>>John Bradshaw:
This is It Is Written.
00:00:19.18\00:00:21.45
I'm John Bradshaw.
Thanks for joining me.
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The late Charles Colson,
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special counsel to US
President Richard Nixon
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during the Watergate scandal,
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is probably best remembered
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for his Christian
conversion experience.
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Took place during the
time he stood for trial
00:00:34.93\00:00:36.50
for his role in the
Watergate conspiracy.
00:00:36.53\00:00:38.87
In later years,
he would point out
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that what he and other
Watergate defendants endured
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as a result of their crimes
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provided some of the very best
evidence for the literal truth
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of Jesus'
resurrection from the dead.
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The lesson of
Watergate, Colson said,
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is that a lie
cannot live for long.
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"Here were 10 of
the most powerful men
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in the United
States," Colson said,
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referring to the
leading Watergate conspirators.
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"With all that power we couldn't
contain a lie for two weeks."
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On that basis, Colson
dismissed out of hand the theory
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of certain ones that the
accounts of Jesus' resurrection
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were a conspiracy
perpetuated by His disciples.
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"Take it from one who
was involved in conspiracy,
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who saw the frailty of man
firsthand," Colson declared.
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"There is no
way the 11 apostles,
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who were with Jesus at
the time of the Resurrection,
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could ever have gone
around for 40 years proclaiming
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Jesus' resurrection
unless it were true.
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Had the New Testament
account not been true,
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he explained, "Peter would have
been exactly like John Dean,"
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referring, of course, to
the White House legal counsel
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who blew the whistle
on the Watergate coverup.
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If the apostles' story
about the Resurrection had begun
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to unravel as the
Watergate coverup did,
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Colson maintained that,
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like himself and his
fellow Watergate defendants,
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"the apostles would have
sold out to save their skins."
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Let's also try to keep in mind
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that those
Watergate conspirators,
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who in fact were sentenced
to prison like Mr. Colson,
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served their prison time
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in relatively
comfortable surroundings.
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Unlike the disciples of
Jesus-- all but one of them died
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a martyr's death on account
of their witness for Christ--
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the Watergate defendants
never even remotely confronted
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the possibility of death for the
conspiracy that they created.
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That means the disciples
of Jesus had every reason
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to break down
and admit the falsity
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of the Resurrection story--if
in fact the story was not true.
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The point is if the Resurrection
story is in fact a myth,
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it's the strangest myth in
the history of the human race.
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Because if the
Resurrection story is a lie,
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it's the first time human
beings have invented a lie
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in order to get
themselves killed.
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People tell lies to get
themselves out of trouble,
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not to get themselves into it.
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Now, some will always
come back with the argument
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that millions of
people throughout the history
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of the world have given
their lives for something
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that turned out to be
not true, and that's correct.
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But when they gave
their lives for the lie,
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they thought the lie was true.
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They didn't know
the lie was a lie.
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Crusaders,
terrorists, Nazis, Communists--
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millions have in
fact given their lives
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for a host of falsehoods.
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Those who flew
airplanes into the Twin Towers
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of the World Trade
Center on 9/11 certainly died
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for a falsehood.
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But again, they
thought the falsehood was true
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when they died for it.
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They didn't know it was
a falsehood at the time.
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This is the bottom line
with the Resurrection story:
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If in fact it's not true, those
who invented or just exaggerated
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the story and went
on to deceive millions
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would have known
the story was false
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when they were faced
with a martyr's death.
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They would have died for
a lie they knew was a lie.
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And who would do such a thing?
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As we continue our series,
"Great Chapters of the Bible,"
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we're going to look
at the literal truth
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of Jesus'
resurrection from the dead
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and why it
matters for our salvation.
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The chapter our study will
focus on is 1 Corinthians 15,
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one of the most powerful
discussions in all the Bible
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on the subject
of the Resurrection.
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Paul starts this
chapter by making it clear
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just how
important this topic is:
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"Moreover, brethren, I
declare to you the gospel
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which I preached to you,
which also you've received
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and in which you stand,
by which also you are saved,
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if you hold fast that
word which I preached to you--
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unless you believed in vain."
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That's 1 Corinthians 15:1-2.
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In other words,
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Paul is saying that what
he's about to share with them,
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what they and he
have believed already,
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is the means of their salvation.
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He then goes on to speak of
the Old Testament foundation
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for this New Testament truth,
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and the reality of all
the witnesses who can verify
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the fact that Jesus
did rise from the dead.
00:05:06.43\00:05:11.14
"For I delivered to you first of
all that which I also received:
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that Christ died for our sins
according to the Scriptures,
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and that He was buried, and
that He rose again the third day
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according to the Scriptures, and
that He was seen by Cephas"--
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that's Peter--
"then by the twelve.
