No Morning Was Ever Brighter, Part 1

Welcome to a very special edition of Insight for living from the beginning of the year. Until now, Chuck Swindoll has been teaching from the first book in the New Testament. The gospel according to Matthew, in the light of the celebration ahead this weekend. We are setting our study in Matthew aside couple of days in order to concentrate fully on the life, death, burial and resurrection of Jesus Christ, our primary text for this time sensitive study is Mark chapter 16 and check title his message. No morning was ever brighter down through the centuries the church has been cleared this particular Sunday each year. Whatever Sunday Easter falls on is the day of resurrection is the Christians greatest day of the year, far more significant than any other day, and will learn why in a few moments. That's what we sing what we sing and that's why we declare what we declare from this pulpit through the years churches have participated in an Easter greeting that goes on to this day has been going on for centuries, where the leader announces he is really in the congregation responds.

He is risen indeed. Let's do that together would you just stand please and let's make this statement before one another in the Lord is risen he is risen and he is risen and thank you. Please be seated woven through the fabric of the Scriptures. Periodically are words from another language.

They have been transliterated into English so that we can read them. We've heard one of those words repeated several times. We will hear it yet again and the song that follows this time of Scripture reading and offering and you will hear it and I want you to know what it means. Holly Hill is the Hebrew word for pre-holy door yacht. JH represents Yahweh or we would say Jehovah the Orthodox would say will not but it is praise Yahweh praise the Lord every time you see that appear in Scripture or in some difficult text. Some book, some song you know what that mean and it's it's rendered that way in both English and in Hebrew. In the song just heard. Praise the Lord.

Now you have your worship folder with you.

I want you to place it at first Corinthians chapter 15 leave it there and then locate Mark chapter 16 okay first first Corinthians chapter 15.

Put your your worship folder there will begin the message there really stay in the chapter throughout our time in God's word but I want to read for you the account every one of the gospel writers includes a chapter focusing on the resurrection. Paul develops the theology of the resurrection and the 15th of first Corinthians, but the historical account appears at the end of each of the four Gospels Matthew Mark Luke and John today reading from 16 March. If you're not familiar with your Bible. It's the second book in the New Testament.

The last chapter versus two through eight. We love God's word and we declare it without apology and with great delight and confidence, and because of our respect for the Scriptures we have a long-standing tradition of standing would be read from the word of God. Maybe do so now for Mark chapter 16 I'll read from the new living translation versus two through eight, Mark 16, beginning in verse two. Very early on Sunday morning just at sunrise. They went to the tomb on the way they were asking each other, who will roll away the stone for us from the entrance to the tomb, but as they arrived they looked up and saw that the stone which was very large had already been rolled aside when they enter the tomb, they saw a young man, clothed in a white robe sitting on the right side. The women were shocked but the angel said don't be alarmed that you are looking for Jesus of Nazareth who was crucified. He isn't here he is risen from the dead look.

This is where they laid his body.

Now go and tell his disciples, including Peter that Jesus is going ahead of you to Galilee you will see him there, just as he told you before he died. The women fled from the Truman trembling and bewildered and they said nothing to anyone because they were too frightened is an interesting point of reference, here in this reading that you might've missed you may have forgotten that it was Peter who denied his Lord, not once but three times is living in the remorse and the guilt of that. Isn't it gracious of this angel to make sure that they included Peter when they announce that the one who had been crucified was now raised.

He wanted Peter to hear it. You may have been among those who have wandered away from the things you once held dear and you come today maybe feeling a little strange, a little different because of the past.

We want you to know that you were just as welcome as the one who would never miss a service at this church.

If you are among the peters. Please know that you are welcome. I'm happy to announce new do all of this one with me with his arms race.

So glad I study Mark chapter 16 with Chuck Swindoll. Be sure to download his searching the Scriptures by going to Insight world.org/studies another message from Chuck titled no morning was ever brighter is so familiar to the Christian together on Easter Sunday morning. We know why we're here. We understand the story. We've heard it down through the years throughout our life since our earliest days in Sunday school, but I'm convinced that there are so may even in this gathering who must be entertaining the thought. So what's the big deal you haven't heard the story all your life. You're not familiar with it. In fact, when we were getting ready to build this new building that the claim our worship center. Our sanctuary we decided it would be a good idea to find what our neighborhood new about who the Christ.

