Participants:
Series Code: PME
Program Code: PME240330S
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00:02 ♪
00:14 ♪ 00:21 ♪ 00:29 ♪ 00:37 ♪ 00:45 ♪ 00:53 ♪ 01:00 ♪ 01:10 ♪ 01:20 ♪ 01:33 ♪ 01:40 ♪ 01:48 ♪ 01:56 ♪ 02:06 ♪ 02:16 ♪ 02:25 ♪ 02:35 ♪ 02:45 ♪ 02:55 ♪ 03:05 ♪ 03:14 ♪ 03:24 ♪ 03:34 ♪ 03:44 ♪ 03:54 ♪ 04:03 ♪ 04:13 ♪ 04:23 ♪ 04:33 >> Good morning, and happy 04:35 Sabbath. 04:37 And welcome to this high 04:38 Easter Sabbath. 04:39 Isn't it beautiful outside? 04:42 So glad you're here 04:43 worshiping with us. 04:44 And for those of you at home, 04:45 we're so glad you've chosen 04:47 to worship with us, as well. 04:49 I invite you now 04:51 to open your bulletins 04:53 to our call to worship. 04:55 You'll see it on the 04:57 screens, as well. 05:31 Please stand for the invocation. 05:38 Let's bow our heads. 05:39 Dear Father in Heaven, 05:41 we've come to worship You here 05:42 in this beautiful sanctuary 05:43 on this Easter Sabbath. 05:46 Jesus, when You were here, 05:47 You said, "I am 05:49 the resurrection and the life," 05:51 that You hold the keys to death. 05:54 And when You rose that Easter 05:56 morning, You proved that You 05:58 do hold the keys to death 05:59 and You are the resurrection 06:00 and the life. 06:02 So together we've come to 06:03 worship You and to praise Your 06:06 name because Christ is risen. 06:09 In Jesus' name, we pray. Amen. 06:11 [ "Jesus Shall Reign Where'er 06:14 the Sun" begins ] 06:36 [ Congregation sings ] 10:00 >> Good morning, girls and boys. 10:03 Happy Sabbath. 10:04 It's so great to see you here 10:06 in your Easter Sabbath costumes. 10:10 We are celebrating, aren't we, 10:11 this weekend the resurrection 10:12 of Jesus. 10:14 Say, I have a question for you. 10:15 How many of you have 10:16 a pet dog at home? 10:19 Anybody got a dog? 10:20 Oh, quite a few of you do. 10:22 Quite a few. Okay, great. 10:24 Well, when I was a little boy, 10:25 I had a dog, too. 10:27 But it's important for you 10:28 to know that right now 10:29 I don't have a dog, okay? 10:32 So, this last winter, when I was 10:34 going to Apple Valley Market to 10:35 do my Tuesday morning shopping, 10:38 I always carry a list, right? 10:39 What's on the list? 10:40 It's what I buy. 10:42 So, I felt strangely impressed 10:45 to go down the pet aisle. 10:47 You know which one that is, 10:48 right? 10:48 it has the cat food and the dog 10:51 food and all the treats for 10:52 pets. 10:53 This is strange. 10:54 I don't usually go down 10:55 this aisle, but I turned 10:56 the cart down that aisle. 10:58 And then I was very strongly 10:59 impressed to stop 11:01 in front of the shelf 11:03 that had the dog biscuits. 11:06 And I was supposed to buy 11:08 a box of dog biscuits. 11:10 That's the impression I had. 11:11 I said, "This is crazy." 11:13 It's not on the list, alright? 11:15 And I don't have a dog. 11:17 so why buy a box 11:19 of dog biscuits? 11:21 But, you know, I couldn't shake 11:22 the impression, so I did. 11:26 There it is, right? 11:27 You've all seen the dog bis-- 11:29 You know what a dog biscuit is, 11:30 right? 11:30 Doggie bones. 11:32 These are not cookies. 11:33 These are for dogs. 11:33 Okay. 11:35 So, I took it home and I put it 11:37 way up on the top 11:40 shelf in the kitchen cupboard. 11:41 I thought to myself, "You know, 11:42 those bones are gonna get old 11:45 and they're gonna go stale 11:47 and I'm never gonna use them." 11:50 But there they were. 11:51 A few days later, however -- 11:54 And this was during the winter 11:56 when the temperatures were down 11:57 in the single digits. 11:58 You remember how cold that was? 12:00 I went out through the garage 12:02 to the back deck to feed 12:04 the birds and the squirrels, 12:06 and as I opened the back door 12:08 to my deck, 12:09 what do you suppose I saw 12:11 on the other side of that door? 12:14 A very big dog, 12:18 a gray pit bull terrier dog. 12:22 Maybe we can have the picture 12:24 on the screen here. 12:26 It was very big. 12:29 And I noticed three things 12:31 about that dog immediately. 12:34 Number one, the dog was shaking 12:35 all over. 12:36 I mean, it was just freezing 12:38 out there, and this dog 12:40 was shivering terribly. 12:43 Number two, the leash was torn. 12:46 This dog had run away from home, 12:49 and his leash was broken. 12:51 Number three, 12:52 he had a metal dog tag. 12:54 "Aha!" I said. 12:56 "Now I can find out who the 12:57 owner is." 12:58 And so I bent down 12:59 and reached for the dog tag, 13:01 and he growled at me. 13:04 Okay. I backed off. 13:09 He could be growling 13:10 because he was angry, 13:11 or he could be growling 13:12 because he was hungry. 13:14 But I backed off. 13:16 I said, "You know, this dog 13:17 might be really hungry." 13:19 So I remembered 13:20 the box of dog bones. 13:21 I went into the house, 13:23 into the kitchen, 13:24 opened a box up, 13:26 grabbed a handful of these 13:29 Milk Bones, and took them out 13:31 and placed them just inside 13:34 the back garage door. 13:36 Then I went into the kitchen. 13:38 I waited about five minutes, 13:40 and I went back into my garage. 13:43 And the bones were gone. 13:44 He'd eaten them all. 13:46 So I went back in the house. 13:48 I got another handful of 13:50 Milk Bones and I took them out 13:52 and I spread them on the garage 13:53 floor. 