Sunday Morning Worship Service

I would call your attention to the Book of Matthew the 28th chapter Matthew 28 and we're going to begin reading at verse number one the story being told is three days after the crucifixion Matthew 28 beginning at verse number one in the end of the Sabbath as it began to Dawn toward the first day of the week Came Mary Magdalene and the other Mary to see the seler and behold there was a great earthquake for the angel of the Lord descended from heaven and came and rolled back the Stone from the door and sat upon it his countenance was like lightning his reignment white as snow and for fear of him the keepers did shake and became as dead men and the angel answered and said unto the women fear not ye for I know that you seek Jesus which was crucified he is not here for He Is Risen as he said come quickly come see the place where the Lord lay and then notice verse seven said and go quickly notice he didn't want them to stay long at the tomb we'll see where he was but don't stay there long go quickly and tell his disciples IES that he is risen from the dead and behold he goeth before you in g into Galilee there shall you see him Lo I've told you and please notice verse eight and they departed quickly from The Seer with fear and great joy and did run to bring his disciples word drawing on on the statements of verse eight I want to speak to you for a few moments on this Resurrection Sunday when fear collides with joy when fear collides with joy let's pray savior I love you I'm grateful for this wonderful crowd of believers who have joined today to celebrate once again that you are Our Risen Savior Lord as we account and reaccount the incidents and all of the situations that happened at your crucifixion and Resurrection Lord let us be reminded of The Greatest Story Ever Told let us be reminded of what it means to us this day Lord speak to us mly through your word in Jesus name we pray all said amen in his first inaugural address in 1932 Franklin D Roosevelt famously stated and I quote let me assert my first belief that the only thing we have to fear is fear itself end quote Roosevelt went on to name the results of fears as nameless unreasoning unjustified Terror which paralyzes needed efforts to convert Retreat into Advance this statement would bring courage to our nation and the American people during a difficult and most uncertain economic time but notice this idea of fear we find in the text that we read for what's transpiring has taken place after the crucifixion Jesus has been put in a borrow of Tomb and scripture says that the women came to Jesus tomb on the first day of the week can you imagine what What Fear they were indeed facing Mary Magdalene and the other Mary scripture says get the picture they've just arrived at the SRE Scholars disagree on who the other Mary was whether it was Mary the mother of Jesus Mary Lazarus sister or Mary the wife of cleopas scripture does not specify the one thing that we do know the women showed up first can I get an amen from the ladies in the house the women showed up first at the Seer so my question is where were the disciples where were the men the disciples had heard the prophecy of his resurrection they had witnessed firsthand many miracles that argued over who was the greatest Peter had made his prop proclamations that he would never deny Christ he had walked on the water he' even defended Jesus with a sword against the servant of the high priest Jesus had had to perform a miracle to bail him out James and John had argued over where they got to sit when Jesus was having what we call the Last Supper their mama even got involved saying would you prefer my boys in the future yet the most important time yet it would be Mary Magdalene and the other Mary who were first to the tomb I submit that likely the whole lot of the disciples were fearful and afraid to show up after the crucifixion frankly their fears were likely merited after all that had transpired up to this point Their Fear fear had overtaken their faith it's a bad thing to let fear overtake your faith Mary Magdalene and the other Mary likely came to Jesus tomb with a sense of grief and fear and apprehension they came to anoint a dead body rather than to find a risen Christ and their fears in the flesh were well merited what does the future hold what would happen to Jesus followers had this been a day dream that's turned into a nightmare had they been wrong to Hope and have faith even though the Hope before his crucifixion seemed so real and genuine would they be the next accused would the Roman soldiers arrest them as subversives with the influ influential religious leaders and Elite identify them as Heretics whatever the reason the only ones that had Faith or more likely nerve to show up to the tomb was Mary Magdalene and the other Mary so what happened when they arrived boom an earthquake it probably didn't go boom it probably shook the place that's the closest I can do for an earthquake the place started shaking now I don't know about you that in itself would have been enough to put fear in my heart after all three days earlier when Jesus gave up the ghost there was an earthquake now after three days when they show up to the tomb there's a big shaking going on man in my flesh I have to admit that would scare me too everything rattling and shaking and moving what's happening and then notice what happened after the earthquake an angel appeared and roll back the stone this was not just any Angel for scripture said the angel of the Lord descended from heaven and came and rolled back the Stone from the door and sat upon it now for this Angel to move this stone that had taken soldiers many to put in place and seal the tomb and this Angel and then to me this is just me okay this is not scriptural scriptural or great theology so this is just East Tennesse thought okay but then the angel took a relaxed posture and just sat down on the stone think about it this time when they were afraid they'd been a shaken Stones been moved Bible said his countenance was like lightning that's his facial