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Bibleline Bibleline, here God’s word on Bibleline, here God’s truth on Bibleline. Welcome to Bibleline with Dr. Ralph Yankee Arnold, pastor of Calvary Community Church in Tampa, Florida, clearly declaring the gospel of Jesus Christ through the radio and the internet. Your regular prayers and monthly support make it possible for Bibleline to continue on the air. You can reach us toll free at 1-800-576-3771. Online donations may be made by clicking on the donations link on the BibleLineMinistries.org homepage. We pray that you will enjoy our commitment to the clear gospel of Jesus Christ and that today’s concluding message of this teaching will be a blessing to you and your family.

Look at number three, there is no resurrection. Christ didn’t come back, then there is absolutely no resurrection of anybody, because He claimed to be God in the flesh. And while He was here, they said He walked on water. This says He could make the blind to see, the death they hear, the dumb to speak, and even can raise the dead. But we know that was just a myth. None of That’s true. What difference does it make? I remember somebody saying that.

What difference does it make? Oh yes, that was Hillary. How she got herself into this sermon, I don’t know. Look at number four. Number four, then our preaching is in vain. It means that everything that I’m preaching about isn’t worth a quarter. Sometimes that’s why we only get a quarter from some people. It’s a waste of time. Look how many preachers there are across the country. Look how many different kinds of religion there are. All promising something beyond this life.

I don’t care if you believe in Buddha and Mohamina Confucius or a foot washing Aborigines. They all believe in something. That life after death. But if there is no life after death. How does anybody know that you can live after you die? Only because of the resurrection of Jesus Christ. He is the proof that there’s life after death because outside of that you have no proof The resurrection of Jesus Christ is the foundation upon which Christianity has been built Christ died on the cross Lot of people died on crosses Christ was crucified.

Yes He shed his blood lot of people shed their blood He died a lot of people die If there’s no resurrection, there’s no difference between Jesus dying and any other man dying. The only reason we believe He is God in the flesh and every promise He made is true. He says, I have power to lay it down my life and I have power to take it up again. Nobody else has ever done that. He is the proof that there’s life after death if there is a resurrection.

But if there be no resurrection, well, look what it says. And then in verse number five, we are found Jehovah’s Witnesses of God. I believe that there is a resurrection. Jesus Christ is who He claimed to be. And I know that I have eternal life. I know that I’m going to heaven whenever I die. But see if there’s no resurrection, you can’t know that. Because you don’t have anything to base it upon. opinion is just like, well, we had everybody raise their arm, raise your arm, you lose your charm.

But opinions are like armpits, everybody got them, they all stink. And everybody got opinions. Isn’t it a shame nobody agrees with anybody? Every man is gone after us, well, does his own thing, goes his own way. And that’s why it’s hard for people to get along because we’re so independent. We all want to be little bosses. And we don’t like anybody telling us what we can and cannot do and where we can and cannot go or how we can and cannot live.

And here’s God. God says, I made you and I have the right to tell you. Well, how do you know there’s a God? Have you seen him lately? The resurrection of Jesus Christ is what puts everything in true focus. So you can really see and understand beyond this life. Look you the next statement. You see, if there is no resurrection, the dead do not rise. And having a grave and that’s just a planting of a body and a grave in the first Corinthians that talk about that’s like a seed that’s planted and something’s going to grow.

These bodies are going to come back from the dead because God said so. Well, how do we know to take him at his word? Because of the resurrection of Jesus Christ. Look at number eight there I wrote down here. yet in your sins it means that you have sinned and you are going to have to pay for your sins and you are condemned to an eternity in hell. But if there is no resurrection of Christ that means there’s no justice in this world.

It means a lot of people do a lot of things wrong to a lot of other people and they don’t have to pay for it. I remember years ago, we always taught crime does not pay. Don’t tell people in Washington that they go in there and they make a little salary and I walk out with 10, 15 million dollars worth. Where do they get it? They work for us and also we paid them. So how did they get all this other money?

