What If Jesus Had Not Risen (SonRise Service 2015)

What if the Resurrection Did Not Happen?

(Title borrowed from John Piper)

1 Corinthians 15

Sunrise Service – April 5, 2015

SEE JESUS THE RISEN RULER AND SAVIOR message (Logos with word backup file) for an updated version of this sermon)

Several weeks ago, I referenced a pastor who claimed the resurrection of Christ to be a trivial matter. I want to show you Paul’s incredible reminder and claim about why the resurrection is NO TRIVIAL MATTER!

The Resurrection of Christ

15 Now I would remind you, brothers, of the gospel I preached to you, which you received, in which you stand, 2 and by which you are being saved, if you hold fast to the word I preached to you—unless you believed in vain.

3 For I delivered to you as of first importance what I also received: that Christ died for our sins in accordance with the Scriptures, 4 that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day in accordance with the Scriptures, [1]

· Excellent summary of the gospel…

o Not about removal of life’s problems or discomforts

o Not about better real estate after death

o Not about fire insurance and avoidance of hell

o Not about adherence to a creed or set of rules

o ABOUT forgiveness of sins and reconciliation of a broken relationship to God, our Creator.

o We have forgotten…we come to programs, we replace rules and obedience with relationship. Relationship will result in obedience but obedience apart from relationship is meaningless.

o He died for our sins

o He was buried

o AND HE ROSE AGAIN

o This is of FIRST importance

· Paul’s proclamation is followed up by…

The Resurrection of the Dead

12 Now if Christ is proclaimed as raised from the dead, how can some of you say that there is no resurrection of the dead? 13 But if there is no resurrection of the dead, then not even Christ has been raised. 14 And if Christ has not been raised, then our preaching is in vain and your faith is in vain. 15 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. 16 For if the dead are not raised, not even Christ has been raised. 17 And if Christ has not been raised, your faith is futile and you are still in your sins. 18 Then those also who have fallen asleep in Christ have perished. 19 If in Christ we have hope in this life only, we are of all people most to be pitied.

20 But in fact Christ has been raised from the dead, the firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep.[2]

· Some claim that there is no resurrection of the dead – meaning all who have died, stay dead.

· They believe Christ’s resurrection, or else they couldn’t have been believers but they struggled with the idea of believers being raised.

· Paul points out problems with this denial.

7 Consequences of No Resurrection.

1. Not even Christ has been raised – Vs. 13, 16

13 But if there is no resurrection of the dead, then not even Christ has been raised. [3]

16 For if the dead are not raised, not even Christ has been raised. [4]

a. Denial of a resurrection coming from two possible sources – Pagan beliefs of the day who viewed death and anything dead as abomination (thus the idea of a dead body coming back to life was abhorrent); Influence by religious leaders, Sadducees and Pharisees

b. Acts 23:6-8

6 Now when Paul perceived that one part were Sadducees and the other Pharisees, he cried out in the council, “Brothers, I am a Pharisee, a son of Pharisees. It is with respect to the hope and the resurrection of the dead that I am on trial.” 7 And when he had said this, a dissension arose between the Pharisees and the Sadducees, and the assembly was divided. 8 For the Sadducees say that there is no resurrection, nor angel, nor spirit, but the Pharisees acknowledge them all.[5]

c. Paul making claim here to the Corinthians, that you can’t deny resurrection of death from some and permit it for others (Christ). All or nothing.

d. If there is no resurrection of dead, then Christ is not raised.

e. If Christ were not raised from the dead…

2. Faith is in vain – Vs. 14, 17

14 And if Christ has not been raised, then our preaching is in vain and your faith is in vain. [6]17 And if Christ has not been raised, your faith is futile and you are still in your sins. [7]

a. Vain – fruitless, void of effect, to no purpose, hollow, false, foolish.

b. If Christ is not raise, our faith, in God, Christ, in salvation, in all of it is, fruitless, void of effect, to no purpose, hollow, false, foolish.

c. If Christ is not raised, everything we have believed in, lived for, and spent our life pursing is pointless!

d. We desire to know our life has purpose; that we will be remembered; that our lives will have meaning.

e. We desire to know and believe something that is true and real; We desire to know someone or something is trustworthy and dependable.

f. To find that the thing we have been living for IS NOT THAT, is a devastating blow. BUT IF CHRIST WAS NOT RAISED, THAT IS EXACTLY WHAT HAPPENS. OUR FAITH IS VAIN.

g. Why? Because….

