What if Jesus Had NOT Risen Again?
1 Corinthians 15:19
April 24th,
2011 AM
Pastor Craig Ledbetter
I.
Introduction (1Cor
15:19)
A.
Let me make some strong
statements about today…
1.
What Jesus Christ did on the
cross only matters if He did not stay in the tomb!
2.
There is not a gospel without
the resurrection.
a.
Without the resurrection the
good news of the gospel would be bad news. Christ arose is the victory of the
gospel. The resurrection of Jesus Christ presents man with eternal salvation. It
is impossible to overestimate the importance of the resurrection of Jesus Christ
from the dead.
b.
Without life from the dead,
there would be nothing to look forward to but a cold, dark, permanent grave!
3.
The Bible makes NO SENSE
without the resurrection
a.
Then there is no heaven, no
hell, no soul
b.
There is no reason to do right
– just eat, drink, rob, murder, dance, rape, lie, cheat, take, destroy – because
tomorrow we die!
4.
If Christ be not risen from
the dead, then we are of all men, most miserable
5.
No wonder our world is in the
state it is in – they have nothing beyond the grave!
B.
Most men already ARE miserable
1.
They live as if there is
nothing more to this life that what we see, hear, feel, touch and hold
2.
And so the downward spiral of
misery, frustration, disappointments, and stress only build and build until
people
3.
Oh they may turn to religions,
or to drugs, or to hypnosis or to counselling
4.
But deep inside, they are
still miserable!
C.
I wonder if we sat and
listened to the Apostle Paul this morning talk about the resurrection, if we
might be firmly convinced that Jesus was more than just a Man – more than just a
great teacher, and that His death on the cross was so much more than just a
tragic accident!
II.
Message
A.
The Promise of the
Resurrection (Mt 27:63)
1.
For 3 ½ years, the disciples
only looked forward to Jesus’ crowning one day in
2.
Yet He always spoke of
“betrayal” and death. Over and over again Jesus would tell, not of His worship,
but of His coming crucifixion in
3.
But thankfully, He never spoke
of the cross without including the resurrection (Mt 16:21; 17:22,23; 20:18,19)
4.
You see, Jesus was making a
promise – that He would not stay dead
5.
Everyone heard it
6.
But no one paid attention to
it, except Christ’s enemies (Mt 27:63)
B.
The Problem with the
Resurrection (Mt 22:23) – it is Impossible!
1.
The “very” intelligent crowd
of the day (the Sadducees) rejected the idea of a literal resurrection – why?
a.
Because it is simply
impossible. It would be as impossible as rebuilding a destroyed Temple in
Jerusalem, all in just three days – when it had so far taken 46 years to build
(Jn 2:19-21)
b.
When life ends, not just brain
waves, but when every part of a body ceases to live – the lungs, heart, neurons,
and blood vessels – there is just no way that it can come back to life – no way
whatsoever
2.
Whenever you have gone to a
funeral, and seen the body lying in the casket, they make the body look so good
– almost like they are about to open their eyes, and start breathing again, and
sit up
3.
But it only takes a few
moments before your mind reminds you, that person is gone. Dead. They have died,
and they are not getting up!
4.
Dead people don’t get back up.
5.
I’m not talking about people
who have been resuscitated after a few minutes; but rather people who have died,
and been dead for hours
6.
If you only knew the
complexities of life, and how fragile it is and how many things have to be
exactly right for someone to be alive, you would understand just how impossible
the resurrection is
7.
It is logically impossible to
believe in the resurrection of a dead person
8.
It is physically impossible
that it could ever happen
9.
Critics simply accept the
impossibility as fact
10.
So, what if critics are right?
What if Jesus did not get up from the grave?
C.
What If There Is No
Resurrection?
1.
Then Jesus Lied
(1Cor 15:12-16)
a.
He was really no different
than any other mortal man
b.
All His talk about heaven and
hell, and angels and demons was false
c.
