The Resurrection of Jesus: The Good News Spread Quickly | Pastor William Hixson

those of us that go to the doctor

reminded that what's the point of going

if you don't remember what he said.

So what they're doing now is you often

get a summary right because they've

realized

people are going to forget

what we told them. We got to remind them

in writing

and that's a good thing because we're

very forgetful even in matters of our

health.

Uh sometimes our mind wonders or we just

don't remember and they tell us three

different things we're supposed to

remember and we forget two of them.

So we need to remind ourselves

uh and we need to listen closely when we

go to the doctor and even if we get the

uh email about what happened and review

sometimes we neglect it.

you're on an aircraft,

you know, when the stewardist goes up

there and they start telling you about

the mask dropping from the ceiling and

what you're do if there's an emergency.

It's really, really easy, isn't it? And

I've done this to just tune that out.

I've heard that so many times. Why do I

have to listen to that again? But if

there's an emergency, you'll be glad you

listen to it again. There might be one

detail that they say that you haven't

heard that will be critical to life or

death for you in that moment of

emergency.

And so we're coming on a subject, you

might say, we're just working this

subject to death. We are the

resurrection of Jesus Christ. The this

is ABC stuff. This is the stuff that is

in the gospel, but it's the basic things

of the gospel. Why are we going over and

over and over on this subject? It's

because of this. We should all be PhDs

in the resurrection. We should all be

experts in the resurrection.

What kind of brick layer doesn't know

how to lay brick? What kind of carpenter

doesn't know how to use his tools?

What kind of teacher does not have any

kind of comprehension about what they're

trying to really get across?

People prepare for all kinds of things.

And so we are to be prepared to give the

good news, but we have to believe the

good news to give the good news. And we

have to know it deeply. Know it. Not

just in a babyhood fashion. It's a a

deep knowledge that should grip us even

if we've heard it since we were a child.

We should know it better as adults as

when we were children, right?

And so, uh, as we come to this subject,

I I hope that you're not, uh, becoming

weary of it because I need it.

And so, go with me to Romans chapter 10.

Romans 10 · chapter mention

Romans chapter 10

Romans 10:8–13

verse 8-13.

The Apostle Paul says, "But what says

it? The word is near to verse 8." Romans

Romans 10:8

10:8, "What saith it?" The word is near

thee, even in thy mouth, and in thy

heart, and that is the word of faith,

which we preach, that if you confess

with your mouth the Lord Jesus, and

shall believe in your heart, then God

has raised him from the dead, thou shalt

be saved. For with the heart man

believes to righteousness, and with the

mouth confession is made to salvation.

For the scripture says, "Whosoever

believes on him shall not be ashamed.

For there's no difference between Jew

and Greek, the same Lord over all is

rich unto all that call upon him. For

whosoever shall call on the name of the

Lord shall be saved."

There's another resurrection passage

right is right in there in verse nine.

Father, help me to speak and help each

of us to hear your most gracious,

precious truth in Jesus name. Amen.

The physical bodily resurrection of our

Lord Jesus is at the very heart of the

gospel presentation.

It is an essential part of the good

news. It dare not be left out. It dare

not let be left out. It's not enough to

tell people Christ died for your sins.

It's not enough.

Now, sometimes God will use that. But

people need to know that Christ died for

our sins according to the scriptures.

And that he was buried and rose again

the third day according to the what?

Scriptures. That's what Paul said in 1

Corinthians 15. That's the gospel I

preached to you and what you received

unless you believed in vain.

And he said, "For what I received, I

passed on to you as first importance."

This is of first importance.

That Christ died for our sins according

to the scriptures. That he was buried

and he was raised again the third day

according to the scriptures. How many

Old Testament scriptures are there that

deal with the resurrection of Jesus? Do

we know them?

Do we know the prophecies? Do we know

the promises? Do we know the pictures?

Do we know the typology? Do we know that

stuff? It's important.

We need to be experts at it. We have to

have this in our hearts and in our

minds.

How easy it is to forget things. You

know,

how easy it is to um

because we we become awkward in

something because we haven't been

dealing with it.

And how's that mower start? I forget. I

haven't mowed my grass since last year.

What do I need to do?

So, there's so many things in life that

just because we haven't been at it for a

while, we have to, oh, rethink. I'm

mixing up this lawn mower with an old

one I had or I got to remember what I'm

doing here.

So it's important

in an abbreviated form of this we find

Paul writing in 2 Timothy 2:8 remember

2 Timothy 2:8

Jesus Christ raised from the dead

descended from David this is my gospel

this is my gospel

now with that let's compare Romans 1:1

Romans 1:1

please go there if you Good.

When Paul starts out this great book of

Romans, his magnum opus,

this was the great writing of Paul. Not

that it's more inspired than any other

part, but this is a this is a uh a

section of scripture where Paul deals

with what he's all about.

You know, the last couple of chapters of

Romans are sometimes not found in all

the manuscripts of Romans. And people

say, "Oh, that they dropped out."

You know why I believe they dropped out?

And texture critics, many of them

believe it as well because copies were

made of Roman, the book of Romans that

weren't be weren't sent to the Roman

church. They were using it in other

churches. Well, they don't need to know

this part. So they just I I think that's

what happened because remember

parchments and p uh paper were uh

expensive and so I believe that's how it

dropped down. We can't prove it. I mean,

there's plenty of plenty of manuscripts

with chapters 15 and 16 in them, but I

think it's a a providential um situation

where it shows this book was really used

many in many places in many ways.

