 to Mark's gospel in as much as we we've mentioned that we're celebrating our anniversary 41 years. I shared just a couple of things but I didn't create a special message of any sort for that. I'm going to continue just teaching through Mark as I normally do but I will say this that when our church first began and we had our very first Bible study the very first Sunday morning July 26 1981. I taught out of Isaiah 43 18 and 19 where the scripture says do not remember the former things nor consider the things of old. Behold I will do a new thing now it shall spring forth shall you not know it. I will even make a road in the wilderness and rivers in the desert. So when we began our fellowship 41 years ago I chose to get that particular Bible study on that on that day because God was doing a new thing and we began our fellowship in a house in Ontario that ultimately my my parents bought my sister-in-law Patty who was the first person who ever answered an invitation an open invitation that I gave she she she actually came forward at an invitation I gave it a an outreach and and so you know to make sure she stayed with God because she's so rebellious we started a church in her house so I could keep an eye on her just kidding I don't care about her no but anyway so we did that and our fellowship began in that way in the very first Bible study I gave was out of Isaiah 43 18 and 19 just to say that the Lord is going to do a new work which he has done over 41 years I thank God for the work that he's done and we had what I called and I we have him up here to remind you and we have him in the foyer that you can see we're painting right now to brighten up but we call him the pillars of our ministry the word and worship witness and witness we believe that the word of God should be front and center everything we do in terms of our entire ministry is to be built on God's word and so when you're in the word of God you learn how to worship in spirit and in truth and when that takes place then you have a community something we call a witness you you actually realize that first thing God ever said is not good is for the man to be alone and so God created a community so that we could have fellowship with one another and like-minded individuals and then we should take what God has done and we should take it to others and that's where the witness came in and so the word and worship witness and witness have been the pillars that this church has been built on Jesus Christ himself being the chief cornerstone and so over 41 years we've been faithful I would believe to to hold fast to teaching the word and our desire to to walk in his spirit and so that's that's what the Lord has done over the years with us and so I'm celebrating the reality of that though my pastor taught us a long time ago he said I I take my hat off to the past but I take my jacket off for the future and so we're just beginning now it was said in the first service you know 41 more years no and no you wouldn't want a 130 year old pastor I don't think you would John might but I don't think that either I just believe that God has called us to to continue until he raises up somebody whom he will should the Lord tarry to pick up and move on move forward and and to take our fellowship to where God would have it in the future but until that point I'm just rejoicing and and blessed to be able to say that that I've been here with my my precious my wife for 41 years and we've seen God do marvelous things but I know that he has much more to do in the future so praise God for that and I'm blessed by that we were gone my wife and I I was in New Mexico some of you may have noticed I was gone I was in New Mexico for a while I did I met with some pastors did a did a church service and all in in New Mexico then this last week my my daughter Corinne asked us if we wanted to go on vacation we haven't had a marine I don't take vacation so I thought that would be nice and so we went to Florida and interesting you know where we went and they got a nice little place in some community Panama City and some of you are probably familiar with it and so we went there and it was a nice little resort type thing and and so Marie and I decided to take a walk I don't know if I should tell you this but I think it's funny so I will so Marie and I decided to take a walk and we went down the street to get a starbucks and starbucks and we we had like three coffees and we got turned around I mean we're two old people and two old people in a strange neighborhood we made new friends and as we're we're walking you know together we were going in the wrong direction so I called my son-in-law and he said come and find us and so so he said you're way out of the way and I said yeah so are you you get right with God and I'll find my way back to your place and so so we were standing on the street I hope you understand this this made me laugh I hope it makes you laugh too I saw humor in it but I'm standing there holding you know three coffees and some guy walks up and he's a real well-dressed guy because it's a nice place he's really well dressed and I'm in jeans and a t-shirt you know and Marie's standing next to me and he walks up and he has money in his hand and he says are you selling coffee so I I said no no no we're just lost and and he goes oh wait and I look at his hand he's got dollar bills and things and I'm think and I think now and I'm just so he starts to walk away he's kind of embarrassed for some reason so I said no the Starbucks is over here and I'm pointing to but he said yeah yeah and he's walking and it didn't hit me okay here we go this I thought this was funny