expression I don't know what lightninging looks like in somebody's face but it sound like it would scare you to death his reignment was white as snow there was a glow about him and he just relaxes and sits down on the stone and verse four said and for fear of him the keepers did shake and became as dead men remember we're recounting a risen savior today there's a lot of fear involved here let me review who these soldiers were the keepers back in Matthew the 27th chapter let me read you just a bit to remind us starting at verse 62 we read now the next day the fall that followed the day of the preparation the chief priests and the Pharisees came together and the pilate saying sir we remember that deceiver said while he was yet alive after three days I will rise again command therefore that the supplier be made sure unto the third day lest his disciples come by night and steal him away and say unto the people he has risen from the dead so that the last error shall be worse than the first what did pilate say he said you have a watch go your way make it as sure as you can you got what you ask for Professor Albert rooper in the book did Jesus rise from the dead stated and I quote led by annias and cafas the chief priest sought out Pontius Pilate to request the tomb where Jesus was to be buried be sealed and that Roman guards would be stationed to watch it Their Fear was that the friends of Jesus Will Ste the body to give the appearance of a resurrection pilate responded to this request you shall have a guard go your way make it secure according to your wishes so with that request this again is continuing to quote Albert rooper in his book so with that request about 30 Roman soldiers seal the Tomb of Jesus after his body was placed inside the tomb of Joseph of Arma they rolled a stone that weighed about two tons 4,000 lb and then sealed it with the Roman Imperial seal of the procurator who himself which was the official Roman Wax Seal understand that defacing these seals was a very high crime get the picture according to tradition pilate had placed one of his best guards to lead the pack named petronus their job was to watch the truth the tomb and was to be as precise and faithful as the crucifixion itself honestly they had no interest in doing this at all but their sole purpose and obligation were to rigidly perform their Duty as soldiers in which they made an allegiance the Roman seal that was put over the tomb was far more sacred to them than any philosophy or Creed of Israel these are not men who would be fooled by timid galileans or jeopardized their necks by sleeping on the post end quote George Curry stated quote the punishment for quitting post was death according to the law the most famous discourse on the strictness of the camps the camp discipline is that polybus which indicates that the fear of punishment produced faultless attention to duty especially night watches end quote these were some bad dudes watching the tomb but they'd never faced an angel whose countenance was like lightning and whose rment was white as snow who could step up and roll a 4,000 lb Stone to the side and then have a seat let me tell you if you're opposing Jesus you got something to be afraid of for the scripture said the keepers did shake and became as dead man those Roman soldiers those Bad Dudes those special forces they started shaking quaking and they fell out and fainted but back to Mary and Mary what must they have been thinking now man we've had an earthquake here's this great big glowing Angel and now here's a bunch of soldiers fainted out of on the ground you're talking about fear they had a lot of reason to be fearful and guess what the angel said he said fear not Jesus is not here he's risen I know what you're thinking you're seeking the crucified savior he's not here he's risen come on in the Tomb and see where he used to be yes now we like to we know the end of the story already so we like to think we' have just walked right in I got news for you they still had some fear when this big bad Angel is inviting you into a tomb you're like Mary after you no Mary after you so understand in our hum our human understanding and our human frailties fear is a natural reaction to such unbelievable unusual circumstances the words of the Angel were specific and strategic the angel knew what why the women were there they really even though they had some Faith fear had overtaken their faith and they came to anoint the body of a dead Christ let me tell you if we aren't careful in our traditions in the things that we assume we won't let Christ be risen in our lives we'll say it was a good story we had a good run but right now I'm looking for a dead Jesus so I can pour some Sav On him I'm here to tell you he's alive he's risen we've got nothing to be afraid of the angel said come see where he used to be it was past tense it was not present tense he said come in I now the Angel's word should have been enough but the angel perceived their doubt still in their original Mission the angel said come see where the Lord lay past tense and this gets to where we've been going for the scripture said in verse number eight of our original text they lift with fear and great joy how can you be fearful and have joy at the same time well all I can do is give y'all a little earthy example that might help you understand a little bit especially since since I'm a grandpa many times here at the church we'll find ourselves after everyone else has left and we're the last ones in the building I've got Easton and Eleanor and Callaway they've been through a full day on a Sunday night of Sunday morning Sunday night and they're a little bit active now y'all don't have active grandkids but mine sometimes are active I yes brother Anthony I saw you pick up the ball at the altar during worship service but their parents were trying to get them to leave they been tur out the the light my the lights my lockup crew had the building almost secured except for one little Hall back there there's light on one side and it was dark on the other side and they were just just kind of being