The Resurrection of Christ - 4/5/26 - Meadows Baptist Church - Pastor Charlie Branch

Welcome to the podcast of Meadows

Baptist Church of Walnut Cove, North

Carolina. We're so glad you joined us

today. If you enjoy today's message, be

sure to subscribe, follow, and share

with your friends. Now, let's join

Pastor Charlie Branch with a word from

God.

>> Praise God.

I'm telling you, I'm

I ain't been too many places in this

life.

>> I can tell you one place I've been.

>> Come on.

>> Bless his name.

>> Amen.

I just like his presence.

>> Amen.

>> I don't have to have nothing else. You

say, "You mean you'll sit here in

silence? If I feel him, I'll sit still

for hours." Amen.

>> Yes, sir.

>> Hallelujah. Bless his name. Amen. I tell

you, sinner, it'd be a good time to get

saved. Amen.

>> Amen.

>> Hallelujah.

>> Amen. Mark's Gospel, if you have a

Bible. Amen. Mark's gospel.

I don't want to hinder the spirit, but

>> Amen.

>> He called me to preach.

>> Amen.

>> And uh

I'm going to preach.

>> Mark's Gospel chapter 16. Praying about

this service this morning. I be honest

with you, I don't have to preach. I know

that. I'm not not surprisful to say that

this morning. I don't have to preach,

but it's just what's on my heart. and

been praying this week about the service

today and uh just what the mind of the

Lord what what he wanted for this

service and I I believe this is where he

wants us. I may strike out but I'm going

to do my best to do the will of God

>> and I'm going to be obedient to him. If

you have a Bible and you found your

place in Mark's Gospel chapter 16, I

invite you to stand.

I invite you to stand.

Simple thought this morning. nothing

nothing new to you, nothing extravagant.

And I'm thankful we're we're familiar

the resurrection

>> events thereof. I was thinking this

morning listening to brother Todd

preach. Um you're not going to hear a

better message than what he preached to

us out there uh in Portico this morning.

And I'm not going to try to follow that,

but I am going to try to tell give you

what the Lord gave me, what I feel like

he has for us this morning. Mark's

Gospel chapter 16, verse number one.

The Bible says, "When the Sabbath was

passed, Mary Magdalene and Mary the

mother of James and Shalom had bought

sweet spices that they might come and

anoint him." Very early in the morning,

the first day of the week, they came

under the supplr at the rising of the

sun. They said among themselves, "Who

shall roll us away the stone from the

door of the suppler?" When they looked,

they saw that the stone was rolled away,

for it was very great. And entering into

the supplr, they saw a young man sitting

on the right side, clothed in a long

white garment, and they were afraid. And

he saith unto them, "Be not afraid. You

seek Jesus of Nazareth, which was

crucified.

He is risen."

>> Amen.

>> He is not here.

Behold the place where they laid him.

But go your way, tell his disciples and

Peter that he goeth before you into

Galilee. There shall ye see him as he

said unto you. And they went out quickly

and fled from the suppler. For they

trembled and were amazed. Neither said

they anything to any man, for they were

afraid. Now, Father, I come before you

this morning and I ask you humbly for

your help. But I realize that I have

nothing to say this morning, God, if you

don't speak through me. And Lord, I

pray, Father, for just a few minutes

this morning, you would clothe me in my

call and rid me of sin and all flesh.

And God, I pray, Lord, that for a moment

of time, God, that I would be able to

disappear, Father, and the congregation

will be able to see you. I ask you, God,

please, would you grant it this morning?

I pray for those that are here this

morning and not saved. God, I pray today

would be the day of salvation for them.

And what I would hate to imagine,

Father, that anybody would sit in a

service and feel the presence of God the

way we felt it this morning and get up

and walk out lost, but I know souls are

doing it each and every day across this

country. And God, I pray, Father, that

today would be the last day, Lord, a

sinner stays lost today. God, I ask you

would help us as we look at this text.

And may we rejoice today because you are

alive and you did get up out of that

tomb. And I thank you for that today.

Thank you, Father, that if it had been

just me, you would have got up for me.

And I love you for that this morning.

And God, I ask, please help us this

morning. We need you. We can't do it

without you. Help us to receive with

meekness the engrafted word. Open our

eyes. We might behold wondrous things in

thy law. And God, may we see no man save

Jesus only. We'll give you glory because

we ask it in Jesus' name. God's children

said,

>> "Thank you for standing. You can be

seated this morning." I'm interested

this morning in this text on a certain

verse. I'm going to deal with the

entirety of the text that I've read. But

the thought that the Lord placed upon my

heart, I find it there in verse number

three where the Bible says they said

among themselves, who shall roll us away

the stone from the door of the

separator. In verse four, the Bible

says, "And when they looked, they saw

that the stone was rolled away."

