Easter - Wasted

Don’t Waste Easter

Me: I love holidays and events. Some holidays and events are traditional and some are transformational. Halloween is a tradition. In the fall families and friends gather and do traditional things. A wedding is transformational… The birth of your first child is transformational.

1 Corinthians 15:1–20 ESV

Now I would remind you, brothers, of the gospel I preached to you, which you received, in which you stand, and by which you are being saved, if you hold fast to the word I preached to you—unless you believed in vain. 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. Whether then it was I or they, so we preach and so you believed. 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. But in fact Christ has been raised from the dead, the firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep.

Easter is not traditional it is transformational. When I approach Easter like Halloween I waste Easter. When I approach Easter like a wedding I have the right perspective. So as a Christ follower I’m I wasting my time and life by claiming that God sent his Son on a rescue mission to earth and that mission included a virgin birth, bloody cross and empty tomb?

Bible College mission class… somebody is wasting their time. There are over 50,000 religions… Let’s look at 5 major world religions -

Hinduism

New Age

Buddhism

Islam

Christianity

Hinduism (Graphic) gives a person freedom to choose how to work toward spiritual perfection. There are three possible ways to end this cycle of karma: 1. Be lovingly devoted to any of the Hindu gods or goddesses; 2. Grow in knowledge through meditation of Brahman (oneness)...to realize that circumstances in life are not real, that selfhood is an illusion and only Brahman is real; 3. Be dedicated to various religious ceremonies and rites.

New Age (Graphic) teaches a wide array of eastern mysticism and spiritual, metaphysical and psychic techniques, such as breathing exercises, chanting, drumming, meditating...to develop an altered consciousness and one's own divinity.

Anything negative a person experiences (failures, sadness, anger, selfishness, hurt) is considered an illusion. Believing themselves to be completely sovereign over their life, nothing about their life is wrong, negative or painful. Eventually a person develops spiritually to the degree that there is no objective, external reality. A person, becoming a god, creates their own reality.

Buddhists (Graphic) follow a list of religious principles and very dedicated meditation. When a Buddhist meditates it is not the same as praying or focusing on a god, it is more of a self-discipline. Through practiced meditation a person may reach Nirvana -- "the blowing out" of the flame of desire.

Buddhism provides something that is true of most major religions: disciplines, values and directives that a person may want to live by.

For many people, Islam (Graphic) matches their expectations about religion and deity. Islam teaches that there is one supreme God, who is worshiped through good deeds and disciplined religious rituals. After death a person is rewarded or punished according to their religious devotion. Muslims believe that giving up one’s life for Allah is a sure way of entering Paradise.

Christians (Graphic) regard the Bible as God's written message to humankind. In addition to being an historical record of Jesus' life and miracles, the Bible reveals God's personality, his love and truth, and how one can have a relationship with him.

Whatever circumstances a Christian is dealing with in their life, the Bible teaches that they can confidently turn to a wise and powerful God who genuinely loves them. They believe that God answers prayer and that life takes on meaning as they live to honor him.

Argument: All religions are the same....

—

no god, not type

Hinduism - impersonal god - approached thru deities/statues/idols

Most religions have good points and beauty but that are not the same.

final exist, countless rebirth,

Illustration: COEXIST (Graphic)

Islam - worship Allah - personal god -no secondary gods, total ban on idols. Your standing depends on religious devotion and works.

end cycle.

Christianity - personal God - send Jesus - show us love - forgiveness

Some beauty and truth in all world religions - but they are not the same,

I want to focus on Jesus today. Not BCC, not the religion of Christianity or even other Christians. I don’t want you to focus on my life. I’ll let you down.

We: Everybody is living for something. The question is, are we wasting our life? Does the resurrection really matter? Yes it matters… without the resurrection our life is wasted.

"If I were an enemy of Christianity, I would aim right at the Resurrection, because that is the heart of Christianity." - Dr. Billy Graham

Transitions: To avoid wasting Easter we need to grasp the reality and the results of the resurrection.

