In 2 Peter chapter 1, Peter tells
them one reason that he wrote this epistle to these suffering
believers was to stir them up, to stir up their memory. He's
not telling them anything that they didn't already know, but
Peter seems concerned that in the midst of their persecutions
and their difficulties and their severe trials, it might cloud
their eyes to forget the prize of the high calling of God to
which they were striving in Christ Jesus. I can identify with that,
can't you? Oh, how prone we are, especially
in times of sorrow, to get our eyes off Christ, to do like Peter. Look at the waves. Everything's
fine as long as we look at Christ. Oh, but when we take our eyes
off Him and look at the waves, we're bound to sink. Here in
2 Peter, I'm sorry, chapter 1 verse 12, Peter says, Wherefore, I
will not be negligent to put you always in remembrance of
these things, though you know them, and be established in the
present truth. Yea, I think it meet proper,
it's just the right thing to do, as long as I am in this tabernacle,
this body, to stir you up by putting you in remembrance. knowing
that shortly I must put off this my tabernacle even as the Lord
Jesus Christ has showed me." Peter says, I'll go the way of
all flesh. Moreover, verse 15, I will endeavor
that ye may be able after my decease to have these things
always in remembrance. And now here back in Matthew,
Matthew chapter 28. This is really a continuation
of the brief article in today's bulletin. A better day is coming. As I wrote that brief article,
and I think I stated in it the reason for it, I know a lot of
us are going through some tough times, some hard times. I look
out on you and I know there's not one of you, there's not one
of you that's not having trials. with those which are common to
the men in this world and those which are just peculiar to Christians
alone. The battle between the flesh,
the world, and the devil. We cry out often, daily, oh wretched
man that I am. Only believer has that experience. Unbelievers don't. They don't
have anyone else to do a battle with. There's got to be two to
battle. The old man and the new man, only a child of God, has
that new nature. Then in addition to that, I mean I stand here and I look
over there and don't see my big buddy Louie and I want again. I wanted this and I'm happy.
I'm happy for him. But that was so sudden, wasn't
it? So unexpected. He had the surgery. He was doing
fine and then God took him home. We don't understand. We don't
understand those things. We don't understand why, but
we know this. According to God's Word, Louis has entered into
that better day, that better day, a day where there'll never
be an end, a day without darkness, without sorrow, without pain,
and without sin. Here in verse 1 again of Matthew
28, it speaks of that new day. In the end of the Sabbath, the
end of the Sabbath, as it began to dawn for the first, toward
the first day of the week came Mary Magdalene, and the other
Mary, the seed, the sepulcher. And I told you before the reason
they came. Oh, but everything had changed.
Unbeknownst to them, everything had changed. Indeed, it was the
dawning of a new day. And this is why, verse 6, the
angel's message to them is this. He is not here. Jesus Christ
whom you seek, he's not here. He's not here. He is risen, as
he said. Just like he said he would. He
even told his enemies, you destroyed this temple and in three days
I'll raise it up again. He told his disciples, behold
we go up to Jerusalem And everything that's written concerning the
Son of Man shall be what? Accomplished, shall be done,
shall be fulfilled. And after the third day, I shall
rise again. He told them, I'll meet you on
the Mount in Galilee. And that's where he always does
what he says. Yes, the end of the Sabbath.
