Sermon Tone Analysis
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Introduction
Today is the day we celebrate the resurrection of Jesus Christ.
Today is also the day known as “April Fool’s Day”.
On this day we play pranks, give false reports, fake announcements, and generally lie outrageously for the soul purpose of being able to say “April Fool’s!” when someone believes us.
Dictionary.com defines a fool as 1 - a silly or stupid person; a person who lacks judgment or sense. 2 - a person who has been tricked or deceived into appearing or acting silly or stupid.
Scripture defines a fool very differently.
(S).
We live in the midst of a culture that denies the existence of God!
To reject Him and reject the miraculous is perceived as the height of intelligence and wisdom.
Yet the Bible says that the person claiming there is no God is a fool!
As we celebrate the resurrection of Jesus Christ we must understand that this is a contested doctrine.
And yet
The Resurrection of Christ is essential to our faith.
Without it we really do not have any hope and the foundation of our faith is stripped away leaving us with sand.
There are those who want to diminish the resurrection to the level of an April Fool’s joke.
The resurrection is no joke.
It is a historically verifiable fact.
Everything we believe rises and falls on the resurrection.
My goal today is to examine three benefits of the resurrection to impress on us how essential it is to our faith.
In understanding the importance of the resurrection our faith will be strengthened enabling us to stand firm.
The first benefit Paul gives us is that…
1.
The Resurrection Of Christ Gives Substance To Our Preaching And Our Faith vv.
12-15
When I was a kid one of the things we thought was funny to do was to carefully take a stick of gum out of the foil wrapper and then fold it back up to look like there was still gum in it and offer it to someone.
When you open it up expecting gum and find it empty, there is a sense of disappointment and loss.
It’s a letdown!
There is no substance.
Already as we have worked our way through the book of Acts in our regular service it has become obvious that the resurrection was the primary message of the disciples.
If that is stripped away, there is no substance to preaching or faith.
Paul demonstrates this clearly as he declares that…
a. Apart from the resurrection of Christ we have nothing to preach vv. 12, 14a, 15
According to v. 12 the resurrection of Christ was already being preached when Paul wrote this.
Paul is saying, this is what we proclaim!
We proclaim the risen Christ!
How can you say that resurrection is impossible?
v. 14.
If Christ didn’t rise, our preaching is empty!
Empty – κενός (kenos) empty; vain; empty-handed.
Vain adjs.
— vacuous and devoid of any advantage or benefit.
Predicate adjective, nominative, singular, neuter.
Empty – κενός (kenos)
Have you ever been scammed?
Scammers are really good at what they do.
They get you all hyped up and excited about what they are offering.
But in the end you discover that it was empty words!
You have been cheated!
That is what Paul is describing here.
If Christ didn’t rise than all the preaching that has been done for 2,000 years is empty!
You will pass from this life only to discover that you have been cheated!
More than that, in v. 15 Paul expresses the reality that if Christ didn’t rise, we are liars!
We have been deliberately deceiving people.
False witnesses – ψευδόμαρτυς (pseudomartys) false witness.
False witness n. — a person who deliberately gives false testimony.
Noun (subject), nominative, plural, masculine.
False witnesses – ψευδόμαρτυς
If Christ didn’t rise we are fake martyrs.
The disciples testified, they gave firsthand evidence of the resurrected Christ.
If the dead don’t rise they are guilty of horribly misleading all who heard them.
We have misrepresented God!
If the dead do not rise.
The bottom line is that the resurrection of Christ is our message.
Not just in pulpits but in the life of every believer.
Without the resurrection, gospel presentations are merely empty promises.
In these verses Paul also states that…
b.
Apart from the resurrection of Christ our faith is vain vv.
13, 14b
In v. 13 we find the core element of Paul’s argument.
If the dead don’t rise, Christ didn’t rise.
There can be no exceptions.
Either Christ rose and therefore others will also.
Or there is no resurrection and therefore Christ did not rise.
If that is true.
If Christ did not rise, our faith is empty.
v. 14.
Why does he say our faith is empty?
The object of our faith is Jesus Christ.
Turn to (p. 1383).
(p.
1383)
He is called here the author and finisher or perfecter of our faith.
If He did not rise and is still dead, He is the perfecter of nothing!
He isn’t at the right hand of God!
He can offer no strength or encouragement because He is dead!
This is the reality we would face if the dead didn’t rise!
If Christ never rose from the dead, we are left empty.
If Jesus didn’t rise our faith crumbles and we are left with nothing.
However, because Christ did rise, we have substance to our preaching and faith!
Resurrection Hymn (v. 1)
The second benefit is that…
2. The Resurrection Of Christ Guarantees Our Resurrection And Forgiveness Of Sin vv.
16-17
When you purchase an expensive product, one of the factors that often influences the decision is the guarantee.
If a company is willing to replace or repair their product for life, you know they are confident in what they have made and will stand behind it.
As believers in Jesus Christ we have the greatest guarantee that could possibly be given.
The resurrection of Christ guarantees that we will rise and that we have been forgiven of all our sin.
Paul lays this out in the next two verses.
He first declares that…
a.
Because Christ rose again we know that we will rise too vv.
16-17a
In v. 16 Paul restates his point from v. 13 with a slight variation.
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