An Anchor In The Storms of Life

An Anchor In

The Storms of Life

Steve W. Reeves

steve@wschurch.net

stevesermons.blogspopt.com

 

INTRODUCTION:

A. In October of 1991 a commercial fishing vessel named the “Andrea Gail” and her
    six man crew from Gloucester, Massachusetts, were fishing in the waters of the
    North Atlantic about 180 miles northeast of Sable Island. Unbeknonst to the crew,
    weather conditions were quickly deteriorating. A massive low-pressure system
    combined with an approaching front were poised to produce what became known as,
    “The Perfect Storm.” Unable to reach a place of safety the “Andrea Gail” and her
    crew were lost at sea.
    1. Some of you may be sailing through the perfect storm in your life right now.
    2. There are occasions in everyone’s life when the waves of perplexity sweep over
        our souls and we struggle to keep our heads above water.
    3. Where is God in such times? Does He see what is happening? Does He care?
        Why doesn’t He do something?
B. There is a story at the end of the book of Acts that provides a firsthand account of life
    during a tumultuous storm. 
    1. Paul, the apostle, had been accused of inciting a riot in Jerusalem. When he was
        put on trial he exercised his right as a Roman citizen to appeal his case before
        Caesar. Thus, he found himself aboard a ship sailing for Rome.
    2. It was not smooth sailing on calm seas. The ship sailed into the teeth of a ferocious
        storm. Luke described this storm with such vivid detail you can almost hear the
        howling of the wind, feel the rain as it stings your skin, see the flashes of lightening
        and hear the crashing thunder and the creaking of the timbers in that old ship
        straining against the elements.     
    3. Acts 27:14-20 provides this description. “Before very long, a wind of hurricane
        force, called the Northeaster, swept down from the island. ¹⁵ The ship was caught
        by the storm and could not head into the wind; so we gave way to it and were
        driven along. ¹⁶ As we passed to the lee of a small island called Cauda, we were
        hardly able to make the lifeboat secure, ¹⁷ so the men hoisted it aboard. Then they
        passed ropes under the ship itself to hold it together. Because they were afraid
        they would run aground on the sandbars of Syrtis, they lowered the sea anchor
        and let the ship be driven along. ¹⁸ We took such a violent battering from the storm
        that the next day they began to throw the cargo overboard. ¹⁹ On the third day, they
        threw the ship’s tackle overboard with their own hands. ²⁰ When neither sun nor
        stars appeared for many days and the storm continued raging, we finally gave up
        all hope of being saved.
C. Why is this story in the Bible?
    1. The Bible is true to life. Our lives are not always calm and peaceful. There are
        storms, hardships and difficulties.
    2. What can we learn about God during the storms of life?
 
I. GOD DOES NOT ALWAYS CALM THE STORM.  HE DOES CALM US.
    A. In Matthew 8 Jesus calmed a storm on the Sea of Galilee.
       1. The seasoned, rugged disciples were terrified and afraid they would perish.
           They cried out, “Don’t you care we are about to perish?” Isn’t that the way we
           feel at times when we are in a storm?
       2. Jesus said, “Peace. Be Still.” The winds became calm and the sea tranquil.
       3. There are times in life when God calms the storm.
    B. But not always.
        1. I saw a video clip recently of a well-known Pentecostal evangelist “rebuking” the
            demon of COVID 19 and ordering it to die in the “name of Jesus.”  Perhaps a
            better expression would be, “God, you are in  control of all things. Your will be
            done.”
        2. Sometimes God lets the storm rage in order that He might calm us within its
            midst. Notice Paul’s admonition to the crew of the ship in verses 22–24,
            “I urge you to keep up your courage, because not one of you will be lost;
            only the ship will be destroyed. ²³ Last night an angel of the God to whom I    
            belong and whom I serve stood beside me ²⁴ and said, ‘Do not be afraid.”
       2. The storm continued to rage but God calmed the hearts of those men.
      
