Resurrection: A Victory You Can Count On

In 1941, Prime Minister Winston Churchill launched the “V for Victory” campaign, the most successful propaganda campaign in history. Churchill was known for 2 things: Cigar and the “V” Sign. John Lennon popularized it as the peace sign in the 1960’s.

It was during this campaign that an observation was made that the Morse telegraphic code for V was three dots and a dash (. . . —) which was also the beat of the opening notes of Beethoven’s Fifth Symphony. Which you just heard.

The suggestion took hold in Belgium and quickly spread to the Netherlands and northern France. Eventually word reached England about the widespread use of V graffito, inspiring what The New York Times called “a unique nerve war against Germany.” It began with a BBC radio show broadcast to the occupied countries hosted by Colonel V. Britton, the cover for individuals fluent in the native languages of the various audiences. In his broadcasts, Britton reminded his listeners to use the V as a means to fight “for your country’s independence and honor and that of the other nations enslaved by the Nazi regime.”

Not long after the July broadcast, an observation was made that the Morse telegraphic code for V was three dots and a dash (. . . —) which was also the beat of the opening notes of Beethoven’s Fifth Symphony. That passage was promptly put to a variety of propaganda uses, including the theme song for Britton’s program. Churchill began flashing the V sign with his index and middle finger, palm out, doing it so often that it essentially became his signature. The campaign, to use modern terminology, soon went viral.

(https://www.defensemedianetwork.com/stories/the-v-for-victory-campaign/)

Even though still neutral, it caught on in the United States. As early as August 1941, envelopes appeared with “V for Victory” and the Morse code V printed on them. Posters, stamps, and other ephemera followed. The New York-based British American Ambulance Corps noted, “Never before in the world’s history has an inspiration like the ‘V for Victory’ idea been so universally accepted by freemen the world over.” Initially American use expressed support for England. After America entered the war, the campaign was officially made a part of the government’s efforts.

The campaign even lent its name to a new class of correspondence: V-mail, or “V . . . — MAIL,” as it was printed on the stationery... By April 1944, 63 million V-mail letters a month were being shipped to military personnel around the world. (https://www.defensemedianetwork.com/stories/the-v-for-victory-campaign/)

https://www.defensemedianetwork.com/stories/the-v-for-victory-campaign/

This morning, I want to remind you of our sign of Victory. As we close on our series of “Anchor of Hope” and EVEN BIGGER DEAL is that we’re closing on our two year journey through the book of Luke, we are going to be talking about the resurrection—our sign of Victory. We are celebrating Easter in November. As we go into this week of what we have historically called Thanksgiving, I want to remind that the ultimate reason we give thanks is because Jesus is risen!!!

As we end our Anchor of Hope series this morning, I want talk about the victory we can count on (The Resurrection: A Victory We Can Count On).

In there are three specific moments that provoke three specific questions. Here are the three questions:

Can I trust that the resurrection happened? (Jesus rises from the dead)

Why is the resurrection an anchor of hope? (Jesus appears to many)

What are the implications of the resurrection on my life today? (Jesus sends out)

READ

Can I trust that the resurrection happened?

Luke 24:

Luke 24:11 NIV

11 But they did not believe the women, because their words seemed to them like nonsense.

The New International Version Chapter 24

9 When they came back from the tomb, they told all these things to the Eleven and to all the others. 10 It was Mary Magdalene, Joanna, Mary the mother of James, and the others with them who told this to the apostles. 11 But they did not believe the women, because their words seemed to them like nonsense.

Let’s play a game together. Let’s see who can guess the difference between things that are real and things that are “just a story”:

George Washington was the first president of the United States

Antioch Dallas is located in the city of Dallas

In a hole in the ground there lived a hobbit. Not a nasty, dirty, wet hole, filled with the ends of worms and an oozy smell, nor yet a dry, bare, sandy hole with nothing in it to sit down on or to eat: it was a hobbit-hole, and that means comfort.

Elsa built an ice castle with her special power of freezing thin air

Once there were four children whose names were Peter, Susan, Edmund and Lucy.