13:54 Five minutes later, 13:55 they had disappeared. 13:58 This dog is really hungry. 14:00 So I grabbed another handful, 14:02 took them out there, 14:04 and this time the dog 14:05 was waiting right 14:05 by the kitchen step. 14:07 He knew what was coming next. 14:09 He was waiting for me. 14:11 And somehow -- and I don't know 14:12 how he did it -- he wrapped 14:13 himself up in a little throw rug 14:15 that I had there. 14:18 And I dropped the bones 14:19 right beside him. 14:21 Well, I went back in the house, 14:23 and I said, "You know, there's 14:24 got to be some way I can find 14:26 out who this dog's owner is." 14:29 It was a weekend. 14:31 A lot of businesses are closed 14:32 on the weekend, you know. 14:33 I said, "I'll call our friendly 14:36 local police dispatcher." 14:38 A dispatcher is somebody 14:40 who sends your phone call 14:41 where it ought to go. 14:43 So I called and she answered 14:45 and she said, "I know 14:46 where your call should go." 14:47 She said, "I'm gonna put 14:49 the call through to the animal 14:51 shelter in Benton Harbor. 14:54 They'll send somebody out 14:55 and take care of it." 14:57 In a few minutes, a big white 14:59 van showed up in my driveway. 15:01 A friendly man got out 15:03 with a leash 15:05 and he went into the garage. 15:06 He talked very softly 15:08 to the pit bull terrier. 15:11 He put the leash around his neck 15:13 and began to lead him 15:15 out of the garage. 15:16 But, you know, the dog turned 15:17 around, and he looked at me. 15:20 And I think I read the 15:21 expression on his face. 15:23 "I wish I could have some more 15:24 of those Milk Bones before I 15:26 go." 15:29 Three days later, 15:30 I called the animal shelter. 15:32 I said, "Has that dog been 15:33 rescued?" 15:34 They said, "Yes, the owner came 15:36 in yesterday and took his dog 15:39 home, and he was so happy you 15:41 found it." 15:43 So I felt really good 15:45 about that. 15:46 I think there's 15:48 a couple of lessons for me -- 15:50 and maybe for you, too -- 15:51 from this story. 15:52 Lesson number one, 15:53 I learned very quickly 15:56 that Jesus sees our beginning 16:00 and our end, right? 16:01 Jesus sees the future. 16:03 I didn't have dog bones 16:04 on the list. 16:05 I didn't have any reason 16:05 to buy any. 16:06 But He knew that dog 16:08 would show up on my back deck, 16:10 and He wanted me to be prepared 16:12 to serve one of His little 16:14 creatures with Milk Bones. 16:16 The second lesson I would say 16:17 I've learned 16:18 is that that dog was lost 16:20 and needed to be rescued. 16:23 You and I, in a sense, 16:24 are lost in a world of sin 16:26 and pain and suffering. 16:29 But Jesus rose from the tomb, 16:31 and He promised He was coming 16:32 back to rescue us and take us 16:35 to our true home in Heaven. 16:38 Isn't that wonderful? 16:40 I'm wondering, is there someone 16:41 here today that would be willing 16:43 to pray and thank Jesus? 16:45 You want to do it? Okay. 16:48 For looking after us. 16:49 What's your name? 16:50 >> Cameron. 16:51 >> Cameron. Go ahead. 16:52 >> Dear Jesus, 16:54 thank you for the Sabbath day. 16:57 And please help us to be good. 17:00 Amen. 17:01 >> Amen. Thank you. 17:02 You may now go back to your 17:03 seats, yes. 17:05 ♪ 17:12 ♪ 17:19 ♪ 17:26 >> Good morning. 17:27 Good afternoon, church. 17:29 Today's Scripture reading is 17:31 found in I Corinthians 15:51-54. 17:37 "Listen, I tell you a mystery. 17:39 We will not all sleep, but we 17:42 will be changed in a flash, 17:45 in the twinkling of an eye, 17:47 at the last trumpet, for the 17:49 trumpet will sound, the dead 17:52 will be raised, imperishable, 17:54 and we will be changed, 17:55 for the perishable must clothe 17:58 itself with the imperishable 18:00 and the mortal with the 18:01 immorality. 18:03 Immortality. 18:05 When the perishable has been 18:07 clothed with the imperishable 18:08 and the mortal with the 18:09 immortality, 18:11 then the saying that is written 18:13 will come true. 18:15 Death has been swallowed up 18:17 in its victory." 18:18 May we all be blessed this 18:19 Sabbath through our risen 18:20 Savior. 18:24 ♪ 18:31 ♪ 18:38 ♪ 18:47 ♪ 18:57 ♪ 19:07 ♪ 19:17 ♪ 19:27 ♪ 19:37 ♪ 19:47 ♪ 19:57 ♪ 20:07 ♪ 20:17 ♪ 20:27 ♪ 20:37 ♪ 20:47 ♪ 20:57 ♪ 21:07 ♪ 21:17 ♪ 21:27 ♪ 21:37 ♪ 21:47 ♪ 21:57 ♪ 22:07 ♪ 22:17 ♪ 22:27 ♪ 22:37 ♪ 22:47 ♪ 22:57 ♪ 23:07 ♪ 23:16 ♪ 23:26 ♪ 23:36 ♪ 23:46 ♪ 23:56 ♪ 24:06 ♪ 24:16 ♪ 24:26 ♪ 24:36 ♪ 24:46 [ Music ends ] 24:48 [ Applause ] 25:00 >> There are few things 25:03 more impactful, 25:07 more seemingly integral, 25:10 more inescapable in this world 25:14 than death and dying. 25:19 How's that for a winner of a way 25:20 to start a sermon, huh? 25:22 Makes you want to stay 25:23 for the whole thing, doesnt? 25:24 Yeah, don't -- I'll get better. 25:25 Hang with me here. 25:27 But first it is true, is it not? 25:29 I mean, there are truly 25:31 few things more impactful, 25:33 more seemingly integral, 25:35 more inescapable in this world 25:37 than death and dying. 25:40 And just in case you doubt that, 25:42 let me give you some statistics. 