Voice of the Nazarene 3-31-24

I'm coming to you from North Central Ohio, we share with you the voice of the Nazarene, a week by week venture into the Word of God sponsored by the Bucyrus, Ohio Church of the Nazarene. We join our Pastor Reverend Ray Lasalle and the voice of the Nazarene John 20 verse one, the first day of the week, come with Mary Magdalene early, when it was yet dark, under the sepulchre and see if the stone take it away from the sepulchre. Then she run it and come at the Simon Peter to the other disciple, whom Jesus loved it saith unto them, they've taken away the Lord out of the sepulchre we know not where they have laid him. Peter therefore went forth and that other disciple and came to the sepulchre and so they ran both together. And the other disciple did outrun Peter and came first to the sepulchre and he's stooping down and looking in saw the linen clothes lying yet when he not in then come a Simon Peter following him and went into the sepulchre, and see if the linen clothes lie and catch this verse seven and the napkin, the napkin, that was about his head, not lying with the linen clothes, but wrapped together in a place by itself. Now why is Easter such a big deal? Why is it that $3.27 billion are spent on clothes for Easter? And why is it that 48% of the people buy new Easter outfits? That's nearly one out of two getting a new Easter outfit. And not only the clothes, but what about the candy? When you consider the fact that $21.6 billion spent for candy at Easter time, and$100 million spent for Easter eggs. And I don't have the clothes and the candy. But I thought about the community of Easter, all across the nation just as soon as service lets out. People are going to scramble out of the doors and head together family and friends and to sit around a table and enjoy a great meal. And we call it the community of Easter. I think it's good. And here's what I really believe. When it comes to this thing of the candy and the clothes and the community. I think sometimes it's kind of like the girl named Sally. Sally had gone to church.

And that morning, the teacher asked, can anybody tell me what it is this morning? She put up her hand and said it's Palm Sunday. The teacher said You're right. So what comes next Sunday, she put her hand back up and said Easter. She said Well what takes place on Easter, said it's when Jesus comes out of the grave. She said You're right again, and said if he comes out and sees his shadow he 'll go back in for six weeks. And I think sometimes we're like Sally, we know about the candy and the clothing and the community and the colors of Easter and all of that. But what Easter is really about it's about Christ. And in 30ad Jesus Christ died on a cross. He had 120 followers, today he had 2.5 billion, that say they're followers of Christ. That means that one out of every three humans on the planet say they were a follower of Christ. Did you know that? That's more than China, Europe, and America all put together. And today we have 2.5 billion people. And it all started with that 120. Because the resurrection of Jesus Christ changed everything. You say, Well, I'm not really into Christ, you probably are.

Whether you want to admit it or not. You see, when Christ came to earth, he split history in two. And we have what is called BC and AD before Christ and after his death. And you may not think you're into Christ much but every time you sign a check, and you put the date. Do you know what AD? It means it's in the year of our Lord. So 2024 in the year of our Lord, you're saying according to his death, we're gearing our time from that point on. And here's what I want us to do. I want to talk about why Easter is such a big deal.

And two things that I primarily want you to see, I want you to see the reality of Easter, the fact that it happened, I want to just go down through the record of it. And then I'd like to talk to you about the relevance of Easter, what it means to you and what it means to me and why Easter is such a big deal. Let's talk first of all, about resurrection reality. And first, I think of the soldiers. Let me explain Jesus had died on a cross. And they put him in a borrowed tomb. By any grave site, he was only going to use it for three days. So they borrowed the tomb of Joseph of Arimathea, placed him in that tomb. Now the chief priests and the Pharisees meet and they said, We got to do something about this Christ said, he said that when he died, that within three days he had resurrect. So we've got to keep his disciples from stealing away his body, or everybody be following after him. If you want to read about that meeting, I'm not going into it. But Matthew chapter 27, verses 63, through 66, shares the account, they said, We want to make sure the disciples don't steal the body. So we need to do something, we're going to put soldiers out in the front of that stone out in front of that tomb, that grave, and they're going to guard it. And it was to be a Roman unit of 16 soldiers.

