The Power of the Resurrection

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Intro:

Have you ever tried to use an appliance that just wasn’t working?
Maybe a toaster or a coffee pot?
You get frustrated because it just ins’t doing what it was designed to do only to realize it isn’t working because it isn’t plugged in to anything!
No matter how much you tried,
No matter how frustrated you became,
It was never going to do anything because it had no power.
Something that was designed to be a powerful tool is useless if it has no power.
It looks like a working toaster
It feels like a working coffee pot,
But it serves no real purpose and has no benefit without power.
When God created us, He created us for a purpose.
But in order to realize that purpose, we have to have power.
We are all connected to something.
To our phones,
To our t.v.’s
To each people
To jobs
We are connected to something and that something is what gives us power.
But not every power source is a good power source.
Unleaded gasoline is what powers my car, if I go down the road to the station and I fill my car full of diesel,
Even though diesel is a strong source of power,
It will not power my car
It will not allow my car to do what it was designed to do.
Paul begins this portion of this letter with a warning about being connected to the wrong power source.

Finally, my brethren, rejoice in the Lord. To write the same things to you, to me indeed is not grievous, but for you it is safe.

2 Beware of dogs, beware of evil workers, beware of the concision.

Beware of false teaching.
Beware of false hope.
Beware of those who have an evil scheme and that is to dilute or diminish the power of the Gospel.
Paul here is specifically talking about those false teachers that were teaching that salvation depended upon the believer still following Jewish laws.
He called them dogs, a derogatory term that Jews would use to describe Gentiles,
Dogs were not taken into homes as pets in Middle Eastern cultures.
They were especially not treated as “part of the family” and catered to the way they are in our society.
They would wander aimlessly and homelessly through the streets and ravage whatever scraps and trash they could find.
Then he called them the concision,
Another sarcastic, derogatory term referencing their false circumcision.
Circumcision for the believer is a spiritual circumcision or the “cutting away” of the flesh. (dying to yourself for Christ’s sake).
Paul’s warning in these 2 verses is that there are teachers that exist in the world that want to rob you of the true power that God intends for you to have.
That power does not come from the keeping of the law.
That power does not come from outward acts of mutilation.
That power only comes through Jesus Christ.
That power enables us to fulfil His purpose for our lives.

Philippians 3:3-12

For we are the circumcision, which worship God in the spirit, and rejoice in Christ Jesus, and have no confidence in the flesh.

4 Though I might also have confidence in the flesh. If any other man thinketh that he hath whereof he might trust in the flesh, I more:

5 Circumcised the eighth day, of the stock of Israel, of the tribe of Benjamin, nan Hebrew of the Hebrews; as touching the law, a Pharisee;

6 Concerning zeal, persecuting the church; touching the righteousness which is in the law, blameless.

7 But what things were gain to me, those I counted loss for Christ.

8 Yea doubtless, and I count all things but loss for the excellency of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord: for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and do count them but dung, that I may win Christ,

9 And be found in him, not having mine own righteousness, which is of the law, but that which is through the faith of Christ, the righteousness which is of God by faith:

10 That I may know him, and the power of his resurrection, and the fellowship of his sufferings, being made conformable unto his death;

11 If by any means I might attain unto the resurrection of the dead.

12 Not as though I had already attained, either were already perfect: but I follow after, if that I may apprehend that for which also I am apprehended of Christ Jesus.

Power of The Resurrection

Paul says in verse 10, he wants to know Him and the Power of His resurrection.
Paul was anything but powerful before Christ.
After Christ Paul become a powerful evangelist
Reaching masses, starting churches, and authoring a great majority of the New Testament Epistles, like Philippians.
You see before Christ, Paul had a power source,
But that power source never allowed Him to realize His purpose.
Or be the man that the Lord created him to be.
In order to evangelize
In order to become the great Apostle
In order to realize what true gifts he had, he had to be connected to what he called the Power of His resurrection.
What is the Power of the Resurrection that Paul is talking about?
It is the awesome display of how powerful the Son of God truly is.
It is the death defying proof that our Lord is Eternal!
It is the source of everything that we have and everything that we are!
It is through the resurrection that we have all that we have.
You see without the resurrection, there would be no hope.
For the hope that we have in Christ is eternal life with Him and if He is not eternal, there is no eternal life.
Our blessed Hope is the glorious appearing of our great God and Savior Jesus Christ and if He was still in the grave, there would be no hope of His appearing!
The power of the resurrection is the Power Source that gives us life.
There are 5 things I want you to see in this chapter concerning that power.

