March 31, 2024 (Resurrection Sunday) Elder Randy Hughes I'd like you to turn to Exodus, chapter 12, verse 3. Exodus 12 verse 3. And having found that, let us follow. Thank you. I'm ready to follow. We cannot possibly thank you enough for this very early. For this is the day in which you raised your son from the grave. And we had victory over death. We know while he was up on that cross. He asked of you to forgive them. Or they know not what they do. We know that He nailed our sins to that cross. And He spent three days in that grave battling that darkness. And then on the third day, you raised Him up. And because of that, we can have victory over death. We thank you so much, Heavenly Father. We thank you for your Son, Jesus Christ, and for that sacrifice. and we understand God that He was the very perfect Lamb of God. And God we just thank you so much for that special, special gift. And Father as we open your Word today, I just pray that you will be honored and glorified by all of the sudden done. And I thank you for this opportunity that we can gather here together, praise you, thank you, and let most of all be able to share the Word of God with one another. Thank you, Lord, for your Word. Thank you, Lord, for all that you've done, for all the spiritual blessings that you've given to us. In Jesus' name we pray. Amen.
…and the flag that shall not be on you to destroy you when I strike the hand of Egypt. That was God speaking to his people. And we look in Exodus chapter 12 and verse 3, and it says, speak ye unto all the congregation of Israel, saying, in the tenth day of this month, they shall take to them every man a lamb. I'm going to say that again. They shall take to them. every man a lamb according to the house of their fathers a lamb for an house. You know and then in verse four it says and if the household be too little for the lamb Let him and his neighbor next unto his house take it accordingly to the number of souls every man according to his eating shall make your account for the lamb." And then in verse 5 it says, a male of the first year, and ye shall take it out from the sheep or from the goats. You know, it's interesting that when God instituted the ordinance of the Passover, he took the Israelites, he told them to take a lamb. And then he says, in the next verse, in verse four, he says, he tells them to take a lamb. And then finally in verse five, he tells them to take. Your lamb. A different thought, a different thing. And there are special requirements for this occasion. And he talked about it in some of the scripture there, but it must be a lamb from their household. Nothing else could be substituted. It must be a male. not older than a year in the prime of its life. No defects, none whatsoever. And it must not have any broken bones. at the cross, they did not break a single bone of Christ. The sacrifice was to be before the evening hour. Jesus died at 3 p.m. The blood of the lamb was shed and applied to the door post. Jesus' blood was shed and saved those who have the blood applied to them in our hearts. Amazing, isn't it? We first see the story of Abraham and his son Isaac taking his son and the son of promise to the Mount Moriah. God had promised Sarah and Abraham a son. And now he's taking him to Mount Moriah that he was to sacrifice his son as a burnt offering to God. And as they drew near to the time, Isaac asked the question, where is the lamb? Father, where is the lamb for the burnt offering? And Abraham's faithfulness comes through, and he says, God will provide the lamb. We know Abraham followed through with a sacrifice until an angel stopped him just in time to save his son. Abraham sees a ram nearby and it becomes the sacrifice in place of his son. Isn't that interesting? God provided a lamb to save Isaac's son. And if you want to read that story over, you can look into Genesis chapter 22. So... Isaac asks, he says, where is that lamb? He asked that question. 500 years later, turn to Isaiah chapter 53. Isaiah chapter 53. And let me get it here. In Isaiah 53, and I want to read verses 1 through 12, he says, who hath believed our report, and to whom is the arm of the Lord revealed? For he shall grow up before him as a tender plant, and as a root out of a dry ground. He hath no form, no comeliness. And when we shall see him. There is no beauty that we should desire him. He is despised and rejected of men, a man of sorrows and acquainted with grief. And as we hid, it was our faces from him. We despised and we esteemed him not. Surely he has sworn our griefs. and carried our sorrows, yet we did not esteem him, stricken, smitten of God and afflicted. But he was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities, and the chastisement for our peace was upon him. And with his stripes we are healed. All like sheep have gone astray, and