25:45 The industries that are built on 25:49 death and dying are vast. 25:52 You ever thought about this? 25:53 According to the Federal 25:54 Reserve Bank of St. Louis, 25:56 the annual revenue from 25:57 all funeral services 25:58 rendered in 2021 -- 26:00 and then it was matched again 26:01 in 2022 -- 26:03 in the United States was right 26:04 at $17 billion. 26:09 That's "billion" with a "B." 26:10 $17 billion. 26:14 And how about hospitals? 26:16 Now, I fully realize 26:17 that hospitals do a great deal 26:18 more than just death and dying. 26:20 I mean, there are babies 26:21 that are born there. 26:21 There's broken bones 26:22 that are set. 26:23 All kinds of good things 26:25 can happen there. 26:26 The fact of the matter is, 26:28 if there were no such thing as 26:31 death and dying, most hospitals 26:33 would have a birthing center, 26:34 a few orthopedists, 26:36 and maybe some odds and ends, 26:36 and that's it. 26:38 And just in case you're not 26:39 so sure about this, even though 26:41 I am personally very grateful 26:43 for the care that hospitals 26:46 give, the fact of the matter is, 26:48 is that if death 26:49 and dying were not here, 26:52 much of the hospital business -- 26:53 and for that matter, 26:53 if I'm honest, 26:54 much of the pastoral business -- 26:56 would be gone. 26:58 And you say, "Well, what 26:59 would that be? 27:00 what kind of hole would that 27:01 leave in the economy?" 27:01 Here it is. 27:03 According to the same source 27:04 here, the Federal Reserve there 27:05 in St. Louis, in 2023, 27:07 all the hospitals put together 27:08 in the United States 27:10 took in revenue 27:11 on average of $384 billion -- 27:15 wait for it -- per quarter. 27:20 Per quarter. 27:21 $384 billion per quarter. 27:24 Death and dying are a huge part 27:25 of what fuels the financial 27:27 engine of this country. 27:30 And there is more. 27:32 Think of the impact, 27:33 for instance, that death 27:34 and dying have had on nearly 27:36 every aspect of every building, 27:38 every form of transportation, 27:39 and every event that you 27:40 or I have ever been a part of. 27:42 For instance, new cars. 27:43 They are very expensive. 27:45 Why? 27:46 In large part because they have 27:47 all kinds of structure 27:49 and electronics, such as side 27:52 impact beams, automatic lane 27:54 change avoidance systems, 27:55 ingeniously designed crush 27:56 zones, anti-collision radar, 27:58 et cetera, et cetera, 27:59 all to keep us from 28:00 killing ourselves and others. 28:03 Planes are the same way, 28:04 as our trains and buses, 28:07 bursting with safety technology 28:08 to keep us out 28:09 of a premature grave. 28:11 And how about buildings? 28:13 You know, buildings have 28:14 guardrails on balconies. 28:16 We have handrails on staircases, 28:18 warning signs 28:19 on electrical junction boxes, 28:21 anti-slip tape in stairwells, 28:22 armed security guards, 28:24 et cetera, et cetera, again, 28:26 all to keep us from an untimely 28:27 demise. 28:30 And on and on the list could go. 28:32 We as a planet are simply 28:34 saturated with all manner 28:36 of attempts to stop or stave off 28:38 as long as possible 28:40 death and dying... 28:44 which is why it is so good to 28:45 know that a time is coming when 28:48 death and dying will be no more. 28:52 And just in case you're not so 28:53 sure about that, take your 28:54 Bibles, 1 Corinthians chapter 28:56 15, please, verse 51. 28:58 Let's revisit what we heard 28:59 earlier for our Scripture 29:01 reading. 29:03 In your pew Bible, your red pew 29:04 Bible there, it's page 776. 29:05 776. 29:07 1 Corinthians chapter 15, 29:11 beginning with verse 51. 29:12 Now, a guy by the name of the 29:13 Apostle Paul is writing this. 29:15 He's writing it to the 29:17 church plant in Corinth. 29:19 We're all doing okay here 29:20 at PMC. 29:21 There are some churches that are 29:22 not doing so well. 29:23 And sometimes pastors, 29:24 if they're having a really 29:25 bad week with their church, 29:26 they will read Corinthians 29:27 and they are assured, "Well, at 29:29 least I'm not as bad as they 29:30 were," okay? 29:31 The Corinthian church had all 29:33 kinds of problems, including 29:35 great delusions 29:36 as to what death meant. 29:40 And so Paul here 29:41 spends a great amount of time -- 29:42 We don't have time to do it 29:43 today, but this entire chapter, 29:44 chapter 15, it's a long chapter. 29:46 And it is addressed 29:47 to this issue of death. 29:49 Paul knows they have 29:50 to get this right. 29:51 It is so important. 29:53 Let's join the story here, 29:53 verse 51. 29:55 Paul says, "Listen, I tell you 29:57 a mystery. 29:58 We will not all sleep." 30:01 That is, we will not all die. 30:02 "But we will all be 30:03 changed in a flash, 30:05 in the twinkling of an eye, 30:07 at the last trumpet, 30:08 for the trumpet will sound, 30:10 the dead will be raised 30:11 imperishable, 30:12 and we will be changed, 30:15 for the perishable must clothe 30:17 itself with the imperishable, 30:18 and the mortal with immortality. 30:21 When the perishable has been 30:22 clothed with the imperishable, 30:23 and the mortal with immortality, 30:25 then the saying that is written 30:27 will come true. 30:28 Death has been swallowed up 30:30 in victory. 30:32 Where, O death, is your victory? 30:34 Where, O death, is your sting?" 