Jesus, the Risen Ruler and Savior

Introduction

If the death of Christ on the cross is the true meaning of the Incarnation, then there is no gospel without the cross. Christmas by itself is no gospel. The life of Christ is no gospel. Even the resurrection, important as it is in the total scheme of things, is no gospel by itself. For the good news is not just that God became man, nor that God has spoken to reveal a proper way of life for us, or even that death, the great enemy, is conquered. Rather, the good news is that sin has been dealt with (of which the resurrection is a proof); that Jesus has suffered its penalty for us as our representative, so that we might never have to suffer it; and that therefore all who believe in Him can look forward to heaven. James Montgomery Boice

Because of it, ALL CAN LOOK FORWARD to spending an eternity with Christ.

The gospel IS TRULY the greatest news.

We have been working our way through it to better understand and be equipped to share it.

Review

Anyone remember what the first box is that wants to summary it for me?

God, the Good Ruler and Creator

So…God is the loving ruler of the world.

He made the world

He made us to rule the world under him.

Revelation 4:11

BUT is that the way it is now?

Anyone remember what the second box is that wants to summary it for me?

Our Rebellion Against God

We all reject the ruler - God - by trying to run life our own way without him.

But we fail to rule ourselves, society, or the world.

Romans 3:10-12 or Isaiah 53:6a

So, what is God to do about this rebellion?

Anyone remember what the Third box is that wants to summary it for me?

God’s Justice

God’s won’t let us rebel forever

God’s punishment for rebellion is death and judgment.

Hebrews 9:27.

God’s justice may sound harsh, but that is not the end of the story.

TAKE NOTE OF VERSE CORRECTION FROM 1 PETER 1:3 to 1 Peter 3:18.

Anyone remember what the Third box is that wants to summary it for me?

God Sent Jesus to Die for Us

Because of His great love, God sent His Son into the world, the man Jesus Christ

Jesus always lived under God’s rule

But Jesus took our punishment by dying in our place

1 Peter 3:18; Isaiah 53:6b

But that’s not all....

Outline

Big Idea: Our faith has a resting place and our deepest longings are satisfied BECAUSE Christ rose from the dead.

1 Corinthians 15:12-20.

Through His resurrection, Jesus satisfies six of our deepest longings.

We are Forgiven of Our Sins

Our Faith is Well-founded

The Apostles Preach What is True

Those Who Have Fallen Asleep Are Alive

The Greatest News In All the World

Sermon Body

Jesus, the risen ruler and Savior

God raised Jesus to life again as the ruler and judge of the world.

Jesus has conquered death, now brings forgiveness and new life, and will return in glory.

1 Peter 1:3.

Well, where does that leave us? It leave us with a clear choice between two ways to live.

1 Peter 1:3.

1 Peter 1:3 ESV

Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! According to his great mercy, he has caused us to be born again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead,

The resurrection is central to our faith. It is vital. Critical.

Why? What if the Resurrection Did Not Happen?

The following outline comes from Paul’s text in 1 Corinthians 15:12-20.

The points are articulated by John Piper

Woven in and throughout, my own study and thoughts articulate and build upon these main insights shared from Piper’s study.

Adapted from John Piper’s “Six Gifts of the Resurrection”

But what if the resurrection was not true? What if Christ did not rise from the grave as the bible says? What happens then?

Paul answers that question in

1 Corinthians 15:12-20.

1 Corinthians 15:12–20 ESV

12 Now if Christ is proclaimed as raised from the dead, how can some of you say that there is no resurrection of the dead? 13 But if there is no resurrection of the dead, then not even Christ has been raised. 14 And if Christ has not been raised, then our preaching is in vain and your faith is in vain. 15 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. 16 For if the dead are not raised, not even Christ has been raised. 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.

I have come to believe and live by the statement that Piper asserted. “God is most glorified in us when we are most satisfied in Him.”

I do not give a blanket endorsement to all things Piper, because there are things that I disagree with him on. However, his teaching on Christian Hedonism (the pursuit of happiness) and being satisfied in God, desiring God has been one of the most powerful truths that has most deeply affected my life over the years. I count the man as one of my pastors, though having never met him.