II. THERE IS STRENGTH IN THE STORM
    A. God uses storms to transform our life.
       1. The disciples in the boat with Jesus had their view of Him changed. No doubt
           they had seen Him as a teacher. Now, they marveled when he stilled the storm.
           “Who is this that even the winds and waves obey Him?”
       2. They could never have grasped the impact of that moment had there not been a
           storm
    B. When we come to Acts 27 God used the storm as a means of transporting Paul to
        Rome. When you step back and see the entire set of circumstances leading up to
        the storm you can see how God used all of them to accomplish His purpose. 
        1. The men aboard this ship made so many mistakes.
           a. They acted hastily. In 27:9 the circumstances for the journey had not been
                favorable. The whole trip on board the ship had been spent battling strong
                winds. They came to a place called Fair Haven. Paul and other prisoners had
                been transferred to another ship. The captain wanted to sail even though the
                conditions were not favorable. It would have been better to wait but the
                captain made a hasty decision.
           b. They listened to poor advice. In verses 10-11 – “So Paul warned them,
                       ¹⁰ “Men, I can see that our voyage is going to be disastrous and bring great
                loss to ship and cargo, and to our own lives also.” ¹¹ But the centurion, instead
                of listening to what Paul said, followed the advice of the pilot and of the owner
                of the ship.”
           c. They listened to popular opinion. In vs. 12 – “Since the harbor was unsuitable
                to winter in, the majority decided that we should sail on, hoping to reach
                Phoenix and winter there.” The majority thought it was a good idea. The
                majority, however, was wrong.
            d. They did not look ahead. According to verse 13, “When a gentle south wind
                began to blow, they saw their opportunity; so, they weighed anchor and sailed
                along the shore of Crete.”
    B. God can use our mistakes and our storms to accomplish His will. There is a
        greater perspective on life than “here and now.” The proper gauge of life can only
        be measured through eternity.
 
III. GOD PROVIDES A SHELTER
    A. Even though the ship wrecked God provided a place of safety. Paul and his
        companions were able to find safety.
    B. David realized this great truth many centuries ago when he wrote in Psalm 46:1-3,       
        “God is our refuge and strength, A very present help in trouble. Therefore, we will
         not fear, though the earth should change And though the mountains slip into the
         heart of the sea. Though its waters roar and foam though the mountains quake at
         the swelling pride.”
    C. In the midst of the strongest storm, the roaring sea and the deepest, darkest night
        you can know that God is still there. Sometimes you do not see the sun because of
        the clouds but it is still there and its presence is still felt. God is the same way.
 
CONCLUSION:
A. “When you walk through a storm hold your head up high and don't be afraid of the
    dark. At the end of the storm is a golden sky and the sweet silver song of a lark.
    Walk on through the wind, walk on through the rain, though your dreams be tossed
    and blown. Walk on. Walk on. With hope in your heart, and you’ll never walk alone.
    ou’ll never walk alone.”
B. Trust in Him who provides an anchor in the storms of life.

Blest Be The Tie

Blest Be The Tie That Binds

Steve W. Reeves 

steve@wschurch.net

stevesermons.blogspopt.com 

INTRODUCTION:

A. John Fawcett (1739-1817) was born in a small British village. Orphaned at the age of
    twelve he became an apprentice to a tailor and worked in that trade until his early
    adult years. As a teenager he heard the well-known evangelist George Whitefield
    preach, leading him to faith in Christ. In 1763 he began preaching for a tiny church in
    the small hamlet of Wainsgate. The people were practically destitute and often paid
    ohn and his young wife with potatoes and wool. As the couple’s family grew to
    include four children, they soon realized the hardships posed by their humble
    circumstances. Though other opportunities came their way John and Mary Fawcett’s
    love for the people of that small village prompted them to remain for 54 years. To     
    express his feelings for the congregation John Fawcett wrote the following words that
    have been used by generations of Christians.”
 