The darkness of the cross is over. That shame, that shame
that he endured, it's over. The anguish of Calvary is done
and it will never be repeated. It will never be repeated. You
know why? There's no need to. There's no
need to repeat that. It can't be repeated. There's
no need to do so because as our Lord said, victoriously. Not as one being defeated, but
one that's victorious. One that's prevailing. One that's
accomplishing everything He came into this world to do. He cries
out, it is finished. It's done. It's done. Sin has
been put away. These are all done things. Completed things. Sin has been
put away. Righteousness has been brought
in. Justice, the justice of God, is satisfied. And as we read
these words, as it began to dawn, a new day has come. Truly it's
the end of the Sabbath. Paul in Romans 10 verse 4 says
Christ is the end of the law to everyone, to everyone that
believes. Galatians 3, Christ has redeemed
us from the curse of the law by being made a curse for us
in our place as our substitute. So now we can sing. We read these
words, it's the end of the Sabbath, the fulfillment of the law, it's
done away. Now we walk in the liberty of
the sons of God and we sing, oh freedom law. Oh, what a happy
condition to be in. Free from the law. Oh, happy
condition. Jesus has bled and there is remission. It is no wonder that so much
importance is put on the resurrection of the Lord Jesus Christ. I mean,
you think about it. It's the seal. It's the proof,
if you will, of the great work of redemption which he did. It
shows that he accomplished it. is the crowning proof that he
paid the debt, he got the job done. Everything he undertook
to do on the behalf of his people, he did. He won the battle, he
fought to deliver us from hell, and his resurrection is proof
that God Almighty accepted him, the Son of God, proven, shown
to be the Son of God with power by the resurrection from the
dead. Had Jesus Christ never come forth from the dead. There's
no way we would know. As a matter of fact, we would
have every reason to doubt if God had accepted his sacrifice.
I mean, the very evidence to prove that God Almighty was pleased
with the sacrifice of his son was in the fact that he raised
him from the dead and set him at his own right hand in the
heavenly place. Had he never risen from the dead,
his conflict with the last enemy, death, we would have never known
that it had been destroyed. But thanks be unto God, we are
not left to doubt about it. The Lord Jesus Christ rose again
for, Paul tells us in Romans 4, rose again for, or because
of, because of our justification. True believers, we read in scripture,
are begotten again unto a lively hope by the resurrection of Jesus
Christ from the dead. His resurrection guarantees,
assures the resurrection of all of his people. Father, I will. Now, if the one speaking is that
poor weakling, that can't have his way, that needs the assistance
of the sinner to accomplish his purpose of salvation, then we
don't put much stock in that. Oh, but if that one who's saying,
I will, Father, is the great God and Savior, if he's the one
who told his disciples before he ascended back to heaven, all
power is given unto me in heaven and in earth. I've got it all
over everything, everybody, all the time. Well, if that be the
case, then when he wills something, I can rest assured there's no
question about it being done. Father, I will. Oh, this is the
will, so to speak, the last will and testament of the Lord Jesus
Christ before he went to Calvary and fulfilled the covenant entered
into with the Father before the foundation of the world. I will,
Father, that all which you have given me be with me where I am. How about that? That they may
behold my glory. Oh, the wisdom of God. The wisdom
of God who knows the unbelief even of his children. Oh, help
thou my unbelief. Any believer here never have
to pray that. Do you not find with your faith there is also
a mixture in your heart of unbelief? Lord, help I believe, but help
thou my unbelief." Never was there a fact which the friends
of God were so prone to forget when he said, I will rise again.
And never there was a fact as the resurrection which the enemies
of Christ were so anxious to disprove, as we read just a moment
ago. And yet, in spite of the unbelief
of a child of God, in spite of the enmity of his enemies and
foes, The fact was thoroughly established. Jesus Christ rose. Now I know in our day, about
the only time you hear messages concerning the resurrection of
Christ is on Easter. Oh no, this is good news every
day. Every day. All to lie down and
rest with this sweet assurance that my Redeemer liveth. I'm not serving a dead Christ. No, a dead Christ can't help
me. A dead Christ can't comfort me.
A dead Christ can't keep me. A dead Christ does nothing for
me. Oh, but I serve a living Savior. He sets upon a throne
of ruling, reigning, conquering grace, and He's able to secure
all of His people. He's able to comfort them. He
identifies with them because He ever liveth to make intercession
for them. Notice in these verses the glory
and the majesty with which Christ rose from the dead. We're told
there was a great earthquake. We're told that the angel of
the Lord descended from heaven and rolled back the stone. Now,
we don't need to suppose that the resurrection of our Lord
required an angel to roll back the stone. He could have done
that very easily himself, but it pleased God that the resurrection
of his son should be accompanied and followed by signs and wonders. It seemed good that the earth
should shake and a glorious angel should appear when the Son of
God arose from the dead as a conqueror. As a conqueror. Does he not sound
like a conqueror? Does he sound like someone who
was defeated? When he tells the disciples,
all power is given unto me. Now as God, he always possessed
all power, but as the God-man, as our surety, as the mediator,
God has put all power into the hands of his son. Oh, he rules. He rules. Hallelujah. He rules
and reigns forever. Revelation chapter 5. Turn there
if you will for a moment. Revelation chapter 5. John has
been caught up to heaven to see things that must be. Must
be, we read in chapter 4. I'll show you things that must
be, John, hereafter. The first thing John saw was
a throne, and there was one, just one, sitting on the throne.