It is critical for us to understand and remember that God is first and foremost concerned about His own glory.

Having said that, however, I believe scripture also teaches that He also delights and strives to meet the desires of our hearts as well. Like any good Father, He delights in giving good gifts to His children.

Scriptures teachings, made clear to me through Piper’s ministry is that God’s pursuit of his own glory and our pursuit of happiness, satisfaction are not in fact separate or conflicting things.

In fact, when we find our greatest satisfaction IN HIM, HE IS MOST GLORIFIED. Therefore, God is most concerned that we FIND OUR ULTIMATE satisfaction in Him because in so doing, we receive the best there is and he is exalted for being that source.

Piper noted that he saw Paul proclaiming the good news of the resurrection of Jesus and that this resurrection satisfies six of our deepest needs and longings.

However, contrary to our humanistic view of the world, God does not satisfy our desires for putting us in the center. Instead, God satisfies our desires by putting JESUS in the center. A Jesus whom God the Father killed and raised back up for us.

As we reflect upon the gospel, it is my prayer that we would understand the depth and weight, the value and worth of what Christ has done for us and how significant the resurrection is to that.

In turn, I pray that we would be able and desires us to communicate these same truths to those in our lives.

As we begin, not this phrase in verse 14….

"If Christ Has Not Been Raised . . . "

Paul says there are six things that would be in shambles if Christ did not rise from the dead. Then verse 20 reverses the whole paragraph: "But in fact Christ has been raised from the dead." So let's look at those six things.

Read through the text and see if you can find one of the six things. If you find one, call it out.

Verse 14: "If Christ has not been raised, then our preaching is in vain." But since Christ has been raised, our preaching is not in vain.

Verse 14: " . . . and your faith is in vain." But since Christ has been raised, our faith is not in vain.

Verse 15: If Christ has not been raised, "we are found to be misrepresenting God [literally: we are false witnesses], because we testified of God that he raised Christ." But since Christ has been raised, the apostles are not false witnesses about the work of God.

Verse 17: "If Christ has not been raised then your faith is futile and you are still in your sins." But since Christ has been raised, we are not still in our sins.

Verse 18: If Christ has not been raised, then "those who have fallen asleep in Christ have perished." But since Christ has been raised, the dead in Christ have not perished.

Verse 19: If Christ has not been raised, then "we are of all men most to be pitied." But since Christ has been raised, we are not to be pitied.

Putting it in the positive, Piper explains that this passage reveals six of our deepest longings that Jesus meets through his resurrection.

He says….

But what really made the lights go on for me, and what showed me the good news that six of my deepest longings were being met here by the resurrection of Jesus was when I tried to go back and restate each of these six reversals in positive terms. So far we have used negatives: "preaching not in vain . . . faith not in vain . . . etc." Now we need to see what God has really done for us in raising Jesus from the dead. We see this when we put all these negatives into positives.

We Are Forgiven for Our Sins

1 Corinthians 15:17.

1 Corinthians 15:17 ESV

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

First, from verse 17, instead of saying negatively that we are not still in our sins, we can say positively that because of the resurrection we are forgiven for our sins.

As you can tell, we are not starting at the beginning of this passage and working our way through but rather beginning in the middle.

Why? Why start here in the middle rather than at the beginning of the text?

The reason for this is that man’s most basic and most critical need is that of being reconciled to God.

Why is this man’s most critical need?

SINCE we all have sinned and find ourselves at odds with God through our rebellion, we are HOPELESS unless something is done to change our circumstance…a reality we have seen that we are powerless to do anything about.

Every blessing in our lives is derived from the gospel. Nothing else matters if the gospel is not true.

And the gospel is about forgiveness.

Piper asked the question of this text that should be in all our minds.

How is the resurrection connected to our forgiveness? Isn't it the death of Jesus that takes away our sin, because he bore our sins and took our judgment (1 Corinthians 15:3)?

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,

So, yes....Yes. But we cannot and should not miss how the resurrection is connected all of this...Romans 4:25 puts it like this.

Romans 4:25 ESV

who was delivered up for our trespasses and raised for our justification.

He was delivered up for our trespasses...

