you
song 310
Footprints of
Jesus
song number
310
footprints of Jesus
song number 310
Footprints of Jesus
song number 310
Footprints of Jesus
song number 310
Footprints of Jesus
and things the
path may go
we will follow
the steps of Jesus
wherever
may go
Holy
We will follow the steps of Jesus where, where they go.
If they keep root and holy, preaching the word,
for in homes of the pure and holy, serving the Lord.
For the grace of Jesus that leads the pathway, Lord,
we will follow the steps of Jesus where, where they go.
Then at last will our mighty Jesus our journey run.
We will press the steps of Jesus where, where he's grown.
For the grace of Jesus that leads the pathway, Lord,
we will follow the steps of Jesus where, where they go.
Amen, let's pray.
Dear God, thank you for this opportunity to come to church.
Please just fill the past with your spirit and help us to be identified by the service tonight.
In Jesus' name I pray, Amen.
Turn to our next song, song number 196.
I will sing the wondrous glory, song 196.
I will sing the wondrous glory of the Christ who died for me.
Now he led his home in glory for the cross of Galilee.
Yes, I'll sing the wondrous glory of the Christ who died for me.
Sing it with the saints in glory gathered by the crystal sea.
I was lost but Jesus found me, found the sheep that went astray.
He drew his wily arms around me, drew me back into his grave.
Yes, I'll sing the wondrous glory of the Christ who died for me.
Sing it with the saints in glory gathered by the crystal sea.
I was lost but Jesus found me, found the sheep that went astray.
He drew his wily arms around me, found the sheep that went astray.
Yes, I'll sing the wondrous glory of the Christ who died for me.
Sing it with the saints in glory gathered by the crystal sea.
Days of darkness still come for me, sorrows past I often dread.
But the Savior still lives with me, by his name I'm singing again.
Yes, I'll sing the wondrous glory of the Christ who died for me.
Sing it with the saints in glory gathered by the crystal sea.
He will keep me till the river rolls his waters at my feet.
When the land is safely over, where the bottom of my life shall be.
Yes, I'll sing the wondrous glory of the Christ who died for me.
Sing it with the saints in glory gathered by the crystal sea.
Alright, this time we'll quickly go through our announcements.
If you would like a bulletin, just go ahead and slip up your hand.
And one of the men will bring you one.
As you may have noticed, I am not Pastor Anderson.
That's putting it lightly.
But I do pray for Pastor, he's not feeling well.
So you ask who's preaching tonight?
This guy.
You're stuck with me.
Hey, where you going?
Where's everybody going?
You know, I'll be preaching for you tonight.
It's always an honor and privilege.
But let's get through the announcements first.
We got the service times there.
Every Sunday at 10 30 a.m. again at 6 p.m.
Wednesdays at 7.
I'm sure we'll be back in the book of Deuteronomy next week.
Chapter number 20.
And then we have the salvation, baptisms below that.
Over on the right hand side, thank you to everyone that helped make the missions conference such a great success.
I know a lot of people did a lot of work for that.
It wasn't just me and other staff members.
I know there's a lot of volunteer work that went into that.
So I really do appreciate that.
Everybody jumping in and helping out and making that a very successful conference.
I know I was very encouraged by that.
And hopefully it's something we can do again in the future.
And then of course the Sunday preaching has come and gone.
The risk tournament.
Who won, by the way?
Who was the winner?
A foreigner.
Who?
A foreigner.
Enough said.
All right, Daniel.
I got one for the home team, right?
I won on behalf of Joe Rayo.
I don't know if it counts for me.
It still counts.
And then on the back, we've got, of course, the group photo for the 2023 yearbook that's
going to take place after the morning service this Sunday.
So that's coming up this Sunday, November 19th.
Right after the morning service, everyone will just go out here in the parking lot.
We'll have this blocked off.
So if you normally park over here on Sunday mornings, I know you're already going to forget,
but you're going to come in Sunday morning, it's all going to be blocked off, roped off
so we can get everybody out there and get that portrait taken, that group shot.
So come on out for that if you can make it.
If you don't normally attend Sundays, you're probably not here, you know?
But I'm sure if something's going on, you should probably just come on out anyway.
Below that, there's a couple of small town soul winning trips and a Navajo soul winning
trip coming up.
There's all the information over there.
Over here on this wall to my right.
And you can always speak with Brother Raymond Cooper about any of those.
Continue to pray for the expectant ladies in our church.
And also do continue to pray for pastors.
I know I just kind of briefly mentioned it there in the beginning, but he's just kind
of, he's sick.
He's getting over it, but he's kind of just saving his voice for Sunday morning.
So he's planning on being back.
You won't have to endure me once again, I promise.
But he'll be back Sunday.
Do continue to pray for him that he, that he heals.
And then of course, it's going to come up with soul winning, just very quickly going
back to Monday.
One for Monday.
Anything else for Monday?
Two there.
Monday four there.
I'm doing hashes.
I need to just do numbers.
Anything else for Monday?
All right.
What about Tuesday?
Gotcha.
Eight.
Anything else for Tuesday?
And then anything for Wednesday today?
Seven.
And then seven?
Okay.
One over here.
Is that inside the van?
Is there a total, does the van go out today?
Yes.
Okay.
The goose egg, huh?
All right.
That's all right.
Everybody else made up for it.
Okay.
That'll do it for announcements.
Good job soul winning, everybody.
We'll go ahead and sing one more song before we go to the preaching.
Right inside your hymnal, there's a red paper.
The region's beyond.
Please raise your hand if you don't have one.
The region's beyond.
To the region's beyond, I must go.
I must go where the story has never been told.
To the millions that never have heard of the one,
I must tell the sweet story of old.
