Story Wars 8

Resurrection???

Text: 1 Peter 1:3-9

Introduction

Illustration: There are many things that could not be accomplished or enjoyed today if we did not believe certain things. If we didn’t believe there was gravity,

The whole narrative of scripture has led up to this one moment in history; the resurrection of Jesus Christ. I want to end today’s message having answering this question: What is so important about believing the resurrection of Jesus Christ actually happened?

1 Corinthians 15:14 “14 And if Christ be not risen, then is our preaching vain, and your faith is also vain.”

While many of the skeptics of our faith agree that Jesus actually died, they have yet to concluded that the answer to the empty tomb was a supernatural resurrection.

1) The Resurrection Fits The Evidence

A. There are alternative stories for the empty tomb.

For us to know anything about the past, we have to rely upon historical documentation.

However, this is were the darts start to fly toward the very documents we learn about the resurrection of Jesus Christ; Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John.

Here is what they say:

a. These writings cannot be trusted because they are biased.

The writers were believers and therefore had an agenda to push.

b. Those who claimed they saw Jesus alive were just hallucinating.

People do this all the time.

Answering the skeptics:

a. The biased view argument

Q — What people group wrote the largest portion of history about the holocaust?

Ans — Largely by it’s survivors.

Should we doubt them because they had an agenda to tell the whole world about this horrible event? NO!

Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John staked their life on the accuracy of their writtings!

Who exactly would be better to write about Jesus’ life, those who never walked with Him, or those who spent every day with Him?

Q — What advantage did these men have to fabricate a story that led them to die as a martyr?

No one dies for fables!

And, if there were distortions, where are they? They don’t exist!

b. The hallucination view

How could this happen?

People who were eye-witnesses were in different locations, at different times, some by themselves and others with a larger group.

Hallucinations are also an entirely private experience; there in your head.

B. There were a multitude of eye-witnesses

Turn to these passages with me:

Mark 16:19–20 “19 So then after the Lord had spoken unto them, he was received up into heaven, and sat on the right hand of God. 20 And they went forth, and preached every where, the Lord working with them, and confirming the word with signs following. Amen.”

1 Corinthians 15:6–7 “6 After that, he was seen of above five hundred brethren at once; of whom the greater part remain unto this present, but some are fallen asleep. 7 After that, he was seen of James; then of all the apostles.”

1 Corinthians 15:8 “8 And last of all he was seen of me also, as of one born out of due time.”

Acts 2:29–33 “29 Men and brethren, let me freely speak unto you of the patriarch David, that he is both dead and buried, and his sepulchre is with us unto this day. 30 Therefore being a prophet, and knowing that God had sworn with an oath to him, that of the fruit of his loins, according to the flesh, he would raise up Christ to sit on his throne; 31 He seeing this before spake of the resurrection of Christ, that his soul was not left in hell, neither his flesh did see corruption. 32 This Jesus hath God raised up, whereof we all are witnesses. 33 Therefore being by the right hand of God exalted, and having received of the Father the promise of the Holy Ghost, he hath shed forth this, which ye now see and hear.”

Revelation 1:5–7 “5 And from Jesus Christ, who is the faithful witness, and the first begotten of the dead, and the prince of the kings of the earth. Unto him that loved us, and washed us from our sins in his own blood, 6 And hath made us kings and priests unto God and his Father; to him be glory and dominion for ever and ever. Amen. 7 Behold, he cometh with clouds; and every eye shall see him, and they also which pierced him: and all kindreds of the earth shall wail because of him. Even so, Amen.”

Quote: (Gregory Koukl) “What would transform a group of shivering, shaking, terrified men who had abandoned Jesus—one even denying he knew him—scattered, hiding from the authorities, doors locked, lights out?”

You can’t forget the testimony of a used to be an elite Pharisee Christian persecutor; Paul.

2) The Resurrection Speaks Of God’s Justice

(v3,5)

John 10:28 “And I give unto them eternal life; and they shall never perish, neither shall any man pluck them out of my hand.”

Most people not only believe there is a hell, but also believe they are not going there.

Good or “good” or “good enough” people don’t end up there.

Whomever God sends to hell will do so justly and without fault!

Only those who stand before Him without payment for their guilt.