A long time ago, in a galaxy far, far away...

A man named Jesus was born to a virgin about 2000 years ago, claimed to be God, did miracles like walking on water and raising people from the dead, was crucified on a Roman cross, and then rose from the dead and ascended into heaven, where he now reigns as king of the universe.

Let me set the scene for you...

Imagine you and many others spent 3 years with Jesus where He demonstrated He was God, showed compassion like none other, loved like none other, forgave sins like none other and in the middle of it all told you He was going to be “killed and on the third day be raised to life” (). ISure enough Jesus beaten and crucified where he experienced a gruesome death. What would you be thinking? Would you remember what he said or would you go into doubt and unbelief?

The women run into the place where you are sulking and tell you that Jesus had risen and the only thing you do is dismiss them as speaking nonsense.

How quickly we forget and doubt comes in.

You have every reason to believe Him. Imagine that the day came when He was betrayed, beaten, crucified in front of your very eyes. He dies and was buried. You go home to prepare spices and perfumes to embalm his body. You rest on the sabbath and you return on the third day only to find that He was no longer in the tomb. Instead, you are told by two angelic beings that “he has risen!” and remind you of what He said in Galilee. You, then, run back to the tell the others and instead of being met with belief and excitement you are met with unbelief and an accusation that you are speaking nonsense (i.e. idle tale [ESV], making it up [The Message]).

Sound familiar?

The cultural climate of our day is one where the resurrection of Jesus is seen as an idle tale, nonsense and not a historical fact. Not any different than Mary Poppins, The Lion King, The Chronicles of Narnia or The Hobbit.

Acknowledging it as a historical fact means we need to reckon with it and its implications for our life.

We’ve been in the book of Luke for almost two years now.

As we end it, I want to remind you of why Luke was written as an insight into the veracity of the resurrection.

The New International Version Chapter 1

Many have undertaken to draw up an account of the things that have been fulfilled among us, 2 just as they were handed down to us by those who from the first were eyewitnesses and servants of the word. 3 With this in mind, since I myself have carefully investigated everything from the beginning, I too decided to write an orderly account for you, most excellent Theophilus, 4 so that you may know the certainty of the things you have been taught

“Handed down”, “eyewitnesses”, “carefully investigated”, “write orderly account”, “know the certainty of the things”

Luke carefully uses language to document what he has come to conclude from his investigations into all that Jesus did.

So when he says that the Angels declared to the women at the tomb:

INSERT LANGUAGE ABOUT ANGELS HE IS RISEN

The New International Version Chapter 24

Why do you look for the living among the dead? 6 He is not here; he has risen!

This wasn’t so that he can write a compelling story. It was to demonstrate He has carefully investigated to ensure certainty.

Luke also documents when Jesus appears to the disciples. Beginning In verse 36, post-resurrection Jesus shows up and engages their doubts by having them look and touch his hands and feet and eating dinner with them confirming that He was not a ghost.

The New International Version Chapter 24

36 While they were still talking about this, Jesus himself stood among them and said to them, “Peace be with you.”

37 They were startled and frightened, thinking they saw a ghost. 38 He said to them, “Why are you troubled, and why do doubts rise in your minds? 39 Look at my hands and my feet. It is I myself! Touch me and see; a ghost does not have flesh and bones, as you see I have.”

40 When he had said this, he showed them his hands and feet. 41 And while they still did not believe it because of joy and amazement, he asked them, “Do you have anything here to eat?” 42 They gave him a piece of broiled fish, 43 and he took it and ate it in their presence.

INSERT LANGUAGE ABOUT JESUS SAYING HE WASN’T A GHOST

So when we read this we can know that Luke carefully investigated to ensure certainty.

Is it enough to believe the writings of one man on something so vital to our faith?

John, who walked with Jesus and was considered the beloved of Jesus, he writes in that the events that took place (i.e. Jesus’ crucifixion) are true because he saw them take place and he testifies of their truth so that you will also believe. He later writes in that “we have heard with our ears, seen with our eyes, touched with our hands, testify and proclaim it with our mouths” concerning the Word of life.

