Resurrection Power

Introduction

Happy Resurrection Day!

Today’s message is going to be centered around the Resurrection of Jesus.

Let me say this: The Resurrection of Jesus is necessary to the Gospel of Jesus. It’s not enough that a man die for a cause. Martyrs die for causes - but it’s essential that the one who died for our sins Raised again for our Justification! Just as Rom. 4:25 “Who was delivered for our offences, and was raised again for our justification.”

There are some who wish set the miracles of Christ aside and simply focus on His teachings. Two things I’ll say to that:

First, it’s Unnecessary:

I don’t know about you - but I’m thankful that we have a God that works miracles! We have a God that is ABLE to do ‘exceeding, abundantly & above all that we ask or think!’ Miracles are nothing to the God of the Bible!

Secondly, it’s Foolish:

When we limit God to what is only palatable or simple then we limit God! And I want you to know that there’s power in our God - specifically, Power in the Resurrection!

This is what we’re going to look at here today: Resurrection Power.

Make no mistake: The Resurrection makes all the difference in the world! There’s Power in the Resurrection of Christ, because the Resurrection gives us VICTORY!

I have 5 things for you today that the Resurrection gives us Victory over.

The First is that Resurrection Power gives us Victory Over the Flesh

I. Victory Over the Flesh

Resurrection Power brings the Flesh into Subjection

The Custom of the Flesh

God spoke unto Adam:

Gen. 2:17 “But of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, thou shalt not eat of it: for in the day that thou eatest thereof thou shalt surely die.”

Then of course we know that Satan tempted Eve which was beguiled and ate, then gave to Adam and he ate. Once God came unto the garden seeking Adam, He saw what he’d done and God cursed the man and said: Gen. 3:17-19 “And unto Adam he said, Because thou hast hearkened unto the voice of thy wife, and hast eaten of the tree, of which I commanded thee, saying, Thou shalt not eat of it: cursed is the ground for thy sake; in sorrow shalt thou eat of it all the days of thy life; Thorns also and thistles shall it bring forth to thee; and thou shalt eat the herb of the field; In the sweat of thy face shalt thou eat bread, till thou return unto the ground; for out of it wast thou taken: for dust thou art, and unto dust shalt thou return.”

From this moment in time - for the last 6,000 years, men have been born, then they die - they return unto dust as God had commanded.

Of course you know that prior to Christ, there were a few exceptions in that God raised up souls that had died (such as Lazarus), but eventually, they died again in finality and went back to dust.

So the custom of the flesh is to go back to dust, however, Resurrection power is able to Conquer the custom of the flesh! Jesus raised to new life 3 days after His crucifixion, then ministered for 40 days afterward in a glorified body before ascending unto the Right Hand of the Father where He currently is making intercession for you and me!

The Corruption of the Flesh

The Corruption of Christ

The Bible tells us: Ps. 16:10 “For thou wilt not leave my soul in hell; Neither wilt thou suffer thine Holy One to see corruption.”

This verse was quoted by Peter in Acts 2 and Paul in Act. 13 as they preached about the Resurrection of Christ. Jesus’ flesh was protected from Corruption.

In like manner there’s power in experiencing the Resurrection of Christ in US as the flesh doesn’t have the same power to corrupt us as well!

The Corruption in Us

Paul said: Rom. 7:18 “For I know that in me (that is, in my flesh,) dwelleth no good thing: for to will is present with me; but how to perform that which is good I find not.”

Paul spoke about the power of the flesh.

The flesh is naturally corrupt - and the flesh corrupts the Spirit. So in Rom. 7, Paul speaks about the wickedness and the power of the flesh and then he says: Rom. 7:24-25 “O wretched man that I am! who shall deliver me from the body of this death? I thank God through Jesus Christ our Lord. So then with the mind I myself serve the law of God; but with the flesh the law of sin.”

