April 20, 2014 Providence RESURRECTION: THE MARK OF AUTHENTICITY 1 Corinthians 15:3-6, 12-19 INTRODUCTION: Is there anything about you that sets you apart, makes you unique in some way? Everyone likes to feel that we are special, and occasionally leads us to be prideful if we are not careful! People tend to talk boastfully about the things they have done and engage in conversations of one-upsmanship. ILLUS. Comedian Brian Regan talks about this tendency in the context of dinner conversations. Around the table, people talk about themselves and their own exploits, each trying to out-do the others. Regan makes appropriate fun of such braggarts as they begin each story with, Oh you think that s something! Well, one time I Then he asks, What if Neil Armstrong is at the table? What a conversation stopper when he finally speaks and says, I was the first man to walk on the moon! No one can top that! Here on Easter Sunday morning, we take yet another opportunity to tell the story that cannot be topped not even by walking on the moon. Jesus Christ can say what no one else in history can say: I am the resurrection and the life; he who believes in Me shall live even if he dies (John 11:25). What a dinner conversation stopper that is: I was dead, but God raised me up to everlasting life! The resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead stands alone as the greatest mark of authenticity about everything He ever said and did. People may argue about some of His teachings and they do. They may claim that He was just another man like the rest of us and they do. They may even claim that His life, death and resurrection has nothing to do with them because they don t believe any of that and they still do that! But the fact of the resurrection changes everything validates everything about Him authenticates the exclusive claims He makes about how to have eternal life guarantees that His promises to all who believe in Him will be kept. And that is one of the primary reasons the resurrection is either left out of attacks against Him (if He rose again, the challenges seem petty and shallow) or become the focus of rebuttals that seek to dismiss the resurrection as fiction. You see THESIS: If the resurrection is true, the rest of the story of Christ has to be reconsidered in the light of an empty tomb on earth and an occupied throne in heaven! I. THE GLORIOUS VICTORY IN THE RESURRECTION OF JESUS CHRIST --As His enemies rejoiced when Jesus died, so heaven rejoiced when He rose on the third day just as He said He would! A. IT MEANS JESUS DEFEATED DEATH AND IS ALIVE --Over and over again, throughout the gospel accounts we read of Jesus telling His disciples that He must go to Jerusalem and be killed, but that on the third day after His death He would rise again! [Lk 9:22; 18:31-33; Matt 16:21; 17:22-23; 20:17-19; Mark 8:31; 9:31-32; 10:32-34] --In a summary of all that Jesus said and did for the salvation of a lost people, Peter s sermon in Jerusalem on the day of Pentecost made this wonderful claim: Acts 2:23-24 This Man, delivered up by the predetermined plan and foreknowledge of God, you nailed to a cross by the hands of godless men and put Him to death. 24 And God raised Him up again, putting an end to the agony of death, since it was impossible for Him to be held in its power. --And so Paul pointed out that after God raised Him, Jesus then appeared to many.
1 Cor. 15:5-6 and that he appeared to Cephas, then to the twelve. 6 Then he appeared to more than five hundred brothers at one time, most of whom are still alive, though some have fallen asleep. --Jesus is alive right now, and having defeated sin and death, He alone makes it possible for us to join Him in a life that never comes to an end! B. IT MEANS WE ALSO DEFEAT DEATH AND LIVE IN HIM 1 Cor. 15:21-22 For since by a man came death, by a man also came the resurrection of the dead. 22 For as in Adam all die, so also in Christ all shall be made alive. --So much Scripture addresses this primary issue that we are never left to our own confusion about this that by putting our faith in a living Savior, Jesus Christ, we too join Him in dying to our old sin nature that we might live the life of resurrection power forever! --Here are two examples: Rom. 6:5 For if we have become united with Him in the likeness of His death, certainly we shall be also in the likeness of His resurrection, Gal. 2:20 I have been crucified with Christ; and it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me, and delivered Himself up for me. --The stronghold sin has held over us, and the fear that death has generated in us, have been overcome once for all through the death, burial and resurrection of Jesus Christ. II. THE ULTIMATE VALIDATION OF THE AUTHENTICITY OF JESUS CHRIST --Who else has the credentials Jesus has? What other religious or national or cultural leader has more validation than the only One whose right to reign has been validated by God Himself when He raised Him from the dead? A. THE RESURRECTION CONFIRMS THE AUTHORITY OF CHRIST --Anyone can lay claim to have the authority to rule and to have the right to declare that they are in charge. ILLUS. In the news this week, in several cities in eastern Ukraine, pro-russian Ukrainians seized government buildings in several cities. They did so declaring that only they had the right and authority to rule their own cities. But no one else recognizes their claims! Not even Russia so far has recognized any authority in the usurpers! Only those with legitimate rights can set themselves up as authorities. Their identity as either elected rulers or heirs of recognized royal lines can lay claim with any credibility. All others are merely pretenders and impostors wanting to demand authority that belongs only to others. Jesus is the only One with ultimate authority to reign over heaven and earth because He alone has demonstrated the power and authority needed to overcome and claim victory over death itself. The resurrection confirms His identity and validates His right to rule! 1. The resurrection established His identity as the Son of God Rom. 1:4 and was declared to be the Son of God in power according to the Spirit of holiness by his resurrection from the dead, Jesus Christ our Lord, 2. The resurrection places all authority under His reign