Turn to — Revelation 20:11–15 “11 And I saw a great white throne, and him that sat on it, from whose face the earth and the heaven fled away; and there was found no place for them. 12 And I saw the dead, small and great, stand before God; and the books were opened: and another book was opened, which is the book of life: and the dead were judged out of those things which were written in the books, according to their works. 13 And the sea gave up the dead which were in it; and death and hell delivered up the dead which were in them: and they were judged every man according to their works. 14 And death and hell were cast into the lake of fire. This is the second death. 15 And whosoever was not found written in the book of life was cast into the lake of fire.”

Payment is either given to you or will be paid by you.

Romans 9:22 “22 What if God, willing to shew his wrath, and to make his power known, endured with much longsuffering the vessels of wrath fitted to destruction:”

I believe it would do you good to describe this kind of fate when God’s justice is exercised on unbelievers:

It is a place were you will be tormented and banished from God’s presence for eternity.

To be separated from God is remove any goodness from reaching you.

Eternal destruction will be experienced.

A place where a drop of water has been begged for!

Quote — (Gregory Koukl) “If you try to think for a moment as far into the future as you possible can—however far ahead your thoughts can take you—you will not have even started your journey into eternity.”

Quote — (Dominique Bouhours) “When a damned soul shall have shed tears enough to fill all the rivers of the world, even if he should shed but one a century, he will be no nearer deliverance after so many millions of years; he will only have begun to suffer.”

The clock never ends simply because the clock never started!!!

3) The Resurrection Speaks Of God’s Mercy

(v3-4)

What is God’s perfect mercy?

Being forgiven of your entire sin debt!!!

Mercy is not something we are entitled too receive from God, neither God obligated too giving us.

Mercy has been described as the “above and beyond.”

Mercy is only made possible because of God’s goodness!

God’s justice and God’s mercy met at the cross!

Typified in the O.T. — Leviticus 16:2 “2 And the Lord said unto Moses, Speak unto Aaron thy brother, that he come not at all times into the holy place within the vail before the mercy seat, which is upon the ark; that he die not: for I will appear in the cloud upon the mercy seat.”

They are both good things. One is wonderful, while the other is terrifying!

You must come to the Father by way of trusting the one who hung on the cross and then rose from the grave. (v18-21)

Hebrews 10:17 “17 And their sins and iniquities will I remember no more.”

1 Corinthians 6:11 “11 And such were some of you: but ye are washed, but ye are sanctified, but ye are justified in the name of the Lord Jesus, and by the Spirit of our God.”

1 John 3:2 “2 Beloved, now are we the sons of God, and it doth not yet appear what we shall be: but we know that, when he shall appear, we shall be like him; for we shall see him as he is.”

A. His mercy is taking us to a home or purity

Down here we are constantly reminded of our sin, daily failures, brokenness, shame, etc.

Some have said, “When we finally get home, purity will penetrate us so completely, we will think nor feel nothing else.”

John tried to describe this purity the best he could.

Revelation 21:18–19 “18 And the building of the wall of it was of jasper: and the city was pure gold, like unto clear glass. 19 And the foundations of the wall of the city were garnished with all manner of precious stones. The first foundation was jasper; the second, sapphire; the third, a chalcedony; the fourth, an emerald;”

Holiness will be something every believer will be saturated in!

No more failing your Savior!

No more mistakes to be made!

No fear of any temptation getting the best of you.

There is no effort the devil could throw at you that would make you take your eyes off of Jesus.

B. His mercy is taking us to a home without sin

Not your sin, the sin of others...

Death will be abolished!!!

This will not be a purity like that of the first. Adam fell from his purity.

Jesus has purchased this purity!

To fall from it would strip Jesus from His throne!

The purity is not a “thing” it will be who we actually are.

C. His mercy is taking us to a home without separation

It will be a perfect reunion with those who have went before us.

More perfect than you had before.

Not with bodies that decay, but bodies that are remade!!!

1 Corinthians 15:52 “52 In a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trump: for the trumpet shall sound, and the dead shall be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed.”

His mercy will suit you for a new and perfect place; where He is; Heaven!

Conclusion

Story — A bright young girl of fifteen was suddenly cast upon a bed of suffering, completely paralyzed on one side and nearly blind. She heard the family doctor say to her parents as they stood by the bedside: “She has seen her best days, poor child!”

“No, doctor,” she exclaimed, “my best days are yet to come, when I shall see the King in His beauty.”

Only when you trust upon the resurrected Savior can you claim your best days! He is coming back! He is alive!