The Resurrection

One of my favorite hymn is He Lives.

One of the reasons why I know he lives because he lives in my heart.

And I did talk to him today.

If you wasn't in your Bibles tonight, turn to John chapter two.

I know what I said this morning.

I now understand that the guys back in the booth are like, if he

preaches on Daniel, we got this.

If he doesn't.

I came across this again, a message on the resurrection.

And I did want to tonight to take some time and something that

Lord touched my heart about.

I am so thankful for the resurrection.

And the reason why is because without it there is no salvation.

Without it, there is no hope.

In John chapter 2, look with me in verse 19, John chapter 2, verse

John 2 · chapter mention John 2:19

19.

Look back at verse 18.

Then answered the Jews and said unto him, what sign showest

thou unto us, seeing that thou doest these things Again, he was

in the house, don't make my house the house of merchandise, and

so forth.

And then verse 19 says, Jesus answered and said to them, destroy

this temple, and in three days I will raise it up.

Then said the Jews, 40 and six years was this temple in building,

and wilt thou rear it up in three days?

Verse 21.

But he spake of the temple of his what body of his body.

Verse 22 is important too.

Look at verse 22.

And when therefore he was risen from the dead, his disciples

remembered that he had said this unto them.

And they believed the Scriptures.

And the word which Jesus had said, said again.

We think about the apostles and the disciples as they're walking

and talking with Jesus again for three and a half years.

And though they understood who he was even to the very last, they

were hoping as well, as I said this morning, they were hoping as

well that he would set up the kingdom, that he would usher in the

Davidic dynasty, that he would set up the eternal kingdom.

And.

And even though Jesus had told them five times in the New Testament,

five times, that Jesus alluded to or outright said to his disciples,

his apostles, I am going to die, I am going to be buried, and

I am going to rise again three days later.

And yet still there was that anticipation, if you would, or the

hope of, of him setting up a physical kingdom.

Let's pray.

Heavenly Father, we again come to you, thanking you for the resurrection.

I pray, Lord, that you would again enforce that, reinforce it

tonight in our own minds the importance of it.

And God, may you continue to work in our lives.

The resurrection, we understand, is the power of God.

We thank you in Jesus name.

Amen.

In John chapter 10.

John 10 · chapter mention

We won't turn to verses 17 through 18.

We talk about the resurrection.

If there had been no resurrection, there would be no inspired

word of God, because the word of God would be a lie.

John, chapter 10, verse 17 and 18.

John 10:17

The resurrection is the foundation of all the great doctrines

of the Bible.

Again, it all rests on it, because without it, you don't have.

You don't have faith.

And that's where.

First Corinthians 15.

Let's turn over there.

Most of you know these verses, but First Corinthians 15, Paul addressing

the church of Corinth.

The church of Corinth had a.

That's why it's called the Book of Corrections, because the

church of Corinth had some issues, some serious issues.

You think we have issues now?

The Corinthian Church was full of problems.

And one of the things the Corinthian Church had a problem with,

there was some teaching in the Corinthian Church that there was

no resurrection.

That there was no resurrection.

So Paul addresses that in chapter 15 of 1 Corinthians, chapter

1 Corinthians 15 · chapter mention

15.

He says, Moreover, brethren, verse 1.

Moreover, brethren, I declare unto you the gospel which I preached

unto you, which also you have received, and wherein you stand.

So you're going to give us the Gospel by which also you are saved

if you keep in memory what I preached unto you, unless you have

believed in vain.

For I delivered unto you first of all that which I also received.

How?

That Christ died for our sins according to the Scripture, and that

he was buried, and that he rose again the third day, according

to the Scriptures, it goes on to say, and then he was seen of Cephas,

then of the twelve after that he was seen of above five hundred

brethren at once, of whom the greater part remain unto this present

but some are fallen asleep, some have died, but the greater part

of them are still alive.

During the time of Paul after that he was seen of James, then of

all the apostles, and last of all, he was seen of me also as that

one born out of due time.

