No Morning Was Ever Brighter, Part 3

For the follower of Jesus Christ. Good Friday is set aside to recognize his sacrificial crucifixion on our behalf.

It's a dark day because it brings us face-to-face with the depth of our sin and the price Jesus paid to provide a remedy today on Insight for living. Chuck Swindoll presents the final portion message started earlier this week, in which were delving into the details of the first Easter, let's resume our study in Mark chapter 16 now with the helpful summary of the progress we've made so far. Chuck titled his message. No morning was ever brighter, Christ is triumphed over the grave. We know that we love him will also try beyond whatever may be the means of taking us from here to the life beyond the rights of all of this in first Corinthians chapter 15. If you mark your Bible there.

Please open to that 15th chapter is the greatest chapter in all the Bible strictly addressing the resurrection begins. Let me remind you, dear brothers and sisters of the good news. The good news I preached to you, you welcome and then I stand firm in it now verse three I passed on to you. What was most important and what had also been passed on to me and here it is. Christ died for our sins, just as the Scriptures said in my Bible. I've highlighted the words of Christ die for. There is no resurrection. If you have the death. Next we read he was raised raised from the dead on the third day just to Scriptures and how we know he was raised.

Among other evidences, please observe. He was seen was adjusted gossip and spread among the early believers know he was seen by Peter. He was seen by the 12 headman. After that, he was seen by more than 500 of his followers and number seven. He was seen by dreams and later by the apostles and last of all the apostle rights. I saw him. If there is no resurrection of the dead. Let's go there and then he put the list together. Sort of takes your breath away. Then Christ is not been right.

If there's no such thing as resurrection number one we don't have a resurrected Christ number two. Verse 14 then all our preaching is is useless. Your guilty still guilty of your sins. The nutcase look at this one all who have died believing in Christ are lost. In fact, begins with the statement that so true. We are all people in the world. Most to be pitied were to be pitied.

We have no window song to sing window message to declare it's all got a hollow ring to it. No, in fact, I love the way verse 20 begins. But in fact only Paul can run it like it but in fact so much for the what is so much for the condition if there is no resurrection but in fact he states Christ has been raised from the dead. He's the first of a great harvest of all who have died. So you see, just as death came into the world through one man, that's Adam. Now the resurrection from the dead has begun through another man and that's Jesus just as everyone dies because we belong to Adam. Everyone who belongs to Christ will be given new life for good. Can you say it's a fact can we say that will be evidence is overwhelming, overwhelming. We have just seen that he was seen by all of these people.

Furthermore, the tomb was empty the stone was rolled away, which was a physical impossibility seen by others in their lives have been transformed by the way, no one is ever found his corpse or his skeleton, believe me. They looked and no part of the holy land have the remains of Jesus been recovered.

Think of it like this. Think of two worlds. We live in one that is around us were born into it. We exist and it we die on it this world.

And then there is another world that is beyond us. I put it in the simple statement embracing the reality of the world to come, radically alters everything the world in which we live is living in the black tube of everyday life on this planet for people died in automobiles every day for heart attacks happen every few seconds every day where people take their lives every day for heartbreak and disillusionment gather around all of this existence every day when you know the song.

Your life isn't limited to this world, but focuses on the one to come this world around us.

Every person listening to me right now has scars emotional, mental, maybe even physical because of the brutish nastiness of this flat exist.

Each one of us has someone to blame for something each one of us has been heard deeply the better word is wounded because this world is solitary and nasty.

And thank goodness short can't expect to find happiness in this one. When you know the song you live for the next one, so are we now were Christ has led hallelujah. Following our exalted head hallelujah made like him like him. We rise listen to that. Why can we rise hallelujah lowers across the grave sky praise the name of the Lord. When you come to the end of the chapter he puts his finger on that celebrated thought when he writes in the 54th verse when our dying bodies have been transformed into bodies that will never die. Stop right there. If all you have is existence on this life you you forgotten that your body is going to be changed. In fact, everybody has eternal life. You have a soul that's eternal but not everybody will spend that eternity with the one who made it depends on what you do about it. In this flat, brutish, solitary world in which we live fact, I think one of the reasons for the heartbreak of the despair in the disillusionment of this life is to bring us to our knees were. We acknowledge we can't make it on her own. We have the strength we have the power we haven't the ability now verse 54 concludes death is swallowed up in victory. Great is that he makes a statement. Oh death where is your victory over death, where is your sting of said for years. Paul did get that from Shakespeare Shakespeare reported that from Paul. It's in the text. Oh death where is your victory over death, where is your sting. The sting of death is sin, the strength of sin is the law.