I think somebody’s been crooked somewhere along the line. They’re yet in their sins. And there’s no hope of it ever changing. Nothing can can never get any better. We can’t change this world because we all have the same sinful desires and it’s ugly. We have a wicked sinful nature. Look at the next statement. Number nine, they also, which are fallen asleep in Christ, are perished. The Bible said that. If there is no resurrection, then when He makes a statement in John 3, 16, for God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten Son that whosoever it beleaveth in him should not perish.

It means you will not perish. It means you will not go to hell when you understand what the Bible is saying. So if I trust Christ as my Savior he gives me a guarantee I will not perish. But if there’s no resurrection that verses and true. John 3 16 isn’t true. Ephesians 2 8 and 9 that you’re saved by grace. It isn’t true. First John 513, these things have a written unto you that believe in the name of the Son of God that you may know that you have eternal life.

That’s not a true verse if there’s no resurrection because how do you know it’s true? That means that God had to tell a lie or Jesus was a liar or pastor but he wasn’t a good man. He was a deceiver or he was who he claimed to be. It can’t be both ways. It’s either one way or the other. Either this Bible is true or it’s false. And the only reason we can believe this whole book is true is because of the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead.

Look at the next segment number 10, we have no hope. It means that we are here and there is no hope for anything after death. There’s nothing to base it upon. There’s no way of proving anything. It’s all a figment of imagination. We just made it up. We’re just filled with fables. And this is in a shame when some of God’s people actually live like this Bible has no power. It can’t change your life. Like there’s nothing worth living for.

Just, pleasure and sin for a season. Do whatever you want to do. Do your own thing. It doesn’t matter how godly you may be. Well see if there’s no resurrection, none of it’s true. Go for it. Just go for it. Do whatever you want to do. Live like that devil. But of course there is not. You know what the Bible is in truth. Look at the next statement. And this is a true verse. This is why we have the problem in our schools today and in a lot of churches and in our country is because we are all men most miserable.

People are living a miserable life and to keep them being so miserable they want to be happy so they do what makes them happy. What pleases them? And it’s always temporary because your desires keep changing and you’re never satisfied. Only the truth, the Lord, can really satisfy a person and give purpose to everything because, see, if there’s no resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, there’s no purpose to life. We’re all a bunch of accidents. I’ve heard a lot of parents say that about their kids too.

Look at the solution to the problem. If Christ did come back from the dead, if he did, number one you have not believed in vain. Now you can believe it or not believe it. Nobody can make you believe on Jesus Christ. If not something you can force a person to do. You can force them to lie, but you can’t force them to believe. I can’t stand up here with my machine gun and I’m going to shoot every person in here that doesn’t trust Christ of Savior.

How many would you like to trust Christ of Savior? Oh, here we go. Because I’m just going to shoot the ones that don’t. So can I force somebody to really trust and to believe this, but not can’t do it? It won’t work. Let’s see if it’s true. I want to know. But I don’t want to take and be some hypocritical person, religious nut, you know, looking down my long fairs, you’ll know that everybody, you’ll think, I’m like Kellogg’s cornflakes just a little bit better.

I’m a dirty lousy stinking rotten center now to go to hell, just like you. We’re all sinners. But if the Bible isn’t true. Who cares? There’s no purpose to anything. But you have not believed in vain because Jesus did come back from the dead. Number two, all the witnesses told the truth. They did see Him. I can’t make you believe what they said. But when you get that many witnesses, there’s more truth and proof that Jesus Christ was here than George Washington, the President of the United States.

More on Christ. He’s affected more people all over the world because he was alive and he was real. When he says he was alive and died and rose again, that means he was alive and he was dead and he’s alive again. And I believe in it. Number three, there is a resurrection and if he came back from the dead, he also had power to come back from the dead. But remember while he was here, there was a man named Lazarus who also had died and Christ brought him back from the dead.

So he has the power to raise himself back from the dead and he has the power to take somebody else and bring them back from the dead. Then you and I don’t have anything to worry about because he has the power to do what he promised to do. See, all of the promises of God hangs upon this truth is Jesus Christ who he claimed to be. He came back from the dead. How many times have you seen so far in your life somebody who was dead come back to life?

You said, well I was on the table and I saw this bright light and then he said I was dead for 20 minutes and they brought me back to life. No, no, if you were dead you’re dead. There’s no doctor gonna bring you back because when you’re dead you’re absent from the body and there’s no doctor anywhere that reach out there and get a hold of you and bring you back. Not a one. Now the next statement, our preaching is not in vain.

