Would you take your Bibles and
turn with me to the book of Acts chapter 24. Acts chapter 24. The Jews had come before Felix. Got him a lawyer. to Tullus and accused Paul of all kinds
of things that were just not so. And the Apostle patiently
waited, listened, as his accusations were being set forth. Tullus said he was a ringleader
of a sect, Nazarenes, the heresy, is what he said. Verse 10 said, Paul said, I do more cheerfully answer
for myself. After the governor had given
Paul a chance to go ahead and speak, and Paul said, starting
in verse 11, because that thou mayest understand that there
are yet but twelve days since I went up to Jerusalem for to
worship. And they neither found me in
the temple disputing with any man, neither raising up the people,
neither in the synagogues nor in the city, neither can they
prove the things whereof they now accuse me." What Paul said,
he said, they're lying. You're liars. accused me of these
things. I didn't do that. There was one thing that Paul
was charged with, accused of, that he wanted to bring out. Verse 14, But this I confess
unto thee, that after the way which they call heresy, so worship
I the God of my father's Believing all things which are written
in the Law and in the Prophets, he said, And I have hope toward
God, which they themselves also allow, that there shall be a
resurrection of the dead, both of the just and the unjust. And
herein do I exercise myself, and I have always a conscience
void of offense toward God and toward men. Concerning the resurrection,
Paul said, I worship God that way. I believe all things, Paul said,
which are written in the Law and the Prophets. Abraham believed God concerning
the resurrection. By faith, Hebrews 11, 17-19,
Abraham, when he was tried, offered up Isaac and he that had received
the promise, offered up his only begotten Son, of whom it was
said that in Isaac shall thy seed be called, accounting that
God was able to raise him up, even from the dead, from whence
also he received him in a figure." Hannah, she believed in the resurrection. 1 Samuel 2, 6, the Lord killeth
and maketh alive, he bringeth down to the grave and bringeth
up. This is what Paul was citing.
He said, I believe what the prophets, what the Scriptures set forth
concerning the resurrection. Job said, and though after my
skin worms destroy this body, yet in my flesh shall I see God. Paul said, I believe what these
Scriptures set forth. I believe what the prophets set
forth concerning the resurrection. He said after the passage that
Brother Carl just read, if there is no resurrection, then Christ
is not raised. And if Christ is not raised,
then we have no hope. We are of most men, most miserable. The Lord Jesus Christ was made
flesh. He lived in the flesh, died in
the flesh, was buried in the flesh. And Paul said, if there
is no resurrection, then He is still in the grave. And we are hopelessly yet in
our sins. When it came to the resurrection
of the Lord Jesus Christ, Thomas said, Except I shall see in His
hands the print of the nails, and put my finger into the print
of the nails, and thrust my hand into His side, I will not believe."
Eight days later, Scripture says in John 20, Then saith he to
Thomas, Reach hither thy finger, and behold my hands, and reach
hither thy hand, and thrust it. into my side, and be not faithless,
but believing. And Thomas answered and said
unto him, My Lord, my God." Paul said in verse 15, I have hope
toward God, which they themselves also allow. Who is he talking
about? He said the prophets. He was
talking about the prophets. I confess. Verse 14, "...under
thee, that after the way which they call heresy, so worship
I the God of my fathers, believing all things which are written
in the law and the prophets, I have hope toward God which
they themselves preached." That's what he was saying. I'm believing
what God revealed through our forefathers. This is what believers know.
There's going to be a resurrection of the dead. Paul said in verse
15, latter part, both of the just and of the unjust. I want to talk about the resurrection
first of the just. Turn with me to 1 Thessalonians
chapter 4. 1 Thessalonians 4 verse 13, Paul
says, But I would not have you be ignorant, brethren, concerning
them which are asleep, that ye sorrow not, even as others which
have no hope. But if we believe that Jesus
died and rose again, even so them also which sleep in Jesus
will God bring with Him. For this we say unto you by the
word of the Lord, that we which are alive and remain unto the
coming of the Lord shall not prevent them which are asleep,
for the Lord Himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with
the voice of the archangel, with the trump of God, and the dead
in Christ shall rise first. Then we which are alive and remain
shall be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the
Lord in the air, and so shall we ever be with the Lord. Wherefore,
comfort one another with these words." Now, I dare say that
there can be a passage of Scripture that would give more comfort
to soothe the sorrows of our nature as we contemplate the
grave for ourselves and for our loved ones, the resurrection. Now, this is what the scripture
teaches concerning the resurrection for believers. And Paul says
there's going to be a resurrection of the just and the unjust. The resurrection for the just
is going to be brought forth after, the Scripture says, they
sleep. We're not as those that have
no hope concerning those that are asleep. Death is not associated. I understand how we think. Believers die, but death, death
is not associated with believers. They are asleep in the Lord.
