I wonder, would you turn with me to this great chapter of resurrection, 20th chapter of Matthew. Verse 2, and behold, there was a great earthquake for the angel of the Lord descended from heaven. came and rolled back the stone from the door and sat upon it. His countenance was like lightning and his raiment white as snow. And for fear of him, the keepers did shake and became as dead men. The angel answered, Said unto the woman, Fear not ye, for I know that ye seek Jesus which was crucified. He is not here, for he is risen. As he said, Come, see the place where the Lord lay. I want to speak upon a subject that I have entitled, What a Pulpit! That was the stone that formed the door of the sepulcher. What a Preacher! That was the angel of the Lord that descended and sat upon the stone. a proclamation. He is not here. He is risen, as he said. Come see the place where the Lord lay. As the two Myres were coming with great sorrow of heart to the sepulcher, In the early morning of the first day of the week, at the end of the Sabbath, if you turn with me to Mark 16 and 3, they had a great question. A question that they kept repeating the one to the other. Who shall roll us away? The stone from the door of the sepulcher. You know, that's a question that a man have been asking all down through the ages concerning death. Who can roll away this great obstacle that comes up before man as he proceeds on life's journey? It's not A far journey in life's pilgrimage until we're confronted with death and with the thought of dying. Philosophy has no answer. Philosophy of man can't roll away the stone. The psychologies of man can't take away this obstacle from man. Religion cannot take it away. You know, there were three things that rose up in the minds of the two Marys. One, the largeness of the stone. Secondly, the seal of the law. And thirdly, the Roman guard that stood as watching sentinels before the tomb. three powers that they were coming up against. You know these three powers are symbolical of death, are they not? Number one, the awful power, the awful strength of death. We queel before it. We tremble at its presence. We realize it has mowed down humanity's millions and it's still doing its deadly and desperately work. The seal of the law, the strength of sin is the law. Yes, sir. And we're coming up against the powers of the law. The law says the soul that sinneth, it shall die. Who shall roll away this soul? And then we have the powers of hell symbolized in the sentinel of Rome, the demons of the pit, the power of him that had the power of death. We might take up that question, who? Who, who shall roll away the stone? But you know, while they were saying who shall roll away the stone, thank God the stone was already rolled away. You know, sometimes when we're going down life's journey, we're thinking of problems, aren't we? But God has already solved them. And before you reach them, praise God, there's a path. through the sea, and there's a way through the wilderness. You know, I want you to look at this pulpit. We're quite scriptural. We have a stone pulpit here. So this was a stone pulpit, all right. And I want you to notice that it was very symbolical. You know, stones in scripture are well worth your careful study. You remember old Jacob fleeing from Esau, going to seek a wife, sent by Rebekah back to her home. And you remember that he lay down and he took a stone for his pillow. And you know, as he lay his head on that stone, he had a wonderful vision. And you remember he set that stone up. as a pillar, and he called it the house of God. Do you remember that the children of Israel, when they went down into Jordan, they laid twelve stones in Jordan, and they took up twelve stones out of Jordan? And it was said to them, Generations following will say, What mean ye by these stones? So we could ask the question, what mean of this stone? It's a symbolical stone. You know, that stone stands for the smashing of death. That stone was the door of death. I want you to notice something about it, that the angel didn't just open the door of the He didn't just draw it about back a little or swing it back as it were upon its hinges. I'm glad today that the angel rolled away the stone. That stone symbolizes that the door of death has been smashed for God's people forever. Some of us will go down into death But death is no longer a prison cell, it's only a valley. Thank God there's a way out on the other side. We're not going to be put there forever. Thank God even this body, if this skin worm destroy it, our faith is a faith of Job. Yet in my flesh shall I see God and my eyes shall behold him. and not another. That stone stands for the smashing of death. He has destroyed him that had the power of death, that is to say the devil, and delivered them who through fear of death were all their lifetime subject to bondage. The old devil, you know, would like to bring the people of God into bondage over the subject of death. D.L. Moody crossing the Atlantic Ocean, his ship ran into a storm