Let's bow our heads together as we begin the first of our messages on Christ's resurrection. Let's pray. Father, we thank you for the joy that we have, the precious assurance of the death, burial, and resurrection of our Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ. And thank you, Lord, that as your word reminds us that he is the first fruit, and Lord, We thank you that as we go through the events of the passing of loved ones, whether it's Brother Ken Hay or Chuck Hout and other loved ones that have gone home to be with you over the years, we're waiting for that trumpet sound. And Lord, we know that the graves will open. And Lord, with that trumpet sound, body and soul raised together, and we'll be on our way to heaven. Thank you, Lord, for that precious truth. Bless now, Lord, as we look into the Old Testament to see the precious prophecies of your resurrection. May they bring us hope and confident expectation in, Lord, your soon coming. In Jesus' name we pray, amen. We're gonna look in our copies of God's word at the subject of the resurrection of our Lord Jesus Christ in the Old Testament. Isn't it wonderful that God demonstrates to us the fulfillment of His Word? Oh, how we are so prone to doubt that when God's Word speaks that He will carry it out. Whether it's in our individual lives or whether it's speaking about the church collectively with the coming of the Lord Jesus Christ or God's chosen people being gathered together to enter into the land in belief, and the establishment of the kingdom. All of these things have been prophesied in the Old Testament. And we can be assured that our Lord is going to fulfill his word. By way of introduction, we're aware of the fact that the doctrine of the resurrection of all men is taught in the Old Testament, not only the resurrection of men in general, but also the resurrection of the Lord Jesus Christ. And the doctrine of the resurrection appears as early as in the book of Job. And we know that Job was a patriarch, contemporary with Abraham. Think of the wonderful verse of scripture Turn in your Bibles to the book of Job chapter 19 and verse 25. In Job 19.25, he utters this startling statement. A man who possessed so little of God's revelation and yet believed all that God had taught him. What a lesson for us. We have been entrusted, even as a church, with faithful teaching and godly elders that have imparted God's word to us. But the key is, how much have we responded to? How much has it impacted our personal lives and our walk with God? In Job chapter 19 and verse 25, he utters these words, for I know that my Redeemer liveth, and that he shall stand at the latter day upon the earth. Though after my skin worms destroy this body, yet in my flesh I shall see God, whom I shall see for myself, and my eyes shall behold, and not another, though my reins be consumed within me." Here Job is affirming not only his future resurrection, but the truth that his Redeemer already lives and he'll stand at the latter day upon the earth. And how Job had a personal faith with the Lord. He made the comment, whom I shall see for myself. Just think of that. Would you repeat that phrase with me? Whom I shall see for myself. Make that yours. Every one of the promises of our being with the Lord in heaven, they are for us. And we will see him and stand before him for ourselves. Oh, many years. Some hear more than others. You've heard God's word by the hearing of the ear, and we've responded by faith, but someday our faith shall be translated to sight. And the Lord's table is a reminder of that for us, that the Lord, yes, having accomplished our redemption through his death, burial, and resurrection, and yet the fulfillment and the joy of all that awaits us is yet to come. Brother Hout, who has heard God's word and sat under so many godly preachers over the year, now like the hymn writer says, face to face. I'd like for us to look at some of the scriptures that speak to us prophetically about the resurrection of our Lord Jesus Christ. And I'd like for you to jot down some of these scriptures and also take your Bibles and turn to them. Turning your Bibles, for instance, to Psalm chapter 16 and verse 9. Psalm chapter 16 and verse 9. Notice what the Word of God says here. Here we have David not only affirming his resurrection, but prophetically The resurrection of Christ. Did David understand all of this? No, he did not. I'm glad that God can fulfill scripture even though I don't have all the answers. You know, over the years, godly elders in our church, we've discussed doctrinal issues and sometimes we come across something that we frankly don't have the answer to. And it goes to show us that we're finite and God is infinite. And if we had all the answers down here, then we wouldn't have a lot to learn when we get to heaven. But I'm thankful that I have all eternity with a glorified mind, unfallen, to receive all of the truth of God's word. David didn't understand all of this. but he proclaimed it for us and he believed what he could believe by faith. And yet we who have the whole of scripture, we could say, oh yeah, here he uttered it and there it was fulfilled in the New Testament. What a joy and privilege we have. Take a look at Psalm 16 and verse nine. Here it says, Therefore, my heart is glad and my glory rejoices. My flesh shall also rest in hope. You know, a knowledge of the resurrection of Christ provides all of that for us. Notice, we have gladness, we have rejoicing, we have hope, we have all of those things and the world has