And he goes on to speak about him being the least of the apostles.

Look at verse 10.

But by the grace of God, I am what I am.

And his grace which was bestowed upon me was not in vain,

but I labored more abundantly than they all.

Yet not I, but the grace of God which was with me.

Look down there, verse 14.

And if Christ be not risen, then is our preaching in vain, and

our faith is also vain.

And look at verse 17.

And Christ be not risen, and our faith is Vain and ye are yet

in your sins.

But look at verse 20.

But now is Christ risen from the dead and become the first fruits

of them that slept.

Paul says if Christ did not rise from the dead, first off, he

begins with the gospel.

If Christ didn't rise from the dead, there is no gospel because

there's no power to enforce the gospel.

And by the way, in his resurrection, he also put into force

the New Testament covenant.

I'm thankful we don't live in the Old Testament, aren't you?

I'm thankful I don't live in the Old Testament economy underneath

the Old Testament system.

I'm thankful I live under the New Testament economy.

And the New Testament and the resurrection is what put the New

Testament contract.

It's like as if he signed the contract.

It's what put it into force.

And Paul starts out here again by giving the gospel.

The gospel given to him was now given to them.

And if Christ didn't rise from the dead, then, then that's in vain.

He said our faith is in vain.

It's worthless, it's for nothing.

Our preaching's in vain.

It's worthless, for nothing.

And he also describes there that the grace that was bestowed

upon him, Remember now, Paul was.

Paul was a murderer.

He persecuted the church.

And before he accepted, before he met the Lord, before he met the

Lord there on the road to Damascus.

And God transformed his life.

The Lord transformed his life.

It's a miracle.

And once that transformation took place, Paul began to serve the

Lord.

And he's saying that God gave me that grace, unmerited favor, that

he labored more abundantly than them all.

He's not being braggadocious there.

He's just saying I worked harder than everybody.

Because he did not want the grace that he had been given by God

to be in vain.

He said the grace that God gave me, that unmerited favor, that

unearned favor that God gave me.

I was undeserving.

I was, you know, a terrible.

I'm summarizing a terrible man done all these things and yet God

gave me that grace.

And that grace was not in vain.

He said, my preaching's not in vain.

My faith is not in vain.

Because Jesus indeed rose in verse 20.

Christ is risen from the dead and become the first fruits.

Notice how he puts that, the first fruits of those.

In other words, he's the first one to rise.

But we all are going to rise from the dead.

Those who accepted Christ as Savior.

We're going to re rise from the dead or be translated and raptured

up with him one day in the moment, in the twinkling of an eye,

Paul made it clear, if there was no resurrection, then there is

no hope.

I'm thankful there is hope.

I pointed this out before we preach this verse, this chapter.

It's one of my favorite chapters.

Look at verse 58, just as a side note.

Therefore, in other words, Paul says at the very end of this

chapter, because Jesus Christ rose from the dead, therefore our

preaching's not in vain.

Our faith is not in vain.

The grace that was bestowed upon me was not in vain.

And then in verse 58, he says, Therefore, my beloved brethren, be

steadfast, unmovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord.

For as much as you know that your labor is not in vain in the

Lord, then he says, your labor is not in vain.

Can I tell you tonight and remind you that the service of the

Lord as you work for the Lord, that your labor is not in vain.

Coming out yesterday.

We had a good crowd yesterday.

Out passing out door hangers.

Yesterday.

That labor's not in vain.

You teaching a Sunday school class.

Are you working in master clubs?

Or you greeting people at the door?

You taking up the offering.

That's not in vain.

All that works together to help spread the gospel.

You giving in the offering.

You sacrificing for missions.

That's not in vain.

That's not worthless.

Your labor not in vain.

Playing an instrument, singing in the choir, being encouragement.

What a choir special this morning.

Amen.

Love that song.

I could see the crowd's reaction, too, you know.

Awesome.

That has an impact.

Your labor's not in vain.

Come up here early to church on Sunday nights and having to play

the.

Well, Ms.

Linda used to play the organization.

