I love these occasions. There
was a day in my life when I didn't know God, let alone worshiped
Him, let alone had the opportunity to celebrate the birth, the life,
and the death, and the resurrection of the Son of the living God.
I look forward to these times. They call this day Good Friday. But I call it an awful, awful
night. Now we know what they mean by
good. All things worked for good to those that love God. But that
was an awful night. An awful night in which all of
humanity showed its true colors. If you had been there, you would
have crucified him too. Had you been there, you would
have agreed with the rulers. this man's blood be upon us and
our children because by nature we all hate god only reason you
love him is because he first loved you only reason you worship
him is because he pours the love of god in your heart we're born
with our fist in god's face and we are no different than those
jews pontius pilate and everyone else who said crucify him, crucify
him. But what I want to do with you
guys tonight is I just want to reflect upon some realities,
realities that constitute our hope as believers in Jesus Christ. And if you don't know Christ
tonight, we pray spirit of God. Touch somebody. Touch somebody. As I get older, I find a greater
appreciation of the historicity of Christ's life. He is the greatest
person in the world, the most well-known and the most controversial
person on planet Earth. And that's just appropriate for
the kind of Savior we need. He is a controversial person.
God is a controversial God. His Word is controversial. The
Gospel is controversial. Everything about God is controversial
and he saves controversial people like you and me You are controversial
whether you like it or not. No, I know you think you're civil
But you're controversial and you need a controversial God
to save a complex person like you But what God says to you and
me is without faith it's impossible what I And so what I want to
simply do tonight is remind you that the one resource that God
has given us by which we can take advantage of and enjoy and
plant our souls feet upon in terms of our eternal destiny
and the truth of the gospel those Those truths of the gospel that
are challenged every day in our world challenged every day on
our job challenged every day in school For the believer, the
one place where you can find complete refuge is in God's word. It's in God's word. Now, having
said that, one of the things we are discovering today is that
a number of the different resources by which you and I seek to make
credible different historical events and seek to affirm empirically
and naturally and scientifically and and every other discipline
given to man by which we might affirm antiquity and events and
allegations and assertions about different things that are occurring.
One of the things that has been wonderful for me in my own personal
private studies is how technology has come to the service of its
God. Technology has come to the service
of the God that made it and has unearthed on many occasions The
truth claims of the Bible with regards to the historicity of
Jesus Christ Now I want to simply share with you seven signs of
the coming of Jesus Christ And what I mean what I mean by seven
signs of his first coming It's recorded for us in first John
chapter 5 verses 1 through 8 and then I'm going to briskly run
through those eight points and And I hope by then you will have
acquired a new appreciation for the word of God as well as creation
which serves the true and the living God as he bears record
everywhere at all times about his own glory, his own purpose
and his own will so that the scripture says God is not without
witness. God is not without witness. In
1st John chapter 5 we read these words verses 1 through 8. And
I'll, uh, I'll seek to, uh, share my thoughts with you today. John
says, whosoever believe it, that Jesus is the Christ is already
born of God. Do you see that? That's a wonderful
truth. Ladies and gentlemen, if you
believe on the son of God, if you truly believe on the son
of God, you are already born again. See, at the heart then
is what? Believing. Whosoever believeth
that Jesus is the Christ is born of God, and every one that loveth
him that begot, loveth him also that is begotten of him. You
know what that means, right? When you're saved, you love Jesus,
don't you? And then you also love those that are saved by
that same great Savior as well. Don't we love one another? Say
it like you mean it. Don't we love one another? Yes.
By this, we know that we love the children of God when we love
God and keep his commandments. When you see a brother or sister
about the Lord's business, guess what? They are loving you. When
you see them minding their own business, serving God as they
ought to, guess what they're doing for you? Loving you. The
best thing I can do for you is to obey God. And in that context,
I am loving you. Listen to it for this is the
love of God that we keep his commandments and his commandments
are not burdensome They're not grievous Nothing wrong with God's
law. Is that right? The whole problem
lies within us however Whatsoever is born of God also guess what
overcomes the world? Is that true? And this is the
victory that overcomes the world even our what? Who is he that
overcomes the world but he that believeth that Jesus is the son
of God. This is John's. This is John's
Magna Carta. This is what John presses home
to everyone that listens to him. You must believe on the son of
the living God. Then it goes on to say this is
he. This is where I get my coming from. This is he that came by
water and blood. How did he come? He came by water
and blood. Who is it? Jesus Christ not by
water only but by water and blood and it is the spirit that bears
witness Because the spirit is true There are three that bear
record in heaven the father The word that is the Son and the
Holy Ghost and these three are one and there are three that
bear record bear witness in the earth the spirit and the water
and the blood and these three are Agree in one listen to this
now if we receive the witness of men and we do don't we? You
and I live our whole lives bearing record to what men say God however
has a record. Did you know that God has a testimony? God God has a word for us and
he's asking us. Will you receive my testimony?
And that's the whole issue here. Listen to it He that believeth
on the verse 9. I'm sorry if we receive the witness
of men The witness of God is greater for this is the witness
of God which he hath testified of his son verse 10 He that believeth
on the Son of God hath the witness in himself he that believeth
not God hath made him a liar and because he believeth not
the record that God gave of his son. Is John pressing home faith
in Christ? Is John declaring that God's
word is worth believing? Is John declaring that God has
given a testimony to the whole world concerning his son, of
which, if men believe that, they have obtained eternal life? Is
that what he's saying? It's pretty simple, isn't it?
Listen to the next verse. And this is the record that God
hath given us eternal life, And this life is in his son seven
signs of our master's first coming that I want to share out of the
Gospel of Matthew. As the Gospel writers, Matthew,
Mark, Luke, and John, had the great privilege, the great privilege
of telling the world about the first coming of our Savior. Their
job, their role, their office was to declare the things that
they had seen and heard about Jesus Christ. And their testimony
has now survived 2,000 years of history. And what I am trying
to press home to you and me is our salvation lies exclusively
upon the testimony of these men. And our security and assurance
of faith lies upon how well you and I are acquainted with the
text of Scripture concerning the person and work of Jesus
Christ. My assurance is based upon how much time I spend in
God's Word, meditating upon His precepts, Allowing the truth
claims of Scripture to impact my heart so one of the things
I want to call your attention to as I preface these seven points
that are in the Gospel of Matthews is this the sure and faithful
testimony of Scripture is the foundation upon which the people
of God live the sure and faithful and Testimony of scripture. This is really what john is talking
about in our text. So let me remind you about this
book We call the bible the bible tells us in psalm chapter 12
psalm 12 verse 6 And 7 these words mark this now listen to
it the words of the lord are pure words Do you see that as
silver tried in a furnace of earth? purified Seven times the
words of the Lord are pure words. Ladies and gentlemen, we can
trust them. They are pure In other words,
they are Uncontaminated they are uncorrupted There's no defilement
in God's Word God's Word doesn't have an admixture of man and
God This is the pure word of God Now the Word of God is that
by which you and I stand now listen to what it says. They
are not only pure words They have been tried As silver tried
in a furnace of earth, they have been purified. How many times?