but I said Marie he sees a Mexican he thinks we're standing on a street corner selling coffee now I wanted to wash his windows I mean it just was it was funny it busted me up and you know we cry we've been laughing for days over that it was hilarious but anyway we were flying home on on Friday it's only an hour and a half from Panama City to Dallas and from Dallas two and a half hours here but what happened is they had a weather problem of some sort they diverted us to to a place out there about 40 minutes outside of Dallas by the time we came in it was too late the plane had left and so what they did with us and it was around I think around four five six I forget what time it was they had a stand in line some of you have done this I've never had to do exactly this the line we stood in stretched out a half mile to at least maybe a mile I mean it's not an exaggeration I took a picture it was stretching back Marie and I were in line for four and a half to five hours four and a half to five hours just kind of standing there and so there was a guy in front of me his name was Daniel you know we became best friends we're there for a long time and but he was sharing with me for four and a half hours and he was he was accompanying four little girls from Guatemala and his job was to take the little girls and he was going to take them to a safe safe place a location in South Carolina and that's what he does for a living he began to share with me some things for like I said four and a half hours about he said what is actually taking place what's going on he's the next police officer police detective he was on the force 20 years of three different departments you know he knew what he was talking about and so we had an interesting conversation well actually I had let him talk and he talked and talked and talked real good guy really enjoyed him and had a he's from McAllen McAllen Texas he says this is really one of the the areas where a lot of action is taking place and he was sharing things and I'll give you one thing and then I'm going to get into the word but he I found this interesting he said you know he said the people that are coming across right now he said we're having to stop he said we are stopping them he said and we're having conversation with them but he said you can't imagine the amount of people we have to ship back we're shipping back he says and the reason is is because they will we question them we talk to them they have to have interviews he says and then they get mad we have to put guards on on buses to take them back to the air to take an airplane to fly them back to the country he said because they have come with this belief that all you need to do he said is crossover and you're now going to be here he said we're in fact he said that's not absolutely true he says so they actually starting fights and stuff he says you don't see it on the news he says but they're fighting we've had to put guards on on buses because a lot of the men are just young men who just are coming here for quote unquote a better life he says and it's creating a problem because they're saying we were promised that we're going to be able to be taken care of and this and that he said and that's what's taking place right now he said it's really a bad thing that's taking place he said that a lot of people aren't aware of is that they're coming he said he said I've talked to guys one man in particular coming out of Guatemala he said who sold his house and gave it to the uh to the guy who was going to bring him cross gave him the proceeds from his house and saved just a little bit so he could come he said believing that our president has opened the border so everybody can just come if they want he says when they don't qualify because they're not leaving terrorism they're not leaving danger they're not leaving any of that they just want a new life he says they're being turned back he says and they sold their home they have nothing to go back to he says this is just a real bad situation I'm telling you this because we need to be in prayer we need to pray that God will give to to all who are involved in whatever decisions are being made to take into consideration all the pain and the sorrow and the hurt that many are going through right now and attempting to find a new life here and believing in false promises that are being given to them because a lot are being turned away at that border they're coming across and they're being stopped he said not only that but he said there have been terrorists that we know they're on the watch list he says there have been drug runners the fentanyl that's coming in and many are dying he says it's because what they're doing I could go on I shouldn't have but four and a half hours but he said he goes he goes he says he says they'll put children over here to draw attention and then they go through a different path and they bring people in he said they're bringing in fentanyl he says it's killing americans he says they're bringing in children that are being trafficked he said it's a horrible thing it's a horrible thing to take in place and so we we were talking for a long time we really need to pray that God will give give us people who understand that that God will bring in a government that that understands what law really is etc etc I'm not going into a speech about that but it really touched my heart and where we were there for four and a half hours I was talking to him and it just it's pretty tough guys a matter of fact you know the four little girls we saw are so precious I mean the precious babies I mean who doesn't have a heart for children right let me pray for