and Moody got really scared, thought he was going to be drowned. And he went down into his cabin and he knelt down and he said, Lord, give me grace to die. And the Lord said, don't be a fool. You're going to live. You need grace to live. And when you come to die, there'll be grace for you. But don't be looking for it before the time. You know, God's people should never be brought into bondage by death. For when death comes, there'll be needed grace for us. You don't need grace to die now, you need grace to live. And thank God there's living grace for you today. That stone speaks of the smashing of death. That stone is a sign of triumph. You know, deeds of prowess and renown are remembered by memorial stones. But what a memorial is this stone that's rolled away. It is a sign of our Lord's triumph. He has triumphed gloriously. There is no need, my friend, for fear this day. There is no need for trouble to fill your heart this morning. There is no need for perplexity to overcome your spirit. That stone speaks of triumph. Jesus lives. What a thought that my Savior lives. He was dead and is alive again. Do you know why Jesus lives? Jesus lives because he has completely and absolutely and totally and eternally delivered you from sin and paid the debt of sin's penalty. If there was one cent still to be paid, one farthing of sin still to be atoned for, one part of your sin still to be wiped out. Jesus would never have arisen from the dead, but I want to tell you he was delivered because of our offenses. He was raised again because of our justification. And Jesus Christ has completely and absolutely paid the debt. Therefore, he lives today. He's alive. It's a sign of triumph. This stone is a stone of foundation. The keystone, the foundation stone, the chief cornerstone of the gospel is the bodily resurrection of the Lord Jesus. If Jesus Christ be not risen, we have no gospel. If Jesus Christ be not risen, we have no faith. If Jesus Christ be not risen, we have no hope. If Jesus Christ be not risen, We have no future, but praise God, Jesus Christ is risen. We have a gospel. Jesus Christ is risen. We have a fear. Jesus Christ is risen. We have hope. Jesus Christ is risen and hallelujah, we've got a future. It all rests upon the resurrection of the Lord. The best attested fact in history is the resurrection of Jesus Christ. We're living in the year of our Lord, 1970. Why? Because he's a risen Christ. He lives today. He lives. It is a stone of foundation. I want to tell you something else at this stone. This pulpit is a seat of rest. The old angel sat down upon it. Heaven resting. What a message is there. Why? The great work of Jesus Christ is done. And the symbol of heaven is the angel. And the stone became the seat of rest. Oh, I think that that angel sitting on that stone is the most jubilant scene that could be witnessed. I have often tried to imagine what those soldiers talked about as they guarded the tomb. One of them, I'm sure, said to the other, you know, these Jews are fools. Imagine us trying to keep a dead man in the grave. Isn't it stupid? And we're standing here with our spears and the tomb is sealed and we're supposed to keep this dead man in the grave. Sure he'll not rise anyway. And as for the disciples, they're so scared they've never even came near the place to see it. And then suddenly there was an earthquake. You know, the earthquakes in scripture are worth studying. There's quite a few of them. There was an earthquake when Jesus died. There was an earthquake when Jesus rose, and there's going to be a great earthquake when Jesus comes again. I'm telling you, earthquakes. It was an earthquake when two ministers sang a duet. You could understand that in the prison, couldn't you? Not very often you have ministers in harmony. Sure it's not. Yes, an earthquake. And the angel came and sat upon the stone. Oh, that stone is a, it's a seat of rest. That's where I'm resting today. I'm resting in the fact that Jesus lives. He's with me in this pulpit. He says, Lo, I am with you. Always go and preach the gospel. He's with you in the pure. Mother, he's with you in the home. Father, he's with you as you go out to win the bread. He's with us in sorrow. He's with us in trouble. He's with us in gladness. He's with us in days of mourning. He's with us in days of rejoicing. He's the ever-present Christ. Go and sit at that tomb today and learn this, that there's rest for the people of God. I want you to notice something else. That stone was the setting of a boundary. There were two sides to that stone. In one side of that stone, look at it, there were keepers filled with fear and they became as dead man. And on the other side of the stone, there were two women who heard the message, fear ye not. On one side of the stone, there was fear and death. On the other side, of the stone there was no fear but perfect peace. I wonder what side of the stone you're on today. You know, that stone sets up a great boundary in this meeting this morning. There's people like those