That means men try God's Word, don't they? They test God's Word.
Turn with me in your Bible to Proverbs chapter 30. I want to
remind you again of what the Proverbs says in Proverbs 30
verse 5 as well. Men try God's Word because men
do not naturally believe God's testimony. You and I struggle
sometimes with God's testimony But that's mostly because we
don't bow the knee before God and ask him to give us grace
to not only understand what the bible says but to believe it
And depend upon it beyond our own human limited capacity to
reason through things Like some of the miracles we're going to
talk about here in a moment This is why without faith, it's impossible
to believe God God tells you and I something and we're simply
to trust him but listen to Proverbs chapter 30 verse 5 here it is
again Every word of God is what? See the previous verse says the
words of the Lord are pure the proverb says every word of God
is pure Is that true? See, there's not one corruption
in the Word of God. Now, if I were dealing with polemics
or if I was dealing with apologetics, I would be arguing with every
carping speculation on the part of an unbelieving man that the
Bible, from Genesis to Revelation, is not totally and completely
the Word of God. I would say it is! It is. It is God's Word. The unadulterated
truth by which men and women have a saving knowledge of God.
The Bible is the Word of God. The Bible is the Word of God.
Get a hold of that now. And there is no resource that
can anchor your soul to eternity like the Word of the Lord. The
pure words. Now watch what he says. And he
is a what? Sheol. unto them that put their
trust in him. And we went from the impersonal
word to the personal word. Did you get that? The words of
the Lord are pure words. He, not it. He is a shield. unto every one of them that put
their trust in Him. In the beginning was the Word,
and the Word was with God, and the Word was God, and the same
was in the beginning with God, and there was nothing made that
was not made by Him. We're talking about Christ. The Word of the Living God. He's
my shield. How about you? He's my buckler.
How about you? He's my high tower. How about
you? He's my hiding place. How about you? He's my anchor.
How about you? He's my sanctuary. How about
you? He's my hope. How about you? I'm trying to remind you of the
great dignity and inheritance you have in the Word of God.
The sure and faithful testimony of scripture turn with me in
isaiah chapter 34 and get it again Because everywhere you
go men and women will allow you to say you believe on the lord
jesus They will allow you to say that and then they will challenge
your authority They will challenge the premise upon which your hope
is laid. They will challenge your theses
I'm talking about your your learned men your scholarly men and then
your ignorant folks who believe in them I'm talking about your
learned scholarly men who are too bright, too bright for the
simple propositions of biblical truth. They are the one that
disseminate all the unbelief in the lives of people who are
simple and give them flawed arguments to oppose the clarity of biblical
truth. And those of us who know the
faithfulness of the Word of God realize that we have to battle
against this every day. the speculations and arguments
of men concerning the Word of God, concerning the first coming
of Christ. And they are without number,
the skeptics and the rationalists who have sought to level charges
against the testimony of Scripture for hundreds and thousands of
years. They have denied the true claims
of Scripture. But do you know they've done
that to no avail? Do you know there are more believers today
than there were in the first century? Do you understand that? Do you understand that even though
they've tried to burn the Word, hide the Word, twist the Word,
distort the Word, the Word still rises up out of the dust and
saves men and women? Listen to what Isaiah says. Now
Isaiah is speaking concerning what we call the infallibility
of God's Word. What do you mean by infallibility?
That when the Word sets forth prophetic truth, that truth is
going to come to pass. The Word is much more than a
prophecy, but when it sets forth prophetic truth, you can trust
it. Listen to what Isaiah chapter
34 says, verse 16. Are we there? Listen to it. He
says, Seek ye out of the book of the Lord. There is a book,
isn't there? Seek ye out of the book of the Lord and do what?
Do what? And I see that's the problem
in this generation. Isn't that the problem? See,
and what God is saying to you and me is this. If we're not
reading, we're not seeking. If we're not reading, we're not
seeking. We're just talking. We're playing church. God, I
need you. He says, read. I'm right there.
Read. Read. Listen to it. Seek ye out
of the book of the Lord and read Not one of these shall fail None
shall want her mate for my mouth have commanded it and his spirit
Have gathered them. Do you see that? What is he saying?
Every line every precept precept upon precept lined upon line
here a little there a little by all the prophets declaring
the truth of god Every prophecy is coming the path to pass just
as god declared even to this very hour Even to this very hour,
prophecy is coming to pass. But I am asserting the truth
claims of Scripture so that you might have your hope in God through
Christ because He came, ladies and gentlemen. So, we believe
the Word of God is pure. We believe that it's been tried.
We believe that it's infallible. The Word of God is faithful,
is it not? It's faithful. Then Peter tells us it's illuminating. Go with me in your Bible to 2
Peter 1.19. 2 Peter 119. I just need to remind you of
the efficacious nature of the Word of God, of the essential
nature of biblical truth in terms of its own authenticity, its
own power. its own testimony and its impact
in your life and mine. I must remind you that when we
celebrate the birth of Christ, the life of Christ, the death
of Christ, the resurrection of Christ, the exaltation of Christ,
the rule of Christ, the only basis upon which we can do that
emphatically is the Word of God. That's the only basis. Now listen
to 2 Peter chapter 1. Listen to it. Are you there?
Listen to what Peter said. Now I want you to mark how Peter
And he's a much more mature man now, articulates his experience
with Jesus. He says over in verse 16, for
we have not followed cunningly devised fables. You got that? Ladies and gentlemen, that's
the sum and substance of all of the arguments that are going
on today, that we're following cunningly devised fables, myths,
Now when these arguments are assailed against the word of
God, what do you do? You stand on the word and you
assume based upon your experience with God that they're wrong and
God is right. Did you get that? You take a
position of assumption on God. You believe that God's word is
right over against every assailment, every argument of men, because
we've been told by God's word, every man is a what? Liar. Let God be true. Let God be true. So I'm trying to put some tonic
in your soul in the 21st century, where we actually are seeking
to establish our hope on other things beside the word of God.
Your only hope is the testimony of God's Word. That's where your
strength comes from. And see, what you don't know
is God's Word has been through the fire. God's Word has been
in the fire. It's come out even purer than
when it went in. And that same word is getting
more powerful every day. But you don't know that because
you're not seeking God as y'all do. Because if you were, you'd
be reading your Bible, and guess what? You would experience the
effectual working of His Holy Spirit through the Word of God
making such an impact on your soul that you'd be ready to go
tell everybody about Christ. Everybody about Christ see what
I'm getting at the power of God's Word listen to the testimony
now listen to it This is what second Peter says verse 16 for
we've not followed cunningly devised fables when we made known
unto you the power and coming of our Lord Jesus Christ we were
what I Witnesses of what his majesty. That's why I say Saints
bow bow He is majestic If you've ever seen him in his glory, he's
majestic. And Peter is speaking about the
king. He's speaking about the king. And hear what he says.