The region's beyond.
I must go.
To the world.
Of the world.
It's a vision to know.
To the heart it's a place to hold me true.
I hear the word of peace.
The world may pronounce me a dreamer.
But hope be a victim master at peace.
To the region's beyond.
I must go.
To the world.
Of the world.
It's a vision to know.
Hope, a nice friend in your leisure.
A thousand pleasures.
A foolish one.
Far away from himself.
There's as wily as it can go.
To the region's beyond.
I must go.
To the world.
All the world, it's a mixture of love.
There's a machine that the master must bring.
And it is what the masters be told.
He sends me to measure the hell of a moment
and look on the back to his hold.
To the regions beyond, I must go.
I must go till the world of the world is a mixture of love.
All right, let's do our song in Talmud, song 248.
Now add the modern key to the key of this.
Song 248.
Jesus, my Lord, will love me forever.
Love in the power of evil can sever.
He gave his life to hands of my soul.
Now I belong to him.
Now I belong to Jesus.
Jesus belongs to me.
God, for the years of time alone,
God, for eternity.
Once I was lost in sin's degradation.
Jesus came down to bring me salvation.
Bring me salvation.
Lift me up from sorrow and shame.
Now I belong to him.
Now I belong to Jesus.
Jesus belongs to me.
God, for the years of time alone,
God, for eternity.
Joy was my soul for Jesus has made me
free from sin and long has made me
this precious blood he gave to me.
Now I belong to him.
Now I belong to Jesus.
Jesus belongs to me.
God, for the years of time alone,
God, for eternity.
All right, this time we'll quickly pass the offering plate
and as it goes around you can follow along with Brother
as he reads from 1 Corinthians chapter number 15 tonight.
That's going to be 1 Corinthians chapter number 15.
1 Corinthians chapter 15, the Bible reads,
Moreover, brethren, I declare unto you the gospel which I preached unto you,
which also ye have received, and wherein ye stand,
by which also ye are saved, if ye keep in memory what I preached unto you,
unless ye have believed in vain.
For I delivered unto you, first of all,
that which I also received, how 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,
and that he was seen of Cephas, then of the twelve,
after that he was seen of above five hundred brethren at once,
of whom the greater part remain unto this present,
but some are fallen asleep.
After that he was seen of James, then of all the apostles,
and last of all he was seen of me also,
of one born out of due time.
For I am the least of the apostles, that I am not meet to be called an apostle,
because I persecuted the church of God.
But by the grace of God I am what I am,
and his grace which was bestowed upon me was not in vain,
but I labored more abundantly than they all,
yet not I, but the grace of God which was with me.
Therefore whether it were I or they, so we preach, and so ye believe.
Now if Christ be preached that he rose from the dead,
how say some among you that there is no resurrection of the dead?
But if there be no resurrection of the dead, then is Christ not risen,
and if Christ be not risen, then is our preaching vain,
and your faith is also vain.
Yea, and we are found false witnesses of God,
because we have testified of God that he raised up Christ,
whom he raised not up, if so be that the dead rise not.
For if the dead rise not, then is not Christ raised.
And if Christ be not raised, then your faith is vain,
yet in your sins.
Then they also which are fallen asleep in Christ are perished.
If in this life only we have hope in Christ,
we are of all men most miserable.
But now is Christ risen from the dead,
and become the firstfruits of them that slept.
For since by man came death, by man came also the resurrection of the dead.
For as in Adam all die, even so in Christ shall all be made alive.
But every man in his own order, Christ the firstfruits,
afterward they that are Christ at his coming.
Then cometh the end, when he shall have delivered up the kingdom to God,
even the Father, when he shall have put down all rule and all authority and power.
For he must reign till he hath put all enemies under his feet.
The last enemy that shall be destroyed is death.
For he hath put all things under his feet,
but when he saith all things are put under him,
it is manifest that he is accepted which did put all things under him.
And when all things shall be subdued unto him,
then shall the Son also himself be subject unto him that put all things under him,
that God may be all in all.
Else, what shall they do which are baptized for the dead,
if the dead rise not at all?
Why are they then baptized for the dead?
And why stand we in jeopardy every hour?
I protest by your rejoicing, which I have in Christ Jesus our Lord.
I die daily.
If after the manner of men I have fought with beasts at Ephesus,
what advantage it me if the dead rise not?
Let us eat and drink, for tomorrow we die.
Be not deceived.
Evil communications corrupt good manners.
Awake to righteousness and sin not.
For some have not the knowledge of God.
I speak this to your shame.
But some men will say,
How are the dead raised up, and with what body do they come?
Thou fool, that which thou sowest is not quickened except it die,
and that which thou sowest thou soweth not that body that shall be, but bare grain.
It may chance of wheat or some other grain,
but God giveth it a body as it hath pleased him,
and to every seed his own body.
All flesh is not the same flesh,
but there is one kind of flesh of men,
another flesh of beasts, another of fishes, and another of birds.
There are also celestial bodies, and bodies terrestrial,
but the glory of the celestial is one, and the glory of the terrestrial is another.
There is one glory of the sun, and another glory of the moon,
and another glory of the stars, for one star differth from another star in glory.
So also is the resurrection of the dead.
It is sown in corruption, it is raised in incorruption.
It is sown in dishonor, it is raised in glory.
It is sown in weakness, it is raised in power.
It is sown a natural body, it is raised a spiritual body.
There is a natural body, and there is a spiritual body,
and so it is written, the first man Adam was made a living soul,
the last Adam was made a quickening spirit.
Howbeit that was not first which is spiritual, but that which is natural,
and afterward that which is spiritual.
The first man is of the earth, earthy.