What we preach is worthless,
vain, empty – no substance
d.
And we are found to be liars
too!
2.
Then Forgiveness is
Impossible (1Cor 15:17)
a.
The wages of sin is death (Rom
6:23a)
b.
The soul that sinneth, it
shall die!
c.
We all know that justice
demands payment for wrong doings
d.
Without life from the dead,
then there is no forgiveness
e.
Forgiveness is not a word, it
is a power that overwhelms the hurt, and the pain
f.
And without the power of a
resurrected life, forgiveness is nothing more than a word!
g.
No wonder people do not
forgive – it is because they have never known the resurrection power behind
forgiveness
h.
What an Enslaved Life!
i.
People hear all the time…
1)
In AA, once you are an
alcoholic, you are ALWAYS an alcoholic
2)
In NA, once you are a drug
addict you will always be an addict
3)
People are born with a gene
that makes them drunkards
4)
They are born homosexual
5)
They are born paedophiles
6)
They are born with a gene that
makes them murder
7)
They are born angry and will
die angry
8)
What an enslaved life people
live, if there is no resurrection!
j.
Do you know why people don’t
really believe the Bible has any answer for man’s problems? Because they don’t
believe in the Resurrection!!!
k.
Oh, if only people knew that
Jesus DID get up, and lives today!
3.
Then We Have Only
Temporary Hope (15:19)
a.
People only live for Now
b.
The only hope people have is a
pipe dream – like a vapour
c.
Get all you can
d.
He who dies with the most
toys, wins
e.
99% of all Europeans measure
success in terms of what they can "lay up for themselves" on earth. And when
they die, they hope that that is the end, for they have made no preparations for
what lies beyond! They are not willing to look at the problem of death, the end
of life on earth, and make no attempt to solve it. To them, “you have only one
life to live, so get all you can out of it.”
f.
And so they work, and get
g.
They play and try and have fun
h.
They struggle, and strive for
a little bit more
i.
And then at death, everything
stops – everything perishes with them
j.
They have put all their hopes
into the Stock markets, and the Money Markets, and the land prices, and house
prices
k.
They have looked to science
and physics – chemistry and biology – hoping for a way to live just one more day
l.
And then they still die
m.
They look to politicians and
armies – diplomats and philosophers, only to find that they offer nothing but
words
n.
What an empty, fleeting hope
that THIS world holds on to!
4.
If there is No
resurrection, then people have Only Fear of Death
(15:18,30)
a.
They are at risk of dying at
any moment
b.
No matter if you are poor or
the richest person in the world
c.
Doesn’t matter if you have the
best doctor or a witch doctor
d.
At any moment your heart could
stop, you car could blow a tyre and you lose control into an oncoming lorry
e.
At any moment a building could
collapse on top of you
f.
A hole could open up beneath
you swallowing you up in the blink of an eye
g.
At any moment a bomb meant for
someone else could go off and take you with it – like the 29 people killed in
the Omagh Bombing
h.
No wonder people fear dying –
fear falling asleep – fear going into surgery – fear stepping out of their
homes… BECAUSE THEY ARE AFRAID that THAT is the end!
5.
All men are only
most miserable, if they would just admit it!
a.
Howard Hughes. William
Randolph Hearst. Michael Jackson
b.
c.
Oh, you can be deceived into
thinking Bill Gates is wondrously happy with his billions, and all the Rap
singers are happy with all the girls, and all the cars, and all the money – but
the highest rate of suicide and murder among musicians is found in the Rap
culture!
d.
They are miserable! They pay
tens of thousands of euros in counselling, and for prescription drugs and
sleeping pills, and stimulants
e.
AND some of YOU are miserable,
because to you, Jesus is not very much alive! Because maybe you have forgotten
that He not only died to save you, he rose again to KEEP you and secure you, and
get you home!
D.
The Proof Of The
Resurrection - the Resurrection DID Happen (Acts
26:8)
1.