For he, that is Christ, received from God the Father honor and
glory when there came such a voice to him from the excellent glory. Do you remember that, ladies
and gentlemen, the Mount of Transfiguration? When Peter and James and John
were privileged to behold the glorified Christ who was affirmed
by his father, we're going to talk about that in a moment,
they were made witnesses of his majesty. Of his majesty. This is what I'm saying. You
and I live on the testimony of the apostles. They were there.
They were in the mount. They beheld his glory. This changed
their lives. This is what gave boldness to
Peter and James and John to stand before human authorities when
they had been with God and been with the one mediator between
man and God, the glorious man, Jesus Christ. I wish I had been
there, don't you? No, I don't. I don't need to
be there. I've got the testimony. I've got the book. I've got the
record. This is good. One day I'm going to be with him. Are
you? One day I'm going to be with him. Wonder has he even
Peter messed up up there even he's up there. He messed up So
I probably would have messed up worse than Peter. No, I don't
need to be there I just need to believe this testimony and
listen to what he says He says for we received from God the
Father honor and glory when there came such a voice to him From
the excellent glory. This is my beloved son in whom
I am well pleased This voice which came from heaven we heard
We heard when we were with him in the Holy Mount. Now listen
to the next verse. Here it is. Here's the Illuminating
nature of God's Word and maybe the Spirit of God is doing that
for some of you right now We have also a more sure word of
prophecy. You know what he's talking about
this word. I We have a more sure word of
prophecy where unto you do well that you what take heed as unto
a light that shines in a dark place. What is that light? It's
the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face
of Jesus Christ that comes through the gospel. Do you remember it,
child of God? Do you remember how dark your
heart was? Do you remember how you were
in darkness? Do you remember how that you were darkness itself?
Do you remember how God commanded the light to shine and it penetrated
your heart and it lit up everything about you? Do you remember that?
This is what we're talking about the illuminating nature of God's
Word. Do you remember that? This is
a saving Revelation of God's glory in the souls of men. I
am so glad God commands salvation, aren't you? I'm so glad God commands
salvation and he does it through his word He does it through he's
doing it right now all over the world. I Whether you know it
or not, men and women are carrying God's Word to lost sinners in
some of the darkest regions of the world. And guess what? It's
cutting the lights on, even now as we speak. Glorious is our
God. Glorious is He in this. So the
Word of God is pure, tried, faithful, infallible, illuminating, and
it's saving. John says it go with me in your
Bible to John chapter 20 verse 31 I'm just reminding you before
I set forth my seven signs of the coming of our master just
for our souls to meditate on because you know good Friday
our Calvary night as we call it is only preparation for Sunday
morning I'm looking forward to the resurrection of Sunday morning
I'm looking forward to it but we've got to start with Friday
don't we we got to start with everything starts on Friday isn't
that right First of all, good meal Thursday night, right? Good
meal. Remember that? That's why I love my master.
He loves eating. Good meal. Good meal before you
go to work. And then we do our business waiting
for the one man to rise from the dead by which you and I have
an eternal hope forever and ever. Listen to what John says in the
gospel of John chapter 20. Verse 31. I just want you to
hear this. Why did God give us such a big book, such a big Bible,
66 books, a big, big, big Bible, such a big Bible that most people
live and die without reading the whole Bible. Isn't that true? I don't lie now. Why are you
still breathing? Tell the truth in the house of
the Lord. An honest person ain't going to hell. I told you that.
I love to tell folks that because you need to be honest with God.
When's the last time you read Haggai? See? See what I'm saying? See what I'm saying? Philemon. Pastor, I didn't even know about
a book called Philemon. See what I'm saying? Talking
about seeking the Lord. Listen, if you give yourselves
to reading the Bible from Genesis to Revelation every day starting
today, you will be done in a few months and you can tell the world,
I read the whole thing. You know how you watch the whole
movie and eat the whole hamburger Say you read the whole thing
This is your salvation This is your salvation. Here's what John
says John says these things were written Listen to it verse 31,
but these are written that we might believe on Believe that
Jesus is the Christ the Son of God you guys understand that
proposition Scripture is given in order to point us to Christ,
in order that our hope might be in God, in Christ, that through
the Father we come to know the Son by the power of the Holy
Ghost, that the Word of God is designed to point men to Christ.
Now we're back to biblical theology, are we not? Lo, I come in the
volume of the book it is written of me to do thy will, O God. This is what John is saying.
Listen, the whole of scripture points to our Savior. It is a
saving revelation. All right, let's move to our
seven points quickly. When we talk about the life and ministry
and the death and resurrection of Christ, we're talking about
miraculous things, ladies and gentlemen. Miraculous things.
But they're verifiable. Although not miraculous, they're
verifiable. See, now I want to call your attention to the first
point, the virgin birth. the virgin birth. Listen to what
Isaiah chapter 7 verse 14 says. You've heard it, I want you to
see it again. The prophet Isaiah says, behold I show you a sign. You know what he said? Listen
to what he says in Isaiah chapter 7 verse 14. This is a sign. Now
you know what a sign is? A sign is something that points
to something else. And in the context of Isaiah,
he's dealing with the battles of the Assyrians coming up against
the ten northern tribes because of their rebellion and disobedience
and they're in trouble and they're struggling. And then he says
over in verse 14 of chapter 7, Therefore the Lord himself shall
give you a what? Behold, a virgin shall conceive
and bear a son and shall call his name what? Now let me ask
you, do you believe that? Then we can go on. then we can
go on. Because see, this requires believing.
That a virgin would be overshadowed by the Holy Ghost and that holy
thing in her would be the Son of the Living God requires faith. Requires faith. There is, in
that proposition, no way of analyzing empirically the truth claims
of it. It merely requires you and I
trusting that what God says, God does. So this was written
700 years before it happened. Did it happen, ladies and gentlemen?
Just as God said? It happened just as He said.
Go with me in your Bible now to Matthew chapter 1, verse 18
through 23, and let's see. Let's just... See, this is just
a basic excursion through the Scriptures. reminding ourselves
of the concrete facts about the coming of Christ and the life
of Christ and the death of Christ. Now watch this. Isaiah said it
700 years ago. Lo and behold, what we read in
Matthew chapter one, verse 18. Are you ready? Now the birth
of Jesus Christ was on this wise. See, God's time is designed to
affirm his purposes. God's time is designed to affirm
his purposes. He said it was gonna happen and
it happened. Listen to it. When as his mother,
Mary, espoused to Joseph before they what? Virginity, right? At least in that century, not
today. She was found with child of the Holy Ghost. See verse
18? Verse 18 is an amazing verse.