1 Cor. 15:24-25 Then comes the end, when he delivers the kingdom to God the Father after destroying every rule and every authority and power. 25 For he must reign until he has put all his enemies under his feet. --This too was foretold by the prophet Daniel: Dan. 7:14 And to him was given dominion and glory and a kingdom, that all peoples, nations, and languages should serve him; his dominion is an everlasting dominion, which shall not pass away, and his kingdom one that shall not be destroyed. B. THE RESURRECTION GUARANTEES ETERNAL LIFE WITH CHRIST. 1 Pet. 1:3 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who according to His great mercy has caused us to be born again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, --Those who put their trust in Jesus Christ are guaranteed new life as they are born a gain to a living hope that only a Living Savior can give to a new life that can never end! C. THE RESURRECTION UNLEASHES THE POWER OF CHRIST --The power of God that raised Jesus from the dead is unleashed in everyone who comes to know Him through the new life only the Risen Savior can give. --Living by the power of the resurrection far surpasses the best efforts of even the most religious people because it is a power only God had and only God can give! 2 Cor. 13:4 For indeed He was crucified because of weakness, yet He lives because of the power of God. For we also are weak in Him, yet we shall live with Him because of the power of God directed toward you. --That power of God is directed toward all who believe in Christ and long to know Him and the power of the resurrection in their daily lives as His followers. Phil. 3:8-10 More than that, I count all things to be loss in view of the surpassing value of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and count them but rubbish in order that I may gain Christ, 9 and may be found in Him, not having a righteousness of my own derived from the Law, but that which is through faith in Christ, the righteousness which comes from God on the basis of faith, 10 that I may know Him, and the power of His resurrection and the fellowship of His sufferings, being conformed to His death; --Trusting in Jesus unleashes the power of the resurrection in all who call on His name! III. THE APPROPRIATE RESPONSE TO THE CREDIBILITY OF JESUS CHRIST --When we say This Changes Everything, in what ways does the fact of the resurrection change things that directly impact you and those around you? Note: For many, the credibility of the Scriptures is really not a concern one way or the other! Their issue is not that they are unconvinced that Jesus is alive, but they are simply unwilling to care! --For such as these, the statement this will change everything does not apply because it will not change a heart unwilling to believe and unconcerned about the consequences! OBSERVATION: A failure of honest, fair inquiry rejects the resurrection under the pretense of factual investigation, when in fact their rejection is based on the contrariness of a faithless prejudice.
A. PROOF FOR THE REASONABLE --There is plenty of evidence to support the historical record that Jesus died and rose again the issue is not whether it is true, but whether people are willing to believe it. --Three very convincing facts stand against all protests that the resurrection is not real (Matt Perman, Desiring God website): 1. The Empty Tomb --Here are just a few reasons the empty tomb is such a convincing piece of evidence: a. Same City - This account was first told in the same city Jesus had just been buried in not some obscure location where none would be around to refute it. b. Authorities - Even those who had the most to lose (Jewish and Roman authorities) admitted that the tomb was empty and had to come up with an alternate explanation). c. Mark s account - was written within the first decade after it happened far too early for a foundationless legend to gain credibility (too many people still around to deny it!). d. Women witnesses - The first reports were from women who were treated with disrespect and disdain as witnesses at that time so if the story had been manufactured, they certainly would not have placed the first words of witness in the mouths of women! That they did not change this gives this account the ring of truth, of authenticity. 2. Post-resurrection Eyewitness Experiences with His Disciples --If this part is not true, then the accounts of eyewitnesses in any period of history must be suspect. --There are three possible explanations: a. They were lying (and capable of orchestrating the greatest cover-up in all history a la Chuck Colson s example of the Watergate fiasco when the most powerful men in the world could not contain their lie). b. They were hallucinating and imagined the entire thing (and they all hallucinated the same thing??). c. They told the truth and really saw, talked to and touched the risen Lord. 3. The Origin of a Christian Faith Based on a Risen Savior --Since the foundation of the faith was the death, burial and resurrection, it is difficult if not impossible to believe that this story was a late fiction added to the reasons for inviting people to faith in Christ. --Taken together, along with the rest of the gospel records and early writings of the New Testament, one would have to admit a profound bias and a stubborn unwillingness against recognizing that the record shows that Jesus died, was buried, and on the third day rose again! B. IMPLICATIONS FOR EVERYONE --If these things are true, as we believe and as the evidence indicates, and Jesus really did die and rise again, then there are several implications.