keepers, unbelievers, and they're as dead men, and they're filled with fear as death looms up before them. On the other side, there are people who have shed their tears and felt their sorrows, but they've heard this sweet message, fear ye not. What side of the stone are you on? And then I want you to notice that that stone is a symbol of the destruction of the tomb. The tomb is crumbling, and praise God. the tombs of the saints of God are crumbling. You couldn't make a tomb strong enough to hold the body of God's saint when the trumpet blow. You couldn't make a coffin strong enough to hold the tabernacle of clay when Jesus calls his people at the coming of our great God and Savior Jesus Christ. The grave is a thing of decay. The tomb is going to crumble. That stone is a symbol of destruction. But let's look at this preacher. I like this preacher. You know, the Lord describes him. He describes him as the angel of the Lord. The word angelos in the Greek means messenger. He was a man with a message. And what a message. I believe this angel was the angel Gabriel. He brought the message of the virgin birth. He brought the message of the birth of Jesus, and now he comes to bring the message of the resurrection. You know, angels in Scripture are worth studying. Angels are ministering spirits sent forth to minister unto those that are the heirs of salvation. Every saint of God has a guardian angel that looks after him. The angel of the Lord encampeth round about them that fear him and delivereth them. I had a friend of mine who was very ungracious to me, and he was sitting one day in my car, and he says, thank God for your guardian angel or I would never get to the destination. And I want to say that thank God for our guardian angels that look after us. It'll be most interesting, won't it, when we get to heaven and we meet our guardian angel. I'm sure he'll have a few things to say about us, about our folly and foolishness when we were on earth and how he looked after us. Oh, yeah. Remember that the little ones of God, their angels do always behold the face of my Father, which is in heaven. Do you often wonder how God preserved you when you were a child? things that you did in the folly of childhood, but God preserved you. The guardian angel is a ministering spirit, and we would do well to study the ministry of angels. He was a messenger of the Lord, and his countenance was like lightning, and his raiment white as snow. And he had a message. But I want you to notice something, that the message of the angel didn't have the desired effect that it ought to have had. You look at it. I've been looking at this passage most carefully. He said, fear ye not. But look at verse 8. They departed quickly from the sepulcher with fear and great joy, but they still were afraid. The preacher's message did not have the desired effect. But I want to tell you something. In obeying the preacher's message, they met Jesus. And Jesus knew that we're still afraid. Look at it. And this is what he said. He said, be not afraid. Ah, when Jesus speaks, it makes all the difference. The preacher can bring a message. But friend, the only good my message can do is to put you in the way of meeting Jesus. How poor are the words of the preacher. Oh, he tells his congregation the way of peace. He tells his congregation the way of rest and salvation. But it takes Jesus to come and do the job properly. I'm trying to put you in the way that you can meet Jesus. Oh, that you might meet Him this morning. You could go from this meeting with fear still in your heart, but if you meet my Savior and He says to you, be not afraid. I want to tell you something, that that message be not afraid came from his lips after something happened. It was when they held his kneel-pierced feet. And it's only as you touch Christ in his death, in his dying, and in his passion that you can know his peace. See from his head, his hands, his feet, Sorrow and love flow, mingle down, that ere such love or sorrows meet, or thorns compose so rich a crown, oh, that you might touch his feet, and if you touch his feet, you'll hear his word, be not afraid. What a proclamation! You know, if you turn over to Luke's gospel, there's a great word that the preacher said. Why seek ye, Luke 24 and verse 5, I must preach him this text someday. Why seek ye the living among the dead? That's a great question, isn't it? You poor sinners, what are you seeking for life among the dead, charnel house of your sin? You'll never get life among the dead sins of this old world. And you religious people, let me have a word with you. Why do you seek the living in the dead morgue house of religion? My, there are some churches and they're death houses, aren't there? Mr. Nicholson used to say, if you brought a bucket of milk through the door, it would be ice cream before you got it to the pulpit. And that's true. I've been in those churches. I'd love to stand up in the Belfast Cathedral today and say, why seek ye the living among the dead? A lot of people seeking the living and the