Because it's telling us to believe something that is humanly impossible. See it? But it is the fulfillment
of the text Isaiah 7 14, right? Behold a virgin shall be with
child We don't have to argue the historical are the the the
languages of Isaiah chapter 7 we believe the testimony She was
a virgin and here Matthew is clearly Establishing that fact
Mary was espoused to Joseph before they came together She was found
with child of the Holy Ghost. That's a sign and a miracle a
sign and a miracle Now let me assert four or five things in
your outline underneath the virgin birth. Again, when the gospel
comes to men and women, it initiates a controversy. When the gospel
comes, it initiates a controversy because it says things that you
cannot prove rationally or empirically. That Christ was born of a virgin
requires simply believing. And then it's controversial because
the one who has now been made subject to that miraculous event
has to walk around pregnant for nine months saying this is God's
baby. And you know how we think? Mary
is now the object of controversy. But that's the nature of every
true believer. When you're born of God, you're
telling people I am the way I am because God's in me. So now I'm a little bit controversial
because you can't see any real evidence, any kind of scientific
evidence that I'm a new man in Christ and that the Spirit of
God is working on the inside. But one day I'm going to give
birth and the world's got to know I am what I said I am. Do
you believe that? So see the gospel is not some
clean neat Sort of a set of ideas and concepts that the intellectual
can get a hold of now You got to throw out all of your learning
now You got a bow your knee before God and you've got to believe
that he is The next thing is the gospel is foolishness to
men who don't have a spiritual capacity, you know that First
Corinthians chapter two, verse 14. Let's look at first Corinthians
two, 14. I want to affirm this. Can you imagine what Mary had
to deal with for those nine months? Ignorant men who do not know
the ways of God calling her all kinds of names, ready to ready
to do things to her that would not have been justified. And,
you know, her husband struggle. We're going to look at him in
a minute here. Did he struggle? Bless his heart. He struggled.
I would have struggled to, Barb would have come to me talking
about this one here, this one here, this ain't joy. This one
here, the Holy Ghost did this one. I would have struggled. What do you mean the Holy Ghost
did this one? Did he have on a blue suit? Did he drive a mail
truck? See, Joseph is working it through.
Now give a brother a break. The word of God is real. Listen,
the brothers and sisters who were confronted with the reality
of God had to struggle with the controversial nature of God.
You do too. It ain't all that clean. It's
not all that clean. I know you want it to be clean
and neat and tidy, but it's not. You know, I've been living long
enough to know now how easy it is for you and I to enter into
conundrums and complexes Mentally and emotionally around things
that are said that we can't we don't have any reference points
for because the world revolves around us and If it doesn't make
sense to us, it's not right. Who are you? Now watch this now
Paul says in first Corinthians chapter 2 he says in verse 10
verse I'm gonna start at verse 9, but as it is written I has
not seen nor ear heard Neither has it entered into the heart
of man the things which God had prepared for them that love him
You know all this text is saying now watch this now God's purposes
do not have their origin in you That God doesn't sit at your
ear and whisper to you and say you know what? I just came up
with a thought I want to share this with you You don't have the prerogative
of having an inside scoop on the way God thinks His thoughts
and his purposes and his will has its origin in heaven in eternity
past But he is pleased to share them with us That's all that
I want to know. I just want to know you can tell
me thousands of years later I just want to know because the Lord
doeth nothing but that he reveals it to his servants and but it
doesn't have its origin with you and me. You and I don't sit
at God's elbow. He doesn't ask you advice. He doesn't seek your counsel.
He doesn't say, you know, you're a smart fella. Can you help me
with this one? No. But God hath revealed them unto
us by his Spirit. For the Spirit searches all things,
yea, the deep things of God. For what man knows the things
of a man save the spirit of man which is in him? Even so, the
things of God knows no man but the Spirit of God. See, in order
for you to know what God knows, you have to have the Spirit of
God. And then the Spirit of God has to be working through His
Word to give you a passion for His Word, a knowledge of His
Word, a hunger for His Word, a revelation of His Word, right?
And then you've got to be willing to pay the price for hanging
out with God. Because there's a price to pay
for hanging out with God. Is that right? Mary paid a price. Listen to what the Word of God
says. Now we have received not the spirit of the world, but
the spirit which is of God, that we might know the things that
are freely given to us of God. Ladies and gentlemen, if you're
not getting this, this is God's promise to you. Verse 13, which
things also we speak, not in the words which man's wisdom
teaches, but which the Holy Ghost teaches. Watch this now, comparing
spiritual things with spiritual. The word is Koinonia. That's
our Greek term for Koinonia. Communicating the truth claims
of God which have their origin with God in the lives of men
and women who are spiritual by nature. Communicating spiritual
things with spiritual. Are you guys following me now?
Watch this. If you're carnal, if you're unsaved, unregenerate,
the spiritual things of God do not matter to you. In fact, you're
not even interested in them. When God saves you, you are interested
in truth. Now watch this. And when He saves
you, He makes your understanding compatible to His. So when He
speaks to you, you get it. That's what this text is saying.
Is that good? Comparing spiritual things from
God with spiritual people made spiritual by God. Watch this.
But the natural man receives not the things of the Spirit
of God. That's why folks don't like you when you go to talking
about Bible. For they are foolishness unto them. Moronic is the idea. Neither can he know them, because
they are spiritually what? That's right. But he that is
spiritual judges everything, yet he himself is judged of no
man. For who hath known the mind of the Lord, that he may instruct
him? Here it is. But we have the mind of Christ. What a privilege. Did Mary have
the mind of Christ? Lord, whatever you want to do
with me, do it. I'm your servant. I'm your handmaiden. If you want to make me the point
of controversy for the rest of human history, here I am. Have
at it. See, that's the mind of Christ.
That's the mind of Christ. The next point then I want to
bring you to is the angel's proclamation. Let me run briefly. No, I want
to go to point number two for time's sake. The angel's proclamation.
Now we are moving towards the crucifixion of our Savior. But
I want you to understand the signs that led to it. The virgin
birth, major controversy, major controversy, as you know, the
angels proclamation, Matthew chapter one, verse 20. Listen
to it again. This is Joseph. I'm going to
start at verse 19. Then Joseph, her husband being
a what kind of man? That's right. Righteous. You
know what that means? Say now there's some folks who
will tell you that the saints in the Old Testament were not
saved like you and I in the New Testament are, but perish that
thought. There is no relationship to be
had with anyone, with God, except they be born again. And Joseph
was born again. And the Bible tells us from Genesis
to Revelation that the just shall live by what? That's right. That's right. That's the rule.