>> Amen. And I want to preach on this

thought for just a little while this

morning with the help of the Lord. The

empty tomb says it all.

>> The empty tomb says it all. Now, I'll be

honest with you this morning. I've never

been to Israel. I've got some family

here this morning that went and they

were able to view what is assumed to be

that tomb when they were there. And they

would tell you this morning that it's

empty. Amen. But I'll tell you this,

regardless of the assumptions of man

about which tomb it was or where it was,

I can promise you without seeing it,

amen, that it's empty. Amen. And I was

thinking about this text this morning. I

dealt last year on resurrection Sunday

with Matthew's account of the

resurrection. And the Lord put this in

my heart earlier this week. And I

studied it sometime really till really

just this morning, real early. God began

to put this message in my heart. And I I

want to give you a few things by way of

introduction this morning considering

the context of the scripture. I notice

in this text we are brought to uh the

foot of the tomb. Here in the text we

notice that the Sabbath has passed and

depending on what you believe. I'm not

going to argue with you. Nobody really

knows what day Jesus was crucified on

and whether he got up late Saturday

evening or early Sunday morning. But I

tell you this, I know that he got up.

Amen. But when I come to this text, I

note that the Sabbath is passed

according to verse number one. And these

characters here show up on the pages of

scripture once again, and I'll say more

about them in just a minute, but I I

want us to picture with me what has

happened. Now, you may be here this

morning, and this may be the first time

you've ever heard this story. I I don't

want to take that for granted this

morning. But when I come to this text,

what is revealed to us is the

resurrection of our Lord and the fact

that they have came and found his empty

tomb. And just a chapter prior in Mark

chapter number 15, Jesus Christ was

crucified by the hands of sinful men. He

was hung upon that cross. AND YOU SAY,

"PREACHER, WHY was he hung there?" He

was hung there for your SIN AND FOR MY

SIN. THE BIBLE SAYS that all have sinned

and come short of the glory of God. AND

BECAUSE OF YOUR SIN, you are separated

from God. You are at enmity with God

this morning. And you have NO

OPPORTUNITY TO HAVE A RELATIONSHIP with

him. But you see, God sent his son. And

as the song says, they called him Jesus.

And he lived his LIFE ON THIS EARTH,

PERFECT, SINLESS, AND SPOTLESS. AMEN.

HEY, IT'S ALL RIGHT. SOMEBODY CAN HELP

ME PREACH THIS MORNING. PERFECT,

SINLESS, and spotless. Hey, he never did

a wrong thing. HE NEVER HAD A WRONG

THOUGHT. HE NEVER HAD A BAD ATTITUDE.

LET ME SAY THIS. FOR THE ENTIRETY OF HIS

LIFE, from the time that HE WAS HERE ON

THE EARTH UNTIL THE TIME THAT HE

INCENDED, THERE WAS NEVER A SIN IN HIS

MIND. THERE WAS NEVER A SIN IN HIS

HEART. THERE WAS NEVER A SIN ON HIS

LIPS. I SUBMIT TO YOU, HE WAS PERFECT.

HE HAD NO SIN. HE DID NO SIN. AMEN. And

in him was no sin. Amen. And in his

perfection, HE CAME TO BE THE SACRIFICE.

HE WENT TO CALVAR'S CROSS BEFORE IT WAS

THE CROSS THAT WAS PROPHESIED OF THAT HE

WOULD DIE AND HE WOULD BEAR THE SINS OF

MANKIND. PAUL TOLD THE CORINTHIAN

CHURCH, he said, "He hath made him TO BE

SIN FOR US WHO KNEW NO SIN THAT WE MIGHT

BE MADE THE RIGHTEOUSNESS OF GOD IN

HIM." AND BECAUSE OF YOUR SIN PROBLEM,

HE HAD TO DIE. HIM BEING PERFECT, HE HAD

TO GO TO CALVARY AND DIE FOR YOUR SINS.

AND ON THAT CROSS, HE BLED AND SUFFERED.

AND LET ME REMIND YOU THIS MORNING OR

MAYBE MAKE YOU AWARE TODAY JESUS THEY

COULDN'T KILL HIM. AMEN. IT WASN'T

POSSIBLE FOR THEM TO TAKE HIS LIFE. HE

SAID IN JOHN CHAPTER NUMBER 10 HE SAID I

LAY MY LIFE DOWN. HE SAID MY FATHER

LOVETH ME BECAUSE I LAY MY LIFE DOWN.