Apparently she got fired.

Or the organ is broke and we've decided the organ is broke.

And we've also decided that that is a Hammond organ and it was

bought a long time ago, but it's a very antiquated organ.

Use a different word.

And the people that.

The person that works on that organization, he also is 120.

And I know I got sidetracked.

It's all good, though.

And there is no one else to work on the thing.

So send us your name and address if you know how to work on

organ that's 100 years old.

Your labor is not in vain.

Ms.

Linda has been playing the organ for our church since the beginning.

25 years.

Appreciate her.

We haven't fired her.

Your labor is not in vain.

I watch staff members come in early, stay late and I'll brag on

Miss Valerie a little bit.

She don't want me to do that.

But starting a new ministry here at the church is not an easy

task.

And knowing that you're going to have to spend extra time and extra

effort, a lot of time up here, as well as her husband getting a

ministry like the daycare off the ground.

I appreciate that, but it's more than me appreciating it, that

labor is not in vain.

We've already seen the results of it.

We have.

We've seen visitors here because of the daycare, seen families

here because of the daycare, and they have received the Gospel.

Your labor is not in vain.

Sometimes we get tired in the way, but we should never get tired

of the way.

Sometimes we do need to take a break and rest.

But understand that there's no retreat.

There's no surrender.

There's no turning back.

We just need to continue to charge hell with a squirt gun.

Amen.

We do.

There's a hell to shun.

And there's people out there who need Jesus.

And Paul knew that.

And Paul spent his life giving the gospel.

Spent his life, literally spent his life spreading the gospel

of Jesus Christ.

And I almost see him pointing his finger at this church, going,

at the Corinthians Church, not ours.

At the Corinthian church, going, you're saying that what I'm

doing is in vain.

You're saying that the preaching and the sacrifice and all

the things that I have done and others have done is in vain.

He says, that is not in vain.

That is not in vain.

Jesus did rise from the dead.

He said, we saw him.

Not only did I see him as one out of due time.

In other words, he saw him after the fact.

But he said 500 saw him.

And the apostles saw him, many of them still alive.

He said, many of them still alive today.

Our labor is not in vain.

Jesus Christ rose from the dead.

Romans chapter 4, verse 25 says, he was raised again for our

Romans 4:25

justifications.

He was raised from the dead and rose from the dead to see our

sins forgiven, our sinless full record erased.

Romans, chapter one.

I'm going to go over there and read this verse.

Romans 1:4, speaking about the resurrection.

Romans 1:4

It's an interesting verse.

Romans, chapter one, verse four.

I still call this my new Bible.

It's hard to get the pages to turn here.

Paul says.

He says, and I declared and declared to be the Son of God with

power.

Talking about Jesus Christ according to the spirit of holiness

by the resurrection from the dead.

Let Me reread that again.

Speaking of the deity of Jesus Christ, he says this.

I'll back up to verse three.

Might help.

The context concerning his Son, Jesus Christ our Lord, which

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.

How do we know that Jesus Christ is indeed the Son of God?

By the resurrection of the dead from the dead.

By his resurrection, we indeed know that he is absolutely the Son

of God.

The deity plays a part in this.

The resurrection makes Christ superior to all other religions.

By the way, if you study other religions, you'll find that none

of those who have led those different religions have risen from

the dead.

It's only in Christianity that you have one who claims to have risen

from the dead and who rose from the dead.

Buddha is still in the ground.

Allah is still in the ground, still in there, still dead and still

in the ground.

But Jesus Christ has risen from the dead.

Satan hates the teaching of the resurrection because it's a central

part of the Gospel.

It's the guts of it.

By the way, it's the central theme of the message of the apostles.

Forty times in the New Testament referred to the resurrection.

Forty times Acts 4:33, the Bible says, and with great power

Acts 4:33

gave the apostles witness of the resurrection of the Lord Jesus.

The apostles gave witness of the resurrection with great power.

We know that the resurrection of Jesus Christ was prophesied.