But thanks be to God who gives us the victory over sin and death through our Lord Jesus Christ the world beyond us is out of our reach all on our own. No wonder the grandchildren, Betty Horton weren't weeping as those who have no hope. Oh, they're said to say goodbye to their grandmother but they will see her. They realized she was more than one of them said she's back with Billy. They are together again, what hope is that the Lewis family visit the graves and keep going back to the morning over the six that they lost.

They focus on the other world.

Paul Reisinger is despairing why they know there's a world beyond this they know that that chaplain's words Paul remembered told the truth.

We are really living in the land of the dying headed for the land of living. And isn't that great victory over sin and death and the grave.

That is why we celebrate like we do. That's why we announce that he is risen because he was raised. We too will be raised in because his body was glorified hours to good you don't want to go to heaven with this body. Do you, I mean honestly next time you take a shower looking up fully maybe don't want to do that Dragon so said to have an you will you know Christ because as we read he gives us the victory over sin and through our Lord Jesus Christ.

No one reads the chapter with, therefore, my beloved brethren, be steadfast and immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that your labor is not in vain in the Lord. Nothing were doing today is in vain.

Nothing is foolish. Nothing has a hollow ring to it, is everything about convincing people that are on this flat solitary plan. The short one that there is an eternal one which we are destined make sure your destiny will be with Christ. The auction is dreadful, sterile, and it isn't funny. We ask you directly. Is your existence of one world existed is all about this life that why you're stacking up your treasure.

Having forgotten that someone else will take it your goal is that while your reputation means so much to you what your golf game and getting better and better at it. Remember, lymphoma, it may be the word you hear suddenly that pain hits you in the chest and you drop to your knees as ever to describe like an elephant sitting on you and your gone. Your existence all about here and now. By the way you like living in bondage to those habits, you can't break those addictions that you've kept secret you like all that. Of course you don't.

You know your your your powerless to do anything that I on your own is what you need to raised Christ.

That's why you need a victorious Savior, a triumphant Lord he's gone on ahead of us and says, because I am there. You will be able to come with me. The Lord himself will the sin from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel with the trumpet of God and the dead in Christ shall rise first.

But the Willis children. That's Betty and Billy Horton that their bodies we were alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. So shall we ever be with the Lord and the chapter is the first Thessalonians 4 comfort one another with these work. There's no comfort in that. If you're only in this one world existence.

If Christ remains at arms distance. If you think questions about him are trick questions.

There's nothing to celebrate. You were dragged hear about somebody who wanted you to come or maybe to make it nicer.

You came out of curiosity, you didn't realize that today would be the change .4 you and I can tell you for sure there's no power in the senior sitting in that will transfer eternal life to you because the one who said it before, is a believer, you gotta make the decision yourself, you must turn to Christ, you must trust in him. Then, by the way, you have your story to tell in this life, and then those who love you, who were there when you are gone will tell your story beyond death. As I told other stories today. My friend and fellow author backslid Cato takes time at the end of one of his books to tell his story. I would venture to say most of you have never heard I hadn't is the story of a little 10-year-old boy in a small West Texas town of morning, Max.

He says I don't know what was more remarkable that teacher trying to teach us boys the book of Romans or my remembering what he said to this day the classroom was midsized. One of a dozen or so in a small church my desk and carving on top of it and gum underneath. We all sat in the back to sophisticated to appear interested. The teacher he was an earnest man. I can still see his flattop is building bulging from beneath his coat, which long ago he stopped trying to button his tie stopped about midway down his chest is a black mold on his fourth only Max would remember that a black mold on his Florida has a soft voice, a kind smile. He's hopelessly out of touch with a bunch of boys in the back room. He doesn't know it.

He speaks with genuine passion is not a dramatic man but on this day he's fervent God only knows while hurting that day is text was Romans six, the blackboard was littered with long words a lot of diagrams somewhere in the process of describing how Jesus went into the tomb and came back out. It happened, it happened that you will grace was lifted and turned so I could see it from a new angle and stole my breath. I saw my heavenly father. Enter my dark night and awakened me from slumber and gently guide me know carry me to freedom. I said nothing to my teacher said nothing to my friends. Not sure I said anything to God. I didn't know what to say but for all.