And so it it's interesting.

Now, let's read Romans 1:1. Paul, a

Romans 1:1

servant of Jesus Christ, called to be an

apostle, separated unto the gospel of

God. There's things we're to be

separated from and there's things we're

to be separated to.

This one thing I do that means I'm

separated to this, right?

Focused on this.

Paul, a servant of Jesus Christ, called

to be an apostle, separated unto the

gospel of God, which he's promised

before by his prophets in the holy

scriptures concerning his son.

If you're proclaiming the good news, you

got to be proclaiming the son of God

concerning his good his son Jesus Christ

our Lord who was made of the seed of

David according to the flesh and

declared to be the son of God with power

according to the spirit of holiness by

the resurrection

from the dead. There he is. How's he

start the book?

With the resurrection of Jesus.

with the resurre he he has Jesus's

credentials as the son of David and he

has Jesus's resurrection. He puts them

side by side. It's not just anybody that

rose from the dead. We don't just

believe some Jewish nobody carpenter

from Nazareth arose from the dead. We

believe that Jesus, the son of David,

arose from the dead.

His

resurrection is an affirmation of a

program that started long before he was

born and of God's promises that were

over a thousand years old to King David

and he's right in the program.

And so we believe in the royalty of

Jesus Christ. He's the son of David. And

we believe in the resurrection of the

Christ who is of royal lineage. We

believe in his resurrection and we

believe in his royalty.

And it's that one that we believe who is

risen and who is royal who is our

redeemer.

A king died for you. No, not not just

the king. A king of kings died for you.

The king of kings died for me.

This is so very important.

Now,

every time the gospel is used in Paul's

writings,

we should think resurrection,

right? You say, "What's that?" What is

the good news?

Good news is about the royalty of Jesus.

He's the he's a descendant of David and

he's risen from the dead.

That's the good news.

And so it's Christ died for our sins.

Not just anybody. Christ the Messiah,

the anointed Messiah, died for our sins,

was buried, rose again the third day

according to scriptures and so forth and

so on.

Now, so every time the word in this

study in any book we have in the New

Testament, every time the gospel is

used, it's a reference to the

resurrection. So if I really wanted to

teach every reference in the book of

Romans to the resurrection, I would have

to not just uh study what the word risen

or resurrected. I would have to look at

gospel

because the gospel

includes the resurrection of Christ.

Have to use that that word yuanelon. I'd

have to look at that.

Now this book of Romans is Paul's

magnumopus. It's the ultimate writing of

the Apostle Paul. It's all about Paul's

gospel on an extended way,

an extended fashion. Earlier, he had a

smaller version of this in the book of

Galatians defending his gospel.

But here is the expansion,

16 chapters of it, originally written to

the church at Rome in a city of at least

a million people.

at that time

at least a million something four

million at least a million. So when you

think of Rome do you think a city of

million people 2,000 years ago?

I mean, for all of us Americans,

Phoenix, Arizona, Philadelphia,

Pennsylvania, San Diego, California,

Dallas, Texas, Jacksonville, Florida,

Chicago's got two million. The others

don't have two. They're just trying to

get there. I mean, Rome was a big place.

It was the center of the Roman Empire.

But Paul was Paul just was didn't want

to be to it because it was a big place.

He wanted to be the jumping off place

for future ministry in Spain.

Paul's eyes just weren't on Rome. It's

I came from Antioch and they were the

headquarters. I want to start a new

headquarters in Rome so I can get to

Spain.

So he was writing this for a reason. He

wanted the church at Rome to back him

with financial support, with prayers,

and with any other logistics that he

had. He was a general. I mean, he was

looking at he was looking at uh uh to be

able to get the gospel out in concentric

circles uh on the on the empire there.

Now Paul was writing to uh

twothirds of Rome were slaves.

Twothirds of the Roman city were slaves.

One-third were freemen. These

backgrounds are very interesting.

So it wasn't just money Paul was wanting

from these people. Of course, it was it

was prayer support, financial support,

logistical support. Uh he did missions

in a way that was uh logical the way a

admiral in the ocean or general on land

would plan

a movement of troops.

uh Everett Harrison said, "Especially

strong is the language of the

introduction in which the reader readers

are labeled as gentile."

You see the word gentile in chapter 1

verse 5. You see the word gentile in

chapter 1 verse 6. You see the word

gentile in chapter 1 verse3

of chapter 1.

most of the church were Gentiles when

Paul wrote this

at this particular time in in history.

Now I want to give a very brief review

and some of you some of you have heard

some of this from me few years ago. If

we study the book of Acts, we know

uh that the Jews

in the city of Rome were kicked out of

Rome. The Roman emperor kicked them out.

It's likely that some of them

were part of the ones that had been

heard the gospel from Peter uh on

Pentecost and were saved and baptized

and returned home from Rome. Uh and the

nucleus of the church of Rome I believe

was probably Jewish in the beginning

probably majority of Jewish people.

Acts two talks about visitors from Rome

and that was 1500 miles from Jerusalem.

They didn't get on there on an airplane.

So they traveled to Pentecost uh to

celebrate Pentecost

which is a biblical uh holy day that the

Jewish men were supposed to be if they

could get there and there was a lot of

them there. There was many other

countries but Rome was one of them. So

my view is that the Roman church

probably began

with as a Jewish congregation who were

Jewish Christians and had a maybe a

sprinkling of Gentiles. But then we see

in Acts 18 that the Jew the Roman

emperor kicked the Jews out of Rome.