John also points out in that the events that took place (i.e. Jesus’ crucifixion) are true because he saw them take place and he testifies of their truth so that you will also believe. He later writes in that “we have heard with our ears, seen with our eyes, touched with our hands, testify and proclaim it with our mouths” concerning the Word of life.

Perhaps the most compelling evidence that these events took place is within a widely accepted fact about the NT Testament and Paul.

Now, bear with me for a little bit.

Virtually all scholars, no matter how skeptical they approach the Bible, agree that 1 Corinthians and Galatians are among the early, authoritative Christian writings that were written, and were written by the apostle Paul.

Peter and James were the intimate

In , Paul presents the earliest discourse on the resurrection. It is believed that he acquired it from the apostles Peter and James ,the brother of Jesus, when he visited them in Jerusalem about A.D. 35, a mere five or six years after Jesus' crucifixion (Gl 1:18-24).

(Keep in mind that Peter, James and John were the three closest friends of Jesus)

Paul inquired of these two witnesses, and, in the context of this chapter, discussed the gospel message, which unquestionably included the claim that Jesus had literally risen from the dead (; ).

Fourteen years later, Paul returned to Jerusalem (as recorded in Galatians) to discuss the gospel once again with the apostles Peter, James, and John to determine whether they all held to the same, central message of Christ's resurrection (Gl 2:2). None of them added anything to Paul's message (Gl 2:6); rather, they agreed with him (Gl 2:9). Take it from Paul, he was beaten, put in jail, persecuted, shipwrecked, bitten by a viper, etc. all for the sake of preaching the Gospel. He says he met with James, Peter and John because, “I wanted to be sure I was not running and had not been running my race in vain” ().

If you are sitting there and you’re saying, “Johnny, I’m hearing what you’re saying but I’m questioning the validity of the Scriptures as a whole. How can I know that the Scriptures are true?” I want to encourage you to choose to start somewhere and not just stay in your doubt. A few resources you can go to are, a documentary “Fragments of Truth”, a practice read the bible for yourself (if you don’t have one take one), and a book “Why Trust the Bible” by Greg Gilbert.

James, and John, to determine whether they all held to the same, central message of Christ's resurrection (Gl 2:2). None of the others added anything to Paul's message (Gl 2:6); rather, they agreed with him (Gl 2:9).

Sense and Belief

Here at Antioch Dallas we believe The Bible is the inspired, authoritative, living, eternally-reliable Word of God. It is our rule of faith and practice and necessary to our daily lives.

So believing that the resurrection is true means that we have an Anchor of Hope. We started out by talking about the “V for Victory” campaign that took place during WWII. In this campaign, VICTORY was the rally cry of the Allied army. It was posted everywhere, Winston Churchill even had a hand sign he would flash every chance he got.

Let’s go to our second question.

This morning, we have a rally cry. That rally cry is “Victory”! We sing it in our songs, we preach it every chance we get, we talk about it in our lifegroups. Underlying all we do is a victory we can count on!

Why is the resurrection a victory we can count on (Anchor of Hope)?

Hope was restored

The New International Version Chapter 24

36 While they were still talking about this, Jesus himself stood among them and said to them, “Peace be with you.”

Hope was Restored

When Jesus enters in with Peace, He is announcing that the Kingdom of God has come into a broken world.

God comes and rules over all

Those who trust and believe in God inherit His kingdom and reign with Him

Eternal life

When Jesus resurrected:

What was to come, came to be. Blind receive sight, lame walk, sick are healed, deaf hear, death is defeated

Death is defeated

All of us have or will experience the pain of the brokenness of this world. As I was preparing for this message and preaching it to Lauren she said, “Johnny, I don’t think you have to convince anyone that they need hope. We are all aware that we need more of it.” For me it was the death of my mother in law. In many ways, the grief of losing her comes in waves. I had the privilege of preaching the interment (or graveside) service. While staring at her coffin I remember saying these words that hold truth and help us during our grief, “the empty tomb is the evidence that death is not final!”