The law of life for the believer is faith in Christ. And in order
for you to have faith, you've got to be born again. Didn't
we learn that in 1 John 5? He that believeth on the Son
of God is already born of God. Did you hear it? So now is Joseph
born of God? Because he believes, right? And
the righteousness of Christ is imputed to him. He rests fully
on the work that Christ is about to do. And look how privileged
Joseph is. He's getting ready to be the second point man for
major controversy. See, that's what the gospel does
to you. Listen, if you want the true gospel without controversy,
you don't want the true gospel. Because the true gospel is all
about a controversial God. Secondly, let me remind you,
God only chooses controversial people to carry his controversial
gospel. That's right. That's right. Because
see, in that walk, you're going to have to depend upon God to
be your shield. I'm going back to Proverbs 30. The word of the Lord, every word
of God is pure. He is a shield. to them that put their trust
in him. Is that right? You're a controversial person. Your
God is a controversial God. The gospel is a controversial
gospel. You need God to cover your back. So now let's look at Joseph briefly.
Then Joseph, her husband, being a just man and not willing to
make her a public example, was minded. See the phrase, minded?
That simply means he was struggling through it. He couldn't land. But he wasn't
in a hurry. You know how we get into certain,
uh, inextricable situations. And we have three modes. This
is true for all of us. You know how you get into the
inextricable conundrum, the complexity, that sophisticated situation
that's larger than your ability to get out. You have three modes.
You ready for this? You can either rest and trust God, which is
hard for your natural man, or you can fight. and go to using
all your intellectual powers to try to reason your way through
it, or you can flight, you can run. Are you hearing me? At least Joseph wasn't running
and at least he wasn't so lax a days ago that he wasn't thinking
about the impact that this conception would have on his wife. He's
working it through, but he's a Jew and he's a righteous man. And he's about to put her away.
How? Privately. See, to save her and
to save himself. He's struggling with that. But
doesn't God intervene when we are about to make a major mistake?
How many times has God come through right on the brink of us making
that major mistake? And watch this now. Here it is.
But while he thought on these things, behold, the angel of
the Lord appeared unto him in a what? St. Joseph, you son of
David, fear not to take unto thee Mary, your wife, for that
which is conceived in her is of the Holy Ghost. There it is.
He's got God's word, right? He's a believer in Christ, right?
What does he have to do? He has to believe God and be
ready to take the hit. Our brother had an angel come
to him. That's another sign. Listen, wouldn't your life change if an angel showed up? Angels
ain't saving you. I want to help you. I said change,
not make you a new man. But it would change, wouldn't
it? Wouldn't there be some changing of the trajectory of your thought,
your value system? to have God break through the
barrier of that parallel world of which is all around us but
we cannot see because we operate in parallel worlds, right? The
world that we presently see and then that spiritual dimension,
right? And then heaven. So there are parallel worlds.
If God were to pull the veil back and allow us to see what's
going on, that would change our whole paradigm. Our whole model
of thinking would change. But the Word of God should be
sufficient for that. Isn't that right? So Joseph receives
a visitation from the angels because the angels are here to
proclaim the coming of Messiah. Here's what he says, Is the angel
preaching the gospel right now? That's what they came to do,
preach the gospel. The second time we read about
it is in Luke chapter 1, 26 through 29. Go there. I'm just reminding
you of what you already know. It's not about knowing, it's
about believing. That's why I'm revisiting these
things with you so that you can afresh think through whether
or not your soul is anchored in these testimonies that the
Word of God has so vividly laid out for us. Listen to what it
says in Luke chapter 1 verse 26 through 29, with the lowly
shepherds that are operating out in the
field. This time here, though, we're
speaking to Mary again. Look at verse 26 through 29.
We'll see this in chapter 2 here in a moment. Look at verse 26
through 29. In the sixth month, the angel
Gabriel was sent from God unto a city of Galilee called Nazareth
to a virgin espoused to a man whose name was Joseph. You know
what? I want to jump on that because that's another unpacking.
Go with me now to chapter 2 verse 8 through 14. This is a recapitulation
of chapter 1 and I don't want that. Chapter 2 verse 18. Now
this is the second time that the angel comes forth. I'm going
to start right at verse 18. No, I'm going to start at verse
8. And there were in the same country shepherds abiding in
the field, keeping watch over their flock by night. Here are
common every day Just your your blue collar workers, right? Taking
care of their flocks By night watching over their sheep and
listen to this and lo the angel of the lord came upon them And
the glory of the lord shone round about them And they were exceedingly
afraid wouldn't you be? The glory of the lord. So in
other words, this was a this was a glorious appearing of the
angel And it was a glorious appearing of the angel during a time in
which these lowly shepherds are going through the everyday mundane
job of watching their sheep. And they were afraid. And the
angel said unto them, do not what? For behold, I bring you
good tidings of great joy. There they go preaching again,
which shall be to all people for unto you is born this day
in the city of David, a savior, which is called Christ the Lord.
Here it is now. And this shall be a sign unto
you. You shall find the babe wrapped in swaddling clothes,
lying in a manger. Was it as they said? Were the
shepherds believers? They had to be. Because the angels
wouldn't have come to them with that sign. They went and saw
that it was exactly like they said. Can we believe God's Word? Can we trust God's Word? Now
watch this. And when you come to see God's Word coming to pass
the way that it does, what is it going to cause you to do?
Go and tell it! Just like these shepherds did.
Listen to what it says. Verse 13, And suddenly there
was with the angel This is amazing. A multitude of the heavenly host
praising God. Saying glory to God in the highest
and on earth peace, goodwill toward men. Do you see what these
lowly shepherds were privileged to do? Enter into? The celestial worship of God
with the angels. Do you think this changed their
life? Listen to what it goes on to
say. Here it is. And it came to pass, as the angels
were going away from them into heaven, the shepherds said to
one another, let's get some sleep now, because tomorrow we got
a busy day. See, this is what we're saying. When the Word of
God comes in power, illuminating power. It changes your projectory. Now they are evangelist. And they are ready to tell what
they saw. They don't need empirical evidence.
They don't need some type of scientific data. They don't need
to go to the site to find out if they were hallucinating. They
believe God. And it compels them to go tell
it. Now think with me now. I'm moving
toward my closing points. Think with me now. Are they now,
too, the objects of controversy? You better know it. Fellas, what
y'all drinking out there on the side of the hill over there as
y'all watch? Am I making some sense? But see, they were believers
in God. They looked for Christ and the
Spirit of God gave them the testimony, didn't it? And as believers,
we respond positively to the testimony, don't we? And we're
not really concerned with what people think because we're compelled
to simply tell people what we know and we leave the response
to God, don't we? So what I'm saying is the seven
evidences versus the Virgin birth and then the angels proclamation.