But here in chapter 5, verse 1, and I saw in the right hand
of him that sat on the throne a book written within and on
the backside and sealed with seven seals. Now this is a picture
of the decrees of God, the will, the purposes of God. And I saw
a strong angel proclaim with a loud voice, who is worthy to
open the book and to loose the seals thereof? Who's worthy? Who has enough merit, enough
worth, enough value to take the book from the throne of God,
from the hand of God. Who can do that and fulfill the
purposes of God that are written therein? And no man in heaven,
nor in earth, nor under the earth, was able to open the book, neither
to look thereon. And I wept much, because no man
was found worthy to open the book, or to open and to read
the book, neither to look thereon. And one of the elders said unto
me, weep not. Behold, Behold, all those words
are always applicable, are they not, to God's children? For whatever
reason we weep, and we do, we weep. The psalmist said, as the
title, or rather the text from which I wrote the article in
your bulletin, weeping may endure for a night. We are not immune
from weeping. Oh, but a sight of the lion of
the tribe of Judah, the root of David, Our great high priest,
a sight of him, oh, is reason to quit weeping. Weep not, take
another look. Behold, behold, oh John, you've
got no reason to cry. It is well with my soul. He is still ruling, he's still
reigning, it is still his will. His will to bring us to the Father's
house. John, quit crying. You got no reason to. Weep not,
behold. And child of God, may we have
a fresh glimpse of our victorious Savior this morning, and we'll
cease to weep at least for a little while, too. Weep not, behold.
The land of the tribe of Judah, the root of David, hath prevailed. Well, he always does. Why wouldn't
he? Hath prevailed to open the book. and to loose the seals
thereof. And I beheld him low in the midst
of the throne, and of the four beasts, and in the midst of the
elders stood a lamb, as it had been slain, having seven horns
and seven eyes, which are the seven spirits of God sent forth
into all the earth. And he came, when the fullness
of the time was come, God sent forth his son, made of a woman,
made under the law, to redeem them that were under the law.
And he came, and took the book out of the right hand of him
that sat upon the throne. And when he had taken the book,
the four beasts and four and twenty elders fell down before
the Lamb, having every one of them harps and golden vows full
of odors, which are the prayers of the saints. And they sung
a new song saying, Thou art worthy, Thou art worthy. Oh, won't that
be a joy to hear in heaven. I mean, down here people want
to divide the glory. Man's got to have his part. Man's
worth, or man's work, or man's merit, or man's will. Got to
have his share in the glory. Oh, but in heaven, in heaven,
won't it be delightful, not only to join in with, but to hear.
Everybody singing the same song. Everybody giving the glory to
that one from whom they received all the grace. There's only one
worthy in heaven. Only one. The Lord Jesus Christ,
thou art worthy to take the book and to open the seals thereof.
Why? For you were slain. You were slain. Well, that's
not worth singing about unless in his death he accomplished
what he intended to do. You were slain. And what did
you do? You have redeemed us to God.
You didn't make my redemption possible. You didn't make it A hope so? No, no, no, no. You redeemed us to God. At the
very moment when you cried, it is finished, we were redeemed
to God by your own precious blood and we can't be unredeemed. God
Almighty says, deliver his soul from going down to the pit because
I've found a ransom, the ransom that Jesus Christ laid down for
him. has redeemed us to God by thy
own blood. Oh, God says, when I see the
blood, don't you like that old hymn? When I see the blood, Scott
Richardson said, I trust God's eyesight a lot more than I do
my own. He says, when I see the blood,
when I see the blood, I will pass over you. There may come
a time, because of age, our mind is not what it used to be. We
forget. We forget. Like dear brother
Hubert Montgomery told Don one time, Don, I can't see the blood.
I just can't see the blood. And Don said, Hubert, God says
it's not when you see the blood. It's when he sees the blood.
