Changed By the Resurrection of Jesus Christ
(Changed By the Resurrection)
Mark 16:1-7
He is risen! Indeed! Today, How we are be forever changed by the resurrection of Jesus Christ. 6 Ways. The….
I. Proof -evidence or an argument that serves to establish a fact or the truth of something.
II. Prophecy- a prediction of a future event that reveals the will of a deity.
III. Penitence – feeling of regret for sins, sorrow for having committed sins
IV. Promise - to assure somebody that something will certainly happen or be done.
V. Profession - a public acknowledgment or declaration of something.
VI. Praise- words that express great approval or admiration, for example, for somebody’s ability or achievements or for something’s good qualities
Introduction
Robert Louis Stevenson, best known for his adventure story Treasure Island, was in poor health throughout much of his childhood and youth. One night when he was quite sick, his nurse found him with his nose pressed against the frosty pane of his bedroom window. "Child, come away from there. She fussed you’ll catch your death of cold," But, the young Stevenson wouldn't budge. He sat, mesmerized, as he watched an old lamp lighter slowly work his way through the black night, lighting each street lamp along his route.
"See, look there," Robert pointed, "there's a man poking holes in the darkness."
We Christians are to be just like that. We are to be people who are poking holes in the darkness. As we look around us today we see that there is plenty of darkness in which we must be poking holes with light. There's plenty in the world around us to depress us today. We are reminded of Job's wife who advised him to "curse God and die." It was Voltaire who having been beaten by his doubts who said, "I wish I had never been born."
Oscar Wilde put it this way, "There's enough misery in every street in London to disprove God." George Bernard Shaw said, "If the other planets are inhabited, they must be using this earth as their insane asylum."
There is negativism and pessimism all around us. But, what the world needs today are light-hearted, soul-minded and spirit filled Christians who will faithfully punch holes in the darkness with good news.
I read a story about the barber who had a very negative attitude. One day one of his regulars came in whistling. He was preparing for a vacation to Rome and was looking forward to getting away and wanted a hair cut before he left."Don't go," the barber started in. "It costs money. You'll need a vacation just to recuperate from your vacation, especially if you go to Rome. The buildings are old, the traffic is terrible, and the hotels have poor service, and worse food."
"Well," said the man, "I like history. I've never been to Rome and I just wanted to see it. Besides, maybe I'll get to see the Pope."…. "You? See the Pope? Even the President of the United States has trouble seeing the Pope. Cancel your plans today. Just stay home," the barber advised.
Several weeks later the man came back for another haircut. He was whistling again and the barber observed, "Obviously, you didn't go to Rome." "Oh, yes I did. As a matter of fact, I had a great time. The city was beautiful. The history was fascinating. The people were terrific. The food was marvelous. The hotel was excellent. And, I even got to see the Pope." "You got to see the Pope?" the barber responded. "Yeah, I saw him. He even knelt down and whispered in my ear.” At this the barber stopped cutting. He stood back from the chair and said, "Well, what did he say?" The customer replied, "Well, he cupped his hand over my ear so no one else could hear and he said, 'That's the worst haircut I've ever seen."
You know we can become as negative as that barber, hardened by the ugliness, brutality, and crime of this world,… “or” we can be numbered among those who bring good news, who punch holes in the darkness with the good news of the light of the resurrected Jesus Christ.
It was not hard for Peter to be negative. He had been shocked to the core by what he had witnessed in proceeding days. Things were happening far too fast for Peter. First, there was the triumphal entry into the city of Jerusalem. Then came the last supper with Jesus. Then one of there own betrayed the Master with a kiss. Then the arrest of his Lord and Peter's own use of the sword in the garden. Then came the horrible trial and Peter saw the handwriting on the wall. It was quite clear to Peter that the end was here. Matthew records And Peter was following him at a distance, as far as the courtyard of the high priest, and going inside he sat with the guards to see… “the end.”
And, there are millions in our world today who sit exactly where Peter sat that night. I hear them on the radio and the news and read what they write and hear what they say. They see the end. Disillusionment blankets their hearts and minds. The feeling persists among many that some grim inevitability is moving among us and that it is just a matter of time. There's nothing we can do but sit and wait for the end to come---the end of law and order, the end of western civilization as we know it, the end of the family as we have experienced it, the end of religious faith as we know it should be, the end of the church in America.
Even Peter renounced the Lord. He renounced his vision, and he renounced his hope. But, Peter left too soon. And if we are not careful we will too. God had not pronounced his divine amen on the world, the future or His kingdom. And He still hasn’t. The world was not coming to a stop, but to a beginning. <<For it was on the third day that Christ arose and the twilight became the dawn.
Peter was the first of the apostles to know this. Through the messenger God had said to Mary, "Go and tell my disciples even that rock headed Peter..." Tell him not to give up. Tell him it is daytime not nighttime. Tell him the <<Son has risen.