    “Blest be the tie that binds, Our hearts in Christian love; The fellowship of kindred
    Kinds Is like to that above.”
    When we asunder part It gives us inward pain. But we shall still be joined in heart,
    And hope to meet again.”
    1. There are few words that are more familiar to Christians today than these lyrics
        written over two hundred years ago.    
    2. There are few, if any, words that better describe the loving,and caring relationship
        that Christians have with one anoter.
. In 1 Peter 2:17, Peter saysm :Love the family of b elievers.” It is important to know
    that Peter waing to Christians facing severe hardship. They had been scattered
    and separated from one another because of persecution. Their faith was being tested
    and they were facing isolation.
    1. This is one of two occasions in the New Testament where the word “family”
        appears. The other is Ephesians 3:17, :”For this reason I kneel before the Father,
        15 from whom every family[a] in heaven and on earth derives its name.”
    2. In 1 Timothy 3 Paul refers to the church as the “household of faith.” This, also
        implies the idea of a family.
C. What is the blessed tie that binds our hearts together as the family of God?
 
I. IT IS A TIE SEALED WITH BLOOD   
    A. A tourist in a foreign country noticed something unusual about the children. The
        older children were carrying the younger ones. He spoke to one of the older
        children and said, “It must be difficult carrying such a burden all day.” The child
        responded, :”He’s not a burden. He’s my brother.”
        1. In 1969, a British band, “The Hollies,” recorded a song, “He Ain’t Heavy, He’s
            My Brother.”        
        2. This sounds like good theology. Remember, Paul wrote that Christians are to
            “bear one another’s budens and so fulfill the law of Christ.”
    B. It is the blood of Christ that binds us together. According to 1 Peter 1:18-19, the tie
        that inds us together, the “common bond” is that our redemption is not
        through,“perishable things such as silver or gold that you were redeemed from the
        empty way of life handed down to you from your ancestors, 19 but with the
        precious blood of Christ, a lamb without blemish or defect.”
        1. Another song from years past proclaims, “I'm so glad I'm a part of the Family of
            God, I've been washed in the fountain, cleansed by His Blood!  Joint heirs with
            Jesus as we travel this sod,  For I'm part of the family, The Family of God.”
        2. More recently Lanny Wolfe wrote, “We’re part of a family that’s been born again.
            Part of a family, whose love knows no end. For Jesus has saved us and made
            us His own. Now we’re part of a family that’s on its way home.” 
        3. There are many things that draw people together. You may join hundreds or
            thousands in a stadium to cheer for your favorite team. You may participate with
            others in a civic organization or trade guild. You may belong to a social club or
            fraternal organization but there is no tie on earth that is more meaningful than
            the blood sealed tie that binds our hearts in Christian love.
 
II. IT IS A TIE CONNECTED BY PURPOSE
    A. In 1 Peter 2:9-10 Peter wrote, “ But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a
        holy nation, God’s special possession, that you may declare the praises of him
        who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light. ¹⁰ Once you were not a
        people, but now you are the people of God; once you had not received mercy, but
        now you have received mercy.”
        1. In 1944 my father, theen twnty-five nty-five years old, received an invitation to
            join the United States Army (the invitation was known as a draft card).. He was
            separated from his family, spent went through basic training and was soon
            aboard a troop transport headed for the Pacific island of Okinawa. Aboard the
            ship were hundreds of men he had never met. They came from cities and states
            across America. They had never been together before and many of them would
            never see each other again. However, aboard that ship was a comradery and
            purpose that bound them together. Their task was to attain victory over the
            enemy.
        2. According to Peter, the our common purpose is to show forth the praises of the
            One who has called us out of darkness into His marvelous light.
    B. What binds a church together?
        1. Is it because we are in the same place?
        2. Are we the same ages with similar walks of life?
        3. Do we all have similar backgrounds?
        4. Do we all like the same things?
    C. The tie that binds is a common purpose of praise and personhood through Jesus
        Christ.
 
III. IT IS A TIE EXPRESSED BY LOVE
    A. John Fawcett had it right when he spoke of the tie that binds our hearts in
        Christian love.
        1. Jesus said that our love for one another was the defining characteristic of
            discipleship in John 13:34-35j.
        2. John wrote that our love for God is inseperably linked to our love for one another
            (1 John 4:7-8).
    B. A man had two sons who were estranged from one another. They had not spoken
       in years and made no pretense about caring for one another. As their father
        approached the end of his life he called the two sons to his bedside. In one hand
        he ha two wooden rods. He gave one to each son and asked them to break them..
        They did so easily. Then, the man took several rods that had been bound together
        by a cord. He asked the sons to break this but they were unable to do so. The
        father explained that the cord represented love and how without lovee they would
        each b e broken by the stress of life. With love for one another, however, they
        would be able to face the difficulties successfully.
 