The second man is the Lord from heaven.
As is the earthy, such are they also that are earthy,
and as is the heavenly, such are they also that are heavenly.
And as we have borne the image of the earthly,
we shall also bear the image of the heavenly.
Now this I say, brethren, that flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God,
neither doth corruption inherit incorruption.
Behold, I show you a mystery.
We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed.
In a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trump,
for the trumpet shall sound, and the dead shall be raised incorruptible,
and we shall be changed.
For this corruption must put on incorruption,
and this mortal must put on immortality.
So when this corruptible shall have put on incorruption,
and this mortal shall have put on immortality,
then shall be brought to pass the saying that is written,
death is swallowed up in victory.
O death, where is thy sting?
O grave, where is thy victory?
The sting of death is sin, and the strength of sin is the law.
But thanks be to God, which giveth us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.
Therefore, my beloved brethren, be ye steadfast, unmovable,
always abounding in the work of the Lord,
forasmuch as ye know that your labor is not in vain in the Lord.
Father in Heaven, thank you for your son, Jesus Christ,
and thank you for the earnest of the Holy Spirit in the hearts of the believers.
Father, I pray that you please bless Brother Corbin as he preaches your word
so that your children will be exhorted and edified in your word.
In Jesus' name I pray, amen.
Amen. So again, it's a great privilege to be up here preaching for you guys tonight.
I always count it a privilege, and unfortunately it always comes at pastor's expense.
It seems like every time I'm here, he's usually sick.
But either way, I still count it a great privilege,
and hopefully you'll be blessed tonight by the sermon.
I want to preach a sermon entitled,
The Resurrection of Christ According to the Scriptures.
And the reason why I'm preaching this, I was recently asked,
did they believe in the resurrection, or know about, rather,
the resurrection in the Old Testament?
And I was kind of surprised that's even a question,
because to me it's just so obvious that they did.
Now, first of all, as we're reading here through 1 Corinthians 15,
a very lengthy chapter,
but just think about what an encouragement Paul is being in this chapter.
He's addressing the fact that some people are denying that there's a resurrection.
But there towards the end of the chapter,
there's some of the most powerful, some of these very powerful words
where he's reminding us that this corruption must put on incorruption,
and that we're going to be given a new body,
we're going to be changed in a moment in the twinkling of an eye,
we're going to be with Christ.
Think about all the hope that we have in the resurrection.
Think about all the hope that you, as a New Testament believer,
derive knowing that there is a resurrection.
That one day, you know, when you die, your body, of course,
your spirit will go and be with the Lord.
But not only that, that one day you're going to receive that new body,
and that you're going to be with Christ in that new body.
You're going to have the experience of the resurrection.
And that's something we use 1 Thessalonians 4 at funerals.
We'll preach that and remind people and comfort one another with these words.
That at the second coming of Christ, those that sleep will join together with us.
So there's this great hope that you have as a New Testament believer.
So if we were to suggest that they didn't know about the resurrection in the Old Testament,
what are you essentially saying?
That they didn't have that hope?
That they just kind of lived their lives saying,
well, I don't know, I guess we go to heaven, maybe?
I mean, the resurrection and going to heaven, it's like they're intertwined.
And so when we suggest that perhaps they didn't know about the resurrection in the Old Testament,
you're kind of suggesting that they lived a pretty hopeless life.
I mean, what if we didn't have the hope of the resurrection?
As Paul said, if this life only we have hope in Christ, we are all men most miserable.
We just read it.
If we don't have the hope of the resurrection, we really don't have much hope at all.
So I do want to look to the scriptures.
As I said, the title of the sermon is The Resurrection of Christ According to the Scriptures.
And you get that in verse 3.
He says,
That which I also received, how that Christ died for our sins according to the scriptures.
So we know that the scripture tells us about the death of Christ also, verse 4,
and that he was buried and that he rose again the third day according to the scriptures.
And of course, this is being written, and Paul's the one writing this,
meaning the only scriptures he's referring to are the Old Testament scriptures that they had.
So if they're writing about it in the Old Testament, and Paul's referring to the resurrection in the Old Testament,
obviously, they must have known about the resurrection in the Old Testament.
Because as we'll see here in a minute, the Old Testament does talk a great deal, actually, about the resurrection.
So if they didn't know it, it's simply because they're not reading or not studying or didn't have the Spirit.
So he's saying, hey, according to the scriptures, we know that Christ rose again.
Now, if you can leave 1 Corinthians 15 and go over to Isaiah chapter 53,
so what are some of the scriptures that Paul is referring to here?
He's saying, hey, we know that he died according to the scripture, that Christ rose again according to the scripture.
Well, what are those scriptures?
Isaiah 53 is a great passage that talks about the death and resurrection of Christ.
If you look there in verse 8, it says,
So that's talking about the fact that he was killed.
That's what it means to be cut off in scripture.
Now, what's interesting in this passage is that when he's talking about the death here,
at least in these first couple of verses that we just read, verses 8 and 9,
he's talking about it in past tense, as if it's something that's already happened.
He was cut off, right? He made his grave, talking about it as if it's something that's already taken place,
and that's because Christ is the land that was slain from the foundation of the world.
And then when you get into these other verses, verse 10, he starts to refer to it in the future tense
when he's referring to the resurrection.
He said in verse 10,
And then in verse 11, both the death and resurrection are referred to again in the future tense. Verse 11,
Now if you would go over to Acts, chapter number 8.
Acts, chapter number 8.
So right there, there's a great passage in the Old Testament that Paul very likely was referring to
when he said that Christ arose according to the scriptures, meaning the Old Testament.