We can’t evade grief. Grief comes into every human life because grief is intimately connected to the brokenness of the world around us. Let’s make no mistake about it: Jesus is not some detached deity. He knows how to enter into another’s suffering. He is not a stranger to human weakness. He empathizes with you. Enters in to the hopelessness and says, “Peace be with you!”

The ‘Age to Come’ was inaugurated

The New International Version Chapter 24

36 While they were still talking about this, Jesus himself stood among them and said to them, “Peace be with you.”

Had he not resurrected He would be a liar and the Scriptures would be lying because the states that he died according to Scriptures and He resurrected in accordance with the Scriptures. Jesus announced he was going to die and on the third day rise again.

The tradition of Jesus’ day was that resurrection was reserved for the age to come (last day) when the Kingdom of God is established, not the present age. Apparitions of dead people were considered spirits or ghosts. Here Jesus is bringing the Age to Come into the present age.

Let’s look at to give us further insight into what it would be like if Christ had not resurrected.

Present Age = Current Time ; Age to Come (Last Day) = The Triumphal return of the Messiah

Present Age:

Expectation that it’s going to get better because things aren’t better.

Characterized by dependency on self; self-sufficiency. There is no savior that can deliver only myself

Chokes the word of God out; makes it a idle tale and leads you into unbelief

The New International Version Chapter 11

23 Jesus said to her, “Your brother will rise again.”

24 Martha answered, “I know he will rise again in the resurrection at the last day.”

25 Jesus said to her, “I am the resurrection and the life. The one who believes in me will live, even though they die; 26 and whoever lives by believing in me will never die. Do you believe this?”

In the age to come:

23 Jesus said to her, “Your brother will rise again.”

24 Martha answered, “I know he will rise again in the resurrection at the last day.”

God comes and rules over all

Those who trust and believe in God inherit His kingdom and reign with Him

The New International Version. (2011). (). Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan.

Eternal life

When Jesus resurrected:

What was to come, came to be. Blind receive sight, lame walk, sick are healed, deaf hear, death is defeated

The New International Version Chapter 7

20 When the men came to Jesus, they said, “John the Baptist sent us to you to ask, ‘Are you the one who is to come, or should we expect someone else?’ ”

21 At that very time Jesus cured many who had diseases, sicknesses and evil spirits, and gave sight to many who were blind. 22 So he replied to the messengers, “Go back and report to John what you have seen and heard: The blind receive sight, the lame walk, those who have leprosy are cleansed, the deaf hear, the dead are raised, and the good news is proclaimed to the poor. 23 Blessed is anyone who does not stumble on account of me.”

Death is defeated

I don’t want to gloss over this detail. All of us have or will experience the pain of death. For me it was the death of my mother in law. In many ways, the grief of losing her comes in waves. I had the privilege of preaching the interment (or graveside) service. While staring at her coffin I remember saying these words that hold truth and help us during our grief, “the empty tomb is the evidence that death is not final!”

We can’t evade grief. Grief comes into every human life because grief is intimately connected to the brokenness of the world around us. Let’s make no mistake about it: Jesus is not some detached deity. He knows how to enter into another’s suffering. He refuses to be stranger to human weakness. Yet, Jesus treats evil and suffering as invaders in the world. Conquering death means that the invaders are dispelled, yet not at the expense of empathizing with you.

While we can’t evade grief

Jesus’ victory of resurrection inaugurated a kingdom that cannot be shaken and therefore a restored Hope.

Because Christ resurrected, hope was restored!

Hope was restored!

The Drama of Scripture, p. 224

“Hope is important: it is the vital part of the faith that must shape our mission today… What you and I believe to be the goal of history will give particular significance and form to our lives today. If we recognize that we have been called to provide our world with a preview of God’s coming kingdom, the hope of that kingdom’s coming will shape all that we say and do in the here and now. As we are pushed forward in our mission by the impetus and forward movement that we saw in Jesus’s own words and works while he lived among us, we are also pulled forward by hopeful expectation of the future kingdom to be revealed when Jesus returns.