We've seen the dream. We see the appearance. The second
time is given to us is in Luke chapter one, 11 through 15, where
the angel meets up now with Gabriel. I mean, with, uh, with Simeon. Zachariah rather who was married
to Elizabeth now listen to what it says Listen to what we read
here in verses 11 through 15 and there appeared unto him an
Angel of the Lord standing on the right side of the altar of
incense. Well, that was a worshipful day See the priest went in every
day doing their normal functions Cleaning things and preparing
things and most importantly keeping the altar of incense burning
There were three things in the temple that had to continue going.
Remember that? The menorah candlesticks, the
altar of incense, and the sacrifices had to burn day and night. The
blood had to flow. You got that? The prayers had
to continue, and the light had to keep going. We're going to
learn more about that in our Revelation series. The blood
must flow, the prayers must continue, and the light of the gospel must
be continually preached. See, that's the gospel church.
Are you hearing me? Listen, the blood must flow.
and the prayers must continue and the light must continually
shine. That's a vital gospel church where the blood is flowing. The wind won't blow where the
blood don't flow. I taught that years ago. The
wind won't blow where the blood don't flow. The wind won't blow
where the blood don't flow. Are you hearing me? The spirit
of God only works through the preaching of Christ. Where the
blood flows, the wind blows. No blood, no wind. It's critical. An angel meets him at the altar.
I'm just wondering, was he standing on the side of the altar like
this? Anyhow, listen to it. This is just what's in my mind,
because I love Luke's gospel, because this is the most, Luke's
gospel is the most Spirit-filled account. The birth of christ
there is the richness of the presence of the movement of the
spirit of god is deep in the book Book of luke in the first
few chapters deep deep in the book of luke and you've got to
go deep with luke to understand the impact of what's being said
here it is And when zacharias saw him he was troubled and fear
fell upon him, but the angel said of them what? See that's
a rule for the believer God comes to us not in wrath, but love
He comes to us on the basis of faith through grace. Remember
what we learned? God's a covenant God. And on
the basis of grace, he comes to us on the grounds of redemption
because the blood is already shed. And because he knows our
weakness, the first thing he says before he communicates with
us is do not fear. Do not fear. I'm not here to
destroy you. Listen to it. But the angel said,
I fear not, Zachariah, for your prayer is heard. See the incense
burning, right? And your wife Elizabeth shall
bear thee a what? And you shall call his name John.
See, they're the angel again. They were there. They were in
the dream. They were in the appearance. They were in the field. They
were in the altar. Third manifestation, the affirmation of the father
to the son. Matthew chapter three, verse
16 and 17. I know you know these things.
You need to hear them again. Hear it again. See, because what we're
talking about is the wonder of his coming. The wonder of his
coming and we're also talking about the assistance that God
the father gave to affirm the people of God About the coming
of Christ in other words God's not stingy in giving us every
necessary evidence To assure us that God is up to something
in our lives He gives us plenty assurance if you have eyes to
see and ears to hear am I making some sense God will talk to you
and He'll show you in Providence. He'll reveal things in the Word
of God, won't he? He'll have your friends talking
to you. He'll even have your enemies
talking to you. Because see, when your ears are open, you
can hear God through a donkey, an ass, a snake. You can hear
Him any... Oh, I hear you, Lord. I hear
you, Lord. I'm so glad you're speaking to
me through my enemy. Yes, I know I'm right. I know
I'm right. See, because when God wants your
attention, he will talk to you through anyone. Did not he make
the mouth? Did he not make the ear? Does
not he that give knowledge know? Can God speak through a person
to you and you know vividly that person doesn't know, the people
around don't know, but you know God just gave you your marching
orders. God knows how to do it. Matthew
chapter 3, Matthew 3. Listen to what the text says
concerning our Savior. He's now about to enter into
his ministry. This is part of what John meant by this is he
who came by water and blood. Water and blood asserting his
humanity, his incarnation, but it's also asserting his ministry
because now he's about to come into ministry. And ministry now
is going to be the manifestation of His Messiahship. God's getting
ready to now do what we call the enunciation of His Sonship. Here it is, the announcement.
Chapter 3, verse 16. And Jesus, when He was baptized,
went up straightway out of the what? And lo, the heavens were
opened unto whom? Him! Heaven opened up to Christ! and the Spirit of God descended
upon him like a dove in the literal, in the actual language, it descends
upon him and remains upon him. In other words, you don't get
the Holy Ghost without Christ. Did you get that? It descends
on Christ. You don't get the Spirit of God
apart from Christ. In other words, if you don't believe on the Lord
Jesus Christ, no Holy Ghost. I be hearing these folks talking
about how the Spirit of the Lord came upon them and they in the
nightclub. I'm making hip-hop songs. rock
songs and say, boy, the spirit really moved. Not the spirit
of God. Listen, not the spirit of God.
Am I telling you? Not the spirit of God. I don't
know what spirit it was, but it wasn't the Holy Ghost. You
weren't preaching Christ. Not with those lyrics. I just
want to straighten that out right now. Because see, with so many
folks, the Holy Ghost shows up in all kinds of places. But not
really. He lands on Christ. Listen to
verse 17 and lo a voice from heaven saying this is my beloved
son in whom I am what? This is another sign another
sign of the coming of Christ the Annunciation and then the
confirmation is given to us in Matthew 17 5 look at it again
Matthew 17. This is where Peter spoke concerning
the Mount of Transfiguration. Let's see it again. This is for
your knowing and this is for your believing you remember the
account don't you? Listen to it Matthew chapter
17 those boys were privileged to be the three that were closest
to Jesus Christ in his ministry and the things here in of which
they saw were essential to the Hardship that they would go through
for the cause of the gospel and in Matthew's gospel chapter 17
verse 5 here's what we read. I'm gonna start back at verse
verse Verse 1, And after six days Jesus, taking Peter, James,
and John, his brother, brings them up into a high mountain
and was transfigured before them. His face did shine as the sun. Did it? His raiment was white
as light. Was it? And behold, there appeared
unto them Moses and Elijah talking with him. Then answered Peter
and said unto Jesus, Lord, it is good for us to be here. Do
you know that experience, saints? Do you know the mountaintop experience?
Just let's take a second. Do you know that extra special
dimension and place where God brings you to, which has nothing
but the solemnity of his presence and all of the prospects of eternity,
that realm of real, real divine peace? Do you know what I'm talking
about? Where every one of your issues So far removed from you
that you don't actually want to have to go back to that because
for the moment You are in a pre bliss mode Do you know what I'm
talking about? There are times when God gives
us that right and it's absolutely Wonderful and no wonder Peter
said hey, let's stay right here Let's stay right here All he
was doing was speaking his mind. I know that place, do you? I
love it. And just again, as a practical
piece of information, God will allow you to have a little bit
of that. If you walk with him in a way of being serious, he'll
give you a little place like that where you can go. Am I making
some sense? Where you can go. See, if you
are to your life a right, he will give you a place where you
can go in your spirit, with your word, with him, where you can
commune with him like that. to get away from the storms.