Acts, chapter 8, verse 30, of course we all know the story of Philip and the Ethiopian eunuch.
In verse 30 it says,
And he said,
So he's referring back to Isaiah 53.
If you go back and compare those scriptures, you'll see that's where he's reading.
And notice in verse 34, because when I heard this, this is something that clicked with me
and really helped me kind of put this together, is that the Ethiopian eunuch asks this question.
And it's an interesting question, we might just roll right over this when we're reading our Bibles.
And the eunuch answered Philip and said,
Now that's a clue that should tell us something, right?
He's having a hard time understanding this because he doesn't know if what Isaiah's saying is
is Isaiah referring to himself or is he speaking prophetically of somebody else, right?
So that gives us a clue that often when you look in the Old Testament and you see
people writing prophetically of Christ, they'll write in the first person, okay?
Meaning this, that they had the many scriptures in the Old Testament to refer to
when they're talking about the resurrection, right?
That's why Paul is able to say that he rose according to the scriptures, okay?
Because there's all these scriptures that even though they might be written in the first person, right?
Like Isaiah and other places where he's actually referring to Christ himself, okay?
An example of this is Psalm 16. Go back to Psalm 16.
We'll look at some of these prophecies that were written from the first person perspective
where it seems like they're referring to themselves.
Psalm 16, I'll just begin reading in verse 8. It says,
Now how could you say that if you don't have hope of the resurrection?
My flesh also shall rest in hope.
It sounds to me like David knew about the resurrection.
If he's saying my flesh is going to rest or as it's also referred to in the scripture as sleep,
he's saying it's going to rest or sleep in hope, meaning that I'm not just going to rot in the ground
and that's it, that's the end of my life, that there's going to be a resurrection.
It sounds like he knew about it.
Of course, again, he's speaking prophetically of Christ, verse 10,
Now he's saying my soul, but obviously he's referring to Christ,
which is why the Ethiopian eunuch is saying, is he right in Isaiah, is he speaking about himself or another man?
That will not leave my soul in hell, neither will thou suffer thy holy one to seek corruption.
Thou wilt show me the path of life in thy presence, the fullness of joy, and thy right hand.
There are pleasures forevermore.
Go to Acts chapter number 2, where Peter refers back to the scripture as well.
We see that in Psalm 16, it's very clearly written from the first person perspective.
He's saying it's me, it's my flesh, my soul.
But then when Peter is reading it and referring back to it in Acts chapter 2,
he's telling us clearly that David was speaking and prophesying of Christ.
Look at verse 25,
Therefore did my heart rejoice, and my tongue was glad.
Moreover also my flesh shall rest in hope, because thou wilt not leave my soul in hell,
neither wilt thou suffer thy holy one to seek corruption.
So, obviously, just from these passages right here, we can see that they understood there was a resurrection,
and not just their own resurrection, but the resurrection of Christ.
Look at verse 30,
Therefore, being a prophet, and knowing that God has sworn an oath to him,
that the fruit of his loins according to the flesh he would raise up Christ to sit on the throne.
He's seeing this before a spake of the resurrection of Christ.
He's saying, look, David was prophesying and speaking of the resurrection of Christ,
that his soul was not left in hell, neither his flesh did seek corruption.
Another example of people in the Old Testament prophesying of the resurrection from a first person perspective would be Jonah.
If you want to go over to Hebrews chapter 11, I'll just read from Jonah, we all know it.
It says in Jonah chapter 2 verse 1,
Then Jonah prayed on the LORD his God out of the fish's belly, and said,
I cried by reason of my affliction unto the LORD, and he heard me, out of the belly of hell cried I,
and thou heardest my voice.
So, obviously, we know in the story that Jonah did not literally go down into hell,
and yet he's saying, out of the belly of hell cried I.
He's saying, I cried this.
And thou heardest my voice, for thou had cast me into the deep, in the midst of the seas,
and the floods compassed me about, and all thy billows and waves passed over me.
Then said I, I am cast out of thy sight, yet while I look again toward thy holy temple,
the waters compassed me about, even to the soul, the depths closed me round about,
the weeds were wrapped about my head.
I went down to the bottoms of the mountains, the earth with her bars was about me forever,
yet thou hast brought up my life from corruption, O LORD my God.
So, this is a very clear prophetic passage of Christ. In fact, Christ referred to it,
telling them that no sign should be given that wicked and adulterous generation,
except the sign of the prophets, Jonas. Right?
And he said, even as Jonah was three days and three nights in the belly of the whale,
so shall the Son of Man be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth.
So, he's even confirming, hey, Jonah prophesied about me.
He talked about my resurrection. Okay?
Now, if you would, you're there in Hebrews chapter 11, we'll look at verse 17.
What we have to understand is that the resurrection is not just some mystery
that was revealed to the New Testament, in the New Testament.
It's not like throughout all the Old Testament history, all the saints,
all throughout all that time, just had no hope, they had no idea about the resurrection.
No, they knew about it very clearly, very well, and it was their hope.
And we see here in Hebrews chapter 11, verse 17, that Abraham also knew about the resurrection.
Look at verse 17, by faith Abraham, when he was tried, offered up Isaac,
and he that had received the promises offered up his only begotten son,
of whom that it was said, that Isaac shall thy seed be called.
Of course, Hebrews 11 is that great chapter about faith.
It's the hall of faith, as it's often called. Right?
It's talking about all the great acts of faith that these Old Testament saints did.
You know, this isn't the only time Abraham is referred to in that passage,
but he's pointing out saying, hey, by faith he offered up Isaac,
and he offered him up knowing that it was in Isaac that his seed should be called.
So this is an act of faith saying, well, I know this is of whom my seed should come,
it's through Isaac, but I'm going to sacrifice him anyway in faith.
