I'm gonna ask you to take your
Bibles and turn with me to the book of 1 Corinthians chapter
15. 1 Corinthians chapter 15. I would like to read the first
four verses. 1 Corinthians 15, verse 1. Moreover, brethren, I declare
unto you the gospel, which I preached unto you, which also you received,
and wherein you stand, by which also you're saved, if you keep
in memory what I preached unto you, unless you've 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 he
rose again the third day according to the scriptures. I saw a sign this morning in
front of a church building. And it said this, Christ is risen. Christ is risen. And I know this, that all over
this world, there are people, places, proclaiming to be celebrating
the resurrection of Christ. And these people that are there,
they say that they believe the fact of the matter that Jesus
Christ rose from the dead. But my question is this, with
so many denominations, so many different beliefs, are all men rejoicing and worshiping
the Lord Jesus Christ, the true savior of sinners. Now, the only
way that we're going to know who Jesus Christ is, is as the
Apostle Paul says, according to the scriptures, the scriptures,
And I know this, there are people that are ignorant of who He is. The Lord Jesus told a woman at
a well in Samaria, a well at Sychar, a place called Sychar.
He told her, ye worship, ye know not what. You don't know who
you worship. So obviously there's ignorance
found within the world concerning who is the Lord Jesus Christ. Now I would like for us to just
take a few minutes and look in the scriptures because this is
the only foundation to know who he is. I'd like to know concerning
the one that we're worshiping. does God himself say that he
is? Here's my question, who was raised
from the dead? That's what Paul said, I declare
unto you that Jesus Christ died according to the scriptures. He was raised, he was buried
and raised according to the scriptures. Turn with me to Matthew 15, 20. Matthew 15, 20. Now this is what
I want to do, and I've got a question to all of us here today. Matthew
15, 20. Who are we going to believe? Who are
we going to believe? Are we going to believe what
God Almighty says, or are we going to believe what somebody
else tells us? It's contrary to these scriptures.
We're gonna stand before God. We're gonna stand before God.
We're gonna stand before the God of these scriptures. Now,
I wanna know who is he. I wanna know what God says about
himself. Matthew 15 and verse 20. Matthew 15, 20. You know what?
It's 1 Corinthians 15, 20, my apologies. Matthew 15, 20. I looked down
at Matthew, 1 Corinthians 15, 20. I looked down at Matthew
15, 20. I thought, that's not what I want. 1 Corinthians 15, 20 says, but now is Christ risen
from the dead and become the first fruits of them that slept.
So here's what I know. I know that what men put on that
sign, what they put on there, Christ is risen. That's what
the scripture says. But what does Christ, what does
that title, what does it mean? Here's what it means. Anointed
Savior. Anointed Savior. The anointed
Savior of Jehovah. That's what Christ means. So
I'm in agreement. When it says Christ is risen,
according to these scriptures, that's what the Bible says. Christ,
the anointed Savior. But then I've got another question
concerning the Christ. He's the anointed Savior. Savior of who? Why did He come
into this world? Well, according to the Scriptures,
He came into this world being sent of His Father with a purpose. He came on purpose. He came into
this world. One day, the Lord Jesus Christ
was coming through a city named Jericho. And he came through
this city, and there was a man in that city, and his name was
Zacchaeus. This was found in Luke 19. And he came through this city,
and a man named Zacchaeus, he was short of stature, and he
climbed a sycamore tree, and he came to this tree, climbed
it up, because he couldn't see the Lord. He was short. And the
Lord came right where he was. Came up, and he looked up and
he said, Zacchaeus, make haste. Come down, for I must abide at
your house, because salvation, according to the scriptures,
had come to this son of Abraham. This man, Zacchaeus, was one
chosen of God before the foundation of the world. And the Lord Jesus
Christ, he said in Luke 19.10, the Son of Man, the Messiah,
the Christ, is come to seek and to save that which was lost. Now he's come, the Christ, the
Messiah, according to the scriptures, he's come to seek and to save
that which was lost. Now who are those lost? Well, turn with me to Ephesians
1, 4. He's got a people, he's got some
people that he's going to save. Zacchaeus was one of them. Zacchaeus
was a son of Abraham, chosen by God. Ephesians 1, 4. This is the Christ now that is
risen. Now, I want to know this. Is
this the Christ we're worshiping? Ephesians 1, 4, according as
he has chosen us in him before the foundation of the world that
we should be holy and without blame before him in love, having
predestinated us under the adoption of children by Jesus Christ to