That body that is the Lord's, that is in the ground, that is
buried. It's the Lord's. That's the Lord's
body. He bought it. He made it. He
redeemed it. Body and soul. It's His. It's the Lord's. You say, well,
that's just dust. No. No, it's not just dust. That's the Lord's. It goes back to dust. No doubt
about that. But I am telling you, death does
not destroy the union between that body and soul and the Lord
Jesus Christ. They are asleep in the Lord. In that grave, those that die in faith, that
body, is just as much part of Christ as that soul is Christ's. I know how we are prone to think. I know how we look and we say,
well, that departed saint, they're not there. Their soul's not there. Life is not there. But that body
is the Lord's. That's His. Whenever the Lord
said concerning Abraham, I am the God of Abraham, He didn't
say I was. I am. And I'm telling you that
the body of Abraham, the body of Isaac, the body of Jacob, are the Lord's. And we think,
I know, in a less respectful way than
we should. I understand that. But I'm telling
you, based on these Scriptures, there's going to be a change
that's going to take place with that body I'm going to talk about
in a minute. But the fact of the matter is,
all of that person, that believer, that redeemed saint is the Lord's
You're not your own. You're not your own, Scott. You're
bought with a price. Body and soul. You belong to
Him. When the Lord Jesus Christ was
at the cross, He said, Father, I commend My
Spirit into Your hands. And He gave
up the ghost. And He put that body in the ground. That was God's body. That was
God's. That's God's servant. That's a precious body. That's
the body of the Lord Jesus Christ. But I'm going to tell you something.
You that believe, you that are God's people, you're the body
of Christ. That's His. Let me tell you how
we think right now. Turn to 2 Corinthians 5. 2 Corinthians
5. I read something today I had
never really, I guess, gotten hold of before. 2 Corinthians
5, verses 1 to 8. We're talking about now this
earthly house and tabernacle. We're talking about this body
we're in right now. That's what he's talking about. For we know
that if our earthly house of this tabernacle were dissolved, What he's talking about is if
we die in this flesh. If our earthly house of this
tapernacle were dissolved, we have a building of God and house
not made with hands, eternal in the heavens. For in this,
that is, in this body right now for a believer, we groan, earnestly
desiring to be clothed upon with our house which is from heaven.
If so be that being clothed, we shall not be found naked.
For we that are in this tabernacle do groan, being burdened. Not for that we would be unclothed,
but clothed upon, that mortality might be swallowed up of life.
Now He that hath wrought us for the selfsame thing is God, who
also hath given unto us the earnest of His Spirit. Therefore we are
always confident, knowing that whilst we are at home in this
body, we are absent from the Lord. For we walk by faith, not
by sight. We're confident, I say, and willing
rather to be absent from this body and be present with the
Lord." What Paul is saying right now, you that believe. Right
now, Paul said, right now, we've grown. We're in a state of realization
that we're alive in Christ, but we have a body A body that is
flesh. It's weak. We're tired. We've grown seeing the presence
of sin in this body. We would desire truly to be clothed
and be in a tabernacle. It's not made with hands to be
with Him. Right now, Paul said we see by
faith, not by sight. Oh, but one day, it was seen
by sight, no more by faith. But right now, we're groaning
in this tabernacle of flesh. This body in which we live right
now is the body in which we're going to be raised. That same
body that was planted in the ground is going to be the body
that's going to come out of the ground. Now, there's going to
be some changes. I realize that the Scripture
sets forth that mortality is going to be put on with immortality. Weakness is going to be put on
with power and strength. It's sown in corruption. It will
be raised in incorruption. But it will not lose its identity. Turn with me to Matthew chapter
27. Matthew 27. Matthew 27, verse 50. Now, this is what happened on
the day of the crucifixion and then shortly after His resurrection. Matthew 27.50, Jesus, when He
had cried again with a loud voice, yielded up the ghost. And behold,
the veil of the temple was rent in twain from the top to the
bottom, and the earth did quake, and the rocks rent. I wonder
what Caiaphas, the high priest, thought when it had degenerated
to nothing more than a form. And the Lord told those that
went around in the form serving Him. He called them a bunch of
snakes. You're just white and sepulchers full of dead men,
bone and kyphos, no doubt, in the vicinity of that veil. And
that veil just rent. And there it was. The Ark of
the Covenant. There it was. Right there in
plain view. Nobody, nobody but the high priest had ever seen
that. And there it was. No more ceremony. No more sacrifices. It's over. The sacrifice had
just laid down His life, and it was finished. It was over.
