The Resurrection Is Our Hope
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Secular -
Secular -
A Minneapolis couple decided to go to Florida to thaw out during a particularly icy winter. They planned to stay at the same hotel where they spent their honeymoon 20 years earlier. Because of hectic schedules, it was difficult to coordinate their travel schedules. So, the husband left Minneapolis and flew to Florida on Thursday, with his wife flying down the following day. The husband checked into the hotel. There was wifi in his room, so he decided to send an e-mail to his wife. However, he accidentally left out one letter in her e-mail address, and without realizing his error, sent the e-mail.
Meanwhile, somewhere in Houston, a widow just returned home from her husband's funeral. He was a minister who was called home to glory following a heart attack. The widow decided to check her e-mail since she was expecting messages from relatives and friends. After reading the first message, she screamed and fainted. The widow's son rushed into the room, found his mother on the floor, and saw the computer screen which read:
To: My Loving Wife
Subject: I've Arrived
Date: November 18, 2004
I know you're surprised to hear from me. They internet here now and you are allowed to send e-mails to your loved ones. I've just arrived and have been checked in. I see that everything has been prepared for your arrival tomorrow. Looking forward to seeing you then! Hope your journey is as uneventful as mine.
PS. Sure is hot down here!
Historical/Cultural Context -
Historical/Cultural Context -
Paul preached the gospel in Corinth in the early 50s AD during his second missionary journey (Acts 18:1–18). When opposition grew fierce there, the Lord Jesus spoke to him in a vision assuring him that he had ‘many people’ in the city (Acts 18:10). With this encouragement, Paul stayed on for eighteen months, ‘teaching them the word of God’ (Acts 18:11). God used Paul’s ministry to bring about the birth and establishment of the church in Corinth.
Biblical Text -
Biblical Text -
Now if Christ is preached that He has been raised from the dead, how do some among you say that there is no resurrection of the dead?
But if there is no resurrection of the dead, then Christ is not risen.
And if Christ is not risen, then our preaching is empty and your faith is also empty.
Yes, and we are found false witnesses of God, because we have testified of God that He raised up Christ, whom He did not raise up—if in fact the dead do not rise.
For if the dead do not rise, then Christ is not risen.
And if Christ is not risen, your faith is futile; you are still in your sins!
Then also those who have fallen asleep in Christ have perished.
If in this life only we have hope in Christ, we are of all men the most pitiable.
-[Prayer]-
-[Prayer]-
Life Principle - Without The Resurrection We Have No Hope & Jesus Has No Victory. Thank God For The Resurrection!
Life Principle - Without The Resurrection We Have No Hope & Jesus Has No Victory. Thank God For The Resurrection!
Life Point- You Will Be Raised From The Dead
Life Point- You Will Be Raised From The Dead
Exegetical -
Exegetical -
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 worthless, and so is your faith.
Homiletical -
Homiletical -
the greek philosophers of the day and in that city would not believe the Gospel because they thought that a bodily resurrection of the dead was just plain silliness.
No one had ever seen, so to believe it the way it was preached didn’t make sense to them.
So what does one do?
Well they start to syncretize, which means to merge their beliefs with that of what they used to believe.
They decided to start spiritualizing the resurrection. Started to say that Christ’s resurrection was one of the spirit not the body.
Folks, let me tell you a little something about this kind of thing. We have people everywhere doing this syncretism. Merging one’s beliefs with another set of ideals.
We have people merging Christianity with LGBT ideology.
We have people merging Christianity with the ways of the world. Merging the Holy with the profane.
Let me tell you some things that we are doing in the churches that just shouldn’t be done.
1) Sex outside of marriage 2) Living with someone outside of marriage
But among you, as is proper among the saints, there must not be even a hint of sexual immorality, or of any kind of impurity, or of greed.
Marriage should be honored by all and the marriage bed kept undefiled, for God will judge the sexually immoral and adulterers.
This isn’t a popular stance in the church anymore, but it is scripture. Also the Biblical definition of marriage is starting to not be held anymore by evangelicals across the nation.
Here are 11 Biblical truths about marriage:
Marriage is ordained and ordered by God.
Marriage is a contract and a covenant.
Marriage is both religious and civil.
Marriage is both private and public.
Marriage requires mutual consent.
Marriage is for all types of people.
Marriage is heterosexual and monogamous.
Marriage cannot be between close family relations.
Marriage is for life.
Marriage is a sexual union.
Marriage is sacred but not a sacrament.
People are now Syncretizing the belief of God creating the world with evolution.
Let me ask you something. Is the Bible the inerrant, meaning it contains no error, Inspired, meaning it was God who used man to write it Word of the Most High God or is it not?
If you cannot believe that the Bible is inspired and inerrant then you cannot fully trust your own salvation experience. If the Bible is wrong then who becomes the arbiter of truth?
Well you do, and to be the true arbiter of truth means you would have to have all knowledge to be 100% sure of what is God’s Word and what is not God’s Word. If you have all knowledge then by definition you are not a man, but God.
So that doesn’t work.
People are saying that the creation was not 6 literal days. Well that doesn’t work, because the Hebrew language here is for 6 literal days and on the Seventh God rested from all His work.
To say it is anything but that undermines the Gospel. Because if you can’t trust that, then how can trust what the Bible says about Jesus?
If you are doing this, don’t feel too bad. I was guilty for a time as well.
I would go to high school and listen to my teachers. You see we pound it into the heads of our children that the teachers are smart and know what they are talking about and teach truth, you should listen to your teacher.
Then I would go to church on Sunday where God’s Word is being taught and the 2 didn’t line up. One says millions of years, the other says 6 days. Well who is right? In my mind at the time, I didn’t know any better, and I said they both must be true. But you see I quickly found out.
