The Centrality Of The Resurrection

As I mentioned last week, there has been a trend in churches for many years to try and answer the question: “How do we get more people to come to church?”

For several decades, countless studies have been conducted on how to grow the church.

Models of church growth have been published and sold

Celebrity pastors have been emulated

Every type of program that could be thought up and implemented, has been tried

Despite all these attempts to “draw them in” and grow the churches, the presenting problem remained: church attendance has been declining.

But why?

I know I have shared this with you before, but it is worth looking at again.

According to a recent Gallup study:

U.S. church membership was 73% when Gallup first measured it in 1937

It remained near 70% for the next six decades, before beginning a steady decline around the turn of the 21st century

In 2020, 47% of Americans said they belonged to a church, synagogue or mosque, down from 50% in 2018 and 70% in 1999.

The decline in church membership is primarily a function of the increasing number of Americans who express no religious preference.

Over the past 20 years, the percentage of Americans who do not identify with any religion has grown from:

8% in 1998-2000

13% in 2008-2010

21% over the past three years

Naturally, when attendance decreases, so does the amount that gets put in the offering plate.

And when the offering is down, churches have to seriously consider cutting programs or staff or both.

And as more gets cut from the budget, eventually the only thing left to cut is the church building entirely

And when the church building is gone, people typically disperse and start attending another church

Thus, it is a slow death in the American church model.

But, does it have to be this way?

Isn’t there a program or a formula that can be enacted that will magically turn things around for the Church?

Is there a way that First Baptist Shapleigh, among other churches, can see more people coming through the doors?

The answer is YES!

Yes, there is a way!

John 14:6 (ESV)

Jesus said to him, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.

I know it seems like a canned answer to this question, maybe even a little hokey.

Maybe you feel like I strung you along and gave hope for an answer other than the “Sunday school answer” of “Jesus.”

But the only way that churches can see a change in their condition is through Jesus.

It is through the Savior Himself that change must take place.

He is the one who provides the means for the forgiveness of sin.

And when there is forgiveness of sin, the Holy Spirit takes residence in the believer and begins the lifelong process of sanctification.

And as sanctification is taking place in the life of the believer, he increasingly lives in obedience to the Word.

And as He increasingly lives in obedience to the Word, he increasingly expresses his love for God through his love for others.

And as others are increasingly exposed to the love of God through the saved and sanctified life of the believer, like the experience of the woman at the well in John 4, they will encounter the Savior for themselves and be changed in the process.

After last week’s sermon, I was approached by someone who is looking for guidance in the “How To” aspect of disciple making.

They cited the fact that they believe the Word of God and are unwavering in their convictions, but “how do I go about reaching people where they are at?”

Again, this is one of those questions where ample books have been on the matter: some good, some not. Some based on Scripture and some based on experience.

You can get some good ideas from reading books on this topic. People who have found “success” with a certain approach want to encourage people in the Church to consider adopting it for themselves.

But again, just like the big market church model books from the 80’s and 90’s, there is no “cut and dried” answer because people are all so very different.

In an effort to answer this question for ourselves, I think it is wise to take time to look into the book of Acts, and see how the early church went about the process making disciples.

Acts is the second major contribution to Scripture by the physician, Luke, who is responsible for writing about 27% of the New Testament.

The reference to Theophilus (“lover of God”) links Acts to Luke’s Gospel, which was also written for Theophilus’ benefit (cf. Luke 1:3).

In a sense, Acts serves as a Part II to the account previously written.

Part I - The Gospel of Luke

The earthly ministry of Jesus, culminating in His death, burial, and resurrection.

Part II - The Book of Acts

The post-ascension ministry of Jesus, through the Holy Spirit empowered disciples.

As you get into the book of Acts, there is one truth that is staring you down from the start: The Centrality Of The Resurrection to the post-earthly ministry of Jesus.

The Resurrection Points To The Continuing Story

verse 1-2

There are two phrases that show that the Resurrection points to a continuation of the story of Jesus.

The first one being that:

The Gospel of Luke pointed to “all that Jesus began to do and teach.”