them I just thought father I do lift up these babies learned the story it's this man was telling me I I lift these babies to you and and so much is going on God I don't have the answer I know you do I ask that you would put people in place who would be able to do do what is right and to protect this nation Lord from the things that are taking place but also Lord to to to have the compassion to know how to care for those that have a need for care Lord I I don't have that wisdom but but you do and I pray that you would place people in position that can sort that all out in a way that is right and it brings honor to you so father I just lift my new friend Daniel to you and and I ask that you would be with them as he goes about this hard job and so many others we're doing it we lift our nation we lift this all to you now in Jesus name amen amen amen anyway so many other things better get in the word where are we okay mark chapter what is it 12 all right just testing you we're going to look at verses 18 through 27 let's begin reading together at verse 18 mark chapter 12 then some sad you say Sadducees who say there's no resurrection came to him and they asked him saying teacher Moses wrote to us that if a man's brother dies and leaves his wife behind leaves no children his brother should take his wife and raise up offspring for his brother now there were seven brothers the first took a wife and dying left no offspring second took her he died nor did he leave any offspring and the third likewise so the seven had her and left no offspring last of all the woman died therefore in the resurrection when they rise whose wife will she be for all seven had her as wife Jesus answered and said to them are you not therefore mistaken because you do not know the scriptures nor the power of God for when they rise from the dead they neither marry nor are given in marriage but are like angels in heaven but concerning the dead that they rise have you not read in the book of moses in the burning bush passage how God spoke to him saying I am the god of Abraham the god of Isaac and the god of Jacob he's not the god of the dead but the god of the living you are therefore greatly mistaken so what we're going to do is what I normally do I'm going to bring you up to speed on what's taking place here in mark chapter 12 by reminding you of a few things that we've already looked at laying a context and then moving into our study we're looking today at the god of life that's what we're looking at so in this chapter Jesus has asked several questions in verses 13 through 17 we already saw it those verses contained a question concerning paying taxes to Caesar verse 28 begins with the question concerning the greatest commandment in the verses before us we have a question concerning resurrection now the Pharisees as we've been reading through mark the Pharisees have recognized that Jesus is a threat is a threat to their power he's a threat to their positions he poses such a great threat that they've increased their attacks on him you see early in his ministry the religious opposition began to question him from the beginning he had been teaching with authority and as he did so his fame had grown throughout the land when we began our study in mark chapter one we saw how he had taught in a synagogue on the Sabbath and the people were listening to him and as they did so they marveled at his teaching in mark 122 it says they were astonished at his teaching for he taught them as one having authority and not as ascribes mark tells us that Jesus cast a demon out of a man attending synagogue again the people were amazed they began to talk among themselves mark 127 says they're amazed they asked and they question among themselves saying what is this what new doctrine is this before he said for they said with authority he commands even the unclean spirits and they obey him and in verse 28 of mark chapter one immediately his fame spread throughout all the region around Galilee so his popularity grew and it had caught he had caught the attention of the religious group called Pharisees you see his teachings had undercut their traditions his miracles were drawing multitudes in mark 132 and 33 those verses tell us that they brought all the sick and demon possessed to him and the whole city was gathered together at the door of Peter's home so he healed he healed people of various diseases and as he was doing so and speaking and all people were being drawn to him when we look at Matthew 11 in that passage uh john sent two of his men to ask Jesus a question are you the Messiah are you the coming one or do we look for another is what they asked him in Matthew 11 verse 5 Jesus replied the blind received sight the lame walk those who have leprosy are cleansed the death here the dead are raised the good news is proclaimed to the poor you see when john was having his doubts about who Jesus was to the degree that he sent his men to ask him are you the coming one the term coming one is another way of speaking to messiah are you messiah is what they were asking are you the coming one or are we to look for another the immediate response that was going to solve the doubt problems that john had was jesus quoted to them passages out of isiah in the scriptures in order that they would see that their doubt is going to be dealt with by the scripture itself and so his answer was solidly grounded on scripture because scriptures always the solution to doubt like it says in Proverbs 30 verse 5 every word of God proves true he's a shield to those who take refuge in him so his popularity has increased but as it has so has the attack the religious