none of them. And I've done funeral services for believers, and I've done funeral services for non-believers. The response is totally, totally diametrically opposite. But David says, all of these things are mine. Earlier in verse 8, he says, I've set the Lord always before me. He is at my right hand. I shall not be moved. The assurance of the resurrection provides all of that for us. But notice what it says in verse 10. For thou will not leave my soul in literally Sheol. That's the grave in this particular setting here. He was assured that the best was yet to come. And he says, neither will you suffer thine holy one to see corruption. Thou wilt show me the path of life in thy presence is fullness of joy and at thy right hand are pleasures forevermore. There's no sorrow of the past in heaven. and there's enjoyment, what do you have to look for and anticipate for in heaven? He's going to give us the paths of life, fullness of joy, and pleasures forevermore. That describes the glory of heaven for us. And it's all because Jesus won the victory and he lives for us. But notice these very words are quoted in the New Testament by the Apostle Peter. He quotes these words. This wasn't just something for David. Peter explains to us in the book of Acts chapter 2 and verse 22, and he explains the significance of these scriptures. And in Acts 2 and verse 22, on the day of Pentecost, Peter explains the significance of everything that is taking place. And he says, ye men of Israel, Acts 2.22, hear these words. Jesus of Nazareth, a man approved of God among you by miracles and wonders and signs. See, those sign gifts were credentials that Jesus Christ was the Messiah, demonstrating that to his people as he came offering the kingdom. And he says here, You yourselves know that God did it in the midst of you, as you yourselves know. But notice the culpability of the children of Israel. Him being delivered by the determinate counsel and foreknowledge of God, you've taken and by wicked hands have crucified and slain. But praise God for verse 24. Because the word of God says, whom God has raised up. Death could not hold him in the grave, having loosed the pains of death, because it was not possible that he should be holden of it. And folks, that's true of the believer. When we place a loved one in the grave, Thank God that death can not hold a believer there. Why? Because Jesus Christ was the first fruit of the one who would rise and we follow in his stead. And notice how this is fulfilled back from Psalm chapter 16. For David speaketh concerning him I foresaw the Lord always before my face. He is on my right hand that I should not be moved. Therefore, did my heart rejoice and my tongue was glad. Moreover, also my flesh shall rest in hope because thou wilt not leave my soul in hell. Neither wilt thou suffer thine holy one to see corruption. What a beautiful message on the day of Pentecost. And we're told God reaped a tremendous response on the part of this message. And in verse 41, there were added unto them over 3,000 souls as the word of God was given. Folks, these prophecies need to be understood and explained to many who do not know the Lord. Think of Paul. Peter's not the only one to quote Psalm 16. Think also of Paul, rather, in Acts chapter 13 and verse 34. During his first missionary journey in Antioch of Pisidia, Acts chapter 13, look at verse 34. In verse 34 of Acts 13, as concerning that he raised him up from the dead, now no more to return to corruption. He said on this wise, I will give you the sure mercies of David, the Davidic covenant. Therefore he saith in another psalm, thou shalt not suffer thine holy one to see corruption. Many will say, well, what about the body of believers that decomposes in the ground? But you know what? Someday there'll be that great resurrection. John 14 speaks of it. 1 Corinthians 5, 1 Thessalonians 4. tells us and reminds us that when that trumpet sounds, the body will be raised incorruptible and will be raised and rejoined with soul and spirit that has been in heaven and together we will rise up to meet the Lord. Folks, we can truly say the best is yet to come. We may be temporarily separated for a season, after the month of April, and some of us may travel here or there or be wherever the case might be, but someday when that trumpet sounds, we'll be raised and we will be in the presence of the Lord. Let me give you a second prophecy of the Old Testament that speaks about the wondrous doctrine of the resurrection of Christ. In the Old Testament, Psalm 22 is a wonderful scripture, and most of us Generally speaking, we'll look at Psalm 22 and think of it as just a prophecy regarding the death of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. And yes, indeed, that is the majority of the chapter as it is given. Let me give you a little outline, but also I want to show you how the resurrection of the Lord Jesus Christ is also found in Psalm 22. First of all, this is a picture, a prophecy of the crucifixion of Christ. In verses one through six, we have the cry of the Savior. My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me? As we observe the Lord's table this morning, let us meditate upon the agony of our Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ and his cry. the suffering that he went through. Not only the physical suffering, but the bearing of our sins, indeed the sins of the world. And God turning the back on his son, physically, in his humanity, why hast thou forsaken me, he says? Why art thou so far from helping