dead bones of orthodoxy. Yeah. Oh, there's people come. And to tell us our church is absolutely right, it's the nearest thing to the New Testament. I always like to say, the letter killeth, but the Spirit giveth life. You can have the dead letter, brother. You can have it all. But if you haven't the quickening fire of the Spirit of God, it's only a tomb. Why seek ye the living among the dead? That what you're doing, the great message. And then he said, he's not here. You'll not find Jesus in the tomb because when Jesus is about, death can't stay where Jesus is. Did you ever notice that when Jesus Christ came in contact with death personally during his ministry, the dead always lived? He went into a death chamber one day and there was a little girl and she was dead. And immediately Jesus came into the presence of death, the girl was bedridden. And one day he was going along the road and a funeral metal. There can be no funerals where Jesus is. And the Lord stopped the hearse. And he said to the undertaker, you're only getting half pay for you've only brought him halfway. He's going home now. And the young man got up and walked home. That was a great funeral, wasn't it? My, what a funeral. Jesus came. Death and Jesus can't go together. When Jesus comes, death goes. And one day he went into a cemetery. And they said, roll away the stones. And they rolled away the stone. And Jesus said, Lazarus, come forth. And there was a strange stirring in that tomb. I'd love to have been there that day, wouldn't you? And all those unbelieving old Pharisees, the weatherheads and the dunderheads of our Lord's day, they were saying, he's a fool, shouting at the dead. But suddenly in the door of the tomb there appeared Lazarus bound hand and foot with grave clothes. And the Lord set loose him and let him go. Doesn't need those grave clothes on him now. He's living. One old preacher says it was well that the Lord said, Lazarus, come forth, for if he had shouted, come forth, everybody in that grave would have got up that graveyard. Yes, of course, that call, Lazarus, come forth, is the effectual call of the gospel. We know that. The great congregation is a graveyard, and there are many dead souls. But thanks be to God, one day Jesus called me by his name and he said, come forth. And I came from the tomb. And you know, the best thing to do after God saves you, have done with the grave clothes. A lot of Christians still have a few shrouds about them. They could do with a great deliverance. Billy Sunday said if they hadn't taken the grave clothes off Lazarus, Martha and Mary would have needed a promulgator to wheel them home, for he couldn't have walked. And there's a lot of Christians need wheeled. You know why? They haven't got the grave clothes off yet. But the Lord wants to get the grave clothes from you. When Jesus Christ meets death, death is always vanquished. There's a great day coming when Jesus Christ, my wonderful Lord, He's going to meet death universally for his people. He's not going to call us from earth, but before his feet stands on the soil of this old earth, he's going to call from heaven. Going to say, my simps, arise! And they're going to arise. Abraham and Isaac and Jacob The Old Testament saints, every one of them, and the New Testament saints, every one of them, not a hoof will be left behind in Egypt. And in bodies changed and made like unto his glorious body, we are going to appear before him to the everlasting hallelujahs of the redeemed and the shouts of the angels of God. He is not here. There's going to be a day when they'll say, Paisley's not here. He's risen. Yes. He's not here anymore. As he said, don't forget that wee bit, as he said, the Lord said he would do it. When God says he does a thing, he'll do it, friend. Trust his word. And if you're not saved, come on to the right side of the stone today, to the place where you can hear him say, Let's bow our hands. As our heads are bowed and our eyes are closed, I feel I should make an appeal this morning. I don't often make an appeal in the Lord's Day morning, but somehow or other I feel constrained today to make an appeal. Is there some man, some woman in this meeting with a burden? And you're saying, who can roll away the stone that's too heavy for me? Friend, Jesus is here. He can roll away the stone. He can lift the burden, break the chains, and set you free. Would you take them today? There are those here that are saved. Thank God for every Christian that's here. There are those here that are not saved. They need to come to Christ. And there are those here this morning that are backsliders that need to return to the Lord. You know what God says? He says, whosoever, that means you, shall call upon the name of the Lord. That's simple. In that seat, you can call upon Him as a sinner or as a backslider. Shall be saved. Praise God, that's absolutely dead-on sure you can really be saved. Will you call upon Him today? Write the message of this morning in the hearts. Bring souls to Christ for Jesus' sake. Amen.