For example, some of our older adults and younger alike went down to the mall which had just been established just been built and they went around with a clipboard and they asked the question who is Jesus Christ when it's only what they were going to do my first response was what every body no is a matter of fact, most didn't. One person said when he was asked what is this a trick question. What can be tricky about who is Jesus Christ. Another one said to his buddy. Can you help me out here so maybe you don't know Christ the Lord is risen today. Hallelujah, hallelujah, you know, we have been singing that for 275. What will we haven't, but the church is been singing that are 275 years. Charles Wesley wrote it way back then. I'm sure he had no idea that it would be song, decades and decades beyond his own life and there it is.

So why, I mean moms and dads cited in their era and our grandchildren will sing it when they are adults and they gather for worship, but you come to church only once a year, and Easter is your Sunday, you probably are wondering about now is that the only song they know what's the big deal. Well let's ask around. We don't have a clipboard won't go to the mall but will ask a guy named Paul not not first century. Paul but one of our own contemporaries, a golfer who by this time it reached the zenith of his career. He is in fact had become by then the, the, the number two money winning golfer on the tour Paul easing I heard Paul tell his story and the gathering number of years ago and he was by then a man of enormous celebrity incredibly gifted and able to carry his own and whatever may have been the particular course, but he began to feel pain in his shoulder. He told us about it as he gave us a story in the he couldn't get past infected affected his swing any finally realized that you need to see a physician put it, dead. His life would never be the same. He heard the words bone lymphoma big words for cancer. He said to us in our smaller gathering, much smaller than this. After I heard the physicians say that my first reaction after I left his office was to go directly to the men's room and throw my whole world He Was on a Roll. He Was Moving Ahead. Family Was Doing Well. He Was Known All through That Sport and Other People Who Were Fans Knew the Name Paul Azinger. In Fact, Paul Knew the Song Christ the Lord Is Risen Today. Hallelujah Sons of Men and Angels Say Hallelujah Raise Your Voice with Triumph High Hallelujah. See You Heavens and Earth.

Reply Hallelujah and He Sang That Song As He Had Never Sung before Not Be Realized Because Christ Was Raised. Having Trusted in Christ, He to Regardless of What Happens with His Cancer. He Too Would Be Raised and Made like Christ Is What Paul Azinger Would Say, You May Not Have Heard the Word Lymphoma Connected to Your Name or Your Body yet but Imagine What It Will Be like If in Fact It Happens That You and Eyes Standing before Our Physician Hear the Word Lymphoma Bone Cancer.

Paul Says When All of That Began the Landowning He Really Could Think about Life in a Whole New Set of Priorities and He Realized What the Chaplain Had Said in the Previous Tour Now Makes Sense. He Had Said We Think We Are in the Land of the Living, Going to the Land of the Dying We Are in Fact in the Land of the Dying Headed for the Land of the Living. If You Don't Know the Song and If You Don't Know the One about the Song Speaks. You Haven't Looked at It like That. While Paul Wasn't the Only One. Let's Visit with a Couple Scott and Janet Willis. You Don't Know Them, They Lived Back Then in the City of Chicago. Matter-Of-Fact Scott Was a Part-Time Minister in Southside Chicago. His Wife Janet Was Busy with Her Nine Children Homeschooling the Six Were Still at Home All the Mother's Side Together. Imagine That. But That Drew Them so Close Together. Peter Had Just Been Born. He Was Only Six Weeks Old, but the Others about Three of Them Were Old Enough to Have Left the Nest. She Still Had Six of Home Listen to Their Ages, Then Age 13, Joe 11 Sam Nine Hank Seven Elizabeth Three and I Mentioned Earlier, Little Peter Only Six Weeks Old. They Knew the Lord and They Love the Lord One Weekend I Decided to Visit One of the Adults.

Kids That It Moved Out Of the House on His Own and so They Were on the Stretch of the Road Just to the West of Milwaukee on the Way up to His Home When All Of A Sudden a Large Piece of Metal Tumbled Out Of the Truck in Front of Them Bounced along and of All Things Got Wedged beneath the Car and Pierce the Gasoline Tank and the Entire Hand in Which They Were Riding Was Engulfed in Flame. Janet and Scott Were Thrown out on Fire. One of the Six Children Thrown out As Well.