What was the faith that he had? Verse 19, accounting that God was able to raise him up.
Raise who up? Raise Isaac up. That's the faith that Abraham had.
My seed is going to come through Isaac, so I can go ahead and make this sacrifice,
because I know that God is able to raise him up again.
And obviously he knew that, because if you go back a few verses,
you'll see again that even the faith of Abraham, or Sarah rather,
where she was able to, you know, she had the faith that God would bring seed through her,
even though her womb was dead. Right?
They were both, you know, old, and they were past natural childbearing age,
but they still, you know, they had that faith that God would bring that child.
And he's saying here God is able to raise him up even from the dead.
How did he know that? Because God was able to give him a child in his old age. Right?
From whence he also received him in a figure.
So to me, I mean, that's like, that's just crystal clear right there.
You say, did the Old Testament saints know about the resurrection?
Well, I mean, it says right here that Abraham accounted God able to be able to raise up Isaac from the dead.
Sounds like he understood that the resurrection was a very real thing.
That it was something that was well within God's capability. Okay?
Now you say, well, wait a minute, brother Corbin.
He's just saying that God, it says that he counted God, that he was able to do it.
Not that he would do it.
Well, if you go back to the story, you don't have to go there.
Go to Job 19. But in Genesis 22, which is the sacrifice of Isaac, it says in verse 5,
And Abraham said unto his young man, Abide ye here with the ass, and I and the lad, the lad being Isaac,
will go yonder and worship, and I'm going to sacrifice him.
Let that detail out.
And come again to you. Right?
But he didn't say, I'm going to go with the lad and then I'll come back by myself.
He said, I and the lad will go and worship and come again to you.
Meaning we're both going to come back.
So that's how you can tell that Abraham knew of the resurrection.
Okay? That's because he counted God able to raise him from the dead.
And, you know, this is what makes the Bible good literature.
One of many things that make a good literature.
Because in good literature, there's this thing of showing your audience, not telling your audience.
Trusting your audience to get what's being inferred.
To understand the interpretation. To pick up on the themes and things like that.
No one wants to read a book where it's just flat out telling you facts.
You want to be able to have to read the subtext and get into it and kind of piece things together. Right?
At least that's, you know, the kind of books I like to read.
And the Bible, you know, is in that same vein in some ways.
Yeah, obviously there's things, times where it just flat out makes statements and says,
Thus saith the Lord. It's just as plain as the nose on your face.
But also, for example, in the case of Abraham, it leaves it up to you to kind of piece things together
and figure out whether or not Abraham knew about the resurrection.
There's a saying in Genesis 22 that Abraham said,
I and the lad will go yonder and worship and come again.
Abraham said this because he believed in the resurrection.
The Bible doesn't just say that.
And if it said that, it would sound pretty stupid.
You know, probably because I'm the one saying it. Right?
But it would sound really robotic.
It would just set Abraham believing in the resurrection. Right?
You know, we have to read into the subtext there.
We have to kind of put these parts together.
And then you have Hebrews chapter 11 shining light on that as well.
Why did Abraham say that?
Because he accounted God able to raise up Isaac from the dead.
So, again, that's just a great, you know, literary tool that the Bible uses.
Go to Job. You're there in Job 19, verse 25.
Here's another Old Testament saint.
Let's see if Job knew about the resurrection. Okay?
An Old Testament saint.
For I know that my Redeemer liveth and that he shall stand at the latter day upon the earth.
So he knows about the second coming.
And though after my skin worms to destroy this body,
yet in my flesh shall I see God.
And he said, in my flesh.
After the worms destroy my body, I will still see God in my flesh.
Now, if he didn't know about the resurrection, you know, how is that even possible?
I mean, that's the miracle of the resurrection.
That this corruption is going to put on incorruption.
That we're going to be given a spiritual body.
That we're going to be resurrected and get that new body.
Well, it sounds like Job knew about it too.
Verse 27, whom I shall see for myself and mine eyes shall behold and not another,
though my reigns be consumed with enemy.
His reigns being, you know, those organs.
If you would, go over to Daniel chapter number 12.
Daniel chapter number 12.
David also said in Psalm 17 verse 15,
As for me, I will behold thy face in righteousness.
I shall be satisfied when I awake with thy likeness.
He said, I'm going to be satisfied when I awake with thy likeness.
So, what do you think he's referring to there when he says, when I awake with thy likeness?
That's what's going to satisfy me.
Is that what he's talking about when I wake up in the morning?
You know, I'm going to wake up in the morning and I'm going to get out of bed
and I'm going to walk into the bathroom and I look in the mirror and go,
oh, I have thy likeness.
Is that what he's talking about?
I'll awake with thy likeness?
No, obviously he's referring to the resurrection.
Because we sleep in Christ.
We're not dead.
You know, we sleep.
The Bible says in 1 John 3,
Beloved, now we are the sons of God,
and it doth not yet appear what we shall be,
but we know that when he shall appear, we shall be like him.
We will what? We will have his likeness.
For we shall see him as he is.
To awake is a reference to the resurrection.
Sleep is a reference to the Christian's death.
That's why they call it for the Christian, you know, it's a dirt nap.
Right? Because you just go on the ground for a little bit in the dirt,
and then the resurrection comes and boom, you're done.
The nap's over.
That's what 1 Thessalonians 4 calls it.
It says, I would not have you ignorant, brethren, concerning them which are asleep,
that you sorrow not, even as others which have no hope.
What are they sorry about? That somebody's taken a nap?
That somebody's sleeping? Literally?
You know, as a preacher, I could see that.
You know, when you're preaching and you see people,
not that I ever see that.
