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But the others said, "Wait, let us see whether Elijah will come to save him." Then Jesus cried again with a loud voice and breathed his last. At that moment the curtain of the temple was torn in two from top to bottom. The earth shook and the rocks were split and the tombs also were opened and many bodies

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of the saints who had fallen asleep were raised. After his resurrection, they came out of the tombs and entered into the holy city and appeared to many. Now when the centurion and those with him who were keeping watch over Jesus saw the

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earthquake and what took place they were terrified and said truly this man was God's son. The subject of the message when the worst happens when the worst happens. There are times when the bottom seems to drop out of life. What we do during those moments determines the quality of our faith and the nature of

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of our character. What happens when the worth occurs in our lives? We talk about it. We say if bad comes to worse,

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I'll do this or that. But when it really happens, what do we do? That's the meaning of the crucifixion as well as the resurrection in human experience.

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Many people would like to live in a dream world. We are programmed to engage in a relentless pursuit of happiness. As children we have our fantasies of a fairy godmother, Prince Charming, having a wonderful time at the ball, marrying and living happily ever after.

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But life doesn't work out that way. The road is not always smooth. There are some rough places. are bumps in the road, there are steep hills and dismal valleys. Those in

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pursuit of the best need to be prepared for the worst. That is the portrait of the pilgrims progress. In order to reach the heavenly city the traveler must go through the valley of despair. The crucifixion is about the worst that can happen. We've recently witnessed by way of the

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news media floods that have occurred in various sections of our country and some have had their homes completely ruined, abolished almost in the twinkling of an eye. People who were affected lost things, they spent a lifetime to accumulate. Treasures that cannot be replaced.

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We saw some who were bewildered and weeping, and some in the midst of their disappointment and sorrow expressed the determination to build again the same place where they had suffered such destruction. Good Friday is about the worst that can happen.

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The Son of God is crucified. Freedom is destroyed. Truth is crushed. The worst happens.

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The bottom falls out. The earth quakes. There is a shaking of the foundations. But if the foundations be destroyed, what can the righteous do?

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the crucifixion, the worst that can happen really happens. Graves are open. Those who slept get up and they walk about the streets of Jerusalem. Darkness covers the earth from the sixth to the ninth hour. What do we do when there is no light? When all around us is engulfed by darkness? What do we do when there is

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no evidence of sun, moon, or stars? What do we do when the worst happens? Well the ground on which we stand gives way and there is no light by which to travel. The worst happens when evil triumphs, when the demons of hell are in control. The temple of the Lord is a den of thieves. When the courts are no longer

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occupied by guardians of truth but a congregation of liars and thugs. What do we do when the worst happens? When our dream is deferred and suffers cruel defeat, the dream of the beloved community becomes a nightmare. What do we when the worst happens. When our closest companion forsake us and those in whom we

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have trusted deny us. When we looked for certain persons to protect us and they are the ones who really exposed us to danger. When that happens and the bottom seems to drop out, the worst happens. What do we do? That's what happened to Jesus. His closest companions, his disciples, forsook him and fled. One denied him,

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another betrayed him. His own nation brought charges against him and urged his crucifixion. Now that seems to be enough, but more than that God himself seems to have abandoned him. The God who is with us, where is he now? Where is he when his only son cries, "My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me?" And there is

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no answer. Only dull, drab silence. Job is a picture of peace and prosperity, but but his children are suddenly taken from him. There is catastrophe. He loses his wealth, he loses his family.

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He loses his health, he loses his friends. The worst happens. And when the worst happens, his wife counsels him, Joe, why don't you curse God and die?

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There's always people around to give you counsel when the worst happens. But even his friends, those on whom he has relied, tell him that there must be something wrong with his faith.

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But in the darkest night, Job cries, though he slay me, yet will I trust him. Jeremiah, prophet of Judah, called and ordained of the Lord is sent forth to proclaim the divine command.

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The bottom drops out. He says, "I won't preach anymore in God's name." And yet he holds on saying that his word is like a burning fire shut up in my bones.

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What do we do when the worst happens? What about Mary, the mother of Jesus? She watches her firstborn son die a humiliating death at the age of 33.

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Now that's enough, but she suffers the embarrassment that seems to cover her entire life from the very beginning.

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She's humiliated with the birth of her son, and now she's humiliated at the death of her son. Now isn't that too much to ask? Well, it's said have been enough, we would say,

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standing there by the cross, watching him die as he did. But when the worst happens, we descend to the depths of despair, and there we experience the most cruel disappointment.

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What do we do when the worst happens? I hear Job crying out, I will wait until my change comes. There is this waiting period in the schedule of events.

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Saturday is a day of silence. Nothing happens, just a day of silence. And there are many times in our lives when we find ourselves at the very depths of despair, we are facing disappointment, we are facing discouragement, we've listened as the doctor

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has said, "I've done all I can do and there's nothing more I can do for you." And we find ourselves at the bottom, and in the midst of it, there's nothing we can do but wait. To wait on God, just wait.

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"They that wait," says the prophet Isaiah, "upon the Lord shall renew their strength. "They shall mount up with wings of eagles. "They shall run and not be weary.

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"They shall walk and not faint." In other words, there's nothing that they do but wait. And God acts. They wait.

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Mary waits. Job waits. Jeremiah waits. Nothing they can do.

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They've done all that they could do, And yet, things haven't worked out the way they'd like for them to have worked out. And so they wait.

