The Resurrected One is Writing Your Resurrection Story

Connection and Tension

‌Christ is risen!

‌What’s your favorite story? Responses… For me it’s LOTR. We love stories. It’s fun to get caught up in them, feeling the pain, fear, or anguish of the hero. But they don’t mean anything. But when we put the story down, that’s the end of it. No one that finished Star Wars went out to join a Jedi school. Well, maybe a few. Stories are entertaining, but they typically carry no relevance for our life apart from that.

‌As a younger person in church, the story of the resurrection of Jesus affected me in a similar way. I believed it was a true story, that the events really happened, but I had a hard time finding it relevant in my life. I instinctively knew this was important, at least in a going-to-heaven-when-I-die kind of way. But beyond that, I didn’t know what to do with it.

‌I’m not alone. In a recent Washington Times article, while 2/3s of Americans believe the Bible’s account of the resurrection is reliable, an equally large percentage don’t find it to be personally relevant to their life. It’s probably important; they just can’t put their finger on why. How does the story of someone rising from the grave 2,000 year ago have any bearing on my own story?

‌I’ve called the message today The Resurrected One is Writing Your Resurrection Story. This morning I want to tell you a story of how the resurrection of Jesus became personal and relevant to the most unlikely of people.

‌Text and Participation

‌Read Acts 10:34-43

This is the story of Cornelius. A Roman. An officer in an occupation force that is oppressing Israel. To say that he is feared and hated would be an understatement.

Anyone would say Peter was out of his mind to go to his house. Not only is he the enemy, but as a Gentile it was against Jewish law to have any dealings with him.

But Cornelius and Peter had both fallen victim to the divine storyteller. Through a series of supernatural interventions, Cornelius finds himself inviting Peter to his house, and Peter finds himself accepting the invitation.

Beyond the two strikes already against Cornelius’, there was a third. The hope for a Jewish Messiah carried by the nation of Israel for the last 400 years was just that - for a Messiah exclusively for the Jews. Jesus was to be the culmination of the hope for Jewish salvation. But God had opened Peter’s eyes to finally understand that, while the Messiah was for the Jews, he was also the Messiah for the whole world. Jesus was Peter’s Messiah, but he was also Cornelius’. The resurrection of Jesus was for the Jews. But the resurrection was also for the Gentiles.

And that means The resurrection is for you. You are not on the outside looking in on this glorious event. All that the resurrection accomplished - the forgiveness of sins. the defeat of death and hell, the promise of new life - is for you. The resurrection is for those who feel lost, who feel rejected, who feel unloved and unwanted. The resurrection is for those who think they don’t matter and that their life is of little account. The resurrection of Jesus shouts of the immensity of his love for you, for you were in his mind and heart as he went to the cross. Jesus resurrection is for you!

But as Cornelius was about to learn, entering into the life of the resurrection was going to cause a major confrontation. Because what the resurrection proclaims loud and clear is that the world has a new Lord, and his name is Jesus. As a Roman, Cornelius would have been used to referring to Caesar as lord. Part of the propaganda of Rome was that Caesar was the son of god and the prince of peace. Rome, in fact, was quite happy with you worshipping any god, as long as Rome remained at the place of highest authority.

Peter’s message to Cornelius provokes a crisis of decision. It is to no longer be lord Caesar but Lord Jesus, for as the resurrected One he is given ultimate authority to judge the living and the dead. Will Caesar continue to be Cornelius’ lord, or will he transfer his ultimate loyalty to Jesus.

The resurrection demands a new allegiance. We all have “lords” that we follow.  Maybe it’s a person. Sometimes it is a belief or ideology or cause that we give the highest place. But most often our lord is the one we see in the mirror every morning. We tend to live for ourselves, doing our best to keep our self as the center of our story. The resurrection of Jesus confronts this idol of self and calls us to transfer our ultimate allegiance to him. Jesus will not be supporting cast in your story.  He will be your main character or nothing.

Gospel and Invitation

Read Acts 10:44-48

Cornelius could have chosen, and we can choose, to continue to write our own story. And yet the outcome of these self-centered stories rarely end happily ever after. Instead they often end in brokenness, misery, and despair. We are incapable of writing any ending to our story other than one that ends with death.

Cornelius made his decision. Before Peter could finish telling him the message of the gospel, the resurrection power of Jesus rushed upon Cornelius. He met the one who could make his story life-giving and life-changing. The story of Jesus’ resurrection became personal for him that day. While still living in this world, he entered into the world to come with all of its truth, beauty, and goodness - centered upon the risen Lord. We don’t know how his story ended, but it decisively changed for the better that day.

This promise of the resurrection is for everyone who believes Peter’s message. Jesus was anointed for ministry and proclaimed God’s Son at his baptism. He lived a life demonstrating the power of his kingdom as he healed and delivered those oppressed by the devil. And in the ultimate act of love, he took the curse and penalty of our sin upon himself at the cross, going all the way down to death, and there he put sin and death to death. But on the third day he rose as the victorious conqueror of death and hell - he is now Lord of all realms. He now offers forgiveness of sins and a new life to everyone who believes. This morning I invite you to give your allegiance to this Lord. Place your trust in him and allow him to re-write your story to one of resurrection hope. Through the power of the Holy Spirit, you can have a fresh start and a new beginning today. On the screen is a way to let us know that you have made this decision today and I will reach out to you and talk about next steps. (next steps slide)

If the first part of Cornelius’ story is that the resurrection is for you, the second part is that The resurrection is for now. This is the promise for all of us who put our faith in Jesus Christ. Yes, the resurrection gives us hope for eternity. But the resurrection also guarantees us that we now have this same life-changing power inside of us. The same power that raised Jesus from the dead also lives in you. His power over sin is your power. His power over the enemy is your power. His power over adversity, his power over self-absorption, his power to live life to the fullest is your power too.

The power of the resurrection still breathes new life in you today. He is making it personal and applying it to your life by changing you from the inside out. As Paul writes to the Ephesians, he is making you into his masterpiece. Jesus is writing your resurrection story. As a pastor, I’m in unique position to be able to witness these resurrection stories all the time. Seeing those who were far from God be drawn by his love, and watching their life be transformed. I’ve seen Jesus write my own resurrection story too. It’s not finished yet – sometimes I feel like a still have a long way to go. But then I look back and I see how far God has already brought me. What he has delivered me from. What he has healed and restored. He will do the same for you.

For those who have placed their faith in Christ, the good news is that the resurrected One is writing your resurrection story. The Storyteller isn’t done with your story. And it will have a beautiful happily ever after ending. Amen.