leaders saw him as a threat they began to plot to eliminate Jesus Christ in mark 3 verse 6 it says the Pharisees went out and began plotting with the Herodians how they might kill Jesus now Jesus was a teacher with great authority and because he was religious leaders began to ask him questions if you're a teacher i'll ask you questions and that's what they've been doing but the questions weren't sincere they were designed to entrap him mark 12 13 says they sent to him some of the Pharisees and the Herodians to catch him in his words in other words they're trying to provoke him to give an answer that can use as a charge to bring to the roman government they knew that if they could get him to say something about the roman government that they could charge him with sedition under overthrowing the rule of the romans and and so Luke 20 verse 20 says they watched him closely they sent spies who pretended to be sincere they were hoping to catch him in his words in order to hand him over to the rule and authority of the governor well they had asked question of Jesus is it lawful to give uh you know this tribute is it proper for us to do that do we pay taxes to Caesar or not and so the question had been posed by disciples of Pharisees as well as Herodians and Jesus gave the answer rendering to Caesar the things that are Caesar and to God the things that belong to God and and they they were amazed at his response and Luke 20 verse 26 says they were unable to trap him in what he had said they're in public and astonished by his answer they became silent Matthew 22 verse 22 adds when they had heard these words they marveled and left him and went their way so the wisdom of his response silenced them they left him Job 5 verse 12 says it like this he thwarts the plans of the crafty so that their hands achieve no success well the Pharisees are not the only ones that are wanting to argue with the Lord Jesus Christ they're not the only ones there's another group and what's happening is they're beginning to line up if you will in opposition to him the the attacks are beginning to be continuous now remember with me that this is the last week of the life of Christ and so more of this is taking place as we look at it they're coming in waves so we begin at verse 18 and notice how it says some Sadducees who say there's no resurrection came to him and they asked him saying teacher Moses wrote to us that if a man's brother dies and leaves his wife behind leaves no children his brother should take his wife and raise up offspring for his brother so they come and they have a supposed spiritual question these are the Sadducees now notice verse 18 some of the Sadducees who say there's no resurrection came to him now this is the same day according to Matthew 22 23 because Matthew said the same day the Sadducees who say there's no resurrection came to him so the Herodians and Pharisees had failed in their attempt to entrap him but that didn't stop the Sadducees from trying you read your bible and you see Sadducee what is the Sadducee well the Sadducees were called the aristocrats of Judaism they were wealthy and greatly resented they were largely in control of temple concessions and that's how they obtained most of their wealth and so when Jesus cleansed out the temple he enraged those Sadducees a second thing about them is they were pro-roman they obtained their influence from Rome they helped Rome to control the people with the use of their own police force they had what was called the temple guard we'll see that later on when the temple guard came to arrest Jesus when he was in the Garden of Gethsemane but they also had an extremely rigid interpretation of scripture you see they believed that the law of Moses alone was to be followed and they gave primacy to the first five books of the bible and ignored the rest you see unlike Pharisees they completely rejected the oral and written traditions pertaining to scripture they prided themselves as the preservers of true faith so they ignored the scriptures they ignored everything except the first five books they were influenced by Greek thinkers they were religious liberals as we would call them today in Acts 23 verse 8 it says that the Sadducees say there's no resurrection and that there are neither angels nor spirits but the Pharisees believe all these things and so you had a contrast between Sadducees and Pharisees and so Jesus had just cleansed the temple he had driven them out during the time of Passover at what would be called peak season and that had gained their attention it stirred them to opposition so they approach them again notice is they begin verse 18 verse 19 and they say teacher Moses wrote to us so they began with flattery and as they're speaking to him they're referring to him as a great teacher but notice how they began by appealing to Moses now Moses is the supreme spokesman for God and they ask the question if a man dies having no children his brother shall marry his wife and raise up children into his brother so what they're appealing to is found in the law of Moses it's called the law of leverant marriage in the Old Testament book of Deuteronomy the fifth book of the Bible in chapter 25 verses five and six it says if brothers are living together and one of them dies without a son his widow must not marry outside the family her husband's brother shall take her and marry her and fulfill the duty of a brother-in-law to her the first son she bears shall carry on the name of the dead brother so that his name will not be blotted out from Israel so that would keep the tribal names and families and the inheritance intact so if a man died without