Acts 18:1

Acts 18:1

they kicked the Jews out of Rome. So the

original members of the church, probably

a majority of their church got kicked

out and Priscilla and Aquilla were among

them. That's Acts 18 verse one and

following.

So the emperor kicked all the Jews out

of Rome. Why do you do that? Because

there were riots

concerning one Crest. Now Crestus was a

misprononunciation.

I believe it riots in Jerusalem, excuse

me, in Rome because of Christ.

The Roman enter said, "I've had enough

of these people. You're all going to

leave Rome. We don't want this any

kicked them all out."

That's when Paul met up and Priscilla in

Corinth because they'd been kicked out

of

the other Jews. And so uh and so when

the Roman Emperor kicked out the Jews,

he not only kicked out the Jews that

weren't Christians, a lot of the Jews

that were Christians were included in

that exile. That's history behind this.

So what were the riots about? There were

Jews that believed in Jesus in Rome and

there were Jews that hated Jesus in Rome

and they're causing a big stuff, a big

stink. So the local church

uh a majority of them originally were

Jews and the emperor kicked the Jews

out.

Uh Emperor Claudius was emperor from 41

to 54 AD and uh it was during that time

that

uh the Jews were kicked out and the only

ones left the only Christians left in

the Roman church were gentile.

And then he then they were allowed to

come back. So the the Jews were kicked

out. The Jewish Christians were kicked

out came back to the uh the Roman church

church. And uh so you had all Jew and

then almost all Gentile and then all Jew

again or not all Jew but half and half.

That's what Romans 14's all about. All

these food laws and being gracious to

each other and the squabbbling that went

on. So that's kind of the background

and uh that's that goes and that's why

Paul's talking about

my brethren,

my kinsmen

according to the flesh

and their privileges and their unbelief.

And so he's writing to both in that

situation to this mixed church of Jews

and Gentiles. Now in around 57 56 57 AD

when he's writing this letter

and

uh now our objective this morning

our objective this morning is to examine

and apply Paul's references to the

resurrection of Jesus in the book of

Romans.

Now, every all these people in this

church knew about the resurrection.

They weren't ignorant of the

resurrection. They knew about it. That's

how they got saved. That's why they were

in the church.

But Paul is almost obsessed with this

because it's the foundation of

everything. No one can lay another

foundation than that which is what?

Laid.

And so let's he he's doing this for a

reason.

And in the early verses of this that's

promised in the Old Testament prophets

regarding God's son Jesus Christ who's

of the seed of David and he's the son of

God and he's risen from the dead.

He's just going back to the most basic

basic thing.

Now no other seed of David was ever

risen from the dead. Solomon wasn't.

Even good King Josiah wasn't the last

good king.

Hezekiah wasn't.

You know, when you get uh God gave him

some extra years, but he didn't raise

him from the dead.

So,

it's a fascinating thing here.

the when you deal with the resurrection

of Jesus of the seed of David, there's a

combination of royal genetics and a

supernatural victory over the grave.

No human being before Jesus or after him

was ever risen from the dead the way he

was.

Now there were some people Jesus raised

from the dead and some of the Old

Testament prophets even raised from the

dead but that was resurrection little R.

It was more like a resuscitation.

Yes, their spirit came back into their

body but it came back into their body

that was going to die again. Every one

of those people Lazarus they all had to

die again.

But when Jesus rose it was never to die

again. And when you are ra risen from

the dead, you're not going to die. I'm

not going to that's going to be behind

us forever.

So Paul had good news and he wanted them

to understand it. He he knew they

understood it. He knew he knew they

believed it.

And he's emphasizing we don't just

believe a Jewish carpenter was raised

from the dead. We believe that the

Jewish king Messiah was raised from the

dead.

And that gives authenticity and

credibility to everything else.

Everything Paul writes about Jesus from

Romans 1 all Romans chapter 1 all uh on

Romans 1 · chapter mention

is in light of the introduction.

He says Paul a servant of Jesus Christ

called to be an apostle separated the

gospel. I don't do everything. I'm not

trying to do 20 different things. I'm

separated to the gospel. Are you

separated to the gospel? Am I separated

the gospel? Do we care that people hear

the gospel, know the gospel, believe the

gospel,

aren't able to proclaim the gospel which

he had promised before by his prophets

in the holy scriptures concerning his

son Jesus Christ our Lord, who was made

of the seed of David according to the

flesh and declared to be the son of God

with power according the spirit of

holiness by the resurrection from the

dead. I remember when I haven't seen

this lately, maybe it's gone on, but

there we had some um street preachers

that would come to Athens and they would

preach and they'd call the oh you girls

harlots and the boys homos and and they

they weren't preaching good news, they

were preaching bad news

and all they could do was negative

and they thought they were doing God a

service. They were doing doing God a

disservice.

We used to have a book table right on

the campus green right at the arches

there where you go into the campus from

where the street

intersects it itself.

But when those people were on campus, we

just

hold up and go home because it was it

take a two or three weeks where you

could do anything.

Those people were not helping anything.

They were hurting the cause of Christ.

And it doesn't mean we don't preach

against sin. I'm I'm not saying that.

