Enjoying the Resurrection

Matthew 28:1-8

DATE: 16 April, 2006 AM

PLACE: BBC Ballincollig

 

I.         The Battle Over the Resurrection (1Cor 15:12-14,16-19)

 

A.      So much is being brought out today to cast doubt in the minds of people about Jesus. Books, movies, newspaper articles, talk shows, all discussing Jesus, but not believing in Him. The modern mind has been brain-washed into thinking:

 

1.        Jesus married Mary Magdalene and had a family

2.        Jesus told Judas to betray Him and help Him die

3.        Jesus did not actually die on the cross, but lived on and moved to France, and had children.

4.        Jesus' body was taken from the tomb and buried somewhere else and the resurrection is just a hoax made up by the disciples

5.        Jesus wasn’t even a real person – just an “ideal” made up by Jewish renegades

 

B.       The Devil today is aggressively getting people to doubt truth itself:

 

1.        The truth of the Bible

2.        The truth of the Gospel

3.        The truth of the Son of God

4.        The truth of Heaven and Hell!

 

C.       Your eternity rests upon on whether the resurrection is true or not. If it is not true – all a hoax, then everything else is a fraud!

D.      I am here to tell you, Jesus is very much alive – the resurrection is true

 

1.        An empty cross proves it

2.        The empty tomb proves it

3.        The lack of a body proves it

4.        The many witnesses prove it

5.        The changed world proves it

6.        The prophecies in the Bible prove it

7.        My life proves it – living proof

 

II.       The Background on the Resurrection

 

A.      Many today have no idea at all what they are celebrating. For many it will never cross their minds to consider the great sacrifice the LORD paid that we all might be saved. They never consider the fact He died for our sins and was resurrected, giving us proof that He was who He had claimed He was-God’s Son. For many today this is just a day set aside on their calendars, to live their selfish lives. But today is a day that is set aside so the whole world can stop and realize what Christ has done. Nowhere in Scripture are we told to set aside a day to commemorate this special day. But Christians throughout the centuries have set aside this special day because of what it means to us.

B.       Let us today, remember what this day is all about. It is not about Eggs, bunnies, or chocolate, but about the RESURRECTION OF JESUS CHRIST!

C.       In Revelation 1:18, The Resurrected Christ speaks to the Apostle John on the Isle of Patmos, “I am he that liveth, and was dead; and behold I am alive forevermore, Amen; and have the keys of hell and of death.”

D.      Resurrection is dealing with life coming back from death – not a near death experience, but dead, dead! Days old dead!

E.       There are well over three hundred Scriptures that are concerned with the subject of Jesus' resurrection in the New Testament. That’s a lot of discussion

F.       Loads of Old Testament prophecies about the resurrection – here are two:

 

1.        Job 19:25-27

2.        Dan 12:2

 

G.       To be a Christian means that you not only believe the resurrection to be true, but also have experienced it yourself (Eph 2:1-6)

 

1.        It is called, being born again – resurrection of a dead spirit in all of us

 

a.        Every person is born spiritually dead to God – nothing inside

b.       Once you come to God, as a lost, condemned, useless sinner, THEN God places His own Holy Spirit in you, and “regenerates” you on the inside, giving you eternal life

 

2.        But salvation is only a taste of a future bodily resurrection – a resurrection of our mortal bodies

 

H.      This morning, I want to enjoy the truths of the Resurrection. I want to stir us up with the miraculous events of our future – guaranteed for every believer

 

III.     The Belief in the Miracle of the Resurrection

 

A.      Not an easy belief (Mt 16:21-23)

B.       More than just a head belief (Rom 10:9) – belief of the mind

C.       It is a Saving Belief.

 

1.        The final piece of the gospel itself (1 Cor 15:1-4) – a three-fold Gospel: Death, Burial, and resurrection:

 

a.        It is no good just having a dead Jesus

b.       We needed Jesus to die for our sins

c.        The Scriptures demanded that He be buried

d.       And we needed Him to rise up again, alive for evermore – to prove He had defeated EVEN death!

 

2.        The Resurrection is absolute PROOF for unbelievers (Matthew 12:38-40; John 20:24-29). It was the resurrection of Christ that Christians preached throughout the world (Acts 4:2) – not just His teachings!!!

 

D.      It is a Living Belief – Something You Live – not just believe!

 

1.        The answer for a believer's doubt (Luke 24:38-43) – the best foundation to rest upon when everything else crumbles and sways

2.        It is the key to the believer's daily power to live the Christian life (Rom 6:4-12, 8:11-14; Phil. 3:10)

3.        It is the reason for the total commitment of our lives to live for Jesus (1Cor 15:57-58).

 

E.       It is an Exciting Belief.

 

1.        It is the push behind our evangelism (Matt 28:18-20; Acts 10:39-43),

2.        It is related to the second coming of Jesus (Acts 1:11; Revelation 1:7) – Jesus did not finish His plan with His resurrection – He is coming again!

3.        It removes the fear of death (John 11:25,26; 1Cor 15:54-57; Heb 2:14-15)

4.        It is the proof of the Christian's future bodily resurrection from the dead (1Thes 4:13-18)

5.        It shows a foretaste of heaven for the believer (Philp 3:20-21; 1Pet 1:3-5)

 

IV.    Conclusion - How Should We then Live? If Jesus REALLY DID come and live and walk among us, and we as a human race crucified Him, and then He rose again just as predicted, certainly, we had better take our lives very seriously!

 

A.      By believing the whole Gospel – it saves!

 

1.        Christ’s Death

2.        Christ’s Burial

3.        Christ’s Resurrection

 

B.       Pray to and worship a Living Saviour;
He is not a machine, or a statue, but God!

C.       Live like Jesus is alive, and your Lord -
Live godly, pure, sober, committed, excited!

D.      Look forward to seeing Him… soon

 

 

Craig Ledbetter

Bible Baptist Church, Ballincollig, Cork, Ireland

www.biblebc.com