we have turned everyone to his own way, and the Lord hath laid on him iniquity for us all. He was opposed, he was afflicted, and yet he opened not his mouth. He brought us a land to slaughter, and as a sheep before her shears is dumb, he opened not his mouth. He was taken from prison. from judgment, and who shall declare his generation, for he was cut off out of the land of the living for the transgression of my people, he was stricken. And he made his grave with the wicked, with the rich in death, because he had done no violence, neither was any deceit in his mouth. Yet it pleased the Lord. to bruise him, and he hath put him grief, and when thou shalt make his soul an offering for sin, he shall see his seed, and he shall prolong his days, and the pleasure of the Lord shall prosper in his hand, and he shall see the travail of his soul, and shall be satisfied by his knowledge, shall my righteousness. servant justified many, for he shall bear their iniquities. Therefore I will divide a portion with the great, and he shall divide the spoiled and the strong, because he hath poured out his soul unto death, and he was numbered with the transgressors. And he bared the sin of many, and made intercession for the transgressors. It's amazing, isn't it? When you hear that story, that prophet Isaiah prophesied the death of Jesus Christ. And I just find it. It's so interesting what God has to say. And I want to share a few verses. What does the apostle Paul? say concerning the resurrection. Turn to Romans chapter six. Romans chapter six, we're just gonna look at a few verses. Romans chapter six, and verses eight through 11. Romans 6, verses 8 through 11. Now if we be dead with Christ, we believe we shall also live with Him, knowing that Christ being raised from the dead, dieth no more. Death had no dominion over Him. For in that he died, he died once unto sin. But in that he liveth, he liveth unto God. Likewise reckon. Other words, likewise listen. You listen. Ye also yourselves are to be dead indeed unto sin, but alive unto God through Jesus Christ our Lord. That's what Paul is talking about in the resurrection. There's only one way. And he says it there in verse 11. He says, listen, you also yourselves be dead indeed unto sin. There's only one way you can be dead unto sin. Only one way. And if you want to have that hope, that glory we have as Christians who have put their faith and trust in the finished work of Christ. Only then will you have the hope of one day being resurrection into the air when Christ comes back to call us home. That's the only way. In Romans chapter 10, verse 9. All again talks of the resurrection. Romans 10 verse nine. And there it says, If thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus and shalt believe in thy heart that God has raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved. The only way. This is the word of God. This is the truth. I don't care how often you go to church. I don't care how much money you give to the church. I don't care what you've done for works. Oh, I'm a good person. It doesn't work. That's not the way to Christ. Philippians chapter 2, verses 8 through 11. I love the book of Philippians. It's one of my favorite books, besides Romans, Galatians, Ephesians. It's just a great book. I just love what Paul has to say in this book. In Philippians chapter 2, verses 8-11, it says, and being found in the fashion of a man, he humbled himself and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross. Folks, let me tell you something. The cross, what the Romans did, and sacrificing people upon that cross is the most wicked torture any man could go through. And Jesus knew it. He knew, in fact, that night before, in the garden that's the centimine, He said, Father, take this cup from me, but your will be done. You know? He went willingly to die on that cross. And He went willingly for you and for I, and for all the others out in this world, so that we could have eternal life. It's an amazing book. And then he says, in chapter 2, as I read it, I want to read it again. He says, in being found in the fashion of man, he humbled himself to obedient to the death, even the death of the cross. Wherefore, God hath highly exalted him, and given him a name which is above every name. that the name of Jesus every knee shall bow, of things in heaven and things in the earth and things under the earth, that every tongue shall confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father. That's great. You know, isn't that amazing? How can you deny what God's word is saying? You know, when we think this day of all days, I think it's probably the most popular day for people. Nick said it this morning to me. It's the most popular day in the world, Christmas and Easter. Everybody seems to go to church. I just wonder, do they hear the