a son his brother was a married brother's widow the first born son would be recognized as the son of the dead brother and so that's the question they're bringing and they go on in verse 20 on a read to verse 23 the first took a wife dying he left no offspring the second took her he died didn't leave any offspring the third likewise seven had her and left no offspring last of all the woman died also and the eighth brother was happy no i'm just just seeing if you were listening therefore in the resurrection when they rise whose wife shall will she be all seven had her as wife so they brought this question it's a common question that they would use at that time to confuse Pharisees in argument you see if all eight appear in the resurrection in exactly the same condition and circumstances in which they died and well how could their marriage relationship possibly be reconciled but i want you to see this notice verse 24 jesus answered and said to them are you not therefore mistaken because you do not know the scriptures nor the power of god we'll spend a few moments on this are you not therefore mistaken that word mistaken for those of you who take notes it simply means to go astray it speaks of wandering off it also lends itself to the word deceived he's saying you are deceived you have wandered from the true course you're dead wrong that's what he's saying now how had they ended up dead wrong well when he says you've wandered off because you don't know the scriptures they wandered off because they were ignorant of the testimony of the bible he points out that their rejection of the rest of scripture has led them to error you see when you read your bibles we have 66 books in the bible the old testament contains 39 the new testament 27 the old testament has the law the prophets and the writings but the Sadducees only regarded the first five books they rejected the other books and in doing so they were rejecting the whole counsel of god what they were doing was ignoring testimony of scripture and that caused them to wander into error Psalm 119 160 says the entirety of your word is truth every one of your righteous judgments endures forever and second Timothy 316 all scriptures given by inspiration of god is profitable for doctrine reproof correction for instruction in righteousness they're ignoring the testimony of scripture wandering into error you see god's word gave hope for resurrection in Job 19 verses 25 through 27 Job said I know that my redeemer lives that in the end he'll stand upon the earth after my skin has been destroyed yet in my flesh I will see God I myself will see him with my own eyes I am not another how my heart yearns within me Psalm 17 verse 15 I shall be satisfied when I awake in your likeness Psalm 49 15 God will redeem my soul from the power of the grave he shall receive me Isaiah 26 19 your dead men shall live together with my dead body shall they arise awaken seeing you dwelling dust for your do is as the dew of herbs and the earth shall cast out the dead Daniel 12 2 and 3 many of those who sleep in the dust of the earth shall awake some to everlasting life some to shame and everlasting contempt those who are wise shall shine like the brightness of the firmament those who turn many to righteousness like the stars forever and ever not only is the old testament pointed toward resurrection but Jesus also the resurrection John 5 28 and 29 don't marvel at this the hour is coming in which all who are in the graves will hear the voice his voice and come forth those who've done good to the resurrection of life those who've done evil to the resurrection of condemnation John 11 23 through 25 Jesus said to Martha your brother will rise again Martha said to him I know that he'll rise again in the resurrection at the last day Jesus said here I am the resurrection and the life who believes in me though he may die he shall live later Paul would give insight in 1st Corinthians 15 42 through 44 he said the body is sown in corruption it's raised in incorruption it is sown in dishonor it is raised in glory it is sown in weakness it is raised in power it is sown in natural body it is raised a spiritual body there's a natural body there's a spiritual body so you don't know the scriptures is what he's saying but you also are ignoring God's power which makes resurrection possible Jeremiah 32 17 oh Lord God behold you have made the heaven in the earth by your great power and outstretched arm there's nothing too hard for you in Luke 137 with God nothing shall be impossible Acts 26 8 Paul said why should it be thought a thing incredible with you that God should raise the dead you see the fact that there is a resurrection is to be established forever very soon because Jesus himself is about to be raised from the dead in Romans 1 4 the scripture says Jesus was declared to be the Son of God with power according to the spirit of holiness by the resurrection from the dead see up to that point Jesus was looked at as a good man he was looked at as a prophet he was looked at as being a great teacher but if he who had stated that he would be raised on the third day if he remained in the grave he'd have been a liar and if he was a liar then he couldn't be a good man teacher or prophet and so everything about Christ ministry is centered on the resurrection somebody wrote Christianity is in its very essence a resurrection religion the concept of resurrection lies at its heart if you remove it Christianity is destroyed well they didn't know the Scripture neither do they know the power of God and he says in verse 25 when they rise from the dead they neither marry nor are given in marriage