AND HE SAID I HAVE POWER TO TAKE IT UP

AGAIN. JESUS ON CALVAR'S CROSS WILLINGLY

SUBMITTED HIS SPIRIT UNTO THE FATHER

SURRENDERED HIS LIFE TO GOD AND GAVE UP

THE GHOST. THE BIBLE SAYS, "AND ON

CALVAR'S CROSS BETWEEN HEAVEN AND HELL,

HE DIED THERE FOR YOUR SIN AND FOR MY

SIN. AND I SUBMIT TO YOU TODAY, I STAND

HERE FORGIVEN BECAUSE OF THE SACRIFICE

OF JESUS CHRIST." AMEN.

>> COME ON.

>> You say, "Preacher, what does that mean

for me?" Well, I submit to you today

that if you've never known Jesus, if

you've never trusted Christ, if you've

never come to him and asked HIM TO

FORGIVE YOU OF YOUR SINS AND SAVE YOUR

SOUL, you are in a lost, ruined

condition this morning.

>> But you see, you say, "Preacher, was his

death enough?" Well, let me say this.

His death was the propitiation for your

sin.

>> You're right. Amen.

>> But I want you want you to see this

morning that Christ is the gospel

message is the death, the burial,

>> and the resurrection.

>> The Bible says Peter or Paul said it

this way. He was delivered for our

offenses and raised for our

justification this morning. And the

preacher preached on it this morning.

But let me say this to you. If he did

not get up out OF THE GRAVE, THAT WOULD

mean that he was not God. IF HE DID NOT

RISE UP FROM THE GRAVE, IT WOULD MEAN

THAT GOD WAS NOT SATISFIED WITH THE

SACRIFICE OF HIS SON. BUT LET ME SAY

THIS, BECAUSE HE GOT UP AND BECAUSE HE

IS ALIVE TODAY, GOD IS SATISFIED AND THE

SON IS VINDICATED. HE IS THE SON OF GOD,

IN SPITE OF WHAT THE PHARISEES SAID, IN

SPITE OF WHAT THE WORLD SAYS, HE IS THE

VERY DARLING SON OF GOD. AMEN.

>> And his resurrection vindicates that

this morning. And you say, "Preacher,

well, you said the empty tomb says it

all." And it does this morning.

>> When I think about a gravestone,

often times on that epitap, people will

put their motives for life or a

description of the person that was in

there. Well, I submit to you, there was

never anything written on that empty

tomb.

>> You're right.

>> But there was something in front of it

that signified

>> everything that Jesus was going to do

and everything that he did.

>> Come on.

>> And notice this in the text this

morning. And I got to give you this and

get to the message this morning. We see

these ladies here in the text. You note

their devotion. Of course, this is Mary

Magdalene here in the text. Jesus as

earlier in his ministry cast seven

devils out of her. And Mary spent her

life following Jesus after that as one

of his uh close followers and Mary the

mother of James the less and so here in

the text. These three ladies have come

and other scriptures say that there were

more with them. BUT I NOTICED THEIR

DEVOTION in the text. And you say, "What

do you mean?" Well, these ladies here,

according to Matthew or Mark 15 and

verse NUMBER 40, THEY SAW HIS DEATH.

LOOK WHAT YOUR BIBLE SAYS. There were

also women looking on a far off,

speaking of the time when Jesus was

hanging on the cross. They were

beholding him there looking at Calvary

as Jesus hung there. AND NOT ONLY THEY

SAW HIS DEATH, but they also saw his

burial. According to ma mark chapter

number 15 and verse number 46 Joseph of

Arythea bought fine linen took him off

the cross wrapped him in that linen laid

him in that suppler. In verse 47 the

Bible says and Mary Magdalene and Mary

the mother OF JOSEPH BEHELD WHERE HE WAS

LAID. And so these women saw his death

but they also saw his burial. And some

three days later we come to this chapter

in chapter number 16. And you say

preacher what are you talking about? I'm

saying they were devoted to him. Amen.

They were coming here in the tomb. And

the Bible says they'd bought spices and

they'd spent their money to come and

anoint the body of the Lord Jesus. And

let me say this. I've read some writers

that said that it was a necessity that

they do this. But I really believe that

Joseph, he was a wealthy man, a rich

man. And I believe he had everything

that he needed when he wrapped that body

up. I BELIEVE THEY WERE COMING OUT OF

their own willingness because THEY LOVED

THE LORD. AMEN. AND THEY wanted to honor

him. AMEN. AND LET ME JUST SAY THIS

BEFORE I GO ANY FURTHER this morning.