I'm saying if your message is primarily

negative, you're not giving good news.

The negative news is you're a sinner and

you're going to go to hell. Yes, if you

don't get saved. But if that's where you

put your emphasis and you don't

emphasize the good part,

you're doing the devil's work, not God's

work.

And it's very important for us to know

the gospel is not bad news. The gospel

is good news. It can it includes some

bad news.

But the major part of it is good news.

If the doctor tells me, "Pastor, you got

cancer." That's the bad news.

Uh but it's operable and it's early and

we can cut it up. that.

And so the bad news is yes, we have we

have a sin problem, but let's not just

make it college students have it or

really prostitutes have it or thieves

have it or murderers have it. All have

sinned and are coming short. Not all

have sinned and some are coming short.

All have sinned and are coming short of

the glory of God. Christians come short.

You've never lived a day where you

didn't come short of the glory of God.

And neither have I.

So, it's important to get a hear the

good news and receive it as good news

because we don't deserve that good news.

It's all about Jesus, all about his

death, burial, and resurrection. So,

that's the first reference. Chapter 4

verse 17 is the second.

Those of you that have studied Romans

know that I'm skipping a little bit uh

through the section doing the best I can

with the time of God. 4:17

as it's written, I've made thee a

father. He's talking to Abraham. He's

quoting Genesis and Abraham. 417 I've

made thee a father of many nations

before him whom he believed even God who

gives life to the dead and calls those

things that are not as though they were.

Even the birth of a baby where you

didn't expect a baby is a picture the

supernatural work of God to produce life

or you don't expect it.

Sarah's pregnancy at her age,

past menopause,

is a is a is a picture of God's ability

to bring life where you don't expect it.

Who against hope believed in hope that

he might become the father of many

nations, according to that which was

spoken, so shall your seed be. And being

not weak in faith, he considered not his

own body now dead.

I'm too old to be a dad.

She's too old to be a mom.

Humanly speaking,

no baby's coming now.

When he was about a hundred years old,

not quite 100, almost

neither yet the deadness of Sarah's

womb. She was what, 10 years younger

than him if my memor is right.

So he's 99 plus and she's

me.

Who's going to think a baby's going to

come?

He staggered not at the promise of God

through unbelief, but was strong in

faith, giving glory to God, being fully

persuaded that what he promised, he's

able to perform. Now, you are as dead

spiritually as Abraham and Sarah were

physically.

You can't produce life

for yourself or for others. Abraham

believed the promise that what God

promised he's able to perform. After

all, he's the one that designed

reproduction in the first place.

There's the He's the one that said be

fruitful and multiply. He had it all

wired in. He knows about it.

There's a difference between me trying

to start a piece of machinery that I

don't understand the mechanics and

someone who totally understands it and

made it.

Sometimes I can't even get the computer

to turn on. Right.

But there's people that's no problem.

Therefore, it was imputed to him that's

to Abraham for righteousness. Now it was

not written for his sake alone. All this

righteousness Abraham positional

righteousness was not imputed to him

just for himself but for us also. God is

giving us a lesson. A lesson that was in

the books 2,000 years before we were

born

to whom it shall be imputed when we

believe on him that raised up Jesus our

Lord from the dead.

Now this verse 25 is extremely

important. 24 and 25 who was delivered

for our offenses. He didn't die for his

sins. He died for ours and was raised

again for our justification.

If Jesus is still in the grave, we can't

be righteous before God. Sins have to be

totally completely paid for,

not partially paid for.

So, we must believe like Abraham did. He

believed uh that God was going to give

him the seed that would produce the

blessing on the whole world. We believe

in Jesus who is that seed. If Jesus had

not come out of the grave, there's no

salvation, no forgiveness, no

justification.

And the fact that he did come out of the

grave proved that penalty was fully

paid.

Fully paid. If the penalty wasn't fully

paid, he'd had to remain in the grave

till it was paid.

So that's the second reference to

resurrection in the book of Romans.

Justification

needed, justification provided,

justification applied.

It's all the other work of Jesus.

Now go to chapter five. We get into

really deep waters. Now you're in the

deep end of the theological pool. Now,

we're talking about the two Adams.

Adam, the first Adam, and Jesus, the

last Adam. He's not the second Adam.

Don't you call him that. Bible doesn't

say that. He's the last Adam.

There's two representative people.

We die physically because of what Adam

did. We are resurrected because of what?

We're forgiven. And we're resurrected

because of what Jesus did. That's the

only two people God's looking at. He's

not looking at you

when it comes to salvation. If you're

still with the first Adam, you're in

trouble. If you're with the last Adam,

you're out of trouble.

Watch the combination.

Romans 5

and verse

six. For when we were yet without

strength, in due time Christ died for

the ungodly, for scarcely for an

unrighteous for a righteous man will one

die. Yet perhaps for a good man some

would even dare to die. But God

commanded his love toward us and that

while we were yet sinners, Christ died

for us. Much more than now being

justified by his blood will be saved

from wrath through him. For if when we

were enemies were reconciled to God by

the death of his son, much more be

reconciled, we will be saved by his

life. That's a reference to resurrection

and because he lives to die no more. And

not only so, we also join in God through

our Lord Jesus Christ by whom we've

received the reconciliation.

Wherefore, this is the big illustration.

Watch the word one, watch the word many.

Wherefore, as by one man sin entered the

world, and death by sin, so death passed

upon all men for all have sinned. For

until the law, sin was in the world, but

sin's not imputed when there is no law.