himself, according to the good pleasure of his will." Now, here's
what I know. The Messiah that's risen was
one son of God. Son of God for one purpose, to
save his people. He came into this world According
to the scriptures, I want you to turn to Matthew 1, Matthew
chapter 1. According to Matthew chapter
1, this is what he's gonna do. Matthew 1, 18, 22. Matthew 1,
18. Now the birth of Jesus Christ Christ that's risen. The birth of Jesus Christ was
on this wise when as his mother Mary was espoused to Joseph before
they came together. She was found with child of the
Holy Ghost. And Joseph, her husband being
a just man and not willing to make her a public example, was
minded to put her away privily. But while he thought on these
things, behold, the angel of the Lord appeared unto him in
a dream, saying, Joseph, thou son of David, Fear not to take
unto thee Mary thy wife, for that which is conceived in her
is of the Holy Ghost. And she shall bring forth a son,
and thou shalt call his name Jesus, for he shall save his
people from their sins. Now all this was done that it
might be fulfilled, which was spoken of the Lord by the prophet. So the Messiah that is risen,
Christ the Messiah that's risen. He's coming to this world. How
did he come? He was conceived in the womb
of a virgin. A virgin. Luke 1.30. I just want us to make sure that
we know exactly what God has to say. Luke 1. The angel said unto her, Fear
not, Mary, for thou hast found favour with God. And, behold,
thou shalt conceive in thy womb, and bring forth a son. Thou shalt
call his name Jesus. He shall be great, shall be called
the Son of the Highest. The Lord God shall give unto
him the throne of his father David. He shall reign over the
house of Jacob forever, and of his kingdom there shall be no
end. Then said Mary unto the angel,
How shall this be, seeing I know not a man? And the angel answered
and said unto her, The Holy Ghost shall come upon thee, and the
power of the highest shall overshadow thee. Therefore also that holy
thing which shall be born of thee shall be called the Son
of God. So this is the Messiah. This
is the Christ that was raised from the dead. He was conceived
in the womb of a virgin. He took upon himself the form
of sinful flesh. The form of sinful flesh. He
knew no sin. And he was born just like all
men are born. Not conceived like all men are
conceived. He was conceived of the Holy
Ghost. And this Lord Jesus Christ, Luke
2, turn over to Luke, just Luke 2.52, and look what the scripture
says. Here's an amazing thing. Luke
2.52. Jesus increased in wisdom and
stature and age and in favor with God and man. How did he
get here? The Spirit of God, the Holy Ghost put him, conceived him in the
womb of a virgin. And the eternal God Cannot change, does not change,
never changes. As a man born of a virgin, a
child, a little child, he became older. The eternal,
ageless God grew. in wisdom, in stature, in age,
and in favor with God and man. And aware of his calling, aware
of who he was, going to Jerusalem one day with his mother and Joseph
for the Passover. He was there and after the time
of the Passover, was done, they left, they were going home. His
mother and Joseph was going home, and without seeing him for three
days, supposing him to be in the company, not finding him,
they go back, and they find him in Luke chapter 2. I'm going
to read a verse of scripture here in a second. They find him
sitting in the temple, and He's sitting there in the midst of
the doctors, the scripture says, and hearing them, asking them
questions. And they were astonished with
his understanding. And when his mother came up to
him, now this is the Christ who's risen. God Almighty conceived in the
womb of a virgin, came for born a little baby. God who never
changes. and he's grown up now, he's 12
years old. And they take him and he's sitting there and he's
talking to these theologians. And they were astonished at what
he knew. His mama comes up to him and
she asked him, she says, why? Why have you dealt with us like
this? We were worried about you. We
didn't know where you were. And he says in Luke 2.49, he
said unto them, how is it that you sought me? Wist ye not that
I must be about my father's business? How is it that you don't realize
the necessity for me to be about my father's business? Didn't the angel of the Lord
tell Mary that he would save his people from their sins? Didn't
he tell Mary that? This was his mission. This was his work. This was his
purpose. This was his will. The Lord Jesus
Christ, the Messiah, the Christ who is risen. He had a people. This is the Christ who's risen. He had a people. He had a business
of the Father to attend, to work. Turn to John 6, 37. John 6, 37. John chapter 6, verse 37. Here's the business. If you want
to know who is risen from the dead, When people say, I believe
that Christ rose from the dead. Well, this is the Christ that
rose from the dead. My question is this, is this
the Christ that I worship? Is this the Christ you worship?
