SPEAKER_01 0:03

Y'all will turn on you in your Bibles with me this morning. We're gonna be first in First Corinthians fifteen. First Corinthians chapter fifteen. We uh I want to look this morning. Uh first off, I want to tell you that you know, usually when we come into the pulpit, we we have a purpose, we have a focus, we have that this morning. Uh we're thankful for the Lord's help, but I just feel, I guess because of the weight of what this Sunday usually represents, that just woefully inadequate, huh? And uh I say that because of the subject matter. That this morning we're gonna be looking at seven triumphs of the resurrection, or seven things that the resurrection accomplished. And so the first place I want to look at this morning is in 1 Corinthians chapter 15, because I want to set the stage of what we're about to talk about. And I think Paul says it so well in 1 Corinthians chapter 15 and verse 14. Paul writes, and if Christ be not risen, then is our preaching vain, and your faith is also vain. You know, I know that I've probably stated many times, and I know you've probably thought that you know, there are many significant things in the scriptures from the creation of the world and God choosing of Israel, and you know, all the appearances of Christ in the Old Testament, and then the New Testament, and him being born of a virgin and living a sinless life, and his ministry, and then his death, burial, and his resurrection, and then him him ascending on high and victory, and but of all those things, the Paul says it here, 1 Corinthians 15, 14, and if Christ be not risen, if that event, that one event didn't happen, then is our preaching vain? Why am I up here talking? Why are you here today listening? And your faith is also vain. The resurrection of Jesus Christ is the most significant event in all of history. In all of history. All of those things are important. But the resurrection of Christ declared it shone forth many things. And this morning I want to talk about seven triumphs of the resurrection of Jesus Christ. The first one is this Jesus was declared to be the Son of God in power by the resurrection. Turn, if you will, to Romans chapter 1. Romans chapter 1. We're gonna be in a few places this morning, but I hope to be very clear with the Lord's help. Again, I do feel a weightiness this morning that we would get the lesson right as always. But in, we're gonna begin reading in Romans chapter 1 and verse 1. Paul, a servant of Jesus Christ, called to be an apostle, separated under the gospel of God, which he had promised afore by his prophets in the Holy Scriptures, concerning his Son, Jesus our Lord. Now stop, I want to I have to point out a few things as we go through here. Notice Paul's language in verse 2 that he says about the coming of Jesus Christ. He says that which he had promised afore by his prophets in the Holy Scriptures concerning his Son Jesus Christ our Lord, which was made of the seed of David according to the flesh. In other words, Paul is telling us here that uh Christians be aware that the gospel and Jesus Christ and his forecoming, that the Lord told us all about this event before this event ever happened, and he told us about his coming son even in the Old Testament. That's significant. Just put that put that in the back of your file, Kevin. Verse 4. And God declared and declared to be the Son of God with power, according to the spirit of holiness, by the resurrection from the dead. Why is that verse so significant? I want to, if y'all bear with me. Oh let me read it one more time. Paul, a servant of Jesus Christ, called to be an apostle, separated under the gospel of God, which he hath promised afore by his prophets in the Holy Scriptures, concerning his Son, Jesus Christ, our Lord, which was made of the seed of David according to the flesh, and declared to be the Son of God with power, according to the Spirit of holiness, by the resurrection from the dead. So Christ was declared to be the Son of God with power. What does that mean? It means that God decreed, that God declared with mighty force, that that's what it means, that it says it was declared with power. And the language says there, according to the Spirit of Holiness, and he did all this by the resurrection from the dead. In other words, what I'm trying to say, and again, y'all pray for me that the Lord would help me this morning. The scripture is telling us here that God showed the world that this is my son, this is the Messiah, this is the one that Paul said that the Old Testament talked about. This is the one that was foretold. In other words, who are those passages of scripture like Isaiah chapter 53 talking about, the suffering servant that the the the that gave by his stripes we are healed? And uh Psalm 22 that talks about that you know he was beaten, he was forsaken for us, and all those Old Testament passages of scripture that declare the Lord Jesus Christ, who was that talking about? What was the Lord saying? Well, he was foretelling this, but what did he do when he went to the cross and was resurrected again? The Bible says that uh and declared to be the Son of God with power by the resurrection from the dead. In other words, here is a man who died and went into the grave, and then three days later he's not in the grave anymore. He literally rose again from the dead, having victory over death and hell. And the Lord says, By that I am showing the world that this is my son, that he is the Son of God because he has power over death