If Christ has not been raised...

Introduction

Good morning brothers and sisters and friends. So glad to be here on Easter, the day of resurrection, to celebrate the core of our faith, the heart of the gospel - the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ, our Lord and Saviour. And in a world filled with dread, uncertainty, and darkness, Jesus' resurrection serves as a beacon of hope in our lives. But a lot has occurred in the last few years, and your pessimism about the future may have grown. There are numerous causes for this. Some are more intimate, while others are more global. Some point to scoeity polarization, where there is a loss of any shared notion of common public good, a significant loss of social capital. But perhaps more importantly, we lose hope because we lose faith in the world beyond us; we lose purpose, cohesion, and a different, deeper kind of happiness than the satisfaction of all our earthly needs. The threat to our hope for a better world is not the natural environment, but the evils that constantly spring from the human heart.

One of the reason for the remarkable rise of early Christinality was that it offered hope in the face of class division, pedemics, political instability. One historian Kyle Harper wrote, “For Christians , it was a postivie program. THe life was always meant to be transitory, and just part of a larger story. What was important to the Christians was to orient one’s life toward the larger story, the story of eternity. They did live in this world, experience pain, and loved others. But Christians of that time were called to see the story of this life as just one of the storeis in which they lived. THe hidden map was this larger picture.” It is this hidden map that went far beyond ordinary consolations. The biblical word elpida, translated as the weaker English word hope, means profound certainty. Christians view even the hardest circumstances as part of history guided by God at every turn toward not merely some kind of afterlife but toward resurrection of our bodies and soul into new, remade heaven and earth. All this hope centres on one explosive event - the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ. THis is what Christinality offers a world that has lost hope. It is this hope that Paul wants to communicate to a troubled Corinthians church. They are not only fighting against each other, they have been influenced by others who do not believe in the resurrection of the body anymore. They believe the here and now, the spirituality without the body.

But the resurrection is so imporatnt to us that Paul used the last part of letter to make his argument. in three places , He argues using a negative persuavie technique, , if dead has not been raised, negative persuaive is when the risk of not knowing this is high. The thing is, our whole faith is at stake. Why all this argument? Last person on earth who would believed in the supernatural, and resurrection is probably Paul himself. He is a Pahraisee, he is a logic and reasonable person. But the resurrection doesn’t only address his logic, but it’s address his his conscience and heart. The resurrection changes everything for Paul, and all the Christians since that event. And so I pray, the resurrection event today on Easter would also change you, Let’s pray.

Appeal to mind

The first arguement is in 1 Corinthians 15:14-15 “And if Christ has not been raised, then our preaching is in vain and your faith is in vain. We are even found to be misrepresenting God, because we testified about God that he raised Christ, whom he did not raise if it is true that the dead are not raised.” What he is saying is that if Christ has not raised, then the foundation, the logical base of all our preaching, is wrong. He is appealing to our mind, the logic that this must be true, or else we are lying about God. He appeal to our mind by arguing the historical truth of resurrection, from verse 3-10.

1 Corinthians 15:3-10 “For I delivered to you as of first importance what I also received: that Christ died for our sins in accordance with the Scriptures, that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day in accordance with the Scriptures, and that he appeared to Cephas, then to the twelve. Then he appeared to more than five hundred brothers at one time, most of whom are still alive, though some have fallen asleep. Then he appeared to James, then to all the apostles. Last of all, as to one untimely born, he appeared also to me. For I am the least of the apostles, unworthy to be called an apostle, because I persecuted the church of God. But by the grace of God I am what I am, and his grace toward me was not in vain. On the contrary, I worked harder than any of them, though it was not I, but the grace of God that is with me.”

These few verses, was given as the earliest statement of belief of Christinaity. Before Paul’s letter, before the gospel, before all the creeds that later was produced. The early Christians verbally believe this and probably recited here by Paul. There are three interlocking parts. verse 4, that Jesus buried and then rose. So the tomb is empty. Second, there were hundreds of people actually saw Jesus, even touch Jesus. Paul was writing 16-18 years after Jesus death, and so why Paul could say, you don’t have trust me, you could talk to those people who are still alive. The third is change lives. Paul is talking about his own changed lives and all the others. You could talk to them, they all have bear enromous cost for believe in Jesus. So if you put these three together, you could a very powerful case of the historical fact of the resurrection.

