Resurrection, Cornerstone of the Christian Faith
Notes
Transcript
Resurrection Sunday
Resurrection Sunday
Today we remember probably the most important day in all of history.
The day our Lord and Savior, the creator of heaven and earth, fulfilled his purpose in becoming a man.
Not simply dying to pay for our sins,
Which is EXTREMELY IMPORTANT!
But being resurrected as a promise for our faith.
Cornerstone of our Faith
Cornerstone of our Faith
The death and resurrection of Jesus Christ is the cornerstone of our faith.
Therefore thus says the Lord God:
“Behold, I lay in Zion a stone for a foundation,
A tried stone, a precious cornerstone, a sure foundation;
Whoever believes will not act hastily.
The cornerstone was generally a large stone, placed at the principal corner of the foundation of a building.
The rest of the foundation was laid off of that cornerstone.
While there are many things during the construction of a building that can make it weak and vulnerable.
There is nothing that can make a building strong if the cornerstone is not right.
As Isaiah recorded, God would lay a cornerstone for a foundation.
One that was precious, strong, and sure.
And the Apostles laid the foundation of the faith off of that cornerstone.
As Paul said
According to the grace of God which was given to me, as a wise master builder I have laid the foundation, and another builds on it. But let each one take heed how he builds on it. For no other foundation can anyone lay than that which is laid, which is Jesus Christ.
1 cor 3 10-
Which brings two questions to mind that we should be asking ourselves this resurrection Sunday.
Are You Building on the Cornerstone?
Are You Building on the Cornerstone?
First, are we building on the cornerstone?
“Therefore whoever hears these sayings of Mine, and does them, I will liken him to a wise man who built his house on the rock:
“Therefore whoever hears these sayings of Mine, and does them, I will liken him to a wise man who built his house on the rock: and the rain descended, the floods came, and the winds blew and beat on that house; and it did not fall, for it was founded on the rock.
Jesus said that if we not only hear what He is saying, but do them, then we are building our faith upon the rock.
We are building on a firm foundation, with a good cornerstone.
and the rain descended, the floods came, and the winds blew and beat on that house; and it did not fall, for it was founded on the rock.
And when storms come, that faith will not fall.
Because it was founded on the rock.
On the cornerstone of Jesus’ death and resurrection.
“But everyone who hears these sayings of Mine, and does not do them, will be like a foolish man who built his house on the sand: and the rain descended, the floods came, and the winds blew and beat on that house; and it fell. And great was its fall.”
mt 7
But if we do not follow Jesus’ sayings, we are like a fool.
We have built our faith on sand, and it will not stand.
When trouble or threats come, our faith will fall.
What Are You Building on the Cornerstone?
What Are You Building on the Cornerstone?
The second question is, what have we built on that foundation?
Paul continues in Corinthians...
The question we should be asking ourselves this resurrection Sunday is what have we built on that foundation?
Now if anyone builds on this foundation with gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, straw, each one’s work will become clear; for the Day will declare it, because it will be revealed by fire; and the fire will test each one’s work, of what sort it is. If anyone’s work which he has built on it endures, he will receive a reward. If anyone’s work is burned, he will suffer loss; but he himself will be saved, yet so as through fire.
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If the cornerstone is good.
And the foundation is right,
Are we building with gold & silver, or wood & hay?
Are we building with good material, or with the cheap stuff.
Are we using God’s materials or the world’s?
Are we following the master’s blueprints, or just using whatever is at hand?
Render unto Caesar
Render unto Caesar
So what are we building on this foundation?
Put another way, whose building are we putting on this foundation.
And Jesus answered and said to them, “Render to Caesar the things that are Caesar’s, and to God the things that are God’s.”
And they marveled at Him.
Yes, this was Jesus answering a question about paying taxes,
But I think there is a more important point.
Jesus told the Pharisees to render unto caesar, in part because caesar’s image was on the coin to pay taxes.
But whose image is on you?
And if it is the image of God, what do you owe Him?
In the book of Daniel we read of two times Daniel or his friends had to answer that question.
In Daniel chapter 3, King Nebuchadnezzar ordered everyone in his country to worship an image of gold or be thrown in the furnace.
And Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-Nego refused.
They would not render unto Nebuchadnezzar what was God’s.
Even if it would cost them their lives.
Turning Point of History
Turning Point of History
In Chapter 6, those who were out to get Daniel convinced Darius to require that everyone in his kingdom worship him or be thrown in the lions den.
Daniel continued to pray only to God, and to do so publically.
Daniel would not render unto Darius what was God’s.
And he would not hide that fact either.
Even if it meant HE would be fed to the lions.
Today, we are once again being told to worship a political power.
Rather than a king, it is our governments.
We are still being told to worship our governments and what to do what it says.
Many are claiming the authority to tell us when, where, and how the church may gather.
Some are going so far as to arrest any who would disobey them.
Even arresting pastors, simply for opening their church on Sunday.
There are many reasons to be cautious, considerate, and loving during this pandemic.
But we must not render unto government what is God’s.
I’m not saying there is no situation where a church should suspend services, or move them online.
Only that it should be done in response to God’s will, not governments.
To do so is to build with wood, hay, and stubble on the foundation whose cornerstone is the one we call Lord and Savior.
This COVID-19 virus is a storm,
But it is a thunderstorm, not a hurricane or a tornado.
Sure, there is noise and an impressive light show,
But we are relatively safe.