The people that love God the most are

the ones that'll go on and do for him

when it seems like he's done nothing for

them.

>> You're right.

>> Oh friend, you didn't hear what I just

said.

>> Yeah. Come on, preacher.

>> THE PEOPLE THAT LOVE GOD THE MOST. I'M

SAYING, FRIEND, THEY'LL GO ON AND SERVE

GOD WHEN IT SEEMS LIKE THEIR LIFE'S

FALLING APART AROUND THEM. THESE WOMEN

HAD LOST THE ONLY MAN THAT HAD EVER

GIVEN THEM HOPE AND LIFE. I'M SAYING,

FRIEND, JESUS HAD DIED BEFORE THEIR

EYES. AND YOU GOT TO REMEMBER IN THEIR

MIND'S EYE, HE'S STILL DEAD,

>> RIGHT?

>> But you know what they did? They come

and anoint to anoint him again.

>> They were devoted to him. Amen. I see

not only their devotion. You see their

devotion in their treasure and in their

time that they come. I see not only

their devotion in the text, but I notice

their decision. Look what the Bible says

in verse two. And very early in the

morning, the first day of the week, they

came under the suppler at the rising of

the sun. And so these ladies, no doubt

in my mind, Jesus has never left their

mind from the time that he was on the

cross. But of course, this, the Bible

says that very early in the morning on

that Sunday morning, they come. And so

obviously that decision that they made

to come early was made the night before.

>> You're right.

>> And let me put this out there to you.

>> Come on.

>> Sunday morning churches decided on

Saturday night.

>> That's right. Amen.

>> Amen. Don't die on me right there. Amen.

Sunday morning church is decided on

Saturday night. They're devoted to him.

Their decision is to come to him. And

you notice in the text, the Bible says

that they came under the septic at the

rising of the sun. Of course, we know

Jesus has done got up out of the grave.

But I DON'T WANT TO PREACH ON ALL THAT.

I WANT TO GIVE YOU this and then we'll

get to the message this morning. Notice

not only their devotion and their

decision, but notice their declaration

in verse three. And they said among

themselves, "Who shall roll us away the

stone from the door of the supplr?" Now,

when you look at this text, you got to

remember something here. This supplr

that they've placed Jesus in. Of course,

it was a bought tomb. Joseph of Arythe

had purchased this for himself. No

doubt. And so, Jesus was here placed in

a borrowed tomb. According to Matthew's

gospel, the Bible says that the chief

priests, he commanded those soldiers to

go and seal that thing,

>> right?

>> To go put the seal on it and to put a

watch there FOR THREE DAYS BECAUSE they

remembered what Jesus said.

>> They said that deceiver said in three

days he's going to get up again. AND SO

YOU STAY THREE DAYS TO make sure that

his disciples don't come and take him

out because they said the last mistake

WILL BE WORSE THAN THE first if we allow

him to come and take him out. But boy,

aren't you thankful that it didn't

matter? Amen. THEM WATCHING THE DOOR,

JESUS DIDN'T HAVE TO COME through the

door. Amen. I'm getting ahead of myself

butchering this outline. But the truth

is this morning, you understand their

declaration is BECAUSE THEY SAW A

problem that they couldn't handle.

>> You're right.

>> And isn't that the way it is? You think

about what Jesus is going through. Jesus

has bore the sin weight of the human

race. He's descended. Amen. He's

ascended the lower parts of the earth.

He's doing the work of God. He's going

to ascend. He's doing the eternal work.

>> And isn't it interesting that these

weighties, they're troubled about that

work that's physical.

>> That's right.

>> You see, they saw a problem that was

unfixable and all the while Jesus was

doing things they couldn't even

understand.

>> Right?

>> Let me say this to you this morning.

Okay? Whatever problem you got,

>> come on.

>> You just know Jesus has fixed more and

is fixing more right now than your

problem will ever be. Amen.

their their declaration in the text.

What does the Bible say? They know the

size of the stone. Look what the Bible

says. Who shall roll us away the stone

from the door of the settler. Now,

history tells us this stone's probably

some five to six feet high and and a

foot thick. And so, it was something not

really just a job of one man, but it was

a job of a few men to roll this stone

away. And so, knowing the size of the

stone and knowing their strength was

small, they make this statement. And let

me say this to YOU THIS MORNING. YOU MAY

LOOK AT YOUR PROBLEM THIS MORNING and

say that it's too large. Recognizing the

fact that the problem IS BIG AND YOUR

STRENGTH IS SMALL. But just remember,

God don't have to move the problem out

of the way.