We think back to even Jesus own words when he said, as Noah,

as Jonah was in the bell of the well three days and three nights,

so must the Son of man be Jesus.

Even speaking about his death and his resurrection.

I'm going to turn to Matthew, chapter 16, verse 21 and read a verse.

Matthew 16:21

Lick your fingers.

You can go with me.

Matthew 16:20, verse 21.

Matthew 16:20

From that time forth began Jesus to show unto his disciples

how that he must go unto Jerusalem and suffer many things

of the elders and chief priests and scribes and be killed

and be raised again.

The third day we just read John 2:19 that he said, Destroy this

John 2:19

temple in three days.

I will raise it up.

He made it clear he didn't beat around the bush.

He was going to die.

He was going to be buried and he was going to rise again from the

dead.

And again at least five times he made this clear to his followers.

No man could know that ahead of time.

The weatherman can't even forecast the weather tomorrow, especially

around here.

What we need is some more wind.

Of course we Always make fun of the weathermen.

That's because they're worthy of it.

No prophecy in other religions in their books concerning the resurrection,

as we have of Jesus Christ and their religious books.

It's the Bible only.

In other words, God dares to predict the future.

His word.

And it happens.

Ever prophecy fulfilled, every word kept, ever promised kept.

It's the word of God.

It's an amazing, amazing book.

So Jesus spoke of his resurrection.

He spoke of his death.

And then we understand and know the reason why.

We know that Jesus rose from the dead.

There's several reasons.

One is they sealed the tomb, right?

So the Roman government sealed the tomb.

Pilate made sure the tomb was sealed.

They guarded the tomb and there could have been as many as

16 soldiers guarding that tomb.

So how did Jesus rise from the dead?

I mean, either man or God did it.

His friends couldn't.

There were soldiers in the way, and his enemies wouldn't.

But God did.

Hebrews 13, verse 20 says, now the God of peace that brought again

Hebrews 13:20

from the dead our Lord Jesus.

Now I read a moment ago, I reread John 2:19.

John 2:19

It says, Destroy this temple and, and in three days what I will

raise it up.

Understand that all three parts of the Trinity had part in

the resurrection.

It alludes to the Holy Spirit raising him from the dead.

It alludes to God raising him from the dead.

It alludes to Jesus who said, I will raise from the dead.

Jesus Christ rose from the dead.

I already talked about 1 Corinthians 15:6, the testimony of

1 Corinthians 15:6

500 born again believers who witnessed him after his resurrection.

That's more witnesses than witness the declaration signing of

the Declaration of Independence.

I think also as we think about proofs of the resurrection, we think

about self preservation.

These men were willing to die for Jesus.

Now some of them boasted about that before his death.

Peter is one of them who ended up denying Jesus.

But after the resurrection, things changed.

I mean changed.

Here was Peter who denied Jesus three times.

And yet 50 days later, he stands up and he preaches to thousands

in Jerusalem.

Thousands upon thousands of people.

And he preaches to them, you missed out.

You missed the Messiah.

You missed out on partaking of the Messiah.

And then he says, number two, he says to them, you killed the Messiah.

He calls this huge crowd.

I'm talking about thousands.

He calls them murderers.

That's some boldness, isn't it?

The man who 50 days prior had denied Jesus three times stands up

and calls that same crowd up.

Bunch of murderers for murdering the Messiah.

Something, something happened, something different.

Well, of Course it was the Holy Spirit.

It was having eyewitnessed Jesus in the flesh, they saw him,

beheld him, watched him eat, and thus willing to die for him.

I'm always amazed at how the body is just magnificently made.

Fearfully, the Bible says, fearfully and wonderfully made.

This body that God gave us is an amazing, amazing thing.

And this body that God made us, made for us, it will do everything,

everything it can, it can to stay alive.

There's just something within us, the self preservation, self preservation

of keeping ourselves alive, that we would do anything to a certain

extent.

So what I'm saying is all of these men and women who are willing

to die for Jesus is proof of the resurrection.

Why die for a man who didn't rise from the dead, right?

