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[Silence] [Unintelligible] [Unintelligible] The fifteenth chapter,

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[Unintelligible] beginning with the thirty-fifth verse, [Unintelligible] "How are the dead raised up,

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and with what body do they come? Thou fool, that which thou sowest is not quickened, except it die.

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And that which thou sowest, thou sowest not that body that shall be, but bare grain. It may chance of wheat or of some other grain. But God giving glory of the terrestrial is another.

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There is one glory of the sun, another glory of the moon, and another glory of the stars. For one star

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differeth from another star in glory. So also is the resurrection of the dead. It is sown in corruption.

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It is raised in incorruption. It is sown in dishonor. It is raised in glory. It is sown in weakness.

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It is raised in power. It is so a natural body. It is raised the spiritual body. There is a natural body

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and there is a spiritual body. And so it is written the first man Adam was made a living soul.

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The last Adam was made a quickening spirit. How be it that was not first which is spiritual, but that which is natural, and afterward that which is spiritual. The first man is of the earth, earthy. The second man is of the Lord

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from heaven. As is the earthy which such are they also that are earthy, and as is the heavenly, such are they also that are heavenly. And as we have borne the image of the earthly, we shall also bear the image of the heavenly. Now this I say, brethren, that flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God, neither doth corruption inherit incorruption. Behold,

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I show you a mystery. We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed in a moment in the twinkling of an eye at the last trump. For the trumpet shall sound and the dead shall be raised incorruptible and we shall be changed. For the corruptible must put on incorruption and this mortal must put on

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immortality. So when this corruptible shall have put on incorruption and this mortal shall have put on immortality, then shall be brought to pass the saying that is written, "Death is swallowed up in victory." Oh death, where is thy sting? O grave, where is thy victory?

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The sting of death is sin, and the strength of sin is the law. But thanks be to God, which giveth us the victory

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through our Lord Jesus Christ. Therefore, my beloved brethren, be ye steadfast, unmovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord,

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for as much as ye know that your labor is not in vain in the Lord. This is the word of the Lord. We would like for you to stand at this time and sing the hymn, "Jesus is Lord."

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Just "Jesus is Lord." Hymn 126. [MUSIC PLAYING] ♪ He is Lord, He is Lord ♪

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♪ He is risen from the dead ♪ ♪ He is Lord ♪ ♪ Every knee shall bow ♪ ♪ Every tongue confess ♪

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♪ That He is your Spirit, His Lord ♪ ♪ He is Lord ♪ ♪ He is Lord ♪ ♪ He is risen from the dead ♪

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♪ He is Lord ♪ ♪ Every knee shall bow ♪ Every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord. Death is swallowed up in victory.

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There is thy victory. The sting of death is sin and the strength of sin is the Lord.

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Death is swallowed up in victory. That's the good news that we celebrate today. In the celebration of Easter we celebrate

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the victory of Christ over death, victory. I have had many reflections concerning death, and many times people say this is a joyful time,

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Easter, joyful time, let's not mention death. And many times when we have conversation and death comes up about when one may die, we say, don't talk about that. We like to talk about the pleasant things

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and death is not pleasant. But the apostle here tells us that death is the last enemy that every one of us must confront death. It is the last enemy.

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As a little boy, I can recall that when we were preparing to eat a meal from time to time, my uncle would go out into the backyard where the chickens were and take the chicken

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and just wring its neck. And till the neck was off, so to speak, and then I would watch and see that chicken jumping, jumping, jumping, jumping,

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until finally the chicken would jump no more. That was the end of the chicken. And I often wondered how the chicken felt. You know, that if life were not as precious to the chicken

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as it is to me. So this is a very, very important message that comes to us wrapped in the resurrection experience that is described by the Apostle Paul.

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Oh death, where is thy sting? "Oh grave, where is thy victory?" My first reflection as a child was over that chicken's death. And then I remembered the fact that the word was said to Adam and Eve

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that you're not to eat of the fruit in the midst of the garden, not even to touch it for when you do so you will die. So they disobeyed, they disobeyed and they were put out of the garden because of their disobedience. So in the time allotted for this sermon I want us to

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remember just four words death, disobedience, despair, and darkness. death, disobedience, despair, and darkness. Adam and Eve were told that they would surely die, and yet we see them going out of the garden,

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being put out of the garden. We see them carrying on outside of Eden. So this death is a spiritual death, Spiritual death not just the physical death

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but a spiritual death and It is a death that is related to Divine Disobedience the disobedience of Adam and Eve to God's command

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called death Death I remember Isidore, we were in the junior department in Sunday school together, and it was near the end of school, we had a play day we called it.