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After that He was seen by over
five hundred brethren at once,
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of whom the greater
part remain to the present,
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but some have fallen asleep.
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After that He was seen by
James, then by all the apostles.
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Then last of all He
was seen by me also,
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as one born out of due time."
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First
Corinthians 15, verses 3-8.
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It's important to notice
that Paul doesn't make up
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this doctrine of
the Resurrection,
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nor the doctrine of
Jesus being sacrificed
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for the sins of humanity.
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It's the Old Testament
scriptures that foretell
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this decisive event
in the sacred story.
00:06:02.56\00:06:05.59
The 53rd chapter of Isaiah
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is one of the most powerful
forecasts of the sufferings
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of Christ and how He
would die for the whole world.
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"But He was wounded
for our transgressions,
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He was bruised
for our iniquities;
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the chastisement [of]
our peace was upon Him,
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and by His
stripes we are healed.
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All we like
sheep have gone astray;
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we have turned,
every one, to his own way;
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and the Lord has laid on
Him the iniquity of us all."
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That's Isaiah 53:5-6.
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The Old Testament
even pinpoints the time
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when Jesus would come to die.
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The prophet Daniel
gives this information
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in chapter 9 of
the book he wrote.
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In fact, you can see
it in Daniel 9:24-27.
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And that's a
fascinating study in itself.
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Now, in a moment, even though
the Bible is so plain on this,
00:06:53.17\00:06:56.61
there are many Christians
and even church leaders
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who don't believe
in the Resurrection.
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How could that be?
I'll be right back.
00:07:02.18\00:07:05.15
¤[Music]¤
00:07:05.19\00:07:12.73
>>Announcer 1: Death
is a coldhearted mystery
00:07:14.73\00:07:16.46
that can invade our
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00:07:16.50\00:07:18.27
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00:07:18.30\00:07:21.80
Today's free offer,
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the topic of death.
00:07:26.24\00:07:27.64
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Where does our soul
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>>John Bradshaw: Thanks for
joining me on It Is Written.
00:07:44.63\00:07:47.20
I'm John Bradshaw.
00:07:47.23\00:07:48.36
We're looking
at 1 Corinthians 15
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as part of our ongoing series,
"Great Chapters of the Bible."
00:07:51.13\00:07:55.60
Paul is
unequivocal in this chapter.
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Jesus died, he says,
and Jesus rose again.
00:07:58.34\00:08:03.01
In fact, when he
summarized what the gospel was
00:08:03.04\00:08:05.81
at the start of the chapter,
00:08:05.85\00:08:07.85
he made clear that
to him the Resurrection
00:08:07.88\00:08:10.02
is an integral
part of the gospel.
00:08:10.05\00:08:12.55
No resurrection of
Jesus? No gospel for the world.
00:08:12.59\00:08:16.69
And what gives
him his confidence?
00:08:16.73\00:08:18.53
Not only does Paul point back to
the Old Testament as the basis
00:08:18.56\00:08:21.70
for Jesus' mission to die
for our sins and rise again;
00:08:21.73\00:08:25.63
he makes it clear that
eyewitnesses can verify
00:08:25.67\00:08:28.30
the testimony that he's giving.
00:08:28.34\00:08:30.31
We saw how he reminds
his readers that he himself
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is one of those eyewitnesses,
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a point the book of
Acts records in its account
00:08:35.21\00:08:37.91
of Paul's conversion.
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That's Acts 9:1-6.
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In Paul's listing of the
witnesses in 1 Corinthians 15,
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we find an interesting note
that isn't found anywhere else
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in the New Testament,
not even in the four Gospels.
00:08:49.19\00:08:52.26
We saw how Paul says that
Jesus after His resurrection
00:08:52.29\00:08:55.80
"was seen by over five
hundred brethren at once,
00:08:55.83\00:08:59.23
of whom the greater
part remain to the present,
00:08:59.27\00:09:01.90
but some have fallen asleep."
00:09:01.94\00:09:04.01
That's verse 6.
00:09:04.04\00:09:05.74
Now, you won't find reference
to this encounter anywhere else
00:09:05.77\00:09:09.04
in the Bible.
00:09:09.08\00:09:10.41
It's like that statement in the
book of Hebrews about the time
00:09:10.45\00:09:12.78
when Moses "refused to be called
the son of Pharaoh's daughter."
00:09:12.81\00:09:16.38
You won't find
that incident recounted
00:09:16.42\00:09:18.29
in the Old
Testament story of Moses.
00:09:18.32\00:09:20.49
It's like the verse in
Acts chapter 20, verse 35,
00:09:20.52\00:09:24.46
which quotes Jesus as saying,
00:09:24.49\00:09:26.23
"It's more blessed to
give than to receive."