One scholar wolfhart Pannenberg said, “the early Christians could not have preached the resurrection of the Christ publicly and successfully unless both the empty tomb and hundreds of eyewitnesses are true.“ Another biblical scholar N.T. Wright said “if there is empty tomb, no eyewitnesses, the body is stolen. If eyewitnesses and no empty tomb, all these people would be hallucinations.” And so, it needs all these three things for Christinality to even begin. But we are not there 2000 years ago? How are we to believe today? What would Paul said to those who hasn’t seen the resurrection. This happen during Paul’s at the trail in front of King Agrippa and Festus he said, Acts 26: 23-27 “that the Christ must suffer and that, by being the first to rise from the dead, he would proclaim light both to our people and to the Gentiles.” And as he was saying these things in his defense, Festus said with a loud voice, “Paul, you are out of your mind; your great learning is driving you out of your mind.” But Paul said, “I am not out of my mind, most excellent Festus, but I am speaking true and rational words. For the king knows about these things, and to him I speak boldly. For I am persuaded that none of these things has escaped his notice, for this has not been done in a corner. King Agrippa, do you believe the prophets? I know that you believe.” Paul was saying to Festus we are not talking philsophy, we are talking about history. You were there, especially King Agrippa should know these things, these are public facts. You don’t want to deal with it but I call you to do so.

Let the facts with resurrection argue with you. You account for the facts, you account empty tomb, you account for the eyewitnesses, you account for the changed lives. You come out an alternative way of explaination history and then walk away. Now you may ask why, Joshua it’s Easter, we should celebrate why talk about all this dead raising? The things is this day and age people religion is a sham and a crutch for weak-minded. I’m being rational, this rational argument is that our faith not a produce of our own need. Our lord not a product of imagination. He is a real person that walked in our history, died and raised again. We believe in a Jesus that is not made up, doesn’t look particular fulfilling, but true. If you created the God, it is a product of your own heart. Only a Jesus who is historically true, when you hate yourself he could say he love you. Why would a madeup God ever contradict you? It is only such a God that could changes us, and leds us back when we’re astray.

Illustrate: Lee Strobel a journalist who wrote “the case of christ” offer his testimony, he siad I have skepticism woven into my DNA. My knee-jerk reaction to Christianity was that it was ridiculous and not worth checking out. The idea was absurd. As I studied more in the area of atheism, I became more cemented in that view. But when my wife became a Christian and I saw positive changes in her, I decided to use my legal and journalism background to investigate it. Like one of those clown punching bags, I felt like every time I would hit Christianity with an objection, it would bounce back up. After a year and nine months of looking at the evidence from science and history, and especially the resurrection, that I needed to reach a verdict. As I wrote page after page of evidence on my yellow legal pad, I just put down my pen and said, “Wait a second, it’s going to take more faith to maintain my atheism than to become a Christian,” because the evidence, I believed, was that strong. Brothers and sisters, friends, today on Easter, let the facts of resurrection argue with you.

Appael to conscience

But Paul doesn’t only appeal to our logic, he appeals to our conscience. In 1 Corinthians 15:17 “And if Christ has not been raised, your faith is futile and you are still in your sins.” As we said early, the deepest problem of humans, the lost of hope is not from the nature enviornment, but the deep evils and sins of our hearts. The problem lies within. And it seems that as we grow older, we cannot move past our sins, our regrets, our mistakes. And when we think about it, how did Paul get past his past? You have to remember, he killed the disciples of JEsus when he persecute them. HOw at the end he was able to witness Jesus so powerfully and nearly wrote half of what is the New Testament? LEt’s look into 1 Corinthians 15:9-11 again.“For I am the least of the apostles, unworthy to be called an apostle, because I persecuted the church of God. But by the grace of God I am what I am, and his grace toward me was not in vain. On the contrary, I worked harder than any of them, though it was not I, but the grace of God that is with me. Whether then it was I or they, so we preach and so you believed.” Gospel changes Paul. IN the resurrection of Jesus today, we not only could logically accept it, but conscinsely we know this is what grace looks like.Jesus Christ not only take on our sin, take on our past, take on our regrets, he paid all our debts, but he raise again from it. So in resurrection God paid the full price of our sins and conquered it. So that today you and I are not ever defined by your sins, your past, your mistakes, your regrets. Now today, since the resurrection of JEsus. You are in Christ. When he looks at you he sees Jesus righteousness. If Christ is risen, you are put in to him. Romans 8:1-2 “There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus. No more condemnation. Our conscience is clean, we are not defined by our sin any more. Millions and Millions who follow Jesus could start a new life everyday, no matter what happened in the past. One of them is