Nevertheless, death reigned from Adam to

Moses, even over them that had not

sinned after the similitude of Adam's

transgression.

Underline this. Who is a the figure of

him that was to come. Adam is a Old

Testament

picture of Jesus. Adam, who's the head

of the old race, is a picture of Jesus,

the head of a new race.

Grandpa Adam got you in trouble. He got

me in trouble. We die physically because

of what he did.

We'll be raised because of what Jesus

did.

We'll be forgiven because of what Jesus

did.

We don't add to anything Jesus did.

And so, watch what it says. But not as

the offense. Verse 15. So, so the free

gift. Circle that word free gift. If

you've never read this chapter much,

watch how many times he uses it. It's

just stunning.

We don't earn it. We can't earn it.

Not as the offense, that's what Adam

did, so also is the free gift. For if

through the offense of one, that's Adam,

many are dead. Much more the grace of

God and the gift by grace which is by

one man, Jesus Christ has abounded to

the many. If you're a philosopher

person, you know the problem of the one

and the many. That's a whole other

issue. But it's it'll help you

understand this section.

Not as it was by one that sin, so is the

gift.

There's the word gift again. For the

judgment was by one to condemnation, but

the free gift is of many offenses to

justification. Which means Jesus died

not just for Adam's sin, but for every

sin you've ever done or ever will do.

If by one's man's fence, that's Adam,

death reign by one, much more they who

receive abundance of grace, and the gift

of righteousness shall reign in life by

one, Jesus Christ. Therefore, as by the

offense of one, judgments come to all

men, the condemnation, even so by the

righteous of one, the free gift is up

come on all men to justification of

life. For as by one man's disobedience,

that's Adam, many, that means billions

of people, everybody that's ever lived,

were made sinners, so by the obedience

of one shall many, be made righteous.

Moreover, the law entered that the

offense may abound. But where sin

abounded, grace did much more abound.

that as sin hath reigned unto death,

even so might grace reign through

righteousness, through eternal life by

Jesus Christ our Lord. That's a

resurrection section, isn't it? It's an

incredible.

If Christ uh death does so much for us,

what a precious thing is his

resurrection. What was resurrection do?

And uh so Paul's talking legal stuff

here.

Fourth, fourth passage, Romans 6:1.

Romans 6:1

What shall we say then? Shall we

continue in sin? That grace may abound?

God forbid meto may it never be? How

shall we that are dead to sin live any

longer in it? Know you not that as many

of you were baptized into Christ

were baptized into his death, therefore

were buried with him by baptism into

death, that as Christ was raised up from

the dead by the glory of the Father,

even so we should walk in newness of

life. For if we've been planted together

in the likeness of his death, we shall

be also in the likeness of his

resurrection. knowing this that our old

man is crucified with him that the body

of sin might be destroyed that

henceforth we should not serve sin. It's

it's a precious thing as we go down

through him. For he that is dead is

freed from sin. Now if we be dead with

Christ, we believe will also what? Live

with him.

Knowing that Christ being raised from

the dead dies no more. Death has no more

dominion over him. And since it has no

more dominion over him, it has no more

dominion over those that belong to him.

Are you looking forward to the time when

death will be behind you instead of

ahead of you?

We've lived our whole life with death

ahead of us.

Remember

when you were a kid and little bird died

or cat died and you learned about death?

Maybe a relative.

It took away some of the joy of

childhood there. You realize I'm going

to die.

It's not going to be that way in heaven.

It's not going to be that way in the new

kingdom. Not going to be that way in the

heavens, new heavens and new earth.

Death will be behind us instead of ahead

of us. I it's hard for me to imagine

that just what the Bible says.

For in verse 10, for in that he died, he

died to sin once, but in he lives, he

lives to God. Likewise, reckon ye also

yourselves dead indeed to sin, but what?

Underline it. Alive to God through Jesus

Christ. I'm not the person I was. I am.

Yeah, I retain my identity, but I got

life in me now. Eternal life.

Eternal life doesn't begin when you

physically die. Eternal life begins the

day you're born again.

Let not sin therefore reign in your

mortal body that you should obey its

lust. Neither yield you your members of

right instruments of righteous to sin,

but yield yourselves to God as those

that are alive from the dead. live what

you are, be what you are,

and your members as instruments of

righteousness

unto God.

So, these are precious passages, aren't

they? And uh we're not fighting for

victory, we're fighting from victory.

Get the perspective.

The legalist thinks if I'm just good

enough, I'm fighting for victory. Maybe

I'll get good enough to get to heaven.

We're not in that crowd.

We're not fighting for victory. We're

fighting from victory.

Jesus paid it all. All to him I owe.

And of course, he ends this chapter with

verse 23. The wages of sin is death, but

the gift of God is eternal life through

Jesus Christ our Lord. You see the book

of Revelation just

exudes resurrection

all the way through chapter 7 verse4

quickly the fifth one I'm pick picking

out wherefore my brethren

ye also are become dead to the law by

the body of Christ that you should be

married to another even him who's raised

from the dead that we should bring forth

fruit to God.

Did you realize

that your heavenly bridegroom

has been raised from the dead?

And you're united to him

forever. There's no death till we part

on this marriage.

Forever.