I will pass over you. You've redeemed us to God by
your own blood out of every kindred and tongue and people and nation.
And you've made us unto our God kings and priests. And we shall
reign on the earth. The resurrection of the Lord
Jesus Christ, as we said already, is the assurance of our own. In Genesis chapter 43, you remember
when Joseph, who had not revealed himself to his brethren, who
was in Egypt still at the time, when they came there looking
for grain, He told them, you bring your younger brother Benjamin
down, and then we'll discuss this thing. So they went back,
told their father. Father said, oh no, I've lost
Joseph. I'm not sending Benjamin. And
Judah told his father, Judah, he said, I'll become a surety
for Benjamin. Judah said to his father, send
a lad with me. and we will arise and go that
we may live and not die, both we and thou and also our little
ones. I will be surety. I'll stand
in for him. I promise you. I will be surety
for him. My hand shall not require him
if I bring him not unto thee and set him before thee, then
let me bear the blame forever. We read in scripture of Jesus
Christ being our surety. Before the foundation of the
world, he promised his father that he would be responsible
for us. I like that, don't you? There's
a commercial on TV. What is it? It's about insurance. Allstate. He said, you're in
good hands with Allstate. Oh, I'm in good hands. I'm in
good hands because I'm in the hands of my blessed surety, the
Lord Jesus Christ. And he told God the Father that
he would be responsible for me. that He would be my surety, that
He would do all God required, and He would do so as the substitute
of His people. And glory to His name, He didn't
do it halfway. He got the job done. Father,
let me bear the blame if I don't bring Him back to you. Judah
told Jacob concerning Benjamin. And the Lord Jesus Christ said,
this is the Father's will. that of all which he hath given
me, I should lose none." Oh, what a victorious Savior. I should lose none, but raised
him up again at the last day. Yeah, we're in good hands. And
let me just say this, and we'll move on. Don't fail to remember
that the Lord's resurrection is simply a type and a pledge
of the resurrection of all of his people. The grave couldn't
hold the Lord Jesus Christ. At the appointed time, he came
forth. And at the appointed time, the
Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, and all
those who sleep in Christ shall arise, shall arise. And all those
yet living shall be changed, and together multitude multitude,
you can't count them, you can't number them, shall be caught
up to meet the Lord in the air. Whoa, what a meeting, what a
day, glorious day that's gonna be. We take cover in this thought,
though trials and sorrow and persecution are the portion of
God's people, and sickness and weakness and pain often hurt
and just wear us down. Billy told me this morning, Larry,
I can feel myself just wearing down. And I'm several years younger
than Billy. Billy, I can feel myself wearing
down, too. Oh, but that does not make void
the promise of our great God and Savior, that where He is,
there we will be also. So let's just wait. Just wait
patiently, and we shall have a glorious resurrection. When
we die, or rather, when we die, or where we're buried, or what
kind of funeral we have, doesn't make a whole lot of difference,
does it? The only thing that matters to die in the Lord, to
die knowing Jesus Christ, to save with old Job. And he was
sitting in sackcloth and ashes when he made the statement. I
know, I know. Man, he was hurt. He lost family,
lost all earthly possessions, had no clue what was going on,
had no clue why God allowed that. But by the grace of God, he said,
setting in the sackcloth of ashes emblems of his trial and hurt
and sorrow. He said, I know this. I don't
know why all this is happening. I just don't know. And those
miserable comforters of his didn't know either. But he said, I do
know this. None of this changes this. I
know that my Redeemer is alive. He's alive. He's still on the
throne. And in the last day, I'm going
to see him for myself. I'm going to see him with my
own eyes. Oh, what a blessed, blessed,
glorious hope. Yes, a better, A better day is
coming. Weeping may endure through the
night, but joy, the joy that's waiting for a child of God. In the last couple of months,
I've attended three funerals of dear friends. Last Tuesday,
some of you were there. Brother Louis. A few months before
that, Dave Coleman. He was my good buddy. Not good
for you, Dave Cole. Last year when I was at the conference,
I guess that was the last time I saw him. And I sat down beside
him over lunch and said, Dave, how you doing? Oh, he looked,
just looked terrible. He'd aged, looked so much older
than he was. And he'd just begin to cry. Couldn't
help it. He said, Larry, this has been rough. He said, it's
been rough. But not anymore. Not anymore. What, a matter of days? When
God called Dave home, dear brother Henry Mayhan went home. And at Dave's funeral, Don used
an illustration that you've heard before, and I think I've used
it too. A young lady, or rather an old lady, called her pastor
to her home one day, wanted to make arrangements for her funeral,
for the service. So they went over everything,
and she said, one more thing, pastor. before they close the
call. I want you to put my fork in
my hand. He said, dude, what? I want you
to put my fork in my hand. She said, well, why? What for?