Act 26:8
Why should it be thought a thing incredible with you, that God should
raise the dead?
2.
You see, we are not talking
about a world without God! You see, GOD changes the equation! Always has and
always will, if you will let Him be in charge of your life, AND your death!
3.
The Empty Tomb Proves it
(Mt 27:60; 28:1,2)
a.
All other religious leaders,
secular leaders, political leaders – they all are enshrined in their tombs
b.
But NOT Jesus of
c.
Anyone could see and verify
that there is nobody in the tomb
d.
People have even gone so far
as to try and say that the fact that there is no body means that Jesus never
existed! Right!
e.
It means He is ALIVE!!!!
4.
The Enemies of Christ
Prove it (Mt 28:15)
a.
That is a very powerful proof
that Jesus is Alive
b.
They could not find the body –
if anybody would have been able to find the body of Jesus, it would have been a
mob of angry Pharisees who had authority to search every square inch of
c.
Certainly a hundred Roman
soldiers would have been able to find the mangled body of Jesus – it could not
have been carried far
d.
So, they had to bribe the
soldiers, and the Roman Governor to make it seem like the body had been stolen
e.
Their inability to find the
body is a powerful proof
5.
The Eleven
Disciples Prove It Happened
a.
The eleven disciples had been
reduced to a trembling group of cowards hiding behind a locked door.
The Man they had followed for three years was dead, and in their opinion
He had failed in his mission. They
had expected him to take over the government and establish an earthly kingdom,
and yet he had been easily captured and tortured and murdered right before their
eyes!
b.
And yet, from these same
eleven men came the theology of the most successful religion in the history of
the world, and they based the credibility of that religion on a literal bodily
resurrection of a dead person (Acts 3:13-15; 4:33; 25:13-19)
c.
They said they saw him.
They said they touched him. They
said they even ate with him. They
said he was alive. And when they
started saying these things, people started to become Christians!
6.
The Appearance of Jesus
Proves It (1Cor 15:3-8)
a.
Jesus appeared first to the
women at the tomb: Mary Magdalene specifically
b.
Then to ten of the disciples
c.
Then to 2 on the Road to
Emmaus
d.
Then to the eleven, including
Thomas – told him to put his doubt to the test!
e.
Then to over 500 over the next
40 days!!!
f.
Then to even the murderer Saul
of Tarsus!
7.
The Effect on
the World Proves It
a.
No other theology has ever
affected people so much as the idea that God would become a Man, and live just
like us perfectly, and then allow Himself to be betrayed and then tortured and
murdered at the hands of the very people he loved
b.
It turned the world upside
down – just with the good news that Jesus is alive!
c.
Him being ALIVE affected me –
changed my life
d.
It changed a religious
murderer (Saul) into the greatest soul-winner ever
e.
It changed doubting Thomas
into the Martyr Thomas in
f.
I didn’t believe a new dogma,
or a new creed – I believed that Jesus is alive and well
g.
The greatest nations have come
about because of the revelation that Jesus really did come back to life, just as
he promised!
E.
The Power of the
Resurrection
1.
Because of the Resurrection…
Because He got up – because He unwrapped Himself – because He folded up the
grave-clothes and placed the face napkin aside – because He kept His promise…
2.
Proves that Jesus is
Lord (1Cor 15:47; Philp 2:5-11)
– “IS lord!”
3.
Proves that OUR
Resurrection is Certain (1Cor 15:50-53)
a.
We can’t go into heaven in
THESE bodies
b.
We ARE going to be changed
c.
In a moment – in the twinkling
of an eye
d.
Resurrected with a b rand new
body
e.
Immortal – can’t die
f.
A body just like Jesus’
4.
Proves that Death has No
More Fear, no more sting (1Cor 15:54-56)!
a.
Death itself has already been
beaten – defeated!
b.