I've heard. I've heard that happens to some preachers.
It's never happened to me.
Right?
Yeah, I sorrow at that, right? But that's not what it's referring to.
It's referring to the fact that the sleep there is death.
For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again,
even some also with those which sleep in Jesus, God will bring with them.
Right? So, the sleeping is death.
That's why even all the way back in Psalms, you have David saying,
I'll be satisfied when I awake with thy likeness.
Right? When I shall be like you.
Daniel chapter 12. Here's another scripture referring to the resurrection.
Verse 2. And many of them that sleep in the dust of the earth shall awake.
And go, I need a bath.
Because I was just sleeping in the dust. Right?
It's not referring to the vagrants, you know, here around Tempe.
Right? They're out there sleeping in the dust.
You know, they're sleeping in the concrete. That's not what he's talking about.
He's saying them that are in the earth, that are buried,
they shall awake some to everlasting life and some to everlasting contempt.
And they that be wise shall shine as the brightness of the firmament.
And they that turn many to righteousness as the stars forever and ever.
An obvious reference to the Old Testament.
So, did they know about the resurrection of the Old Testament?
I mean, it sounds like Abraham knew about it, David knew about it,
you know, Daniel knew about it, Job, others.
I mean, we're just looking at all these different passages
and there's many others we could turn to.
You know, but that's not the only point I want to make tonight.
What about in the New Testament?
Can we see any evidence of the fact that they understood the resurrection
and knew about the resurrection in the Old Testament?
Is there any passage of the New Testament that would indicate that?
Okay?
Well, if you would, go over to Acts chapter number 23.
Acts chapter number 23.
Now, in Acts 23 is where you have Paul having recently just been,
having gone to the temple to make that vow that he made
and the Jews identify him and they start to, they're ready to tear him apart
and then the Roman centurion shows up and he rescues him
and takes him into the castle and then the next day
they all have to get back together with the Jews and the Romans
to kind of, you know, have their counsel and figure out what's going on.
That's where we are in the story in Acts 23 verse 6.
Excuse me.
It says in verse 6, but when Paul perceived that one part were Sadducees
and the other Pharisees, right?
So Paul's in the midst of this council of all these Jews
and he had the Sadducees and the Pharisees, these two groups of Jews.
So he's kind of using his wits here to get out of the situation that he's in
and he perceives, okay, we got Sadducees, we got Pharisees.
He perceived that and then he cried out in the council,
Men and brethren, I am a Pharisee, the son of a Pharisee.
So he's appealing to the Pharisees, right?
And he's trying to get them on his side.
Of the hope and resurrection of the dead, I am called in question.
And they all said, what in the world are you talking about?
We've never heard about this resurrection, this hope.
What are you even referring to, Paul?
No, he's saying he's bringing it up because they knew about that.
They knew what the resurrection was.
He's saying of the hope and the resurrection of the dead, I am called in question.
And when he had so said, there rose a dissension between the Pharisees and the Sadducees
and the multitude was divided. Why were they divided?
For the Sadducees, verse 8, saying that there is no resurrection,
neither angel nor spirit, so these are your, you know, the liberals back then, right?
He said, but the Pharisees confessed both, right?
So the Pharisees, they're already confessing the resurrection.
They're already confessing other things, one of them being the resurrection.
So obviously, the Pharisees knew about the resurrection.
Now how do they know about that? The Old Testament.
All the passages we read and others.
So they're reading their Bibles, they're studying it,
and it's just common knowledge that there's going to be a resurrection.
Go to Matthew chapter number 22, Matthew chapter number 22.
The Pharisees, or excuse me, the Sadducees, are at it again in Matthew 22.
In verse 23 it says the same day, Matthew 22 verse 23,
the same day came to him Sadducees which say that there is no resurrection.
You know, they're denying something that they didn't even understand.
No, of course they knew about it.
And asked him, saying, Master, Moses said if a man die, having no children,
his brother shall marry his wife and raise up seed unto his brother.
And they're just, you know, they're just doing this navel-gazing thing,
you know, these foolish, unlearned questions about, you know,
well, if she had seven husbands, which one's going to be hers in the resurrection?
And of course, Jesus answers in verse 20 and said to them,
Ye do err not knowing the scriptures nor the power of God.
For in the resurrection they neither marry nor are given a marriage,
but are as the angels of God in heaven.
But as touching the resurrection of the dead,
have ye not read that which was spoken unto you by God?
So he's saying, and when it comes to this topic, this subject of the resurrection,
haven't you read what was spoken unto you?
So what in the world could Jesus be referring to there?
It's the Old Testament.
The Old Testament scriptures, once again,
are what's being referred to as a proof text for the resurrection.
Have ye not read what was spoken unto you by God, saying,
I am the God of Abraham and the God of Isaac and the God of Jacob.
And this is what was spoken to Moses at the burning bush.
And notice it's I am the God of Abraham.
Now, I was the God of Abraham until they died,
you know, because they don't know there is no resurrection.
So once they're dead, I cease to be their God because, you know,
they don't exist anymore or something like that.
You know, he's saying, I am the God of Abraham because there is a resurrection
and because they, you know, they're still going to live.
They're souls in heaven right now.
I am the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, the God of Jacob.
God is not the God of the dead, but of the living.
So here's the thing.
You know, we don't know everything that they knew in the Old Testament, obviously.
There's a lot of things that were probably preached and spoken of in the Old Testament
that, quite frankly, we just might not know about.
And there's some passages that kind of give us an idea of this.
Go to Jude chapter number one, Jude chapter number one.
But there's plenty in the scripture that we do know about, right,
that we can look to and say, oh, they did know about this and they did know about this.