00:09:26.26\00:09:28.86
You won't find
this saying of Jesus
00:09:28.90\00:09:30.30
in any of the Gospel accounts,
but it clearly happened,
00:09:30.33\00:09:33.34
and it's quoted
there in the book of Acts.
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Now, this helps us understand
that in order to understand
00:09:35.50\00:09:37.71
the full truth of the Bible,
we have to consider everything
00:09:37.74\00:09:40.64
it includes regarding a
subject or an historical event.
00:09:40.68\00:09:44.41
Obviously the story
of the 500 seeing Jesus
00:09:44.45\00:09:46.68
after His resurrection
is one of those examples.
00:09:46.72\00:09:49.72
It was a fact
well-known to the apostles,
00:09:49.75\00:09:52.05
and the witnesses in question
were obviously still alive,
00:09:52.09\00:09:54.82
many of them,
00:09:54.86\00:09:55.99
when Paul wrote this passage
to the church at Corinth.
00:09:56.02\00:09:59.29
Paul continues in 1
Corinthians 15 to point out
00:09:59.33\00:10:02.40
that if Jesus
didn't rise from the dead,
00:10:02.43\00:10:05.63
the faith of the
Christian loses all meaning:
00:10:05.67\00:10:09.64
"Now if Christ is
preached that He has been raised
00:10:09.67\00:10:12.47
from the dead,
how do some of you say
00:10:12.51\00:10:15.24
that there is no
resurrection of the dead?
00:10:15.28\00:10:17.98
But if there is no
resurrection of the dead,
00:10:18.01\00:10:20.98
then Christ is not risen:
00:10:21.02\00:10:23.65
and if Christ is not risen,
00:10:23.69\00:10:25.99
then our preaching is vain
and your faith is also vain.
00:10:26.02\00:10:31.49
For if the dead do not
rise, then Christ is not risen.
00:10:31.53\00:10:36.50
And if Christ is not
risen, your faith is futile;
00:10:36.53\00:10:40.87
you are still in your sins!"
00:10:40.90\00:10:43.51
That's verses
12-14 and 16 and 17.
00:10:43.54\00:10:46.81
In fact, he goes
on to say in verse 19
00:10:46.84\00:10:48.78
in the King James Version,
00:10:48.81\00:10:50.38
"If in this life only
we have hope in Christ,
00:10:50.41\00:10:53.11
we are of all
men most miserable."
00:10:53.15\00:10:57.32
But a survey commissioned
by the BBC in Great Britain,
00:10:57.35\00:11:01.29
a survey of
Christians in Great Britain,
00:11:01.32\00:11:03.73
revealed that a quarter of
British Christians don't believe
00:11:03.76\00:11:08.16
in the resurrection of Jesus.
00:11:08.20\00:11:10.57
The idea seems to go all
the way up to the highest levels
00:11:10.60\00:11:14.74
of church leadership in Britain.
00:11:14.77\00:11:17.07
A senior church official acting
as his denomination's ambassador
00:11:17.11\00:11:20.81
to the Vatican City
has been quoted as saying
00:11:20.84\00:11:23.55
that the resurrection
of Jesus shouldn't be seen
00:11:23.58\00:11:27.22
in physical terms, but
as a spiritual reality.
00:11:27.25\00:11:31.99
He said the disciples only felt
Jesus' presence after His death,
00:11:32.02\00:11:37.39
and that what we
read in the Gospels
00:11:37.43\00:11:38.83
isn't an historical record
as we would write history today.
00:11:38.86\00:11:42.90
In other words, the
Bible clearly says it,
00:11:42.93\00:11:45.33
but you can
reject it, if you wish.
00:11:45.37\00:11:47.44
In fact, he says
you should reject it.
00:11:47.47\00:11:50.47
But in 1 Corinthians 15, Paul
explains why the Resurrection
00:11:51.14\00:11:54.38
is essential to the Christian
faith and why without it
00:11:54.41\00:11:58.01
the enemies of the
gospel remain victorious.
00:11:58.05\00:12:02.42
He wrote, "For
since by man came death,
00:12:02.45\00:12:05.79
by Man also came the
resurrection of the dead.
00:12:05.82\00:12:09.42
For as in Adam all die,
00:12:09.46\00:12:11.83
even so in Christ
all shall be made alive.
00:12:11.86\00:12:15.90
For He must reign till He has
put all enemies under His feet.
00:12:15.93\00:12:20.37
The last enemy that
will be destroyed is death."
00:12:20.40\00:12:24.24
Verses 21 and 22 and 25 and 26.
00:12:24.27\00:12:27.98
Here we find Paul taking up
a theme he explains elsewhere
00:12:28.01\00:12:31.65
in his writings.