Matthew 27:63

Now if you don't know this, a soldier in that time was the most lethal weapon of any fighting machine. Every soldier carried six weapons on their person, you stand four to four with their backs to each other, they could hold off a legion of armies of about any other country. That's how powerful they were. They had 16 soldiers, four would be on guard, and the other 12 would be waiting their turn, and then every four hours, it'd be a rotation four more would step up. But there was a problem. When Mary Magdalene arrived at that grave, tomb was empty. Stone is not there. Jesus is not in the grave, and no soldiers. So there's a big problem. And they've got to figure out what are we going to do? How do they steal that body?

What we're going to have to say is, we're gonna have to say the soldiers fell asleep. Well, I'll tell you, God can put us all to sleep. Sometimes as a pastor, I wish he'd wake a few folk up, just a thought. But here's what the Scripture says, when they were going Behold, some of the walk soldiers came to the city.

And they were in a quandary, what are we going to do the body is taken and what are we going to say? And the chief priests said, here's what you need to do. They assembled with the elders, they had taken counsel, and they gave them a large sum of money to the soldier saying, say, his disciples by night, stole him away while we slept.

And if this come to the governor's ears will persuade him that's Matthew chapter 28.

Matthew 28 · chapter mention

Now what they're saying is, this will cost you your life. If they stole right out from under you, the body of Christ, and you didn't do any of that you're gonna lose your life, so you're gonna have to lie. And so they took the money did as they were taught, and this saying is commonly reported among the Jews under this day. Now, here's the question, Do you believe that 16 Roman soldiers could stay sound asleep with all the commotion, it would have taken to have moved that stone and taken away the body, and amount of people that it would have taken? Get real, No way.

And my second argument would be if all 16 were asleep. Then who could say who stole the body?

They couldn't say that the disciples whoever if they were sound asleep. So I see the soldiers, and here's something I want to say to you. All they had to do was produce the body of Christ. And Christianity would have been stopped in its tracks just produce a body and they couldn't produce the body as see the soldiers. Second thing I want to talk to you about the reality is the stone got to understand something that stone weighed between one and a half and two tons. 20 men; it would take it 20 men to have moved that stone. And I noticed something just kind of interesting, a side note. It said here this little passage, the stone was taken away on the first day of the week, cometh Mary Magdalene early when it was yet dark under the sepulchre and see the stone taken away. Now, I'm not going to preach on that whether it's rolled away or taken away, but I see the soldiers I see the stone, then I want to point out the shroud. I like to interject just a thought here. If you're going to steal a body, do you think you'd take the time to undress it? And you got 16 soldiers that would have killed you on the spot? I don't think so. So, here's what it says in John 20 Verse five stooping down looking in saw the linen clothes lying yet when he not in, then come a Simon Peter following him, and when another sepulchre and see if the linen clothes lie. So the commentation is Jesus was wrapped up like a mummy. And the body has literally slipped out of the clothing not ripped, not torn.

And then verse seven says, and the napkin that was about his head, not lying with the linen clothes, but wrapped together in a place by itself. Now if you understand something about Jewish culture, you know that when the Jews had a meal, if you were finished eating, you would take your napkin, you'd wad it up and put it on your plate. And you were indicating to the waiter that you were done eating. Now I've had a lot of waiters come over when I wasn't quite finished trying to take my plate away with a piece of steak left on it. And I had a conversation with them, I'm not done my dad taught me you better finish every bite. If you took it, you better eat it.

Especially steak. It was a real chore to eat it but it's just been a couple of weeks ago, we were some place and I had a whole bite of steak, oh it was that you know Roadhouse. And she came and she had already gotten Jan's plates and everything. And then she tried to take my plate. I said, hold it, I got a bite left. And if you were not finished, what you would do you take your napkin, and you would fold it and place it over here beside your plate on the table. And what you were saying you were indicating to the waiter. I'm not finished yet. There's going to be more to come. And what Jesus in His message to us is that napkin was folded and was laying there to one side separate. Jesus was saying to us, I'm not finished yet. I'm coming back. And he is and I want you to know that. So I see the soldiers, I see the stone, I see the shroud. What about the scars, Jesus resurrected, walked around for 40 days. And he went into a room where the disciples were and they all recognized him. And they saw the scars in his hands and on his side. And when Thomas who wasn't there showed up, they said we saw Jesus. And we saw his scars. He said, Well, I'll not believe it. He's struggling his faith. He said of I could feel, I want to do more than see, I want to feel those scars.