>> You're right.

>> He didn't have to move the stone to get

out.

>> Come on, preacher.

>> He had to move the stone so they could

look in. That's

>> right.

>> God don't have to fix your problem to

help you. Amen.

>> He He just wants you to allow him to to

be the fix.

>> That's right.

>> Amen. He don't have to fix the problem.

Amen. I'm getting off my message this

morning. I don't know where you at this

morning. You need to let God help you.

Amen.

>> Notice this. All right. I noticed not

only their declaration, notice their

discovery. They discover a removed stone

in the text. Verse number four. When

they looked, they saw that the stone was

rolled away for it was very great.

Speaking of the size of it, they saw not

only a removed stone, but there's a

revealed servant in the text. This young

man, no doubt the angel of the Lord

according to Matthew's gospel is sitting

there in the right side, this angel

clothed in a long white garment. They

were afrighted and they not only saw the

removed stone and revealed servant, but

soon they would see the risen savior.

And you say, "Preacher, what does all

that mean?" Well, it's telling us this

morning that the empty tomb had a

message for them. That's

>> right.

>> Let me say this. The empty tomb has a

message for you this morning. That's

>> right.

>> You pray for me. All right.

You say, "What's the message?" Well, I

think about that stone this morning. Of

course, to know that the tomb was empty.

The stone had to be removed. And we've

already said it. It was a sizable stone.

And not only it was sizable, but it was

sealed. It had THAT SEAL PLACED UPON IT.

And in spite of its size and in spite of

its seal, this angel according to

Matthew's gospel comes and shoves this

stone out of the way and gets it out of

the way so that all those that would

come would be able to look in there and

see the emptiness of this tomb.

>> And in light of this servant, the the

the work that he does in removing the

stone, you see, he has to do something

else. There's another stone that's in

the way. You say, "What is that?" Well,

it's the blindness of their lack of

faith. That's

>> right. You see, when they looked in

there, you know what they saw? They saw

emptiness,

>> right?

>> They didn't see what was there.

>> Yeah. Come on.

>> Amen. You say, "Preacher, WHAT ARE YOU

SAYING?" I'M SAYING THAT napkin that was

folded.

>> Come on.

>> Them grave clothes that were laying in

there JUST LIKE OLD FRIEND, HE DIDN'T HE

DIDN'T COME out of there. Let me This

pet peeve of mine. Okay. All right. Let

me just stop here for a minute. Okay.

People talk about and I I'm not going to

fall out if you believe this. Okay. But

people talk about Jesus holded that

napkin and you know that was a sign

Jewish culture that you know he wasn't

done you know Jewish culture table

culture you know if he wasn't done with

his meal he would fold his napkin to let

them know that he was coming back. That

preaches good. All right. That ain't

what the text's talking about.

>> Come on.

>> When he sees the napkin folded, here's

what he sees. He sees that napkin as it

was wrapped on his head. That's

>> right.

>> And you know what? When Jesus come alive

again, you know what he did? That napkin

just fell off

>> in the same shape that it was wrapped

around his head.

>> You're right.

>> And you know what? All them garments, he

was wrapped in all them grave clothes.

You know what they did? They just laid

down.

>> That's right.

>> Come on.

>> You say, "How is that?" Well, because

the stone didn't have to be moved FOR

HIM TO GET OUT. JESUS DIDN'T HAVE TO

UNWIND HIMSELF. JESUS DIDN'T HAVE TO

TAKE THE HEAD CLOTHES OFF. HE DIDN'T

HAVE TO MOVE THE STONE OUT OF THE WAY.

BUT OH FRIEND, THE MOMENT HE CAME ALIVE.

HE WASN'T JUST A MAN ANYMORE, BUT HE WAS

THE EXALTED LAMB OF GOD IN A NEW BODY,

HE'S THE FIRST BEGOTTEN OF THE DEAD. AND

FRIEND, HE DIDN'T HAVE TO MOVE A DOOR.

BUT THANK GOD, HE JUST APPEARED TO HIM

DOWN THE ROAD. HE DIDN'T HAVE TO WALK NO

MORE. AMEN. HALLELUJAH. YOU SAY,

"PREACHER, WHY DOES THAT HELP YOU?" CUZ

HE'S THE FIRSTBORN. I'M GOING TO HAVE

THAT SAME BODY ONE OF THESE DAYS.