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His mother had told him not to leave the school campus, but Isidore disobeyed. He left the school campus and went down to the creek, which was not very far away, swimming. Isidore was supposed to be a good swimmer, but somehow he got in what some of the fellas call a whirl, a pool or whatever it is, a whirl, where you just go around and around

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and he did not seem to get out. And he drowned. They called the fire department. I was there when the fire department fished him out,

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so to speak. And we celebrated his life and his death. And I remember the preacher saying, our pastor saying, If he had obeyed his mother, he would not be here today.

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And all those words seem to be such harsh words, but those are words that I have never, never forgotten. And there were times when I would have disobeyed, but I thought about Isidore.

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And I said, no. If he said he had obeyed, he would not be here. So death has to do with disobedience to God, failing to do what God tells us to do.

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There is an emptiness in our lives. There is a meaninglessness that overwhelms us when we are disobedient to God. Now, death is also related to despair.

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The Williams girls that are so popular in tennis, they've done well. One of the reasons the family said that they've done so well is that they listen

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to the advice of their parents. Others have received good advice, but they have not listened. But they listened to the good advice of their parents.

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Tiger Woods, who has made us all proud, followed the advice of his father and he was supported by the mother. - Yes.

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- Obedience. But there is such a thing as despair that's related to death. Despair, despair.

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There is a saying that's written over the entrance of hell that Dante in his Divine Comedy has, "Abandon all hope, those who enter here." No more hope.

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That's the end of hope. So despair is to be without hope. And I think one of the things we see demonstrated in the lives of many today is hopelessness, hopelessness.

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Strawberry, whose story is in the paper today. Great ability. Wonderful potential. could have continued to break possibly records year after year, but somehow he got caught in the dope traffic.

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And his career has been ruined. And now it's a question as to whether or not he still has hope. Hope, hope, despair, hope, no hope. Then there is darkness associated with the symbols related to the Easter story.

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Death, disobedience, despair, and darkness. When one is put in the grave, the door is closed, there is darkness, darkness, darkness. When Mary is on her way to the grave, it's dark. While it is yet dark, she is on her way.

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There's darkness, darkness. Now, there comes good news in the midst of all of these things, all of these negatives in life, there comes good news. When I was a boy, something unusual happened in the neighborhood, you'd hear, "Extra, extra,

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read all about it!" Don't have that anymore, at least I don't hear it. people would run and say, "What has happened? What has happened? What's the news?" And I imagine if it were done that way in the light of what happens here in the

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first century, to say, "Extra, extra, read all about it. Jesus Christ has risen from the dead. His disciples have seen him." And people would be knocking on doors, spreading the word from here to there about it. Well here they are, death, disobedience, despair, darkness, but here comes a word from heaven saying death is swallowed up in

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in victory. We don't have to worry about victory. It's assured through Jesus Christ. Death is swallowed up in victory. Some of the older people used to put it this way, say, "I've died once." In other words, we come from death into life. And we say, "I I know that I've passed from death into life

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because I love the brethren. That means the sisters too. - Yes. - One brother said, "Well, what about the sisters?"

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He said, "I love them before I pass from death into life." (audience laughing) Life, eternal life. That's the Easter experience, eternal life

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that comes in the midst of death. The pilgrim in John Bunyan's Pilgrim's Progress starts running on the way to that heavenless city, running, saying, "Life, life, life, eternal life!"

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That's what we want. And that's what is made possible in the life of Jesus Christ. So we need not worry about the kind of happy endings

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that we hear described in Hollywood versions. There is an ending here that is superseded by that which is to come. Disobedience, well, we constitute those who believe.

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Who believe, we are believers in Jesus Christ. We believe that because he rose from the dead that we too shall rise. And the older I get, the stronger is my belief

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that we shall rise, that this is not the end, that there is a world beyond this veil of wrath and tears, that there's another world. And somehow when the time comes for us to end,

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I'll stay here, we do not step down into the ground, but we step up to that great gallery of saints that are in heaven who watch us run this race with patience that God has set before us.

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So the last is darkness, darkness, darkness. Easter overcomes death. It's swallowed up in victory. It overcomes disobedience

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because God through Jesus Christ forgives us of our sins. And that's good news again. He forgives us. That is said that Adam and Eve

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would not have been driven out of the garden if they had confessed their sins. After they did what God told them not to do, they never confessed and asked forgiveness.

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So they were driven out of the garden. But through Jesus Christ, confession may be made and forgiveness received for our sins. And then comes that hope, that hope.