The veil was ramped. The earth shook, it quaked, and
the rocks ramped. Verse 52, And the graves were
opened, and many bodies of the saints which slept
arose and came out of the graves after His resurrection and went
into the holy city and appeared unto many. They did shine. The people that knew Him knew
Him. Their bodies came out. And they
went into the holy city, many of the saints. They weren't impostors. They appeared unto many. I know you. I know who you are. Their bodies came out and they
knew who they were. On the Mount of Transfiguration,
they knew who Moses and Elijah were. Moses and Elijah never
met them and knew who they were. There they were in their body. The Lord Himself appeared in
the very body of His crucifixion. That's what He told Thomas. Thomas,
come here. Take your finger and put your
finger in these holes right here. Take your hand, Thomas. and thrust
your hand into my side." It's me. And Thomas said, my Lord,
my God. You're risen. It was the Lord. He was the firstfruits. He was
the firstfruits of those that sleep. The way He came out of
the ground is the way His people come out of the ground incorruptible,
undefiled, in power, immortal. Job said, I know that my Redeemer
liveth, the body in which He died, the body in which He was
raised, and that He shall stand at the latter day upon the earth
And though after my skin worms destroy this body, yet in my
flesh shall I see God, whom I shall see for myself, and mine eye
shall behold, and not another, though my reins be consumed within
me." Oh, without a doubt, there is
going to be a divine change in this body. But it will be this
body. that know Him, you that may not
know Him yet and are chosen unto salvation. And I pray that God
be pleased to call His own, even tonight, out of darkness. I'm telling you, you that are
His will be raised as He was raised, gloriously, in the body
in which you live right now. He came on the seashore and he
took a piece of fish and a honeycomb and he ate it. They looked at
him. He said, look, I'm not a spirit.
A spirit doesn't have flesh and bone. Touch me. That's what John
said. He said, we touched him. Our
eyes beheld him. John said, I'm telling you, I
was there. He came out of the grave, and
I walked with Him, and I talked with Him, and I touched Him.
It was Him. He said, I'm telling you this,
that you might rejoice with us. A change. A change in this body
that makes it fit for everlasting enjoyment. Right now, we have
a natural body. And this natural body is subject
to the infirmities of sin. This natural body right now is
suited and made to live in this environment right here. But there is going to be a change
to live with Him forever. Right now, this body is going
down. But after it comes out of the
grave, it will never go down. A glorious body, likened to His. See Him as He is and we'll be
like Him. Turn to 1 Corinthians in the
vicinity of where Brother Carl was. 1 Corinthians 15. Here's
Paul. I'm so thankful how the Spirit
of God wrote these things down for us that we can look at them. 1 Corinthians 15, verse 35. He said, now, some man will say,
well, how are the dead raised up? And with what body do they
come? Now, Paul, the Spirit of God
How wise, how kind, how... I want to know what this has
got to say. With what body do they come? He said, Thou fool,
that which thou sowest is not quickened, except it die. And
that which thou sowest, thou sowest not that body that shall
be, but bear grain, a chance of wheat or of some other grain.
But God giveth a body as it pleased Him, and to every seed His own
body. Now, you take a An acorn. Now, I know what an acorn looks
like. It's just a little old acorn. Just got a little cap on it. I used to pop them off and it
looked like little hats. Pop it off and it's got a hard
skin. Take my pocket knife and I cut
that skin. It's yellow on the inside. It's kind of meaty. Bitter. It didn't taste good, I didn't
like it. That's an acorn. I can go down in South Louisiana
and I can look at some of the most beautiful oaks that you've
ever seen in your life. It's got bark that's just amazing. And it's got limbs that just
stick out. They come out of that tree and
sometimes the limbs just 2 or 3 feet off the ground. And they
just kind of stick out there about 25 or 30 feet. I mean, just huge. Just stand
out there. Just majestic. Look at that. And that came out of that acorn. Yeah. Everything that was in
that acorn is in that tree. It changed it. Caterpillar. This is amazing. Caterpillar. It goes in there and it spins
this cocoon. And it comes out in time and
it's a beautiful butterfly. And I thought, that caterpillar,
is that butterfly? Everything that was in that butterfly
was in that caterpillar. How did He do that? I don't know. But I'm telling you that there's
a change. The Scripture is not explicit
on the exactness of the change. But I'm telling you that the
Scripture sets forth Philippians 3.21, concerning the Lord who
shall change our vile body that it shall be fashioned, it will
begin to be, is what that says, like unto His glorious body. What kind does He have? Glorious. What else can I say but that
which the Scripture says. His glorious body That's exactly
the body that will have changed, but never lose the identity. Never lose the identity. They
were fishing. John looked out on the seashore.