- As a disciple of Jesus you need to understand the results of the bodily resurrection of Jesus.

- As a doubter you need to research the claims of the resurrection and draw a conclusion based on the realities.

God: Not a new issue. Paul is dealing with uncertainty in when he writes these verses right in the middle of this chapter…

1 Corinthians

1 Corinthians 15:14 NLT

And if Christ has not been raised, then all our preaching is useless, and your faith is useless.

Paul’s desire is for the doubters to understand the significance of the bodily resurrection debate and the disciples to understand their dependence on the bodily resurrection.

In setting up this passage I want to point out several observations…

1.) Paul Communicated Facts Not Fabrications

1 Corinthians 5:13 ESV

God judges those outside. “Purge the evil person from among you.”

1 Corinthians 15:3 ESV

For I delivered to you as of first importance what I also received: that Christ died for our sins in accordance with the Scriptures,

The Easter message did not catch people of guard and just came out of nowhere. It was foretold in the OT, illustrated in the Psalms and actually came out of Jesus mouth several times.

1 Corinthains 15:3

Arg: The resurrection is just something family and followers believe! You don’t know much about Paul do you? Paul was an enemy of the Christians, his job was to round them up and kill them. He was one of the most feared icons in the early Christian church. Until, he met Jesus! He didn’t switch jobs, start a new career. He was confronted with a risen Savior and his life was changed by a real event.

Paul didn’t carry on a family tradition or join a club. He wasn’t sitting on a log somewhere by himself and received a vision. He didn’t go on a spiritual quest to find himself and came back teaching the bodily resurrection. He wasn’t enlightened with a higher learning he saw the light.

2.) Paul Never Separated The Resurrection From The Gospel

The gospel is the “Good News” it is what changes lives. This news has three headlines that cannot be separated. The cross, the tomb and the empty tomb. Jesus died a physical death, He was placed in a cold stone tomb and physically rose again on the third day.

Paul never spent one moment compromising the Gospel by disconnecting the components of the greatest story ever told.

He didn’t say well Jesus died on the cross and he was placed in a tomb, but…

But it really doesn’t matter if it wasn’t a bodily resurrection.

But it’s not that important that Jesus is alive today the work was done on the cross.

But the significance is in the spiritual and if a body is recovered it would not affect the faith.

A faith without the resurrection is a wasted neutered faith, a let’s help God across the street like an old woman faith. Paul never separated the resurrection from the Gospel.

1 Corinthians 15:17 ESV

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

Transitions: To avoid wasting Easter we need to grasp the reality and the results of the resurrection.

1 Corinthians

1 Corinthians 15:17–20 ESV

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.

But in fact… So you do not want to waste your life.

Transitions: To avoid wasting Easter we need to grasp the reality and the results of the resurrection.

I want us to take hold of Easter like never before. It’s time to be re grip by Grasping The Realities Of The Resurrection

Reality is real! Did the bodily resurrection of Jesus really happen? What are the facts? How do you get the facts? Investigators search for motive and lawyers search for witnesses. This leads me to two questions. Who were the witnesses and what were their motives?

1.) Biblical Evidence: Listen To The Witnesses

1 Corinthians 15:5–6 ESV

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.

1 Cor

This letter was written some 30yrs after the resurrection of Jesus. Paul is saying, if you don’t believe me then ask the 500 something people that saw the physical body of Jesus. If you don’t believe them then ask the various men from different backgrounds. Let’s do that…

Peter exclaimed the resurrection!

Peter standing before 3000 people with a bounty on his head, a man that had denied Jesus three times publically exclaimed…

Acts 2:22–24 ESV

“Men of Israel, hear these words: Jesus of Nazareth, a man attested to you by God with mighty works and wonders and signs that God did through him in your midst, as you yourselves know— this Jesus, delivered up according to the definite plan and foreknowledge of God, you crucified and killed by the hands of lawless men. God raised him up, loosing the pangs of death, because it was not possible for him to be held by it.