He says

in chapter 7 in verse 24 and 25,

"Oh wretched man that I am, who will

deliver me from this body of death? I

thank God through Jesus Christ our

Lord." So with my mind I serve the law

of sin, but with the flesh,

with my mind, I serve the law of God.

With my flesh, the law of sin, I'm a

work in progress. I'm not all I ought to

be, but I'm united to him who's raised

from the dead.

I got a future.

Romans chapter 8 is the sixth verse one.

Romans 8 · chapter mention

There's no condemnation to those who are

in Christ who walk not after the flesh

but after the spirit. The law of the

spirit of life in Christ hath made me

free from the law of sin and death. If

you're free from the law of sin and

death, you got it made. How can I get

free? It's because of him, his work for

me, not my work for him.

And in verse 11, that if the spirit of

him that raised up Jesus from the dead

dwell in you, he that raised up Christ

from the dead will also give life to

your mortal bodies by his spirit that

dwells in you. That's the seventh one.

Do you realize this would this has

always been a blessing to me? The same

Holy Spirit that raised Jesus dead body

from that grave lives in me.

The same Holy Spirit

that raised Jesus body from the grave

which body suffered and had put on it

the sins of the world.

That same Holy Spirit

will raise my body.

If he raised Jesus's body,

he obviously has experience.

I'm not worried about that.

It's a great encouragement, isn't it?

And that's how Paul puts it.

And uh he elaborates all of that in

other passages here.

So turn with me to Acts 8. Acts Romans

Romans 8:32

8:32.

He that spared not his own son, but

delivered him up for us all, how shall

we not also with him freely give us all

things?

Who shall lay anything to charge of

God's elect? Shall God that justifies

who the is he the condemned shall Christ

that died yay rather is risen again

who's even at the right hand of God

making intercession for us. Wait a

minute. Jesus isn't only risen. He's my

intercessor. He's not going to condemn

me. He's he's he's my attorney. He's in

God's presence. Yeah, Bill Hixon did

that again, but I died for that and he's

mine.

It's no excuse for sin, but thank God

for it, right?

Well,

um

8:32 and 34 is another one. And uh I

think I just did that one. That's the

seventh. Uh Romans 10:9 is another one.

Romans 10:9

9 to11. We already looked at that one.

that if you confess with your mouth the

Lord Jesus and believe in your heart

that God's raised him from the dead,

you'll be saved.

If you do not believe God concerning

Jesus, you won't be saved. If you do,

you will be saved. God expects a

response.

God expects repentance and faith. God

expects a heart response to the gospel.

It's not like everybody's got a get out

of free jail, get out of jail free card

now because Jesus died. God expects a

response from the heart.

And Romans 10 is very clear for that's

why we preach to people. That's why we

proclaim the good news.

Romans 13 verse 11.

Romans 13:11

Paul can't go very far without talking

about the resurrection, can he?

Romans 13:11.

Romans 13:11

And knowing the time

that now it's high time to wake out of

sleep. For now is our salvation nearer

than when we believe. The night's far

spent, the days at hand, let's therefore

cast off the works of darkness. Put on

the armor of light. Let's walk honestly

as in the day, not in the reveling and

drunkenness, not in immorality and

wantness, not in strife and envying, but

put on the Lord Jesus Christ and make

not provision of the flesh to fulfill

its lust. He's living. He's living. Put

him on. A dead Jesus can't save. A

living Jesus can save. A living Jesus

can enable us to do what we couldn't do

for ourselves. I think I told you about

my dad swimming in the river when I was

a kid when it was overflowing. It's a

bank. As a kid, he just they would play

in the river, jump in, ride it, and get

out. They would raised on a it's

actually a creek, but it was like a

river, the same size of a river, just

not as long. And he just float along. I

saw it happen just as if it was nothing.

And my dad saved me out of that river

once when I was a little kid.

But my dad can't save me if I go in

again cuz my dad's dead.

We serve a risen savior.

He's in the world today.

Savior's not dead. He was dead, but he's

not dead.

He can save us from the river of death.

Yeah. the old-timers called death of the

river. Remember my great aunt, I was

visiting a hospital and I was with her

maybe 15 minutes before she died

and she was talking to me about a gospel

track I'd given her and she said, "You

know, they say something about your

fingers. If this happens, you're near

the river."

She knew it was near.

She was right.

But thank God for our Lord that can able

us to swim against the tide, swim

upstream.

That's what Christian life is. You're

swimming upstream. Did you know that?

You know why it's so hard? You're

swimming upstream.

You're you're swimming against the tide.

You're working against your sin nature

trying to pull you back.

You ever go to Myrtle Beach and watch

your kids in the surf? You're standing

here and then they're there and then

you're standing here and watching them.

Everyone used to do it all the time.

Then they're moving down.

The current's taking them down there.

You have to keep walking, keeping after

them, watching them.

The tide of sin is strong.

It pulls us. We can't overcome it apart

from the Lord Jesus.

Romans 14:9. Romans 14:9. This is the

Romans 14:9 Romans 14:9

10th one.

For to this end Christ both died and

rose and revived that he might be Lord

both of the dead and the living.

Both the Lord of the dead and the

living. Praise God for that one.

And uh uh turn to 15:18. I got to hurry

up because I'm going to make it if I

don't just turn to them. 15:18. For I'll

dare not to speak of any of those things

which Christ has not wrought by me to

make Gentiles obedient by word and deed

through many signs and wonders by the

power of the spirit of God. So that from

Jerusalem and roundabout to

ericulum I fully preach the gospel of

Christ. So I've strived to preach the

gospel not where Christ was named lest I

should build on another man's

foundation. And so the Apostle Paul's

using that word gospel over over again.