It's a place of meditation and contemplation. It's a place of
reflection upon biblical truth. It's a place of prayer. It's
you and God. You can have that. You can have
it. Listen to what he says. And while
he yet spake, verse 5, behold, a bright cloud overshadowed them
behold a voice out of the cloud which said this is my beloved
son in whom I am well pleased what hear ye him and child of
God the life of the Christian is listening to Christ Christ
is our head Christ is our leader Christ is the captain of our
salvation. Christ is our wisdom. Christ
is our counsel. Christ is our doctrine. Christ
is our teaching. Christ is our revelation. Christ
is the sum and substance of the gospel. The Father tells us to
listen to Him. The Father only speaks to us
through the Son. I am the way, the truth, and
the life. No one comes unto the Father but by Me. The Son says
you can get to the Father, but it must be by Me. The father
said, listen to him. Are you listening to him? So
then there's the affirmation of the father, the annunciation
of the father, the confirmation of the father. And Peter tells
us back in our text, I'll leave that alone because I want to
move to my other three points quickly. Peter tells us that
we can trust these things to be true. Point number four, the
star. Go back to Matthew chapter two,
the star. Do you remember? Three four, five, 10, 20, 50. We don't know the number, do
we? We're three wise men or four? Five, 10, 20. I know y'all see
it on the pictures, y'all, three wise men. You don't know the
number? We're no number there. I mean,
three kinds of gifts. But you don't know, right? Listen
to what the text said. I'm just straightening out your
doctrine. Mark this now. Matthew chapter
2. What it says in verse 1 and 2.
Now when Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judah in the days of Herod
the king, behold, there came wise men. Do you see that? No
number. Wise men. Did I help some of
y'all? Raise your hand. Did I help?
See that? Look, look. Put your hand down because you've
been in this church way too long. I've been, I ain't gonna even
talk about her. She one of my teachers too. Now,
it goes to show you. No, this is true. It goes because
I, you know, at the house today, my wife is the head Sunday school
teacher for the little bitty ones and she's printing out stuff
for Easter Sunday, right? And boy, I be struggling. all
of the different images and the icons and the little stuff. And I said, little leaven, leaven
the whole lump. You know what I'm saying? I'm
almost like the Muslim, don't have no images and nothing, just
straight word. Because after a while it gets,
you know what I'm saying? But you have to give children
images. And you're using analogies and metaphors to help them grasp
spiritual realities. And I guess grown folk need them
too, right? So, the lord has taught me patience
after 19 years of ministry here. I just kept my mouth shut. Did
not say anything. If they get the gospel good.
When they get to my class, I'll straighten them out. Pastor. So, pastor, what color were the
eggs? Y'all missed that. Y'all missed that. How big was
the tree? How heavy was Cause it'd be creeping in, doesn't
it? It'd be creeping in. It's amazing. And so we read
in verse 2, saying, Where is he that is born King of the Jews?
For we have seen his star in the east and are come to worship
him. It's crazy. Is this crazy? This is crazy. I don't have to
say, I'm trying to be done in 10 minutes. Do you know what
blows me away about the testimony of scripture? It's the people
that worship God, worship Him unfettered. No limitations. Do you understand that when God
seeks a worshiper, they get on their camel and ride. It doesn't
matter how far they have to go to get to God. This is wild. Isn't this wild? Pass away your
church yet in Hayward. Oh, that's too far for me. I
live in Dublin. I live in San Jose. That's just
way too far. I live in got a car. Everything don't take but 45
minutes. That's too far. We need something. Look, these
brothers came from as far as Babylon, Persia. Are you hearing me? And they
didn't ride a train. They didn't drive a car. They didn't fly a plane. It was
a long, arduous journey. By the time they got there, the
boy was two years old. I'm just telling the truth. You don't have to believe me.
See, I love the scriptures. Because see, whether you know
it or not, God is into patience. See, if you have authentic faith,
it's going to work patience. It's going to work patience.
You don't find God in a hurry in the Bible. These brothers
were way in the east and the text said they saw his star. God gave them a revelation. It started back some 500 years
earlier when God took those knucklehead Jews and sent them to Babylon
and then sent Persia and then sent Greece and Medo-Persian
Greece up into the life of the Jewish people so that the testimony
of scripture landed in all those cultures and many of those Jewish
brothers and sisters stayed in those lands so that the message
of Jehovah was preached thousands of miles away even by some of
the unbelieving Jews who didn't come back But God was saving
Gentiles as he always has been saving Gentiles and he raised
up a group of Magi. That's the literal term Magi
in the Greek and the Persian is Magas. Are you hearing me? These are men who were astronomers,
they were scientists, they were mathematicians, they were theologians,
they were all around in terms of their education and their
acumen of knowledge because they were interested in how the world
worked in relationship to God. And I'm here to tell you, as
God has created the heavens and the earth, Night after night,
showeth forth knowledge. Day after day, uttereth speech. There is no place nor line where
their word is not going forth or drawn out. Men and women have
a testimony of God in creation, in conscience, and in the gospel.
But those men had the scriptures. This is the assumption we're
holding They were taught by Jewish brothers about the coming of
Shiloh number chapter 24 that star out of Shiloh now what kind
of star was that here is where I'm gonna wrap my three points
up and just share with you the intrigue the optimistic and joyful
Satisfaction that many of us as theologians have where men
have sought to defy and reject and Negate the claims of scripture
by saying there is no empirical scientific historical data But
I'm here to tell you everything we unearth today ultimately affirms
the truth Now, let me ask you a question. Is it plausible that
that God could have, on that day, at that time, for those
wise men, created a star? Is that possible, brethren? Does
God create stars today? Does He create them? Does He
burn them out? So if God's creating stars and burning them out, could
it have been that at the time that Christ was born, he created
a star for those brothers over there and said, follow the star
and using geometry and mathematics made their way right into Jerusalem. That's what the text is saying.
Listen to the text. I believe God. Do you listen
to it? They said, where is he that's
born king of the Jews? For we have seen his star where? in the East and are come to worship
Him. They saw it. They read the Scriptures. The Holy Ghost gave them revelation.
They understood the time according to Daniel chapter 9, 24 through
27. They did all of the numbers and they made their journey and
the Holy Spirit led them right to Jerusalem. Isn't that amazing? Phenomenal. Phenomenal. I want to bring you to the next
point, the eclipse, Matthew chapter 27, 45. If you don't get what
I'm saying, I'm saying this, that God marshals ample evidence
from everywhere to affirm the authenticity of the birth and
life and death of his son. And wherever men argue that there's
not sufficient evidence for his coming, his full coming, the
earth will rise up as a witness against them. Matthews 27, 45.