He said to Peter, it's the Lord. Peter just dove right in. You saw it. He knew Him. He knew who He was. It's the
Lord. Paul said in 1 Corinthians 15,
verse 51, I show you a mystery. We shall not all sleep. Not every
believer is going to die in this flesh. But he said, but we all
shall be changed. We're not going to prevent those
that sleep in the Lord. That body that has gone to the
dust, that man in all of his stupid wisdom says, how can you
expect that that which has decayed and gone to nothing is going
to rise again? The Lord said it would. And it
is the Lord's. That vile body, Paul just said,
is going to be fashioned into his glorious body. And it will
come out. And I'm telling you, the soul
that has been with the Lord from the moment that a believer left
this earth in this life, to be absent from the body present
with the Lord now, right now. And that soul that has rested
in Christ, in Him, with Him, will be reunited with this body
that will be changed like unto His glorious body. Just like
Adam walked on this earth before he fell, and he tended the garden,
and he looked at the animals, and he saw them, and he walked,
and he talked with God, and he fellowshiped with the Lord before
he fell. We're going to see Him. Job said,
with these eyes, they'll be changed, but these eyes, I'm going to
see Him. Changed in a way that I cannot
enter into right now. But I can tell you this, I know
that this vile body, if this body goes back to the dirt, Unless
the Lord comes back, it's going to. I can tell you that right
now. This body is going to come out and it's going to be changed
into the likeness, fashion of His glorious body. And I will
walk just like He walked on that sea shore. And He told Thomas
and Peter and John, He said, you touch Me. You see this? A spirit? A spirit doesn't have
flesh and bone. Touch me. Real. That's the body we're going to
have. Resurrection. Eyes that see? Yes. Changed. Ears that hear now? Yes. But they're going to be
changed. I'm over here. Changed from weakness
to power, dishonor to glory. I tell you, he who loved me eternally
in Christ and called me in this body is going to fellowship with
me eternally in a changed body without losing my identity. I'm going to know who you are. I'm going to know you, Scott.
I know, there's Scott Richardson right there. No, there's going to be a resurrection,
Paul said, after the way they call heresy. That's the way I
worship God. Back in Acts 24, verse 15, he
said, we have hope toward God, which they themselves also allow,
that there shall be a resurrection of the dead. Paul said, I'm telling
you, there's going to be a resurrection of the dead, both of the just
and the unjust. The unjust. Well, I considered for a moment
the resurrection of the just. Glorious. Glorious. Made into a body like His. Changed. All of the frailty of this flesh
put off. No more mortality. No more weakness. No more tears. I could look at this and say,
I have a hand. I'll have a hand there. I have eyes here. I'll have eyes
there. They'll be changed like His. He was made the first time
in the likeness of sinful flesh. That's what Scripture says. And
He aged and He hurt. And he thirsted and he hungered
and he felt pain. He had a body just like we have,
yet without sin. He didn't have sin. But he had
a body that aged just like ours does because of sin. It was made in the likeness of
sinful flesh, yet without sin. But I'm telling you, when he
came out of that grave, That body that he had before
was no more. He came out in a glorified body. Now, I don't understand all the
depth of what I'm telling you right now, but I can tell you
some things that the Scripture says. And the type, the way in
which he came out of that grave is the way, Bob, we're coming
out of the grave. Made like unto His glorious body. Now, concerning the resurrection
of the unjust, John 5, 28 and 29, our Lord says, Marvel not
at this, for the hour is coming in which all that are in the
graves shall hear His voice, and shall come forth, and they
that have done good unto the resurrection of life, and they
that have done evil unto the resurrection of the damnation.
