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[ Silence ] [MUSIC PLAYING] (upbeat music) ♪ It wasn't the nails that held him to the cross ♪

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♪ He could have come down ♪ ♪ But the world would still be lost ♪ ♪ The ransom was so high ♪ ♪ Only he could pay the cost ♪

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♪ It wasn't the nails that held him to the cross ♪ ♪ Oh, it wasn't ♪ ♪ Wasn't the nails ♪ ♪ The nails that ♪

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♪ That held him ♪ ♪ Held him to the cross ♪ ♪ Oh, he could have come down ♪ ♪ Come down ♪

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♪ But my soul would still be lost ♪ ♪ Oh, the ransom was so high ♪ ♪ Only He could pay the cost ♪ ♪ It wasn't the nails that held Him to the cross ♪

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♪ He was wounded by our transgressions ♪ ♪ Bruised by our iniquities ♪ ♪ By his stripes we were healed ♪ ♪ As he hung there at Calvary ♪

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♪ He was lifted up from the earth ♪ ♪ In order to draw men ♪ ♪ It was God that held him there ♪ ♪ And saved us from all our sins ♪

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It wasn't the nails that held him to the cross. He could have come down, but the world would still be long. ♪ Oh, the ransom was so high ♪ ♪ Only he could pay the cost ♪

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♪ He wasn't the lizard ♪ ♪ Held him to the cross ♪ ♪ For God so loved the world ♪ ♪ That he gave his only son ♪

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♪ No greater love had been given ♪ ♪ To anyone ♪ ♪ And the son gave his life ♪ ♪ It was taken by men ♪

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♪ He had the power to lay it down ♪ ♪ And the power to pick it up again ♪ ♪ Oh, it was us ♪ ♪ The lambs that held him ♪

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♪ To the cross ♪ ♪ He could have come down ♪ ♪ Come down ♪ ♪ But the world would still be lost ♪

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♪ The ransom was so high ♪ ♪ Only he could pay the cost ♪ ♪ It wasn't the nails that held him to the cross ♪ ♪ Oh, it wasn't the nails that held him to the cross ♪

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♪ He could have come down ♪ ♪ But the world would still be lost ♪ ♪ The ransom was so high ♪ ♪ Only he could pay the cost ♪

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♪ It wasn't the nails that held him to the cross ♪ - Amen. - Amen. (laughter) - Hear this word, which is recorded in the gospel

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according to Saint Matthew, the 28th chapter, the first two verses. In the end of the Sabbath, as it began to dawn So at the first day of the week came Mary Magdalene and the other Mary to see the sepulcher.

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And behold, there was a great earthquake, for the angel of the Lord descended from heaven and came and rolled back the stone from the door and sat upon it." The subject, no stone left. No stone left. Jesus is He was crucified on Saturday, Friday.

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He died and was hereditarily buried so that his body would not be there on the Jewish Sabbath. Joseph of Arimathea, a secret disciple, boldly asks Pilate for permission to take the body from the cross. Nicodemus, who's also a secret disciple, comes out of hiding, brings 100 pounds of embalming ointment made

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from myrrh and aloes. Together they wrap Jesus' body in long linen cloth, saturated with spices.

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Near the crucifixion is a graveyard with a new tomb that has never been used before. The body of Jesus is put in the new rock-hewn tomb. And then, in addition to that, a great stone is rolled across the entrance.

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The stone alone was not considered secure enough to keep Jesus in the grave. The chief priests and Pharisees went to Pilate requesting an order to seal the tomb. They were afraid the disciples would come by night and steal the body of Jesus

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and claim he had risen from the dead. Pilate told him to use the temple police. They could make it secure. But how much security is needed for God?

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They are fearful, so they seal the tomb and post guards to protect the tomb from intrusion. remarked, "To make the tomb as secure as you can is supported by the placement of a huge stone-like cart, a cart wheel, in fact, which is a groove that is sealed. The guards are on duty, but the stone is placed there to keep Jesus in the grave and to prevent

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him from being brought back to life. sure now that if Jesus gets up, he cannot get out. The stone means the door is shut. No way out and no way in. The body is locked in the tomb. The ignoble in, the enemies of Jesus sought

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is sought is not only achieved, it is celebrated. They hold a conference and celebrate around the grave. When we are exhausted, when we have exhausted every effort, we often say we have left no stone unturned. No stone. We've utilized every possibility. No stone

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is left unturned. Every possible avenue is explored. So they have done everything they know to do to keep Jesus in the grave. We also use stones as steps. Stones are used to provide opportunities for us to upward or downward. And we use stones not only to help, but we

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also use stones to hurt. The old saying is, "Sticks and stones may break my bones." We throw stones at those that we dislike, that we want to get rid of, that we want to shut out of our lives, those that we seek to lock in tombs that are made of symbolical stones.