This has given me greater purpose in anything else I’ve ever seen in life. Knowing that I can explain this good news to somebody. See that resurrection, what makes it good news is the proof that when he says he that believeth me hath everlasting life, I have everlasting life. And so this body one day will die, but I have everlasting life. And my everlasting life does not start when I die physically. It started the day I trusted Christ as my Savior.

He then believed it on me half everlasting life. That’s when I got it. The day I trusted Christ as my Savior, 57 and a half years ago. And I remember the day into place because I was there when it happened and I guess I ought to know. Next question. We are true witnesses of God. If you believe in the resurrection, then what we’re saying is the truth. And people ought to believe the truth. You see, I can’t prove Christ came back from the dead.

But you can’t prove He didn’t. It’s a matter of do you want to take and believe it or not. It says nobody can force anybody to believe. something on the inside of me that says I want to know God. And I don’t want to be trapped in some man-made religion. And I don’t want people trying to cram religion down my throat. I want to know the truth. And I believe that God made salvation in such a way that you can know whether it’s true or whether it’s false.

If God so love me and he wants me to spend eternity in heaven with him that he’ll make away and he did and he said it would be free. Whosoever believe it. It’s a gift. I don’t have to earn God’s love. I don’t have to work for God’s love. He gave it to me freely. God so loved the world. He gave His only begotten Son. That means this is what He did. He died on the cross and paid for our sins.

And if we will believe that, see that’s what He did. But if we’ll believe what He said, then I know I have eternal life and that I’ll never perish. I’m going to be with the Lord for all eternity. It’s the greatest hope any man can ever have. Look at number six, the dead do rise again. In my life so far, I have done a lawful lot of funerals. I’ve done more funerals than I have weddings. Even though when I do a wedding, to become one flesh, one of them dies.

Well, not barely, but, you know, two. And you put two bodies together, it should only have one head. You know, we become one. If you’ve got two heads, you’ve got to freak. And most husbands and wives are spending the rest of their lives trying to find out who’s in charge. Well, God says it’s the man, he’s the head of the home. How do you know you’re the head of the home? My wife says I am. Look at the next statement, that, your dad do rise again, your faith is not in vain.

It’s not in vain for you to trust the Lord. It makes sense because God sees, he put it on the level that anybody can have it. And there’s no tricks to it, there’s no gimmicks. I don’t have to promise God anything. All I have to do is receive what he did for me. See, when he died on the cross, What did he pay for my sins? Because he didn’t want me to do it. So he paid for him and he came back from the dead and said the only thing he wanted me to do would believe he did it for me.

How easier can you get it? You say you don’t have to promise anything, not a thing. It’s not like I get it, but I gotta make payments on him. You know, I gotta keep it by promising to do good. So my being good is making my monthly payments or my weekly payments or my daily payments or my moment by moment payments. I don’t have any payments to me. He paid it all and gives it to me as a gift.

Your faith is not in vain. Look at number eight, you’re not found in your sins. Your sins were found on Christ. You see, Christ took the sins of the world, paid for them, came back from the dead. And all he wanted us to do is believe he did it for us. It’s a resurrection of Christ, an important thing. Yes, it is. Look down to bottom of the page here. Those who have died believing in Christ have not perished. What that means is, my mama died.

I’ll let my mama to the Lord. But I know my mums in heaven. I’m gonna see her again. Well, because she believed this. She believed in the death, burial and resurrection of Jesus Christ. She believed Christ down across people of her sins. And Christ says, if you’ll believe that, He’ll give eternal life. Well, she’ll believe it. What should she get? Eternal life. He doesn’t believe it from me, half, present in half everlasting life. If you believe it, what do you got everlasting life?

If you say, oh, I don’t know if I got everlasting life because you don’t believe it, but if you believe it, you got it, got it? I had that. Do you have that? I have that. My sister lives, she was older than me. Guess what? I’m older than her now. I’m almost 10 years older than my older sister. I led her to the Lord. She’s in heaven. I led my other sister, Ned. I led her to the Lord. She was 62.