I'm almost done here. Listen to this. This is remarkable. They have crucified our master.
They said in verse 43, he that he trusted in God, let him deliver
him now if he will save him. For he said, I am the son of
God. The thieves also which were crucified with them cast the
same in their teeth in his teeth. Now here it is. From the sixth
hour there was darkness over all the land until the ninth
hour. Do you see that? God closed the
curtains, didn't he? He pulled the blinds, didn't
he? He put a veil up between humanity and the secret work
of the Father and the Son and the atoning work of Jesus Christ.
Are you guys following what I just said? Did you get the picture?
Did I paint the picture? God closed the curtains and no one
was able to see the transaction of eternity. Between the father
and the son just as Abraham and Isaac went up Mount Moriah all
by themselves remember The father and the son are working out an
eternal redemption For the glory of the father through the work
of the son for sinners who trust him But that work is between
God and God alone for three hours the text says there was darkness
over all the land and You can read the article in your outline.
I put it there just to wet your whistle Because the argument
has been going on for the longest time What year was he crucified
in what day was he crucified on what feast was it that he
was crucified? We we don't know if we want to
believe that can I tell you something? The data has been in for a long
time Our master was crucified on the very day of Passover In
the year A.D. 33, it was a Friday, April 3rd. It's in your outline. I don't
have time to go through the 11 possible Passover feast days
that took place between the rule of Pontius Pilate and the death
of our master, but A.D. 33 covers all of the historical,
all of the scientific, all of the geological data. As well
as the scriptures now, i'm telling you to stand on the scriptures
But here's what i'm saying as many women seek to defy and deny
what the scripture says by going to the earthly data Guess what?
The data is going to say god's already been here God's already
been here Now we're going to give you the evidence, but don't
go back and suppress the truth and unrighteousness. Tell it
like it is The eclipse there Was one of these blood moons
that you hear folks trying to make money on right now? I'm
not going to deter you. But there were many blood moons
going on throughout history. This is what we call the astronomical
calendar. This is the way we do dating. God set that up in
Genesis chapter 1 and 2, right? Genesis 1, the timekeepers. But
we have an astronomical calendar that goes all the way back and
affirms that there was an eclipse on that very day. This is not
new evidence, it's old, but the enemy has suppressed it for the
longest. Now the eclipse was an eclipse of the moon, not of
the sun. A solar eclipse is the eclipse
of the sun. Are you hearing me? A lunar eclipse
is the eclipse of the what? Moon. That's right. That's why
our sister has a picture up. And so the moon was darkened,
but there had to be some darkening of the sun because the text said,
and the sun was darkened, right? So what happened? God cut the
lights off. Do you believe that? OK, so I'm
getting ready to hang you out on nothing with that proposition.
God cut the lights off. Now, I know that's a sort of
a quaint way of putting it. But let me ask you, could God,
during the eclipse of a moon, cut the lights off on the sun?
How would he have done it? There are multiple ways. There
are multiple assumptions. I believe the testimony of Scripture. Do you? I believe the testimony
of scripture. And so here's what Matthew says.
This is what he plainly says. Here it is. And now from the
sixth hour, there was a darkness over all the land until the ninth
hour. And when you go back through
the data, you're going to find the darkness there. Are you hearing
what I'm saying? I want to show you one more.
This is our final one. The earthquake. Look at Matthew
chapter 27, verse 51. I'm gonna start at verse 50 Jesus
when he cried again with a loud voice Yielded up the ghost He
had finished his work ladies and gentlemen. He had fulfilled
all the scriptures. He had fulfilled all prophecies
Concerning his first coming his passion and suffering and death
and here it is verse 51 and behold the veil of the temple was rent
entwined from top to bottom and the earth did quake and the rocks
rent. Do you see that? Look at your
last point in point number six, the earthquake. Now, there are
three things that we want to derive from this theologically.
When the earthquake, God spoke. Did you hear what I just said?
When the earthquake, God spoke. When the earthquake, God spoke,
God thundered marvelously with his word. That's what Job says.
But do you remember the Hebrew writer, Hebrews chapter 12, verse
26? See, in the scripture, earthquakes are a symbol of and a type of
the authoritative voice of God. Remember on Mount Sinai when
God spoke, the earth what? Quaked! Even Moses said, I exceedingly
fear and quake at the voice of God. The text tells us that God
did pull up Hebrews chapter 12. Listen to it now. I want you
to see it. Hebrews 12 for yourself. Hebrews chapter 12 verse 16.
You guys remember this a couple of weeks ago. as we were told
to pay attention to the voice of Christ, whose voice then shook
the earth. Do you see that? But now he promises,
saying yet once more, I shake not only what? Earth, but also
heaven. I want you to mark the opening
of that statement, whose voice then shook the earth. I'm almost done with you. My
job today was only one thing. To see whether or not you are
sensitive to and committed to the clear and plain statements
of scripture concerning the miraculous manner in which God ushered his
son into the world and the comprehensive way in which God affirmed the
authority of Christ from the very time that he came. Angels. angel-serving Here we have now
the Sun being darkened at the moon not giving its light and
a major earthquake at that one critical point in our masters
ministry by which he accomplished eternal redemption for his people
is God speaking from heaven is he affirming the death of Christ
listen to what the text says The text says that the earthquake,
and while the earthquake, listen, the veil of the temple ripped
from top to bottom. You know what God was saying
in your outline, the last point? There are three things here God
speaks. Israel was judged by this earthquake, by the way.
You read those verses. Point number C, a new covenant
was opened up right there. See, when Christ said, it is
finished, he gave up the ghost. God shook the ground and the
veil of the temple was ripped now the order is a little bit
tricky here But they were subsequent to Christ giving up the giving
up the ghost when God rent the veil You know what he was saying.
We're done with the Old Testament system. We're done with the temple
We're done with all of those impediments between you and me
My son now becomes the new and living way by which all men come
to God. Are you hearing what I'm saying?
See heaven did that Heaven did that to affirm the significance
of the crucifixion of our Savior It is for this reason ladies
and gentlemen that we give him absolute glory Now I'm gonna
say point number seven for Sunday because it speaks to the resurrection.
I know some folks trip when we read over in verse 52, and the
graves were open and many bodies of the saints would slept, came
out of the graves after his resurrection and went into the holy city and
appeared to many. Now, I'm done right here. Do you believe that? Do you believe
that? Do you believe that God can raise
the dead? Do you believe that when Christ rose, he brought
with him a kind of first fruit up out of the ground, gave them
new bodies, and they went through Jerusalem saying, he is risen.
He is risen indeed. If you don't believe him, believe
me. Remember, y'all buried me six months ago. Here I am right
now. Listen, what I am saying is the
moment you believe God, All things are possible with him that believes
God. Amen. Amen. Amen.