This means his death, the abuse and suffering he endured, the death he died was sufficient and satisfactory enough to satisfy the holy and just wrath of God against our rebellion. Using the words of Jerry Bridges, God’s wrath was exhausted toward our sin through the death and suffering of Jesus.

It was enough to secure our forgiveness and acquittal; our justification (our legal standing of being guilt free before God) and our reconciliation (Restored to a right and good relationship where once it had been alienated.)

And raised for our justification

What is justification? How would you explain that to an unbeliever?

The judicial act of being declared right.

Describe it like a court of law when a judge or jury declares someone to be in the right in opposition to the accusation of their wrong doing.

Why do we have to explain and define terms?

Because often people do not know what they mean

Because people will use the same terms and understand them differently or believe them to be different things.

Piper notes....

And since the achievement of the cross was so complete and the work of our justification so decisive, God raised Jesus from the dead to validate our forgiveness and to vindicate his Son's righteousness and to celebrate the work of justification.

The resurrection was the evidence, the verification, the validation that God was satisfied, the price paid, the work complete.

The resurrection was the father affirming his joy and delight, his satisfaction in what the Son had done and sealing his commitment to save those whose faith gets placed in God.

Romans 5:1-2 speak of the incredible joy we have because of this act of justification.

Romans 5:1–2 ESV

Therefore, since we have been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ. Through him we have also obtained access by faith into this grace in which we stand, and we rejoice in hope of the glory of God.

We have PEACE with God…having obtained it through Jesus…WHO ROSE.

Look at how Romans 6 describes the affect of the resurrection….

Romans 6:1–11 ESV

What shall we say then? Are we to continue in sin that grace may abound? By no means! How can we who died to sin still live in it? Do you not know that all of us who have been baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death? We were buried therefore with him by baptism into death, in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, we too might walk in newness of life. For if we have been united with him in a death like his, we shall certainly be united with him in a resurrection like his. We know that our old self was crucified with him in order that the body of sin might be brought to nothing, so that we would no longer be enslaved to sin. For one who has died has been set free from sin. Now if we have died with Christ, we believe that we will also live with him. We know that Christ, being raised from the dead, will never die again; death no longer has dominion over him. For the death he died he died to sin, once for all, but the life he lives he lives to God. So you also must consider yourselves dead to sin and alive to God in Christ Jesus.

Justification is a judicial act in declaring one to be in the right.

If one is declared RIGHT in a court of law, the implications affect our every days lives. To be declared guilty would have profound impact upon one’s daily life, right? A declaration of “rightness” brings with it a freedom and hopeful view on life that a guilty verdict does not.

Christ’s resurrection VALIDATES God’s approval of the price paid. SO RIGHT, SO SUFFICIENT, SO SATISFACTORY was Christ’s payment, that God validates it by bringing him back from the dead as a witness and testimony to the worth of it.

Therefore, the resurrection basis for the forgiveness of sins, the declaration of justification, and is the foundation for walking in freedom, joy, and peace with God…because our relationship is now set right.

Justification is the granting of life through forgiveness and reconciliation, standing in stark contrast to the death sentence of judgment and condemnation through unforgiveness.

Christ’s death paid the price for our sin.

His resurrection validates it’s acceptance and value.

And because of it, we are justified (When we repent and believe) and are reconciled to God. We are forgiven.

Listen…there is not a living soul does not need forgiveness. Deep down, even those who outwardly purport that they did not need forgiveness, are aware that they need forgiveness. Despite the mantra of the day that we are basically good people, it is universally accepted that we all make mistakes and fail.

Further, we all crave forgiveness. Even if we do not acknowledge, recognize or admit, it we crave peace with God; forgiveness from God. BECAUSE WE WERE MADE FOR GOD, and in our very being, we know that nothing is right until that primary reason for our existence is fixed.

Do you believe that man craves and desires forgiveness? Why or why not?

None of wants to alienated from others, especially when that alienation is caused by our guilt and sin. This is especially true of our relationship with God, even if it is not acknowledged.

Because of Jesus, this most basic and primary need and desire has been supplied for. Our greatest need has been met. We are forgiven.

People CAN be forgiven through repentance and faith.