And if our faith will not stand in a thunderstorm,
How can we expect it to stand in a tornado?
If our faith crumbles and folds like a cheap suit when the only threat is a criminal record,
Why should we think it would stand if the threat was to our lives?
You may say that Daniel, Shadrach, Meshach and Abed-Nego were special.
After all, their stories were recorded in the Bible.
And in the end God saved their lives.
But thousands of believers were fed to lions in Rome,
Because their faith was built upon the cornerstone.
And they would not render unto caesar what was God’s
Thousands were tortured and killed throughout Europe,
And hundreds, if not thousands more in the colonies
Because they did not worship Jesus the way people in power wanted them to.
If our faith cannot stand when our public image is on the line,
If we will not stand with others who are being asked to worship government edicts above God.
What do you think will happen when those in power turn their eyes toward us?
So they called them and commanded them not to speak at all nor teach in the name of Jesus. But Peter and John answered and said to them, “Whether it is right in the sight of God to listen to you more than to God, you judge. For we cannot but speak the things which we have seen and heard.”
acts 4 18
Turning Point of History
Turning Point of History
The death and resurrection of Jesus is more than just a point in history.
More than the starting point for a new religion.
It is literally the turning point of history.
We have split the Scriptures into two parts.
The old testament and the new.
The old covenant and the new.
And the difference between them is the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ.
The old covenant, with its rituals and sacrifices.
Jesus’ death paid off the debt we owed to the old covenant,
And His resurrection is the promise of the new.
As Peter said:
“Men of Israel, hear these words: Jesus of Nazareth, a Man attested by God to you by miracles, wonders, and signs which God did through Him in your midst, as you yourselves also know—Him, being delivered by the determined purpose and foreknowledge of God, you have taken by lawless hands, have crucified, and put to death; whom God raised up, having loosed the pains of death, because it was not possible that He should be held by it.
acts 2 22-24
Yes, Jesus is the turning point in history.
We mark our calendars from Before Christ to Anno Domini, Year of our Lord.
And many today are trying to change those names to “Before Current Era” and “Current Era”.
But the dates are still based on the death and resurrection of Jesus.
History changed from when we stood back and had others talk to God for us,
To when we talked to him directly.
From when the temple was a place you went to seek the will of God,
To that temple being you, and Him living with you.
In all this, Jesus is the foundation, and His death and resurrection is the cornerstone,
And his
If that cornerstone is not sure, then our faith is meaningless.
As Paul said to the Corinthians:
1 cor 15 12-
Now if Christ is preached that He has been raised from the dead, how do some among you say that there is no resurrection of the dead? But if there is no resurrection of the dead, then Christ is not risen. And if Christ is not risen, then our preaching is empty and your faith is also empty. Yes, and we are found false witnesses of God, because we have testified of God that He raised up Christ, whom He did not raise up—if in fact the dead do not rise. For if the dead do not rise, then Christ is not risen. And if Christ is not risen, your faith is futile; you are still in your sins! Then also those who have fallen asleep in Christ have perished. If in this life only we have hope in Christ, we are of all men the most pitiable.
If the cornerstone of Christ’s resurrection is not true:
Then all of the preaching over the last two thousand years is empty and meaningless.
Everyone who has talked about Christ is a false witness.
Everyone who has died trusting in Christ have been found wanting.
Because if Christ was not risen, then the dead to not rise
And we are most worthy of pity.
Conclusion
Conclusion
So what are we building on this foundation?
Put another way, whose building are we putting on this foundation.
There is a lot we can consider this Resurrection Day.
And Jesus answered and said to them, “Render to Caesar the things that are Caesar’s, and to God the things that are God’s.”
And they marveled at Him.
The remembrance of this cornerstone of history.
Yes, this was Jesus answering a question about paying taxes,
Are we building on the rock?
But I think there is a more important point.
Or will our faith crumble in the storm?
Jesus told the Pharisees to render unto caesar, in part because caesar’s image was on the coin to pay taxes.
Are we building with God’s materials?
But whose image is on you?
And if it is the image of God, what do you owe Him?
Or are we simply taking from the world and putting a godly face on it?
In the book of Daniel we read of two times Daniel or his friends had to answer that question.
In Daniel chapter 3, King Nebuchadnezzar ordered everyone in his country to worship an image of gold or be thrown in the furnace.
And Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-Nego refused.
They would not render unto Nebuchadnezzar what was God’s.
Even if it would cost them their lives.
In Chapter 6, those who were out to get Daniel convinced Darius to require that everyone in his kingdom worship him or be thrown in the lions den.
Daniel continued to pray only to God, and to do so publically.
Daniel would not render unto Darius what was God’s.
Even if it meant HE would be fed to the lions.
Today, we are once again being told to worship a political power.
Rather than a king, it is our governors.
Many are claiming the authority to tell us when, where, and how we may gather.
Some are going so far as to arrest any who would disobey them.
There are many reasons to be cautious, considerate, and loving during this pandemic.
But we must not render unto government what is God’s.
Do we celebrate this day with chocolate and bunnies?
And that includes the when, where, and how we worship Him.
Or are we awed at this turning point in all of history.
To do so is to build with wood, hay, and stubble on the foundation whose cornerstone is the one we call Lord and Savior.
Both the day that the debt we owed was paid.
And the promise of our eternal life was given.
And if it seems evil to you to serve the Lord, choose for yourselves this day whom you will serve, whether the gods which your fathers served that were on the other side of the River, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land you dwell. But as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord.”