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Jesus remains in the tomb Friday night. And as we consider his entombment in reference to the stones, no stone now is left unturned. They've done everything possible.

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They've not only put him inside the tomb, but they have sealed the tomb. It has the Roman seal. Anyone breaking in, breaking that seal will be found guilty of having violated the law of the state. Here He is, shut in. We use stones today. This stone is used

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to block, keep people out. And we have stones that we encounter time and time again. We build walls to keep people out, stones to block the way. So the eternal goodness goes on regardless of obstructions. That's the good news of Easter. That there are forces at work in our world that we cannot destroy,

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we cannot keep out. So this stone that is left at the door of the tomb is locked and sealed and the evening after the crucifixion when the Sabbath ended, Mary Magdalene and and Mary the mother of Jesus go out and purchase embalming spices in one account. Another account says that these spices were brought by Joseph of Arimathea and Nicodemus

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as they dress the body. But they have a faith that continues to shine in the midst of the darkness. We need this faith.

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This is the Easter faith. The Easter faith that shines both bright and clear when tempests rage without, that when in danger knows no fear, in darkness knows no doubt.

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So early on Sunday morning, when the women are on their way to the tomb with spices, they discuss how they may roll the stone away, how it can be rolled away. They have no idea of having the strength to do that themselves.

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but they at least think about who would roll the stone away. This huge stone that is before the entrance of the grave. And these stones represent those things today that block our lives.

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Some of us know some specific stones that keep us from being what we ought to be, what we can be. Some stones are there that prevent us

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from being true to ourselves. There's a stone of hate. And we have to be careful, especially during time of war, because usually we teach people to hate our enemies.

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enemies, those who are opposition, we teach them. And we have a tendency to demonize the enemy. And we don't have to wait until we get to war with some other nation miles away. But we have enemies, people we don't like, right? Sometimes in

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families, sometimes on our jobs. And these stones block the way of our exhibiting the kind of life that God has designed us to portray in the world. So, as a stone of hostility, to be distasteful and angry toward each other and to detest each other. This is a stone that's placed in the entrance to the good

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life, in the entrance to happiness, in the entrance to the realization of the divine design. Who shall roll away the stone? We cannot do it ourselves alone. Who shall roll away the stone? Another stone is the stone of depression. Depression. Oh, how heavy the weight of

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depression is when we come down with it and we find that this stone causes us to be heavy in sorrow. In fact, those women who make the journey to the tomb are depressed. They are sorrow. And the stone of depression is prevalent today. We are heavy with sorrow over many things that have occurred

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in our lives and many things that are happening in the world. The stone of depression. And who shall roll away the stone? You can't do it with just, by just taking Valium. Some do that. But when you stop taking it, you still find out you're right where you were.

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Still just a little heavy. Who shall roll away the stone? Some have what we call drug dependencies. And we have tried in vain to roll away the stone.

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But who shall roll away the stone? The stone of oppression. The cry of oppressed peoples of the world who seek freedom, who seek security, who seek equality of opportunity.

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cry today is, "Who shall roll away the stone?" And the answer to the question that the women raised is given here in Scripture, an angel, an angel, a messenger from God, an angel An angel came from heaven, a messenger from the eternal.

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An angel came from heaven. God dispatched an angel from heaven to descend to this earth and to roll back the stone from the tomb. And so the stone remains no longer there

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to block the entrance. it's moved so that no stone, not the stone of oppression, not the stone of depression, not the stone of hate, none of these, they are all moved away.

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And no stone is left at the door of the tomb. Now when we try to roll away the stone, our efforts are in vain. We need the help of the eternal.

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We need the help of heaven. So the person who tries all of these artificial means finds that they are in vain. Who shall open the door?

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God sends an angel. So not only do we have stones used to block the way, block the way to the highest happiness, But we also have stones that are used to build.

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Stones may be used to block, but they're also used to build. - Yes. - Stones, I referred to earlier as stepping stones

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to higher levels of spiritual living. The same stones that were stumbling blocks may be used as stepping stones. Stones that are used to hurt and destroy may also be used to shelter and help.

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Stones are silent witnesses of our pilgrimage. So during the Palm Sunday celebration, The Pharisees told Jesus to rebuke his disciples, and he said to them, "If they keep quiet,

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"the stones along the road will cry out." Jesus, the carpenter, knew full well the valley of stones. He knew full well what it means, Because he tells a story about those builders,

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one wise and one foolish, one built on sinking sand, the other built on a solid rock. And that, again, is a symbol of stone.

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So stone is the symbol of solidarity. Solidarity. And we used to talk about a person as being a solid person.

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No holler, but solid. We need more solid people who are not putting on a front, but who are real through and through, solid. - Solid. - Solid families.