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What do we do? Sometimes we try to take things into our own hands. What do we do? When the worst happens.

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We don't find the disciples going around saying, you know, they mistreated our Lord. Let's go and see about those guards. Let's get our forces together

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and go take care of those guards. They took care of Jesus on that day. We can take care of them. No, they wait.

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They wait through the darkness of Good Friday. They wait through the darkness of that Saturday night. They wait. When the worst happens, wait through the night.

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For no matter how dark the night, Wait, wait on the Lord. There is a great earthquake. See, God acts.

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There's nothing we can do to prevent an earthquake. That's the action of God. When the ground on which we stand is shaken, that's God's action.

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Gods are fearful. The stone is rolled away, an angel comes from heaven. It's God's action. When we wait on the Lord, God acts in his own time.

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And so it is God who raised the crucified Jesus. That's when the worst has happened. The very son of God is crucified. When man has done his worst,

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God reveals the best action from heaven to us. And that's good news. That's good news in your life, that's good news in my life,

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that's good news in the life of the human family, that when the worst happens, just wait on the Lord. There's a story that's told by the poet Joaquin Miller

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about Columbus when he was sailing the seas trying to find this new world. Didn't know where he was, just sailing shoreless seas. And the men were threatening mutiny

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and the mate comes to him and saying that, You know, we're just facing shoreless seas, the winds are contrary, the men are growing mutinous day by day,

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what shall we do? And the answer comes, sail on. Sail on. And he comes back and he says over and over again,

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and the word is still the same, sail on. So when you find yourself in gaff, engulfed, engulfed by darkness and there seems to be no sun, no moon, no stars, sail on. Sail on, sail on when the seas are rough and the winds are contrary, sail on because God

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God has for us a new shore, some new experience. So wait on Him and we need not be afraid of what may happen when God acts. But we just need to be sure that we are hooked up with God. So this Jesus that was crucified was raised up by God.

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In other words, this action we celebrate today, this action of Easter shows that God is in charge. He's in charge. When the devil has done his worst, God is still in charge.

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And so, as we journey forth as pilgrims of the upward way, let us remember that God is in charge. when death comes, when we are defeated and when we are at the lowest level in life,

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God is in charge. Surely, he shall deliver thee from the snare of the fowler and from the noisome pestilence. Surely, he shall cover thee with his feathers

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and under his wings shalt thou trust. His truth shall be thy shield and buckler. So be not, be not afraid of the terror by night. Now for the arrow that flies by day, God is in charge.

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Don't worry about the pestilence that walketh in the darkness, the destruction that wasted that noonday because God is in charge. And even when the worst happens, a thousand may fall

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at thy side and 10,000 at thy right hand, but it shall not come nigh thee. God is in charge. So Palm Sunday comes.

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Palm Sunday comes with its praise. Palm Sunday comes with its moment of exaltation. God is in charge on Palm Sunday. But after Palm Sunday, there comes Good Friday.

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Good Friday with all of its darkness. Good Friday with all of its disappointment. Good Friday with all of its shattered hopes. God is still in charge because Easter comes.

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Easter comes. When the darkest night passes away, Easter comes. Early, early on Sunday morning, Jesus gets up. God raised him up.

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And the good news is that no matter how many times we may fall, God is able to raise us up and let us go forth in newness of life, in a new adventure, in a new challenge.

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God is in charge. He lives. That's the news that they spread on the first Easter. That's the news that we celebrate today.

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Almost 2,000 years later, he lives. The door of the church is open as we extend the privilege to become a part of the family of God here at Ebenezer. You may come by letter, by Christian experience,

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or profession of faith. [ Music ] He walks with me and talks with me along life's narrow way. He lives, He lives, I've listened to Him talk.

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You ask me how I know He lives, He lives within my heart. I serve the risen Savior, He's in the world today. I know that He is living, whatever men may say. I see His hand of mercy, I hear His voice of cheer.

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But just the time I need Him, He's always near. [MUSIC] ♪ And talks to me along the narrow way ♪ ♪ He lives, he lives ♪

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♪ Our nation to impart ♪ ♪ You ask me how I know he lives ♪ ♪ He lives within my heart ♪ ♪ In all the world around me ♪

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♪ I see His love and care ♪ ♪ And though my heart grows weary ♪ ♪ I never will despair ♪ ♪ I know that He is leading ♪

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♪ Through all the stormy flasks ♪ ♪ The day of His appearing ♪ ♪ Will come at last ♪ He lives, he lives, Christ Jesus lives today.

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He walks with me and talks with me along my narrow way. He lives, he lives, salvation to him comes. You ask me how I know he lives. He lives within us all.

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Rejoice, rejoice, O Christian. Give back your hearts 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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♪ None other is so happy, so good and kind ♪ ♪ He lives, he lives, for seasons live today ♪ ♪ He walks with me and talks with me ♪ ♪ While all hearts bear away ♪

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♪ He lives, he lives, salvation to him find ♪ ♪ You must see how I knew Him yet ♪ ♪ He lives within my heart ♪ - Amen, amen.

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Did you bow your heads? Bow unto him who is able to keep you from falling and present you before his glorious presence with exceeding joy. To the only wise God our Father be glory and majesty, dominion and power, now and forevermore. Amen. Now you keep your seats while those who were celebrating birthdays will go now to the rear of the sanctuary, please.

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All those who stood celebrating birthdays. [silence] [music] Good to see you. Thank you.

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Thank you. Thank you. [ Silence ]