John 5:28-29 "Do not be amazed at this, for a time is coming when all
who are in their graves will hear his voice  and come out-- those who
have done good will rise to live, and those who have done evil will rise
to be condemned.

 So are you a doer of good or a doer of evil?  That's a pretty important
question to ask especially in light of this passage.  This passage, if
taken out of its context, seems to be saying that you will gain heaven
because you have done good, but if you have done evil then you will
simply be condemned.  That's why I ask that question: Are you a doer of
good or a doer of evil?
 Now before you answer that question I want you to do some real hard
thinking.  But I don't want you to think in "worldly" ideas but rather in
godly ideas.  I say that because in a worldly way of thinking we compare
ourselves to other humans and if you do that you might determine that
you've got some good things going for yourself.  After all, I would
venture to say that most of us sitting here are here because we are
concerned with morality and right living and all that.  In the scope of
things worldly, that would make us good if not pretty good.  But that is
not the way God sees it.
 God's idea of good is different from ours.  God does not ask us to
compare ourselves to other human beings but rather tells us that we need
to measure ourselves by HIM.  God is holy and perfect.  God demands that
we be holy and perfect.  Not almost holy (there is no such thing!).  Not
99.9% perfect because anything shy of 100% is not perfect.  That is the
measure that God wants us to use.  Now let's go back and ask our question
again.  Are you a doer of good or a doer of evil?
 I will answer for only myself.  I am a doer of evil.  Scripture tells me
that even my righteous acts are nothing but filthiness.  Scripture tells
me that I fall short, far short of the glory of God.  When I measure
myself by the standard of God I measure up evil.
 That's shocking.  You must just be being a pastor!  No, I am serious.  I
know that by God's measure I am a rotten, low down sinner, a doer of
evil.  Look at it in this way.  For everyone that stands up and says that
I have this or that good thing there is someone else who could stand up
and say, "Yeah, but I know he did this and that wrong thing."  For every
good story, someone is out there with a bad story.  What I am revealing
about myself is also very true of you.  For all the good and wonderful
things that can be cited there are just as many bad and evil things that
could be cited about us.  If we are going to measure ourselves by God's
standard then I again remind you that we have fallen short, far short of
the perfection, the 100% perfection that God demands.
 Well, then Pastor, it looks like we are all in trouble.  If none of us
is good and all of us are evil then all we have to look forward to is
condemnation!
 That would be true if we did what I mentioned at the beginning we should
not do.  Remember I said we should not take this passage out of context.
If we take this passage out of context then truly we are all going to end
up in hell.  Thank goodness that we understand that passage correctly.
Because understood correctly this passage is one filled with hope and
joy, comfort and encouragement in the faith.  Our theme for this day will
be: THE VICTORY IS OURS.  1st. It is found in Jesus.  2nd. It is given to
us.  3rd. We will live.
 You did note that the historical name for this Sunday is "Saints
Triumphant Sunday."  This text occurs in the context of that celebration,
the fact that we are the Saints triumphant.  But it should go without
saying that we recognize that we are not triumphant in ourselves but
rather our triumph is found in Jesus.  There is the whole key to
understanding this section of God's Word.  Jesus is the one who brings us
the triumphant.  That truth is clearly referred to in our first two
verses.  They say, "I tell you the truth, a time is coming and has now
come when the dead will hear the voice of the Son of God and those who
hear will live.  For as the Father has life in himself, so he has granted
the Son to have life in himself.
 Please recognize that as Jesus is speaking these words he is already
presupposing his coming crucifixion on the cross and his resurrection
from the dead.  Since these events are the clear promise of God's Word
and since God and His Word are completely faithful Jesus speaks as if
these things are already true.  And they are.  Did you notice the "and
has now come" found in verse 25.  Jesus is telling the people that if
they want proof of what he is saying all they need to do is pay
attention.  If the dead hear the voice of the Son of God because the
Father has granted the Son to have life in himself, then the proof is in
what Jesus can do.  Can Jesus raise the dead?  Will Jesus show power over
the issues of life and death?  What about Tabitha?  What about the Widow
of Nain's Son.  What about Lazarus?  While all of these miracles have not
yet taken place (one wonders if Jesus isn't getting us ready for them)
just one of the dead rising would be proof enough that Jesus has spoken
the truth.  Jesus has the power of life.  But it goes further than just
that.  Jesus has a complete power over life.  Look at all the miracles
that Jesus has done.  Think of how all of those miracles are actually a
power over the problems that sin has brought into the world.  Jesus has
the power of life and he demonstrated that power time and time again.
 Of course, the ultimate proof of Jesus' power of life is his own
resurrection.  Jesus had died as the perfect sacrifice for the sins of
the world.  Then Jesus did one amazing and totally outstanding thing.