Thus is matters very much what in particular we are hoping for.”

The New International Version Chapter 15

13 If there is no resurrection of the dead, then not even Christ has been raised. 14 And if Christ has not been raised, our preaching is useless and so is your faith. 15 More than that, we are then found to be false witnesses about God, for we have testified about God that he raised Christ from the dead. But he did not raise him if in fact the dead are not raised. 16 For if the dead are not raised, then Christ has not been raised either. 17 And if Christ has not been raised, your faith is futile; you are still in your sins. 18 Then those also who have fallen asleep in Christ are lost. 19 If only for this life we have hope in Christ, we are of all people most to be pitied.

Had Christ not resurrected:

He would be a liar

The Scriptures would be lying

Preaching is useless ()

Faith is in vain ()

We are misrepresenting God ()

Faith is futile and we are still in our sins ()

We are most to pitied if we only have hope in this life (9)

The very essence of Faith is a confidence in what we hope for and an assurance of what we do not see (Hebrews 11:1).

I’m not talking about some ethereal faith, but a faith that works. A faith that knows that God is working in our lives, transforming us, tethering our belief to His person and power.

The reason I can hope in Him and have confidence is because He said He will always be with me.

A faith that leads us into this next season of Advent we are entering into beginning next Sunday.

Because He resurrected we know He is faithful to His Word. Not only did he declare he would resurrect but he also announced that He’s coming back again.

I’m not talking about some ethereal faith, but a faith that works. A faith that leads us into this next season we are entering

“But Johnny, What are the implications of the resurrection on my life today?” Here is our third and final question.

What are the implications of the resurrection on my life today?

I want to answer this question by highlighting two moments invitation into participation.

The first moment is in

The New International Version Chapter 24

28 As they approached the village to which they were going, Jesus continued on as if he were going farther. 29 But they urged him strongly, “Stay with us, for it is nearly evening; the day is almost over.” So he went in to stay with them.

30 When he was at the table with them, he took bread, gave thanks, broke it and began to give it to them. 31 Then their eyes were opened and they recognized him,

Thus is matters very much what in particular we are hoping for.”

Invite Him In

Jesus appears to them as they walk from Jerusalem to Emmaus. A 7 mile stretch of road. Beginning with Moses and the prophets he explained to them what was said in all the Scriptures concerning himself. He acted as if he were going to keep going and Cleopas and his friend urged him strongly to stay.

It was whenever he was invited into their home and eating at their table when they realized that the man sitting in front of them was Jesus who had resurrected.

The New International Version Chapter 24

30 When he was at the table with them, he took bread, gave thanks, broke it and began to give it to them. 31 Then their eyes were opened and they recognized him,

So, what is the implication of the resurrection on my life today? I must invite him into my pain, disappointment, marriage, relationships, work… My life. I must invite him in to participate in the restoration of my life.

There is something common to human societies everywhere, lodged deep in our DNA, that reaches anxiously for a world outside of our actual experience, something not quite of this earth—highest degrees of justice and peace (utopianism). This reveals that we all have a yearning for God and only He can bring.

When you experience or see injustices because of our gender, race or religion.

When you are looking across the table at your friend or your spouse and not seeing eye to eye on the way life should be lived

When you are having to engage with your children as one of them yells, “Mine” or “That’s not fair” or as Knox says, “I’m going to punch you!”

We all have a yearning for God to enter in and intervene to bring about full and complete restoration.

Therefore, I encourage you to invite Jesus to the table of your life.

Hospitality was a crucial feature in Jesus’ day. It was a matter of survival. No hotels or fast food chains. People had to depend on the kindness of others for safety, lodging, and food. It was a pillar on which the moral structure of the world rested.

When you invite Jesus in, you’re inviting Him into the areas of your life that are not otherwise visible to others that need the victory of Christ’s resurrection:

Angst (anxiety)

Doubt

Sadness or Grief

Injustice

Anger

These areas are the areas where I need Jesus the most. I need his power when my flesh is pulling me towards the things that keep me from living in resurrection power.

