The Consequences of Denying the Resurrection

Introduction:

Turn in your in your Bibles with me to 1 Corinthians 15.

As we gather this day to celebrate the Resurrection, we declare that Jesus has been raised from the dead.

But this morning we will consider an unfathomable thought about denying the Resurrection.

What if Jesus were not raised from the dead.

And what are the consequences to denying the Resurrection.

Now, if you’ve found your place in 1 corinthians 15, we will begin reading in verse 12.

And the word of God says.

Text: 1 Corinthians 15:12–19 “Now if Christ is proclaimed as raised from the dead, how can some of you say that there is no resurrection of the dead? But if there is no resurrection of the dead, then not even Christ has been raised. 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. For if the dead are not raised, not even Christ has been raised. And if Christ has not been raised, your faith is futile and you are still in your sins. Then those also who have fallen asleep in Christ have perished. If in Christ we have hope in this life only, we are of all people most to be pitied.”

The grass withers and the flowers fade, but the word of God lasts forever.

Let’s pray: Father, as we come before your throne of grace, we do thank you for Christ Jesus. Who willfully gave his life, being crucified as a criminal, a most painful death, being burried in a borrowed tomb, and being raised from the dead. Yet, Lord, we believe these things and we desire that you would affirm your word in our hearts. Teach us now through the power of the Holy Spirit. I do pray for anyone lost in this place, Draw them to yourself, and save them. Forgive me of my sins, and fill me with Your Spirit, in the mighty name of Jesus, and all God’s people said, Amen.

Introduction: A story is told of an African Muslim who became a Christian. His friends asked, “Why have you become a Christian?” He answered, “Well, it’s like this. Suppose you were going down the road and suddenly the road forked in two directions, and you didn’t know which way to go. There at the fork were two men, one dead and one alive—who would you ask which way to go?

Is this not the logical conclusion between Christianity and everything else? All other ways, all other religions, trust in dead men, still in the grave, and we have trusted in the Christ who is alive.

In this chapter, Paul has made a compelling case for the resurrection. His evidence for the resurrection is the scriptures vs 3-4. He also tells of the eyewitness testimony of Jesus, over 500 people witnessed, saw Jesus after the resurrection.

So Paul has made a compelling case.

And Corinthian church believes that Jesus was resurrection, IF THEY DIDNT’ THEY WOULDNT BE THE CHURCH AND THEY WOULDN’T BE CHRISTIANS, but they apparently had a difficult time believing the resurrection of the human body.

So Paul uses his mind, intellect, and reasoning here to explain to them why the resurrection is so important. He uses logic.

And what we have is 7 consequences to denying the resurrection of Jesus Christ.

The first consequence is that CHRIST IS STILL IN THE GRAVE.

Christ is still in the grave.

1 Corinthians 15:12 “Now if Christ is proclaimed as raised from the dead, how can some of you say that there is no resurrection of the dead?”

Here we see their struggle, believing Jesus raised, but some say there is not resurrection of the dead.

But notice what Pauls says.

1 Corinthians 15:13 “But if there is no resurrection of the dead, then not even Christ has been raised.”

Notice the Logic here. If Christ is raised, how can you say, there is not resurrection of the dead.

But if there is no resurrection of the dead, the Christ has not been raised.

So the conclusion is this, Jesus is still in the grave.

The tomb, he was placed in after his death, a man named Joseph of arminathes, a good man, god permision from PILATE, and begged for the body of Jesus, He took Jesus body of the cross, wrapped it up, and laid it in a tomb, never used.

So if Christ be not raised, he body would still be in the tomb.

He would be no different than Muhammad, and Buddah. No different than Joseph Smith or the Egyptian Pharaohs.

The resurrection my friends, is the fork in road with every ofter god.

But if Christ be not raised, the soldiers, the women, and the disciples would have all seen his body in the tomb that easter morning.

Now, Paul doesn’t end here.

The second consequence is that CHRISTIANS PREACH IN VAIN.

Christians preach in vain.

1 Corinthians 15:14 “And if Christ has not been raised, then our preaching is in vain”

If Jesus is not resurrected, why preach?

What’s the use?

For 2000 years, there have been preachers proclaiming the resurrection.

Consider the unity in the church, the universal church right now, this day, gathered all over the world, with a singular focus and theme of Easter.

The Center for the Study of Global Christianity (CSGC) estimates a total of 5 million pastors/priests across all Christian traditions globally, including Catholics, Orthodox, Protestants, and Independents, including bi-vocational ministers.

5 million pastors/priests.

Yet, if Christ be not raised, all preaching is vain.

To the radical preacher who denies the resurrection, whether liberal or just misinformed, He just needs to quit.

He need just stay home. If Jesus isn’t raised, preaching is useless. We are wasting out time.

Pastors/preachers are in the gospel ministry. And the resurrection is the gospel, vs 4. So a gospel preacher with no gospel is useless.

Third, CHRISTIANS HAVE FAITH IN VAIN.

Christians have faith in vain.

1 Corinthians 15:14 “And if Christ has not been raised, then our preaching is in vain and your faith is in vain.”

Your faith is in vain.

Faith. Faith is only as good as the object of ones faith.

To have faith in a dead man, would be foolish. To have faith or to trust in a Jesus who isn’t raised, is foolish.

But one of our core biblical teachings is faith.

Are we saved by faith alone? Sola fide is the main question that started the reformation.

To consider the reformed faith or the protestant faith in contrast to catholicism, is to consider what the Bible teaches about faith.

Ephesians 2:8 you have been saved through faith, not of works.

Acts 16:31 Believe in the Lord Jesus and you will be saved.

