of a body is this anyway well you can look forward to it because that's the kind you're going to have our bodies are going to be fashioned like under the body of Jesus Christ and it will be a body that will no longer be subject to arthritis knee replacements surgery all kinds of maladies that afflict us now because of our fallenness and our humanity that's all going to be changed and

[27:59] Philippians reminds us that we will have a body that is fashioned like unto the body of Jesus Christ can't wait isn't that going to be something well we still don't know what about these bodies here bodies of the saints fallen asleep were raised had to have been with a glorified body otherwise he'd be worthless can you imagine a bunch of ghoulish looking creatures walking around terrifying people of course that's not what it was these were bodies that were just incredible with that passage where Jesus led captivity captive I don't know if it's mixed up with that or not but all of these things everything in the scriptures is connected to everything in the scriptures and the more you study it the more connections you see we talk about connecting the dots being able to understand see how and why things fit together everything in this blessed book fits with everything in this book and nothing is missing and nothing is there that ought not to be there and it's all interconnected in dramatic ways that we sometimes find mind boggling but just amazing how you find a little phrase someplace that doesn't seem to have anything to do with anything but it really sheds light on another portion someplace else that's how magnificently this book is put together and it required a divine incredibly intelligent mind to do it so the more you get into this book the more the book will get into you and the more it will transfer you into thee wow just absolutely amazing so what we have here are these individuals that we don't know what to do with they obviously are a wonderful testimony and they were to those who experienced this back then but we don't know what their final disposition was

[30:05] I suspect that they certainly would be candidates for glory and candidates for heaven once our Lord in his glorified body came out of that tomb I do know this 2nd Corinthians 5 tells us if our earthly house of this tabernacle be dissolved we have a building of God in the heavenlies not made with hands eternal in the heavenlies reserved for us and it may well be that at the point of death at the point of physical death we receive that glorified body what about the body that's in the tomb well now think about this and I don't claim to be certainly don't claim to be a what do you call it a geneticist or anything of the kind but I do know enough about the DNA the deoxyribonucleic acid

[31:07] I know enough about that to know that it is incredible and each and each and every one of us is put together with a formula and your DNA is the formula for you and it doesn't fit anybody else it's just your formula alone and God has as it were your DNA on file and this is why he is not troubled or bothered in the least by bodies buried at sea that become nothing and bodies that are cremated like like I ran into this young man years and years ago when I was working as a shoe clerk and trying to work my way through college and he came in and was going to buy a pair of shoes we got talking about different things and he said so you're going to college and

[32:10] I said yes I'm going to Cedarville college what do you plan to do and I said well I'm thinking about the ministry oh he said well I'm thinking about the ministry too and I said really where do you go to school he says Antioch and I thought no this should be interesting and as as Easter season was coming up and people were coming in there and buying their kids new shoes for Easter and everything you know and we struck up a conversation and here's somebody thinking about going into the ministry and he's completely unarmed if you if you don't believe in the resurrection you have no weapons you you're totally unarmed and and I said you don't you don't believe in the resurrection no no I said I can't get into that and I said well what if you're wrong and he thought and he said well actually

[33:21] I've taken care of that too because I plan to be cremated and if there is going to be a resurrection I'm not going to be there remember what I said about thinking with the warped and skewed logic imagine somebody thinking that God is so puny and so so incapable that he's going to say another one got away I can't can't can't bring these people everybody has got a DNA and he knows exactly what your DNA matter of fact I don't think God could even forget your formula for DNA if he wanted to because he is a God without limitation does God have a good memory God has a memory that includes absolutely everything and you can't surprise him he is a being without limitations most of us in fact none of us including myself understand the implications of that but that's who our

[34:33] God is and when he beckons the DNA that is you to show up front and center you're going to be there whether you want to be or not whether you were cremated whether you were buried at sea whether you were this whether you were atomized in some kind of a scientific thing you're going to be there everybody is and I saw the dead small and great stand before God and the books were opened and everybody is going to be there and everybody will give an account and that's what this is all about giving an account about what giving an account regarding behavior deeds done in the body whether to be good or evil that's for the judgment seat of Christ Paul spoke about and then the great white throne judgment is for unbelievers and there is going to be a time of reckoning for unbelievers and everyone will be judged according to their works and