CONCLUSION”
A. In a time of crisis, separation and “social distancing.” In a period dof financial
    insecurity and uncertain future may we take heart in Paul’s powerful proclaimation in
    Romans 8:31-38, “What, then, shall we say in response to these things? If God is for us,
    who can be  against us? ³² He who did not spare his own Son, but gave him up for us ll—
    how will he not also, along with him, graciously give us all things? ³³ Who will bring any
    charge against those whom God has chosen? It is God who justifies. ³⁴ Who then is the
    ne  who condemns? No one. Christ Jesus who died—more than that, who was raised to
    ife—is at the right hand of God and is also interceding for us. ³⁵ Who shall separate us
    from the ove of Christ? Shall trouble or hardship or persecution or famine or nakedness
    or danger or sword? ³⁶ As it is written:  “For your sake we face death all day long  we are
    considered as sheep to be slaughtered.”^{[j]   37} No, in all these things we are more than
    conquerors  through him who loved us. ³⁸ For I am convinced that neither death nor life,
    neither angels nor demons,^[k] neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, ³⁹ neither
    height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the
        love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.

B. The love of Christ is the tie that binds our hearts in Christian love. It is the fellowship
    of kindred minds that is like to that above,. Hallelujah!
 
 
 

Snapshot or Landscape?

SNAPSHOT OR LANDSCAPE

 

Steve W. Reeves, Searcy, Arkansas

 

Do you judge people by looking at a snapshot or a landscape? When Jesus said, “Do not judge” (Matthew 7:1), He was not saying that we should ignore injustice, iniquity or immoral behavior. Nor was He implying that we should refrain from the proper discernment of right and wrong. A closer examination of His teaching reveals that Jesus was warning against unrighteous judgment that holds others to a higher ethical standard than we apply to ourselves. Notice how He continued, “For in the same way you judge others, you will be judged, and with the measure you use, it will be measured to you (verse 2). Jesus explained that such judgment was like removing a speck from another’s eye while having a beam in your own eye (verses 3-4). It is far better, according to Jesus, to remove the beam from your own eye before attemptiving to address the speck in another’s eye (verse 5).  In John’s gospel Jesus addressed the subject of judgment with these words, “Do not judge according to appearance but judge with righteous judgment” (John 7:24).  

Too often we judge others on a snapshot basis. We form our impression of them during a time of weakness, struggle and sin. Holding on to this snapshot image we fail to see the larger landscape. We may never notice how the person moved beyond the occurrence. We fail to recognize the redemptive work of God’s grace and the changes He works in people’s lives. It is tragic and heartbreaking to see people holding on to shapshots made years ago without any consideration of the larger landscape of a person’s life.  

King David’s life consisted of far more than his poor judgment and sin with Bathsheba and Uriah (2 Samuel 11). There was remorse, repentance and redemption. The broader landscape of David’s life was so much more than this painful snapshot. This is why Paul's first recorded sermon mentioned God’s statement, “I have found David a man after My heart, who will do all My will” (Acts 13:22).

 

I tremble to think that I might be judged by the snapshot of something I said or did twenty, thirty or forty years ago. I am no that man today. If the Lord allows me to klive another twenty years I will not be the same man then. There is increased wisdom as we study the Scripture, experience life and allow God to shape us through the Holy Spirit. In the words of a popular children’s song, “He’s still working on me, to make me what I ought to be. It took Him just a week to make the moopn and the stars, the sun and the earth and Jupiter and Mars. How loving and patient He must be, ‘cause He’s still working on me.”

 

Let’s make a deal!  If you are judging me based on a snapshot I hope you will destroy it and consider the entire landscape of my life. I will do the same with you.  

 

 

 

 

 

 

He's My Brother

 

“He’s My Brother!”

Steve W. Reevs, Searcy, Arkansas

 

An American tourist was puzzled by the children he encountered while visiting overseas. Many of them were carrying smaller children on their backs as they went about their activities. The American sympathetically commented to one of the children, “It’s too bad that you have to carry such a heavy burden!" The child quickly replied, "He's no burden. He's my brother."