# 1Power of Salvation

Philippians 3:3-6

For we are the circumcision, which worship God in the spirit, and rejoice in Christ Jesus, and have no confidence in the flesh.

4 Though I might also have confidence in the flesh. If any other man thinketh that he hath whereof he might trust in the flesh, I more:

5 Circumcised the eighth day, of the stock of Israel, of the tribe of Benjamin, nan Hebrew of the Hebrews; as touching the law, a Pharisee;

6 Concerning zeal, persecuting the church; touching the righteousness which is in the law, blameless.

Without the resurrection, there would be no salvation.
Another man dying on another cross.
That’s all Jesus would have been.
Another hope lost in death.
Another prophet destroyed by death.
Another teacher silenced by death.
Another face remembered only for the time He had lived between the dashes on a grave marker.
But He arose!
And with His rising came the power of salvation.
You see without the resurrection, all that we have is for nothing, 1 Corinthians 15:13-14

But if there be no resurrection of the dead, then is Christ not risen:

14 And if Christ be not risen, then is our preaching vain, and your faith is also vain.

Romans 5:10

For if, when we were enemies, we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son, much more, being reconciled, we shall be saved by his life.

No amount of confidence in the flesh can save you.
No amount of works can justify you.
No amount of living can give you life!
If anyone had done enough, it was Paul,
If anyone had tried enough it was Paul,
If anyone was legalistic enough, it was Paul,
But Paul says, in verse 3, “we have no confidence in the flesh”.
Flesh cannot save you!
Works cannot save you!
What then can save?
Ephesians 2:8-9

For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God:

9 Not of works, lest any man should boast.

God’s grace was shown at Calvary,
God’s grace was given at the rising of His Son!
To pardon iniquity,
To heal the sin sick soul,
To battle with death and hell,
He had to die!
BUT
To bring the victory!
To destroy sin!
To conquor death!
To rob hell of its keys and foothold on man!
HE HAD TO RISE.
History wants to forget Him.
Science wants to explain Him away.
Technology wants to replace Him
But the empty tomb shouts loudly!
Christ is risen!
That ought to be reason to clap
That ought the be reason to shout
That ought to be reason to rejoice!
OUR GOD IS ALIVE!
And because He lives, we have salvation!
Someone ought to give God a hand and a shout!

#2 Power of Deliverance

Philippians 3:6

Concerning zeal, persecuting the church; touching the righteousness which is in the law, blameless.

Before Paul was the great apostle.
He was a great enemy of the gospel and the church.
Persecuting the righteous.
Mocking the saved.
Spitting out vile hatred and slander toward the Son of God.
Evil and nasty
But the power of the resurrected Savior delivered him from who he used to be and made him what he was.
2 Corinthians 5:17

Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new.

Our God is the only God that can:
Walk into a bar room and save the worst alcoholic
Walk into a crack house and save the most addicted
Walk into a house or a hotel room and save the most sexually immoral.
There is nothing God cannot deliver you from!
God can deliver you from the worst sin.
God can deliver you from doubt
God can deliver you from fear
God can deliver you from you!
He’ll make you a brand new creature.
No longer an enemy of God, but a child of God.
No longer a stranger of God, but a friend.
No longer an outcast, but an invited guest with a permanent seat at the table.
No longer a beggar, but an heir and a joint heir with Christ.
It is the Power of Deliverance.

#3 Power of Letting Go

Philippians 3:7-9

But what things were gain to me, those I counted loss for Christ.