>> Jesus gets up and comes out of there.

You say, "Preacher, what's the message

of the empty tomb? Three things and I'm

done." You see, this tomb was left there

to show some things. And somewhere or

another, this tomb's still empty. That's

>> right.

>> Amen. It's still empty. And I want to

give you this, and I'm done this

morning. I've already preached it, but

I'm going to give it to you anyway. I'd

say this. Number one, the message of the

empty tomb is that his, you see, his

decided death. You say, "What do you

mean?" Well, notice the text. The angel

says to these ladies here, the Bible

says that they see him. He's in a long

white garment. They were afraid. Verse

six, he saith unto them, "Be not afraid.

You seek Jesus of Nazareth." What those

next three words? Which was crucified.

You see in this text what it reveals.

You say, "Well, preacher, they crucified

him and because of his death, BECAUSE OF

HIM HANGING ON THAT cross and all the

loss of blood." I've heard the

scientific explanations and all of this.

The truth is it's more of a miracle that

Jesus stayed alive as long as he did.

AMEN. THAN THE FACT THAT HE DIED THERE.

>> YOU'RE RIGHT.

>> HE THEY COULDN'T TAKE his life.

>> You're right.

>> THEY COULDN'T TAKE IT FROM HIM. WHAT I'M

SAYING IS HIS DEATH WAS A DECISION THAT

HE MADE.

>> AMEN. FRIEND, HE SAID IN JOHN CHAPTER

NUMBER 12, EXCEPT A CORN OF WHEAT FALL

INTO THE GROUND AND DIE, IT ABIDETH

ALONE. BUT WHAT DID HE SAY? BUT if it

die, it bringeth FORTH MUCH FRUIT. YOU

KNOW WHAT? SOMEBODY HAD TO PLANT THAT

CORNER WHEAT.

>> GOD ON CALVAR'S CROSS, THEM SOLDIERS

DIDN'T HANG HIM THERE. GOD PUT HIM

THERE. AMEN. AND ON CALVARY, HE LAID HIS

LIFE DOWN, SHED HIS BLOOD. THAT EMPTY

TOMB SAID THERE was a MAN THAT DECIDED

TO DIE. YOU SAY, "HOW IS THAT,

PREACHER?" BECAUSE THE SAME WAY THAT HE

DECIDED TO DIE, HE DECIDED TO GET UP.

AND THAT EMPTY TOMB WAS A TESTIMONY TO

ALL THAT WERE AROUND THAT JESUS POWER

WAS MORE THAN DEATH. THAT JESUS POWER

WAS MORE THAN GRAVE. JESUS POWER WAS

MORE THAN THE DEVIL. HE TOOK THE KEYS.

HE DEFEATED DEATH, HELL, AND THE GRAVE.

AND LET ME SAY THIS TO YOU, FRIEND THIS

MORNING. IF HE CAN DIE HIMSELF AND GET

UP HIMSELF, DO YOU REALLY THINK THAT HE

can't help you?

>> Amen.

>> Come on, preach.

>> It's a testimony of his decided death.

Listen to what Jesus said. John chapter

number 10. the reference to these verses

that I quoted earlier. Listen to what he

says. God bless you, brother. John 10

John 10:17

verse 17. Therefore doth my father love

me because I lay down my life. Notice

that. That I might take it again. No man

taketh it from me, but I lay it down of

myself. I have power to lay it down and

I have power to take it again. This

commandment have I received of my

father. The fact that that tomb is empty

today testifies that as Jesus decided to

die, he decided to get up.

>> Amen.

>> Notice this. Second of all, and I'm

moving. I'll be done this morning. I'll

say this. Not only we see in the text,

his decided death, but we see his death

was defeated.

>> Right.

>> Oh, friend.

>> Come on.

>> YOU SAY YOU DONE PREACHED IT. WELL, I'M

GOING TO PREACH IT AGAIN. AMEN. Listen

to what Peter said in Acts chapter

number two. And I love the way he puts

it. He was preaching to those men there

at Pentecost and they were witnessing to

the truth that he told. Listen to what

he says. Acts two and verse number 24.

He says this. Whom God hath raised up.

Listen to this now. Having loosed the

pains of death because it was not

possible that he should be holding of

it.

>> Right.

>> The son of God's power was so much they

couldn't keep him down.

>> You're right.

>> And you know what? That same power is in

you.

>> Right. Bible says, "Now in him that's

able to do exceedingly abundantly above

all that we ask or think according to

the power that's right

>> that workketh in us." You know what that

is? That's resurrection power.