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Solid individuals. Solid witnesses for Jesus Christ to be solid. be solid. Solidarity. We seek solidarity in our world. Solidarity in our commitment to those things which are good and true and beautiful. And God is the great builder. The stone there

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representing this solidarity and representing the power of the eternal. Jesus was a carpenter and so he knew full well the use of stones and it is strange that at the last we have is a stone rolled up against his tomb so that he would not get out. And we look at it and we see in it lessons for our lives,

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lessons that we can profit from. So, Peter picks it up later and when he writes his epistle and he says, "Get rid of hatred, get rid of hatred." We all know we need to get rid of it.

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"But who shall roll the stone away?" Get rid of oppression. know that we should have a peaceful world and people should not be oppressed, but how do we achieve it? Get rid of it. Well,

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God has a way of accomplishing that which is in keeping with His will. And He blesses us by sometimes keeping the stone where it is because when the stones remain there to obstruct to prevent us from moving forward, we recognize then our

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limitations and we recognize the power of God. So God sends an send an angel. I've had some stones in my life. I grew up in poverty. I had some stones in my life, but God reached down. He sent an angel from heaven and removed the stones from the

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door. And there were opportunities provided where there was a prison. The door was open. And I was permitted to--and no doubt you've had some stones in your life. So God is building us up with stones. There are obstructions, but God takes

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and used them to strengthen us and to build us up. And he's building a city. He's building a city. You know a wonderful thing about Jerusalem,

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when you visit Jerusalem and you're able to see it at night, it's a beautiful city, beautiful city. Looks like all of the dwellings seem to be made of stone. And to see those white stones in the darkness,

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and the lights of the stars, and the buildings all around, and you see how beautiful this city is. And no one can say, "Oh, what a beautiful city."

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The prophet later picks this up and talks about the beauty of the city, And the gates that are there all around, 12 gates to the city. Halleloo.

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Oh, what a beautiful city. Well, we are to be the new Jerusalem that God's building up. And Paul picks up the refrain when

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he says that you are living stones in God's building. Building up a new city, a new people. God is at work in the world, so no stone is left unturned as God builds His new people in the world.

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So the lives that are obstructions, the lives that are being built, and then the lives that that are being blessed by the stone. Oh, what a blessing it was in the life of those who came to the tomb

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to see that God had rolled away the tomb. The tombstone. We had an experience in one city a tall building and people refer to it as a tombstone, just one building as a tombstone.

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Well some lives may be referred to as a tombstone, some people may be referred to in that way, but the miracle of Easter is that the stone that is meant to destroy, to obstruct, is rolled away. That's the joy of Easter. That's the Easter faith that we can overcome. No matter how heavy may be the burden, no matter how dark may be the night, that we can overcome.

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We can overcome. We can be blessed by the obstructions. We can be blessed by our problems. God blesses us by removing and causing us to triumph where there are stones. Thanks be to God for the Easter faith. Jesus Christ triumphs.

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He comes all the way from heaven to this earth and He triumphs over sin. He triumphs over death. He triumphs over every obstacle in this world. Jesus Christ is Lord.

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So that's the Easter faith. No matter what happens, no matter what happens, my hope. My hope is not in anything that we may have in this world. Wonderful thing to have Easter clothes.

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It's a wonderful thing. But I'm talking about some clothes that wear out when we talk about Easter clothes. They become threadbare.

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They become old. They become out of style. But those who come to the tomb are given new clothes to wear.

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A new hope. My hope is built on nothing less than Jesus' blood and righteousness. I dare not trust the sweetest rain,

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but wholly lean on Jesus' name. On Christ, on Christ, on Christ the solid rock I stand. All other ground is sinking sand. All other ground is sinking sand.

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So when you link up with Jesus, no stone is left that can prevent you from enjoying the ultimate happiness. No stone. We come now to the hymn of invitation,

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Rock of Ages. Rock of Ages. Jesus Christ is himself the rock. The rock that sustains us,

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the rock that leads us, the rock that protects us. As one person put it, we are saved by the rock that wrecked us.

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Save rock that wrecks us with saves us. So we invite you to accept that rock

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as the means of your salvation. Accept that rock as the means of

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your strength. Accept that rock. Door of the church is open. We invite you to come

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by letter by Christian experience. [ Music ] ♪ And behind myself will lean ♪ ♪ Let the water and the rod ♪

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♪ From my wound get sandwiched cold ♪ ♪ Be of sin the dough of youth ♪ ♪ Save from death the vaguely blue ♪ ♪ Could my tears for ever flow ♪

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♪ Could my sin no name but know ♪ ♪ Please forsake me ♪ ♪ Hear, do not atone ♪ ♪ Thou the Saviour and Thou the Lord ♪

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♪ In my end, your rights I bring ♪ ♪ Stably to the cross I cling ♪ [ Music ] [ Music ]

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♪ When I rise to worlds unknown ♪ ♪ And behold me on thy throne ♪ ♪ Rock of Ages, left for me ♪ ♪ Let me hide ♪

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myself in thee. [ Silence ]