ALL BECAUSE OF JESUS’ resurrection.

The second longing that Piper points to that is met and supplied by the resurrection is that of a well founded faith.

Our Faith Is Well-Founded

1 Corinthians 15:14.

1 Corinthians 15:14 ESV

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

Our faith is never wasted when it is placed in Jesus.

Have you ever put your faith in the wrong person or thing and been disappointed? What was so devastating about the experience?

Why is it never a waste to put your faith in God? What passage of scripture do you stand upon as the basis for this confidence?

Because he is faithful and true.

He never changes (Hebrews 13:8)

He is good (Mark 10:18)

Etc.

Jesus is ABSOLUTELY trustworthy and reliable.

His resurrection PROVES and VALIDATES it.

Piper, in his handling of this text, opted to put these points in positive tones rather than negative…a pattern I appreciate and find valuable. It is much better, at times, to see things from the positive point of view rather than a negative one.

In a world where SO LITTLE, well, virtually, NOTHING is reliable, steady, constant, WE ACHE AND LONG to be able trust SOMETHING or SOMEONE.

Why is it so important for us to trust in someone or something?

We ache for it so deeply that we keep trying even after being hurt.

We ache for it so deeply that we grow angry, resentful, bitter, depressed, and despairing when we cannot find it.

We ache for is so deeply, we spend our time, passions, money, and energy on trying to build meaningful relationships that we HOPE, desperately, will one achieve that which we ache for.

Listen, all the sinful and broken world in which we live may well disappoint us.

Jesus’ resurrection PROVES THAT NOT EVEN DEATH NOR THE DEVIL CAN KEEP CHRIST AWAY.

Romans 8 articulates it beautifully.

Romans 8 ESV

There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus. For the law of the Spirit of life has set you free in Christ Jesus from the law of sin and death. For God has done what the law, weakened by the flesh, could not do. By sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh and for sin, he condemned sin in the flesh, in order that the righteous requirement of the law might be fulfilled in us, who walk not according to the flesh but according to the Spirit. For those who live according to the flesh set their minds on the things of the flesh, but those who live according to the Spirit set their minds on the things of the Spirit. For to set the mind on the flesh is death, but to set the mind on the Spirit is life and peace. For the mind that is set on the flesh is hostile to God, for it does not submit to God’s law; indeed, it cannot. Those who are in the flesh cannot please God. You, however, are not in the flesh but in the Spirit, if in fact the Spirit of God dwells in you. Anyone who does not have the Spirit of Christ does not belong to him. But if Christ is in you, although the body is dead because of sin, the Spirit is life because of righteousness. If the Spirit of him who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you, he who raised Christ Jesus from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through his Spirit who dwells in you. So then, brothers, we are debtors, not to the flesh, to live according to the flesh. For if you live according to the flesh you will die, but if by the Spirit you put to death the deeds of the body, you will live. For all who are led by the Spirit of God are sons of God. For you did not receive the spirit of slavery to fall back into fear, but you have received the Spirit of adoption as sons, by whom we cry, “Abba! Father!” The Spirit himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God, and if children, then heirs—heirs of God and fellow heirs with Christ, provided we suffer with him in order that we may also be glorified with him. For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worth comparing with the glory that is to be revealed to us. For the creation waits with eager longing for the revealing of the sons of God. For the creation was subjected to futility, not willingly, but because of him who subjected it, in hope that the creation itself will be set free from its bondage to corruption and obtain the freedom of the glory of the children of God. For we know that the whole creation has been groaning together in the pains of childbirth until now. And not only the creation, but we ourselves, who have the firstfruits of the Spirit, groan inwardly as we wait eagerly for adoption as sons, the redemption of our bodies. For in this hope we were saved. Now hope that is seen is not hope. For who hopes for what he sees? But if we hope for what we do not see, we wait for it with patience. Likewise the Spirit helps us in our weakness. For we do not know what to pray for as we ought, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us with groanings too deep for words. And he who searches hearts knows what is the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes for the saints according to the will of God. And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose. For those whom he foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son, in order that he might be the firstborn among many brothers. And those whom he predestined he also called, and those whom he called he also justified, and those whom he justified he also glorified. What then shall we say to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us? He who did not spare his own Son but gave him up for us all, how will he not also with him graciously give us all things? Who shall bring any charge against God’s elect? It is God who justifies. Who is to condemn? Christ Jesus is the one who died—more than that, who was raised—who is at the right hand of God, who indeed is interceding for us. Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or danger, or sword? As it is written, “For your sake we are being killed all the day long; we are regarded as sheep to be slaughtered.” No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. For I am sure that neither death nor life, nor angels nor rulers, nor things present nor things to come, nor powers, nor height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.