And here's what the Bible said, after eight days again, his disciples were within and Thomas with them. And in came Jesus the door being shut stood in the midst and said peace be under you then say to Thomas, reach hither, thyI finger and see my hands and reach hither thy hand and thrusted into my side and be not faithless, but believing.

And by the way, the only thing in heaven manmade will be the scars on the body of Christ.

Jesus said to Thomas, go ahead and feel my hands, feel my side never rebuked him for it. And so Thomas did, and I believe there to be a message for us there. I believe what Jesus is saying, Guys, I've got some scars. But I've made it anyway. And he's saying to you and I, you may get some scars in your life. Things may be tough, but you're gonna overcome and you're gonna make it through life. I'm pastoring people here who have gotten many scars. Death has been there.

Some have been hit with divorce.

Some have event all kinds of situation, but you're here you're making it through Jesus Christ. A fifth thing I see is the sightingd. Jesus walked around for 40 days in his glorified body and the Bible said in First Corinthians chapter 15, verse six, that he was seen above 500 brethren at once, of whom the greater part remain or unto this present, they're still alive. He was saying, and the others have fallen asleep or they've died.

1 Corinthians 15 · chapter mention

And as documented in Scripture, that at least 516 people saw Jesus in His resurrected body.

The sightings. 100 New Testament records of the resurrected Christ, but I see something else. I see the sudden courage that they had. When he went to the cross, according to John chapter 20, verse 19, the disciples headed into an upper room, closed the doors and locked them a symbol for fear of the Jews. And Jesus came in their midst and said, Peace, be unto you. They're hiding out.

John 20:19

They're frightened for their life. And we talk about Simon Peter, how frightened he was and how he talked big and lived a little and how he walked on the water. But you say, well, but he sank. He still has a better record than I have on water walking. How're you all doing?

May I just point out another little scripture. It says in Matthew 25, verse 56. Peter was not the only one that was fearful, read the Scripture closely, then all the disciples forsook him and fled, all of them. It's quite a story, innit?

They were all scared. The difference is, Jesus Christ showed up. What was the difference? What a few days later they said, that is the Christ. Why after that they were all willing to die and die as martyrs. In all, what made the difference was, they had seen the resurrected Lord. That's what made the difference. They had seen the risen Christ.

Somebody said a man may live for what he believes, even if it's alive, but a man will not die for what he knows to be a lie.

These men were willing to die because they'd seen the risen.

But listen, the evidence is building okay. Here you have the supernatural growth. Jesus only had 120 followers. You read that in Acts chapter one, verse 15.

But by the time you get to chapter two, verse 41 3000, more were saved. By the time you get to Acts chapter four, verse four 5000, were saved. In the first 200 years of Christianity, it grew at least 100% growth rate, it became the official religion of Rome. Why? Because of a resurrected Savior. Now, it's not in your notes. But I want to mention one of the others, that's Christ siblings, before the resurrection. None of his brothers or sisters believed in Him. They teased him, they poke fun of him. You read that in the writings of John. But following the resurrection, when he appeared unto his brother, James became converted and became a follower, and also his brother, Jude, following his resurrection. It has a reality about it. But I want to move from that and talk about the relevance of Easter. How is it relevant to you? And how is it relevant to me? And why is it important? Why is it important to us today, bringing it down to our level, little girl asked her daddy that he wires into that when you take a bite out of an apple, it turns brown. And the dad said the atmospheric air oxidizes and it changed the molecular structure. And she pulled on his coat and said, Daddy, are you talking to me?

And I think sometimes when we talk about Easter and some of these things, it's like we're talking to a scientific level.

And, hey, let's just bring it down home. It's relevant to us.

Why is it? Well, let me give you four reasons. One, our past can be forgiven. That's why Easter is such a big deal. Our past, because of Easter sins can be forgiven. Romans 3:23 says all of sin, all have come short of the glory of God. Every one of us were born in sin. And we're sinners not only by birth, but by choice and by nature as well.

Romans 3:23

But good Friday comes along. And Jesus climbs up on a cross and he dies for my sin and he dies for your sins. Now I want want to show you something. How do we know that God accepted the sacrifice of Christ there at the cross? Let me tell you why.