message that God has for them? In the Philippians chapter 3:7 through 10. Philippians chapter 3, verses 7 through 10. And here again, but what things, this is the apostle Paul talking to us, but what things were gained to me? Those I count a loss for Christ, yea doubtless I count all things but loss for the exceeding let's see of the knowledge of Christ. Jesus my Lord from whom I have suffered the loss of all things and do count them nothing but dumb that I may win Christ. You know. Paul had knowledge. He had wisdom. He was taught by the best teachers. You know, he was an apostle. Yet all the things he had, he counts them nothing but done. Put them on the spreader and go out and spread them across the fields. I don't know, but when I read that, I think of that, and I think about what he is saying. And in verse 90, he says, and be found in him, not having my own righteousness, which is of the law, but that which is through the faith of Christ, the unrighteousness. which is of God by faith, that I may know him, the power of his resurrection, the fellowship of his sufferings, and be made conformable unto his death, that by any means I might attain unto the resurrection of the dead. These are verses from the apostle Paul. We could go to 1st Thessalonians 4:13, but these Bible verses are about the death, the burial and resurrection of Jesus Christ to reflect on God's love for you, for me. That's why Jesus went to the cross, because he loved you. And he knew, and God knew, the only possible way we would be able to go to heaven is the Lamb of God, Jesus Christ, who died upon that cross, was buried, and rose again. And he took away all of our sins in the past, in the present, and in the future. That's what he's done. And it's amazing. It's not enough to know that he is worthy of the lamb. It is enough when we recognize that God sacrificed his son so that we could have forgiveness of our sins. And one day, one glorious day, will reign with Christ in heaven. Isn't that amazing? Isn't that amazing? Yes. Thank you. Wow. Okay. You know, that kind of gets me going a little bit. Makes me want to jump. I think it's exciting when we think about that. Put your faith in Christ. Only He, only He can be your lamb. There's no other lamb but Him. I'm going to read this and we'll end with this. There are many people today that acknowledge Jesus Christ died. You know, a lot of people have the knowledge, but they don't know who Christ really is. And they don't know what he's doing. They don't know that Christ is alive today. You know, there are many different people that worship different gods. But God, God the Father, is the only true living God today. And they acknowledge that Christ is alive and sitting at the right hand of God, yet they have not yet embraced him as their Savior. It's not enough to know that he is the worthy of the Lamb. It's not enough when we recognize that God sacrificed his son so we could have forgiveness of sins and one day reign with him. We need to put our faith in Christ. Only then can he become your lamb. Only then. Mary had a little lamb who lived before birth. Son of God from heaven, he came to earth. Mary had a little lamb. See him in Yonder stall, virgin born son of God, to save man from the fall. Mary had a little lamb, obedient son of God. Everywhere the father led, his feet were sure to trot. Mary had a little lamb, crucified on the tree. the rejected son of God. He died to set men free. Mary had a little lamb. Men placed him in the grave, thinking they were done with him. Mary had a little lamb, a son, and now he. All work is now done. Our advocate. Mary had a little lamb, mystery to behold. From the lamb a line will unfold. Where's the lamb in your life? Right now, he wants to be worthy of your lamb. Let us pray. Our gracious God in heavenly Father, we thank you for this day. We cannot thank you enough. And I pray that this would be a day that we don't just come here today to worship, but that we reflect upon this today, tomorrow, next week, next month, the years to come, that we always have in our minds what the resurrection means to each and every one of us. I'm thankful for those Lord who have taken you as their lamb. I pray for those who have yet to do so, that someway your Holy Spirit would convict them of their need not to just know Christ, but to trust Christ in His death, His burial, and His resurrection for forgiveness of sins. In this we pray, thank you again for this beautiful family of God. Thank you again for the wonderful worship service today. And God, I just ask your blessing upon each and every one of us. Go before us, keep us safe and in good health. We pray for those who are not with us today. We ask that you bless them mightily. And we pray these things in Jesus' name, Amen.
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