What stands out to you from this passage?

What we fail to do…rule ourselves....

What we fail to do....satisfy ourselves...

What we fail to do…give purpose and meaning to our lives

What we fail to do…live at peace

What we fail to do....live rightly...

What we fail to do…be faithful ALL the time.

What we fail to do....love rightly...

What we fail to do…do justly

What we fail to do…show mercy...

What we fail to do....GOD DOES.

HE is reliable and trusthworthy

2 Timothy 2:11-13.

2 Timothy 2:11–13 ESV

The saying is trustworthy, for: If we have died with him, we will also live with him; if we endure, we will also reign with him; if we deny him, he also will deny us; if we are faithless, he remains faithful— for he cannot deny himself.

His death and resurrection PROVE that.

I believe that deep in the heart of every person is a longing for someone that you can count on through thick and thin. Someone who is absolutely trustworthy. Someone who, if you put your faith in him, it won't be in vain. He won't let you down. He will always be there. We want it because we were made for it. God put man and woman in the garden of Eden to glorify God by trusting him for everything they needed. John Piper

Jesus’ resurrection has supplied for our longing for forgiveness.

It has supplied for our desire for our faith to be well founded.

Share a time you recieved or extended forgiveness that was particularly meaningful and why.

Thirdly, his resurrection affirms our desire for truth.

The Apostles Preach What Is True

1 Corinthians 15:15.

1 Corinthians 15:15 ESV

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.

If Christ is not raised, the apostles are liars FOR THEY TESTIFIED THAT HE ROSE FROM THE DEAD.

And if they are liars on that account....

Well, the implications are staggering.

Everything they would stand for would then be called into question.

AND

Everything they preached that depended on the reality of Christ’s resurrection would become invalid.

Listen, truth today is something that is considered subjective, fluid, changing. Truth depends on any number of factors, variations, and circumstances.

Even a good majority of professing Christians lie or believe it ok to lie occasionally or in certain circumstances.

Truth, I believe, is both desired and feared.

Do you believe this to be true? Why?

In what way do people desire truth? In what way do they fear it?

They want to know that they not being deceived. No one wants to be deceived and fooled. They want to know that they can trust the people and things around them.

They fear it because they fear that it will expose their error, fallacies, and make them change what they want and do.

People want something to believe in AND KNOW that they can trust it is valid, real, and reliable. At the same point, if that truth exposes or reveals something undesirable, we fear it.

YES, the flesh corrupts it, distorts it, and twists it to justify ones own feelings, thoughts, and actions....BUT no one likes living under the conviction of a certain belief only to find out that they had been deceived the entire time.

Yes, there is a desire and willingness to distort “truth” to suit the own purposes

What are some common examples of how the flesh distorts “truth?” And what scripture exposes the error?

Man is basically good. Romans 3:10-12.

I can do anything I want on my own. John 15:5.

The devil made me do it. James 1:14.

Etc.

BUT, THERE IS A DESIRE TO BELIEVE THAT WHAT THEY ARE BELIEVING, VALUING, AND LIVING BY IS TRUTH.

They want the comfort, security, and assurance that TRUTH and TRUTH alone can bring. The flesh distorts it so that the truth becomes something other than truth....

BUT there is a desire for truth.

Maybe more accurately, this a desire to believe something…BUT whatever it is that people are desiring to believe, they want to be that it is truth.

In a world where so much deception, lies, and subterfuge goes on....people want to know that what they are told, what they are believing is true.

So, from verse 15, instead of saying negatively that the apostles are not false witnesses about the work of God, we can say positively that because of the resurrection the apostles preach what is true. They are not false witnesses about God. They are true.