Now, this is who was raised from the dead. John 6, 37 to 39. All
the Father giveth me. This is what
I know. God's got a people. God's got
an elect. Father giveth me, shall come
to me. This is what I know. They're
going to come. I've told you before, what's
the possibility that all that were elect by the Father, what's
the possibility that any of them are not going to come to Christ?
What's that possibility? The possibility is zero. All
that the Father giveth me shall come to me. And him that cometh
to me, I will in no wise cast out. For I came down from heaven,
not to do mine own will, but the will of him that sent me.
And this is the Father's will, which has sent me, that of all
which he hath given me, I should lose nothing, but should raise
it up again at the last day. Here's what I know about the
Christ that is risen. that he came into this world
in God's way, born of a virgin. And he grew, he grew up in this
world. And he came into this world for
one purpose, to work the works of his father, to accomplish
the will of his father. He had a people that was given
him before the foundation of the world. And he bore the responsibility
for every one of them, all of them, all that were given him in electing
grace. He stood as surety. I will answer. He bore the responsibility to
earn a righteousness for them and to bear their sins. And all
that come to Him, which is all that the Father's given Him,
they're going to come. They're going to be willing,
made willing in the day of God's power. And they're coming. Now,
this is the Christ that's risen from the dead. This is the Christ. So when somebody says, I believe
that Christ is risen, this is the risen Christ right here.
The only one, the only Christ. So from the scriptures, we know
that the risen Messiah came into this world to save a particular
people, people chosen unto salvation, a people made holy by the Spirit
of God, God Almighty, according to Ezekiel
36. He removes that heart of stone,
that heart that is adamant against God, that heart that has dominion
over man by nature, and he gives them a new heart. He makes a
new man, he creates a new man, created in righteousness, true
holiness, true righteousness. He makes a new person. And the
Spirit of God comes. He gives them faith to believe.
I'm going to prove this to you by the Scriptures. Turn to 2
Thessalonians 2.13. 2 Thessalonians 2.13. Now if this is not the Christ
that you're worshiping, you're not worshiping the true Christ.
Here's the Christ of the Bible. Here's the Messiah. Second Thessalonians 2.13 says this, we're bound to give
thanks all the way to God for you, brethren, beloved of the
Lord, because God hath from the beginning chosen you to salvation. Sanctification of the spirit and belief of the truth. He's
going to call them. How's he going to call them?
He's going to call them through the gospel. I've told you that
the gospel is not a, it's not an invitation. I'm not, I'm,
I'm not, I'm not inviting. I'm, I'm declaring unto you,
I'm declaring unto you the gospel. This is what God says. This is
what God did. This is what God does. Chosen you to salvation through
sanctification of the spirit and belief of the truth, whereunto
he called you by our gospel. How does God call out his sheep? One way, through the gospel. That gospel, according to Romans
1 16, Paul said, I'm not ashamed. I'm not ashamed. I'm not ashamed
of this gospel. It is the power of God on salvation. This is
the Messiah that is risen. This is the Messiah risen. the
Messiah that is risen. He received, turn to John 17. He received from his father power over all flesh. He received power from his father
over all flesh for one reason. John 17, one and two. These words spake Jesus, lifted
up his eyes to heaven and said, Father, the hour has come. Glorify thy son that thy son
also may glorify thee as thou has given him power over all
flesh. He orders all things. He rules in heaven and earth.
Nothing moves but that He dictates it. What about this mess I see
going on in this world today? I mean, this is a mess. I want
to know this. Who's ruling? Why is He ruling? Why are these
things being so ordered and so, why are they, why? That He should
give eternal life to as many as thou hast given Him. Are you,
are you meaning to tell me that God Almighty is allowing and
permitting and ordering what I see going on in this world
today? You're telling me that God is ordering all this The
way he's doing it, what I'm seeing in the government and what I
see here and there and all that, are you telling me that God is
doing all this for the salvation of his elect? That's exactly
what I'm telling you. Well, I just don't see how, well,
I'm gonna tell you this, God's true and we're liars. God Almighty
rules. in the army of heaven and among
the inhabitants of the earth, and none can stay his hand. I'll
tell you what's going to happen. Just exactly what he dictates.
We're going to have an election, it's going to be coming up. You
know who's going to be in there? In the White House? Whoever he puts
there. That's who's going to be there. God's people will rejoice. Be glad in it. Yeah, we will. This is the Messiah
who was risen. He's the boss. He's the boss. He's God. And all the scriptures
declare concerning the Messiah that he reveals the Father. to his people. John, still in
John 17, look at 6 and 8. He reveals the Father. He reveals the being of the Father. He reveals the will of the Father,
the purpose of the Father, to send him into this world. John
17, 6 to 8, I've manifested thy name unto the men which thou
gavest me out of the world. Can we possibly doubt that God
has given him a people? According to the scriptures,
can you possibly say, I don't believe that God's got an elect?