Romans 3:28 “For we hold that one is justified by faith apart from works of the law.”

But church, if Jesus be not raised, faith is pointless.

We’d be just as likely to believe and have faith in any other religion, other small g god.

Even so --- How do we know Jesus was raised from the dead?

The scriptures say it, there were eyewitnesses, sure.

But how do we know? Did we see it? Where we there?

No, we have faith. Faith that Jesus was resurrected.

Christians are liars.

1 Corinthians 15:15 “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.”

1 Corinthians 15:16 “For if the dead are not raised, not even Christ has been raised.”

You see if Christ be not raised, we are liars. We bear false witness.

We break the commandment of God.

And what of the disciples and the writers of the new testament.

Matthew, Mark, Luke, John, Paul, Peter, Jude, and James.

That would mean the writings of the New Testament are lies.

That the testimony of the apostles in the book of acts, the central theme of the their message is the resurrected Jesus.

Were they lieing?

Well, men lie for many reason? Most men lie to benefit themselves. But men don’t die for alie.

The disciples of Jesus, ordinary men, followed Jesus and witnessed the resurrection of Jesus, they preached Jesus.

And they died in aweful ways. beheded, cruficified upside down, stabbed, burned, boiled alive.

For me, for me, one of the greatest proofs of the resurrection is this, that men saw Jesus raised, proclaimed it, and died for this truth.

Notice, the next consequence of denying the resurrection.

Christians are still in their sins.

1 Corinthians 15:17 “And if Christ has not been raised, your faith is futile and you are still in your sins.”

All have sinned. All have inherited a sin nature from Adam.

All are sheep who have gone a stray.

And if Christ be not raised, we are still in our sin.

And if we are still in our sin, we are not forgiven.

And if we are not forgiven, then we are not saved.

Friends, God does not just overlook sin.

What would that say about the holiness of God?

Imagine a man guilty of murder, and he be set free and nothing happen. That’s unjust.

But our sins will be punished.

Our sins will be paid for, either we will pay for our sins, or Christ will pay for our sins.

But also, what would it mean for our sins if Christ be not raised,

That would mean that God did not accept the sacrifice of Jesus.

Because the resurrection is the proof!

The resurrection proves that Jesus paid for our sins.

Romans 4:24 “ It will be counted to us who believe in him who raised from the dead Jesus our Lord,” Romans 4:25 “who was delivered up for our trespasses and raised for our justification.”

No resurrection means no forgiveness, which means we are dead in our sins.

And if we are dead in our sins, we are hopeless.

Christians who are dead have perished.

1 Corinthians 15:18 “Then those also who have fallen asleep in Christ have perished.”

To fall asleep means to have died. Now, think of all those fallen, they are gone. Christians who attended this church that we knew.

Our family members, maybe your grandparents and parents. brothers and sisters.

They’ve were Christians but they have passed.

If Jesus wasn’t raised, then the dead perish.

And if the dead perish, then we have nothing to look forward to.

But isn’t that what many in this world today beleive.

They believe that we live, we die, and then we are placed in the dirt, and that’s it.

If that’s the case, we need live our best life now.

but we are created in the image of God and we have spirit’s and we will spend eternity somewhere.

Back to our fallen loved ones, Paul argues the reason they have not perished, is because Jesus did not peirsh.

The reason for the resurrection of the dead, is because Christ was raised from the dead.

Paul said to be absent from the body, is to be present with the Lord.

I believe, I truly believe, our brothers and sisters who have fallen asleep, their spirits are with God. and one day their bodies will be raised too.

The resurerction of the dead, rises and falls on the resurrection of Jesus. If there is no reusrrection of Jesus , then there is no resurrection of the dead.

These are The Consequences of denying the Resurrection

Christ is still in the grave.

Christians preach in vain.

Christians have faith in vain.

Christians are liars.

Christians are still in their sins.

Christians who are dead have perished.

Christians are hopeless fools.

Christians are hopeless fools.

1 Corinthians 15:19 “If in Christ we have hope in this life only, we are of all people most to be pitied.”

Hope. Hope is a powerful thing.

We hope for a future resurrection of our bodies. We have hope of heaven and eternity.

But we are fools if Christ be not raised.

Fools because of the lives we live and the sacrifices we make in this life in hope of what’s to come.

If there is no resurrection, eat drink and be merry.

But Christ has been raised, and we have a blessed hope

“The return of Easter should be to the Christian life the call of a trumpet. It is the news of a great victory. It is the solution of a great perplexity. It is the assurance of a great triumph.”—Frederick Temple

So Paul proclaims and we too proclaim Christ is raised.

Christ is not in the grave.

Christians preach with purpose and power.

Christians have faith in a risen Savior.

Christians proclaim truth.

Christians are forgiven of their sins.

Christians who are dead have have not perished.

Christians have true hope.

Church, Jesus is alive. Church Jesus is alive. He was raised, ascended, and seated at the right hand of he Father.

He has conquered death, and he is ruling His kingdom now.

As the poem goes.

-The tomb could hold Him,no longer; Death is strong, but life is stronger. Stronger than the dark—the light. Stronger than the wrong—the right. Faith and hope triumphant say, “Christ arose on Resurrection Day!”—Source Unknown

In closing: there is good new friends. Bad news, we have sinned, the good news, Jesus has made a way. Throught his death burieal and resurrection, heaven and eternal life are available to you.

- If you are here today, and you do not have a personal relationship with Christ. If you’ve never trusted in Jesus for salvation, and you would like to be saved, trust in Jesus today. after I pray and the music begins, I want you to come forward. Come and I’d love to share with you and pray with you.

Church, let’s praise our risen Savior.