Welcome to Edgemont Bible Church in Fairview Heights, Illinois, where our mission is to glorify God by guiding people into a discipleship relationship with our Lord Jesus Christ. Let's listen in to today's message by our pastor, Douglas A. White. Well, God bless you. We're glad that you're here with us. So if you want to take out your Bibles, turn them to first Corinthians 15, we'll start our looking at the verse 20 today. And then if you would take out your sermon outline, cause you should have a sermon outline in your bulletin. Take that out of there. A few blanks on it. Not, not very many blanks, but we have a few that we'd like to talk to you about. We're going to talk to you about the gospel itself and about the important element in that gospel. that Jesus died is not the gospel. Now, Jesus died, but so did a lot of other people. There were a lot of Jewish people that died for good reasons. There were a lot of Jewish people that died in the place of somebody else. But only one was the son of God. Only one was raised from the dead. And that's the one, that message of his resurrection is so key and important to us. Jesus is the Son of God. He is God and man in the same flesh. And we pick up on our reading in verse 20. It says, but now that Christ is risen from the dead. Now he's saying it because there were people who had come to Corinth after these people had come to find out who the gospel was, who Jesus Christ was, and that he was alive from the dead. There were people who followed up Paul there and came out and said, there is no resurrection from the dead. Jesus didn't really rise from the dead, he swooned. They were telling him all kinds of stories about it. And he's saying, how could you possibly deny that? So if you would look at verses one to eight with me, just for a moment. Chapter 15, verses one to eight. Moreover, brethren, I declare to you the gospel which I preached to you, this is the one I gave you, which also you received, so you believed it, you brought this into your life, and in which you stand. That's the one you're able to stand for as a church today. By which also you are saved. I'm gonna stop just a minute, saved from what? If you can remember this with me. When God created the heavens and the earth, and we're gonna start, our timeline's gonna start here. This is the beginning of it, and over there's the end of it someplace. We'll get to that in a moment. God created the heavens and the earth, and he made them perfectly. He made it so that heaven and earth could be joined together in one place called Eden. And that place was a place that brought him great joy. As a matter of fact, he said, this place is very good. But as we all know, sin entered into that, and from sin came a curse on the earth, even a flood that killed most of the inhabitants, all but eight. And we start over, we have a kickover again, a reboot if you would. And as he's rebooting this whole thing, we're now dealing with earth phase two. There was a judgment that was given for all the evil that had been done from creation to the time of that flood. And the judgment that came upon it was, I'm starting over. as he started over, now we're looking at earth phase two. Why do I call it phase two? Because it's different from the one that Adam and Eve walked on. There isn't a garden of Eden anymore on this one. The things that they saw, but I don't even know if the mountain ranges are the same. I don't know if the continents are the same. I don't know what has changed from it, but I know enough to know it has changed. So we're in earth phase two. Jesus Christ was sent like another Noah, like another Adam, if you would. And he's sent to start a whole new order. He's come, like Noah did, to call people to himself, and he's coming because he's got a new world coming. There will be a judgment before that new world comes. He's calling on people to trust in the Lord Jesus Christ, trust in that new ark, if you would, come to him, stay in him, or perish. The judgment that's coming is what you're to be saved from. It's in that new heavens and new earth that you are designed. People were designed to live on a planet. You were designed to have a body, but you cannot get there in the body you're in right now. This body has always been a temporary earth suit. It is something that you're living in. It's a tent. But it never has been a long-term situation. A thousand years? Did it live a thousand? Yeah, I'm sure there was a time where it lived a thousand years. My point is simply this, it was not going to go into the kingdom of God. Flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God. Everybody with me so far? Now, here's why that should be important to you. This frame is going to give up You are terminal. Would you say this with me? I am terminal. You're going to die. There's no way you're going to get out of here without dying unless it is that he shows up himself and changes you in the twinkling of an eye. If he does that, you're still going to be different. You're not going in this body. Everybody with me so far? So it's important that Christ is risen from the dead for you to have that new body that's going into this new heavens and new earth. You're going to have to have something that's suited for that, because that's earth phase three. Everybody with me? That's the gospel. That's the gospel, that God is going to restore the kingdom of God and the kingdom of heaven together. kingdom of heaven, the kingdom of earth as one whole called the kingdom of God, that he's restoring everything as it's supposed to be, that all the heavenly creatures are as they're supposed to be and their rebellion is over. All the earthly creatures are supposed to be and the earthly rebellion is over. He's bringing them together again, like he had at the beginning in a place that's going to glorify God. That's what you're being saved for. You're being saved from the judgment, saved for that. Everybody with it? I know I'm asking you a lot, but I want to make sure we're all on the same gospel, because it's the gospel by which you're saved. The fact that, and let's read it, is he says here, in verse