8 Yea doubtless, and I count all things but loss for the excellency of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord: for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and do count them but dung, that I may win Christ,

9 And be found in him, not having mine own righteousness, which is of the law, but that which is through the faith of Christ, the righteousness which is of God by faith:

Paul’s pedigree didn’t matter.
Paul’s upbringing didn’t matter.
Paul’s zeal against the church didn’t matter.
Everything that made Paul Paul was nothing compared to Christ.
The righteousness that he thought he had gained through religious piety was nothing more than a dim light of failure compared to the imputed righteousness he received from Christ.
It is hard to think of anything as good compared to the imputed righteousness of God.
It’s hard to fathom a life lived for other than the God that took the righteousness of His Holy Sinless Son and placed it on my account.
I can’t think of anything worth living for more than the God that saved me.
I can’t think of anything I’d rather serve than the God that delivered me.
I can’t think of any job I’d rather do than to stand behind this sacred desk and declare the living Word of the Living God.
I can think of nowhere I would rather be than right here in His presence surrounded by His people.
Nothing that I have is worth having.
Nothing that I have done is worth talking about.
Nothing that I have been is worth writing about.
It’s all dung compared to knowing Christ!
Paul understood that hanging on to what you had will keep you from what you should be!
The power of letting go is understanding that everything else is useless without Christ.
Holding on to yesterday will kill your today and rob you of your tomorrow.
The power of letting go is looking around and what you have and ahead to what you are gaining in Christ.

#4 Power of Fellowship

Philippians 3:10

That I may know him, and the power of his resurrection, and the fellowship of his sufferings, being made conformable unto his death;

There are 3 things that I want us to see concerning the power of fellowship.
#1. It is Fellowship with Christ.
Paul mentions here in verse 10 his desire to know Christ more.
Jesus said in Revelation 3:20

Behold, I stand at the door, and uknock: if any man hear my voice, and open the door, I will come in to him, and will sup with him, and he with me.

What a privilege to have fellowship with the King of Kings.
How do we have this fellowship?
How do we embrace this opportunity with the Lord?
Through prayer.
Communication is the key to any relationship.
But more than talking, there is listening,
Through spending time in His Word.
Taking time to listen to what He has to say.
The Bible is His thoughts, His plans, His grace, His mercy, His blessings, and His answers to all of life’s questions.
Through Worship.
Worshipping the Lord in Spirit and in Truth is about honesty.
Opening your heart to allow Him in.
Opening those blocked off areas and allowing Him to work.
Shutting out those things around you and enjoying His presence.
#2 It is Fellowship with the Body of Christ.
You cannot fully embrace the fellowship of Christ if you neglect His body.
Hebrews 10:24-25

And let us consider one another to provoke unto love and to good works:

25 Not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as the manner of some is; but exhorting one another: and so much the more, as ye see the day approaching.

To neglect the body is to neglect the Son.
To neglect to fellowship with, minister to and be ministered by the body is to neglect the fellowship of Christ.
Judgement begins at the House of the Lord, it is here where we divide the Word of Truth together.
Growth comes from the fellowship of the body, Proverbs teaches us that iron sharpens iron.
The Good Works that God has called us all to do are centered around the body growing.
The gifts that God has given us all are for the edification of the body.
No you don’t have to go to church to be saved.
But what good is your salvation if it’s locked behind the closed doors of your house?
That’s like buying a new car and locking it in the garage and using a bicycle.
That car hasn’t done anything for you or helped you in any way if it’s locked up tight.
#3 It Is the Fellowship of His Suffering
For the sake of Christ, we are all going to suffer greatly.
Suffering for Christ does not mean:
Getting upset and throwing a temper tantrum when you didn’t get your way and leaving the church.
Suffering for Christ includes:
Mockery
People that have never committed to Christ will have a million and one opinions about you and what the Lord called you to do when you start following Him.
Hatred
Some people purely hate anything to do with the gospel or with Christ.
Rejection
Even Jesus couldn’t preach in His home town.
The only place He ever went where He couldn’t do anything was His own home town.
You’re going to be rejected just because you are a Christian.
You’re going to run into people that one time had one bad experience with someone that said they were a Christian and after that they just decided they hated everyone that is a Christian.
We call it “Church Hurt”
Which is about the most comical thing in the world.
One Christian falls short of the glory of God and all the sudden they are all bad.
McDonald’s gets your order wrong and I bet you go back.
Steak’N’Shake gets your order wrong and I bet you go back.
Wal-Mart doesn’t have what you’re looking for and I bet you go back.
But one mistake from one Christian and the whole church is evil.
You’re going to face rejection from all around, even in your own close circle of family and friends.
Listen we live in a generation that gets offended by everything,
If they can’t handle Dr. Sues don’t be surprised when they can’t handle the Word of God.
And I know I’m preaching out of the King James Version and that’s the one they all claim to hate the most but even when I preached out of the NIV, there were still people that didn’t like it.
But here’s the Hope at the end of the suffering.