She said, when I was a little girl at home, large family, and
we didn't have a whole lot. Seldom did we have dessert after
a meal, just couldn't afford it. But when we would clear the
table and my mother would say to us, Hold on to you for it. We knew something better was
coming. Child of God, something better
is coming. All these women came to the tomb
that morning and man, they were broken hearted. They stood at
the foot of the cross and they saw the Son of God die, Mary
Magdalene. God cast seven devils out of
that woman. She saw him breathed at his last. She followed him. and saw them put him in the tomb.
Can you imagine how heavy hearted they were, how full of sadness?
But then, when they hear the words, he's not here. He's risen just like he said
he would. Come, see the place where he
laid. Oh, what joy. What joy replaced
their sorrow? He's not dead. He's alive. John,
I'm he that liveth. I was dead, but now I'm alive. I'm alive forevermore. I have
the keys of hell and of death. Martha, Martha, your brother
is going to rise again. Oh, Lord, I know, I know. In
the resurrection, at the last day. And it didn't seem to have
much comfort for Martha, did it? It just seems to kind of
pass it by. Yeah, resurrection, yeah, that's
something that'll happen way out there someday. And the little
looked at her and said, oh, Martha, you don't understand what I'm
telling you about the resurrection. Isn't there a world of difference
in just a doctrine and then when you see it in Christ? I've heard
people talk about election and debate election and just dry
and so forth, but you see that we were chosen in Him. Living,
breathing Savior. We were chosen in Him. Redemption? Jesus loved me. Jesus loved me. Redemption's not a word. It's
not a doctrine. Jesus Christ redeemed me with
His own precious blood. He obtained eternal redemption
for me. Martha, whosoever liveth and believeth
in me shall never die. Do you believe this? I wonder.
I declare I don't believe Martha ever thought about the resurrection
the same way after that. After she went to the tomb, And
Jesus Christ who said, I am the resurrection and the light, said,
Lazarus, come forth. And she sees her dead brother.
He'd been dead four days. She sees him shuffle out of the
grave. She never thought about the resurrection
as some far-off, distant word or doctrine. She thought about
Jesus Christ, her living, breathing Savior. Yeah, children of God,
hold on to your fork. There's a better day to come. In Luke's Gospel, chapter 24,
our Lord appeared to two disciples on the road to Emmaus, and he
asked them, what are you fellas talking about? He joined himself
to them as they walked along, and he said, why are you so sad? Just sad, why? And they said,
well, where have you been? Haven't you heard what's went
on? They told him about Jesus of Nazareth, And then on down
in the chapter they said, we had hoped, verse 21, we had hoped
that it was He that should have redeemed Israel. We'd hoped He was the one. We
had hoped that He was the Messiah that should redeem Israel. Well,
bless His glorious name, He did redeem Israel, all of His Israel. All of his chosen people, all
true Jews, all true children of Abraham shall be saved. The Lord always does. Notice
again verse 6 of Matthew 28. He is not here, he is risen as
he said. Jesus always does as he said. Remember, he said, in my father's
house are many mansions. I go to prepare a place for you. And if I go to prepare a place
for you, I will come again. He said, if this wasn't so, if
this wasn't true, I wouldn't be telling you this. He always
does what he says. And I'll come back and receive
you unto myself. Remember, he said, fear not,
little flock. It's your father's good pleasure
to give you the kingdom. How about this? We have a high
priest at the right hand of the throne of God, continually making
intercession for us, is able to save, therefore, because he
ever liveth, save to the uttermost all that come unto God by him.