Jesus came back to life.  I would like to see just one self-proclaimed
"messiah" or messenger from God do this same thing.  Die and rise to life
and then I will follow them.  They can't, because only Jesus is the Son
of God, the Son of God brought back to life.
 Please note that speaking of Jesus' death means nothing if Jesus remains
in the grave.  God our Father raised Jesus from the dead and the promise
of God is clear.  If Jesus lives so we also will live.  If Jesus rises
from the dead so we will be raised from the dead.  In other words,
everything we have, believe in and are found to be in this message of the
resurrection of Jesus.  Jesus endured all of this for one simple purpose,
to be our Savior.  That means he won the victory over sin, death and the
Devil.  That victory was completely assured in his resurrection and even
more so, that victory becomes ours in Jesus.
 In order to help you understand the truth of this simple statement, that
Jesus' victory is our victory let me share with you a number of passages
that say just that.
 John 6:39 And this is the will of him who sent me, that I shall lose
none of all that he has given me, but raise them up at the last day.
John 6:40 For my Father's will is that everyone who looks to the Son and
believes in him shall have eternal life, and I will raise him up at the
last day."  John 6:44 "No one can come to me unless the Father who sent
me draws him, and I will raise him up at the last day.  John 6:54 Whoever
eats my flesh and drinks my blood has eternal life, and I will raise him
up at the last day.   Romans 4:25 He was delivered over to death for our
sins and was raised to life for our justification.  Romans 6:4 We were
therefore buried with him through baptism into death in order that, just
as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, we
too may live a new life.  Romans 8:11 And if the Spirit of him who raised
Jesus from the dead is living in you, he who raised Christ from the dead
will also give life to your mortal bodies through his Spirit, who lives
in you.  1 Corinthians 6:14 By his power God raised the Lord from the
dead, and he will raise us also.  2 Corinthians 4:13-14 It is written: "I
believed; therefore I have spoken." With that same spirit of faith we
also believe and therefore speak, because we know that the one who raised
the Lord Jesus from the dead will also raise us with Jesus and present us
with you in his presence.
 Please note that those are but a small fraction of all the passages that
speak in the same way.  Jesus' victory is our victory.  This gift of God
is given to us through the work of the Holy Spirit of God and sealed to
us by our faith in Jesus.  What Jesus has done has become ours.  His life
is ours.  His victory over death is ours.  His eternal kingdom is ours.
That is the whole point of the message of Jesus.  That Jesus has won the
victory and that the victory is ours.  He gives us life.  He offers us
forgiveness and peace with God.  He makes us heirs of eternal heaven now
and always.  Here is the heart and core of our faith.  Jesus and what he
has done.  Because what Jesus has done is given us the eternal victory by
grace through faith.
 Now do you grasp why this verse is here on Saints Triumphant Sunday?
What is said here is true.  Whoever hears the voice of Jesus, that is,
whoever has faith in Jesus has His victory.  Now we can properly
understand this passage.  We are accounted before God perfect and holy
and then, yes, then, we have good works that are presentable before God.
Presentable in Jesus.  Because Jesus takes our filthy rag acts and makes
them holy and perfect before God.  In Jesus and only in Jesus do we have
works acceptable to our God and Father.  In the context of Jesus and his
gift of redeeming love we can then speak of the gift of life in Jesus.
 That gift of life is wonderful.  Again it is the gift of eternal life
with Jesus in heaven.  The promise that we will live again is not some
horrible and twisted "night of the living dead" thing.  It is the promise
of eternal life in heaven with Jesus.  It is the promise of a perfect
place, completely sinless, surrounded by only the best of the best of
this world.  It is a place where we will live, dwell, and enjoy the
complete marvel of God's goodness.  In the book of Revelation this
kingdom is described as a beautiful city with streets of gold, gates of
pearl and foundations of costly gems.  It is a place where we are told,
"Now the dwelling of God is with men, and he will live with them. They
will be his people, and God himself will be with them and be their God.
He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death or
mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away."
  He who was seated on the throne said, "I am making everything new!"
Then he said, "Write this down, for these words are trustworthy and
true."   He said to me: "It is done. I am the Alpha and the Omega, the
Beginning and the End. To him who is thirsty I will give to drink without
cost from the spring of the water of life.   He who overcomes will
inherit all this, and I will be his God and he will be my son.
 Here is the promise of our triumph.  Here is how we will live and dwell
with God forever.  We are the victorious ones.  We are the Saints who
have been given the Triumph of heaven.  All of this in Jesus.  To him be
praise and glory now and always.  Yes, the victory is ours.  Amen.