three, for I deliver to you first of all, that which you also received, that Christ died for our sins. Now look, the fact that the gospel key point is the resurrection. You can't be raised from the dead if you aren't dead. Does that make sense? Don't I have a gift to be able to say profound, obvious things. I guess, you know, anyway. Christ died. And that, he says, is according to the scriptures. In other words, it wasn't just that he was surprised by this death that just came up here because everybody was opposed to him. Back here in all of this time, from clear back here at Genesis 315, it was already prophesied that he was going to die. All of the prophets said he's going to die. each of them pronouncing that somehow Messiah is going to die, and there was a second part to it that somehow Messiah was going to be raised from the dead. Now what makes that peculiar is nobody had done that before. Lots of people had died, but nobody had come back from the dead before. All right, so let's go on to this. Christ is risen because he died and he died for our sins. This is not simply the death of a martyr. This is not just simply a death because somebody rebelled against him. This is a death because he is taking our sins on himself. Isaiah 53 10 had said, all we like sheep have gone astray. We've turned everyone our own way. And the Lord has laid on him the iniquity of us all, the twist and the bent of us all. Some time ago, I hurt my back. And when I hurt my back, I got it twisted out of shape. And the doctor looked and said, hey, you got this thing twisted. We got to get it back in shape again. You know what is affecting me? I couldn't walk straight. It was bent. And every time I walk and I was limping or doing all kinds of things, I could not walk straight. Brothers and sisters, your soul is just like my back was. Your soul is twisted away from God, and that affects the way you walk. It affects the way you walk so much so that you're always gonna miss the mark. You can't get to the right place. Because you are bent and twisted, you can't get to the right journey. You can't get to the right place. That's called sin. So you have a twisted soul that's twisted away from God, and the walk you're walking produces sin. It's always gonna do that. Every one of us coming into this world, a bent soul, twisted away from God, or as the scriptures call it, dead in sins and trespasses. And unless someone makes you alive, that's the way you will go the whole eternity. Something has to happen to that twisted soul, that soul that is dead. Something has to change it. And here's the beauty. The Lord laid on him the twistedness of us all. Not simply the actions of being twisted. No, he didn't put a splint on our leg. He didn't give us a boot to walk in. He said, it's your back, son, that's in trouble. And he gave us a whole new life. Taking the old man and crucifying him, putting him on the cross, knowing this, that our old man was crucified with him, that the body of sin might be rendered inoperative. He's taken that whole life and He's crucifying it. And by His resurrection is giving you a whole new life in your soul. You got a body to live in and it's twisted. But there's inside you a person that is saved, complete, perfect, whole, without condemnation. having to live this daily battle inside this frame, which, listen to this, you're gonna get rid of. And he's gonna raise up a new one comparable to your perfected soul. Everybody with me on that? See where we're coming from? Now, let's go on further, because notice this. He rose again, according to the scripture. Psalm 16 assures us that even though I die, you will not leave my precious one in Sheol. Now, let me just back this up just a minute so you can kind of get a picture of what it is. Before Christ's death on the cross, all kinds of people were dying back here, all kinds of people. And when they died, they understood this is what happened to them. They went to Sheol. Their body went to the ground. Their spirit went to Sheol. And depending on whether they had believed in God or they hadn't, there were two parts of Sheol. Now, Jackie told me this morning that this side over here is the holy side. So, the spiritual side, okay? This side over here is the spiritual side. So I want you to get this. This over here is the bosom of Abraham. This is paradise. This is where they all were going at that time. This over here, You're not. Okay, this over here is the bosom of Abraham. And you guys are, do you feel warmer over here on this side than they do over here? Because the air conditioning works over here, it doesn't work over on this side. It's pretty hot on your side. This was told by the Lord Jesus Christ when a rich man and Lazarus died about the same time. And old Lazarus was picked up by the angels and carried to the bosom of Abraham. But the rich man came over here and died and was found in Hades. And it says he lifted up his eyes from Hades. He could see over here that Lazarus was in the bosom of Abraham being comforted. And he called out, Father Abraham, could you send Lazarus over here to dip his finger in some water and just touch my tongue? It is hot over here. I'm suffering over here. He said, no, there is not a way. There's a chasm between us. Now, some of you are going to try to walk out of here tonight. You won't be able to get out. So I'd go down the side aisles if I were you, okay? There's a great chasm that splits you, and you're not able to cross between them. And because that great chasm is there, he can't come over to help you. Neither can you go. Well, he said, well, then in that case, could you send him back to talk to my brothers? They're still alive up on that earth thing. Could you talk to them and tell them about this hot place? I don't want them down here. He said, can't be done. I can't send him. It'll take someone coming back from the dead. And he said, and I'll tell you this, even if he comes back from the dead, they already have Moses in the prophets. It won't change a thing with him. Wow. That's tough stuff. Okay, so here we have the bosom of Abraham and Hades, and they're both separated from God Almighty. Okay, this