1. For those who refuse to admit it is true a. The World to Come -- Facing a Risen and Living Savior they insisted was dead but who one day they will meet as their Sovereign Judge will be a catastrophic occasion. --So if He is alive and offers forgiveness and the right to be declared alive and made holy so that we can stand with confidence before the Judge of all the human race on a day of coming accountability, a day of judgment and not be afraid! b. This World -- Struggling through the harsh circumstances of this life with only limited, human resources at their disposal will lead them to bring much unnecessary hardship and heartache upon themselves. --And if He is alive and offers supernatural power to live successfully in a broken and painful world, how foolish to defy Him and despise Him for simply caring enough to make the offer!! --Our encouragement to those who have yet to believe it is true and to act accordingly is simple consider what it means that Jesus really is alive and you will face Him one day to give an account for your life!! 2. For those who are alive because it is true ILLUS: The old Gaither song says, Because He lives, I can face tomorrow, Because He lives, all fear is gone. Because I know He holds the future and life is worth the living just because He lives! Why is that true? a. We get to live forever with Him --The final day of accountability, the day of judgment, holds no fear for us because we have been raised with Him to new life, forgiven and made righteous by Him. b. We can live powerfully, purposefully and joyfully in this world --All of us feel incompetent and powerless when we run into many hard circumstances in our lives. --We understand God s purposes for us in Christ but find that we lose our joy when we fail over and over again but through the power of the resurrection, His might prevails and His joy takes over! c. We get to know firsthand His everlasting love --No one knows love from a principle it comes from a living Person, so when we understand that Jesus is alive and genuinely loves us deeply, that changes the way we relate to Him. d. We never need to fear or worry because He reigns with perfect wisdom and might --Much of the worry and fear in our lives comes to us and drowns us because of the unknown and because things are out of our control. --But when Jesus lives and reigns with Almighty Power and Sovereign Wisdom, our hearts can rest, secure in the understanding that with Jesus on the throne everything is going to turn out well! e. We grow to love what He loves and value all that matters most to Him
--Once it becomes clear that the ways of Christ have been perfectly validated by the resurrection, we will come to embrace what He values and loves as what is best and most wonderful. --If He loves something and treasures it, what could we come up with that even comes close to being as worthy of our affections? f. We bring our thanks and our praise in vibrant acts of worship that is alive with His presence --Worship comes alive when we realize we are singing and talking to Someone, not just going through the motions for our sakes. --Giving Him thanks, and praising Him are enriched and filled with meaning when really directed to a living Person, not just something we do in an abstract manner. g. We serve gladly and give freely as evidence that His life is thoroughly at work in and through us. --As the ever-living One, He chooses to serve and give Himself through His followers so that His life touches others in a meaningful way. --We offer cups of water, performs acts of mercy, demonstrate unconditional love all because He still lives and through the power of the resurrection continues to do through us what He did while here on earth. CONCLUSION: People may claim many things for themselves. They may inflate their own egos and boast of all their accomplishments and talk incessantly of what they own and where they ve been even those few who have walked on the moon! But only One can say, I was dead, buried and rose again! If Jesus did not do that, Paul gets it right: If we hoped in Christ in this life only, we are of all men to be most pitied (15:19). But if He did rise again, then everything else about Him comes alive! We must consider Him and His claims on our lives! What have you done with Jesus crucified for sin, dead in the grave, now raised to live forever!! That is the question we all must answer! Come, believe!! April. 20, 2014 Providence Baptist Church David Horner, 2014 Sermon outlines are copyrighted in the event of future publication. They may be used for preaching and teaching purposes but may not be published or sold.