If there has ever been one changed by the resurrection of Jesus Christ, Simon Peter was that one. The truth is that you too can be changed by the resurrection of Jesus Christ, if that has not already happened in your life. If you are a believer in Christ, then be reminded in this time of Easter celebration that your darkness is filled with the light of the resurrected Jesus Christ. This world is not the end for you. It is merely the beginning.
The change that came over Peter because of the resurrection of Jesus Christ is never more clearly indicated than in Acts, Chapter 2, as he preaches his dynamic sermon on the day of Pentecost. This Pentecost sermon is actually a resurrection sermon, though it was preached on Pentecost, it is all about resurrection. As Peter preaches this message, we see the dynamic change that has come over his life.
How, We see first of all, He and we are changed by its - Proof
Peter's sermon was a dynamic sermon all about Easter. Peter began his message by identifying Jesus of Nazareth as a man approved by God, which proof of that approval was witnessed in the miracles, the wonders, and the signs, which God did by Jesus. What's more, Jesus performed these miracles in the midst of the Jews who were gathered in this upper room.
Nicodemus had demonstrated this wisdom to detect the approval of God. In John 3:2 we read him say: "Rabbi, we know that you are a teacher come from God, for no one can do these signs that you do unless God is with him."
In John 14:10-11Jesus says: Do you not believe that I am in the Father and the Father is in me? The words that I say to you I do not speak on my own authority, but the Father who dwells in me does his works. Believe me that I am in the Father and the Father is in me, or else believe on account of the works themselves. The miracles performed by the Lord were sufficient information to lead anyone to the knowledge of who he was. So it is today. No one can do to a life what Jesus Christ can do. <<As He enters into that life of the sinner to bring cleansing, forgiveness, joy, peace, and eternity.
The greatest proof of the Lordship of Jesus Christ, Peter expressed in verse 24 of Acts 2 God raised him up, loosing the pangs of death, because it was not possible for him to be held by it. You know, the miracle of the resurrection was not that God raised up Christ, but that Jesus was dead in the first place-that God actually loved us that much. It is unthinkable that God could actually be put to death; it is impossible Peter reminds us, that He might be kept dead. Peter says: "It was not possible that Jesus should be held by death." Nor will death be any more capable of holding the Christian than it was able to hold Jesus. Jesus said, <"Because I live, you will live also."
Yes, <there was adequate proof then and now that Jesus was and is the Christ, the Son of the living God.
Second we see we are changed by the Prophecy of the resurrection
The essence of Peter's thunderous sermon was that the Old Testament prophecies provided proof of Jesus' identity as the resurrected Lord and Christ (Acts 2:25-27). For David says concerning him, 'I saw the Lord always before me, for he is at my right hand that I may not be shaken; therefore my heart was glad, and my tongue rejoiced; my flesh also will dwell in hope. For you will not abandon my soul to Hades, or let your Holy One see corruption. Peter says if you don’t believe me believe King David. Peter goes on to say that David was not writing about himself because he certainly died, and they all knew where his tomb was. But, "He looked ahead and spoke of the resurrection of the Christ, that He was neither abandoned to Hell, nor did His flesh suffer decay..." (Acts
31 he foresaw and spoke about the resurrection of the Christ, that he was not abandoned to Hades, nor did his flesh see corruption.
Other prophecy’s of resurrection come from the prophecies of the Old Testament. We see a beautiful example of Christ's resurrection in the willingness of Abraham to offer up Isaac, his "only begotten son," upon the alter of sacrifice. Abraham believed "that if Isaac died that God would bring him back to life again, and that is just about what happened, for as far as Abraham was concerned, Isaac was doomed to death, but he came back again alive!" (Hebrews 11:17-19)
It is quite possible that there's never been a more forceful description of the resurrection of Christ than that expressed by Job For I know that my Redeemer lives, and at the last he will stand upon the earth. And after my skin has been thus destroyed, yet in my flesh I shall see God, Whom I shall see for myself, and my eyes shall behold, and not another. My heart faints within me!
So, Peter has boldly proclaimed to the Jews who gathered in the Upper Room that the One they crucified gave every proof in His personal ministry that He was the Christ. Further, the prophecies of the Old Testament declared that Jesus was the Christ. We should also note that Jesus prophesied all that would happen to Him, and that even those closest to Him did not understand (Luke 18:31-34). And taking the twelve, he said to them, "See, we are going up to Jerusalem, and everything that is written about the Son of Man by the prophets will be accomplished. For he will be delivered over to the Gentiles and will be mocked and shamefully treated and spit upon. And after flogging him, they will kill him, and on the third day he will rise." But they understood none of these things. This saying was hidden from them, and they did not grasp what was said
Third we are changed by its Penitence, because of the feeling of regret for sins, sorrow and for having committed sins
When Peter declared that the Jews gathered had been responsible for the killing of the Messiah, long awaited by the Jewish nation they were broken-hearted. Their cry that day is the cry of every person across the ages who has come to realize who Jesus
really is and what our sin has really done to Him. You see, we cannot point accusing fingers at the Jews of 2000 years ago and say that they crucified Christ. It’s true but it was just as much your sins and my sins that nailed Jesus to the cross. The only appropriate response to that truth is: "What shall we do now?