3. We are still in our sins – vs. 17

17 And if Christ has not been raised, your faith is futile and you are still in your sins. [8]

a. Without the resurrection, there is no victory over sin and death

b. Without the resurrection, death wins, sin wins, the devils wins and the death of Christ was for no purpose because we remain enslaved to and dead in our sins.

Ephesians 2

By Grace Through Faith

2 And you were dead in the trespasses and sins 2 in which you once walked, following the course of this world, following the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that is now at work in the sons of disobedience— 3 among whom we all once lived in the passions of our flesh, carrying out the desires of the body and the mind, and were by nature children of wrath, like the rest of mankind.

c. Without Christ, this is the state we live in! If Christ did not successfully accomplish a satisfactory sacrifice for our sins and come back from the grave as a victory, this is the state we would remain in,

d. However….

4 But God, being rich in mercy, because of the great love with which he loved us, 5 even when we were dead in our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ—by grace you have been saved— 6 and raised us up with him and seated us with him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus, 7 so that in the coming ages he might show the immeasurable riches of his grace in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus. 8 For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, 9 not a result of works, so that no one may boast. 10 For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them. [9]

e. Christ accomplished this for us…

f. BUT if he never defeated death and the devil….this never happened.

g. Thus believing in God, in Christ, in forgiveness, in salvation is a fools hope and worthless.

h. The resurrection was the evidence that the sacrifice was pleasing, that the payment was acceptable, and that He had both the right and the power to offer it.

i. Without the resurrection the sacrifice would have been incomplete.

j. Death on cross may have been payment of God’s wrath but Romans 4:24-25 make clear the importance of the resurrection…

24 but for ours also. It will be counted to us who believe in him who raised from the dead Jesus our Lord, 25 who was delivered up for our trespasses and raised for our justification. [10]

k. The death was only have of the story. The resurrection was the other half.

l. Without it, none of us would know God.

m. Without the resurrection, all their preaching in vain…

4. Preaching is in vain – vs. 14

14 And if Christ has not been raised, then our preaching is in vain and your faith is in vain. [11]

a. If there is no resurrection, which would mean Christ did not raise, and if Christ did not raise, we are still in our sins, enslaved and death, then our preaching otherwise is also…

b. Vain – fruitless, void of effect, to no purpose, hollow, false, foolish.

c. It’s a waste of breath to speak of things that are not possible.

d. What is the point of preaching something that can never be?

e.

f. What is the point of preaching a morality or a submission to authority, or an obedience to a law that has no higher purpose or motivation?

g. There is no hope, no future, no benefit in preaching a gospel that is based upon an act that never happened!

h. And so it makes our preaching in vain.

i. What’s worse….

5. The Apostles are misrepresenting God – vs. 15

5 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. [12]

a. They become false witness; liars; and perpetrators of error.

b. If it is not true, they teach a doctrine, a belief based on error, deception, false claims, and are guilty of deceiving people.

c. We become a cult – a group worshipping and devotion ourselves to a way of thinking that nothing more than ritual and fad (those words used by the dictionary)

d. God becomes myth, legend, fairy tale – stories made up by men for agendas all their own.

e. If it is not true that Christ rose again, this is what becomes of our precious faith!

f. What does this mean for those who have died believing their faith?