me? And the words of my roaring, his suffering, what he went through for our sins. The word of God says, oh my God, I cry in the daytime, but thou hearest not. And in the night seasons, I am not silent, but thou art holy. Oh thou that inhabit us, the praises of Israel. Our savior went through the cross, dear people, to satisfy the holiness of God. Thou art holy, it says in verse three. In the garden of Gethsemane, he cried, if it be possible, let this cup pass from me. In his humanity, he cried out. Oh, the mystery of the kenosis. The union of his human and yet divine nature will never plummet the depth of it. But in his humanity, if it be possible, let it pass from me. But then, as the narrative continues, we see the progression of his being obedient unto death. As recognizing that he must suffer for our sins, as prophesied, he understood that and his resignation towards that for our sins. But notice it was to satisfy verse three, the holiness of God. Our fathers trusted in thee, they trusted and thou didst deliver them. They cried unto thee and were delivered. They trusted in thee and were not confounded. But you know, that mercy which God had shown his chosen people so often, He did not show unto his son when Jesus Christ bore that sin. And notice the cry of the Savior. He says, I am a worm and no man, the reproach of men, despised of the people. Notice the contempt for the Savior. I want us to look at this in preparation for the Lord's table. Notice the contempt that he went through. For us, all they that see me laugh me to scorn. They shoot out the lip. The Hebrew means they separate the lip. And it's an idiom to speak of a sneering attitude. They shoot out the lip. They shake the head saying he trusted on the Lord that he would deliver him. Let him deliver him. seeing he delights in them. Oh, the cry of the Savior, verses 1 through 6, the contempt for the Savior that individuals showed and still show today, I might add. But notice in verses 9 through 21, the crucifixion of our Savior. Thou art him that took me out of the womb, Thou didst make me hope when I was upon my mother's breasts. Our Savior, who was born and grew in wisdom and in stature and in favor with God and men, who experienced the tremendous need and had to learn to speak and couldn't feed himself and had to learn to walk and increased in wisdom and in stature during that period of time. He hoped, even when he was upon his mother's breasts, I was cast from thee from the womb. Thou art my God from my mother's belly. Be not far from me, for trouble is near. There is none to help. Our Savior bore our sins at Calvary. and notice those that were around him at the cross that mocked. It says, many bulls have compassed me. Strong bulls of Bashan have beset me round. They gaped upon me with their mouths as a ravening and roaring lion. I'm poured out like water. My bones are out of joint, having been cast on that cross and thrown into the ground. Every joint was out of joint. My heart is like wax. It's melted in the midst of my bowels. My strength is dried up like a potsherd. My tongue cleaves to my jaws. Thou hast brought me into the dust of death. Dogs have compassed me. The assembly of the wicked have enclosed me. They pierced my hands and my feet. The Hebrew reads like a lion. Here it says, I may tell my bones they look and they stare at me. They part my garments among them and cast lots upon my vesture. Oh, what a prophecy was so fulfilled of the crucifixion of our Lord. The Word of God continues, they part my garments among them. They cast lots upon my vesture. Be not far from me, O Lord, O my strength. Haste thee to help me. Deliver me from the sword, my darling, from the power of the dog. That word darling is an interesting word because in the Greek translation of the Old Testament, it's the word monogenes. which is only begotten, the only begotten. That's referring in John 3.16, Hebrews 11.17, monogenes, the only begotten. And that was the Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ. And here he's just appealing to the fact that our Savior was the darling, the only begotten of God. save me from the lion's mouth thou hast heard me from the horns of the unicorns I will declare thy name unto thy brethren in the midst of the congregation will I praise thee now folks here we have the fourth point in verse 22 the resurrection up the Lord Jesus Christ is found in verse 22 because after his crucifixion He declares the Lord's name unto the brethren. And in the midst of the congregation, he praised. That is an enigmatic reference to the resurrection of the Lord Jesus Christ. But then let's not just stop there. In verses 23 through 31, you have the coronation of the Savior. And when we observe the table of the Lord this morning, we're also looking to that time when we will eat and drink anew with him in his father's kingdom. And he will be coronated. He will be crowned as the king on the throne, ruling and reigning the throne of David. Notice what it says in verse 23 through 31. Ye that fear the Lord, praise him. All ye the seed of Jacob, glorify him. Fear him, all ye seed of Israel, for he hath not despised nor abhorred the affliction of the afflicted. Neither hath he hid his face from him, but when he cried unto him, he heard. My praise shall be of thee in the great congregation. I will pay my vows before them that fear him. The meek shall eat and be satisfied. They shall praise the Lord that seek him. Your heart shall live forever. Notice, all the ends of the world shall remember and turn unto