What shall we do now?" Peter responded by saying, "Repent and be baptized..." Repentance, turning from your sin is essential in becoming a Christian. Baptism is the public demonstration that you have committed your life to Jesus as your personal Lord and Savior. A Sunday school teacher asked the children in her class if any of them could define the meaning of the word "repent." A little boy said, "That means to be sorry for sins." The teacher congratulated the little boy on a correct response. Then a little girl in the class raised her hand and said, "Excuse me, but doesn't it really mean to be sorry enough to quit?" That is exactly what it means. You can come to Christ today if you'll repent, if you are sorry enough for your sins to quit. . Anyone who has ever entered a baptismal with any other understating of the word repent or intent to repent was simply getting wet. They didn’t get saved they simply took a bath.
Fourth we see we are changed by the Promise of The resurrection.
Peter declared in verse 39 that the promise of salvation and the receiving of the Holy Spirit are for as many people as will respond to the call of the Lord Jesus Christ. It does not matter who you are, where you come from, what your background may be, what sins you have committed. If you will confess those sins to the Lord today and turn from those sins in repentance and come to Christ as your personal Savior, He will save you. The promise of His grace is intended for every one of you. The Bible plainly says that it is not His will that any should perish.
Fifth we see we are changed by the Profession of the resurrection.
Wonderful thing happened after Peter preached the truth to his congregation on that day of Pentecost. He offered the invitation to any who would respond to this gospel about the resurrected and living Lord Jesus Christ. 3000 souls stepped forward to make public their profession of faith in Christ. By anyone’s standards, that is revival! Their profession was followed by baptism by which they gave public and, I should add,
courageous, and at the risk of life, profession of faith in Jesus. Their profession was proven in the days ahead as they remained steadfast in the Apostles doctrine, and fellowship, and in the breaking of bread, and in prayers (verse 42) And they devoted themselves to the apostles' teaching and fellowship, to the breaking of bread and the prayers. Nothing grows a Christian faster or stronger than these things, the Word of God-doctrine, fellowship, remembering the sacrifice of our Lord upon the cross through the breaking of bread and prayer.
Sixth we see we are changed by the Praise of the resurrection.
This was a happy crop of Christians that Peter harvested on this occasion. Their sins had been forgiven. They had been released from their guilt. They were growing in the Lord everyday. The results are beautifully expressed in verse 47 (read) praising God and having favor with all the people. And the Lord added to their number day by day those who were being saved. It is a happy and praising church that attracts people. There is magnetism about a church like that. It is a church that is filled with people who are just so happy to be saved by the grace of the Lord that they are delighted to serve Him. Every day and in every way the members thanked Jesus for the fact that He laid down His life upon the cross and was raised from the dead victorious over sin and the grave.
We as Americans have great opportunity to provide and give to less fortunate. We so often give food at thanksgiving and Christmas. We might see a family or little child in need and give to them. You know every year at Christmas when we put together food baskets and give away a turkey or ham the recipients are always so thankful, many times I am so moved and sometime to tears by the depths of the thankfulness some people show, but you know the more I thank about it, that’s nothing, I think how much more is God moved when we pause to thank Him, I mean really thank Him-for saving our worthless souls?"
……<<I thank God that Jesus died on a Roman cross for us. That He died there to bring pardon for our sins. And I draw strength, in a mighty way from the knowledge that He was raised from the dead for us. Knowing, that His only motivation was love. Yes He loved you and I but He loved the Glory of God even more. If we ever catch hold of that kind of love…for the Glory of God…you wont have to worry about this new building….you’ll have to start figuring out how to buy this 27 odd acres next door, because I’m telling you, love like that is what God uses when He God builds a church. And we haven’t room on this piece of land for a church that loves like that.
It’s been a great year and I have learned a lot. But you better get ready cause the most important thing I have learned this year is that you didn’t bring me here, God sent me here, and He sent me here for such a time as this, for this moment and this time, to be used by God and to witness what happens when GOD builds a Church.
I thank God for the resurrection, if you will, take a moment today, say thank you to Him today, for the resurrection. And you thank Him for what He is using you to do as part of this church body and if you’re visiting, you ask Him if you are part of His plan for this church body, Part of His Plan to build this Church.
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