00:12:31.68\00:12:32.48
In chapter 5 of
the book of Romans,
00:12:32.51\00:12:34.12
he speaks of how the
first human being, Adam,
00:12:34.15\00:12:37.15
was the one who brought
sin and death to the world,
00:12:37.19\00:12:39.99
and that as a result,
Jesus has come to this world
00:12:40.02\00:12:43.26
to make available
salvation and life everlasting.
00:12:43.29\00:12:46.90
In the book of Genesis,
death was the first great enemy
00:12:46.93\00:12:49.83
presented to Adam and Eve.
00:12:49.86\00:12:51.60
This is why God
forbade them to eat
00:12:51.63\00:12:53.57
of the tree of the
knowledge of good and evil.
00:12:53.60\00:12:56.10
The Genesis story tells us that
"the Lord God commanded the man,
00:12:56.14\00:12:59.84
saying, 'Of every tree of
the garden you may freely eat;
00:12:59.87\00:13:03.95
but of the tree of the
knowledge of good and evil
00:13:03.98\00:13:06.38
you shall not eat,
00:13:06.41\00:13:08.38
for in the day that you eat
of it you shall surely die.'"
00:13:08.42\00:13:12.32
Genesis 2:17.
00:13:12.35\00:13:14.52
When Adam and Eve
chose to disobey God and eat
00:13:14.56\00:13:16.86
of this fruit, it
became important that the sin
00:13:16.89\00:13:19.63
they had committed
not become immortalized.
00:13:19.66\00:13:23.63
It was for this reason
that God said they couldn't stay
00:13:23.67\00:13:25.97
in the garden after the
Fall, in case they should eat
00:13:26.00\00:13:28.94
of the fruit of the tree of
life and make sin last forever.
00:13:28.97\00:13:34.58
Sin, in other words, must die.
00:13:34.61\00:13:38.58
And all who cling to
sin, according to the Bible,
00:13:38.61\00:13:41.48
are destined to
die along with it.
00:13:41.52\00:13:43.92
It's Romans 6:23 that says,
"The wages of sin is death."
00:13:43.95\00:13:49.79
And once the wicked are forever
destroyed in the fires of hell,
00:13:49.82\00:13:52.99
the Bible tells us
what will happen then:
00:13:53.03\00:13:56.06
"And God will wipe away
every tear from their eyes;
00:13:56.10\00:13:59.93
there shall be no more
death, nor sorrow, nor crying.
00:14:00.04\00:14:04.74
There shall be no more pain,
00:14:04.77\00:14:06.57
for the former
things have passed away."
00:14:06.61\00:14:09.71
Revelation 21, verse 4.
00:14:09.74\00:14:12.55
That's what Paul means in 1
Corinthians 15 when he says,
00:14:12.58\00:14:15.65
"The last enemy that
will be destroyed is death."
00:14:15.68\00:14:19.25
The resurrection of
Jesus is the ultimate guarantee
00:14:19.29\00:14:22.56
that the final enemy,
death, will one day cease to be.
00:14:22.59\00:14:28.03
That's why Paul describes Jesus
as the firstfruits of those
00:14:28.06\00:14:31.30
who've fallen asleep.
00:14:31.33\00:14:32.97
But if Jesus hadn't
been raised from the dead,
00:14:33.00\00:14:35.47
then this hope doesn't exist.
00:14:35.50\00:14:38.37
The first and final
enemy of God's universe, death,
00:14:38.41\00:14:43.18
which the entrance
of sin made inevitable,
00:14:43.21\00:14:45.78
would always be the persistent
companion of God's children
00:14:45.81\00:14:50.19
if Jesus hadn't shown
that it could be conquered.
00:14:50.22\00:14:53.76
Because in fact Jesus
has achieved this conquest,
00:14:53.79\00:14:56.83
we can be certain
that His victory over death
00:14:56.86\00:15:00.60
can be ours as well.
00:15:00.63\00:15:02.80
Now, was there ever
a time that you wished
00:15:02.83\00:15:04.30
you could do
something about your body?
00:15:04.33\00:15:06.57
Maybe you wished
there was less of it.
00:15:06.60\00:15:08.87
You want to lose weight.
00:15:08.90\00:15:10.21
You might wish your hair was
different--or that you had hair.
00:15:10.24\00:15:13.74
You might wish
your back didn't ache,
00:15:13.78\00:15:15.31
or that you could walk again,
00:15:15.34\00:15:16.71
or that you
didn't get migraines,
00:15:16.75\00:15:18.35
or that you could see better.
00:15:18.38\00:15:20.88
Well, if you've ever
had a thought like that,
00:15:20.92\00:15:22.98
I've got good news for
you. Paul offers us real hope.
00:15:23.02\00:15:27.19
I'll tell you
more in just a moment.