Acts

The disciples examined the resurrection!

John 21:

John 21:10–13 ESV

Jesus said to them, “Bring some of the fish that you have just caught.” So Simon Peter went aboard and hauled the net ashore, full of large fish, 153 of them. And although there were so many, the net was not torn. Jesus said to them, “Come and have breakfast.” Now none of the disciples dared ask him, “Who are you?” They knew it was the Lord. Jesus came and took the bread and gave it to them, and so with the fish.

Let's take the more than 500 witnesses who saw Jesus alive after His death and burial, and place them in a courtroom. Do you realize that if each of those 500 people were to testify for only six minutes, including cross-examination, you would have an amazing 50 hours of firsthand testimony? Add to this the testimony of many other eyewitnesses and you would well have the largest and most lopsided trial in history.

Paul experienced the resurrection!

1 Corinthians 15:8–9 ESV

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.

1 Corinthains 15:8-9

1 Corinthians 15:8 ESV

Last of all, as to one untimely born, he appeared also to me.

Here is personal testimony. I saw Jesus. He is alive!

Ill: Hymn – He Lives

Alfred H. Ackley wrote this hymn after being ask the question. Why should I worship a dead Jew?

He lives, He lives,

Christ Jesus lives today!

he walks with me and talks with me

along life's narrow way.

He lives, He lives,

salvation to impart!

You ask me how I know He lives?

He lives within my heart

2.) Historical Evidence: Listen To The Witnesses

Arg: Mark the historical evidence just isn’t there. I want to read some quotes from very credible and educated men.

The first is from Josh McDowell that actually set out to disprove Christianity. He states,

“After more than 700 hours of studying this subject, I have come to the conclusion that the resurrection of Jesus Christ is either one of the most wicked, vicious, heartless hoaxes ever foisted on the minds of human beings--or it is the most remarkable fact of history.” - Josh McDowell

C.S. Lewis, who was a professor a Cambridge Universtiy and once an agnostic wrote...

"I am trying here to prevent anyone saying the really foolish thing that people often say about Him: 'I'm ready to accept Jesus as a great moral teacher, but I don't accept His claim to be God.' That is the one thing we must not say. A man who was merely a man and said the sort of things Jesus said would not be a great moral teacher. He would either be a lunatic - on a level with the man who says he is a poached egg ‑ or else he would be the Devil of Hell. You must make your choice. Either this man was, and is, the son of God: or else a madman or something worse." - C.S. Lewis

Then Lewis adds: "You can shut Him up for a fool, you can spit at Him and kill Him as a demon; or you can fall at His feet and call Him Lord and God. But let us not come up with any patronizing nonsense about His being a great human teacher. He has not left that open to us. He did not intend to."

Professor Thomas Arnold, for 14 years a headmaster of Rugby, author of the famous, History of Rome, and appointed to the chair of modern history at Oxford, was well acquainted with the value of evidence in determining historical facts. This great scholar said:

"I have been used for many years to study the histories of other times, and to examine and weigh the evidence of those who have written about them, and I know of no one fact in the history of mankind which is proved by better and fuller evidence of every sort, to the understanding of a fair inquirer, than the great sign which God hath given us that Christ died and rose again from the dead." - Thomas Arnold

Even Jewish and Roman historians from biblical times write about an empty tomb. The resources range from Josephus to a compilation of fifth-century Jewish writings called the "Toledoth Jeshu."

Professor E. M. Blaiklock researched and wrote…

“I claim to be an historian. My approach to Classics is historical. And I tell you that the evidence for the life, the death, and the resurrection of Christ is better authenticated than most of the facts of ancient history . . . “ - E.M. Blaiklock

Question #1 was where there any witnesses? Question #2 what was the motive of these witnesses?

3.) Personal Evidence: Look At The Why?