appears the throne. They're both separated from the throne. They can't get to the throne. They're here. Why? Here's why. Because up to this point, all sins were atoned for. Now, the word atone, matter of fact, this happened just what, last Wednesday? I think last Wednesday was Yom Kippur. On Yom Kippur, the day of atonement, God covered the sins of Israel, covered them. Now, have you ever had company coming, and you realize they're coming quicker than I thought they were, and your house is not yet quite clean as you want it to be? Have you ever put things in the closet? Have you ever slipped them under the bed? Have you ever covered the mess? You know what I'm talking about? Liars, yes, you do. I know you do, all right? You covered the mess. It didn't take sins away. It covered them. Everybody follow where I'm at? It's going to take the Son of God dying to take sins away. He's taking the mess away. All right? It's all laid on him. Now you say, wait a minute, that was just people in the past. No, it's everybody all the way up to his coming again. He took your sins that you hadn't even done. 2,000 years ago is when he's dying on the cross, you weren't even around. He wasn't asking your opinion about it. He was dying for your sins then, all of them, not just your past ones, not just your present ones, your future ones. He is purchasing your whole life. He's taking sins away, not covering them up. He didn't cover your sins. He paid for them. They're gone. Everybody with that? And when he died on that cross, he went to preach to both. He went to shield. Matter of fact, do you remember what he told that thief on the cross? This day, you will be with me in paradise. So all these people who had believed God's revelation to them, that there would be a resurrection, even though they hadn't seen it. There would be a Messiah, even though they hadn't seen it. And all these over here who had denied it all along, didn't care a thing about God, didn't care what it was about, and said, there probably isn't any resurrection, God is not kind, God is not good, we're all suffering down here, I don't believe any of it. To all of them comes the Lord Jesus Christ, who preached to them, I am the resurrection and life. I am the Messiah that had been promised, Genesis 3.15. I am the Messiah that had been promised all through all the law and the prophets. I am He. Then it says that He led captivity. All these people that had been captured, their sins not yet taken away, And the scriptures tell us he led captivity captive, and he took them so that now, in this third heaven, when you die, to be absent from the body is to be present with the Lord. Why? Sin's been paid for. It's done. It's finished. This whole redemption plan, this whole saving of people had been finished, had been completed by the Lord Jesus Christ. And that's why today, I hope you can say, amen. I'm glad. Let's be fundamentalists just for a moment and step out of it just and say, glory. Yeah. That's your delivery, friend. That's your delivery. This earth suit you were living in, it went to the ground. And as we saw before, it doesn't take anything for God to call the dust back into life again. It's how he did in the first place. All you gotta do is speak to the dust, rise. And it rises and your spirit rejoined with a brand new body again that will not feel pain, that will not feel the sorrow, that will not feel any of that. That's the resurrection. So if you could go on with me here. He rose again according to the scriptures, letter D, and was seen by witnesses. And I want you to get this picture here. After he's telling us this, The gospel is, and that he was buried, verse four says, and that he rose again the third day, according to the scriptures, already promised in the scriptures. And then he says, and that he was seen by Cephas, then by the 12. After that, he was seen by over 500 brethren at once, of whom the greater part remained to the present, but some have fallen asleep. After all that, he was seen by James, then by all the apostles. Then last of all, he was seen by me also as one born out of due time. Now that may sound like sort of a waste of time. It is not. I want you to get this picture. God counts witness an important statement. Witness was what is key and critical. Matter of fact, he said, every matter is decided by two or three witnesses. When he told the apostles that when you wait for the Spirit of God to come upon you, what will you be? You shall be witnesses to me in all of the world. What does that mean? That they are going to testify that Jesus is God, He is the Christ, that He was risen from the dead. That's what they're testifying. We have seen it. So Paul's telling the Corinthians who had not seen it, it's more than two or three witnesses, kids. There are 12, there are 500, then there's me, then there's James, then there's the other. Listen, this Jesus was seen in his resurrected state by multiple witnesses. This is something you can believe. Matter of fact, you can put all your treasures on that. You can weigh your whole life on that. Do you realize you're sitting here in church today because witnesses spoke that over and over and over and over again till it came to you? Witnesses and when we talk about witnessing so that your your blanks there are it was seen Witnesses and the meaning and power of witnessing when we say we are witnessing Listen, that's not persuading somebody. I was not trying to convince them that they ought to believe the gospel When you are witnessing you're telling here's why I know the gospel is true Jesus was seen alive by 500 people at one time. That's hard to fool. You might fool one and But you're not going to fool 12 at a time. You're not going to fool 500 at a time. You're not going to do it when it keeps on being repeated circumstances over and over and over again. He's alive. And we're here to tell you and testify that we know He's alive. That when we put our faith in that, here's what changed in me. When you're witnessing, you're telling somebody what you know happened. If we had an accident out here and you were there watching that accident, you would