Sermon Tone Analysis

Love Come Down

Welcome (Mike Klaassen)

Scripture Reading (Luke 23:36-49)

Prayer of Praise (Jesus is alive), Trish Figgers

Jesus Strong and Kind

Man of Sorrows

Prayer of Confession (Doubting the resurrection), Cliff Hall

Christ Our Hope in Life and Death

PBC Catechism #21

Pastoral Prayer (Bubba Jones)

SERMON

“He is Risen”

There was a time in American history when gathering on Resurrection Sunday to celebrate was the thing to do!

In 1948, nearly 70% of Americans identified as Protestant Christians.

Today that number has been cut in half.

[1]

Christians are in the minority.

We’re increasingly made to feel stupid, backwards, or weird.

About fifteen years ago, I felt that way when I was talking with a dear friend about what I believe.

He told me, “Hopson, you're wasting your life.”

"As concerned as you are about my soul in the future, I am as concerned for you in the present.

I am concerned for the countless hours that you . . .

spend in church, reading the bible, and preaching the word, the countless money spent on tithes and schooling, for what I believe to be absolutely nothing more than a crooked preacher's chance at a power trip, a mega-corporation looking at the dollar signs, a politicians mind-control technique, a fallacy."

My unbelieving friend understood far more than he knew.

If what Christians believe isn’t true, we are the most pitiful people on the planet.

Turn to 1 Corinthians 15:12

Apostle Paul is writing around 20 years after Jesus’ resurrection to Christians in a local church where some are denying the resurrection of the dead

Doubting the resurrection isn’t a new problem

And in the text we’re about to read he agrees with my unbelieving friend.

Christians are wasting our lives, we are the most pitiful people on the planet IF Jesus didn’t really rise from the dead.

1 Corinthians 15:12-20—“Now if Christ is proclaimed as raised from the dead, how can some of you say that there is no resurrection of the dead?

But if there is no resurrection of the dead, then not even Christ has been raised.

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

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.

For if the dead are not raised, not even Christ has been raised.

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

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

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

But in fact Christ has been raised from the dead, the firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep.”

Five Ways Christians are Wasting Their Lives if Jesus Isn’t Alive:

1) Our preaching is in vain (v.

14)

2) Our faith is in vain (v.

14)

3) The Apostles are liars (vv.

15-16)

4) Our forgiveness is a sham (v.

17)

5) Death is the end (v.

18)

Summary (v.

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

This is bad news.

If Jesus didn’t rise from the dead, we are wasting our lives!

My unbelieving friend is right!

But!

v. 20—But in fact Christ has been raised from the dead, the firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep.”

Because Jesus lives, the reverse of v. 19 is true.

Because Jesus lives, Christians are of all people most to be envied.

Because Jesus Lives...

Five Reasons Christians are the Most Enviable People in the Universe:

Christian: be encouraged!

Don’t be ashamed to call yourself a Christian, to be involved in a local church, etc.

Not a Christian: come to Christ!

Talk to someone at the white flag after the service.

1) We Have An Unstoppable MISSION

Everybody wants their lives to matter for something, to be involved in a noble mission that’s bigger than them.

Christians are the most enviable people in the universe because we have an unstoppable mission.

v.14a—And if Christ has not been raised, then our preaching is in vain...

Since Christ has been raised, our preaching isn’t in vain.

It matters.

It’s effective.

It’s unstoppable.

Why should this matter to me, I’m not a preacher?

By “preaching,” Paul likely means more than merely the act of preaching a sermon at church.

He’s talking also about the content, the message that we proclaim.

Explain the Gospel (God, Man, Christ, Response)

Christian: you weren’t just saved from your sin.

You were given a mission to spread this good news!!!

It’s an unstoppable mission!!!

Matthew 16:18—“...I will build my church, and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it.”

I WILL -- not "I hope to" or "I want to"

GATES OF HELL -- we usually think of the church huddled in the corner, "it's a close one, but we're gonna survive" NO!!! --gates aren't offensive weapons, they're defensive weapons!!!

Jesus is going to use His church to make disciples of all nations.

He's going to get the glory forever and ever.

Not even Satan himself can stop it because God's work never fails.

The only question is what part will we play?

It was a baseball game for the history books.

On August 5, 2001, my beloved Cleveland Indians squared up against the unstoppable Seattle Mariners, a team that went on to win a MLB record 116 games.

For most of my life, Ohio sports have been mostly a bunch of loveable losers and that day looked no different.

The Indians were down 12-0 by the bottom of the 4th inning.

In the bottom of the 7th the Mariners still led 14-2.

But the Indians reminded us that the game's not over til it's over.

They scored 3 runs in the 7th, 4 in the 8th, and tied it up with 5 in the 9th.

Then in the bottom of the 11th inning, after back-to-back singles by Kenny Lofton and Omar Vizquel, Jolbert Cabrera hit a looper into left field allowing Lofton to score from second.

The Indians completed the most improbable comeback in baseball history.

Now if you were one of the lucky Cleveland Indians' fans in attendance that night at Jacobs' Field, for the first 6 1/2 innings you probably regretted choosing this game.

You might've even been tempted to leave the ballgame early, like many of the fans around you.

But if you left early you would've missed out one of the most exciting and improbable comebacks in sports' history.

If you could interview one of those fans who left before the comeback was complete, what do you think they'd say? "I had to work the next day!"

"I had no idea they would comeback!"

"If only there was some way I could've known the final score I would've stayed!!!"

Brothers, sisters, and friends, no matter how dark it looks around us now, we know the final score.

We know how this thing ends.

Jesus Christ may be ridiculed now, but He'll be glorified for the rest of eternity.

They may curse Him now, but they're call Him Lord later.