[35:43] God who knows everything and asks no questions is going to assign everyone that which will be absolutely totally completely appropriate think think think of that everyone's disposition wherever they are and whatever they are undergoing by way of pain or pleasure will be their proper appropriate disposition and then someone asks appropriate according to whose estimation well appropriate according to the estimation of the only one who matters of the only one who has the perfecting the perfectibility of exercising that assessment and it can't be improved upon we're talking about a deity who is absolutely perfect omniscient omnipotent and omnipresent he's got your number so bottom line is this what have you done or what are you going to do about your sin your sin will judge you your sin your sin will place you in a position where you are utterly devoid of

[37:15] God and I don't propose to know and I don't claim to know very much at all about what hell is going to be like but I know this hell will be everything that heaven is not hell will be as removed from heaven as you can get heaven is a place where God and the redeemed enjoy each other's company for eternity hell won't be like that hell will be a place of regret and remembrance and remorse and no remedy that's hell that's heaven heaven is going to be wonderful and hell is going to be as exact opposite as it can get and everyone who is there will know will absolutely know because there will be no argument they will know what they are receiving is exactly what they deserve and that

[38:24] God is just but it's still a terrible terrible thought is it not those who say they have no room in their life for God God is going to say have it your way you will be where there will be no room for me and I will not be there and that is about as sad as it can get and dear friends this is why there was a Calvary this is why Jesus was on that cross it was to take care of the sin problem if you will just acknowledge that you can't you see that's all he wants whosoever calls upon the name of the Lord shall be saved we're told in Romans 10 but why would anyone call you call only out of a sense of need do you have a need you would be surprised how many people are willing to say not me I'm fine just the way

[39:25] I am I don't need anything I'm okay you're okay we're all no sense of need but those who see themselves as God sees them and this is why we preach the gospel this is why we preach the good news that you are lost that's the bad news and the good news is Jesus died to do for you what you couldn't do for yourself are you willing to admit that are you willing to turn to him are you willing to acknowledge your sin and say I'm just like everybody else I'm a sinner in need of grace and if what Jesus did on that cross can be applied to my case so that God can forgive me because Jesus paid the penalty for my sin and I acknowledge that I believe that I want that that is your moment of truth wow there's nothing quite like it

[40:31] December the 8th 1956 is when that took place in my life the most glorious day of my life changed absolutely everything God can do the same for you pray with me please our father there's still so very much about this truth that we just don't understand because our minds are so finite and our perspective is so lacking we recognize how many things in the past we've had wrong and we seek to correct them but our understanding is lacking our perspective is lacking and yet you do not require us to know everything in order to come to you you only require us to know that we are in need of a savior and that Jesus died to be that savior as simple as that message is our prayer is that you might apply it to hungry waiting willing hearts even at this moment dear friend right where you are there in the quietness of your seat the privacy of your own heart and thoughts would you be willing to really get serious with yourself and get serious with

[41:57] God and I'm going to pray a simple prayer and if you are in agreement with this prayer then you're praying along with me if you're not in agreement with it then just forget it nobody wants to put words in your mouth or in your heart but if God would lead you to pray thusly dear Lord Jesus I know that you are sinless and I know I am not because I'm just like everybody else I have all my flaws and sins and problems and heartaches and fears and all the rest of it and I acknowledge that there is nothing I can do to clean up my life and make myself acceptable to you and that's why Jesus died because I want to be made accepted in him and I'm not coming to you pleading my righteousness