This gives hope.

This gives joy.

This gives peace.

This gives security.

In a world where wrong is made right, were truth is subjective, and where people do not know what truth is....

Having confidence in knowing WHAT is true, provides a great comfort and satisfaction to our souls.

Without the conviction that there are absolutes that can be shared and made the basis for society, the only end will be anarchy where everyone does what is right in his own eyes. Therefore the need for truth is a deep need of the human soul and human society. And Jesus came into the world to say, "I am the way, the truth, and the life" (John 14:6). And then he rose from the dead to vindicate his claim. Jesus has a right to tell us what is absolutely true because in the resurrection God proved him to be absolutely true. John Piper

Truth is essential. The desire for it is embedded in our very being as image bearers of a God WHO IS TRUTH.

Therefore, our hearts are satisfied when truth prevails.

And the resurrection of Jesus from the dead means that the Apostles spoke truth and all they did and preached was true.

Furthermore, the resurrection of Jesus satisfy’s the longing of our hearts for meaning and significance.

We Are to Be Envied

1 Corinthians 15:19.

1 Corinthians 15:19 ESV

If in Christ we have hope in this life only, we are of all people most to be pitied.

Why? Why would we be of all people MOST pitied if the resurrection were not true?

Because everything we preach and stand for would be invalidated and wrong.

Our purpose, worth, and meaning is erased.

Our hope is destroyed and removed

We have missed out on all the enjoyment of life that the world holds out for nothing.

Let me flip this, as Piper did, to speak positively.

Because of the resurrection....

We are NOT to be pitied.

We ARE to be envied

Because our preaching is not in vain.

It is full, meaningful, valid, valuable, and significant.

If, IN THIS LIFE ONLY, we have hope in Christ, we are of all people MOST to be pitied.

This life is full of suffering, hardship, difficulty.

There is no assurance or promise that our lot in this life will ever get better.

In fact, it is a pretty good certainty that this life will continue to have trouble.

The great HOPE of our lives is that the suffering we endure now WILL PRODUCE AN ETERNAL WEIGHT OF GLORY…that in the life to come, our suffering will mean something.

THUS, if this life is all we have, what hope is that?

If only on Earth we have hope, death being the end and resurrection never happening, we would truly be miserable. Here, we have lost family relationships for Christ. We lost “friends” to follow Christ. We were called names and were unfairly criticized. We may have lost our jobs for standing up for Him. Perhaps we were tortured, imprisoned, or killed for His sake. We spent countless years studying the Bible, praying, preaching the Gospel, teaching the Bible, passing out Gospel tracts, traveling abroad going to conferences and starting local churches, on and on. We would be the most miserable people in all the world if, after everything we did for Christ, it would amount to nothing! To keep working in Christian service, not pursuing a carefree materialistic life like the rest of the world, knowing we will die for nothing and all that work will amount to nothing! Without resurrection, our earthly lives would be a total waste of time.There would be no “eternal life” after all!

The Christian life is all about the life of Jesus Christ being manifested in our mortal flesh. There is such joy, peace, hope, love, and fulfillment in Christ. However, when death comes, that earthly life is over. Death would take it all away. If there were no resurrection, we would be the most miserable of all people. We would stay dead. Our Christian experience would only last as long as we lived on Earth. It would be about a century, at the most, before ending forever. Would Paul be so silly as to spend his whole life risking it for Christ, just to have it taken from him by Rome and never returned? Would the Corinthians be so foolish? Would we?

Shawn Brasseaux

LISTEN, the true hope and joy of we who follow Christ, IS NOT FOUND IN THIS LIFE, IN THIS WORLD, but in the promised one to come.

Hebrews 4:1-13.

Hebrews 4:1–13 (ESV)

Therefore, while the promise of entering his rest still stands, let us fear lest any of you should seem to have failed to reach it.

For good news came to us just as to them, but the message they heard did not benefit them, because they were not united by faith with those who listened.

For we who have believed enter that rest, as he has said, “As I swore in my wrath, ‘They shall not enter my rest,’ ” although his works were finished from the foundation of the world.