The apostle Paul understood the importance of Christians caring for one another. To the Galatians he wrote, “Bear one another's burdens, and thereby fulfill the law of Christ” (Galatians 6:2).  This concern is powerfully demonstrated by Paul’s relationship with Christians in Thessalonica.

In the closing verses of 1 Thessalonians 2, Paul’s deep affection for the Christians in this populous Greek city is expressed by these words, “For who is our hope or joy or crown of exultation? Is it not even you, in the presence of our Lord Jesus at His coming? For you are our glory and joy” (1 Thessalonians 2:19-20). Throughout the letter Paul continued to express his concern for the spiritual welfare of these Christians in the face of opposition. In fact, his interst was so great he sent Timothy, his “son in the faith” (1 Timothy 1:2) to them to encourage and strengthen their faith (1 Thessalonians 3:2). Genuine love is always displayed through unselfish behavior.

In 1969 a British rock band, “The Hollies,” recorded a song written by Bobby Scot and Bob Russell. The song, “He Ain’t Heavy, He’s My Brother,” remains popular to this day and reminds us of the caring concern expressed by Paul. 

The road is long

With many a winding turns

That leads us to who knows where

Who knows where?

 

But I'm strong,

Strong enough to carry him

He ain't heavy, he's my brother

Like the children observed by the American tourist and following the command and example of the inspired apostle let’s help one another bear the burdens of life.

Love and Blessings to all . . .

-7

The Sunday Surprise

The Sunday Surprise

Steve W. Reeves

steve@wschurch.net

stevesermons.blogspopt.com

 

 

INTRODUCTION:

\\\A. Frank Morrison was a British scholar and writer around the turn of the 20^th century.
    He had a sharp intellect and inquisitive mind. He was a lawyer by profession and a
    skeptic by philosophy having been influenced by the teachings of Sir Thomas Huxley,
    a disciple of Darwinism along with other renowned British and German teachers.
    Morrison did not believe the Bible or the Gospel of Christ. To disprove the
    resurrection of Christ he set forth to write a book investigating the Biblical text,
    historical evidence and archaeology. His findings led him to write a book far different  
    than what he had envisioned. To this day Morrison’s book, Who Moved The Stone,
    is a leasing apologetic of the resurrection. In the preface Morrison stated, “This is the
    inner story of a man who originally set out to write one type of book but found himself
    compelled by the sheer weight of circumstances to write another.”   
B. In the midst of a world-wide crisis where so many people have died and thousands
    upon thousands have become ill, the subject of the resurrection takes on new
    relevance for many people.  
    1. For Christians, however, the resurrection of Christ from the tomb is the bedrock
        upon which our hope is secured. It is not merely the subject of an Easter sermon
        but the central focus of life itself.
    2. Writing to the Corinthians in the first century, Paul the apostle discussed the
        ramifications of denying the resurrection. “For if the dead are not raised, not even
        Christ has been raised; ¹⁷ and if Christ has not been raised, your faith is worthless;
        you are still in your sins. ¹⁸ Then those also who have fallen asleep in Christ have
        perished. ¹⁹ If we have hoped in Christ in this life only, we are of all men most to be
        pitied” (1 Corinthians 6:16-19).
C. Upon what irrefutable evidence does our hope in the resurrection of Jesus rest? Why
    was the resurrection a “Sunday Surprise?”
 