Why would Paul hold to the story that Jesus physically rose from the grave? What was his motive? What caused this group that ran scared after the cross to boldly proclaim the gospel of Jesus?

Was it fame? He didn’t get invites to speak in grand coliseums. He got ran out of most towns. Paul didn’t become popular because of this message. Was it financial? No, Paul was a tentmaker and depended on the resources and riches of other people. He didn’t get rich preaching the gospel. Was it fun? Stoning, beating and shipwrecks and dying a martyr’s death. No It was faith! He whole heartily believed in Good News. He had allegiance to the death, burial and bodily resurrection of Jesus.

Paul’s motive wasn’t to discuss or debate his motive was to preach the “Good News!”

Illustration: My salvation experience...

Transitions: To avoid wasting Easter we need to grasp the reality and the results of the resurrection.

Conc: How do you evaluate this overwhelming historical evidence? What is your decision about the fact of Christ's empty tomb? What do you think of Christ? Are these questions wasted questions?

One of the greatest questions is, "What difference does all this evidence make? What difference does it make whether or not you believe Christ rose again and died on the cross for my sins?'

The answer is illustrated by a pit...

Psalm 40:2 ESV

2 He drew me up from the pit of destruction, out of the miry bog, and set my feet upon a rock, making my steps secure.

John 14:6 ESV

6 Jesus said to him, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.

In the fall of 2010 the world watched as Chilean minors where trapped. 33 men trapped deep underground. Someone had to go to them. After 69 days all of those men were brought safely to the surface on October 13.

J

John 20:26–29 ESV

26 Eight days later, his disciples were inside again, and Thomas was with them. Although the doors were locked, Jesus came and stood among them and said, “Peace be with you.” 27 Then he said to Thomas, “Put your finger here, and see my hands; and put out your hand, and place it in my side. Do not disbelieve, but believe.” 28 Thomas answered him, “My Lord and my God!” 29 Jesus said to him, “Have you believed because you have seen me? Blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed.”

Sin has buried us. We have all fall short of God’s standard of perfection . Religions where created to try and get out of this pit of destruction. They answer the question how do we climb to God. How would they resolve this problem of bring trapped in a pit?

Hinduism - The pit is not real. You just need to mediate more.

New Age - Go into an altered consciousness. Accomplish deity.

Buddhism - Your pit is a stand of mind.

Islam - Be more devoted to Allah.

Christianity - Jesus climbs into the pit and lifts you out.

On the basis of all the evidence for Christ's resurrection, and considering the fact that Jesus offers forgiveness of sin and an eternal relationship with God, who would be so prideful that they would reject Him? Christ is alive! He is living today.

On the basis of all the evidence for Christ's resurrection, and considering the fact that Jesus offers forgiveness of sin and an eternal relationship with God, who would be so prideful that they would reject Him? Christ is alive! He is living today.

On the basis of all the evidence for Christ's resurrection, and considering the fact that Jesus offers forgiveness of sin and an eternal relationship with God, who would be so prideful that they would reject Him? Christ is alive! He is living today.

I want you to understand this isn’t a fact thing this is a faith thing. You can have all the facts and still waste your life if you don’t trust Jesus by faith. You can trust God right now by faith through prayer. Prayer is talking with God. God knows your heart and is not so concerned with your words as He is with the attitude of your heart. If you have never trusted Christ, you can do so right now.

First Move: The prayer I prayed is: "Lord Jesus, I need You. Thank You for dying on the cross for my sins. I open the door of my life and trust You as my Savior. Thank You for forgiving my sins and giving me eternal life. Make me the kind of person You want me to be. Thank You that I can trust You."

First Move:

Next Move: It is my desire to see people moved into a more dynamic relationship with Jesus Christ. When we grasp the realities and results of the empty tomb Easter becomes a daily experience not just an event. I’d love to invite you to B@B on May 7th after both services. You can register on your Care Card.