be a witness to it. as a witness, they'd be calling on you to say, tell us what happened. And that's what you're doing. When you tell people what happened, you tell them what happened to you in your life, because you trusted in Jesus and the witnesses, the evidence that Jesus was there, all right? So let me go on to the next one. In Christ shall all be made alive. Pick up with me verses 21 and 22 of this passage. It says here, For since by man came death, by man also came the resurrection of the dead. For as in Adam all die, even so in Christ all shall be made alive." Now let's just stop here a moment and think what he's saying. Here when he created earth, phase one, he has a man and a woman to be his representative. He's got man as being in his image. As a matter of fact, since God can't be seen, what will be seen of what God is, is the man and the woman. They're the image of God. They're the image bearers. They're what's going to be seen about God. He had them there. But why sin had taken over, and now you're into earth phase two, coming into earth phase two was the last Adam. Why? Because he's going to have a whole new creation appear, earth phase three. Because in Adam all of these people died and yes because you're in the image of Adam. So are you? Your faith is resting in the last Adam Who has a whole new created order coming and you're trusting him? This first Adam, as the Scriptures had shown us a couple of weeks ago, he was made a life spirit. He was made alive. God breathed life into him. This one was a life-giving spirit. He could give life to other people. Adam could not. He received life. But this one, the Lord Jesus Christ, just to prove his divinity, is the one who gave Adam his life. He's the one who gives all things their life. He's the life-giving spirit, and he's that last Adam, if you would. So consider this. Go with me to John chapter five, just a moment. John chapter five. Jesus has just healed a man. And they've told him he could not heal people on the Sabbath. And he's been kind of upset with them. So if you pick up in verse 17, but Jesus answered them, my father has been working until now and I have been working. Therefore, the Jews sought all the more to kill him because he not only broke the Sabbath, but he also said that God was his father making himself equal with God. Do you suppose they were confused about what Jesus was saying? Not at all. I've read several articles lately saying Jesus never said he was God. How much more do you have to say? My father and I are both working. And the Jews understood exactly what he's saying. He's saying he is God. Let me go on further with verse 19. Then Jesus answered and said, then most assuredly I say to you, the son can do nothing of himself but what he sees the father do. For whatever he does, the son also does in like manner. For the father loves the son and shows him all things that he himself does, and he will show him greater works than these that you may marvel. For as the father raises the dead and gives life to them, even so the son gives life to whom he will." Okay, you following this? The father raises people from the dead, and what did the father give to the son? The power to do the same thing, to raise people from the dead. As he goes on, Verse 22, for the father judges no one but has committed all judgment to the son, that all should honor the son just as they honor the father. Now they were more than willing to honor the father, but here was Jesus standing before him and they didn't want to give him any honor because he says he's God and he's not in their viewpoint. But Jesus is showing them over and again, I am the son of God, all right? So if you don't honor the son, you can't honor the father. He who does not honor the son does not honor the father who sent him. Most assuredly, I say to you, he who hears my word and believes in him who sent me has everlasting life. Let me ask you this, do you qualify in that this morning? Did you hear the words of Jesus? And did you believe that God had sent him? For if you did, he's about to describe you here. All right, let's go on and see what the description is. The one who believes in him who has sent me has everlasting life, not will have everlasting life, has it right now and shall not come into judgment. Whoa, there's saved. He's got a judgment that is coming here ahead. He's going to judge everything at some point or another. And if you have believed in the Lord Jesus Christ, if you heard his words and you believed in the one who sent him, you will not come into this judgment. You have been saved from this judgment. All right, let me go on further. but has passed from death into life. So you're not coming in that judgment, you pass from death to life, now watch what he says. But most assuredly I say to you, the hour is coming and now is when the dead will hear the voice of the Son of God. They're gonna hear Jesus' voice. And those who hear will live. For as the Father has life in Himself, so He has granted the Son to have life in Himself, and has given Him authority to execute judgment also, because He is the Son of Man. Do not marvel at this, for the hour is coming." Now, I want to stop just a minute, make sure you see this. He's talking about the Son of God, Son of God, Son of God, and here He says, and He's giving Him all judgment because He's the Son of Man. Why is that so important? Why does He make the distinction? For one thing, Son of God represents the kingdom of heaven. Jesus came preaching the kingdom of God. The kingdom of God is putting the kingdom of heaven and the kingdom of earth back together again. But angels can't save the kingdom of earth. They can't save it, they can't bring it back to the kingdom of God. Only another human could do that. It was a human that lost the kingdom, it'll have to be a human that gets the kingdom back again. Everybody see where we're coming from? So he's now got to say, son of God, son of God, because he's talking about what God, the over, the sovereign one, the rule of everything. Now the son of man also, so he's both son of God and son of man, he can bring salvation to people. He's a