Built To Last - "Beginning with the Resurrection"
[powerpress] Transforming Truth: Jesus and His resurrection are of first importance and must drive everything that we do.
To embrace why Jesus and His resurrection must drive everything that we do, we must look to understand the importance of the resurrection, the expectation of the resurrection, and their implication for our lives. It is the first part in understanding why we do what we do as a church.
The Importance of the Resurrection
The gospel establishes a worldview for you. Your worldview is the manner in which you interpret all of the affairs of life, determining their value and importance. The Bible introduces Jesus and explains the gospel. It is meant to give context to all of life.
Now, brothers and sisters, I want to remind you of the gospel I preached to you, which you received and on which you have taken your stand. By this gospel you are saved, if you hold firmly to the word I preached to you. Otherwise, you have believed in vain.
For what I received I passed on to you as of first importance: that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures, and that he appeared to Cephas, and then to the Twelve. After that, he appeared to more than five hundred of the brothers and sisters at the same time, most of whom are still living, though some have fallen asleep. Then he appeared to James, then to all the apostles, and last of all he appeared to me also, as to one abnormally born. For I am the least of the apostles and do not even deserve to be called an apostle, because I persecuted the church of God. But by the grace of God I am what I am, and his grace to me was not without effect. No, I worked harder than all of them—yet not I, but the grace of God that was with me.
Whether, then, it is I or they, this is what we preach, and this is what you believed. (1 Corinthians 15:1-11 NIV)
Some people have doubted the reality of the resurrection. It is central to the good news about Jesus and must be considered.
“When anyone tells me that he saw a dead man restored to life, I immediately consider with myself whether it be more probable that this person should either deceive or be deceived or that the fact which he relates should really have happened. I weigh the one miracle against the other and according to the superiority which I discover, I pronounce my decision. Always I reject the greater miracle. If the falsehood of his testimony would be more miraculous than the event which he relates, then and not till then, can he pretend to command my belief or opinion.” ― David Hume
As a thinking person, the apostle Paul gives reason as to why the greater miracle is not believing the testimony of the resurrection. I will expand and go into greater detail on these points as a part of our Easter celebration, yet what follows is an introduction.
Consider these things about Paul's claims of Jesus' resurrection:
Written in approximately AD 55, Paul's first letter to the Corinthians was written within about 20 years of the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus and was reciting a well known homily of the early church that had been ratified and passed down to Paul. This is typically not enough time within the lifespan of Christ's contemporaries for the development of myth and lore.
1) Prophecies - Paul sites the many Old Testament prophecies about the Messiah fulfilled in detail through the life, times, miracles, death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus Christ. For all of them to be fulfilled in one person by chance was a statistical impossibility. (Luke 24:25-27)
2) No one will die for a lie. - After Judas Iscariot's suicide, all of the remaining eleven apostles, minus John, were martyred for their eyewitness testimony of Jesus' resurrection. There was no monetary incentive, political power, or prestige to gain from their testimony. What the early Christians earned for their witness was persecution and death. (i.e. - Acts 12:1-4)
3) The 500 witnesses - Paul makes an appeal to the 500 people who also saw Jesus' bodily resurrection at the same time, many of whom were still living at the time of Paul's writing. Psychologically, there is no such thing as an identical mass hallucination. He essentially said, "go and talk to them to verify the claims." (Acts 26)
4) The conversion of Christ's family - Jesus' own siblings and mother became followers of Jesus, where previously they went to "take charge of him" as being insane because of His claims. (Mark 3:20,21)
5) Paul's conversion - Paul's conversion to being a follower of Christ would make no sense after being a zealous Pharisee who persecuted the church. (Acts 9)
He would also lose his life in 64 AD under the Emperor Nero for the same testimony of having been a witness to the bodily resurrection of Jesus.