I’ve already outlived her 15 years. And she was older than me, but she’s my sister, but I know I’m on see her again, she’s in heaven. You see, it gives you great hope and joy when you know that it’s true and people have trusted Christ as their Savior and what it can do for you in your personal life is the best news in all the world. Notice the last thing here. Number 10, we have hope of life after death and we’ll see our loved ones.

Isn’t it great to know that we are going to see all of our loved ones again? So whenever your loved ones die, you’re going to see them again. And it’s not a figment of the imagination. That’s what gives us such great hope, our belief in what God says, we believe that is is true. Look down at the bottom of the page. I want you to see this down at the bottom of your page because of his resurrection. Christ went up, Holy Spirit came down, disciples went out, hope was given through this good news.

The lost belief came in and one day we’re all going to go up. Those who have trusted Christ as their Savior. Now I want you to look at the bottom of that page again. Look the verse at at the bottom of the page. Therefore, my beloved brethren, if all of this is true, if the resurrection is true, be steadfast. You see, I’m a child of God. I battle this ocean for nature just like everybody else does. I have the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, the pride of life, and there’s rebellion in every one of us.

But the truth of this is so strong and it’s so powerful that my desire to please God is greater than my desire to do the evil that I also want to do. You don’t have to rebel against God. You don’t have to live a sinful life. You can because of what Christ has done for you. Be steadfast. Know the truth. Stand on that. Don’t change all your life. serve the Lord with all your heart, all the days of your life.

And don’t stop and never quit. Be steadfast because of the resurrection. Unmoveable why? Because of the resurrection. Always abounding in the work of the Lord. Why? Because of the resurrection. For as much as you know that your labor is not in vain. Why? Because of the resurrection. Is the resurrection of Jesus Christ important? It’s the foundation on why we believe in Christianity. And that’s what separates Jesus Christ from all the religious leaders of the world. Why? Because they’re still dead.

Only Christ came back again from the dead. Only Christ is the one who said He died to pay for the sins of the world. Because if that is true and He’s the one who said, I am dying to pay for your sin. I am the lamb from the foundation of the world. He says, He is the one who came into the world to die for the sins of the world and to prove that what I promise. In three days I’m coming back from the dead.

All right, do it. He did. That’s how we know everything He promises true. That’s the only way you know that there’s life after death. That’s the only way. You know that you’ll see your loved ones again because of what he promised. But see, if he didn’t come back from the dead, there’s no reason to believe anything else he says. He says, “… an evil and adulterous generation seeketh after a sign, but there should be no sign given to it but the sign of the prophet Jonah.

For his Jonah was three days and three nights in the Wales belly, even so shall the Son of Man be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth.” And he says he’s coming back. He did. you make you believe it. But it’s the best news that I’ve ever heard in my whole life. It has given me purpose in life. And I know I’ll see my loved ones again 25 years ago, January. A man came in one day and he took a hammer and he killed my son.

He was 28 years old and killed him. But I’m going to see him again. I have that hope. I know that what God said in his word, it is true. And so I don’t sit around grieving all the time because of it because it ain’t over yet. It’s just a little bit of time here. And we may have a little grief here, a little sorrow here. But just like Jesus said, he endured the cross because of the joy that was set before him.

He knew Jesus did what was going to be because of the sacrifice he made. And our labor in the Lord is not in vain. You’re coming to church is not in vain. You’re studying God’s Word is not in vain. You’re praying is not in vain. You’re living a good godly life is not in vain. It gives meaning to everything in your life. And if you are here in your God’s child, remember this. As a child of God, you got a choice.

You can choose to be an obedient child disobedient child but you’re still his child but your heavenly father loves you and if you will serve him God will bless you here and reward you when you get to heaven if you’re disobedient then you know how you’re doing with between you and God then God said he can chase in your life you may choose the sin God will choose the consequences and there’s consequences and disobedience by your heavenly Father, He’s going to chase in you and maybe take you home before your time.

You don’t know how or when God will, but rest assured God will. God will. God will. It’s His book because of the resurrection I believe everything He said. But if He didn’t come back from the dead I have no reason to believe any of it. But Christ is is alive. Look up here. This hand represents you and me. This wallet represents sin. We all have sin on us. This is why Christ had to come because we have all sinned.