Illustrate: Lavinia an Australian started running away from home at the age of four. My father was a very abusive man. At the time I was born, he was set on having a boy, so from that moment, he rejected me. There was a lot of physical abuse, emotional abuse, and neglect. He would try to drown me. He gave my sister a pellet gun and told her to aim at me. It was the 70’s, and whenever I ran away from home, the authorities would find me and bring me back.But when I was nine, my grandparents realised something was wrong and they took me to the police. I was made a ward of the state, and after that, I was in and out of institutional care. It was just survival. I became an angry, bitter teenager, without fear or any sense of consequences. I started shoplifting. One time I stole a car. I was only 16 and had no licence. Why would I care? I had no emotional attachment to anything. I wanted love, though, and I was promiscuous, which took me down a line of abusive relationships. I ended up living with a young man, who was divorced, with a young child. I was still under age. We became engaged, but it ended badly. I ran away again, desperately looking for some kind of answer. Instead of going to the school, I decided I would go and see what the church was like. People laugh when I say that now. Why did I do that? I think I was at my lowest point. And I was curious. I remember the Gospel story being told at the service. Hearing about Jesus – this man who walked the earth, who suffered as we do, who was crucified, and who died for our sins! I was so hurt and broken and angry.  I hated myself, and in that moment, something shifted. The preacher was speaking, and I wanted that love of God. I wanted that forgiveness. At the end of the service, I went to the altar and I prayed. I didn’t really know how to pray, but in my heart I gave the entire wreck of myself to God. I cried and cried. I asked Jesus into my heart. And God heard the cry of my heart. It was a powerful encounter with God… and yet, the journey of knowing God, and forgiveness, was very long. It wasn’t an instant conversion. Even though people at church were welcoming, I felt like a misfit. But I know that God can bring healing. I know how the story ends, and that one day, I will see my Creator, face to face! Somehow, through this messy journey, I have found Jesus. God has truly wiped the slate clean, and I don’t need to run anymore.” This lady, now an author and speaker, nows the true power of resurrection. Let the resurrection appeal to your consciousness.

Appeal to heart

But lastly, may the resurrection of JEsus appeal to our heart. 1 Corinthians 15:30-32 “Why are we in danger every hour? I protest, brothers, by my pride in you, which I have in Christ Jesus our Lord, I die every day! What do I gain if, humanly speaking, I fought with beasts at Ephesus? If the dead are not raised, “Let us eat and drink, for tomorrow we die.” Paul is facing death. He mentioned fighting with Beasts at Ephesus. For today’s readers we don’t know. what happen between him and the beast. But Everyday, Paul facing death. But for what. why he do this, it is for the gospel, for the good news of Jesus death and rise. But if Christ has not raised, there is really no point to be hard-working, there is no point of risking your own life. Actually, if the dead do not raised, “Let us eat and drink, for tomorrow we die.” Paul point to the utter futility of a life without the direction and motivation, It leads to a dissipated lifestyle. A life of fear, because there is no hope beyond death, everything is clouded by the death, everyday is one day closer to our final day.

As a pastor, I often go to funerals, Christians funeral, but also different kinds of funerals. Chinese funerals, and they believe in afterlife. But how do the dead live? They have nothing down there. So they used to burn money down there for them to use. Now they become more fashionable. They burn ipads and even maijong for them. But I think deep down the people know it doesn’t work like that. Even if you burn a real ipad it probably wouldn’t go down there. And then funerals with no God. Something just doesn’t feel right. No matter how well the euolgy, I often ponder is that it? If that’s it then really how much achievement, how well relationships have gone in life it just doesn’t amount to much. But only the Christian God. You see in the eyes of the Christians there are this calmness, maybe even deep rooted joy. That this person life doesn’t amount to nothing, but it continues in the story of eternity, and this person won’t be lonely because there is Jesus. Death is like us passing by a shadow to those who have Jesus.

That’s why Paul could, at the end of his exposition, said, 55 O death, where is thy sting? O grave, where is thy victory?The sting of death is sin; and the strength of sin is the law.  But thanks be to God, which giveth us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ. If you know the resurrection of Jesus, as it appeals to your heart, you can say, come on death, come on sin. Every grave and every death is mine. The lower you lay me, the higher I raised. And if you don’t fear of death, really there is not much you need to fear. If you have hope after death, there is not much circumstance you cannot hope. And that changes everything. And so may today , the resurrection of JEsus

Let it argue of conseciene, incredible confidence, that the past is done, every day is a new day.

Let is argue of heart , a life of courage and greatness,

Let is argue of mind, to a saviour who is real.

Let’s pray, thank you father, resurrection of Jesus Crhist. Face death, face past, a god a saviour who is real. Let the resurrection of Christ to argue within us, make us more like you, make us who we could be, make us a hopeful people.