>> Amen.

>> It's in you if you're saved this

morning.

>> Amen.

>> He is able to save you. And as the verse

says in 1 Corinthians 15, the text says,

"Oh death, where is thy stain? Oh grave,

where is thy victory? The strength of

death is sin. The strength of law sin is

law." And let me say this. He said,

"Thanks be unto God, which through

Christ Jesus. He's given us the

victory." Amen. We have victory. His

death is defeated. And therefore, death

in our life can be defeated. YOU SAY,

"WHAT IS THAT?" IT'S THE SIN NATURE.

IT'S THAT OLD DEAD MAN INSIDE. IF ANY

MAN BE IN CHRIST, HE'S A NEW CREATURE.

AMEN.

>> Notice this. And this is where I really

want to get to this morning. All right.

You say, "What do you What else have you

got to say?" I got a whole lot I want to

say. You need to stay with me. All

right.

I see his decided death, the witness of

the tomb. I see his death defeated is a

witness of the tomb. But you know, this

is the one we we struggle with. I think

it's what we don't think about too

often. You see, when Jesus got up, he

didn't stay in the tombs.

>> Yeah. Right.

>> Notice the text.

The Bible says in Mark 16, verse number

six, the angel says, "You seek Jesus of

Nazareth, which was crucified. He is

risen. Hallelujah.

>> Amen.

>> But notice the next four words.

>> He is not here.

>> Amen. That's right.

>> It declares the empty tomb declares his

decided death. It clares declares his

death was defeated. But I'll say this,

it declares his departure from the dead.

>> Yeah.

>> You say, "What is that?" Well, you know

what? While he was in that tomb, you

know what? He was surrounded by

all them dead people.

You know, when I thought about this

text, I really didn't think about it. I

never thought about it in this way

before, and I it may not be right, but

let me say this. All right? There was a

lot of dead people buried around him.

Now, the Bible says there were tombs

that were open, all of that at Calvary.

We know that. But here's what I'll tell

you. He's the only one that got up that

day.

>> You're right.

>> You say, "What do you mean by that?"

Well, when he got up, he didn't stay in

the tombs.

>> He didn't stay in the place of the dead.

And you say, "What does that represent?"

Well, the death that dead place

represents sin,

>> right?

>> All right. The Bible says when that

demoniac of Gdero there, you remember

the reference? The Bible says that he

was always in the where the tombs. He

was ALWAYS WALKING ABOUT IN THEM DEAD

PLACES. And what was the Bible say about

him? He had a legion. He had a devil in

him. And he was unclothed. Amen. He was

crying, running about, cutting himself

with stones in that DEAD PLACE. LET ME

SAY THIS. JESUS HAD TO BE BURIED because

he had to become sin for you and I.

Well, let me SAY THIS. WHEN HE GOT UP,

HE DIDN'T STAY AROUND dead things. LET

ME SAY THIS. HE DIDN'T STAY IN THAT

BURIED PLACE, BUT YOU KNOW WHERE HE

WENT? HE WENT TO HEAVEN. AMEN. THAT'S

THE LAND OF THE LIVING. HE LEFT THE LAND

OF THE DYING to go into the land of the

living. AND THIS IS WHAT I'LL NEVER

UNDERSTAND ABOUT PEOPLE WHO SAY THEY'RE

SAVED. THEY WANT TO LIVE among the dead

all the time. You're

>> right.

You say, "Preacher, well, I've got to

live my life." Yeah, I understand that.

Let me say this. Jesus didn't stay in

the tomb. That's

>> right.

>> He departed from the dead. Why did he

depart from the dead? Because it was

God's plan.

>> Colossians chapter 1, verse number 18.

Colossians 1 · chapter mention

Listen to what Paul says to the church.

I ain't got them tabs in my Bible like

y'all do to cheat. Amen. Colossians

Colossians 1 · chapter mention

chapter 1, verse number 18.

Paul said, "He is the head of the body,

the church, who is the beginning, the

firstborn from the dead, that in all

things he might have the preeminence."

When Jesus addresses John in the book of

Revelation, chapter number one and verse

number five, that's the way he labels

himself, the firstborn from the dead.

Now, let me say this to you this

morning. Literally, this this interprets

to us today that Jesus when he got up

out of that grave, he would never more

die. Amen. He was to live eternally. He

died so that we might live. You and I

will never have to die spiritually

because he died on Calvar's cross. And

he left the tombs that day never more to

enter that place again. I'll tell you

the the time that he'll come back. He'll

not come back to the earth, but he'll

come in the clouds. And the Bible says

them tombs are going to open.