This is what was preached. This is what was taught.
And clearly, one of the things that they understood in the Old Testament was the resurrection.
But, you know, there's obviously a lot of things that maybe they knew that we, you know,
we can't be certain what they knew or didn't know.
Look at Jude chapter one, verse 14.
It says that Enoch also, the seventh from Adam, prophesied of these saying,
Behold, the Lord cometh with ten thousands of saints.
So he's quoting Enoch here.
Now, there is no Book of Enoch.
That so-called Book of Enoch is a fraud.
Okay? It's full of a bunch of nonsense.
And it's been a long, I know I read it a long time ago,
and once I was done with it, I never looked back.
Because it was, you know, it's not worth reading.
Okay?
You know, it would be just like the devil to go, oh, he mentioned Enoch, let me create a counterfeit.
Right?
We believe in the preservation of the Word of God.
That God is able to keep all the things that we need for life and godliness in this book.
Right?
So there is no Book of Enoch in here, and it's not that because God went, whoops, forgot about that one.
Or, you know, it like, it just kind of got away from him and, oh, well, you know.
You know, that's a pretty weak God.
Right?
Either God can preserve his word or he can't.
You know, I tend to think that he can.
That's the position I take.
That God who made the stars and everything else can write a book.
You know, make sure it's kept together.
But the point is this, is that Enoch did speak.
Didn't he?
Enoch did say something.
Right?
And we say, well, how do they know?
How do they know what he said?
Well, you know, they're being moved by the Holy Spirit.
You know, obviously, Jude here is speaking under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit,
and he's referring to something that Enoch said.
Okay?
Meaning this, that there have always been preachers and prophets and people prophesying throughout all of time.
Including there were people that were preaching and prophesying to the saints in the Old Testament.
You know, so maybe they didn't, back in the Old Testament, go far back enough,
they didn't have scriptures to refer to to prove the resurrection,
but they had God, you know, they had Holy Spirit-filled men of God preaching to them
and prophesying to them and filling them in on these things.
Okay?
You go to Hebrews chapter 1.
I mean, the Bible just tells us that.
That's how they spake in times past unto God's people.
Okay?
The Bible says in 2 Peter 1,
The prophecy came not in old time to build the will of man,
but holy men of God spake as they were moved by the Holy Ghost.
So, obviously, in the Old Testament, they're getting taught all these things.
These things are being preached to them by Spirit-filled men of God
who are speaking under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit
and letting them know about things like the resurrection.
That's what I believe, that they're being taught these things,
amongst other things, not just the resurrection.
Hebrews chapter 1, verse 1, it says,
God, who at sundry times and in diverse manners spake in times past
unto the fathers by the prophets.
So how did he speak unto the fathers in times past?
By the prophets.
Right?
Hath in these last days spoken unto us by his son,
whom he hath appointed heir of all things, by whom also he made the worlds.
Okay?
So, obviously, it's a sincere question to ask,
hey, did they know about the resurrection in the Old Testament?
That's a sincere question, right?
And it's a resounding yes.
You know, if you start to just look at the scriptures,
Old Testament knew, kind of pieced some things together,
it becomes pretty obvious that they knew about the resurrection in the Old Testament.
So, let me just make application in closing, okay?
Is that we don't want to get too hung up,
wondering about what they did or didn't know in the Old Testament.
Now, I understand people ask questions in sincerity.
I'm not, you know, getting down on that or saying that's a bad thing.
But we don't want to fall into this rabbit hole
of where we're just kind of always wondering about, you know,
well, did they know this or did they know that?
What we should rather be doing is looking at what we do know that they knew, okay?
If you could follow, are those good words?
I don't know.
Is that grammatically correct?
We should be worried more about, you know, what do we know that they knew, right?
And are we applying that to our lives, okay?
Go to 1 Corinthians chapter number 10.
1 Corinthians chapter number 10.
You know, sometimes it's just kind of funny when we start to kind of examine these Old Testament saints
and start to have kind of like this, well, did they know about this or did they know about that?
Or, you know, maybe kind of form an opinion about them
when these are some of like the greatest saints that have ever lived.
I mean, think about Abraham.
I mean, that's what Hebrews 11 is about, right?
Hebrews 11 is all these great Old Testament saints, all the works that he did.
I mean, Abraham is just by faith leaving, you know, the land of Ur, the Chaldees.
He's just wandering, not knowing where he went, just saying, hey, I'm going to give you,
God's saying I'm going to give you this land.
He's just doing it by faith.
He's offering his son.
I mean, he's a great man of God, powerful man of God.
I mean, we should be looking to him, not wondering and speculating about, you know,
his ability to comprehend or his capacity to know certain things.
We should look to him and go, wow, what a great man of faith.
Let me be more like him.
You know, what am I taking out of his life and applying to my own?
Look at verse 11 of 1 Corinthians chapter number 10.
It says, now all these things happened unto them for in samples,
and they are written for our admonition.
You know, I understand having sincere questions about the Old Testament
and having to work through some of these things, you know,
especially if you come from different backgrounds and stuff like that.
I know I came from a church that taught a lot of dispensationalism
and things like that and all these different ideas,
and obviously you have to ask questions and work these things out.
But let's not forget that the purpose of the Old Testament
and a lot of the things that we have there, of course,
all Scripture is given by inspiration is probable for doctrine,
but also, you know, these things are given to us for in samples.
You know, specifically in 1 Corinthians 10,
he's talking about those that came out of Egypt
and murmured in the wilderness and grieved God, right?
We should look to them as an example and say, let's not do that.
Let's not grieve God.
Let's look to these Old Testament saints and not just speculate about things.
Let's look at what we do know and make sure that we're applying it to our lives.