30:37 And what's the answer? 30:39 It's gone. It's gone. 30:41 It's been taken away. 30:43 Can you imagine 30:44 what that is going to be like? 30:46 I mean, what a tremendous 30:47 thing that is going to be. 30:49 I mean, that day -- that day -- 30:52 You know, when the time of 30:53 trouble is finished and you look 30:54 up and you see a cloud 30:55 the size of a man's hand 30:56 in the east getting closer, 30:57 you know, this dark cloud 30:58 that gets brighter and brighter 30:59 as it gets closer, 31:00 that sign of Jesus' return, 31:01 the best place that you need 31:03 to be is at a graveyard. 31:04 You need to find 31:05 the nearest cemetery. 31:06 Grab a lemonade, sit down, 31:08 put the cabana up, 31:09 sit, and enjoy the show 31:10 because that's gonna be 31:11 where God is gonna do 31:12 some of his greatest work 31:13 at the Second Coming. 31:15 At that time, 31:16 those that have died in Christ 31:17 will be raised up again, 31:18 perfect in every way, 31:20 never to experience 31:21 death or disease again. 31:22 Someone say Amen. 31:23 >> Amen! 31:24 >> I mean, what a day that's 31:25 gonna be! 31:27 But have you ever thought 31:28 what made it possible? 31:30 What will make it possible? 31:32 How can this happen? 31:35 Now, I'm not talking 31:35 about the mechanics. 31:36 I mean, if God were to 31:38 sit us down some day and say, 31:39 "Well, let me explain to you 31:40 how I resurrect a body," I mean, 31:42 I think we would just be sitting 31:43 there, you know -- "Blb-blb-blb. 31:44 I don't get it. 31:44 You know, it's beyond me. 31:45 Itver my head.” 31:46 But we can understand at least 31:48 some of the fringes here. 31:50 What is it that gives 31:52 God permission? 31:54 In the context of the great 31:55 controversy between good and 31:56 evil, what is it that makes it 31:58 possible for this great thing, 32:00 this resurrection, 32:01 to take place? 32:05 1 Thessalonians chapter 4, 32:07 please, verse 13. 32:09 1 Thessalonians chapter 4, 32:11 beginning with verse 13. 32:12 That's page 795 in your 32:14 red pew Bible. 32:15 795. 32:17 Same guy is writing here. 32:18 This is the Apostle Paul again. 32:19 I Thessalonians chapter 4, 32:20 beginning with verse 13. 32:22 Now, the church plant 32:22 in Thessalonica 32:23 was much healthier than 32:25 the church plant in Corinth. 32:27 But this idea, the confusion 32:30 about death in that society 32:32 of that time was rampant. 32:34 And so Paul here is addressing 32:35 the same issue 32:37 or the same issue here 32:38 about death and what it means 32:39 and what it doesn't mean. 32:41 Let's join here, verse 13, 32:43 1 Thessalonians 4. 32:45 It says, "Brothers, we do not 32:46 want you to be ignorant 32:47 about those who fall asleep." 32:49 That is, those who die. 32:50 "Or to grieve like the rest of 32:52 men who have no hope. 32:54 We believe that Jesus died 32:55 and rose again, 32:56 and so we believe that God 32:57 will bring with Jesus those 33:00 who have fallen asleep in Him. 33:03 According to 33:04 the Lord's own Word, 33:05 we tell you that we who are 33:07 still alive, who are left 33:08 to the coming of the Lord, 33:09 will certainly not precede 33:12 those who have fallen asleep, 33:14 for the Lord Himself 33:15 will come down from Heaven 33:16 with a loud command, 33:17 with the voice of the archangel, 33:19 and with the trumpet call 33:19 of God." 33:20 This is what 1 Corinthians 15 33:22 was referring to, at the last 33:22 trumpet. 33:23 This is it, the Second Coming." 33:25 "And the dead in Christ 33:26 will rise first. 33:30 After that, we who are still 33:31 alive and are left will be 33:32 caught up together with them in 33:33 the clouds to meet the Lord 33:35 in the air, and so we will be 33:37 with the Lord forever. 33:40 Therefore, encourage each other 33:42 with these words." 33:44 Wow! 33:45 I mean, this is an astonishing 33:46 thing. 33:47 This is an astonishing thing. 33:48 And it is found firmly here 33:51 within the writ of Scripture, 33:52 this promise to us. 33:53 And did you see -- did you see 33:56 what makes the resurrection 33:58 possible? 34:01 It was there in verse 14. 34:02 Take a look again, verse 14, 34:04 1 Thessalonians 4:14. 34:07 "We believe that --" 34:09 who died? -- "Jesus died --" 34:11 and then did what? -- "and rose 34:13 again, and so --" you might as 34:15 well just put "and therefore" -- 34:16 "and so we believe 34:18 that God will bring with Jesus 34:20 those who have fallen 34:22 asleep in Him." 34:23 There it is, crystal clear, 34:25 right there in front of us. 34:26 Our coming victory 34:28 over the grave was won 34:31 when Jesus rose from the grave. 34:34 That was its effect. 34:35 This was the price required. 34:37 The price was paid. 34:38 And now this tremendous gift 34:40 becomes available to us. 34:42 You see, often when we speak 34:43 of Christ's resurrection, 34:46 we focus solely 34:47 on its spiritual merits. 34:51 Now, there's nothing wrong with 34:52 focusing on the spiritual merits 34:53 of Christ's resurrection. 34:54 That's a fantastic thing. 34:56 I mean, Christ's resurrection 34:58 ensured our victory over sin, 35:00 over spiritual death. 35:01 And this is what baptism 35:03 is all about, right? 