The great white throne judgment. Lord willing, that's what we'll
look at this Sunday. In that day, carnal man shall
attempt to be associated with Christ based upon his own self-righteousness. The Lord gave a parable over
in Matthew 22 of a wedding. And it says the master of the
house came in giving the wedding for his son. He came in, he saw
a man who had not on a wedding garment. He said, friend, how did you get in here? And
he said he was speechless. And the Lord said, you take him
and you bind him hand and foot. Hand and foot. Hand and foot, a body. And you
cast him into everlasting darkness. Turn with me to Matthew 10. I want you to read one verse.
Matthew 10, verse 28. Matthew 10, verse 28. Matthew 10, verse 28, "...and
fear not them which kill the body, but are not able to kill
the soul. But rather, fear Him which is
able to destroy both soul and body." in hell. The Scripture sets forth that
the way in which a man rebelled against God, soul and body, is
the way in which a man is going to be under the judgment of God.
God is just. That body, that soul that rebelled
against God is going to be under the judgment of Almighty God. Back in Acts 24, verse 16, Paul
says, And herein do I exercise myself, and have always a conscience
void of offense toward God and men, on account of, is what he's
saying, or because of the truth that has been taught me by the
Holy Spirit concerning the resurrection Paul says, concerning what I
know, because of what God has taught me concerning the resurrection,
I exercise myself. I strive to discharge my duty
toward God and men. Men say, well, you know what?
We can't do anything. I'm going to tell you something.
Paul says, I exercise myself. I strive after serving God Almighty. I agree. I'm the first to admit,
based upon the Scriptures, the Scripture sets forth, without
me you can do nothing. I agree with you. When we've
done all that we can do, we're just unprofitable servants. I
agree with you. But I'll tell you this, one,
that God Almighty has taught something of the glory of God
in the Lord Jesus Christ. He does just exactly what Paul
the Apostle says right here. I exercise, I strive, I strive,
I strive to have always a conscience that's void of offense toward
God and men. I don't want to offend God. I
don't want to. And I'm telling you, I know in
myself, that is in my flesh, There dwells no good thing, and
I know it, and I'm betwixt and between. Right now, I'm groaning
right now. That's what Paul just read about.
In this tabernacle, I've groaned. I know it. I understand it. But
I don't want to offend Him. I don't want to be offensive.
I do want to walk in obedience. I don't want the cares of this
world to steal my heart. I don't. I don't. I don't. I
don't want other things to take a precedent over me worshiping
God. I don't. I don't. I don't want to be flippant
in the way I treat you. I don't. For Christ's sake, I
want to treat you with respect. For Christ's sake, I appreciate
and love you. To be offensive. I don't. And
it makes me sick when I see things that I do. Things that I do over
and over and over. I exercise myself. Paul says I exercise myself toward
a life that's directed by a good conscience. But I realize that I can't do it. The will is present
with me. But how to accomplish that which
I would, I find not. Verse 17 to 20. Paul says, After
many years I came to bring alms to my nation in offerings, whereunto
certain Jews of Asia found me purified in the temple, neither
with multitude nor with tumult. Who ought to have been here before
thee, and object if they have aught against me, or else let
these same here say, if they have found any evil, doing in
me while I stood before the council. Paul said, if this is what they
found me doing, then why aren't they here to accuse me? Why aren't they here to back
up what they're saying? Verse 21 and 22, and I'll end
here. Except it be for this one voice
that I cried standing among them. He said, touching the resurrection
of the dead. I'm called in question by you
this day." And when Felix heard these things, having more perfect
knowledge of that way, he deferred them and said, when Lysias, the
chief captain, shall come down, I will know the uttermost of
your matter." Listen, Paul said, he said, this whole issue that
they've brought me to this council is over this one thing. He said
it's over the resurrection. Man by nature does not have a
problem with the eternal state of his soul. I said this, even
these Arabs, they think that when they, you know, this jihad
or whatever they call it, they think that if they die for Allah,
their God, they're going to live, you know, in heaven, you know,
in bliss you know, 70 virgins or whatever they promised them
or something like that. They don't have a problem with the
eternal soul. What they call heresy is saying that this body
in which we live right now, that this body is going to come out
of the ground. All men are going to stand before
God. Every person in the grave is
going to hear the voice of God. And they're going to come out
of the grave. All that's in the grave is going to hear. And they're
going to rise. Paul said there's going to be a resurrection. A
resurrection. A resurrection. Meaning what
went in came out. Not a new creation. He didn't
say that. What went in is going to be changed. But what went in is what is coming
out. Resurrection. That's what it
means. Not a new creation. A resurrection. The just unto
life. The unjust unto everlasting damnation. Every man, every woman is going
to spend eternity in their body.