We need Him!

If you are here and don’t know Jesus and want to make him Lord over your life and invite him in, we are going to have our prayer and prophetic team up here at the end of service to help you do just that. The Scriptures would tell us that if we confess with our mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. Please don’t let today pass without giving your life to Jesus and living in His resurrection power.

It’s when we invite him in that we begin to experience the peace in the middle of chaos, hope in our hopelessness, joy in the midst of sorrow, a renewed sense of identity and purpose. Then we realize there is an invitation for us to go out!

To All Nations

Let’s look at the second moment.

The New International Version Chapter 24

45 Then he opened their minds so they could understand the Scriptures. 46 He told them, “This is what is written: The Messiah will suffer and rise from the dead on the third day, 47 and repentance for the forgiveness of sins will be preached in his name to all nations, beginning at Jerusalem. 48 You are witnesses of these things. 49 I am going to send you what my Father has promised; but stay in the city until you have been clothed with power from on high.”

If I need Jesus the most in areas not otherwise visible to others, than others have those areas as well.

INCLUDE ADVENT

By virtue of the fact that Jesus said that the forgiveness of sins will be preached in his name to all nations, we are invited into participating in preaching the good news to all nations.

Within the Antioch Movement, We have a mission to go to the “ST” of the Uttermost. Specific to us in Dallas, we are on mission to build His kingdom in our city, nation and nations of the earth, preaching repentance for the forgiveness of sins.

When Jesus resurrected and ascended, did not leave us as orphans but sent us the Holy Spirit.

We have a mission to go

Romans 8

The New International Version Chapter 8

11 And if the Spirit of him who raised Jesus from the dead is living in you, he who raised Christ from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies because of his Spirit who lives in you.

The Holy Spirit was sent to empower us to be witnesses of the resurrection power of Jesus. To expand His kingdom.

By virtue of th

The message of Jesus is the news that God sent His Son to rescue people from the curse of sin and death. It is the news that this Rescuer, Jesus, gave his life in exchange for ours—then rose from the dead to offer us new life, an incorruptible life, with God. It was love that sent the Rescuer to his death and love that raised Him to life again.

The disciples could have sat in their loathing because Jesus had died. But they didn’t because Christ has resurrected.

Instead they went out and made disciples.

Here at Antioch Dallas, this is why we have lifegroups, go on mission trips, we serve on Sunday, we plant churches around the world. It is because of the invitation to participation that Jesus extends to us. It begins with Jesus stepping into our life and ends with an invitation to go out into the world and proclaim the good news of the gospel that Jesus came, died and rose again for the forgiveness of our sins and everyone who believes this has their relationship with God restored. If God said it, than it will happen.

Christians should be known by their love yet Christians haven’t been dragged into the Coliseum and fed to lions because of this love. Christians are persecuted because they claim to be witnesses of something that has never been seen before and only will be seen at the coming Christ.

So we can know this: that our labor is not in vain, we can give ourselves fully to the work of the Lord because Jesus is risen! (He is risen indeed!)

So Paul, ends his discourse and I end this time together, by saying this:

The New International Version Chapter 15

58 Therefore, my dear brothers and sisters, stand firm. Let nothing move you. Always give yourselves fully to the work of the Lord, because you know that your labor in the Lord is not in vain.

We are going to go into a time of communion and I want to go ahead and ask the officiants to come up. Communion is an opportunity for us to come to the Lord’s table and take a piece of bread and a cup of juice to remember Jesus’ broken body and shed blood. We take this to remember that His body was broken, his blood poured out with the certainty that He rose from the dead. As we sing this song of celebration, I encourage you to take with Thanksgiving knowing that He has risen!

We are going to go into a time of communion and I want to go ahead and ask the officiants to come up. Communion is an opprotunity for us to come to the Lord’s table and take a piece of bread and a cup of juice to remember Jesus’ broken body and shed blood. We take this to remember that His body was broken, his blood poured out with the certainty that He rose from the dead. As we sing this song of celebration, I encourage you to take with Thanksgiving knowing that He has risen!

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