#5 Power of the Resurrection of the Dead

Philippians 3:11-12

If by any means I might attain unto the resurrection of the dead.

12 Not as though I had already attained, either were already perfect: but I follow after, if that I may apprehend that for which also I am apprehended of Christ Jesus.

Though I am saved,
Though I am delivered,
Though I have let go of yesterday,
Though I have fellowship with Christ, His Body and His Suffering,
I’m not perfect,
I’m not complete,
YET!
1 Corinthians 15:51-58

Behold, I shew you a mystery; We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed,

Those that sleep in Christ have the promise in 1 Thessalonians 4 that they will rise first.

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.

I’m not perfect yet!
I’m not whole yet!
But when that trumpet sounds,
I will be changed in an instant.

53 For this corruptible must put on incorruption, and this mortal must put on immortality.

What you see before you now has been corrupted and scarred by sin.
What you see before you now is mortal and dying.
What you see before you now, is nothing compared to what I will be.

54 So when this corruptible shall have put on incorruption, and pthis mortal shall have put on immortality, then shall be brought to pass the saying that is written, Death is swallowed up in victory.

When I see Him,
I will be like Him,
For I shall see Him as He is!
Glorified,
Undefiled,
Scarless,
Tearless,
Sinless,
Changed into the glorious likeness of my Savior.
And even death cannot prevent that change!
Even death cannot stop the glorification of the Church of Jesus Christ.

55 O death, where is thy sting? O tgrave, where is thy victory?

56 The sting of death is sin; and the strength of sin is the law.

57 But thanks be to God, which giveth us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.

I have the victory through Jesus Christ!
I’ve Won!
And through Him, I can never loose.
Saved,
Delivered,
Free from yesterday,
Enriched with fellowship,
And looking forward to that great day when the Lord Himself shall descend!
CHURCH THAT IS THE POWER OF THE RESURRECTION!

Conclusion

Do you have that power today?
Are you saved?
Have you been delivered?
Are you stuck in what you are and who you used to be?
Do you have the fellowship of Christ?
Are you looking forward to His coming?
If not, I have wonderful news for you this morning!
HE IS HERE!
And He desires all to come to repenance.
All you have to do is believe that He and He is everything that He said He was and confess that He is Lord and you shall be saved.
In a few moments we are going to partake in the Lord’s Supper or Communion.
There is but one requirement to come to this table.
That is that you must be saved.
Not that you are a member of this church or that church or that your name is on the roll in one denomination or another, but that your name is written in the Lamb’s Book of Life.
The Bible in 1 Corinthians 11 gives strong warning about taking of the Body and Blood of the Lord unworthily, it says that it is the reason that many are sleeping.
Christians, is your heart fully pure this morning?
Have you fallen short of the glory of God?
This would be the perfect time to repent and ask God to remove the sin from your heart.
To borrow the words of a wise theologian, Ellis Saap, If we were honest, we’d all spend more time at the altar.
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