There are 24 chapters in the Gospel of Luke.

They cover from the time of His miraculous birth to the time of His death, burial, resurrection, and ascension.

These 24 chapters map out only what Jesus began to do and teach. When something is at the beginning, that means there is much more to be done.

And a careful reading of the text of Scripture makes this quite obvious. Observe in Luke 1, when Gabriel revealed to Mary:

Luke 1:32–33 (ESV)

He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High. And the Lord God will give to him the throne of his father David, and he will reign over the house of Jacob forever, and of his kingdom there will be no end.

The words of this prophecy are yet to be fulfilled, as Jesus is not currently seated on the throne of David, reigning over the house of Jacob.

Thus, that means there is more to be done.

And we see, at the end of Luke’s gospel, that is the case.

Luke 24:46–47 (ESV)

and said to them, “Thus it is written, that the Christ should suffer and on the third day rise from the dead, and that repentance for the forgiveness of sins should be proclaimed in his name to all nations, beginning from Jerusalem.

The second phrase that points to a continuation of the story of Jesus is that:

Before Jesus was taken up, “he had given commands through the Holy Spirit to the apostles.”

Considering that there is more to be done for the cause of Christ, you would expect that there would be directions given to follow.

Luke 24:49 (ESV)

And behold, I am sending the promise of my Father upon you. But stay in the city until you are clothed with power from on high.

John 20:21–22 (ESV)

Jesus said to them again, “Peace be with you. As the Father has sent me, even so I am sending you.” And when he had said this, he breathed on them and said to them, “Receive the Holy Spirit.”

Matthew 28:19 (ESV)

Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit,

The immediate instructions at the end of Jesus’ earthly ministry, after the Resurrection, was for the disciples to wait for the Holy Spirit and then to go make disciples of all nations.

The post-resurrection ministry of Jesus was to prepare the disciples for the continuation of the story.

The New Testament: Its Background and Message, 2nd edition (The Ascension of Jesus (1:1–11))

The Gospel describes what Jesus began to do and teach. Acts relates what he continued to do and teach through the apostles and other witnesses.

The Resurrection Provides Confidence For The Believer

verse 3

One of the hardest things about the miracle of the Resurrection is believing it.

The Apologetics Study Bible: Real Questions, Straight Answers, Stronger Faith (Article: Can Naturalistic Theories Account for the Resurrection? (Gary R. Habermas))

One of our first thoughts when we hear someone claim to have witnessed a miracle is that there must be some sort of natural explanation. (Gary Habermas)

Dr. Habermas continues by saying that the Gospels are no exception.

The Jewish priests spread the tale that Jesus’ disciples had stolen His body (Matthew 28)

Mary Magdalene supposed the risen Christ was the gardener (John 20)

The disciples thought the women who had gone to the tomb were spreading rumors or false tales (Luke 24:11)

The disciples, when they saw the risen Jesus, thought they were seeing a ghost or hallucination (Luke 24:36-43)

For many years, there have been ample explanations to try and explain away the Resurrection. Yet, they all have failed to provide an adequate answer.

The appearances of Jesus provide the best evidence for the Resurrection.

1 Corinthians 15:1-8

Luke 24:34

Acts 10:41

For Jesus to have given His disciples a command to preach a message of repentance for the forgiveness of sins, while He lay dead in the grave, would have been ridiculous.

For Jesus to have given His disciples a command to preach a message of repentance for the forgiveness of sins, while His disciples move and hide His body, would have been ridiculous.

But for Jesus to have given His disciples a command to preach a message of repentance for the forgiveness of sins, while showing them that death has no power over Him, is exactly the confidence needed to believe and preach it.

CONCLUSION

Ladies and Gentlemen,

As we search the Scriptures for life changing, Church shaping, truth as it relates to what making disciples looks like, let us remember The Centrality Of The Resurrection as it relates to our mission and our confidence.

The risen Jesus has made clear that there is more work to be done related to His story (“make disciples of all nations.”)

The fact that Jesus is indeed risen ought to provide us with the confidence to believe and preach the gospel.