active and mom and dad said come on we got to go we got to go and Grandpa was just really trying to help Mom and Dad wink wink so I slipped around to the other end of the hall and I started in the darkness [Music] going and you could hear this nervous laugh Eon being the oldest I think she recognized Poppy's voice a little bit but she wasn't positive yet Eleanor stopped Callaway starts right down the hall and they followed him till they got to their end and of course they got the and with Glee they took off running and but in just a minute I slipped back around and came out the other and Eleanor said poppy scare us again poppy scar us again that's the only way I know fear is joy to describe it there's some stuff that we get afraid of but when you know Jesus there's some Joy coming there may be somebody hear me today there's stuff that's been worrying your mind there's stuff that's been troubling you but if you'll turn it over to a risen savior you can find Joy on this Resurrection Sunday it said they left with fear and great joy let's face it in our Humanity even though we are believers and we trust in God as the song said our savior he'll never fail sometimes we find our lives and our faith being tried by fears of what's going on around us some of us both young and old fear being alone we fear well I'll never get married or we fear I'm going to get old alone We Fear failure in our life sometimes we even fear all that goes along with success We Fear financial trouble and failures We Fear aging I can say that I knocked down 65 this year I got my Medicare card I'm starting to understand more and more what plan a plan B Plan D and all that stuff means and how many telephone calls you'll get about it we fear getting older what's aging going to do to me what's life going to be like we fear getting a bad Health result some of us will go take a test from the doctor and we're going to worry for a month till they send you an answer the fear of death the fear of dying now we're Believers I'm not talking about the lost but we've got fear sometimes that we deal with because we fear the unknown that's right let me tell you I'm talking where a lot of us are living nowadays that's right I'm talking to you where many of us live we have uncertainties in our lives but I'm here to tell you when you get to know the Risen Savior you can take those fears and turn them into great joy you can turn them into victories in your life that stuff you've been worried about that stuff that's been troubling your mind you need to give it to Jesus today why should we have joy because he set the example in Hebrews 12:2 it said looking unto Jesus the author and the finisher of our faith not of our doubt not of our lost hope he's the author and the finisher of our faith who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross yes he was beaten yes he was embarrassed yes he had a crown of thorns placed on his head yes he endured all the sufferings of the Cross yes he was put in a borrowed tomb you know what he was doing with joy he was enduring it with joy why because he knew the ultimate victory over death was taking place for your sin for your sin for my sin for all of our sins for joy that was set before him he endured the cross we as Christian Believers so often find Joy connected only to successes while the fear of the unknown sometimes seems insurmountable the choice to trust God in his higher ways can bring you Joy in the midst of what a lost world sorrows and fears you see the unknown is what brings much fear so let me tell you what I know today I know what job said job said for I know my redeemer liveth I know Jesus is Alive Philippians said that I may know him in the power of his resurrection and the fellowshipping of his suffering being made conformable unto his death all that he went through all that he suffered was a like example for a Salvation plan that you could go down in the precious name of Jesus after you have come and been completely changed after you've repented you can go down in the name of Jesus in water and your promise the gift of the Holy Ghost a type and Shadow of the death the burial and the resurrection to bring Salvation to us all and we know Romans said that all all things work together for good to them that love God do you love him today and to them who are called according to his purpose if we'll remember it's not our purpose it's his purpose that he's called us to if we love him oh Hallelujah 2 Corinthians 5:1 said for we know that if our Earthly house this Tabernacle were dissolved if I died today we have a building of God a house not made with hands Eternal in the heavens that's what I know today I'm not going to let the fear of the unknown destroy my joy instead I'm going to have great joy why well here's what Jesus revealed to John the Revelator in Revelation 11 178 he said fear not I am the first and the last I am he that liveth and was dead there's victory over death and behold I am alive forever more amen and have the keys of hell and of death we're celebrating today we've got the keys to the Grave the keys over hell the keys over death because Jesus got up yes so we could get up Hallelujah there is a Resurrection Day where either what did Elder James used to say he said till I die or till I fly I've got a faith I've got a hope I've got a joy musicians get ready so as we celebrate today on this special day I challenge everybody in this house press through your fears to the joy of knowing that Jesus is our savior and we will will win in the end he names several things in his word that refer to Joy the psalmist said in thy presence is fullness of joy at thy right hand there are Pleasures forever more you want to have joy stay in the presence of the Lord that's what brings Joy it'll make you happy being out his pres oh but preacher I thought you said the Lord was everywhere he is but he doesn't manifest himself everywhere yes he is everywhere he is omnipresent but he manifests himself where there's adoration there's praise and there's glory and there's need he doesn't manifest himself in the evils and