Romans tells us and it's in this first chapter, verse three and four. The good news is about his son. In his earthly life. He was born of King David's family line, and he was shown to be the Son of God when He was raised from the dead by the power of the Holy Spirit. That's the proof. He is Jesus Christ our Lord. The fact that he arose is an indicator that God accepted His sacrifice on Good Friday.

And here's what I want you to see. Easter tells us our past can be forgiven. Now I've often wondered, and especially as I spoke over the last four nights, why is it that God chose a woman to show up on Easter morning and find an empty tomb? Why was it that he allowed Mary Magdalene to be the first one to take the greatest message ever shared the message of Easter he has risen to his disciples and to Simon Peter, why? If you look at her background, she was from the place of the prostitutes. She had a very sorted past. Jesus himself said that he had delivered her and cast out seven devils. So we know she had been wicked. It tells me that sin can be forgiven. That's what Easter tells me. I know one thing she wasn't a member of the pink lemonade sipping society. She wasn't a Sunday School gal. She had a real powerful sinful message or background rather.

And the message of Easter is God is willing to forgive all people from the gutter most to the uppermost. Nobody is too good for what they don't need a savior. Nobody's too bad, but what they don't need a savior.

All people need a savior. People spend their life thinking that God's mad at him. God's not mad at you, God's Mad About You.

Jesus didn't come to rub your sin in he came to rub it out.

Easter says to me, God forgives our past and be forgiven. But here's the second thing. Easter tells me that our problems can be overcome. And this is what I know. I've got problems. You've got problems all God's people got problems. How many here say preacher I've got a problem? Did you put your hand up? How many can say pastor my problem is seated right next to me. Can you put it up, woke up now then? You don't want Easter says Easter says every problem can be overcome every device. Every sin ever habit, every addiction.

Every hurt can be overcome. You say well, what authority do you have to say that? Well look at the Scripture. And it's Romans

11. But if the Spirit of Him that raised up Jesus from the dead dwell in you, he that raised up Christ from the dead shall also quicken your mortal bodies, by His Spirit, that dwelleth in you if the Spirit dwells in you. It brought Christ up from the grave, and it can get us the Holy Spirit and get us through life. I've been thinking earlier this morning

37 Were more than conquerors through him that loved us. I liked the thought of being a conqueror. But the verse before that I'd never heard it preached on. And I caught it this week. And I'll just throw it your way this morning. It's

36. For it's written for thy sake, we are killed all the day long we are accounted as sheep for the slaughter. Have you ever thought about sheep, you know a cat can scratch. And a dog can bite in case you didn't know it a skunk can stink. Sheep can't do anything.

Fact no matter if a sheep ever falls over, and is covered in wool and gets mud in that wool and sticks in that wool and it begins to rain and the ground gets marshy. If it slips and falls on its side. It's in the cast position. It can't get up on its own. That's what a sheep is like. Only a shepherd can get the sheep back on its feet.

There's a message in that. And it's not about the sheep. It's about the shepherd it's about him. That's what the whole message of Easter is all about.

And the good news our past can be forgiven and our our problems can be overcome. But thirdly, our prayers can be answered.

Listen to me. According to 34 had Jesus not been resurrected. There'd be no need to pray. But he's our intercessor and a reason He's like this. He's risen again, who is even at the right hand of God, who also maketh intercession for us. There's a story I'd like to tell you real quick. I've told it before.

Little boy had gone to his parents and said, I'd like to have a sister. Dad, just trying to get rid of him said why don't you go ask God for a sister? So he went, and he prayed for a month. And he prayed for two months, he prayed for three months, then stopped praying.

And his dad came around, found him and said, Son, I want to take you to see your mother. And they got in the car and drove to the hospital and went into the room. And he pulled the curtain back a little and he saw his mother holding a little baby girl. And the dad said, See God answers prayer. Maybe pull the curtain over a little bit more, and she was holding another little baby girl on the other arm. And a little boy's eyes got big. And he pulled the curtain a little farther and leaning up against Mama was a little baby boy, they had triplets. And the dad said, Boy and sure, pays to pray, doesn't it? And the little boy looked up big ol eyes. He said, Daddy, aren't you glad I quit praying after three months.