>> And you know what? The dead in Christ

are going to rise first. Amen. All them

tombs. One of these days, we're getting

out of the tombs, too. Somebody say,

"Amen."

Let me say this in an application sense

this morning. You say, "Well, Jesus was

perfect." But you know what? He didn't

stay in the place where he got raised

from.

Say, "What do you mean?"

Salvation is like that resurrection.

>> That's right.

>> Bible says we're buried with him

likeness of his death, raised with him

likeness of his resurrection. Amen.

That's salvation.

>> That's right.

>> It's redemption, regeneration.

Let me say this to you this morning.

Jesus didn't stay in the tombs because

he was never destined to stay there.

That's

>> right.

>> But so many saved people, they got

raised and got lifted out. But you know

what? They hanging around the tomb.

>> You're right. Come on.

>> Come on, preach.

>> They're hanging around all them dead

things.

>> Let me say this to you this morning.

This world has nothing to offer you.

>> Amen.

>> You say, "Preacher, how does that fit

with resurrection?" And they was just

singing about it.

>> Come on.

>> All that alcohol,

>> all them drugs,

>> all that sensual sexual living that

you're doing outside of marriage.

>> Come on.

>> That's dead things.

>> Preach.

>> That's what dead people do.

>> You say, "Well, preacher, what can I

do?" Well, if you're saved this morning,

you need to get out of the tombs,

>> right?

>> The tomb testifies

Jesus departed the dead.

You say, "What's that for me?" It's

sanctification is what it is.

>> Amen.

>> Jesus got up so you could be like him.

>> Yes.

>> And I want to ask you this question.

Every heads bowed and every eyes closed

this morning. You say, "Preacher,

there was a time in my life where I made

a profession.

I went through the motions.

But preacher, I've never really been

able to shake sin in my life. I've

always just done what I wanted to do.

Never felt any remorse for it.

You know, that's that that just shows

you this morning that you've never

really known Jesus.

And I got to ask you today, if he were

to come right now, would you go with

him?

Say, "Preacher, I don't know if I died

right now that I'd go to heaven.

There's nobody looking around with me.

Hey, I want to ask you, would you be

honest? So, preacher, I'm not saved.

Would you pray for me? Just slip your

hand up and I'll pray for you this

morning.

Preacher, I don't know the Lord.

Hey, God knows your heart this morning.

He knows where you're at. You're not

fooling him.

Preacher, would you pray for me? I'm not

saved. Anybody just slip your hand up

and I'll pray for you.

Let me ask you this. Say, "Preacher, I'm

saved.

I'm saved."

Preacher, there's a lot of dead things

in my life.

You be honest. Yeah. And God sees that.

God sees that. God sees those hands. Let

me let me let me say this to you this

morning.

The children of God never meant to live

that way.

It's a very loose application this

morning, but the truth is still the

same. When Jesus got up, he didn't stay

in the grave.

He didn't hang around cuz that wasn't

where he was supposed to be. But you

know what he did? He went down to where

a group of people were gathered

together. And you know what he did? He

showed up in the midst of them, revealed

himself to them,

said, "I'm risen."

Bible says, "Forsake not the assembling

of yourselves together."

Truth is, you're probably not here most

of the time because you don't want to

be.

That's an evidence of not knowing

Christ. I tell you, if you know Christ,

you'll love the things he loves. He

loves the church.

Father, I pray in Jesus name this

morning for those that's here today is

lost. Those that's here today not right

with you.

God, cuz the empty tomb says it all.

That you are alive.

That you're not dead, but you're living

for us.

You're alive for our salvation. You're

alive for our sanctification.

And it is your life, God, that's going

to get us to heaven's land where we'll

be glorified with you. And Lord, I pray

for those that's here today and lost.

God, they it's written on their face.

Lord, I pray you'd help them. God, don't

let them leave this place lost today.

And Lord, for those that's here today

not right with you, I pray God they get

right with you today.

And may all the will of God be done

in Jesus name. These are still praying

this morning. Every head still bowed.

Just a moment of time. Thank you for

joining our service today. We'd love it

if you'd join us in person the next time

you are able at Meadows Baptist Church.

Our physical address is 2988 Stewart

Road in Walnut Cove, North Carolina. Our

service times are Sunday school at 10:00

a.m., Sunday morning worship at 11:00

a.m., Sunday evening worship at 6:00

p.m., and Wednesday evening Bible study

at 700 p.m. For more information, visit

us at meadowsbaptisturch.com.

Thanks again for tuning in.