Paul in Romans 9 says Jesus Christ now appears in the presence of
God for us. Don't you like that? He's representing
us. You think God will hear him?
You think God will honor him? You think God would reject him? Oh no, he's representing, he
appears in the presence of God for all of his people. Paul in
Romans 11 said, there is now therefore a remnant according
to the election of grace. And in chapter 9 he says that
remnant The remnant, according to the election of grace, they
shall all be saved. Remnant. That's what God's people
are. We're just a remnant. A remnant
out of this world. God chose a remnant. A remnant. I had a friend, he's
with the Lord now, Bill Carver. I don't know, I'm guessing that
you know him, but several years the Lord took him home. I'd stay
with him in his home every now and then when I would go down
to Cherokee, North Carolina to preach. You know how Bill made
his living, made a good living? With remnants. He'd go all over
the country and factories would throw away your remnants. Had
no use for them. Bill would buy them. He'd scarf
them up and come back and resell them. Housewives, people that
had value in a remnant. And Bill not only supported himself
and built the house with the selling of remnants, he also,
after he was grown and his sons, or rather his sons were grown,
they went into business doing the same thing. That's what God
did. He deals with the remnant, only
a remnant. He's always seeking the remnant
of his people. Everything he does, he does for
the remnant. He builds his house with a remnant.
God looks upon a remnant as the greatest treasure in this world.
He says, they're the apple of my eye, my remnant, according
to the election of grace. Again, Psalm 30 and 5, weeping
may endure for a night. Yeah, we weep now, but not then. We hurt now, but not then. We confess with Paul, wretched
man, that I am, but not then. He that sits upon the throne
says, behold, I make all things new. There'll be no more sickness,
no more sorrow, no more death, no more pain, because the former
things are wiped away. John, write it down, because
I always do what I say. And bless God, he does. We must
be kept by the great shepherd. That's a must be. We must be
brought to glory. We must see His face. All these
are must-be things for the honor of God the Father, for the reward
of Christ, for the travail of His soul. He shall see and be
satisfied. Weeping indeed may endure for
the night, but that night has an end. It's not going to last
forever. But blessed interruption of our
sorrow. Blessed assurance, all our tears
shall be wiped away. Paul said, don't look at the
things that are seen. They're temporal. Everything
you see is temporal. They're passing. They're transit.
They're vanishing away. Oh, but look at the things which
are not seen. They're eternal. They're forever, like your home
in heaven. We know if this earthly tabernacle
were dissolved, we have a home in heaven that fades not away. Thank God. The joy of no more
sin. Imagine that. Can you? I can't. I can't. I try, but I can't. Imagine that. No more sin. The joy of being
with Jesus Christ and being like Him forever. Loving Him, seeing
Him, worshipping Him with an unsinning heart. Brother Lowell
Rogers, one evening before he became ill, He came down to the
house, and we sat in the backyard. He said, Larry, you know, I was
thinking, what do you think we'll do when we first see Jesus Christ? He said, what do you think we'll
do? He said, do you think we'll just cry? You think we'll jump
and shout? You think we'll just fall down?
I said, Brother Lloyd, I don't know. I don't know. But whatever
we do, it'll be all right. Revelation chapter 22, verses
3 and 4. And there shall be no more curse,
but the throne of God and of the Lamb shall be in it. And
his servants shall serve him, and they shall see his face.
I love that. They shall see his face, and
his name shall be in their foreheads. One hymn writer expressed it
this way. He says, there's coming a day
when no heartache shall come, no more clouds in the sky, no
more tears to dim the eye. Always peace forevermore on that
happy golden shore. What a day, glorious day that
will be. Brothers and sisters, hold on
to your courage. There will be no sorrow there,
no more burdens to bear, no more sickness, no more pain, no more
partying over there. And forever I will be With the
one who died for me, what a day, glorious day that will be. What a day that will be where
my Jesus I shall see when I look upon the face of the one who
saved me by his grace. And he takes me by the hand and
leads me through the promised land. Oh, what a day, what a
glorious day that will be. He which testifieth these things
sayeth, surely I come quickly. And the church responds, even
so come Lord Jesus. God bless you. God bless you.
Thank you for your attention.