The Truth (Part 6): Resurrection Power – Sermon by Steven Loots

Text: 1 Corinthians 15:1-8 and 12-19

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. ² By this gospel you are saved, if you hold firmly to the word I preached to you. Otherwise, you have believed in vain.

³ For what I received I passed on to you as of first importance^[a]: that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, ⁴ that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures, ⁵ and that he appeared to Cephas,^[b] and then to the Twelve. ⁶ 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. ⁷ Then he appeared to James, then to all the apostles, ⁸ and last of all he appeared to me also, as to one abnormally born.

And

¹² 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? ¹³ If there is no resurrection of the dead, then not even Christ has been raised. ¹⁴ And if Christ has not been raised, our preaching is useless and so is your faith. ¹⁵ 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. ¹⁶ For if the dead are not raised, then Christ has not been raised either. ¹⁷ And if Christ has not been raised, your faith is futile; you are still in your sins. ¹⁸ Then those also who have fallen asleep in Christ are lost. ¹⁹ If only for this life we have hope in Christ, we are of all people most to be pitied.

Introduction:

One of the biggest deceptions in the world and in the church today says that Jesus did not physically overcome death.

• Jesus may have died but he was not resurrected

From this lie many others follow. If someone does not believe in the physical resurrection of Jesus the rest of his biblical and worldview are skewed. As a foundational truth of Scripture, the resurrection of Jesus from the dead guides our thinking about all of the rest of the Bible.

• Get this wrong and you will end up in deep deception, in a gospel that is no gospel at all

Where does the lie come from?

The Jews after the Resurrection. Matthew 28:11-15

¹¹ While the women were on their way, some of the guards went into the city and reported to the chief priests everything that had happened. ¹² When the chief priests had met with the elders and devised a plan, they gave the soldiers a large sum of money, ¹³ telling them, “You are to say, ‘His disciples came during the night and stole him away while we were asleep.’ ¹⁴ If this report gets to the governor, we will satisfy him and keep you out of trouble.” ¹⁵ So the soldiers took the money and did as they were instructed. And this story has been widely circulated among the Jews to this very day.

• False teachers
  • In biblical times and today.
• Liberal Theologians
  • Illustration Professor: As long as he rose in your heart…
• Progressive Christians
  • Embarrassed by the death and resurrection
  • Would rather believe in the power of crystals and essential oils than in the power of God to overcome death
• Mystics
  • Richard Rohr: One of the most dangerous teachers in Christendom today. It all sounds so good, but at its core he denies biblical truth about Who Jesus is and what He has done. His resurrection view is a revisiting of early Gnosticism mixed with universalism and new age mumbo jumbo. All of this from a very intelligent, highly articulate and very popular teacher. Illustration: Camera at the tomb… He speaks a lot about resurrection, but it all becomes a metaphor for his belief in the cosmic Christ and a rejection of a physical resurrection of Christ.

Biblical Truth

• We are faced with an Empty tomb
• We are faced with Multiple witnesses as it stands in 1 Corinthians 15: 3 – 8

³ For what I received I passed on to you as of first importance^[a]: that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, ⁴ that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures, ⁵ and that he appeared to Cephas,^[b] and then to the Twelve. ⁶ 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. ⁷ Then he appeared to James, then to all the apostles, ⁸ and last of all he appeared to me also, as to one abnormally born.

• We are dealing with the Basis of the preaching of the Apostles –in Acts are we told that they preached the resurrection of Christ several times. The core of the message of missions
• This IS the Good News.

Why does it matter?

Resurrection is something we usually only deal with at Easter. Is it an important truth?

Foundation of our Faith.

1 Corinthians 15: 13-19:  ¹³ If there is no resurrection of the dead, then not even Christ has been raised. ¹⁴ And if Christ has not been raised, our preaching is useless and so is your faith. ¹⁵ 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. ¹⁶ For if the dead are not raised, then Christ has not been raised either. ¹⁷ And if Christ has not been raised, your faith is futile; you are still in your sins. ¹⁸ Then those also who have fallen asleep in Christ are lost. ¹⁹ If only for this life we have hope in Christ, we are of all people most to be pitied.

• The Resurrection is our only hope.
• The Resurrection displays the power of God over death.
• The Resurrection is the means by which God dealt once and for all with the consequences of sin.
• The death and resurrection are the fulfillment of all the promises of God to reconcile man to Him.

The Litmus Test

How someone views the resurrection determines all of his theology.

• Ask: Do you believe in the physical resurrection of Jesus from the dead?
  • Ask your pastor this question – many in the pulpit today do NOT believe in the physical resurrection of Jesus.
• Do research on any teacher and ask the same question. If not… run for the hills!
  • If someone does not believe in the resurrection, they have no place in the pulpit, or the church or on your bookshelf or anywhere near your ears!!!
• Rejoice in the power of God which overcame death and saved you through the resurrection.
• Look forward to the promise that we too will be resurrected.