We who believe in the risen
Jesus, do not fear death anymore – it is compared to simply falling asleep
c.
As a matter of fact, death is
a good thing
1)
We don’t die – we just move
house (2Cor 5:1-8)
2)
We finally are freed from the
effects of sin (Rom 6:6,7)
d.
When a believer dies, we don’t
weep like the world does – we KNOW that we are going to see them again!
e.
It is when an ungodly man or
woman dies that we weep – because they truly ARE gone – not destroyed, but
separated from God, and from hope, and from heaven! And that there is no more
chance to be forgiven!
5.
Proves that Whatever we
go through, will be worth it (1Cor 15:57,58)
a.
Troubles don’t matter so much
now (2Cor 4:14-17)
b.
God promises to make
EVERYTHING worth it
c.
We have a very good reason to
put up with THIS life – because there is a BETTER one coming!
d.
We have every reason now to
pray for our enemies, go the second mile, turn the other cheek, and love the
unloveable
e.
Because of the resurrection!
6.
Proves that He is coming
again – He keeps ALL His promises!
III.
Conclusion
A.
What Jesus Christ did on the
cross only matters if He did not stay in the tomb!
1.
There is not a gospel without
the resurrection.
2.
The Bible makes NO SENSE
without the resurrection
3.
If Christ be not risen from
the dead, then we are of all men, most miserable
4.
No wonder our world is in the
state it is in – they have nothing beyond the grave!
B.
Most men already ARE miserable
C.
This morning we have been
challenged to fully believe that He lives!
1.
He gave us His promise that
He would rise again!
2.
He overcame every Problem
with the Resurrection
3.
He gave us every proof that
the Resurrection DID Happen
a.
The Empty Tomb
b.
The Enemies of Christ
c.
The Eleven
Disciples Prove It Happened
d.
The Appearance of Jesus
Proves It (1Cor 15:3-8)
e.
The Effect on
the World Proves It
D.
Let’s allow The Power
of the Resurrection to Affect Our Lives Once Again!
1.
Because of the Resurrection…
Because He got up – because He unwrapped Himself – because He folded up the
grave-clothes and placed the face napkin aside – because He kept His promise…
2.
Let Jesus Be Lord
– in control
3.
Look forward to heaven
– start living eternal life NOW
4.
Ignore the fear of death
5.
Remind yourself that
Whatever we go through, will be worth it (1Cor
15:57,58)
6.
Look forward to Him
coming again – He keeps ALL His promises!
E.
Somebody summarized the
question this way… If Christ be not risen
1.
Faith is a farce (17a)
2.
Forgiveness is a fallacy (17b)
3.
Faithfulness is a folly (18)
4.
Future is a forfeit (19)
F.
But, Because Jesus is alive…
1.
We are sure there is a place
called heaven.
2.
We can be sure of our
salvation.
3.
We believe all of our loved
ones that died in the lord are waiting for us in heaven.
4.
No one has to go to hell.
5.
I have the privilege of
inviting you to trust him as your Saviour today!
G.
ILLUSTRATION.
1.
A Young boy named Jonathan had
been promised a new puppy for his 10th birthday, but had a tough time choosing
between a dozen likely candidates at the neighborhood pet shop.
2.
Finally, he decided upon one
shaggy pup that was wagging his tail furiously.
3.
Jonathan was asked, “Why that
one?”
4.
He explained, “I Want The One
With The Happy Ending.”
5.
Your Life Can Have A Happy
Ending If You Trust Jesus As Your Savior and Live For Him.
H.
Invitation
1.
In Rom 3:23, For all have
sinned, and come short of the glory of God;
2.
And Rom 6:23, the wages of sin
is death
3.
But the best part comes next!
4.
But the gift of God is eternal
life through Jesus Christ our Lord.
5.
Rom 5:8, But God commendeth
his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.
6.
Jesus died, and was buried,
and rose again according to the Scriptures
7.
John 3:16!!!