And um

where it's written to whom he's what he

was not spoken of, they shall see and

they have not understand this cause I've

been much hindered from coming to you.

Now having no more place in these parts

and having great desire these many years

to see you. I'm going to take my journey

to Spain. I'm going to Spain. I'm going

to preach the gospel. Before I go to

Spain, I'm going to Jerusalem. He's

going all directions at once. But Paul

was on the move for the gospel of

Christ. He's talking about a

post-resurrection ministry that was his.

And verse 27, it's pleased them verily

and their debtor as they are. For if

Gentiles have been made of their

spiritual things, their duty is to

minister to them in their carnal things.

I want Jerusalem to preach the gospel.

I'm preaching the gospel. And I want you

to be in on it.

Romans 16 3.

Greet Priscilla and Aquilla, my helpers

in Christ Jesus. Remember they're in

Rome now. They're back in Rome. They got

kicked out of Rome earlier in Acts 18.

Now they're back. So the Jews had come

back to Rome to the Rome. and read in

verse 7, Andronicus and Junius, my

kinsmen, my fellow prisoners who are of

note among the apostles who were in

Christ before me. The word in Christ is

a resurrection word.

He's the head of a new race.

He's not in the grave anymore.

Every time Paul uses the phrase in

Christ, he's referring to the

resurrection in one way or another.

And he uses it in verse 10. And he uses

it in verses 12 to13 and so forth. You

get in Christ in this life the day

you're saved.

And finally, Romans 16

25

to 27. Now to him that is power to

establish you according to my what? Good

news.

Good news is about what?

Jesus the son of David raised again the

third day according to the scriptures

and preaching of Jesus Christ according

to the revelation of the mystery which

was kept secret since the world began

and now is made manifest by the

scriptures of the prophets according to

the commandment of the everlasting God

made known to all nations for obedient

to the

well and to God only wise be glory

through Jesus Christ forever he's not a

dead man he's a living man gets glory

through him even now.

Now all of this has been a bit tedious

and possibly redundant

but I just want us to know the book of

Romans would not have been written could

not have been written if Jesus was not

risen.

So it itself is evidence of the

resurrection

of Christ.

Uh the writer Paul had uh been sa had to

be saved from the risen Christ to write

it.

The reader

would have never been saved to receive

it and read it.

There's no gospel message if there's no

salvation to the proclaimer of the

message.

Paul wasn't ashamed of the gospel of

Christ. He's willing to take it. But ju

think about the think about u think

about this just a little bit and I want

to compare some things and you might

think this is too far.

The book of Romans itself is evidence of

the resurrection of Jesus. The fact that

there is a book of Romans

the fact that there is a book of Romans

in our Bible is a evidence of the

resurrection.

remember um when they didn't know

whether Jesus was risen or not or

whether they saw a ghost. He said, "A

ghost doesn't have flesh and blood like

I got. Here's my hands in my feet in my

in the holes in my hands in my side.

Handle me and see." And they did. He

gave them evidence that his resurrection

was real.

And we have evidence. We take the book,

you know. Let's go back to something

else. How about the grave clothes of

Jesus?

And Peter and John had that race and

they went in. They saw the clothes

weren't where they were and this one was

over here. And

I believe

he didn't. Oh, he he he believed that

was enough for him. Peter still was

perplexed. But John,

they were in the grave. Jesus was gone.

The clothes were res were were moved.

And John said, "No way you're going to

get out all that wrapping by yourself

and still have it intact." Easier, isn't

it?

The letter to Rome is not about a dead

Jesus. The letter to Rome is about a

living Jesus that conquered the grave

after he paid for sins.

to those who quote it, to those who

believe it, to those that read it. The

Epistle of Paul to the Romans is what

Jesus invited the apostles to do with

his hands and feet. You don't believe

it's me, handle me and see. You don't

believe he's risen, open the book of

Romans. We don't have the grave closed.

We don't have uh the empty tomb before

our eyes, but we got the book of Romans

and it was written by someone who saw

the risen Lord. There'd be no Romans if

there wasn't Paul. If Saul had become

Paul, there wouldn't be any book of

Romans.

So, let's do with the Epistle of Romans

what Jesus wanted the apostles to do

with his hands or feet.

letters don't write themselves.

But of Romans is written by somebody

and the church accepted Romans as a as

from Paul and God

put it in the Bible right away.

What Jesus said to the apostles on

Easter evening, "Put your finger here.

See my hands. Put your hand here and

place it in my side. Be not be

unbelieving but believing. Examine the

book of Romans. Know what it is. It's a

relic

from the first century. It was written.

It was composed

by one who saw the Lord.

There wouldn't be any gospel to preach.

And there wouldn't be any book of Romans

if Jesus hadn't been re risen. You ever

do the math on that? If Jesus wasn't

written, who would have written book?

Why would Romans be written? There

wouldn't be any Paul to write it. He's

be he'd be killing Christians the rest

of his life instead of proclaiming

Christ and starting churches.

So fascinating business, isn't it? James

Gisham man writing on the book of

Romans, New Testament scholar, famous

Presbyterian

James Gisham man

said, "Sin is not something that can be

simply treated as though it had never

been.