the Lord. When does that happen? During the kingdom period. Old man sought to crucify and destroy him, but he rose from the grave and will come again. and then will establish his kingdom. And it says, all the world shall remember and turn to the Lord. And all the kindreds of the nations shall worship before thee. For the kingdom is the Lord's. He is the governor among the nations. All they that be fat upon the earth shall eat and worship. All they that go down to the dust shall bow before him. None can keep alive his own soul. A seed shall serve him. It shall be accounted to the Lord for a generation. They shall come and shall declare his righteousness unto a people that shall be born, that he hath done this. What a beautiful scripture. You know, we just have a few minutes left, and we're gonna continue this in the evening service, but I want us to turn to another scripture, and this is found in Psalm 118, and verse 22. One of the most beautiful hymns that I enjoy is Jesus is the Cornerstone. It is a beautiful hymn, and we have sung it before, and you've heard it before as well, but look at Psalm 118 at a prophetic scripture, the third scripture in the Old Testament, prophesying the resurrection of the Lord Jesus Christ. Psalm 118 and verse 22. The stone which the builders refused is become the headstone of the corner. And you know the cornerstone, pictured here before you in the screen, is the chief foundational stone that is first laid that determines the layout and the formation of the rest of the bricks and the blocks that are going to be forming the construction. And our Lord is the cornerstone. Because what he accomplished on the cross of Calvary, in his death, burial, and then his resurrection, he's the cornerstone. And he set the direction and the formation of all that would follow. And he won the victory for you and for me. And Psalm 118 and verse 22 reads as follows. The stone which the builders refused is become the headstone of the corner. Oh, those non-believers, when they crucified Christ, thought, we've cast asunder and cast him aside. But no, he rose from the grave. And notice verse 23. This is the Lord's doing. The fact that he was rejected and the fact that he died on the cross for our sins. It was all of the Lord's doing, as Acts 2 reminds us, being delivered by the determinate counsel and the foreknowledge of God. And here it's the Lord's doing. It's marvelous in our eyes. And a scripture that we love to quote. This is the day which the Lord has made we will rejoice and be glad in it. You know, we quote that scripture and we enjoy gathering together on any given Sunday and we quote it, but you know that that has the promise and the assurance of the resurrection of Christ in its setting. And we gather together and we observe the table of the Lord together, but we're also remembering what he did for us and the fact that the best is yet to come for us. This same scripture in Psalm 118 verse 22 is repeated for us in Acts chapter 4 and verse 10. During the first persecution after the day of Pentecost we have a marvelous sermon that Peter gives before the Sanhedrin. Cowardly Peter who had denied the Lord Jesus Christ as we have in so many ways by sins of commission and omission, I might add. But cowardly Peter, he responded to the Lord's prayer and statement when Jesus said, I've prayed for thee and when thou art turned around, feed the brethren and here God gave him the courage to stand before non-believers and in Acts chapter 4 notice verse 10 verse 10 and 11 be it known unto you and to all the people of Israel that by the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth whom ye crucify boy he's laying the axe to the root of the tree God is giving him tremendous courage to go before the political supreme court of the land and be strong and courageous. Whom God has raised from the dead, even by him does this man stand before you whole. The healing with assigned gifts of God's choosing of his son and his whole prophetic program. And he quotes verse 11, from Psalm 118. This is the stone which was set at not of you builders. They should have been building upon the cornerstone of God's prophecies, but they rejected the cornerstone and Jesus is become the head of the corner. And folks, as we observe the table of the Lord this morning, let's give him the glory and say, Lord Jesus, Thank you that you're the cornerstone. Thank you, Lord, that every fulfillment, Lord, that you've provided and done and accomplished in your power is also going to be given unto me. And as you rose from the grave, Lord, I shall someday. and as you're in the presence of the Father, so someday I will be. Thank you, Lord, for being the cornerstone and going on before us. Lord, thank you that as the cornerstone sets the pattern for which way the bricks should go, thank you, Lord, that I can find out what your will is for my life because, Lord, you're the cornerstone and I can follow in your path And I can build as you want me to build. And it won't be wood, hay, and stubble. It can be gold, silver, and precious stones. And I am part of that temple. It says here in verse 11, this is the stone which was set at nought of you builders. It's become the head of the corner. And in a day of inclusivism and hatred For the biblical doctrine of Christ, I read with all courage verse 12, neither is there salvation in any other. There is no other name under heaven given among men whereby we must be saved. and any preacher that opens up this book and claims that man can be saved any other