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That hope that is eternal. And that hope that is accompanied by light, eternal life, light, eternal life. This is what John says,

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the light shines in the darkness. That's why we celebrate Easter. We celebrate it many times in the midst of darkness. Some of us have heavy hearts.

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Some of us have difficult situations and we don't see how they're going to be solved. And we find ourselves perplexed and distressed in the midst of our celebration.

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But in the midst of it all, God speaks to us, saying that the light shines in the darkness and the darkness can never put it out. So in the midst of all of the gloom and doom of our world,

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there is this light that shines. The light that shines. And when the end shall come, we shall be ushered into a city

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where there is no night, where there is no darkness, where there is no sickness, where there is no disappointment,

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where there is no death, but light, eternal light that shines. And I thank God that he has prepared this place for the faithful, so that as we journey along life,

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that when we come to the end of the way, that somehow he is there to greet us, and to comfort us, and to assure us that death is swallowed up in victory.

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Can't even see it, it's swallowed. The victory is ours and so we can sing and we can shout and we say victory is mine. Everyone ought to have that conviction deep down

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your soul. Victory! Victory is mine. Victory over evil. Victory over the obstacles of this life. Victory is mine. Victory is mine. So as we come down to the invitation we extend the privilege of the church to accept Jesus Christ as Lord of your life. It's an open door he sets before us, an invitation to

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Christian discipleship. You may come by letter, by Christian experience, or on profession of faith. He lives. He lives. He lives. I know he lives because he lives in my soul. We invite you to make that commitment today as we sing "Will You Come."

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[MUSIC] >> The door of the church is open. I invite you to come. A letter by Christian Experience.

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[MUSIC] ♪ That He is living ♪ ♪ Whatever men may say ♪ ♪ I see His hand of mercy ♪

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♪ I hear His voice of truth ♪ ♪ And just the fact that He lives ♪ ♪ Is always new ♪ ♪ He lives, He lives ♪

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♪ And Jesus lives today ♪ ♪ He loves you dear and comes to you ♪ ♪ Alone and never away ♪ ♪ He lives, he lives ♪

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♪ Our praise shall to him fall ♪ ♪ You ask me how I know he lives ♪ ♪ Believe, believe my heart ♪ ♪ In all the world around me ♪

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♪ I see his loving care ♪ ♪ And though my heart grows weary ♪ ♪ I never will despair ♪ ♪ I know that he is near me ♪

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♪ Through all this time we've had ♪ ♪ The day of years of fury ♪ ♪ Will come at last ♪ ♪ He lives, he lives ♪

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♪ When Jesus lives today ♪ ♪ He walks with me and talks with me ♪ ♪ Along my narrow way ♪ ♪ He lives, He lives ♪

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♪ Salvation to impart ♪ ♪ You ask me how I know He lives ♪ ♪ He lives within my heart ♪ ♪ He just rejoices ♪

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♪ Lift up your voice and sing ♪ ♪ Eternal hallelujah to Jesus Christ the King ♪ ♪ The hope of all who see him ♪ ♪ The help of all who find him ♪

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♪ The love that is so loving ♪ ♪ So good and kind ♪ ♪ He lives, he lives ♪ ♪ And Jesus lives today ♪

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♪ He walks with me and talks with me ♪ ♪ A love that's never late ♪ ♪ He lives, he lives ♪ ♪ Salvation to his heart ♪

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♪ You ask me how ♪ ♪ I know he lives ♪ ♪ He lives ♪ ♪ Within my heart ♪

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- Amen, amen. Let's listen to the report of our church clerk, Brother Terry Steele. - We have coming back home to reunite with us

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is Sister Michelle Washington. She's no stranger here, she's been here. Her daughter's that lovely voice you hear in the choir sometimes. [APPLAUSE]

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There's a lot of things on her heart, and she'd not like to say them at this time, but she needs your prayers and your guidance. She's coming back home.

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She wants to reunite with us. Let's all say amen. Amen. She grew up here, so she's just coming back home.

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Amen. Amen. All who are willing to receive her as such, say aye. Aye.

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We are glad to welcome you back home. And may God bless you as we shall be praying for you and praying that we shall be found together working out our soul's salvation,

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as the scripture says, with fear and trembling. God bless you and keep you. Let's all say amen again. - Amen.

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- Amen. Those persons who stood earlier celebrating birthdays this week, would you go now to the rear of the sanctuary?

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[ Silence ] >> Can we have some music while that's taking place, sister? Jackson? [ Music ]

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[ Silence ]