The justice of God demands punishment.

Though mysterious through mysterious

grace,

though mysterious, I'm sorry, though

mysterious

grace has been exalted, not from us, but

from Christ. The death of Christ was a

divine sacrifice for the sins of men.

The benefits of it cannot be earned.

They must be simply received. In other

words, salvation is not by works but by

faith.

Another writer said, "It's difficult to

imagine how

how Jesus could have done anything more

to demonstrate the tangible material

nature of his resurrection body.

He was seen, heard, touched. They saw

him eat fish." All four major evidences

of visible physical nature of the

resurrected body were presented to them

on that occasion. And Peter says in Acts

10, we ate and drank with it

for arose from the dead.

What we have in the New Testament,

in the four gospels, in the epistles

are people who were there.

Think about that.

James was there. There'd be no book of

James. He was an unbeliever. When Jesus

died, he only believed because Jesus

appeared to him.

How many people believe their older

brother is God?

It doesn't happen too often.

So, how about the gospels? How about the

epistles? These people were there and

they were martyed because of their

faith.

And Paul, a murderer, is changed into a

martyr.

From one who is murdering Christians, he

becomes a martyr for Christ.

Explain that. You think that is

something that happens? Where's the

explanation for that?

His faith in Christ and the risen Christ

got him killed and he knew it would.

Uh

I I just I like the thought that the

book of Romans comes to me from the time

of Jesus from people who were there

or Paul who was there. He saw him. He

heard him.

Now Jewish people today, many of them

say our Sanhedrin got it right 2,000

years ago. Jesus was a blasphemous false

prophet.

Did they get it right?

A lot of Jews just buy it. our Sanhedrin

dealt with this 2,000 years ago.

Uh they got it right and executed him.

Or people say, "Well, nobody knows."

Paul thought he had it got Paul thought

he got it right. Paul thought the

Sanhedrin got it right. He was He was

authorized by the Sanhedrin

to kill Christians and murder

Christians.

He thought the Jewish Sanhedrin got it

right and the Christians were wrong.

What changed him?

He saw the risen Lord.

And this book of Romans come from a man

you could not convince. I think he was

beyond human

ability to confront and convince. He

have you killed before you got too much

out of your mouth.

The Dutch theologian Herman Bevink in

his book our reasonable faith said it's

not the Jews and the Romans who in their

judgment and sentence were proved right

but Christ. He is the just one who was

nailed to the cross with wicked hands

and put to death. The resurrection is

the divine reversal of the sentence

which was passed on Jesus.

So Jes God the father threw it out of

court. Said he deserves to die. He's a

blasphemer.

That that's not going to stay.

Paul knew the witnesses. He was a

witness himself and

he joined the others and saying about

Jesus, "My Lord

and my God."

Everett Harrison wrote this. He talks

about the book of Romans being written

57 or 56 AD. That's only 26 years after

Jesus died and rose again. He said

Romans is a digest of the gospel message

as Paul has been proclaiming it to

numerous groups since his conversion. We

got to remember this. The book of Romans

is just Paul writing to the Roman church

of what he'd already been doing for

decades.

He's introducing himself. He's

introducing his gospel. He was teaching

everything in this book long before he

wrote this letter.

I'm going to read what ever Harrison,

New Testament scholar, said again. The

book of Romans is a digest of the gospel

message as Paul had been proclaiming to

numerous groups since his conversion,

including the practical application of

Christian truth to various aspects of

life in the church and in the world.

Just think about that one.

So, this wasn't the first time Paul was

preaching the gospel. This is just a

written form of the gospel he'd been

preaching since he was saved.

He was saved about three or four years

after Jesus arose from the dead.

We got good stuff here of someone who

saw

God in his mercy been good.

Now, the Lord Jesus, I hope, is reaching

out to you if you're not yet a Christian

and uh for whatever reason you've

ignored the gospel or put off believing

or you've bought into some criticism of

Christianity or the gospel,

may God help you to trust Christ.

Every book in the New Testament declares

or assumes that Christ rose from the

dead. It's not me speaking. It's a New

Testament scholar. Every book in the New

Testament declares or assumes that

Christ rose from the dead. Another said

the entire New Testament was written in

the light of the resurrection fact.

Another said, "The resurrection

bulked uh bulked larger in the apostolic

preaching than it does today." That's

true. Pastors are preaching on

everything else but the resurrection.

They said, "The resurrection is the

keystone of the Christian faith. Without

it, we have no salvation from sin and no

hope for our own resurrection." Friends,

he's risen.

He's risen because he's real. He's risen

because he's returning. He's risen

because our sins are paid for and he's

our redeemer and he's our ruler. He's

risen and he'll be res viewing every

life and every person who's ever lived.

You're going to meet him someday. You

must make that appointment. You will

every all of us are going to give

account of ourselves to Jesus Christ.

He's not just someone we're hearing

about that lived long ago. He lives.

He's in the world today and he's

returning.

Application. Believe the gospel. If

you're unsaved, believe the gospel for

the saved. Retain the gospel

for the saved. Live the gospel. Romans

6. Spread the gospel.

Support the gospel.

And wait for the returning

of our savior. Father, thank you for

what we've heard today. Challenge us and

change us with it. We pray. Amen.

Lord, as we go from this place

loving you more,

trusting you more.

May the power of your love and the light

of your word shine well to a sin

darkened world as we go from this place.