I didn't know there was one factor which I was absolutely sure I trust in Jesus, I wanted to be with him. He was in heaven.

I wanted to be there to see. He adds when your heavenly father comes to deliver you from bondage.

You don't ask any questions, you will obey instructions you take his hand, you leave the bondage behind and you never, never forget you never forget. Of course Max so my concern is that you don't I don't make no difference. It would be just another Easter church service.

If you don't make a decision that will change on which like to do that today. Please close your eyes.

I'm not able to invade your thoughts so I'm gonna let you think them all by yourself.

Member your mom and dad member there telling you about when you were born for.

You were happy they were to have you member growing up pleasure and pain mixed together, heartbreaking moments, happy moments, but all of this related to this flat, brutish, solitary, short world on which you find yourself because you've never ever made the kind of decision. Max made Paul for the Willis couple and their family are the hotness and their family. You're surrounded by people who have made the decision in simple terms, they believe that Jesus died and that Jesus was raised his death took care of the sin in his resurrection took care of the life beyond. I ask you today, to believe in the Lord Jesus that he died for you and he was raised with you in mind is a place for you.

There and he invites you to be there. You enter that place by faith.

Simple prayer something like this dear father, I'm lost and lost all my life today want you to forgive me take away this debt that I owe this pack of sin in my life. Wash me clean take me as your own. I believe in your son died and was raised from the I trust him now. Some of it seems complicated to you. We are happy to make available more information from those who are seasoned, compassionate, and confidential. The called our soul care team there at the exits they will not be obtrusive. No one will stop you on your way out.

But if you stop and talk with one of them, they'll sit down close the door and help you come to terms with this decision but you don't have to talk to anyone. Max didn't. I don't recall that I ever did write for your sitting you can trust in Christ. Here is the witness that God is given to us eternal life, and this life is in his son, listen to this. He who has the son has the life. He who does not have the son of God does not have a life that wonderful. You can leave singing the song, you can begin to grow and understand it even better. In the months and years ahead. But if you choose not to no one before she you just have to live with the threat that death can come at any moment that it's too late. There's no record in the Scriptures of someone after dying trusting in Christ. It happens on this flat planet as you prepare for the next stay with us. Our father may your spirit hover around us and upon us.

We do is work within us. I pray that those who this moment resist when experienced no rest in peace find it difficult to sleep will be haunted with the thought that they're not ready and bring them then to their knees as they bow their hearts to you. Trust your son for eternal life reminders father that we all have eternal life.

Just some will be in another destiny and how we want to be together in heaven secure that father make it a reality. This day for that. So who trusts in the powerful name of our resurrected Christ, pray everyone's payment please stand one final announcement together. He is risen again. He is risen he is risen he is risen indeed. And with that truth ringing in our ears were filled with hope and joy. You're listening to Insight for living and next time Chuck will be returning to his series on Jesus sermon on the mount so please keep listening. If you'd like to learn more about this ministry or Chuck Swindoll.

Please visit us online@insightworld.org well if you missed any portion of Chuck's Easter messages. You be glad to know they are available for you right now this is the complete uninterrupted version including the teaching we've heard over the last three programs.

In fact, the audio file includes the sacred music you heard performed by the stone briar community church choir and orchestra to purchase a copy of today's Easter message called no morning was ever brighter. Just call us if you're listening in the United States dial 1-800-772-8888 or it might be quicker if you go directly to Insight.org/store and then as God leads you. Please remember the influence of your donation to Insight for living our website and our email inbox are filled with affirming notes from grateful listeners. People from all walks of life are benefiting from the gifts you send a thank you for your donation Chuck delivers the sermons are staffed with together. This program, but is people like you give flight to Insight for living to give a donation right now. Call us if you're listening in the US dial 1-800-772-8888 also get when you go online to Insight.org as we enter into the weekend.

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In addition to hearing Chuck sermon participate in the congregational singing as well. Find all the instructions for streaming. The live worship service@insight.org/Sundays. Join us again Monday study and Matthew continues Insight for living Chuck Swindoll the preceding message. No morning was ever brighter was copyrighted in 2014 and the sound recording was copyrighted in 2015 by Charles R.

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