For he has somewhere spoken of the seventh day in this way: “And God rested on the seventh day from all his works.”

And again in this passage he said, “They shall not enter my rest.”

Since therefore it remains for some to enter it, and those who formerly received the good news failed to enter because of disobedience,

again he appoints a certain day, “Today,” saying through David so long afterward, in the words already quoted, “Today, if you hear his voice, do not harden your hearts.”

For if Joshua had given them rest, God would not have spoken of another day later on.

So then, there remains a Sabbath rest for the people of God,

for whoever has entered God’s rest has also rested from his works as God did from his.

Let us therefore strive to enter that rest, so that no one may fall by the same sort of disobedience.

For the word of God is living and active, sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing to the division of soul and of spirit, of joints and of marrow, and discerning the thoughts and intentions of the heart.

And no creature is hidden from his sight, but all are naked and exposed to the eyes of him to whom we must give account.

When God finished creating the world, on day 7, what did he do?

Genesis 2:2.

Genesis 2:2 ESV

And on the seventh day God finished his work that he had done, and he rested on the seventh day from all his work that he had done.

God has been resting ever since. His work is done.

When Jesus finished his work, what did he do?

He SAT DOWN at the right hand of God. Luke 22:69; Col 3:1; Hebrews 12:2.

God’s work is done. He is resting.

That is the point of these two passages. God is at rest. And we have a promise of entering that rest WITH HIM.

OUR HOPE, according to this passage, IS IN JOINING GOD IN THAT RESTING.

What do you believe this rest will be like?

What do you long for most about joining God in His rest?

If Christ had not been raised, any hope BEYOND THIS LIFE, is an illusion, a false hope, an empty wish.

If Christ had not been raised, THIS LIFE IS ALL THERE IS…and, as we all know, this life is devoid of any hope.

If Christ was not raised, everything we have done, will do, and live for as followers of Jesus is meaningless, empty, worthless.

For that matter, if he has not resurrected and he is not true, then evolution is our only option and that also empties life of meaning. If we are nothing more than a cosmic accident, a mistake, then our lives have no purpose, no meaning, no value, and all we have left is what little pleasure we can eek out of this life....which supports the “Eat, drink, and be merry for tomorrow you may die” mentality.

If Christ has not raised, then all we hold dear is invalidated and we are to be pitied for having been deceived, for falsely believing and following error, and for waisting precious time on waisting our time in denying self when we could have been enjoying it all.

BUT because Christ IS raised, and our hope IS real, everything we have clung to, fought for, held to, sacrificed for will mean something when we take hold of final promise that is held for us precisely BECAUSE he has risen.

Piper notes....

If Christ is not raised, then living for him, doing what he says, following his will is a great delusion. We should be pitied like insane people who live by hallucinations. But since he has been raised and is alive and reigns as king forever, all our obedience, all our love, all our self-denial is not just not-to-be-pitied, but is positively enviable. "This slight momentary affliction is working for us an eternal weight of glory beyond all comparison," Paul said (2 Corinthians 4:17).

We ALL want our lives to mean something. To matter.

What is the great purpose of our lives? What scriptural support do you use to prove it?

Glorify God - 1 Cor 10:31.

Enjoy Him forever - Ps 73:25-28.

Fear God and Keep His commandments - Ecc 12:13.

Our entire pursuit of life, whether we know or acknowledge it, is a pursuit of value and significance.

Another way to say this is that we do not want to come to end of our lives and realize that everything we have done and lived for his empty and meaningless. That is pitiable.

Paul reminds them people of this and encourages them to be steadfast because their labors ARE NOT in vain.

1 Corinthians 15:58.

1 Corinthians 15:58 ESV

Therefore, my beloved brothers, be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that in the Lord your labor is not in vain.

It is not in vain, friend.

It is not in vain, church.

What can we do to encourage a brother weary and discouraged believing his work to be in in vain?

Point him to the promises of the word

Phil 1:6.

Is 55:11.

Phil 2:13.

Pray with them

Help them see the fruit where perhaps they are missing it.

Christ’s resurrection assures us that all we believe and hold to in the scriptures, means something, is valuable, and precious.

It means that our lives and faith matter.