and hell and the grave. So, what I want you to see is this is one of the triumphs of the cross and the resurrection that God is saying, Look, this is my son. I want that to be clear to you. So the resurrection accomplished the declaration of Christ to be the Son of God in power. Oh, I'll take you to one more passage of scripture that speaks along the same lines. It's found in the book of John, chapter 10, and this was before Christ went to the cross, and he was talking to a group of Pharisees, and he told them so in John chapter 10 we read, verse 24, then came the Jews round about him and said unto him, How long dost thou make us to doubt if thou be the Christ of the Messiah? Tell us plainly, and look at what Jesus said in verse 25. Jesus answered them, I told you, and ye believe not, the works that I do in my Father's name, they bear witness of me. Stop. So Jesus told the Pharisees and the religious Jews, he said, All the miracles that I've done on earth, they are evidence, they are proof, declaring me that I am who I say that I am. Well, what I want you to see is that the final miracle, i.e. the resurrection from the dead, this grand miracle, this uh greatest event of all time, this is the thing that declared without a shadow of a doubt that Jesus Christ is the Son of God and he did it in power. In other words, in the book of Romans, and I want to go here and then we're gonna wrap this little portion up. In the book of Romans, chapter 6, verse 23, it says, For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life through Christ Jesus our Lord. Well, when sin entered the world through man, that sin had a wage, that sin earned something, that sin had uh sway over us. For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord. See, when Paul is telling us that Jesus Christ is declared to be the Son of God in power by the resurrection, God is declaring that death has no control over Christ. Death has no grip over him, the grave and sin, the wages of sin is death. Christ was a sinless man. And then Christ died, and three days later, because he's God, he chose to rose again, to rise again. Therefore, Satan and sin and death and hell have no power over him. Jesus basically rendered Satan powerless in regard to him. He's saying that Satan has no sway over him. And because he is mine and your champion, he doesn't have that sway over us. We have achieved the victory through him. So all I want you to see in one little capsule is the fact that Jesus Christ's resurrection declared him to be the Son of God in power. Next point. Jesus Christ's resurrection accomplished our justification and our forgiveness of sins. You and I are not able to stand in the presence of an Almighty God. You and I are sinners. And we don't deserve to be there. We don't have a right to be there of our own. Instead, we would be judged in the king's court, and you and I would be condemned to a devil's hell. That's where you and I deserve to go. But his resurrection accomplished the justification and forgiveness of sins of all of God's children. Look at Romans chapter 4. Romans chapter 4. We're going to move through these pretty quickly this morning. But we're looking at seven things that Christ's resurrection accomplished. Romans chapter 4, beginning in verse 24. Paul writes, but for us also, to whom it shall be imputed, if we believe on him that raised up Jesus our Lord from the dead, so this Jesus, who was delivered for our offenses and was raised again for our justification. In other words, you and I of our own selves are not acceptable to God. Well, Brother Josh, how is it that we can come here and we can offer God praise? How is it that we can pray to God and He can hear us? How is it when we die as Christians that we get to go to heaven? It is all because of what Jesus did, right? It literally says, Christ, who was delivered for our offenses and was raised again for our justification. Well, you and I have been declared just in the king's court because Christ is just. So when Father God looks at the Lord Jesus Christ, he says, that one right there is absolutely acceptable because he's sinless, he's holy, and when he looks at me, or brother or sister, you that are a child of God, when the Lord looks at you, he says, You are acceptable to me, you are just in my eyes, your sin has been forgiven. Why? Because of Jesus Christ on the cross. That's the only reason that you and I are acceptable to Him. Christ, who was delivered for our offenses and was raised again for our justification. So Christ was declared to be the Son of God with power, and his resurrection accomplished our justification and forgiveness of sins. Third things. Christ's resurrection accomplished our victory over death and hell and the grave. Look at uh Acts chapter 2. Acts chapter 2. And also I want to give you an aside here that pertains to what we started with. In Acts chapter 2, this is the time of Pentecost, and this is the time when Peter is preaching. In Acts chapter 2, we read. So Peter is preaching in Acts 2 and 22. Ye men of Israel, hear these words. Jesus of Nazareth, a man approved of God among you, by miracles and wonders and signs, which God did by him in the midst of you, as ye yourselves also know, him being delivered by the determinate counsel and foreknowledge of God, ye have taken and by wicked hands have crucified and slain. Verse 24, whom God raised up, resurrected, having loosed the pains of death, because it was not possible that he should be holden of it, or kept by