It would be different if it was a few.

It would be different if it was some cult over in, you know,

I don't even say the word Waco.

I'm sorry, but if it was some cult, you know, and you had three

or four hundred little people who.

Following some guy who wants to drink the Kool Aid, but that's

not the case here.

Hundreds of thousands impacted by the life of Jesus.

Hundreds of thousands of men and women willing to give their life

for Jesus Christ.

That absolute proof of the resurrection.

And it is exactly what the song said.

How do I know he lives?

I talked with him today.

How do I know he lives?

I walked with him today.

How do I know he lives?

Because he lives in my heart.

I understand we don't base our necessarily our faith on feelings.

But listen, feelings are not just left out either.

And I'm thankful for times in my own life where I have experienced

the grace of God in such an amazing fashion that it's undeniable

to me that Jesus Christ has risen from the dead and that he's

just as real as I am standing right here.

And these men and women who saw him, even though again, self

preservation kicks in.

You've heard the stories.

I mean, people stranded on an island, you know, two or three stranded

on the island and they end up with no food.

And man, they'll turn on each other quick.

Two people in a life raft.

You've read some of the stories.

Not very nice, right?

Self preservation.

And yet these men and women willing to give their life for the

Lord.

And again we think about, again, Jesus Christ rising from the

dead.

Proof of this is the lives that we have seen transformed.

All of us have witnessed it.

If you've been a Christian very long, either your life has been

drastically transformed.

I was raised in church.

I was saved at the age of 6 years old.

You know, I hadn't taken drugs.

And a lot of the things that, you know, that might be considered

some great testimony and some great transformation and God transforming

life.

But I have witnessed many others who were alcoholics and many

others who were druggies and many others whose life was just rattled

and ridden and awful and see them get saved and see God turn their

lives around, it's miraculous thing that happens.

I'm thankful God's still in a life changing business.

He transforms lives.

Amen.

It's an amazing, amazing thing.

Again, we see this change in the apostles after the resurrection.

Why?

Because of the risen Savior.

The risen savior, Romans chapter 4, verse 25.

Romans 4:25

I alluded to this while ago, that Jesus Christ was raised for

our justification.

He was raised from the dead in order that we might have our sins

forgiven.

In other words, had he just shed his blood and died our sins,

we would still be in our sins.

But he did not just die and be buried, but he paid for our sins.

And having paid for our sins in full, proof of that, the proof

that he paid for our sins, his resurrection, the proof that he paid

for our sins in full is the resurrection.

The power of the Gospel is the resurrection.

Without it, the gospel is nothing.

So preacher, you believe that a man rose from the dead?

I absolutely believe it.

Not even a question.

I believe today as the Bible states that he's at the right hand

of the throne of God, making intercession for me.

Making intercession for you.

I believe as he stated, that if he did not go away, he would not

be able to send the comforter.

And when he went away, when he rose from the dead, he sent a comforter,

the Holy Spirit to us.

Who lives and abides in us, who's there to give us grace and

power to live the Christian life.

Thankful for Romans 5:1.

Romans 5:1

Therefore, being justified by faith, we have peace with God through

our Lord Jesus Christ.

John 14, verse 19 says, because he lives, we live.

John 14:19

First Corinthians 15:20.

1 Corinthians 15:20

I quoted it, we read it a moment ago, that Christ was the first

fruits of the resurrection.

There's coming another resurrection.

First Corinthians 15 describes it as a trumpet sounding and the

dead in Christ rising in a moment and a twinkling of an eye

at the last trump and we shall be changed.

I'm looking forward to that transformation, aren't you?

I'm looking forward to a brand new body, looking forward to heaven.

I'm looking forward to being reunited with family.

Ms.

Jan.

Ms.

Grigsby, I think about members of our church who've gone on to be

with the Lord family, my mom and many others.

It could be today.

All because of the resurrection.

All because of the resurrection.

Thankful for Jesus who died, who buried and rose again from the

dead, that I can have and experience eternal life.

Amen.

All right, let's all stand.