00:15:27.22\00:15:28.79
¤[Music]¤
00:15:28.82\00:15:36.26
>>John: Thank
you for remembering
00:15:37.17\00:15:38.80
that It Is Written exists
00:15:38.83\00:15:40.34
because of the kindness
of people just like you.
00:15:40.37\00:15:43.14
To support this international
life-changing ministry,
00:15:43.17\00:15:46.37
please call us
now at 800-253-3000.
00:15:46.41\00:15:50.65
You can send your
tax-deductible gift
00:15:50.68\00:15:52.11
to the address on your screen
00:15:52.15\00:15:53.58
or you can visit us
online at itiswritten.com.
00:15:53.62\00:15:57.42
Thank you for your prayers
and for your financial support.
00:15:57.45\00:16:00.26
Our number
again is 800-253-3000.
00:16:00.29\00:16:04.33
Or you can visit us
online at itiswritten.com.
00:16:04.36\00:16:07.40
>>John: It was
like a ticking time bomb
00:16:08.06\00:16:10.13
just waiting to
explode, and when it did,
00:16:10.17\00:16:13.34
a city was plunged into chaos;
a town was completely destroyed.
00:16:13.37\00:16:18.21
More than 300
people were left dead
00:16:18.24\00:16:21.08
and thousands left homeless.
00:16:21.11\00:16:23.38
It remains one of the
nation's least-known atrocities,
00:16:23.41\00:16:26.92
yet it was one of the
most destructive race riots
00:16:26.95\00:16:29.52
in United States history.
00:16:29.55\00:16:31.89
Join It Is Written on
location in Tulsa, Oklahoma,
00:16:31.92\00:16:35.89
for "Black Wall Street," as
we look at the problem of evil.
00:16:35.92\00:16:41.10
We'll investigate the
destruction of a community
00:16:41.13\00:16:43.67
and ask some
searching questions.
00:16:43.70\00:16:46.23
How can this happen?
00:16:46.27\00:16:47.47
[Fire crackling] And
who would do such a thing?
00:16:47.50\00:16:49.67
How do "good people"
commit truly wicked acts?
00:16:49.70\00:16:52.97
"Black Wall Street" will take
you there to the very streets
00:16:53.01\00:16:56.11
where evil reared its ugly
head in a way not often seen.
00:16:56.14\00:17:00.65
Don't miss "Black Wall
Street" on It Is Written TV.
00:17:00.68\00:17:05.35
>>John Bradshaw:
Thanks for joining me today
00:17:08.42\00:17:10.23
on It Is Written.
00:17:10.26\00:17:11.73
First Corinthians chapter 15 is
truly one of the great chapters
00:17:11.76\00:17:14.76
of the Bible.
00:17:14.83\00:17:15.96
And in 1 Corinthians chapter 15,
00:17:16.00\00:17:17.90
the writer, Paul,
offers us great hope.
00:17:17.93\00:17:20.80
He tells us that Jesus has
conquered grave and the death.
00:17:20.84\00:17:24.11
In fact, that through
Jesus, death has been destroyed.
00:17:24.14\00:17:28.34
And he offers you and me
real hope on a very practical,
00:17:28.38\00:17:32.31
tangible level.
00:17:32.35\00:17:33.95
If you've ever had a backache
or a knee ache or a sore throat
00:17:33.98\00:17:36.95
or a headache or a sore shoulder
00:17:36.99\00:17:38.89
or a bad back or an
accident of some kind,
00:17:38.92\00:17:41.96
and you've, you've
felt less than satisfied
00:17:41.99\00:17:44.99
about your physical condition,
00:17:45.03\00:17:46.80
well, Paul offers us
hope when he tells us
00:17:46.83\00:17:48.80
that our resurrected
bodies will be different
00:17:48.83\00:17:51.63
from our present natural bodies.
00:17:51.67\00:17:54.37
And the reason for that
is because they will be made
00:17:54.40\00:17:57.41
to last forever.
00:17:57.44\00:18:00.08
Starting in verse 40, he writes,
00:18:00.11\00:18:01.71
"There are also celestial
bodies and terrestrial bodies;
00:18:01.74\00:18:05.95
but the glory of
the celestial is one,
00:18:05.98\00:18:08.22
and the glory of the
terrestrial is another.
00:18:08.25\00:18:11.15
The [terrestrial]
body is sown in corruption,
00:18:11.19\00:18:13.66
it's raised in incorruption.
00:18:13.69\00:18:16.09
It is sown in
dishonor, it is raised in glory.
00:18:16.12\00:18:19.76
It is sown in
weakness, it is raised in power.
00:18:19.79\00:18:23.43
It is sown a natural body,
it is raised a spiritual body.
00:18:23.47\00:18:28.90
There is a natural body,
and there is a spiritual body."
00:18:28.94\00:18:32.41
Verses 40, 42, 43, and 44.