Jesus gives us the power to keep the flesh from corrupting us - Just as His flesh was kept corruption free as well! But here’s the key - we must yield ourselves to the Spirit:

Rom. 6:16-19 “Know ye not, that to whom ye yield yourselves servants to obey, his servants ye are to whom ye obey; whether of sin unto death, or of obedience unto righteousness? But God be thanked, that ye were the servants of sin, but ye have obeyed from the heart that form of doctrine which was delivered you. Being then made free from sin, ye became the servants of righteousness. I speak after the manner of men because of the infirmity of your flesh: for as ye have yielded your members servants to uncleanness and to iniquity unto iniquity; even so now yield your members servants to righteousness unto holiness.”

Resurrection Power gives us Victory over the Flesh

Resurrection Power gives Victory Over the Flesh

II. Victory Over our Foes

Resurrection Power gives ability to Conquer

Natural Foes

I’m speaking about foes in the flesh

The Pharisees (the instigators)

As you know the Sadducees & the Pharisees - they were the instigators. They were the ones who hated Christ that set the Crucifixion in motion

The Romans (those who appeased the Pharisees)

Pilate and the Roman centurions were not wicked themselves, but simply went along with the wickedness of the Pharisees.

King Herod (the bystander)

He didn’t instigate it, he didn’t help facilitate it - he just sat by & let it happen - when he could have done something to stop it!

These all showed themselves enemies of Christ on that day.

There’s two things that I want to say to that:

First: Christ & Christianity have natural (fleshly) enemies today

You have the instigators: One the main ones today is the trans/queer community. They are doing their best to reach our children. They desire to indoctrinate & pervert our children into thinking that God makes mistakes. That He doesn’t know how to put a man’s brain in a man’s body. They spit in the face of God and desire to train our children to do the same.

Then you have the facilitators: You have politicians that are doing their best to enact ‘gender-affirming care’ to children. These are not the instigators - but they are the facilitators of this perversion

Then you have those who just sit back & do nothing & say nothing while all this wickedness is going on.

These are our Pharisees, Romans & Herod’s today - our enemies of the flesh, but secondly

Secondly: Jesus conquered His enemies with Resurrection Power!

And the same way Jesus overcame His enemies by Raising from the Dead, you and I will overcome our enemies by Raising to new life from dead works unto Newness of Life!

Because here’s the truth of the matter. Our true enemy is not the transexual deviant in truth. They are nothing but tools because we’re in a Spiritual Battle w/ Spiritual foes!

Spiritual Foes

Eph. 6:12 “For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places.”

Our true foe is Satan. And the only way to defeat Satan is with Resurrection Power! Spiritual Power!

Resurrection Power gives Victory Over the Flesh & Victory over our Foes.

III. Victory Over Fear

Resurrection Power gives Courage to Complete

Now I want to move on to the apostles of Christ. What kind of Powerful effects did the Resurrection of Jesus have on them.

Before the Resurrection

We’ll look at Peter for a moment. We’ve got a lot of material on him.

Prior to the Crucifixion, Peter was there in the garden with Christ. When the Band from the Chief priest came to arrest Jesus, and when Jesus didn’t fight against them, the Bible tells us: Mar. 14:50 “And they all forsook him, and fled.”

Following the garden, Peter followed Jesus afar off. Then as Jesus was being tried, Peter warmed himself by the fire with the heathen. Then the Bible tells us: Mat. 26:69-74 “Now Peter sat without in the palace: and a damsel came unto him, saying, Thou also wast with Jesus of Galilee. But he denied before them all, saying, I know not what thou sayest. And when he was gone out into the porch, another maid saw him, and said unto them that were there, This fellow was also with Jesus of Nazareth. And again he denied with an oath, I do not know the man. And after a while came unto him they that stood by, and said to Peter, Surely thou also art one of them; for thy speech bewrayeth thee. Then began he to curse and to swear, saying, I know not the man. And immediately the cock crew.”

Peter was so scared that he cursed & denied the LORD!