As They Lay There Trying to Put the Fire out on Their Own Clothing. All Five of the Children in the Van Were Entombed in Flame Died in That Awful Moment.

The Next Day the One Who Was Thrown Out Of the Van with the Two of Them Also Died Six Out Of Six Suddenly: How Do You Go on Is Almost More Than We Can Fathom Losing One Would Be Difficult Enough for Two, but to Loose Six All at One Time.

How Could Scott and Janet Go beyond That Tragic Moment. They Know the Song Raise Your Joys and Triumph High Seeing You Heavens and Earth.

Reply Hello Young, Praise the Lord, Even in This Not If You Don't Know the Lord at That Moment You Think about a Number of Tragic Things You Can Do with Your Life.

Interestingly, Following Our First of Three Morning Services Today. A Lady Came over Whom I've Never Met and She Said Interesting You You Mention the Willis Family. We Are Very Good Friends in Their Walk with the Lord Has Not in Any Way Decreased Matter-Of-Fact Matter-Of-Fact within a Matter of A Few Weeks As They Had Grieved and Buried the Six Scott Put His Blistered Hand on Janet's Shoulder and Said This Is What We Been Prepared for Janet God's Mysterious Plan Is Unfolding.

Our Faith Is Anchored in Christ Remarkable, Amazing Because Christ Is Triumph over the Grave. We Know That We Who Love Him Will Also Triumph beyond Whatever May Be the Means of Taking Us from Here to the Life beyond Words Sound to Some of You Incredible How Could Anybody Respond like That Is One Thing to Have Lymphoma on One Shoulder and to Get through That. By the Way Paul Anything Is Very Much Alive Doing Well Thank the Lord and the Willis Is Going on with Her Life. Matter-Of-Fact Me Say One More Thing. Just This past Week I Was at a Memorial Service for a Long Time Friend, Cynthia, and I've Known the Hutton Family since about 1959 We Knew Billy a Fellow Marine and Ministered to the Family at His Death.

Now His Wife Betty Who Lived on beyond His Years Recently Died and 83-year-old Mother of Four Adult Daughters and 17 Grandchildren, All of Whom Were There at the Graveside. Not One of Them Feeling Hopeless All of Them Reminding One Another and to Me As Well. There Is a Life beyond This Would.

I Brought with Me a Copy of This Is so Wonderful Brochure That Was Handed out a Picture of Betty on the Front and a Picture of 17 Grandchildren. There They Are, and Hold Litter Right There Surrounding Betty. Betty and Her 17 at Possum Kingdom Lake July 4, 2010. They Love Their Grandmother. I Looked into Their Faces Talk with Most of Them I Didn't Hear Wailing, Blaming, Bitterness. I Heard All Privilege to Have Had a Grandmother or Mother. Her Faith Was so Strong That It Just Just Poured over into the Lives of Those, 17 Grandchildren. They Know the Song They Sing It at Full Volume Lives. Again, Our Glorious King Hallelujah Where Death Is Now Thy Staying Hallelujah Dying Once He All Save.

Hallelujah. Where Where Is Thy Victory over a Time to Give Him Praise. It Is What We Would've Planned or Expected or Have Wanted, but When God Has His Way, You Turn to What Has Anchored Your Soul Life. That's Why We Gather That's Why We Celebrate This Father's Day Is Significant. Death Has No Sting Because of the Miracle Jesus Performed the We Grieve the Loss of Those We Love Easter Guarantees That Our Future Is Secure Your Listening to Insight for Living Chuck Swindoll Titled This Message.

No Morning Was Ever Brighter and to Learn More about This Ministry. Please Visit Us online@insightworld.org. You'll be pleased to know that the complete uninterrupted version of this one-hour sermon has been recorded and is available for you today. In fact, the audio file includes the majestic music performed by the stone briar community church choir and orchestra, and you can purchase a copy by visiting Insight.org/store and a reminder that we placed our study in the book of Matthew.

One pause in order to concentrate on the Easter celebration on Monday will resume our study in Matthew chapter 7 we find Jesus sermon on the mount.

There still time to request a copy of Chuck's classic book about this portion of Scripture.

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No morning was ever brighter was copyrighted in 2014 and the sound recording was copyrighted in 2015 by Charles R. Swindoll, Inc. all rights are reserved worldwide. Duplication of copyrighted material for commercial use is strictly prohibited