00:18:32.44\00:18:35.68
Now, I do need to point out
that while our resurrected body
00:18:35.71\00:18:38.51
is described as spiritual,
00:18:38.55\00:18:41.42
this doesn't mean
it's not also physical.
00:18:41.45\00:18:44.45
Jesus made this plain when
He appeared to His disciples
00:18:44.49\00:18:47.02
in His resurrected
body in the upper room,
00:18:47.06\00:18:50.36
and He said to them,
00:18:50.39\00:18:51.63
"Behold my hands and my
feet, that it is I myself.
00:18:51.66\00:18:56.30
Handle me and see, for a spirit
does not have flesh and bones
00:18:56.33\00:19:00.44
as you see I have."
00:19:00.47\00:19:01.57
Luke 24:39.
00:19:01.60\00:19:03.77
First Corinthians 15 just
has to be included in any list
00:19:03.81\00:19:07.14
of the great
chapters of the Bible.
00:19:07.18\00:19:09.11
It tells us there is
hope beyond the grave.
00:19:09.14\00:19:11.75
It tells us Jesus
conquered sin and death.
00:19:11.78\00:19:14.32
It tells us we have so
much to look forward to.
00:19:14.35\00:19:18.05
And as the apostle
concludes the chapter,
00:19:18.09\00:19:20.96
he draws back the
curtain of the future
00:19:20.99\00:19:23.66
and tells us how this
final victory over death
00:19:23.69\00:19:26.86
on the part of God's
redeemed saints will occur
00:19:26.90\00:19:29.86
when Jesus comes back to
the earth at His Second Coming.
00:19:29.90\00:19:34.44
"Behold, I tell you a
mystery: We shall not all sleep,
00:19:34.47\00:19:39.51
but we shall all be
changed--in a moment,
00:19:39.54\00:19:43.04
in the twinkling of an
eye, at the last trumpet.
00:19:43.08\00:19:46.45
For the trumpet will sound,
00:19:46.48\00:19:48.02
and the dead will be
raised incorruptible,
00:19:48.05\00:19:51.12
and we shall be changed.
00:19:51.15\00:19:53.46
For this corruptible
must put on incorruption,
00:19:53.49\00:19:55.89
and this mortal
must put on immortality.
00:19:55.92\00:19:59.63
So when this corruptible
has put on incorruption,
00:19:59.66\00:20:02.10
and this mortal
has put on immortality,
00:20:02.13\00:20:04.97
then shall be brought to
pass the saying that is written:
00:20:05.00\00:20:08.14
'Death is
swallowed up in victory.'
00:20:08.17\00:20:11.14
'O Death, where is your sting?
00:20:11.17\00:20:13.78
O Hades'"--that's the grave--
"'where is your victory?'
00:20:13.81\00:20:18.28
But thanks be to God,
who gives us the victory
00:20:18.31\00:20:21.48
through our Lord Jesus Christ."
00:20:21.52\00:20:23.62
Verses 51-55 and 57.
00:20:23.65\00:20:26.82
Here Paul gives us a picture
of the Second Coming of Jesus.
00:20:26.86\00:20:30.36
He's clear that some people will
be alive when Jesus returns,
00:20:30.39\00:20:33.76
which is why he says,
"We shall not all sleep."
00:20:33.80\00:20:37.73
But he's equally clear that both
the Christians who are raised
00:20:37.77\00:20:41.60
from the dead and
those who are taken to heaven
00:20:41.64\00:20:44.31
without seeing death
will have new bodies.
00:20:44.34\00:20:47.44
In 1 Thessalonians,
00:20:47.48\00:20:49.38
Paul describes this breathtaking
event in similar language:
00:20:49.41\00:20:52.81
"For the Lord Himself
shall descend from heaven
00:20:52.85\00:20:55.52
with a shout, with the
voice of the archangel,
00:20:55.55\00:20:58.09
and with the trump of God:
00:20:58.12\00:21:00.09
and the dead in
Christ shall rise first:
00:21:00.12\00:21:03.86
then we which are alive
and remain shall be caught up
00:21:03.89\00:21:06.43
together with
them in the clouds,
00:21:06.46\00:21:07.66
to meet the Lord in the air:
00:21:07.73\00:21:10.30
and so shall we
ever be with the Lord.
00:21:10.33\00:21:14.07
Wherefore comfort one
another with these words."
00:21:14.10\00:21:16.60
First Thessalonians 4:16-18.
00:21:16.64\00:21:19.64
¤[Soft music]¤ What
a remarkable promise.
00:21:19.67\00:21:23.14
Death isn't the end because
Jesus died and rose again.
00:21:23.18\00:21:28.38
Everyone who believes
in Him and trusts in Him
00:21:28.42\00:21:32.22
and claims His power and
His presence in their life
00:21:32.25\00:21:35.66
will one day rise again.