people. So he's bringing them both together, son of man, son of God. Because he is the son of man. Do not marvel at this, for the hour is coming which all who are in the grace, now how many does all mean? That's all. There's not a disinclusion of anyone there, exclusion of anyone, in which all who are in the graves will hear his voice and come forth. Those who have done good to the resurrection of life, those who've done evil to the resurrection of condemnation, I can of myself do nothing as I hear, I judge, and my judgment is righteous because I do not seek my own will, but the will of the Father who sent me. So the Son of God, the Son of Man, has been given judgment over people because He is a people. He's been given judging over angels because he's son of God. So he judges over both. He is the one true Messiah. He's the one who gets it all done. He's the one who's going to bring back the kingdom of God. And that's what he came to preach. The kingdom of God is at hand. It's all about to be restored and it's all restored in the Lord Jesus Christ. In John chapter 11, verses 20 to 27, we don't have to look there, you can look it up a little bit later. Jesus is speaking with Mary and he's saying to Mary, do you believe that your brother will rise again from the dead? Lazarus had died. They wished Jesus had showed up. He didn't show up, disappointing them all. They said, we know if you'd have been here, our brother would be alive, but you weren't here. We know he's not gonna be. Jesus said, do you believe I'm the son of God? She says, yes, I believe you can do anything. He said, I am the resurrection and the life. Do you see what he's saying with that? That even though your brother is dead, I'm about to show you that the dead will live. That I'll bring things back from the dead. And he's gonna walk away from there knowing full well he's about to prove something to all the people who were there that was gonna boggle their imagination. He cried out, Lazarus, come forth! And he did, having been dead for four days. That's power, brothers and sisters. That's the resurrection, the life. The second B, obviously I didn't clear up all my, the second B is, if Christ is in you, turn with me to Romans chapter eight, verses nine to 11. Romans chapter eight, verses nine to 11. Important passage of scripture here. Now look why am I taking the time to do this? I Want your faith to be resting not in fables not in stories Not in sweet warm feelings not in hallmark things. I Want your faith resting in the person of the Lord Jesus Christ? That's where the resurrection is That's where death is. That's where salvation is. That's where all of life is. He is life's creator. He is the Lord of life. So Romans chapter eight, verses nine to 11. He's talking about two kinds of people, those who are in the flesh and those who are in the spirit. He's talking to the Romans. He says this, but you are not in the flesh, but in the spirit, if indeed the spirit of God dwells in you. Now, if anyone does not have the spirit of Christ, he is not here. Now here's going to be the big difference. The flesh people are the people who do not have the spirit of God. The spiritual people are the ones who do have the spirit of God, period. The only way you can have life is to have the Spirit of life living in you. You've got to have the Spirit of Christ living in you. If it's not in you, you don't have life. You can be as kind and sweet as you want to be. You can make as many resolutions as you want to make. You can be as anthropological as you want to be in giving gifts to all kinds of people. You can do all of that. But if you don't have the Spirit of Christ, you are not His. and you cannot have life. Now go on with me further, because that's not all he's gonna finish saying. Verse 10, and if Christ is in you, the body is dead because of sin, but the spirit is life because of righteousness. Now watch what he did here. When you are born again, kids, you are born again in your spirit. That thing that we recognize as you. We see your face, we see your body, we see the tent you live in. But we're not so foolish as to believe that that's who you are. There is a you that lives inside that tent. And that's who we've grown accustomed to. That's who we talk to. Your body's going to get older. It's going to get funnier looking. It's going to be all kinds of things. But that spirit is born again by God. Now, if that spirit is alive in you, you have a new born again spirit. The body's dead. It's done, it's finished, it's terminal, you know it's going down. But you, you're alive because you believe Jesus Christ and he made you alive. Everybody see where we're at? All right, let's go on further, because there's more to it than that. Verse 11, but if the spirit of him who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you, he who raised Christ from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through his spirit who dwells in you. Did you hear that? You have a mortal body, you're living in this tent. Look what he just said. If the spirit of Christ is living in you, you're alive inside. The body is dead, but he is going to give life to your mortal body through that spirit that he has living in you. Jesus Christ is the resurrection. He is the life. And I hope that just shows you that you can put full confidence and trust in the Lord Jesus Christ because he is the one who has that life in him. Look at 1 Corinthians 15, 21, and 22. 