35:04 That's what the symbolism is. 35:05 We have our baptistery 35:06 tucked away back here. 35:06 We've had many, 35:07 many baptisms here. 35:09 When we are baptized, 35:10 we are expressing 35:11 our faith in the death 35:13 and resurrection of Jesus 35:14 and, therefore, in His ability 35:16 to put to death our old sinful 35:17 ways and raise us up 35:19 to new spiritual life in Him. 35:20 Amen? 35:22 Alright, so, the spiritual 35:24 application is all good. 35:25 We need to focus on it. 35:26 And -- And the Bible is 35:30 unmistakably clear that not only 35:33 our spiritual resurrection, 35:35 but also our physical one 35:37 is achieved by virtue 35:39 of Christ's resurrection 35:41 from the grave. 35:43 And notice carefully -- 35:45 that physical resurrection 35:47 is far more important than 35:51 most people give it credit for, 35:54 including most Christians, 35:56 because it means 35:58 far more than most people know. 36:04 Let me show you what I mean. 36:06 Story. 36:09 Many years ago, 36:10 within the last 30 years, 36:11 at a church within 10,000 miles 36:13 of here, I got a phone call from 36:17 a leader in a previous district 36:19 where I had pastored. 36:21 And they said, "Hey, 36:22 Pastor Shane, how you doing? 36:24 Good to hear your voice. 36:25 Say, there is a Mrs. So-and-so. 36:29 She has passed away, 36:31 and her family is wondering 36:32 if you would be willing 36:33 to do the service." 36:36 Now, in the pastoral world, 36:37 this is not an unusual thing. 36:38 If you've been a pastor for any 36:39 length of time someplace, 36:40 you've built up relationships, 36:41 you've done funerals, 36:42 it's a special time, et cetera, 36:43 a special bond. 36:44 Often, even if you've moved on, 36:46 you'll get a phone call -- 36:46 "Hey, would you come back 36:48 and do this funeral service?" 36:49 So, I checked with the pastor 36:50 there at that time. 36:51 He said, "Hey, no problem. 36:51 Come on down." 36:53 And so I got in contact with the 36:54 family and I asked a few 36:57 questions because, you see, 36:59 this dear woman had been pretty 37:01 much on the fringe of the 37:02 church. 37:02 She'd not been a regular part 37:04 of attending or being 37:05 a part of the church there, 37:07 but she liked to hear a sermon 37:08 every now and then, so she'd 37:09 show up. 37:10 I did not know her very well. 37:12 And so I asked some questions. 37:13 I said, "Now just to make sure. 37:14 So, this is so-and-so, 37:17 and she did thus and such?" 37:18 "Yes, yes, yes." 37:19 "Okay, yes. Okay. 37:20 I've got her mind." 37:22 So I write my funeral homily. 37:25 And the date comes, 37:27 and I drive down to the church 37:29 where the funeral service 37:30 was going to take place. 37:32 Now, it was a bit of a drive 37:34 to get there, 37:35 and I had not accounted 37:37 for the potential for traffic. 37:39 And so I was later getting 37:41 to the site of the funeral 37:43 than I had hoped to be. 37:44 I mean, most of the time, if 37:45 you're in pastoral ministry, 37:45 30 to 60 minutes minimum, 37:47 that's what you need to be 37:47 so you can get 37:48 all things taken 37:48 care of. 37:49 So, I got there 10, 15 minutes 37:51 early, and so I'm feeling the 37:52 pressure. 37:53 I get my notebook, I get my 37:54 Bible, get out of my car, 37:56 and I'm walking 37:56 towards the church 37:57 and I come to the steps 37:58 of the church 38:00 when who should come out of 38:01 the church but the dead woman, 38:06 the woman that I had written my 38:08 funeral homily for? 38:11 For being dead, she looked 38:12 really good. 38:15 And she came down the steps -- 38:16 "Oh, pastor, it's so good 38:17 to see you!" 38:19 And I'm like, "It's really good 38:20 to see you, too. 38:20 Wow." 38:21 [ Laughter ] 38:23 And of course, you know, while 38:25 she's talking to me, you know, 38:26 I have this parallel track 38:27 going in my brain. 38:28 "What am I going to do?" 38:31 You see, in homiletics class -- 38:33 I'll just let you in on the 38:34 world of pastoral training here. 38:35 In your homiletics class in 38:36 college and certainly in 38:37 seminary, when it comes to 38:38 funeral sermons, they say 38:39 personalize, personalize, 38:41 personalize. 38:42 Because so often, I mean, 38:44 there are other other traditions 38:46 out there that if you die, the 38:47 only thing that they will do is 38:49 read to you a script, a form, 38:50 and it doesn't even have your 38:51 name in it. 38:53 There can be some coldness to 38:54 it. 38:55 And so in our tradition, 38:57 we personalize, 38:58 personalize, personalize. 38:59 And that's what I had done. 39:00 I took what I knew 39:01 about this dear woman 39:02 and I wrote it in the homily 39:04 and she just walked out of 39:05 the church where I'm supposed 39:06 to conduct her funeral. 39:08 Like, "Ohh, what am I gonna do? 39:09 What am I gonna do?" 39:10 Iooking at my watch. 39:10 The clock is ticking. 39:12 So I go inside, and because I 39:13 pastored in this area before, 39:15 I see somebody that I know 39:16 and I go over there and say, 39:17 "Hey, you know, I got a 39:18 question." 39:19 And right then, the family 39:21 of the woman who had passed away 39:22 came up to me. 39:24 "Oh, Pastor Shane, thanks so 39:25 much for making the trip. 39:26 We really appreciate 39:26 you doing this." 39:28 "Oh, yes, you're entirely 39:29 welcome. 