00:21:35.69\00:21:39.36
As Jesus was about to
perform what might even be
00:21:39.39\00:21:41.93
His greatest miracle,
00:21:41.96\00:21:43.53
raising His friend
Lazarus from the dead,
00:21:43.57\00:21:46.20
He spoke to Martha, the sister
of Lazarus, and He said this:
00:21:46.23\00:21:50.01
"'Your brother will rise
again.' Martha said to Him,
00:21:50.04\00:21:53.61
'I know that he will
rise again in the resurrection
00:21:53.64\00:21:55.98
at the last day.'
00:21:56.01\00:21:57.71
Jesus said to her,
00:21:57.75\00:21:59.05
'I am the
resurrection and the life.
00:21:59.08\00:22:02.82
He who believes in me, though
he may die, he shall live.
00:22:02.85\00:22:08.66
And whoever lives and believes
in me shall never die.'"
00:22:08.69\00:22:12.93
John 11:23-26.
00:22:12.96\00:22:15.86
This was a theme Jesus
reiterated again and again
00:22:15.90\00:22:18.47
during His ministry.
00:22:18.50\00:22:20.04
Earlier in the Gospel of John,
00:22:20.07\00:22:21.60
Jesus said in John
5, starting in verse 28,
00:22:21.64\00:22:25.04
"Do not marvel at this;
00:22:25.07\00:22:27.04
for the hour is coming in
which all who are in the graves
00:22:27.08\00:22:29.68
will hear His voice and come
forth--those who have done good,
00:22:29.71\00:22:34.25
to the resurrection of life,
and those who have done evil,
00:22:34.28\00:22:38.55
to the
resurrection of condemnation."
00:22:38.59\00:22:41.22
Death is the one
human circumstance
00:22:41.26\00:22:44.49
that not one of us
can do anything about.
00:22:44.53\00:22:48.70
Although people are trying.
00:22:48.73\00:22:50.43
There are agencies that believe
cryonics is the best hope
00:22:50.47\00:22:53.00
that we have of living forever.
00:22:53.03\00:22:54.37
Cryonics involves freezing
people in liquid nitrogen
00:22:54.40\00:22:57.44
in the hope that one day
science will have advanced
00:22:57.47\00:22:59.74
to the place where frozen people
can be thawed out and revived.
00:22:59.77\00:23:03.81
Mmm, no.
00:23:03.85\00:23:06.11
Scientists are discussing
switching out aging body parts
00:23:06.15\00:23:09.98
with newer, younger
parts so that you might be able
00:23:10.02\00:23:12.65
to stay at,
say, 30 years of age.
00:23:12.69\00:23:15.46
Hmm, no again. No way.
00:23:15.49\00:23:19.29
Another thing
that's being proposed
00:23:19.33\00:23:20.43
is that your brain could
be uploaded to "the cloud,"
00:23:20.46\00:23:23.43
and then you could download
it into an android body.
00:23:23.47\00:23:27.04
So they're saying that
you could download your brain
00:23:27.07\00:23:29.34
into an android, a robot,
basically, maybe in India,
00:23:29.37\00:23:32.47
and then you could
visit the Taj Mahal
00:23:32.51\00:23:34.21
without going to India.
00:23:34.24\00:23:35.98
And when are these
things likely to happen?
00:23:36.01\00:23:37.95
They say maybe 30
or 40 years from now.
00:23:37.98\00:23:41.75
Again, hmm, no.
00:23:41.78\00:23:45.15
The good news is
God has a better plan.
00:23:45.19\00:23:47.92
But the old saying is that
00:23:47.96\00:23:49.46
"there are two things that you
can't avoid: death and taxes."
00:23:49.49\00:23:53.23
The gospel of
Jesus Christ is unique.
00:23:53.26\00:23:56.06
Jesus offers you an end
to the tragedy of death,
00:23:56.10\00:23:58.70
once and for all,
00:23:58.73\00:24:00.14
when Jesus returns and
establishes His eternal kingdom.
00:24:00.17\00:24:04.37
"In Christ," Paul says
in 1 Corinthians 15:22,
00:24:04.41\00:24:08.24
"all shall be made alive."
00:24:08.28\00:24:11.25
We're all too familiar
with the pain caused by death.
00:24:11.28\00:24:14.82
The resurrection we read
about in 1 Corinthians 15
00:24:14.85\00:24:17.92
is the hope of
the believer in Jesus.
00:24:17.95\00:24:21.16
When we farewell a loved one,
00:24:21.19\00:24:23.39
receive the tragic news
that death has taken away
00:24:23.43\00:24:25.83
another friend, another
family member, another child,
00:24:25.86\00:24:28.96
another parent,
another grandparent,
00:24:29.00\00:24:31.97
no promise shines so brightly
as the New Testament assurance
00:24:32.00\00:24:35.20
that "the trumpet will sound,
and the dead will be raised
00:24:35.24\00:24:37.64
incorruptible, and
we shall be changed."