6. Those who have died have perished – vs. 18

18 Then those also who have fallen asleep in Christ have perished. [13]

a. If there is no resurrection, there is no hope after death and this life is all there is.

b. “Eat, drink, and be merry, for tomorrow you may die”

c. For this reason, if there is no resurrection, we of all people MOST to be pitied

7. We are of all people most to be pitied – vs. 19

19 If in Christ we have hope in this life only, we are of all people most to be pitied. [14]

a. Pitied – sympathetic sorrow for suffering, distressed, unhappy, something to be regretted, feeling the pain of others

b. MOST because we chose to believe and live believing in something untrue, wasting our lives on a lie.

c. Most because the thing we chose to believe was SO INCREDIBLE, for it to not be true or not attainable is so devastating.

d. Salvation, forgiveness of sins, reconciliation to God is the HIGHEST and DEEPEST need and desire of man. To believe it is within grasp to have it ripped away and reveal our entire life and belief is a lie, that is devastating and leaves on hopeless

e. To believing in something, the thing that we need most, forgiveness, reconciliation to and relationship to God, and find it unattainable or untrue…

f. Removes hope

g. Removes purpose

h. Removes identity

i. Removes everything

j. Pity is what you feel for someone or yourself who just found out that everything they believed and lived for is a lie.

k. It is what you feel when hope is snuffed out and all is lost!

BUT….BUT…BUT….

Christ is raised! Vs. 20

20 But in fact Christ has been raised from the dead, the firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep. 21 For as by a man came death, by a man has come also the resurrection of the dead. 22 For as in Adam all die, so also in Christ shall all be made alive. 23 But each in his own order: Christ the firstfruits, then at his coming those who belong to Christ. 24 Then comes the end, when he delivers the kingdom to God the Father after destroying every rule and every authority and power. 25 For he must reign until he has put all his enemies under his feet. 26 The last enemy to be destroyed is death. 27 For “God has put all things in subjection under his feet.” But when it says, “all things are put in subjection,” it is plain that he is excepted who put all things in subjection under him. 28 When all things are subjected to him, then the Son himself will also be subjected to him who put all things in subjection under him, that God may be all in all. [15]

Consequences of Resurrection

1. Faith is Valid and Strong!

2. We are Forgiven!

3. Preaching is valid and purposeful!

4. Apostles are truthful

5. Those who have died in their faith are secure

6. We are to be envied!

[1] The Holy Bible: English Standard Version. (2001). (1 Co 15:1–4). Wheaton: Standard Bible Society. [2] The Holy Bible: English Standard Version. (2001). (1 Co 15:12–28). Wheaton: Standard Bible Society. [3] The Holy Bible: English Standard Version. (2001). (1 Co 15:13). Wheaton: Standard Bible Society. [4] The Holy Bible: English Standard Version. (2001). (1 Co 15:16). Wheaton: Standard Bible Society. [5] The Holy Bible: English Standard Version. (2001). (Ac 23:6–8). Wheaton: Standard Bible Society. [6] The Holy Bible: English Standard Version. (2001). (1 Co 15:14). Wheaton: Standard Bible Society. [7] The Holy Bible: English Standard Version. (2001). (1 Co 15:17). Wheaton: Standard Bible Society. [8] The Holy Bible: English Standard Version. (2001). (1 Co 15:17). Wheaton: Standard Bible Society. [9] The Holy Bible: English Standard Version. (2001). (Eph 2:1–10). Wheaton: Standard Bible Society. [10] The Holy Bible: English Standard Version. (2001). (Ro 4:24–25). Wheaton: Standard Bible Society. [11] The Holy Bible: English Standard Version. (2001). (1 Co 15:14). Wheaton: Standard Bible Society. [12] The Holy Bible: English Standard Version. (2001). (1 Co 15:15). Wheaton: Standard Bible Society. [13] The Holy Bible: English Standard Version. (2001). (1 Co 15:18). Wheaton: Standard Bible Society. [14] The Holy Bible: English Standard Version. (2001). (1 Co 15:19). Wheaton: Standard Bible Society. [15] The Holy Bible: English Standard Version. (2001). (1 Co 15:20–28). Wheaton: Standard Bible Society.