it. In other words, it was not possible that death would keep hold on the Lord Jesus Christ. The grave could not contain him. It could not hold him. Why? Because he's the Son of God. Because when he rose again, the Lord said, Look, world, this is who this man really is. When Christ came and he preached to you, you needed to listen to my son because he was who he says he was. All those Old Testament prophets and all the one that they always talked about, the coming Messiah, that's him. So the resurrection declared Christ to be the Son of God. The resurrection accomplished mine and your justification in the sight of the holy God. But his resurrection also accomplished mine and your victory over death and hell and the grave because it was not possible that the grave would have victory over the Son of God, because God is the one who has victory over death and hell and the grave because he's a sovereign God. But I want to read on for a minute because I want you all to get this and not miss this. So Peter is about to give us some background out of the Old Testament to show the Jews who would be familiar with Old Testament writings. And so he's giving us a narration out of Psalms and about a prophecy that Christ is fulfilling. So again, we're going to start in verse 24. So Christ, whom God has raised up, having loosed the pains of death, because it was not possible that he should be holding of it. And so now Peter dives in, verse 25. For David speaketh concerning him, this Christ, and this is what David says. For I foresaw the Lord, that's Christ, always before my face, for he is on my right hand, that I should not be moved. In other words, David is saying, This is where I take my strength from. Therefore did my heart rejoice, and my tongue was glad. Moreover, also my flesh should rest in hope. We're going to talk about that in a minute, but uh King David, a man after God's own heart, says the reason why he has hope in the world is because of the resurrection of Jesus Christ. What was the verse that you and I started with? That if Christ be not raised from the dead, then my preaching is vain, and mine and your faith is in vain. Well, King David is telling us here, because he does believe in the Messiah, and he knows the Messiah to be true, and he knows that the grave can't hold the Messiah. Therefore, this is the very foundation of my hope as a believer. So King David said in verse 26, Therefore did my heart rejoice, and my tongue was glad. Moreover, also my flesh shall rest in hope, because thou wilt not leave my soul in hell, neither wilt thou suffer thine holy one to see corruption. So this was a prophecy about Jesus Christ from the Old Testament that King David wrote, that was saying that Jesus Christ could not be holden of the grave, because it was prop it was prophesied beforehand that he would not see any corruption in his flesh, that literally his body wouldn't rot. Okay, again, I don't mean to be graphic, but that's what he's talking about. Well, verse 28, thou hast made known to me the ways of life, thou shalt make me full of joy with thy countenance. Men and brethren. So here is Peter's logical argument. Men and brethren, let me freely speak unto you of the patriarch David, that he is both dead and buried, and his sepulchre is with us unto this day. David's saying Peter's saying, Look, David is dead. He's over in that grave right over there, and he is he's rotten, he's rotted down to bones. Okay, so this scripture that David wrote was obviously not talking about himself. Okay? And Peter's just saying, look, let me be frank with you. Let me just be real logical with you. Let me lay this out for you. And so Peter is rightly interpreting the Old Testament scripture when he tells us in verse 30. Therefore, being a prophet, he's talking about King David. Peter is saying, look, David was being a prophet when he said these words. Therefore, King David being a prophet, and knowing that God had sworn with an oath to him, that of the fruit of his loins, Christ being a descendant of David, according to the flesh, he would raise up Christ or the Messiah to sit on his throne. He seeing this before spake of the resurrection of Christ, that his soul was not left in hell, neither his flesh did see corruption. So as Peter is saying, look, King David prophetically was talking about this event, this historical event when Christ was resurrected from dead. That's exactly what he was talking about when he said those words. And I just want to make that clear to you. And he's right, and he's talking to Jews, and he's saying, this is who the patriarch was talking about. This Jesus hath God raised up, whereof we are all witnesses, and he's literally talking about himself, and other apostles are eyewitnesses and other disciples. Therefore, being by the right hand of God exalted and having received of the Father the promise of the Holy Ghost, he has shed forth this which ye now see and hear, for David is not ascended unto the heavens, but he saith himself, the Lord, that's Father God, saith unto my Lord, that's Christ, Sit thou on my right hand until I make thy foes a foot thy footstool. Therefore, let all the house of Israel know assuredly that God hath made this same Jesus whom ye have crucified, both Lord and Christ. So what did God do? By the resurrection, he declared Christ to be the Son of God, right? God showed the whole world and he showed the Jewish nation. He said, This is who this man is. And not only that, it was not possible that the grave would keep hold of him because he had victory. Over death and hell and the grave and sin, and because he did, you and I also do. So one of the triumphs or one of the accomplishments of the resurrection was Christ's victory over death and hell and the grave, and therefore mine in your victory over death and hell and the grave. There's another place in the New Testament that talks about this very plainly. Y'all will be familiar with it. It's in 1 Corinthians 15. By the way, we're going to be back and forth a little bit this morning in 1 Corinthians 15. There is a scripture that I know that y'all have heard many, many times at funerals. In 1 Corinthians chapter 15, we're going to begin reading in verse 55. 