I. THE DETERMINATION OF HIS DEATH
   
    A. In order to have a resurrection there must obviously be a death.
        1. The death of Christ was foretold by Old Testament prophets.
            a. In Exodus 12:21, Moses gave instructions of the leaders of Israel about the
                Passover lamb. When the blood of that lamb was put upon the doorpost the
                people in the house would be saved from the plague of death. In the New
                Testament Jesus is referred to as our Passover lamb. “For indeed, Christ, our
                Passover was sacrificed for us” (1 Corinthians 5:7) and a “lamb without spot
                and blemish” (11 Peter 1:18-19).
            b. Zachariah prophesied that the Messiah would come riding a donkey as the
                people rejoiced and worshipped him (Zachariah 9:9). Luke records the
                fulfillment of this prophecy in Luke 19:37-39 as Jesus rode into Jerusalem
                while the people laid their garments on the ground and praised Him.
            c. Isaiah prophesied of the suffering servant, the one who has born our sorrows
               and by whose stripes we were healed. The one on whom the Lord has laid
                the iniquities of us all (Isaiah 53). All of these prophecies have been realized
                in Jesus Christ.
            d. Peter Stoner in his book, Science Speaks, suggests the odds of any one man
                fulfilling all of the prophecies of the Old Testament to be one in 100 quadrillion
                (10 to the 17^th power). To visualize this, he pictured covering the state of
                Texas with silver dollars from east to west two feet high. One of these is
               marked with an “x.” If they were jumbled up  the chance of reaching down and
                picking up that coin would be like these odds.
        2. The death of Christ was foretold by Jesus Himself.             
            a. “From that time Jesus began to show His disciples that He must go to
                Jerusalem, and suffer many things from the elders and chief priests and
                scribes, and be killed, and be raised up on the third day” (Matthew 16:21).
            b. In Luke 18:31 Jesus took the twelve aside and said, “Behold, we are going up
               to Jerusalem, and all things which are written through the prophets about the
                Son of Man will be accomplished.”
        3. The death of Christ is essential to the Gospel. 
     B. Did Jesus really die? Some skeptics claim that He never died on the cross.
        Instead, they insist that he slipped into a coma (known as the “Swoon” theory and
        was revived in the coolness of the tomb.  What does the evidence say?
        1. The testimony of the Roman guard.
            a. In John 19:32-37, John gave an eye witness account of what happened after
                Jesus died. Soldiers were sent by Pilate to break the legs of the condemned
                men to hasten their death. These soldiers were experts of execution. They
                knew exactly what to do. They broke the legs of the thieves who hung on
                either side of Jesus. When they came to Jesus they observed that He was
                already dead. They were not guessing.
            b. One of them thrust his spear into Jesus’ side. Blood and water (probably a
                milky white substance) flowed from Jesus’ side indicating the death had
                already occurred and physiological changes were already occurring in the
                body.
            c. Mark records in Mark 15:39 that when the Roman Centurion saw Jesus die
                he proclaimed, “Surely this man was the Son of God.”
        2. The testimony of Joseph and Nicodemus.
            a. John went on to record how Joseph of Arimathea and Nicodemus removed
                the body of Jesus from the cross. Nicodemus had brought 100 pounds of
                myrrh and spices. They wrapped the body of Jesus in strips of linen cloth
                cemented together by the mixture of spices. The body was swaddled or tightly
                wrapped like a mummy. A square cloth was tied around the head and chin.
            b. How could these men have prepared Jesus’ for burial if there had been the
                slightest indication that he was alive?   
    C. Without the death of Christ we would be lost.
        1. God’s plan for our redemption could not have been fulfilled.
        2. There would have been no atonement for our sins.
 
II. THE TESTIMONY OF THE TOMB
    A. Near the place where Jesus was crucified there was a new tomb. It was like a man
        made cave hewn out of the limestone of a hill. Inside was a ledge of rock on which
        the body would be placed. After the body had been laid to rest a large stone,
        probably set in a track would be rolled in front of the opening. Such a stone would
        have been far too difficult for a single man or even a small group of men to move
        by themselves.
    B. The tomb of Jesus had an extra layer of security provided by the Roman
        government.
        1. The Jews, fearing that the disciples would come and steal Jesus’ body to
            substantiate their claim of resurrection, asked Pilate to place a guard at the
            tomb. Nothing can so incite the passion of a movement as having the body of its
            leader on display. For decades the body of Lenin has been on display in
            Moscow’s Red Square. When Osama Bin Laden was killed by U.S. Special
            Forces in 2011 his body was buried at sea so his followers would not claim it
            and build a shrine.
        2. As a further measure of security a cord was placed across the stone, sealed at
            both ends with wax which was then imprinted with the signet of Rome. Anyone
            breaking the seal would be subject to punishment by Roman authorities.
    C. It is almost impossible for us to comprehend what the silence of the tomb signified
        after the stone had been sealed. With the thud of the stone the hopes of the
        disciples of Jesus were crushed. The despair in their hearts was real. What would
        they do? Where would they go? They had put their lives in His hands.
    D. What did the tomb mean to God? How must it have felt for Him to know that His
        own creation had turned against Him and rejected His only begotten Son? Why did
        He not, in His wrath, avenge His Son’s death by annihilating the earth? The reason
        is obvious. God knew that this story was not over.
 