“The Old Testament records the preparation for the coming of the Messiah. The Gospels record the coming of the Messiah, Jesus Christ our Lord. The book of Acts records the propagation of the gospel (the good news) concerning Jesus Christ. The Epistles (letters) explain the gospel and its implications for our lives. The book of Revelation anticipates and describes the second coming of Jesus Christ and the establishment of His eternal kingdom. From beginning to end, the Bible glorifies Jesus Christ and centers on Him. Its Christ-centeredness is one of its wonderful features.” ― Josh McDowell
The gospel also tells us why the resurrection is supremely important in the Christians life:
But if it is preached that Christ has been raised from the dead, how can some of you say that there is no resurrection of the dead? If there is no resurrection of the dead, then not even Christ has been raised. And if Christ has not been raised, our preaching is useless and so is your faith. More than that, we are then found to be false witnesses about God, for we have testified about God that he raised Christ from the dead. But he did not raise him if in fact the dead are not raised. For if the dead are not raised, then Christ has not been raised either. And if Christ has not been raised, your faith is futile; you are still in your sins. Then those also who have fallen asleep in Christ are lost. If only for this life we have hope in Christ, we are of all people most to be pitied. (1 Corinthians 15:12-19 NIV)
A preacher once said that if Jesus did not rise from the dead, life as we know it is as good as it gets. This is true for the non-Christian. Because Jesus did, factually and historically rise from the dead, life as we know it for the Christian is as bad as it gets.
We have the ability to transform our world now because of resurrection faith and resurrection power from God. Things once dead including marriages, relationships, careers, financial states, and hope can be brought back to life and redeemed by the power of God. This happens as all things are submitted at the cross of Jesus.
But Christ has indeed been raised from the dead, the firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep. For since death came through a man, the resurrection of the dead comes also through a man. For as in Adam all die, so in Christ all will be made alive. But each in turn: Christ, the firstfruits; then, when he comes, those who belong to him. Then the end will come, when he hands over the kingdom to God the Father after he has destroyed all dominion, authority and power. For he must reign until he has put all his enemies under his feet. The last enemy to be destroyed is death. For he “has put everything under his feet.” Now when it says that “everything” has been put under him, it is clear that this does not include God himself, who put everything under Christ. When he has done this, then the Son himself will be made subject to him who put everything under him, so that God may be all in all. Now if there is no resurrection, what will those do who are baptized for the dead? If the dead are not raised at all, why are people baptized for them? And as for us, why do we endanger ourselves every hour? I face death every day—yes, just as surely as I boast about you in Christ Jesus our Lord. If I fought wild beasts in Ephesus with no more than human hopes, what have I gained? If the dead are not raised, “Let us eat and drink, for tomorrow we die.” Do not be misled: “Bad company corrupts good character.” Come back to your senses as you ought, and stop sinning; for there are some who are ignorant of God—I say this to your shame. (1 Corinthians 15:20-34 NIV)
It was because of the conviction of Jesus' bodily resurrection from the dead and His Great Commission (Matthew 28:18-20) that the disciples began sharing the gospel with fervency. Following Easter this year, we will study the habits of the early church and the moves of God that they experienced as represented in the Book of Acts, the earliest recorded history of the church. Because Jesus was of first importance, we see the following results in Acts. It is why we prioritize our efforts with the goal of seeing more and more people coming to know Jesus and His good news:
The result of Peter speaking to the non-Christian crowd at Pentecost:
With many other words he warned them; and he pleaded with them, “Save yourselves from this corrupt generation.” Those who accepted his message were baptized, and about three thousand were added to their number that day. (Acts 2:40, 41 NIV)
The results of the early church's devotion:
And the Lord added to their number daily those who were being saved. (Acts 2:47b NIV)
The result of Peter and John speaking to the crowds after the healing of a cripple:
But many who heard the message believed; so the number of men who believed grew to about five thousand. (Acts 4:4 NIV)
The result of the regular gathering and daily-life ministry of the church:
Nevertheless, more and more men and women believed in the Lord and were added to their number. (Acts 5:14 NIV
The gospel creating disciples:
In those days when the number of disciples was increasing, the Hellenistic Jews among them complained against the Hebraic Jews because their widows were being overlooked in the daily distribution of food. (Acts 6:1 NIV)
The result of the apostles being able to be devoted to prayer and the ministry of the Word:
So the word of God spread. The number of disciples in Jerusalem increased rapidly, and a large number of priests became obedient to the faith. (Acts 6:7 NIV)
The result of the church being strengthened and encouraged:
Then the church throughout Judea, Galilee and Samaria enjoyed a time of peace and was strengthened. Living in the fear of the Lord and encouraged by the Holy Spirit, it increased in numbers. (Acts 9:31 NIV)
The result of the healing of the cripple Aeneas:
All those who lived in Lydda and Sharon saw him and turned to the Lord. (Acts 9:35 NIV)
The result of Dorcas being raised from the dead:
This became known all over Joppa, and many people believed in the Lord. (Acts 9:42 NIV)
The result of the church members preaching wherever they went:
The Lord’s hand was with them, and a great number of people believed and turned to the Lord. (Acts 11:21 NIV)
The result of godly teaching and leadership:
He was a good man, full of the Holy Spirit and faith, and a great number of people were brought to the Lord. Then Barnabas went to Tarsus to look for Saul, and when he found him, he brought him to Antioch. So for a whole year Barnabas and Saul met with the church and taught great numbers of people. The disciples were called Christians first at Antioch. (Acts 11:24-26 NIV)
The result of effective speaking:
At Iconium Paul and Barnabas went as usual into the Jewish synagogue. There they spoke so effectively that a great number of Jews and Greeks believed. (Acts 14:1 NIV)
The result of preaching in new territories:
They preached the gospel in that city and won a large number of disciples. (Acts 14:21a NIV)
The result of multiplying leaders:
So the churches were strengthened in the faith and grew daily in numbers. (Acts 16:5 NIV)
The result of focused times of ministry (A mission trip to Thessalonica - 3 weeks of teaching the Scriptures):
Some of the Jews were persuaded and joined Paul and Silas, as did a large number of God-fearing Greeks and quite a few prominent women. (Acts 17:4 NIV)
The result of preaching in intellectual centers:
As a result, many of them believed, as did also a number of prominent Greek women and many Greek men. (Acts 17:12 NIV)
One of the results of Paul's year and a half ministry in Corinth:
Crispus, the synagogue leader, and his entire household believed in the Lord; and many of the Corinthians who heard Paul believed and were baptized. (Acts 18:8 NIV)
This resulted in cities being transformed and the world being changed to the glory of God:
And you see and hear how this fellow Paul has convinced and led astray large numbers of people here in Ephesus and in practically the whole province of Asia. He says that gods made by human hands are no gods at all. (Acts 19:26 NIV)
Because Jesus is of ultimate importance, the gospel was not just something that the church believed, but it went out from the church to transform people, cities, and nations.
The Expectation of the Resurrection
The resurrection establishes an eternal hope and focus for you. As a human being, you are motivated by the incentives that are in front of you. God made promises to give you joy in the expectation of looking forward to His reward for obedience.
The resurrection is a part of the end goal, reminding you of the glories to come.