[42:58] I'm pleading the righteousness of Jesus Christ I don't understand why he would be willing to die for me and give me his righteousness but the Bible makes it very clear that's what he wants to do and I want to receive it so as best as I know how with my doubts and fears and questions I know this I know I have a need and I can't need it I know you're willing to because you sent Jesus to do that and as best as I know how I just want to open my heart and my life to the Lord Jesus Christ and ask him take this life of mine and cleanse me and forgive me and pardon me and make me your child turn this life into whatever you want it to be I'm at your disposal and dear friend if you'll make that your prayer I can promise you God will hear you and God will respond and God will save you and pardon you and cleanse you and forgive you and make you a new creature in Christ heaven bound thank you father for this glorious gospel message leaves us with a lot of questions but it also provides the most important answers and we're so grateful for that for anyone who may have had the courage to make that their prayer we trust that you will seal it to their hearts encourage them strengthen them enable them to confide in other believers so that they too can encourage them thank you for the service that we'll be enjoying reminds us of the body and blood of our Lord we trust that each of us will enter into a period of self-examination before we partake of the elements and Lord if there is anything in our lives that is displeasing to you may we root it out even now and come to partake of the

[44:57] Lord's table with a clean heart and clean minds we pray in Christ's name Amen Would you open your hymnal please to number 358 because he lives and on the first stanza we'll ask you to stand if you would please and on the first stanza if our elders will come forward we'll prepare to serve number 358 because he lives God sent his son they called him Jesus he catered to heal and forgive he lived and died by my pardon lifting graves there to prove my

[46:19] Savior lives because he lives I can face tomorrow because he lives all fear is gone because I know he knows the future and life is worth the living just because he lives thank you be seated please was a very solemn occasion that last night as the Lord gathered his apostles together in the upper room for not only the

[47:21] Passover meal but for what is commonly referred to as the Last Supper of course they didn't realize that he was the only one that knew what was actually going to take place they were completely misunderstanding at all they thought that Jesus was going to go into Jerusalem and establish his kingdom and it was going to be wonderful and he had told them earlier exactly what was going to happen but the text says that their eyes were holding that they should not understand it and they didn't but you know it is really remarkable that Jesus told the apostles a number of things before the cross that they didn't understand didn't make any sense but the reason he told them was so that after the events transpired they could then all look back on those events and say that's exactly what he said we didn't put it together who would have thought that he actually meant thus and so

[48:33] I remember him saying it Thomas don't you remember yeah I remember that's exactly what he said and we looked at each other quizzically as if to say where's he coming from what's this all about but after the events they could look back on that and you know that is so what was going to transpire before it did so that after it did later on they could look back and say just like he said we couldn't believe it when he said it didn't make any sense but now makes perfect sense so when he took the bread and broke off a piece of the bread and said this is my body which is given for you I cannot help but believe they looked at each other and said did you know what he said what does he mean by that you know 2000 years after the fact you know what he meant by that but they didn't we just kind of automatically assume that those who lived and walked and talked with

[49:43] Jesus when he was here on earth they knew everything about him no they didn't they didn't have and by the way to put in a plug for something that's what enabled them to make a lot of faulty assumptions and they did and we can too so anyway later after death burial resurrection after they gather together and they celebrate the Lord's supper because we are to do this in remembrance of him and we are to do it until he comes I'm sure the first time after that they ate of that bread and they drank of that cup with an incredibly improved understanding and intelligence now now it all makes so much sense then it was just puzzling and that's the way it is with much scriptural truth so with that in mind we just want to inform you that if you have a personal relationship to

[50:49] Christ you are welcome to join us at his table this is not our table and it's not grace Bible church's table this is the Lord's table and those who have a personal relationship with him are invited to come and partake and we do so with reflection we we do so with a sense of sadness because we know what it depicts and we do so with a sense of joy because we know what it's going to result in and that we are to do it until he comes and that means he's coming again so that's all the reason for joy so my oh my Jesus broke off a piece of what was a common loaf of bread and said take eat this is my body which is given for you in the same manner he took the cup our