Our prayers are answered, because of Easter because we have an intercessor. But there's a fourth thing our passing can be with confidence. Let me tell you something. We're not getting out of this world, Alive. I prayed over two urns that were put in the grave this last week, I did a funeral the day before.

I went to the funeral of a dear friend that at one time attended this church and we've been real friends. Two weeks ago, he had called and said, Pastor, I've got cancer, but the doctor said I can beat it. But he didn't. He owned an empire.

multimillionaire, can't buy death off. Can't get out of this world without dying. But you know, God hasn't given us a spirit of fear. Our passion can be with confidence, and with

20.

But now as Christ risen from the dead, and become the first fruits of them that slept, he found a way through death, so that we can find a way through death. Now, talking about first fruit, you need to understand the Jewish race. They had they were an agricultural society, they raise crops. And here's a farmer, a Jewish farmer, and he's raising corn.

But his harvest time comes, he goes out and he pulls off the first ears of corn. And he takes them into the worship temple.

And he gives it to the priest.

And the priest takes those first ears of corn from that crop. And he begins to waver. And as he waives that corn, it's an indicator that there was more out there in the field, there's more to come. And Jesus being the first fruit of the resurrection. Because he arose he is saying there's more to come, more to come. I made it past death, the grave and hell and you can do there's more to come. And I thought about the Scripture and Mark 15:33 When the six hour was calm, that's 12 o'clock, noon our time. There was a darkness over the whole land until the ninth hour, three hours later. What does it mean?

Mark 15:33

It means that Jesus is on the cross. And at 12 o'clock, God reached over and shut off the lights became dark. And at three o'clock Jesus cried with a loud voice saying, My God, My God, why have you forsaken me? You forsaken Me, my family forsoke Me, My disciples ran off and forsoke me, I came unto my own and the Jewish people forsoke me. And why would you forsake me all I've tried to do is everything you sent me here to do? You love the world and I died to save the world. And now you're looking the other way.

Why have you forsaken me? Well, Abeka tells us in chapter one verse one why thou art a pure eyes, then double hold evil, and cannot look on iniquity. And at three o'clock Jesus took my sins, all of them and your sins, and the sins of past generations, the sins of all races, that if they wanted to be forgiven, he died in our place.

sins I committed sins you committed and God turned his back on his own son, so he would never have to turn his back on you. Now why did it go dark?

I'll tell you why it went dark.

It was outer darkness. What is hell? Hells outer darkness. It's what I deserved. Jesus suffered excruciating pain, Jesus become separated from his father.

Again, I asked you what is hell like like outer darkness, excruciating pain, separated from God, this is the message, Jesus took our hell for us. So we don't have to go to hell. I deserve to go to hell. I deserve to be punished. I was born a sinner. I had to come to the place where I said yes and allow Christ to be my savior. It was a choice. And Jesus allowed me to have that choice. Easter is a big deal. I hope you know that.

It's a big deal to me anyway. If there have been no Easter, our preaching would be pointless.

And our faith would be foolish.

And the disciples deceived us, and sin would be sovereign. And if there was no Easter death, would have had dominion and our future would have been futile.

But because there's an Easter, our preaching is powerful. Our faith is fortified, the disciples could become defying, sin is slaying, death is defeated, and our futures fabulous. That's why Easter is a big deal. Many leaders have died. But none ever resurrected to save their people. If you go to the graveyards of all time and look up those leaders, you say Mohamed, and he'd say here, Confucius, he would say here, Jesus, somebody you'd hear a voice say he is not here, for he has risen, and he's risen, Indeed,. I hope you have the greatest Easter that you've ever enjoyed. I hope not only because you've come to church and been in the Word of God this morning and heard outstanding music. But I hope that you go and gather with family and gather with friends, and make this to be a special day set aside, to remember the Christ. Not only that died for your sins, but He arose so that you could have newness of life. And we could spend an eternity with God in heaven. And if you've never accepted Christ, you need to do that. You need to do that. And you can do that. All you got to do is open your heart to as many as received Him. To them gave him the power to become the sons of God. You can't live it on your own but if you receive Him He gives you the power to live victoriously and be an overcomer.

Thanks for being a part of the voice of the Nazarene. Visit us every Sunday at 9am with BNCs.

Pastor Ray LaSalle. For more information regarding BNC visit Bucyrus nazarene.org