1 Corinthians 15, 21, and 22 again. It is said, for since by man came death, so Adam brought death to us, by man also came the resurrection, that Christ came from the death. For as in Adam all die, and every one of us is gonna do that, because we're all in Adam, even so in Christ all shall be made alive. Now we pick up on this. So since by man came death, so also by man came the resurrection, but each in his own order. So pick up a verse 23, but each one in his own order. Here he says, Christ, the first fruits, afterward, those who are Christ's at his coming. So I want to stop right here and let's get this. When God is bringing, the children of Israel out of Egypt. He's bringing them out of a land whose farming depended upon irrigation. And he tells them he's going to take them to a land flowing with milk and honey. Now, if it's flowing with milk and honey, what has to be there? You have to have adequate water to be able to water the land so that it can raise adequate animals to create the milk, right? And with the adequate milk that's coming from there, they have to have something to eat. So he's going to show them that the land I'm going to take you to does not require irrigation. It's already well watered. It's already ready for you. I've got this thing prepared for you. You're going to go there and find it's already got grapes. You're going to go there and find it's already got wheat. You're going to go there and find it's already got barley. You're going to go there and find that it already has animals on it, and you're going to be able to feed those animals well because it's all right there for you. It's a pretty good promise, don't you think? He is taking them to a land. Everything about it was a connection to nature. Now, listen very carefully to what I'm about to tell you. Get outside. Get outside. Don't be living in the house all the time looking at screens. Get outside and look at the very real world God made for you. Because this very real world that's out there will speak volumes to you about who God is. There are secrets of God hidden in all the things that are around here. There are all kinds of things about germination. There are all kinds of things about how life begins. There's all kinds of things about seeds dying and coming back up a different plant. There's all kinds of things about more seeds coming. There's all kinds of things about harvest. There's all kinds of things about death. It's all out there being revealed to you and it's explained very well in the Word of God. Get back to it to see what it is. because he's going to use nature as the way to describe what this is. He said Christ is the first in these orders of resurrections. He's the first fruits. Consider that. He's just saying that's the first of the crop that comes up. When Israel saw the firstfruits, they were supposed to take that, cut it down, take that shaft, and wave it before the Lord. Here's the firstfruits. This is the promise of more to come, and we are grateful to you for this. We acknowledge you're the one who brought this. Christ is the firstfruits. That means there's more coming. That's the beginning of the season, if I can say to you. We probably don't pay enough attention to fall festivals cause we are to the festivals, the Bible, because we're so Gentile. Those fall festivals are significant. On what day did Jesus die? Passover Passover on what day did Jesus rise from the dead? First fruits of unleavened bread. On what day was it clear that the salvation was coming to more people than just that, those little apostolic band? It was Pentecost. At Pentecost, it's revealed that there are more coming. And on Pentecost, they were supposed to take a bread. Now they've taken the grain, they've ground it up, and they've turned it into bread. You have two kinds of bread. You had a barley loaf, you had a wheat loaf. And you're supposed to wave both of those before the Lord. Let me just say this. There was a Gentile loaf and a Jew loaf that was waved before the Lord. The promise that there was going to be a more of a great harvest coming was what Pentecost was about. They're waving those before the Lord and say, see what you have given. Oh, we worship you because you have so much more coming. Thank you that there's more of a harvest coming. And then came summer. And as summer came, all that was planted started coming up. And in its time, can I say this? You're in the summer of the festivals. You're growing right now. Each of us that has been since the day of Pentecost, you've been watching this crop coming in and more and more of us being planted until there is this great massive crop that's going to come up that the day the Lord comes of harvest, The sickle's gonna be put in. And all who have been saved since the day of Pentecost to that day are gonna be harvested to him. Now, let me go on and just talk a little bit about those festivals. We can go quickly on this one. He said, Christ, the first resurrection is Christ the first fruits. Now, in Matthew 27, 50 and 54, ah, let's go ahead, let's spend the time there, all right? Matthew 27, go with me there. You have no reason to trust what I have to say without looking at it yourself, so. Matthew 27, verses 50 to 54. And Jesus cried out again with a loud voice and yielded up his spirit, says Matthew 27, 50, so Jesus dies. Then behold, the veil of the temple was torn in two from top to bottom, and the earth quaked and the rocks were split. Then it says, and the graves were opened. And many bodies of the saints who had fallen asleep were raised. And coming out of the tombs after his resurrection, they went into the holy city and appeared to many." Now, Matthew is the only one that reports this to us, but Matthew is one of the witnesses. And Matthew's report is that people who had died before were showing up in the city resurrected. Do you remember what I just told you about Jesus Christ coming and preaching in Sheol? Who's in Sheol? It's the bodies of the saints. It's the spirits of the saints. And on the day that after Jesus was raised from the dead, these folk were showing up in the city, resurrected. Now, I don't know whether they're wearing name tags or they had a wristband or something that said saint. Old Testament saint, right here, Elijah, Mo. I don't know what it said. Whatever it said, they recognized who that was. And they saw them raised from the dead. That's first fruits, kids. That's the ones being weighed before God that the resurrection had taken place. So you have Christ the first fruits. Then you have, And that's the beginning of the rest of the harvest. Then summer comes, you're in that summer. Then comes the second resurrection. So back at Matthew, or at 1 Corinthians 15 and 23, he says this, then those who are Christ's at his coming. So those who are Christ's at his coming. Now, if I can