39:29 Glad to 39:29 do it.” 39:30 And then I'm looking at my 39:30 watch. 39:31 You know, time is running out 39:31 here. 39:32 I got to find out who this woman 39:33 is. 39:36 I ask one of the people there. 39:38 I said, "Is there by chance 39:41 a picture of this dear woman 39:43 that's passed away?" 39:44 "Oh, yes, pastor, 39:45 there's a huge picture 39:46 of her sitting right next 39:47 to the casket in the sanctuary." 39:49 "Oh, good." 39:50 And I start to head for the 39:51 sanctuary door when one of the 39:52 elders says, "Hey, it's time. 39:53 We need to go on." 39:55 "Oh, no. Oh, no." 39:58 So, I'm thinking to myself, 39:59 "If I sit on the stage, 40:00 I can lean over 40:02 and I can look at the picture 40:03 and I will create this funeral 40:05 homily on the fly, okay, 40:07 personalized just for --" 40:09 I get up there and I sit down 40:10 and this thing is just out 40:11 of my view. 40:11 I cannot see it. 40:12 And, I mean, if you're doing 40:14 this kind of stuff at a funeral 40:15 service, that's not good, 40:16 alright? 40:17 So I'm thinking, "What am I 40:17 gonna do? 40:18 What am I gonna do? 40:19 What am I gonna do?" 40:19 And the clock is ticking. 40:20 I mean, the Scripture is read. 40:22 The congregation sings the hymn. 40:23 There's a special music 40:24 that's given. 40:25 And now it's time for my homily. 40:28 And I stand up to the podium 40:30 there, and I remembered -- 40:31 I can still see them. 40:32 One of my one of my homiletics 40:33 professors said, 40:35 "You know, Pastor Shane --" 40:37 Not pastor at that time. 40:38 "Shane, if your sermon or your 40:42 homily is biblically sound, even 40:44 if you have other questions, 40:45 preach it with power. 40:48 Drive it home." 40:50 So I did. 40:52 And I laid that homily out for 40:54 somebody else and I preached it. 40:55 I preached it hard. 40:56 You know, "The Lord is coming! 40:57 Amen!" 41:00 I finish, I sit down, and I 41:02 thought, "Okay, here it comes. 41:03 Here it comes." 41:04 Because most of the time, 41:05 pastors will go down 41:06 after the service is concluded 41:07 and greet the family 41:08 before everybody leaves. 41:11 And so I go down there like... 41:11 [ Groans ] 41:13 And I greet the first person. 41:14 "Oh, Pastor Shane, thank you so 41:16 much. 41:17 It was like you had known her 41:18 for years." 41:19 [ Laughter ] 41:21 "Well, yes, she was a dear 41:22 woman. 41:23 Yes, yes, yes. Amen." 41:25 And they're all very 41:26 appreciative, and now I'm really 41:27 confused, right? 41:28 So, the sanctuary finally 41:31 cleans out. 41:32 And I told the elder 41:34 there, "We're gonna go over 41:35 to the reception." 41:36 And I said, "Hey, let me just 41:37 pay my last respects." 41:39 So I go past the casket, 41:41 and then I go to this 41:43 very large photo of this woman. 41:46 You know, I have my hands here 41:47 behind me, and I'm looking 41:48 at her. 41:50 And I realize I have no idea 41:54 who this woman is. 41:57 Not a clue. 42:00 I mean, as far as I could tell, 42:01 I had never seen her in my life. 42:05 Praise the Lord for two women 42:07 who lived 42:07 almost 42:07 identical 42:08 lives 42:08 [ Laughter ] 42:12 Now, there is a reason 42:15 I tell you that story. 42:17 The story is embarrassing. 42:19 I wish I had done better, okay? 42:20 Praise the Lord that He was able 42:22 to somehow make this a blessing 42:23 for the family there. 42:24 I'm glad for that. 42:26 But the fact of the matter is, 42:27 you know, I should have done 42:28 more digging, I should have 42:28 somehow, you know, done 42:29 something. 42:30 I should have called a time-out. 42:31 You know, "Give me 10 minutes 42:32 in the back room so I can fix 42:33 this problem," something like 42:33 that. 42:34 And I didno that, but -- 42:37 but [chuckles] if we're honest, 42:44 from the perspective of far too 42:47 many people in the world today 42:50 is what happened that day 42:53 at that funeral, 42:54 not the same thing that 42:55 will happen to nearly all of us. 43:00 Again, in the world's 43:01 limited reckoning, 43:02 won't nearly all of us fade 43:05 from memory after we die? 43:10 Think about it carefully. 43:12 Of the many billions of people, 43:13 billions of people 43:14 who have lived on planet Earth 43:15 over the millennia 43:16 and that are now dead, 43:18 how many of them could you name 43:19 right now? 43:22 In fact, if we made a list, 43:23 let's say we all pooled 43:24 our resources here. 43:25 We got one giant tablet 43:26 of paper, right? 43:27 And we're writing down 43:27 all the names. 43:28 You can only list them once, 43:29 okay? 43:29 Even if we came up with a few 43:31 hundred names, it's a tiny, 43:33 tiny percentage of those 43:36 who have walked this planet. 43:39 How many billions of people 43:42 have been born, lived, and died, 43:44 and the rest of us living today 43:45 know absolutely nothing 43:47 about them? 43:50 Is this not why countless people 43:52 over the years have fallen 43:53 into despair? 43:55 Is this not why so many people 43:57 have decided that if this life 43:59 is all there is, 44:00 then it is worthless, 44:02 meaningless, and empty 44:03 to the highest degree. 44:06 Nothing lasts, they say. 44:08 Nothing is permanent. 