the trials of this world the ugly things of those who are doing the things of the enemy if you want to stay in his presence and feel him stay in his house stay in his movement stay in the things that he has called you to do Jesus said in John 151 these things have I spoken unto you that you that my joy might remain in you and that your joy might be full if you'll stay joyous in the Lord you don't have room for anything else 1 Peter 1 6 said wherein you greatly Rejoice though now for a season if need be ye are in heaviness through manifold Temptations a lot of folks don't understand Apostolic funerals somebody told us one time and y'all act like you're glad they died no we're just celebrating them finishing their course when a saint goes on to be with God now our our our flesh is sad and Grieves at the loss but we know it's not the end that's why we celebrate because Jesus got up we know they're going to get up and because they got up we're going to get up if we make it if we make it to the the the time of our death we know it's temporary we're going to rise again as well Hallelujah he said that the trial of your faith being much more precious than go that perisheth though it be tried with fire you're going to face some fire sometimes might be found under praise and GL honor and Glory at the appearing of Jesus Christ whom having not seen you love in whom though now you see him not yet believing ye Rejoice with what joy unspeakable and full of Glory sometimes I can't explain why I'm so happy and what ought to be a time we ought to be saved because it's joy unspeakable man we used to sing that that was one of our old Staples from the red books it's joy unspeakable and full of glory and the half has never yet been told but verse n said this receiving the end of your faith here's where Faith should end even the salvation of your soul you see I'm going to believe till salvation is complete till he calls me home I'm going to Proclaim and claim the victory with joy would you stand taking you back to our original text get the picture Mary and the other Mary showed up all of the things we talked about they experience the angel said fear not now please please notice this the angel said I'm going to take you into the tomb don't let this get lost on you now this is important the angel said I'm going to take you into the tomb but then he said go quickly don't dwell at the tomb too long on don't dwell at the place where dead things go Jesus barred a tomb cuz he knew he wasn't going to be there alone you don't need to dwell in the dead things you can go visit it see where he used to be but he said go quickly and he said go tell his disciples and verse n of Matthew 28 says this and as they went to tell his disciples behold Jesus met them if you go to do what Jesus has called you to do that's where you'll meet Jesus they went to tell his disciples and behold Jesus meant them saying all hail and they came and held him by the feet and worshiped him you can read in the synoptic gospels at first they didn't know who it was they miss M took him for a ghost they mistook him for a gardener but then they said my God let me tell you never mistake when you do what you've been told to do when you go where God's told you now what were they going to do they were going to tell the men hey not only were the women the first ones at the tomb I can make a case they were the first ex they were the first evangelist to preach a risen savior Mary and Mary were the first ones commissioned go tell his disciples that he's risen let me tell you we have a responsibility everybody in the house who's a believer that you know the Risen Savior you've got a responsibility to go tell everybody else about it I can't keep it to myself I've got to testify I've got to tell others about what God is done for me I've got to have a personal testimony I visited the grave but I didn't stay there long Mary and Mary had a mission and that's where they met Jesus let me challenge everyone in this house today on this Resurrection Sunday if you've been facing fears and anxieties in your life oh I know all about it but you don't know the end and that's what's got you worried let me challenge you to turn it over to Jesus today let me challenge you to take your fear and turn it to Joy today take the things that have been frightening you take the things that have been troubling you and turn them over to Jesus today call on his name don't be afraid to spread the joy here's what I want us to do on this Resurrection Sunday yes we have a great throng of Believers here we have gifts that we're going to give as everyone leaves but there's nothing more important for than for us to spend a few moments making sure we have our joy in a risen savior whatever you have need of would you step out in the aisle and gather around for a season of prayer would you come and stand saying I'm giving my fears I'm giving my anxieties I'm giving the things that been troubling me I'm giving it to Jesus and I'm going to have joy today I'm going to get my joy today would you come praising him come praising him Hallelujah yeah yeah yeah do you trust in [Music] him he will [Music] never I trust in God myi will never fa he will never [Applause] fa Hallelujah y the can you seeking can you seek him this morning turn your fear over to Jesus get your joy get your joy he'll answer your prayers give it to him give it to Jesus give it to Jesus he heard he heard he I the and [Applause] he and he answer that's why I trust that's why [Applause] I and he heard and he answer I S the Lord and he heard and he answer that's why I trust him that's why I trust in God myi the one will [Music] [Applause] never he will [Applause] never I trust in God my saor one who will ever he will [Applause] never now would you lift your hands one more time with the calm assurance that he's not going to fail you today you have the joy of the Lord you have the joy of the Lord in your life whatever tomorrow holds Jesus Jesus is going to be with you whatever trial Whatever anxiety whatever fear Jesus is there hallelujah hallelujah Glory Glory Glory