say this, that's after the summer. So the summer's come up. That is when trumpets sound. We had that festival just this, within the last couple of weeks here. Yom Teruah, it was called. Yom Teruah. We know it as Rosh Hashanah. Rosh Hashanah is not its name. It is not Rosh Hashanah. You never find that in the scriptures. Passover is the Jewish New Year. Not Rosh Hashanah. Rosh Hashanah became its name after they were in the Babylonian exile. Well, I'm not going into that. It's not the true name. The true name is Yom Teruah. Yom means the day of multiple shouting, of loud shouting. It's the day you blow the shofar. It's the day you blow the trumpet. When you blow that trumpet, everybody hears the trumpet, gathers. It never explains what's supposed to happen on that day, except it's a day of remembrance. Don't do any work on that day. It's a day of remembrance. Kids, there's coming a day when we're going to hear a trumpet call. We're going to hear the shout of the angel and all the dead in Christ are going to rise. And all of us who are alive and remain will be changed in the twinkling of an eye. That's Yom Teruah. That's the day of a shout. That's the day he's letting us all know we're gathering together. I'm assembling my group. All right. Then if you would consider, I have not told you when I think that is, Yom Teruah is simply, it's a, an illustration of what he's doing, but look at this. He died on Passover. He was raised on first fruits. He, the Holy spirit was poured out on Pentecost. Those were all festivals he designed. it seems reasonable he would continue with those festivals. Yom Teruah is the day of the assembly, all right? That's the beginning also of the fall harvest celebration. In between Yom Teruah, And Yom Kippur, there are 10 days that are called by the Jewish people the Days of Awe. They were days you were supposed to think things through. You were looking forward to your delivery that's coming up on Yom Kippur, this Day of Atonement. You were looking forward to it. You judged yourself. You put yourself through all kinds of questions. What am I about? Why am I doing this? What have I given in my life here? How's my life been working? And you're looking for the Day of Atonement. when your sins would be covered. In between the time that the church is gone, the saints have been gathered up, and the Day of Atonement are days of awe, like a tribulation period, if you would. A time where the whole earth is being judged. His people are being judged. All of that is happening during those days. A day of atonement would be the day that Christ atones and brings us all back. Let me go on further, because I'm speculating right now, so just hang with me, all right? The tribulation on earth is found in Revelation 6 to 19. Yes, I'm a futurist, and yes, I do believe that Revelation 6 through 19 speaks of that time called the tribulation. In Matthew 24, there was a lot spoken of in Matthew 24 about that. It's at that same time that we have the judgment seat of Christ and the married supper of the Lamb. Now the judgment seat of Christ, that's something every believer is going to go through. And I've given you all the verses to talk about that. Uh, it's found in Romans 14. It's found in first Corinthians, uh, uh, three, five to 17, second Corinthians five, six to 10. It's found in revelation eight, seven to 10, 18, seven to 10. That's where that marriage supper, the lamb is folks. You got to put on your wedding garment to be at the marriage supper, the lamb. And when you pass through the judgment seat of Christ, this is the way I'm envisioning a thing. I'm just saying, I know it's all about a fire, but you're coming up to the judgment seat of Christ. There's a fire between you and him. And as you pass through that fire, everything that you've done that was not worth anything is burned up. It's a loss. And all that's kept is what was done in the Spirit of God on the other side. It was the gold, the silver, the precious stones, everything that was done in the power of the Holy Spirit. All the other junk in your life is burned up and gone. It was a loss. And that may be where many of us spend our lives, the primary loss. But when we come to that other side, you're receiving whatever you're gonna give as a wedding gift to the Lord Jesus Christ at the marriage supper of the Lamb. You got new garments, kids, and those are wedding garments you're receiving. Revelation 18, he speaks of us coming to that marriage supper of the Lamb and enjoying it with him, all right? Tabernacles. The celebration of Tabernacles is the celebration of God dwelling with His people. It's His people setting up a reminder that God delivered us out of Egypt, that God gave us all of this, and it's a celebration of that. So the Feast of Tabernacles is that celebration of God living with us, more like us living with Him in the reign of Christ. Then I noticed the Jews added a holiday on that was not necessarily a biblically prescribed one, but one that's nevertheless found in the Bible called Purim. And Purim was the opportunity in the book of Esther for the children of Israel to destroy their enemies before they got a chance to destroy them. So I know that in Revelation 20, verse seven to 10, that Satan is loosed at the end of that thousand years. He's given an opportunity to go stir up trouble and all of those enemies of the Lord show up around Jerusalem and they are destroyed by a fire. And that ends it all. That's why we come to the last resurrection is the end in first Corinthians 15, 24, 18 and revelation 27, 15, seven to 15. That's an end to all rule and authority. Everything that had been given every kingdom, every one of those empires, all the things that had ever been set up as a kingdom, it's all done. There won't be any more. That's the last kingdom is Jesus Christ kingdom. And with that one comes the end of all the enemies of God, and that last enemy to be destroyed is called death. So, you have the end to all rule and authority. Letter of Beal, you have all enemies are under his feet, and the last enemy, death, is destroyed. Now, I want you to look with me at Revelation 20 just for a