And the wages of sin is eternal separation from God in a place called hell. But God loves us. He He wants us to go to heaven. But we can’t go to heaven because we can’t. We got to get rid of the sin. But see, the sin’s on the inside of us. It’s our nature. So God says, it’s not a matter of you quitting your sins. It’s God getting rid of that old sinful nature some way. And he says, I’m just going to let you die, but here’s the key.

You cannot earn eternal life. You can’t work your way to heaven. You’ll never be good enough. This sin represents Jesus Christ. He’s the Lord God in the flesh. He came into this world. He had no sin. So he took all of ours paid for it on the cross came back. from the dead and said if we would believe He did it for us, He would put this payment to our account, we go to heaven on what He did. I didn’t earn it.

I didn’t deserve it. It was a gift. He asked me if I would believe it. Okay, I believe it. He didn’t believe it on me half the everlasting life. If I believe it, He gives me everlasting life. Well, if I believe it, I got everlasting life. After the service, ask me, preacher, do you have everlasting life? Yes, I do. When did you get it? 57 years ago when I trusted Christ as my Savior and I can’t lose it. Why?

Because it was a gift. I didn’t earn it. My worst didn’t give it to me and my bad works can’t take it away. It was a gift. No strings attached. And that’s the only way you can know that you’re going to heaven because it’s free and that it lasts forever. Let’s pray, shall we? Every head, bow, and every eye closed, no one looking around. If you’re here this morning and you never trusted Christ as your Savior, You say, what you said made sense to me.

I want to trust Jesus Christ as my only hope of going to heaven because there is no other hope. Would you believe that right now God loves you? Sin his son, he died to pay for your sins. Came back from the dead to show that the payment was made and that he is God. And he’ll keep his word because he kept that promise. Would you accept him as your savior? If you trust Him right now as your Savior, He gives you right now as a free gift, everlasting life.

And you can know that you’re going to heaven when you die. 483 I’m not going to have you forward, not going to have you sign a card or do anything. But I’m going to ask you in just a moment what I said makes sense. And if it makes sense, I’m going to ask you if you’ll just let me know by raised of hand and then put it right back down just as quickly. I don’t want to embarrass anybody. But if what I said makes sense, you say preach to that makes sense to me.

And I will trust Christ right now as my Savior and I’d like for you to pray for me. Friend, would you just slip in and very quickly put it right back down? Anyone at all? Yes, God bless you, man. God bless you, sir. God bless you in the back. Anyone else, just quickly just slip it up, put it right back down. It’s you believing that what he did, he did it for you. He loves you so much. Anyone else before we close?

Yes, that made sense to me. And I want to trust Christ as my Savior. Anyone else? Our Father, we thank you so much for all that you’ve done for us. Thank you for the very gift of eternal life. And for these who indicate about an uplift at hand, that they would accept you as your Savior today right now. By doing so, they become your child. You’ll never cast them out and never lose them. We ask all of your blesses now upon this time of our fellowship together as believers around your table in Christ’s name we pray.

Amen. Are you a new listener to Bibleline? Do you enjoy the teachings of Dr. Arnold? Well, if you’ve never contacted us before, we want to give you Dr. Arnold’s book, The Gospel-Driven Man. Every day we receive many emails from folks who have questions about repentance and salvation, about faith in works, and about how to share the gospel with friends and loved ones. This book, The Gospel Driven Man, covers all those topics, and we want all new listeners of Bibleline to receive a free copy.

There’s no obligation, no donation necessary simply call us at 1-800-576-3771 or write to us and request your free copy of the Gospel-Driven Man. The mailing address is 4811 George Road, Tampa, Florida, 33634. Again, don’t forget to include your mailing address, and God bless you, and thank you for listening to Bibleline. Thanks for joining us on Bibleline. If you are in the area, we welcome you to visit us. The address for Calvary Community Church is 4811 George Road, Tampa, Florida, 33634.

and now a closing thought from Pastor Arnold. Friend, one day it will happen. The trumpet will sound, and we will be changed. Caught up to meet the Lord in the air. So live today and every day. Believing that the Lord is coming soon, just keep looking up.