but are like angels in heaven so what he's doing here is he's explaining how they've misunderstood God's word and power now notice he makes mention of angels the Sadducees deny that there are angels so he mentions that right away but he speaks of them right when they rise from the dead now Luke gives us more insight in Luke 20 in Luke 20 verses 34 through 36 Jesus replied the people of this age marry and are given in marriage those who are considered worthy of taking part in in that age and in the resurrection from the dead will neither marry nor be given in marriage and they can no longer die for they are like the angels they're God's children since they are children of the resurrection and so let's look at this briefly marriage is ordained by God but it's only intended for our time on earth God established marriage and intended it to produce godly offspring in Genesis 1 27 and 28 it says God created mankind in his own image in the image of God he created them male and female he created them God blessed them and said to them be fruitful and increase in number fill the earth subdue it rule over the fish in the sea the birds in the air or the sky and every other living creature that moves on the ground so in heaven there's no birth necessary because there's no death in heaven now I want you to note something Jesus says those who enter heaven are like the angels he did not say that they become angels but are like angels why am I pointing that out because every once in a while I read it on social media that somebody's friend died in there they're now angels no they're not I've seen angels I had an uncle named angel and I don't know why I went there I'm just no the bible makes it very clear and let me point this out those who enter into heaven are greater than angels why would you want to be less than those who enter into heaven are greater heroes 114 are not all angels ministry and spirits sent to serve those who inherit salvation we don't become angels I'd say that because some mistakenly unfortunately I've come to believe that they even post those things no we are greater than them they actually minister to us because we are children of God we're we're not angels we're greater in that position and so Jesus says they'll be like angels well in what way well we won't increase in numbers we are spiritual in nature and we're eternal you see you cannot be born in heaven you have to be born again well on earth in John 3 verse 3 Jesus said very truly I tell you no one can see the kingdom of God unless they're born again the way to enter into the kingdom of God is to be born again but there is no continuation of of children through birth in heaven but he goes on verse 26 concerning the dead that they rise have you not read in the book of moses in the burning bush passage how God spoke to him saying I am the God of Abraham the God of Isaac and the God of Jacob he's not the God of the dead but the God of living you are therefore greatly mistaken so he points that the resurrection is found in moses' writings remember they only held fast to the first five books the first five books of the bible were written by moses so he quotes out of exodus one of the books moses wrote and he points to when God revealed himself to moses and when he did so he identified himself exodus 3 verse 6 I am the God of your father the God of Abraham God of Isaac God of Jacob at this moses hid his face because he was afraid to look at God exodus 3 15 God also said to moses say to the Israelites the Lord the God of your fathers the God of Abraham God of Isaac God of Jacob has sent me to you this is my name forever the name you shall call me from generation to generation notice God said I am the God of Abraham not I was the God of Abraham though they were long dead he was still their God every bit as much as when they were physically alive he is not the God of the dead but of the living according to Luke 20 38 for to him all are alive so Jesus is the living bread he gives life to all who trust in him in John 6 50 here is the bread that comes down from heaven which anyone may eat and not die in John 11 25 and 26 Jesus said to her I'm the resurrection and the life the one who believes in me will live even though he died whoever lives by believing in me will never die and then the question is asked do you believe this he is not the God of the dead he is the God of the living one of these days should the Lord come in at time when when I'm already past my own pastor said something like this and D L Moody said something like this D L Moody said one day you'll read that D L Moody is dead he said don't believe it because at that at that time I'll be more alive than I ever was before see of all people believers do not fear death now that doesn't mean we go out there trying to figure out how we're going to die you know I'm not running out there jumping in front of diesels you know it's I'm not going to do that that's tempting the Lord that's called presumption but until the moment comes that the Lord is determined is my time to see him face to face I'm indestructible I'm invulnerable I will continue to live and so will you and when if you're a believer and when you would you close your eyes here you instantly are in the presence of the Lord absent from the body present with the Lord Paul said in 2nd Corinthians 5 so I have no fear of death now I'm not I you know I have my ways I prefer going you know let's face it all of us and say I just assumed and I've got my list that God's aware of I've mentioned to him more than once but the day is going to come whatever it may be and there's nothing I can do because it's appointed