You just have to read scripture and just say, I don't believe
you. I have manifested thy name unto
the men which thou gavest me out of the world. Thine they
were, and thou gavest them me. You gave them to me, and they
kept thy word. Now they have known that all
things whatsoever thou hast given me are of thee, for I have given
unto them the words which thou gavest me. And they have received
them, and have known surely that I came out from thee, and they
have believed that thou didst send me. Do you know what all
God's people believe? They believe that the Messiah
was sent into this world to save them. That's what all believers
believe. They believed that they were given to the Lord Jesus
Christ before the foundation of the world. And that they believed
that Christ came into this world on purpose. That he came to save
them, and he did. And they believe him. They're
thankful. And this risen Messiah, according
to the scriptures now, I'm trying to go over things that we've
gone over and gone over and gone over, and by the grace of God,
Corey, we'll go over again. You know, for me to say the same
things to you, he said, not grievous to me. It's safe. It's safe.
And let me tell you something. Does the scripture says that
there's a great high priest that ever liveth to make intercession? It says for us. For us. Who are the us? Well, look at
John 17 verse 9. I pray for them. Who? No, wait
a minute. Who are the them? Those that the father gave him.
I pray for them. Well, doesn't he pray for everybody?
No, according to the scriptures, he said, I pray not for the world,
but for them which thou hast given me, for they are thine. You want to know who came out
of the grave? The one that came into this world and
orders everything in this world to save the people that the Father
gave him. He manifests the Father to them. He prays for them. He said, I
don't pray for the world. I pray for those you've given
me out of the world. This is the Christ who was risen When the risen Messiah came to
lay down his life, turned to John 10. Who did he die for? Now let's
just find out. Let's make sure we know this
according to the scriptures. Because if I can't prove it by
the scriptures, then I don't have anything to say. I have
nothing on which to base anything I say if I can't say it according
to the scriptures. Who did he die for? Who did he
die for? Well, the world will say, well,
he died for everybody. Died for everybody. Made salvation possible. I can tell you this, if he came
into this world and died for everybody, paid everybody's debt,
one person goes to hell, then he's a failure. He failed. Who did he die for? Who did he
die for? John 10, 14, 15. I am the good shepherd, and know
my sheep, and am known of mine as the Father knoweth me, even
so know I the Father, and I lay down my life for the sheep. I'm gonna go ahead and read.
I just can't do without it anyway. Somebody say, well, isn't everybody
a sheep? Look at John 10. Verse 22, it
was at Jerusalem, the Feast of the Dedication, it was winter,
and Jesus walked in the temple in Solomon's porch. Then came
the Jews round about him and said unto him, How long dost
thou make us to doubt? If thou be the Christ, tell us
plainly. Jesus answered them, I told you,
and you believe not. The works I do in my Father's
name, they bear witness of me, but ye believe not, because ye
are not of my sheep. as I said unto you. Here's the reason you don't believe
me. Because you're not of my sheep. My sheep hear my voice. My sheep hear my voice. This
is the Christ that's risen. Beloved, the death and resurrection
of Christ is known and therefore believed only as the scriptures
declare. Turn back to 1 Corinthians 15,
where we started. 1 Corinthians 15. I'm gonna read 1 Corinthians
15, verses one to four again. We've looked at what the scripture
says. Why he came? Whom did he come? What did he do? Why did he die? 1 Corinthians 15, wonderful. Moreover, brethren, I declare
unto you the gospel which I preached unto you, which also you've received,
and wherein you stand, by which also you're saved, if you keep
in memory what I've preached unto you, unless you've believed
in vain. For I delivered unto you first
of all that which also I received, how that Christ died for our
sins according to the Scriptures. How did he die? Willingly. In particular, for a people of
God's choosing. He died according to the Scriptures. That he was buried and he rose
again the third day according to the Scriptures. All that he
did was approved, Matthew 17, five. All that he did was approved
and acknowledged by the father. Matthew 17, five says this. While he yet spake, behold, a
bright cloud overshadowed them. And behold, a voice out of the
cloud, which said, this is my beloved son, and whom I'm well
pleased. Hear ye him. If we're going to hear somebody, you better make sure that they
say what he says. If somebody tells you, God loves you. You better be able to back that
up with scripture. Put out on a big sign, God loves
you. And everybody that drives by thinks God loves me. You better be able to show it
to me in scriptures. Christ died for you. You better show me this
in the scriptures. You better. God wants to save
you. You better show me according
to the scriptures. This is the Christ we worship.