You see that was before the Resurrection. But things changed after the Resurrection.

After the Resurrection

After the Resurrection & the women come & tell them that the tomb is empty, Peter goes and sees, then 49 days later, the Holy Ghost comes upon them & Peter preaches Jesus at Pentacost (you can find this in Act 2) and 3,000 souls get saved.

Act.3 - Peter heals a lame man, preaches Jesus and gets arrested. He’s standing before the same people that crucified Jesus and says: Act. 4:10 “Be it known unto you all, and to all the people of Israel, that by the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, whom ye crucified, whom God raised from the dead, even by him doth this man stand here before you whole.” Act. 4:12 “Neither is there salvation in any other: for there is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved.”

They look in amazement at the boldness of Peter and the miracle that was performed and threaten them not to teach or preach in the name of Jesus again, and their response is in Act. 4:19-20 “But Peter and John answered and said unto them, Whether it be right in the sight of God to hearken unto you more than unto God, judge ye. For we cannot but speak the things which we have seen and heard.”

Church we have Victory over Fear by the Resurrection of Christ!

Fear NOT what man can do unto you!

Fear NOT death or the grave

Because the Resurrection has given us VICTORY OVER FEAR!

Resurrection Power gives Victory Over the Flesh, over our Foes, over Fear.

IV. Victory and Not Faint

Resurrection Power is Sustaining Power

As you look at the lives of the apostles, we note something similar to each of them. They all from the Resurrection forward dedicated their lives unto the Gospel of Christ.

Sustaining Power

As you look at the lives of the apostles, we note something similar to each of them. They all from the Resurrection forward dedicated their lives unto the Gospel of Christ.

Peter - was eventually Crucified upside down at his own request

James ‘the Great’ / brother of John was beheaded by Herod Agrippa

Andrew was crucified on an ‘X’ shaped cross - hung there for two days before dying, preaching Jesus as he hung

Thomas was thrust through with a spear

Phillip, Jude Simon & Bartholomew were all Crucified

James ‘the Less’ was half-brother of Jesus and didn’t even convert to Christianity unto AFTER the Resurrection! He became head of the church in Jerusalem. He was 94 years old when the Jews threw him down, beat, bruised & stoned him, ultimately bashing his brains out with a club

The Resurrection will give you power to COMPLETE YOUR COURSE!

Church, I don’t know what course Christ has for you in this life. It may not be easy - but there’s power in the Resurrection! You can finish your course!

Victory and Not Faint

Resurrection Power gives Victory Over the Flesh, over our Foes, over Fear.

V. Victory Through Faith

Resurrection Power is Accomplished through Faith

Faith Giveth the Victory

1Jo. 5:4-5 “For whatsoever is born of God overcometh the world: and this is the victory that overcometh the world, even our faith. Who is he that overcometh the world, but he that believeth that Jesus is the Son of God?”

This same person penned down the most recognizable Scripture in the Word of God.

John 3 tells the story of a man by the name of Nicodemus that came to see Jesus. This was an educated man, a very religious man - yet we see: Joh. 3:3 “Jesus answered and said unto him, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.”

A little bit later, Jesus tells how to be ‘born again’: Joh. 3:16 “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.”

Then just a little further, John the Baptist testifies of Jesus saying: Joh. 3:36 “He that believeth on the Son hath everlasting life: and he that believeth not the Son shall not see life; but the wrath of God abideth on him.”

Let me ask you: Do you have the Son today?

You can’t have Victory without the Son

You can’t have the Son by Good Works, Keeping the Law or attending church.

You have the Son by making the decision to place your faith in Him (Jesus). 1Jo. 5:12 “He that hath the Son hath life; and he that hath not the Son of God hath not life.”

You can have Victory today, if you’ll place your faith in Jesus!

Conclusion

What about you today? Where are you at in your relationship with God?

Are you headed to Heaven or are you headed to Hell?