way, oh, God understands the sincerity of other people. God understands and he's the savior of all whether they know it or not. That is a doctrine from the pit of hell. There's no other name given among men under heaven whereby we must be saved. and today we're living in days of great compromise. I'm gonna give you one more scripture, and then we're gonna pick up this evening. But I want you to go with me to Isaiah chapter 53. Isaiah chapter 53, another passage of scripture that prophesied the resurrection of the Lord Jesus Christ. This is the fourth scripture that I have given unto you this morning, Psalm 16, I've shown you Psalm 22, Psalm 118, Isaiah chapter 53. Notice the word of God reminds us and we read this because we're going to observe the table of our Lord. I need to read verses 1 through 10 with you and I want us to read it out loud together to prepare our hearts for the Lord's table. Let's read it. Isaiah 53, who has 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 dry ground. He has no form nor comeliness. And when we shall see him, there's no beauty that we should desire him. He is despised and rejected of men. a man of sorrows and acquainted with grief, and we hid, as it were, our faces from him. He was despised, and we esteemed him not. Surely he has borne our griefs and carried our sorrows, yet we did esteem him stricken, smitten of God, and afflicted. But he was wounded for our transgressions. He was bruised for our iniquities. The chastisement of our peace was upon him, and with his stripes we are healed. All we like sheep have gone astray. We have turned everyone to his own way, and the Lord has laid on him the iniquity of us all. He was oppressed and he was afflicted, yet he opened not his mouth. He is brought as a lamb to the slaughter, and as a sheep before his shearers is dumb, so he openeth not his mouth. He was taken from prison and from judgment, and who shall declare his generation? For he was cut off from the land of the living, for the transgression of my people was he stricken. and he made his grave with the wicked and with the rich in his death, because he had done no violence, neither was any deceit in his mouth. Yet it pleased the Lord to bruise him and to put him to grief. When thou wilt make his soul an offering for sin and shall see his seed, He shall prolong his days, and the pleasure of the Lord shall prosper in his hand. Folks, that verse 10 speaks of the resurrection of Jesus Christ. His days were prolonged, and the pleasure of the Lord prospers in his hand. Our Savior rose from the grave, and that is why the good news gospel 1 Corinthians chapter 15, the death, burial, and resurrection of the Lord Jesus Christ. And this table, folks, that we're to observe now should cause us to look back to what Jesus did for us. It should cause us to look inwardly at our stewardship and our faithfulness in light of all that he did for us, but then it also challenges us to look forward to the time when we will be gathered together with him in the glories of the kingdom of the Lord, among all of the kindred, tongues, and nations, all the converts of missionaries that faithfully preached the gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ, that won nationals around the world throughout the centuries, but they came to Jesus and we'll be all together. Some of our missionaries that we have supported, I think of Brother Hocking, faithful missionary of God. He'll be there, we'll get to see him and many of those that God graced him to lead. It'll not be a distinction of language or color or ethnic background or caste systems. We'll all be sinners saved by grace. Oh, let's thank the Lord for him, the immensity of his love for us. And tonight we're going to be looking at the resurrection of Christ in biblical typology that was given unto us as well. Let's bow our heads and as our elders come to prepare the table, we're going to look to the Lord. Heavenly Father, Lord, thank you for these scriptures that were given unto us through your choice servants. Lord, they did not understand them even as we do, but Lord, they were faithful penmen who responded by faith to the promptings of the Spirit of God and looked forward according to the measure of your revelation by faith they responded. And Lord, thank you that our response can be of faith because your word says the just shall live by faith. And Lord, forgive us for being faithless so many times through worry and anxiety, through taking matters in our own hands as we've seen of many Old Testament saints and the line and the practice continues, Lord, so often, too often in our own lives. Thank you for your grace and your mercy towards us. And as we observe this wonderful time of the table of the Lord, Lord, our last with reference to the history of Central Florida Bible Church, but certainly not our last with reference to the body of Christ. Lord, thank you that we can have this time together. Thank you, Lord, that we can have Charles and Dell officiating at this table as our longstanding elders And Lord, we thank you for their stewardship. And Lord, I know they raise their hands and they say, Lord, it is all of you for your glory. And that's true with all of us, Lord, in the measure of faith that you've given to us to serve you. Thank you for your grace. Thank you for Calvary. And thank you for the empty tomb. And Lord, thank you for your calling in each one of our lives unto salvation. Bless us now as we remember this sacred time together at the Lord's table. In Jesus' name I pray, amen.