Certainly not! Let God be true and every man a liar. As it is written:
“So that You may be proved right when You speak
and victorious when You judge.”
GOD IS THE ARBITER OF TRUTH. Not man’s ideologies, not man’s wishes, and certainly not man’s vain imaginations!
For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal but mighty in God for pulling down strongholds,
casting down arguments and every high thing that exalts itself against the knowledge of God, bringing every thought into captivity to the obedience of Christ,
This casting down arguments is both internal, that is in our mind and external.
Now when trying to show someone that their thinking is in error, please don’t be like “that is stupid and let me tell you why.” Though you may want to do that, you just made yourself an enemy to them and you already lost the battle.
The best way is to ask questions that will get them thinking in the right direction and let them come to the point where you can lovingly give them the truth.
Behold, I am sending you out like sheep among wolves; therefore be as shrewd as snakes and as innocent as doves.
Now if Christ is preached that He has been raised from the dead, how do some among you say that there is no resurrection of the dead?
But if there is no resurrection of the dead, then Christ is not risen.
And if Christ is not risen, then our preaching is empty and your faith is also empty.
Now the Gospel has been preached with the premise that Christ was physically resurrected from the dead. If there is no resurrection, then Christ was never resurrected.
Which would mean the preaching of the Gospel has no power and neither does our faith.
Let me lay some truth on you. If you do not believe that Christ is resurrected bodily from the dead, then you are not a Christian. It is an essential belief of the faith.
Do you know what your next step is? Repent and come to Jesus and receive His grace & Truth and be saved by the true Gospel.
Life Point - Jesus Is Coming Back
Life Point - Jesus Is Coming Back
Exegetical -
Exegetical -
In that case, we are also exposed as 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 not even Christ has been raised.
Homiletical -
Homiletical -
If Christ has not been raised from the dead then that would mean we will not be either; and if that is the case then we are false witness and false prophets.
What do we do with false prophets? We run the other way.
If Christ is not raised then what are we doing here?
What is the purpose of the church?
You may as well do what the world is doing, if Christ is not risen from the grave.
As it was in the days of Noah, so will it be at the coming of the Son of Man.
For in the days before the flood, people were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, up to the day Noah entered the ark.
And they were oblivious, until the flood came and swept them all away. So will it be at the coming of the Son of Man.
Don’t be oblivious, don’t do what the world is doing. You know why?
Because Jesus was raised bodily and He is coming back.
Eight days later, His disciples were once again inside with the doors locked, and Thomas was with them. Jesus came and stood among them and said, “Peace be with you.”
Then Jesus said to Thomas, “Put your finger here and look at My hands. Reach out your hand and put it into My side. Stop doubting and believe.”
Thomas replied, “My Lord and my God!”
Jesus said to him, “Because you have seen Me, you have believed; blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed.”
You know what else? He is coming back one day for us too.
But I do not want you to be ignorant, brethren, concerning those who have fallen asleep, lest you sorrow as others who have no hope.
For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so God will bring with Him those who sleep in Jesus.
For this we say to you by the word of the Lord, that we who are alive and remain until the coming of the Lord will by no means precede those who are asleep.
For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of an archangel, and with the trumpet of God. And the dead in Christ will rise first.
Then we who are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And thus we shall always be with the Lord.
Therefore comfort one another with these words.
Life Point - Jesus Has The Victory Over Death, Hell & The Grave
Life Point - Jesus Has The Victory Over Death, Hell & The Grave
Exegetical -
Exegetical -
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 have perished.
If our hope in Christ is for this life alone, we are to be pitied more than all men.
Homiletical -
Homiletical -
If there is no resurrection then Christ has not been raised and, here is the kicker, your not saved. You are still in your sins.
Why?
Because that would mean there is no victory over death hell and the grace.
It would also mean that there is no hope for those who died as Christians and there is no real afterlife. There is no real you that will be you, after Jesus returns. There is no glorified body, there is no ruling and reigning with him. No reuniting with loved ones.
No if Christ did not raise from the dead, then we have no hope. Because of it we are to be pitied. Because our beliefs are useless and in vain.
But you see that isn’t the truth.
The truth is, there was and is resurrection for the dead in Christ!
This is why it says:
“When He ascended on high,
He led captives away,
and gave gifts to men.”
What does “He ascended” mean, except that He also descended to the lower parts of the earth?
He who descended is the very One who ascended above all the heavens, in order to fill all things.
Listen, I tell you a mystery: We will not all sleep, but we will all be changed—
in an instant, 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 be clothed 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 to pass: “Death has been swallowed up in victory.”
“Where, O Death, is your victory?
Where, O Death, is your sting?”
Then I turned to see the voice that was speaking with me. And having turned, I saw seven golden lampstands,
and among the lampstands was One like the Son of Man, dressed in a long robe, with a golden sash around His chest.
The hair of His head was white like wool, as white as snow, and His eyes were like a blazing fire.
His feet were like polished bronze refined in a furnace, and His voice was like the roar of many waters.
He held in His right hand seven stars, and a sharp double-edged sword came from His mouth. His face was like the sun shining at its brightest.
When I saw Him, I fell at His feet like a dead man. But He placed His right hand on me and said, “Do not be afraid. I am the First and the Last,
the Living One. I was dead, and behold, now I am alive forever and ever! And I hold the keys of Death and of Hades.
Life Principle– Without The Resurrection We Have No Hope & Jesus Has No Victory. Thank God For The Resurrection!
Life Principle– Without The Resurrection We Have No Hope & Jesus Has No Victory. Thank God For The Resurrection!
Call to Action – altar call….
Call to Action – altar call….