00:24:37.67\00:24:42.01
As Paul wrote in
1 Corinthians 15:57,
00:24:42.04\00:24:45.65
"Thanks be to God,
who gives us the victory
00:24:45.68\00:24:49.52
through our Lord Jesus Christ."
00:24:49.55\00:24:52.19
Friend, let me ask
you: Do you have that hope?
00:24:52.22\00:24:56.32
Jesus offers the
hope of eternal life,
00:24:56.36\00:24:58.83
the hope of the resurrection
to everyone who will receive.
00:24:58.86\00:25:03.77
That hope can be yours today--
00:25:03.80\00:25:05.20
the hope of a
tomorrow, the hope of a future,
00:25:05.23\00:25:09.30
the hope of a
life beyond this life,
00:25:09.34\00:25:12.81
the hope of being in a
place where there's no more sin
00:25:12.84\00:25:16.14
and no death, not ever again.
00:25:16.18\00:25:19.15
And that hope becomes yours
00:25:19.18\00:25:22.05
when you accept
it by faith in Jesus.
00:25:22.08\00:25:26.09
Can you accept that hope now?
00:25:26.12\00:25:28.49
Jesus offers it to you now.
00:25:28.52\00:25:31.89
And it's yours the moment
you open your heart and say,
00:25:31.93\00:25:34.93
"Thank you, Jesus,
I believe it's mine."
00:25:34.96\00:25:37.83
>>Announcer 1: Death
is a coldhearted mystery
00:25:38.70\00:25:41.10
that can invade our
lives without warning
00:25:41.14\00:25:42.87
and leave us with questions
as big as the loss that we feel.
00:25:42.90\00:25:46.44
Today's free offer,
"The Mystery of Death,"
00:25:46.47\00:25:48.51
provides biblical answers
for the questions that haunt
00:25:48.54\00:25:50.85
the topic of death.
00:25:50.88\00:25:52.08
What happens when we die?
00:25:52.11\00:25:53.58
Where does our soul
go? Is there an afterlife?
00:25:53.62\00:25:56.79
To discover answers to
these questions and many more,
00:25:56.82\00:25:59.32
call 800-253-3000.
00:25:59.35\00:26:02.19
Write to the
address on your screen
00:26:02.22\00:26:03.63
or visit iiwoffer.com.
00:26:03.66\00:26:08.73
¤[Upbeat music]¤
00:26:09.73\00:26:11.70
>>Announcer 2: Planning
for your financial future
00:26:11.73\00:26:13.27
is a vital aspect of
Christian stewardship.
00:26:13.30\00:26:17.21
For this reason, It Is
Written is pleased to offer
00:26:17.24\00:26:19.84
free planned giving
00:26:19.87\00:26:21.21
and estate services.
00:26:21.24\00:26:22.81
For information on
how we can help you,
00:26:22.84\00:26:25.01
please call 800-992-2219.
00:26:25.05\00:26:29.98
Call today,
00:26:30.02\00:26:30.82
or visit our
website, hislegacy.com.
00:26:30.85\00:26:34.26
Call 800-992-2219.
00:26:34.29\00:26:38.76
>>John Bradshaw:
Let's pray together now.
00:26:39.76\00:26:41.80
Our Father in
heaven, we thank You today
00:26:41.83\00:26:43.33
for the hope of
the resurrection.
00:26:43.37\00:26:45.60
A hope that is
real, not imaginary,
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not a myth, but real.
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One day a real Jesus will
come back to this real earth,
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and the dead in
Christ shall rise.
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And the dead and
the living at the time
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will all be caught up
together in the clouds
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to meet Jesus in the air.
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We'll always be with You.
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We'll never age,
we'll never get sick,
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and we'll never die because
death will have been destroyed,
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thanks to Jesus.
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We thank You
today for the gospel.
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Friend, do you have that hope?
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If you don't, would you invite
Jesus to give you that hope now?
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Would you believe it is yours?
Will you claim it as yours?
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Would you say in your heart,
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"Jesus, I accept You
as my Lord and Savior.
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Heavenly Father,
I believe in, and I,
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I gladly accept the
hope of the resurrection"?
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Lord, we look forward to
it, and we pray with John,
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who wrote Revelation,
"Even so, come, Lord Jesus."
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In Jesus' name we pray.
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Amen.
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Thanks so much for joining me.
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I'm looking forward to
seeing you again next time.
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Until then, remember:
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"It is written, 'Man
shall not live by bread alone,
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but by every word that proceeds
from the mouth of God.'"
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¤[Theme music]¤
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