moment. Turn to Revelation 20. So, if we can look at the order of these resurrections, There is Christ, the firstfruits. So here shortly after Christ is crucified, here's Christ risen from the dead. He's the firstfruits of that resurrection and whatever Old Testament saints were with him. Then you've had this summer period that's gone along here. We've not had another resurrection just yet, but when Christ comes back for his church, that shout, that voice of the trumpet, when Christ comes back for that, there's a resurrection that happens there. And all the people who from Pentecost all down through the time to whatever that day is will be raised from the dead. That's the second resurrection. Then there's the kingdom. And at the end of the kingdom, there's another one. And this kingdom last judgments called the great white throne judgment is the judgment of everyone else. Those who did not believe those who refuse to believe they're also going to have a resurrection. And in that resurrection, brothers and sisters, they're judged. Let's look at what, what the scriptures teach us about that judgment. Let's pick up in verse 11. Then I saw a great white throne and Him who sat on it, from whose face the earth and heaven fled away. And there was found no place for them. And I saw the dead, small and great, standing before God, and books were opened. And another book was opened, which is the book of life. And the dead were judged according to their works, by the things which were written in the books. The sea gave up the dead who were in it, and death and Hades delivered up the dead who were in them, and they were judged, each one according to his works. Then death and Hades were cast into the lake of fire. This is the second death. And anyone not found written in the book of life was cast into the lake of fire." That's the last resurrection. That's the second death. That's the order of the resurrection. So you have Christ the firstfruits, Those who are Christ at His coming back. And at the end of it all, when He finally delivers up the last, death gives up the dead that are in it. Hades gives up the dead that are in it. The sea gives up the dead that were in it. And they're all judged according to what's written in the books. All the works. Now, let me just state it this way. Everyone, have you got your works recorded someplace? If you're putting your trust in the Lord Jesus Christ, your works have been blotted out. Your wickedness is blotted out. Now, you say, well, but what about what I've done before the judgment seat of Christ? You're not judged for sin at the judgment seat of Christ. You're judged for what you did with the spirit of God that dwelt in you. You're judged on your works that are good. Everybody with me? That's what you're left with. Over here, what you said before Almighty God is that I'm willing to stand alone. I'm willing to stand for myself. I did things my way. I did things the way I wanted to do them. I didn't need a God. I didn't need a Christ. I didn't need a Messiah. I didn't need any of that. I'm my own man. And in that, you make your own judgment. You don't have to say a thing. You're living in somebody else's world. You're living using somebody else's material. You're breathing somebody else's air. And any of us who had the arrogance to say, I'm my own man. If you're your own man, go make your own earth, live on the one you want to live on. But until you can do that, you're living before almighty God. And he has every right and reason to judge you for it. And you're going to be found wanting here. Today's the day of salvation. Today's the day to trust Jesus Christ, your Lord and Savior today. Not tomorrow. Not later this afternoon. This moment right now, let's look the Lord in prayer. Father, it's in the Jesus name that we bow before you. You are an awesome, holy God. And we give you praise for that. We are awed by who you are and what you've done. The amazing miracle of the resurrection itself. The order in which you have, for you ordered creation the way you wanted it, day by day. And you've ordered the new creation the way you wanted it, day by day. Thank you for what you're doing. I pray, Father, not one person will leave this place without knowing their life is secure in the Lord Jesus Christ. We'll thank you for it in His name. Amen. Let that be the way we end our day. full worship of the Almighty God, rejoicing in our resurrection which is to come. Here's what it told us that we can make as our final application. Be steadfast, unmovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord. For as much as you know your labor, the Lord is not in vain. You can face whatever you think you're facing because this body that you're living in is going to be new. This isn't the final thing. This is not what it's all about. Inside of you is a new and living being that is being changed from glory to glory. You're becoming more like Jesus Christ every day, and that's why the battle gets harder for you. Because the more you become like Lord Jesus Christ, the more you don't like what you're living now. You're looking forward to that greater thing that's coming. That's not pie in the sky, kids. That's gospel. That's truth. So let God dismiss you right now with your heart full of joy because you know you're part of the resurrection. He's got a brand new thing coming for you. Let's look over to prayer. Father, in Jesus name, we praise you and glorify you. Thank you for the wonderful work of the Holy Spirit in us. Thank you for the promises of the Word of God. Thank you for the reliable, trustworthy, wonderful, and beautiful Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ. Please dismiss us with your grace and dismiss us so that we fear nothing. Thank you for the warnings you've already given us of the deadliness of fear, but the beauty of faith. So let us walk from here a people full of faith. In Jesus' name. you We hope God has encouraged you with today's message by Pastor White. Thank you for joining us at the Edgmont Bible Church. We'd love to have you visit us if you're ever in the area. 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