It means we cannot go wrong in any amount of laboring, suffering, and striving to laid hold of that promise for which God has secured us in Christ!

Piper again....

Not in vain! That's the longing of our lives. O Lord let it not be misspent. Let me not come to my grave and say, "I've wasted it!" It does not have to be. Christ is risen and everything done in his name—by his strength and for his glory—is not in vain. It is enviable. Significant. Valuable. Eternal. John Piper

Finally, the deep longing of living forever in joy is satisfied and realized because of the work of Christ.

Those Who Have Fallen Asleep Are Alive

1 Corinthians 15:18.

1 Corinthians 15:18 ESV

Then those also who have fallen asleep in Christ have perished.

IF the resurrection has not happened, there is NOTHING beyond this life, and those who have perished HAVE perished.

BUT

Because Christ DID RISE, those who have fallen asleep (died) are not really dead (so long as they were in Christ).

What is the greatest thing about heaven? How does this conflict with the world’s idea of heaven? What things do we tend to emphasize most about heaven?

GOD IS THERE!

The world has a, floating in the clouds, playing harps view of heaven at times. BORING view.

Seeing our loves ones. Ending of suffering. Rest. Peace. ALL OF WHICH ARE GOOD AND GREAT THINGS TO LOOK FOR. We must just be cautious that those things are not MORE important to us than God himself.

Side point…the greatest thing about heaven IS NOT being reunited with our loved ones who have died here.....AS WONDERFUL AS THAT MAY BE.

The greatest thing about glory is BEING WITH GOD.

I half wonder how long we will be there, reveling in God’s majesty and wonder before we ever even notice those around us!

BUT, this is certainly A JOY, a BIG JOY of Christ’s resurrection. We will not be alone in our worship and enjoyment of God.

The enjoyment and pleasure of something IS SO MUCH greater when you have you share it with others.

Imagine the hoards of people enjoying and worshipping God!

Point is, because of the resurrection, those who have died in faith, are still alive. They have not perished, but merely be promoted…and yes…we will join them one day to worship our risen God and king together.

Big Idea: Our faith has a resting place and our deepest longings are satisfied BECAUSE Christ rose from the dead.

1 Corinthians 15:12-20.

Through His resurrection, Jesus satisfies six of our deepest longings.

We are Forgiven of Our Sins

Our Faith is Well-founded

The Apostles Preach What is True

Those Who Have Fallen Asleep Are Alive

The Greatest News In All the World

This really is the greatest news in all the world!

The Greatest News in All the World

The greatest news in all the world is that God and his Son are most glorified in you when you are most satisfied in them.

And to make that true, God raised his Son Jesus from the dead to reign forevermore.

Piper summarizes...

In raising him from the dead

he gave us forgiveness and glorified Jesus as the all-sufficient forgiver;

he gave us a friend to count on and glorified Jesus as utterly reliable;

he gave us guidance and unchanging truth and glorified Jesus as the absolute foundation for truth and righteousness;

he gave us a life that is not pitiable but enviable, a ministry that is not in vain but fruitful, and glorified Jesus as the source and goal of all life and all ministry;

and he gave us everlasting joy that will not be ended by death, and glorified Jesus as the author of life, the victor over death, and the first fruits of those who have fallen asleep.

The resurrection of Christ is the Amen of all His promises. John Boys

May we echo the praises seen in glory....

Revelation 5:9-10.

Revelation 5:9–10 ESV

And they sang a new song, saying, “Worthy are you to take the scroll and to open its seals, for you were slain, and by your blood you ransomed people for God from every tribe and language and people and nation, and you have made them a kingdom and priests to our God, and they shall reign on the earth.”

Conclusion by playing video of Shane and Shane - Is he Worthy?

What is the greatest news in all the world?

The gospel!

Conclusion

Big Idea: Our faith has a resting place and our deepest longings are satisfied BECAUSE Christ rose from the dead.

1 Corinthians 15:12-20.

Through His resurrection, Jesus satisfies six of our deepest longings.

We are Forgiven of Our Sins

Our Faith is Well-founded

The Apostles Preach What is True

Those Who Have Fallen Asleep Are Alive

The Greatest News In All the World