1 Corinthians 15 and verse 55. And Paul writes, O death, where is thy sting? Question mark. O grave, where is thy victory? Question mark. And he's talking in the context of a Christian's physical earthly death. And Paul tells us the sting of death is sin, and the strength of sin is the law, but thanks be to God, which giveth us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ. Christ has had victory over our physical death and the grave and the consequences of sin because He's declared us just in the sight of a holy God, so you and I don't have anything to fear from death. In other words, instead, we welcome it. Paul says, for him, all it is far better that I go to be with the Lord. It's far better that I die to go to heaven than have to deal with all the pains and hardships of this earth. We don't have anything to fear from death. But thanks be to God which giveth us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ. Therefore, my beloved brethren, be ye steadfast, unmovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord. In other words, he's saying, Hey, Christian, you don't have anything to fear in this world. What was King David telling them, and what was Peter interpreting that King David was saying, I have hope as the king of Israel, because I have one higher than me to trust in. Because God didn't let his soul just rot in the grave. He had victory over death and hell and grave. Therefore, because of him, I had victory over death and hell and the grave. Therefore, you and I have hope. We have joy. We have one greater than us, is where our stability comes from. Therefore, my beloved brethren, be ye steadfast, unmovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, for as much as ye know that your labor is not in vain of the Lord. Christians should be some of the most strong and stable people in the world. Because of what Christ has done for us. Because on Christ the solid rock, I stand. Amen. Also, in 1 Corinthians chapter 15, one of the things that Christ's resurrection accomplished was mine and your eternal life. You and I have a guaranteed home in heaven that you and I could not earn, didn't deserve. Look at 1 Corinthians chapter 15. Let's begin reading in verses 17. We'll begin reading in verses 17. And if Christ be not raised, your faith is vain, and ye are yet in your sins. Then they also which are fallen asleep or dead in Christ are perished. If in this life only we have hope in Christ, we are of all men most miserable. So Paul here is making a true statement. Brothers and sisters, y'all come to church and you come Sunday after Sunday, you're coming here on Easter Sunday or Resurrection Sunday because we celebrate the resurrection of Christ from the dead. If Christ didn't raise from the dead, then brothers and sisters, you and I have no reason to go to church. We have no hope in this world. Paul is literally being very honest with us and telling us that. He said, if Christ is not the Son of God, if he didn't have victory over death in the hell, if he wasn't resurrected, then what is Christ, why are you here? Now, Paul gave his life, and the apostles gave their lives, and many millions of Christians have given their lives before us. Why? Because they absolutely believe this to be 100% true, and so do we. So Paul says, if in this life only, verse 19, we have hope in Christ, we are of all men most miserable. Verse 20. But now is Christ risen from the dead and become the first fruits of them that slept. For since by man came death, that was Adam, by man came also the resurrection of the dead, that's Christ. For as in Adam all die, or all men are made sinners, even so in Christ shall all be made alive. But every man in his own order, Christ the first fruits, afterwards they that are Christ's at his coming. So what is one of the things that Christ's resurrection accomplished? He accomplished our eternal salvation, our home in heaven, because he was resurrected from the dead. You and I are made alive as well. Now, another thing that his resurrection accomplished is new life here on earth. The Bible says, as in Adam all die. Do you know that there are people that are walking around in the world today that are dead men? Amen. There are people that are walking around in the world today, on the streets, driving cars, going to jobs, that are dead men. They don't, they are spiritually dead. They don't know God personally, intimately, as a family member, because they're not one of his adopted children. And therefore there are human beings walking around on the earth that are physically alive, that do not know God. They actually hate God, they are opposed to God, and they are running their own lives, they're making their own decisions, they're doing their own things, but to the things of God, they are absolutely dead. But