[52:21] Lord said from the common cup that this cup is the new covenant in my blood as often as you eat of this bread and drink of this cup you show forth the Lord's death until he comes now if you'll open your handle again we have to do justice to these last two verses of number 358 wonderful wonderful hymn with a wonderful truth number 358 and if you would well is it easier for you to get into your pocket if you're standing or seated you can be the judge of that but anyway right after we sing this we'll receive an offering for the benevolent the elders benevolent fund and it is designed it is designed to minister to people who have a material need and over the years we've discovered that about 95% of those people have never been at

[53:28] Grace Bible Church and never will be probably but we do have a responsibility to the community at large and we try especially with calls we get so much from single mothers who need help because you know what divorce and broken homes produce more poverty than anything else and we are a nation that is awash in prosperity and poverty so number 358 we'll sing the second and third stanzas how sweet to hold a newborn baby and feel the pride and joy he gives but greater still the calm assurance in certain days and certain days because he lived because he lived

[54:49] I can face tomorrow because he lived has had been at his lives and he I'll fight life's fight, full war with pain.

[55:36] And dead as death, his way to victory. I'll see the lights of glory, and I'll know he reigns.

[55:53] Because he lives, I can face tomorrow. Because he lives, all fear is gone.

[56:10] Because I know he holds a future. And life is worth the living just because he lives.

[56:28] Thank you. Be seated, please. Amen. If you wish to write a check and make it payable to Grace Bible Church, we will take all of those checks, whatever they are, and put them together.

[56:50] And they will be deposited in the Elder's Benevolent Fund. And be advised that 100 pennies of every dollar goes to help someone like that in need.

[57:02] There isn't any percentage or anything that is taken from it or held back from it. But all of your gift goes to help those who have material needs. And we try as best we can to use wise discretion as to dispensing these funds.

[57:18] And the elders often have occasion to get together and talk about certain things that arise. And we'll probably be doing that in the future, too. So you can just make a check payable if you want the Grace Bible Church or cash or whatever.

[57:32] And if you are not prepared to give today, that's perfectly understandable because people do forget about things. You can deposit anything in the box that you want there.

[57:44] And any Sunday of the year, for that matter, and all you need to do is jot down the Benevolent Fund, and we'll see to it that it goes to that particular fund. So while the elders are waiting upon you for whatever the Lord enables you to give, I want you to enjoy a musical benediction that will accompany their collecting the offering.

[58:06] A stone can be found at a place in the ground where the body of Jesus was laid.

[58:37] It was never inscribed with the words to describe the power that grace still displays. For this monument where Jesus was sent was in part with the story of death.

[58:55] It simply reveals a grave no longer sealed, and the empty tomb sets the rest. No clever inscription could ever explain what happened that wonderful day.

[59:13] And no epitaph could ever contain the words such a message should say. No madman description could ever describe what spoke in my empty walls.

[59:32] The stone rolled aside with nothing in stride, but the empty tomb says it all. No black dragon wall could hold nearly all the names of our Savior and Lord.

[59:56] And no mountain face would have enough space for one light of His love to record. No one could relate to the numberless dates, for He has no beginning or end.

[60:15] The story goes on, His body is gone. And the tomb is empty again.

[60:27] No clever inscription could ever explain what happened that wonderful day. And no epitaph could ever contain the words such a message should say.

[60:47] No madman description could ever describe what spoken by empty walls. The stone rolled aside with nothing in stride, but the empty tomb says it all.

[61:05] No madman description could ever describe what spoken by empty walls. The stone rolled aside with nothing in stride, but the empty tomb says it all.

[61:24] The stone rolled aside with nothing in stride, but the empty tomb says it all. The stone rolled aside with nothing in stride, but the empty tomb says it all.

[61:45] The stone rolled aside with nothing in stride, but the empty tomb says it all. All the stone rolled aside with nothing in stride, but the legend is a jeune one hour to make up Gamaliel Chukanoe.

[61:58]  Itfalsmen vehicles are real цвет of Giuseppe 2 and the Poiosmen. The stone rolled aside with nothing in stride, but He has no完成.