God Almighty turned with me to Isaiah 42. God Almighty eternally
purposed according to the eternal covenant of his grace to save a people. He gave a people
unto the Lord Jesus. And here's what's going to happen.
For all that He's given Him, He said in John 10, John 6, all that the Father gives me,
they're going to come to me. John 42, 1 to 4, behold, my servant
whom I uphold, mine elect, and whom my soul delighteth, I put
my spirit upon him. He shall bring forth judgment
to the Gentiles. He shall not cry, nor lift up,
nor cause his voice to be heard in the street. A bruised reed
shall he not break, and smoking flax shall he not quench. He shall bring judgment unto
the truth." Now, you listen to this. The scripture says that he laid
down his life for the sheep. All that the Father giveth him,
giveth me, shall come to me. I pray for them, I pray not for
the world. Verse four says, he shall not
fail. Nor be discouraged, not broken,
till he have set judgment in the earth and the hour shall
wait for his law. He shall not fail. He's going to save His people. And now all those giving Him
and electing grace is sheep by virtue of their union and oneness
with Him and electing, eternally electing, redeeming, regenerating
grace. He's going to give them something.
In closing, John chapter 10, John 10. 27 to 29. Now listen to this. All that the father has given
the son, going to believe the gospel.
They're going to believe it. What if someone says, I don't
believe that? Well, all I'm going to say is
all God's sheep are going to believe it. John 10, 27, My sheep,
hear my voice. The words that I'm speaking to
you right now, this is the voice of the Master. Paul said, We
beseech you in Christ's name. What he was saying is, I'm standing
here as God's means of telling you what God said. I'm not telling
you anything that God didn't say because I just read it. My
sheep hear my voice, I know them, they follow me. I give unto them
eternal life, they shall never perish. Neither shall any man
pluck them out of my hand. My Father which gave them me
is greater than all, and no man is able to pluck them out of
my Father's hand. I and my Father are one. This is the Christ that
is risen from the dead. This is the Christ, turn with
me to Acts 4. Acts 4, this is the Messiah who
saves his people. Acts 4, 10 to 12. Be it known unto you all and
to all the people of Israel by the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth,
whom you crucified, whom God raised from the dead. Even by
him does this man stand here before you whole. This is the
stone which was set at naught of you builders, which has become
the head of the corner. Neither is there salvation in
any other. What does that mean? That means that if someone is
preaching a Christ, let's say, that wants to, desires to, but
can't unless you let him, he's not the Christ of the Bible.
Scripture says, neither is there salvation in any other. There's
none other name given under heaven, given among men, whereby you
must be saved. There is no salvation in this
little G-God, who is a figment of men's imagination. There is
no salvation in a God that needs your help. There is no God There
is no God but the true and living God. If there is a God, little
g, God, again, which is no God, He's nothing, He's nothing. If
there's one proclaimed that needs you to do something for Him that
He might save you, He is not the God of this Bible. God Almighty
saves His people and then tells them about it. I saved you. He tells them. This really is the last verse
here. Turn to 1 Peter 1 and I'll close. 1 Peter 1. Beloved, this is our
hope. This is our hope right here. 1 Peter 1, verse 1 to 5. apostle of Jesus Christ, to the
strangers scattered throughout Pontus, Galatia, Cappadocia,
Asia, Bithynia, elect according to the foreknowledge of God the
Father, through sanctification of the Spirit, unto obedience
and sprinkling of the blood of Jesus Christ. Grace unto you,
and peace be multiplied. Blessed be the God and Father
of our Lord Jesus Christ. which, according to his abundant
mercy, hath begotten us again unto a lively hope by the resurrection
of Jesus Christ from the dead, to an inheritance incorruptible
and undefiled, and it fadeth not away, reserved in heaven
for you, who are kept by the power of God through faith unto
salvation, ready to be revealed in the last time. Beloved, Christ is risen. Christ is risen. He's seated at the right hand
of the majesty on high. Who is he? He's the Christ according
to the scriptures. Call upon him. If he's given
you a heart, cry out for mercy. It's only by the grace of God
that you do. Because except By the grace of God, no man will
come, no man can come. I pray God bless us to our hearts
for Christ's sake.