you aren't. You have new life in Christ. You have new eyes. You have eyes to see, ears to hear, a mind to understand the gospel and the things of the Lord. You have been given spiritual life as a result of Christ's resurrection from the dead. One of the byproducts or benefits of the resurrection is that God's children here on earth get to know God now. Amen. You have a new life. In other words, you know, the old man and the new man, you don't just have the old man. You are not walking around as an ignorant pagan wretch who hates God. Not anymore. If you're a child of God. In other words, you've been born again and transformed by God's grace. You have been given newness of life. And that is a result of the resurrection. Let's look at Romans chapter 6. Beginning in verse 4. Romans chapter 6. Beginning in verse 4. Let's just back up to verse 1. Romans chapter 6, verse 1. What shall we say then? Shall we continue in sin that grace may abound? Paul is asking Christians, should you and I continue in sin if we know that we're recipients of grace, God forbid. How shall we or how dare we that are dead to sin live any longer therein? Paul is saying, if you've been a recipient of God's transforming grace, then you and I need to feel a vast obligation to actually choose to not sin anymore. Verse 3, know ye not that so many of us as were baptized unto Jesus Christ were baptized unto his death. Therefore, we are buried with him by baptism unto death, that like as Christ was raised up from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life. Now stop right there. Let's say for a minute that Brother Josh was bipolar. Or I was singularly polar, I was a bad man. And then God came and did a transforming work in my life. And I still had the bad man in me. But God said, you know what, I'm going to put a new man in you. A good man. A godly seed that was planted by the Holy Spirit. And that new man has authority over the old bad man. And that new man in you can say no. He can tell the old man no. You don't get to do that anymore. But see, now that is the condition of all Christians. That you and I have an old fallen nature, and we have a born-again nature. And you and I have the ability in our new nature to tell the old man no. The old man does not have control over us. We are no longer a slave to sin. Amen? In other words, you and I have the ability to tell our whole fallen, corrupt, earthly nature, no, we're not going to do that anymore. I don't have to, okay, I was brought up in a bad family, or my father was a drunk, or you know what I grew up, and you know, I used to in high school cuss and smoke and whatever the case may be. You know, I was a liar, I was a I was a cheat, I was a gambler, it doesn't matter. It doesn't matter. Because there are God's children throughout all the ages that all many of them have been those very same things. But by God's grace and by the newness of life, you and I have the ability to tell our own nature, no, we're not going to do that anymore. See, the world doesn't have that ability. The world doesn't have our regenerated mind and understanding and the ability to walk with God and understand God and be drawn to God. The world doesn't have that conscience. And it also doesn't have that victory. Well, where did that, Brother Josh, where did that come from, the resurrection? That's why you and I have it. It is an accomplishment or one of the triumphs of the resurrection that you and I have this. That you and I can know God now. That you and I can walk in victory now. Well, Josh, one day when I get to heaven, everything will be better. That is right. One day in heaven everything can be better. But did you know things can be better today? Right here and right now? Because you and I can walk with God now, and it's not going to be perfect now. One day it will be perfect. But it can be a whole lot better now because you and I can tell our sin nature, no thank you. And get thee behind me, Satan. Let's read on. If you don't believe me, look at the context of this passage. He says, Verse 4, therefore we were buried with him by baptism unto death, that like as Christ was raised up from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life. We have the ability to do that now. For if we have been planted together in the likeness of his death, we shall also be in the likeness of his resurrection, knowing this, that our old man is crucified with him, that the body of sin might be destroyed, that henceforth we should not serve sin or be enslaved to sin. For he that is dead is free from sin. Now if we be dead with Christ, we believe that we shall also live with him, knowing that Christ being raised from the dead, dieth no more, he died once. Death has no more dominion over him, for in that he died, he died unto sin once for all. But in that he liveth, he liveth unto God. Likewise, talking to us, reckon or count yourself by an act of your will, yourselves to be dead indeed unto sin, but alive unto God through Christ Jesus our Lord. Let not sin therefore reign in your mortal body, that ye should obey it in the lust thereof. Neither yield ye your members as instruments of unrighteousness unto sin, but yield yourself unto God as those that are alive from the dead, and your members as instruments of righteousness unto God. For sin shall not have dominion over you, for ye are not under the law but under grace. So, what is one of the effects of the resurrection in mind in your life? It is you and I have been given the ability to