44:09 It's all just so much dust 44:10 and so much wind 44:11 blown over the barren wastelands 44:12 of time and eternity. 44:13 Life is therefore meaningless 44:16 for there is no remembrance 44:18 of us. 44:21 "If no one can even remember 44:22 that we breathe on this planet, 44:24 what's the point?" they say. 44:30 And it may surprise you to know 44:33 that from this worldly 44:34 perspective, 44:36 even the Bible agrees with this 44:38 conclusion of meaninglessness. 44:41 Turn back to 1 Corinthians 15, 44:42 please, but this time look at 44:43 verse 12, page 775, 44:48 775 in your Pew Bible. 44:50 1 Corinthians 15, this time 44:51 beginning with verse 12. 44:54 Now, obviously this is earlier 44:55 in the chapter when Paul 44:57 is making his grand exposition 44:58 about the nature of death 44:59 and resurrection, et cetera. 45:01 Notice what he says here. 45:02 1 Corinthians 15:12. 45:04 He says, "But if it is preached 45:06 that Christ has been raised 45:07 from the dead, 45:09 how can some of you say 45:11 that there is no resurrection 45:12 of the dead? 45:14 If there is no resurrection 45:15 of the dead, then not even 45:16 Christ has been raised. 45:17 And if Christ has not been 45:18 raised, our preaching is useless 45:20 and so is your faith." 45:22 Ohh, that's uncomfortable. 45:23 "More than that, 45:25 we are then found to be 45:26 false witnesses about God, 45:27 for we have testified about God 45:28 that He raised 45:29 Christ from the dead, 45:31 but He did not raise Him 45:32 from the dead if in fact 45:34 the dead are not raised, 45:36 for if the dead are not raised, 45:37 then Christ has not been raised, 45:38 either, and if Christ has not 45:40 been raised, your faith is 45:41 futile. 45:42 You are still in your sins. 45:45 Then those who have fallen 45:46 asleep in Christ are lost." 45:47 And notice this. 45:49 "If only for this life 45:50 we have hope in Christ, 45:52 we are to be pitied 45:54 more than all men." 45:59 Now, I've heard some people say, 46:00 "You know what? 46:00 Even if Jesus didnome back 46:02 the second time, I would still 46:03 want to be a Christian." 46:05 First of all, I'm not so sure 46:05 that you're correct. 46:07 Second of all, the Bible says 46:09 that's a bad thing, 46:11 to live as a Christian 46:13 if there is no future, 46:15 to live as a Christian 46:17 if there is no resurrection. 46:19 Paul says, the Bible says, the 46:20 inspiration of the Holy Spirit 46:22 says that actually puts us 46:23 into the most pitiable group 46:25 on the planet. 46:28 Now, I don't know about you. 46:28 I've looked at a few 46:30 groups on planet Earth. 46:31 There's some pitiable folk 46:32 out there. 46:34 And Paul here says we should be 46:36 at the top of the list 46:38 if there is no resurrection. 46:40 Because if there is 46:41 no resurrection, 46:43 then life is indeed meaningless 46:46 and your faith and mine 46:47 is futile. 46:52 Blessedly, this life is not all 46:56 there is. 46:58 There is more. 46:59 And don't take my word for it. 47:00 Look at verse 20. 47:01 Paul here says, "But Christ 47:03 has indeed been raised from the 47:05 dead, the first fruits of those 47:07 who have fallen asleep." 47:08 What does "first fruits" mean? 47:09 What's gonna come next? 47:12 Second fruits and third fruits 47:13 and fourth fruits. 47:13 Us, the rest of us, right? 47:15 Christ is just the first one 47:16 of a whole bunch more to come. 47:17 Verse 21 -- "For since death 47:18 came through a man, 47:19 the resurrection of the dead 47:20 comes also through a man. 47:21 For as in Adam all die, 47:23 so in Christ 47:25 all will be made alive." 47:26 Someone say amen. 47:27 >> Amen! 47:28 >> Amen and amen. 47:29 Paul goes on here and he makes 47:30 his argument here, makes it 47:31 crystal clear so that everybody 47:32 can understand. 47:33 This life is not the end. 47:35 A better day is coming. 47:37 And he finishes with this, 47:37 verse 58. 47:39 "Therefore, my dear brothers, 47:40 stand firm. 47:42 Let nothing move you. 47:43 Always give yourselves 47:45 fully to the work of the Lord 47:47 because you know that your labor 47:50 in the Lord is not in vain." 47:54 [ Chuckles ] 47:56 What a promise we have. 47:59 This resurrection of Jesus -- 48:02 I mean, it's a phenomenal thing, 48:03 right? 48:03 I mean, and the fireworks 48:05 of this event. 48:06 I mean, this is often 48:07 what we think about, right, 48:07 when we think about the 48:08 resurrection of Jesus. 48:09 And, again, rightly so. 48:11 I mean, this angel comes down. 48:12 Every time an angel shows up in 48:14 Scripture, people fall over. 48:16 I mean, it's a glorious event. 48:17 These beings that come 48:18 down here. 48:19 Boom! Right? 48:20 And all the soldiers in the 48:21 guard, the Roman soldiers fall 48:23 over as though they're dead. 48:23 They faint away, right? 48:24 And the stone is rolled away. 48:26 And we focused on this. 48:28 And how could we not? 48:29 I mean, 4,000 years of death 48:31 and degradation and decay, and 48:33 and it's all unraveled here, 48:34 with one angel 48:36 rolling around a stone here 48:37 and the power of God lifting 48:39 Jesus back up from the grave. 