for me to die so what is my job right now is to simply live because the life that I now live in the flesh I live by faith by the Son of God who loved me and gave himself for me and so I live each day as if I'm going to be in the presence of Lord physically but I already know I'm in his presence now as I am right so that doesn't mean that when somebody I love passes on that it doesn't cause my heart to grieve can you imagine how many friends over the years who were very dear to my wife and me how many of them have passed on into eternity how many how many how many funerals we have attended or or have presided over how many people in our fellowship some of you wouldn't know this but but the average of funerals that we do as a church is something like 50 a year and so there are quite a number of people who go into glory and and yeah sometimes you carry as a matter of fact you always carry a grief in your heart a sorrow in your heart because you miss them you love them you you didn't want them to move on you you wanted them longer you wanted to be with them all of us normally are that way normally but but when the day comes when David Rosales is no longer here that's only because I'm there so I have no fear of death because my life is in the hand of Jesus Christ and that comes through scripture so I have a faith in Christ because if I'm born again Jesus said I will not die I just move residences I move from here and I go to a greater a more beautiful place where people aren't walking up asking if I'm selling coffee I go to a beautiful place to be with the Lord now that's a beautiful thing and the Sadducees did not know that so they want to argue with Christ you do therefore greatly air you are sadly mistaken terribly mistaken this isn't just a minor minor error this is a terrible error you have no hope for the future but if you have a relationship with God through Jesus Christ you have a hope now and you have a hope forever because we will go to be with him and forever be with him in the Lord and in that we rejoice you see that's why resurrection Jesus amen Jesus is going to demonstrate what power over death is when he's resurrected from the dead when all the people who loved him and knew him and even some of his ministers his apostles and some of the ladies when they were all thinking he's just gone for good the only one who was there at that at that at the cross was John and and some of the ladies and they were there and in three days later they go back and we know the story they go to to finish his burial and to give him a better burial because they were hasty in doing so and then they're asked what are you doing here why do you seek the living amongst the dead and so one of these days we'll all share the Lord Terry one of these days someone's going to say some words about us hopefully they're good words they're going to speak about us and I want to live in such a way that when my my sons and my daughter should they desire to speak of their father I don't want to live in a way that they're going to have to make up things about me because I wasn't what you guys thought I was all along no I live in such a way not in front of you I live that way in front of them so that in the day comes when they speak of their father they will say this is the man who loved Christ that's what I want but one of these days and it's who knows I'm getting older next month's my birthday again we um we're getting old and you know what with age comes interesting getting lost in places with coffee but I have not eroded one thing I have sought the power of God and I've sought his word and in his word and through his power I have something these Sadducees didn't have I have hope I have hope you close your eyes here and you open them there and you see the face of your Savior and you see guys like like Paul and the Apostle Peter and James and John and Bartholomew and all these people you've read about you see them face to face and and then you look around and and there's grandma and there's there's dad and there's mama there's my friends that I I've been missing so long there they are and it's a reunion and it's a joy that's what we have to look forward to not just a body in a grave that decomposes but we have a spirit that goes to be with the Lord because he purchased it with his blood he owns it and then he claims it and will be with them forever what is a greater hope than that what is a greater hope than to be with the Lord forever and ever and Sadducees you deny it because you don't know scripture Sadducee you deny it because you don't know the power of God he says again he's not the God of the dead but the God of the living and you therefore are greatly mistaken according to Luke 20 39 and 40 some of the teachers of the law responded well said teacher and no one dared to ask him any more questions they got mastered by the master if you have a question to ask the Lord be ready for his answer where's his answer going to come from his word spend time in the word spend time reading the word spend time being taught the word and spend time giving the word if you're a parent give the word to your children if your grandparent lived the word before your children if you're a single person with nobody other than parents will say live in such a way that your parents know that your faith is real because the way you live and your parents are watching you that can make all the difference of the world that's a my my dad and mom got saved by just noticing me that I had changed because the power God transforms lives and God's word gives us hope for the future live for Jesus our father we ask that you would work in us