Okay, so I'm just trying to make some application here in the end.
That's why these things are written.
They are written for our admonition.
We should read the Old Testament and be admonished by the things that we read,
upon whom the ends of the world are come.
You know, why do we need the Old Testament?
Why do we need these stories of Abraham?
Why do we need these stories of these other great saints?
Why do we need the doctrine that's there in the Old Testament?
Because it is upon us whom the ends of the world have come.
You know, we are living the last days.
You know, the return of Christ is nearer now than when we started.
Every day it's drawing near.
You know, perilous times are coming.
We need to be in our Bibles and look into these men of faith and following their example
and not get hung up on all the minutia that people sometimes can get sidetracked by.
Jesus said in Matthew 13,
Blessed are your eyes, for they see, and your ears, for they hear.
What was so blessed about it?
For verily I say unto you that many prophets and righteous men
have desired to see those things which you see.
He's saying, you know, there's a lot of guys, a lot of prophets in the Old Testament,
there's a lot of saints in the past that would have loved to see the things that you're seeing.
Obviously he's talking to his disciples, but we can apply that to ourselves as well.
Obviously we have the benefit of being in the New Testament,
of having the entire Word of God,
and being able to see and understand things more clearly than they did in the Old Testament.
But let's not sell those guys short and assume that they didn't understand some things.
They understood doctrine, they understood these things,
and in fact they are great examples of the Christian life.
They understood walking by faith, they understood serving God.
These are the things that we should be pulling out of the Old Testament.
These are the things that we should be getting from these men of God of old.
He's saying, look, many prophets and righteous men have desired to see those things which you see,
and have not seen them.
So if they're desiring to see and hear the things which these guys are seeing and hearing,
obviously they had to know that these things were coming.
They knew that Christ was coming,
that everything that was going to take place in Christ's ministry,
they understood a lot of these things.
They desired to see them.
How could they desire to see something they didn't understand or know about?
Obviously they saw and understood a lot of these things.
Excuse me, they knew it was coming, but they didn't have the opportunity to see or hear them.
We today get to see and hear these things.
We today have the New Testament.
We can read about their lives, we can read about the resurrection,
we can read about all these great things.
But if you would, let's just close in Hebrews chapter number 12.
It won't be a long sermon tonight.
Hebrews chapter number 12.
I know you guys got a lot of preaching over the last week,
so that's my excuse if I'm going short.
Just trying to give you guys a break.
Some of you are sorrowing me because I can see you're starting to get to sleep.
I'm just kidding.
We have this great passage in Hebrews chapter 11
about all these great saints that did all these great things.
We won't take the time to read it.
I'm sure a lot of people know what I'm referring to.
You've never read it. It's such a powerful passage.
So in light of Hebrews 11, how should we apply that to our lives?
Hebrews chapter 12, verse 1.
Wherefore seeing we also are compassed about with so great a cloud of witnesses.
Now who is that great cloud of witnesses?
It's the guys from Hebrews 11.
That's that cloud of witnesses, those people that are in heaven.
That are there and they are...
I don't necessarily say that they're looking down upon us,
but they've given us a testimony.
They've given us an admonition through their lives.
They've given us a sample in the Old Testament to follow.
We have their witness.
We have these witnesses.
In light of that, this is what we should do.
Not pick them apart, not try to get hung up on a lot of different things,
but rather make sure we're living our lives in a way that would honor them and please the Lord.
He says,
Jesus is the author and finisher of our faith.
He is the first fruits of the resurrection.
We have the hope, the assurance that we're saved,
that when we die, it's not just that our soul is going to go to heaven,
but also that our body will also be reunited.
That we will see him as he is.
It doth not yet appear what we shall be, but we know that when we see him, we shall be as he is.
And every one that hath this hope in him purifieth himself, even as he is pure.
So we have the great hope of the resurrection, but that's not a new thing.
That's something that every Old Testament saint has had, every believer has had,
down through the ages.
They've all known about the resurrection.
In my firm belief, I think it's pretty crystal clear from scripture.
I think the Bible makes it abundantly clear because, I mean, if you want to just approach it logically,
as I said at the beginning, think about what a hopeless life would be without the resurrection.
I refuse to believe that God is so cold-hearted or ungracious to say,
well, you know, I'm just going to hold off on this whole resurrection thing until I get to the New Testament.
Just leave these guys kind of wondering, you know, what's going to happen.
Let them live this miserable, hopeless life.
No, God's gracious, God is loving, God is kind. He wants them to know about this.
He wants them to be an example to us and prophesy about the resurrection.
So that is the resurrection of Christ according to the scriptures, as Paul said.
Let's go ahead and close the word of prayer.
Dear Lord, again, thank you for the hope that we have in you.
Lord, not only in this life, but also in the life to come.
And Lord, I pray it help us to live now with eternity in mind, Lord.
We thank you for the resurrection, we thank you for that great sacrifice that was made,
and not only on our part, but on the part of every believer.
We praise you for it in Jesus' name, Amen.
Alright, we'll go ahead and sing one more song before we go.
Amen, let's turn our song books to song 176, Jesus Loves Little Children.
We're going to do Jesus Loves Little Children, Jesus Died for All the Children, and Jesus Rose for All the Children.
So we've got three times, number 176.
Jesus Loves Little Children, All the Children of the World.
Red and yellow, black and white, they are graciously in sight.
Jesus Loves Little Children of the World.
Jesus Died for All the Children, All the Children of the World.
Red and yellow, black and white, they are graciously in sight.
Jesus Loves Little Children of the World.
Red and yellow, black and white, they are graciously in sight.
Jesus Loves Little Children of the World.
Amen.