III. THE SUNDAY SURPRISE
    A. Speaking from experience as one who has conducted hundreds of funerals
        including several of my family members, leaving the grave to return home without a
        loved one is one of the most disconcerting moments of life. We can only imagine
        the feelings of despair and hopelessness felt by the followers of Jesus throughout
        the day on Saturday. During that day the lifeless body of Jesus lay silently in the
        darkness of the tomb. Everything seemed so fixed and final that it was easy for
        despair to destroy the hope of even the staunchest believer.
        1. Then in the early morning hours of Sunday the light of hope pierced the
            darkness.
        2. Jesus was raised from the dead. Think of these worlds. Contemplate them.
            Savor them. Rejoice in them.
    B. The evidence for the resurrection of Jesus comes from several sources.
        1. All four gospels consistently report that it was a group of women who came to
            the tomb at dawn on the first day of the week. This is unique in and of itself
            given the attitudes towards women that were prevalent in the first century. When
            the women arrived at the tomb to anoint the body of Jesus with spices they
            found the stone rolled away and were told by angels, “Why do you seek the
            living among the dead?” Can you imagine going to a cemetery to visit the grave
            of a loved one and finding the vault uncovered, the casket open and the body
            missing with only the burial clothes remaining? This was a shocking experience.  .         2. Upon hearing the report from the women, John outran Peter and came to the

             tombwhere, according to John 20:5, he “saw the linen wrappings lying there.”

            The word saw (denoted by an asterisk in the NASB) means, “glanced at.” John
            did not go inside the tomb but, according to verse 6, Peter did. Peter also “saw”
            the empty tomb and the linen lying there. The word for “saw” in this case
            means, “to examine closely.” Peter saw that the linen that had wrapped the body
            of Jesus lay in the exact form in which it had been wrapped around him.  It was
            not lying in a disheveled pile nearby. The cloth that had covered Jesus’ head
            was folded neatly and laid nearby.
        3. The British educator, Thomas Arnold, wrote three great volumes on the history
            of Rome.  “I know of no one fact in the history of mankind that is proved by
            better and fuller evidence of every sort to the understanding of a fair inquirer
            than the understanding of the great sign that God has given us that Christ died
            and rose from the dead.”
    C. There are only three options regarding the empty tomb.
        1. Someone stole the body – getting beyond the guards, breaking the Roman seal,
            Rolling away the stone and somehow making it appear that the linen was
            undisturbed. Who would have done such a thing? The disciples were as
            surprised as anyone (Thomas doubted). The enemies of Christ (Jews and
            Romans) never produced a body when reports of the resurrection began to
            surface. That would have been all it would take to stop the story in its tracks.
    D. There is only one answer for the empty tomb. “Up from the grave He arose, with a
        mighty triumph o’re his foes. He arose a victor from the dark domain, and He lives
        forever with His saints to reign. He arose! He arose! Hallelujah, Christ arose”
        (Robert S. Lowery 1826 - 1899).
 
CONCLUSION:
A. We are living in a time of life and death. There are thousands today mourning the
    loss of loved ones without any hope. You do not have to live or die in that way. What
    you must do, however, is decide where your hope will be placed.
B. Dr. Robert Ingersoll was a famous skeptic who lectured extensively about his
    agnostic beliefs. He would stand on a stage and challenge God to strike him dead.
    On his deathbed his last words were written down by his secretary. He lamented,
    “Life is now a narrow vale between two cold and barren peaks of two eternities. I
    strive in vain to look beyond the heights and cry aloud but the only answer is the echo
    of my wailing cry.”
C. May I invite you to come to Christ today in faith and obedience to His word?