walk in victory here in this earth over our own sin. Only Christians have that. Very quickly. One of the effects or triumphs of the resurrection is that it shows the Bible, the Word of God, the gospel, to be unequivocally true. What do you mean, Billy John? Well, all those Old Testament pastoral scriptures that prophesied and foretold the coming of Christ, and even just like the one that we referenced a while ago, that Peter made reference to, that King David wrote in the Psalms, that when he was talking about his Lord, that God would not allow his Lord to seek corruption, or we can again go read like Isaiah 53, that's he was bruised for our iniquities, and by his stripes we are healed, so on and so forth. And so many other passages in Old Testament scripture, the resurrection declared all of the entirety of God's word to be true. You know, Jesus in the New Testament quoted the Old Testament Scripture. The apostles quoted the Old Testament Scripture, and a lot of the Old Testament and New Testament scripture referred to Christ and referred to the Messiah and referred to the resurrection. And what did the Bible tell us that all these things are pointing to this event? Well, this event came and it happened and it really occurred. And this shows that all those things were absolutely true. So one of the accomplishments of the resurrection is the fact that it declares God's word to be absolute truth. It's real and it's right. It really happened. Brothers and sisters, I'm not up here this morning preaching to you about fairy tales. I'm up here this morning giving you a historical account of miraculous and wonderful spiritual things that Almighty God and the Holy Spirit and the Lord Jesus Christ actually accomplished in this world thousands of years ago.

SPEAKER_00 38:01

And I'm just here as a witness telling you what God has already done because the resurrection declared, the God declared his son to be the Son of God. That's who that man really was. Newswise to the world, Jesus was real, and he was really the Son of God, and he really did what he said he did, and all of it is true. Amen. The Bible is true, brothers and sisters, and salvation is real. Praise God.

SPEAKER_01 38:33

Last thing. He said that his hope rested in his Lord. The Savior, the Messiah, Christ. That the Lord that he knew that Father God wouldn't let stay in the grave. In other words, King David was saying, look, I hope in my Messiah, my Savior, whom Father God is, yes, he's going to put to death for our sins, to pay the wage that you and I should earn of death and hell and destruction, but Christ paid it for us. He justified us in the sight of Father God. And King David says, That's where my hope is. My hope is in him because King David knew, hey, I'm a sinner. I did wrong, but you know what? God has saved me through his son, through his Messiah. And King David says, that is my hope. That's where my hope lies.

SPEAKER_00 39:44

And brothers and sisters, that's where the hope of every Christian lies. It's in Christ. Amen.

SPEAKER_01 39:50

That's where our hope comes from. This old fallen world in and of itself, it has no hope. It's going to be burnt up and destroyed by the judgment of God. If you don't believe me, go back and read the book of Revelation. But you and I have hope. And we our hope is not a fairy tale, it is a solid rock. It is truth. We'll close with 1 Peter chapter 1. 1 Peter chapter 1. The Bible tells us in 1 Peter 1. Verse 3. Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, which according to his abundant mercy hath begotten us again unto a lively hope by the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead. To an inheritance incorruptible and undefiled, and that fadeth not away, reserved in heaven for you. The you who are kept by the power of God through faith unto salvation, ready to be revealed in the last time. Amen. But I want you to see something. So we've talked about the fact that Christ's resurrection accomplished or triumphed in showing that Christ is a Son of God, that we have been justified and forgiven of our sins, that we have victory over death and hell in the grave, that we have a guarantee of eternal life, that we have a new life here and now while you and I are on earth. The resurrection showed the word of God and the gospel to be unequivocally true. And also the resurrection is the very foundation of mine and your hope. Blessed be God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, which according to his abundant mercy hath begotten us again. That word means born again. Father God, who has borne us again unto a lively hope. By the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead. Because the one who it rests on is alive today. Amen. You know, the resurrection of Christ from the dead means that the world one time killed him. He allowed himself to be put to death. But see, you and I do not serve a Savior that is in the grave. You and I serve a risen Savior who is alive and well today, who is at the right hand of the throne of God, interceding for us. And the Bible says that he also walketh among his candlesticks. You and I have a lively hope in God because our Savior is alive today. And that is the foundation of our hope and our security. I hope this has been an encouragement to you. Love you all very much. I'm going to ask for the Don. Well, Brother Don, we'll just close in a word of song, hear his voice not doing real well this morning. Let's sing uh how firm a foundation. I think it's one. Yes, sir.