But someone will ask, “How are the dead raised? With what kind of body will they come?” How foolish! What you sow does not come to life unless it dies. When you sow, you do not plant the body that will be, but just a seed, perhaps of wheat or of something else. But God gives it a body as he has determined, and to each kind of seed he gives its own body. Not all flesh is the same: People have one kind of flesh, animals have another, birds another and fish another. There are also heavenly bodies and there are earthly bodies; but the splendor of the heavenly bodies is one kind, and the splendor of the earthly bodies is another. The sun has one kind of splendor, the moon another and the stars another; and star differs from star in splendor. So will it be with the resurrection of the dead. The body that is sown is perishable, it is raised imperishable; it is sown in dishonor, it is raised in glory; it is sown in weakness, it is raised in power; it is sown a natural body, it is raised a spiritual body. If there is a natural body, there is also a spiritual body. So it is written: “The first man Adam became a living being”; the last Adam, a life-giving spirit. The spiritual did not come first, but the natural, and after that the spiritual. The first man was of the dust of the earth; the second man is of heaven. As was the earthly man, so are those who are of the earth; and as is the heavenly man, so also are those who are of heaven. And just as we have borne the image of the earthly man, so shall we bear the image of the heavenly man. I declare to you, brothers and sisters, that flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God, nor does the perishable inherit the imperishable. Listen, I tell you a mystery: We will not all sleep, but we will all be changed— in a flash, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, the dead will be raised imperishable, and we will be changed. For the perishable must clothe itself with the imperishable, and the mortal with immortality. When the perishable has been clothed with the imperishable, and the mortal with immortality, then the saying that is written will come true: “Death has been swallowed up in victory.” “Where, O death, is your victory? Where, O death, is your sting?” (1 Corinthians 15:35-55 NIV)
It does not matter how much you work out, how healthy you eat, or how many supplements you pop. Though these things can help to prolong your life, your inevitable destination is the grave as your body wears out like a rag and expires. It is after this that you will face the judgment of God (Hebrews 9:22,27,28; II Corinthians 5:9,10). The good news of the gospel is that this isn't the end of the story, but that there is a life to come.
In the previous set of verses, what are some important things that Paul mentions about the resurrection?
1) The bodies that we have in the resurrection will be different in quality than the bodies that we have now.
2) The weakness of our earthly bodies will be traded for the imperishable strength of our spiritual bodies.
3) Upon Jesus' return, those who belong to Him will be changed in an instant.
4) We will be immortal with Jesus.
“Optimism hopes for the best without any guarantee of its arriving and is often no more than whistling in the dark. Christian hope, by contrast, is faith looking ahead to the fulfillment of the promises of God, as when the Anglican burial service inters the corpse 'in sure and certain hope of the Resurrection to eternal life, through our Lord Jesus Christ.' Optimism is a wish without warrant; Christian hope is a certainty, guaranteed by God himself. Optimism reflects ignorance as to whether good things will ever actually come. Christian hope expresses knowledge that every day of his life, and every moment beyond it, the believer can say with truth, on the basis of God's own commitment, that the best is yet to come.” ― J.I. Packer
Because of the information and sensory overload in our culture, it is easy to breeze past things that are important to God. You have a virtually infiniteseeimal source of distraction with the internet that you carry around in your pocket. You need to slow down to evaluate, think, and pray about your decisions and trajectories. You should ask these questions:
Is your heart set on eternal things? (Colossians 3)
When the Bible refers to "the world" in I John 2:15-17, it is a mindset, not a person or group of people. It is camped in secularism. Worldliness is thinking that the here and now, that the "concrete" and all that you see right now, is all that matters. The word secular means "nowise," now, or the present.
(Timothy Keller "Peace - Overcoming Anxiety" message from 3/31/13 29:15-30:05)
Are you wasting your time?
Teach us to number our days, that we may gain a heart of wisdom. (Psalm 90:12 NIV)
The Implications for Our Lives
The gospel and the impending resurrection establishes a daily motivation for you.
This orders your days, because you know that you will be rewarded according to what you do with your life before God. If He values what you do, there will be reward; if He deems it rebellious or a waste in selfish living, you will be repaid accordingly.
People sense the reality of a greater purpose to their lives, though they don't always know how to identify what it is. I would say that you have at some point in your life hoped for the same thing as well.
Tom Brady "Is this all there is video"
http://m.youtube.com/watch?v=4HeLYQaZQW0
The sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the law. But thanks be to God! He gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ. Therefore, my dear brothers and sisters, stand firm. Let nothing move you. Always give yourselves fully to the work of the Lord, because you know that your labor in the Lord is not in vain. (1 Corinthians 15:56-58 NIV)
When you choose to live with Jesus with Him having first importance in your life and His gospel at the center of all your daily pursuits, then the "something more" that you're looking for will finally be realized. You are meant to live for someone and something bigger than yourself - the eternal God and His everlasting kingdom.
Second City Church- Built to Last Sermon Series 2014