48:40 I mean, if we look at all these 48:41 things -- And we have to 48:43 remember also that that 48:45 resurrection was so much more 48:47 than just an amazing, incredible 48:49 miracle because the resurrection 48:52 of Jesus Christ is also -- 48:55 listen carefully -- it is also 48:57 the source of assurance 48:59 that this life matters, 49:02 that this life matters, 49:04 that what we do in this life 49:05 has meaning. 49:06 We are not just living 49:08 for this moment. 49:09 We are preparing for eternity. 49:12 We don't have to live in despair 49:14 or depression because of the 49:16 supposed meaninglessness of this 49:17 life because this life 49:18 is not the end. 49:20 There is so much more that 49:21 is better and higher 49:23 and joyful to come. 49:25 And unlike those 49:26 who have no hope, 49:28 everyone who puts 49:30 their trust in Jesus, 49:31 if they should die, 49:33 Christ does not forget them. 49:37 You're familiar with the text 49:37 in the Bible. 49:38 it says God says he has engraved 49:39 us on the palms of his hands. 49:41 How often do you see the palms 49:42 of your hands throughout a day? 49:43 I mean, it's all the time, 49:44 and it's right there. 49:45 I mean, the point is clear. 49:46 We are precious in God's sight. 49:48 We are part of who He is. 49:50 We are His sons and daughters. 49:52 When it comes to Jesus, we're 49:53 his brothers and his sisters. 49:54 We are family. 49:55 He cannot forget us. 49:57 And even though we now 49:59 spend billions on funerals 50:01 and safety features in cars 50:04 and in buses, all attempting 50:06 to prevent death and dying, 50:07 when Jesus returns, all of that 50:09 will be instantly irrelevant, 50:14 for when Jesus returns soon 50:15 the second time, He -- by the 50:19 power of His own resurrection 50:21 and victory over death, 50:22 He will -- 50:25 It's hard to conceive of this 50:27 'cause it's so far outside of 50:28 our normal day-to-day operation 50:29 here. 50:30 He will take every physical 50:32 particle that was us. 50:35 He will take every neuron 50:36 that inhabited our brains, 50:37 every cell that enlivened 50:39 our bodies, whether our ashes 50:41 were spread over the ocean 50:42 or buried deep in the ground 50:43 or lost entirely 50:45 to all human knowledge. 50:46 I've had some people say, 50:47 "Pastor Shane, I don't want to 50:48 be cremated because I'm not sure 50:50 if Jesus can put all that back 50:51 together." 50:51 [ Laughter ] 50:53 He can. He's really good. 50:54 He's really good. 50:55 I mean, some people sit down at 50:56 the holidays to do a 1,000-piece 50:57 puzzle and it takes them a long 50:58 time to do it. 50:59 Not so with Jesus. He's a whiz. 51:00 Never try to compete against 51:02 Jesus in puzzle putting back 51:03 together because He knows where 51:04 everything goes. 51:05 In an instant, in the blink of 51:07 an eye, at the last trumpet, 51:08 this transformation will take 51:09 place. 51:10 God will take all that was us 51:13 and restore us 51:14 perfectly in order 51:16 as us, never to see decay again 51:19 because -- hear it and hear it 51:20 well -- there are no graves in 51:22 Heaven. 51:24 No more funerals, 51:26 no more memorial services. 51:27 Oh, what a day that will be. 51:30 Because we serve a risen Savior, 51:33 our lives have 51:36 deep and profound meaning. 51:38 And may our hopes, 51:40 our decisions, 51:42 and, yes, even the smiles on our 51:44 faces richly reflect that fact. 51:49 [ Applause ] 51:59 [ "He Lives" begins ] 52:32 [ Congregation sings ] 56:08 Amen. 56:10 Lord Jesus, we could not be more 56:12 pleased at Your generosity to 56:14 us. 56:15 You not only laid down Your life 56:17 for us, but You also saw 56:19 fit to take it up again. 56:21 And because of that, 56:22 we can indeed live a life 56:24 of deep and profound 56:25 meaning in You. 56:27 Lord, may we understand 56:28 this great gift 56:29 that You have given to us better 56:30 because we were here today. 56:32 We ask this in the name 56:33 of Jesus. 56:34 Amen. 56:36 ♪ 56:47 >> Thank you for joining us 56:47 today. 56:48 You know, our goal 56:50 with every worship service 56:51 at Pioneer Memorial is that 56:53 our listeners will come to know 56:54 Jesus Christ as their personal 56:55 friend and Savior. 56:57 Have you taken 56:58 this step in your life? 56:59 Or would you like to know more 57:01 about what this step looks like? 57:03 If so, I have a special gift 57:04 that I would love 57:05 to put in your hands. 57:07 It's this little book called 57:08 "Steps to Christ." 57:10 Now, it's not a very long book. 57:12 As you can see, 57:12 it's only this thick. 57:14 But don't let the size fool you. 57:16 This is one powerful book. 57:19 In fact, this book is so 57:20 powerful, so life-transforming, 57:22 that it's become a favorite 57:23 for millions all over the world, 57:25 making it one of the most 57:26 translated and most published 57:27 books in history. 57:28 It can be yours for free 57:30 by calling the number 57:31 on your screen -- 877-HIS-WILL. 57:34 That's 877, the two words 57:36 "HIS WILL." 57:37 Call today. 57:39 You can also download 57:39 a free copy at 57:41 pmchurch.org/stepstochrist. 57:44 That's 57:44 pmchurch.org/stepstochrist. 57:47 Don't wait. Get your copy today. 57:50 A forever friendship with Jesus 57:51 is waiting for you. 58:00 ♪ 58:09 ♪ 58:17 ♪ |
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