Resurrection Power

Introduction:

1. Today is April 2, and the RCC world holds Easter April 16; this sermon has nothing to do with that.
2. Yesterday in VA we buried a friend of the church that causes us to consider death and resurrection.
3. Death is certain, as a Proverb last week indicated about room at the cemetery (Prov 30:15-16 here).
4. Today we observe the Lord’s Supper, which requires Christ’s resurrection and promises our own.
5. We recently studied John 5, where Jesus declared His power of life by His voice (John 5:21-29).
6. We need the house of mourning to appreciate the incredible, unhindered power of life in Christ.
7. Our religion knows the cause of death, the cure for death, and the end of death – the resurrection.
8. Brethren, if in this life only we have hope in Christ, we are the most miserable of all (I Cor 15:19).
9. The historical record is sufficient that Jesus Christ lived, died, and rose from the dead (sample here).
10. You sitting and breathing right now is evidence of the gift of life from the Almighty Source of life.
11. Death is only a clothespin away – for your breath, and thus your life, is in your nostrils (Isaiah 2:22).
12. You should come away from this simple study and preaching with favorite, faith-building verses.
13. Children are taught insanity by insane adults with transformers, etc. … ignoring true transformation.
14. We marvel about birth, and rightly so, but be honest, it is truly reproduction, what of resurrection?!
15. Our hope is in Christ’s resurrection power, for by faith we believe His love and commitment to us.

The LORD Jehovah is Life

1. His name, I AM THAT I AM, gloriously declares His independent, self-existent life.
2. He swears about His eternal life (Deut 32:40), and He swears by it as well (Nu 14:21).
3. The Lord Jesus Christ, glorified for 2000 years, declares the same truth (Rev 1:17-18).

Resurrection = Life, Death, Life Again

1. God breathed into man’s nostrils the breath of life to give life originally (Genesis 2:7).
2. At death He takes the spirit back, which leaves the body dead (Eccl 3:19-21; 12:7).
3. When He rejoins the spirit to the body, it is a resurrection (Lu 8:55; I Kgs 17:21-22).

What is the gospel?

1. It is the scriptural and historical record of Jesus Christ’s resurrection (I Cor 15:1-10).
2. Paul’s first sentence of his first epistle connects gospel and resurrection (Rom 1:1-7).
3. Paul appealed to this given fact of the gospel to prove our resurrection (I Thess 4:14).
4. The resurrection of Jesus Christ gave the gospel a hopeful message to us (I Peter 1:3).

Notice the apostolic prerequisite!

1. Each had to be an eyewitness of the Lord’s resurrection to be an apostle (Acts 1:22).
2. Paul became an apostle later, but he also saw the resurrected Christ (I Cor 9:1; 15:8).

Notice the apostolic emphasis!

1. The book of Acts shows it (1:22; 2:24,30-32; 3:15,26; 4:2,33; 5:30; 10:40; 13:30,33-34,37; 17:18,31-32; 23:6; 24:15,21; 26:8,23).
2. It is the scriptural and historical record of Jesus Christ’s resurrection (I Cor 15:1-10).

Heretics corrupt it many different ways!

1. Heresy, which is a doctrinal lie, clearly comes from the devil, who has no hope at all!
2. The Sadducees rejected the idea of a spirit, resurrection, or even angels (Acts 23:8).
3. Greek philosophers in Athens mocked Paul’s doctrine of resurrection (Acts 17:18,32).
4. Early preterists said that the resurrection was past denying the faith (II Tim 2:15-18).
5. Evolutionists, atheists, pagans – often overlap – are ignorant of life, death, and life!
6. We must never compromise it, and stressing the figure of baptism is part of doing so.

Our ancient brother Job knew it!

1. He had confidence in his Redeemer and the resurrection of his body (Job 19:25-27).
2. He saw the total restoration of his anatomy after death – skin, body, flesh, eyes, etc.
3. Interpretation: like Job, Martha had no hope now but a sure one later (John 11:23-24).

Our brother David knew it!

1. David saw resurrection as satisfaction against prosperity of the wicked (Ps 17:14-15).
2. David countered the prosperity and folly of the wicked by his resurrection (Ps 49:15).
3. Asaph was no different – rejecting ease of the wicked for his future glory (Ps 73:24).
4. Though Jesus by prophecy – He gave us a perfect example (Ps 16:8-11; Acts 2:25-28).

Baptist baptism is resurrection cubed!

1. Baptist baptism figuratively illustrates death and resurrection (Rom 6:3-5; Col 2:12).
2. Immersion in water and rising again is a figure of our Lord’s resurrection (I Pet 3:21).
3. Immersion in water and rising again is a figure of our future resurrection (I Co 15:29).
4. Burial in water and rising again is a figure of a resurrected life (Ro 6:1-13; Col 3:1-4).
5. Confused Christians that corrupt baptism (95%), become good Baptists in a cemetery!
6. For much more about water baptism.

Resurrection teaches regeneration!

1. The same power that resurrected our Jesus brought you to faith (Eph 1:19-20; 2:1-6).
2. Regeneration or being born again is life a second time or second way (Jn 3:5; Tit 3:5).
3. The first resurrection saves from the second death (Rev 20:6,15; Ep 2:1-7; John 5:25).

We reject cremation!

1. As the nation exalts humanistic atheism and paganism, more than half are cremated.
2. Cremation comes from the most irreligious nations on earth e.g. Japan, India, etc.
3. Burial in the Bible was done regardless of cost or effort, contrary to the selfish today.
4. Jesus died for the body, and He will raise the body, so we lay it to rest (I Cor 6:13-20).
5. We defy and separate from false religion by our great scriptural hope (II Cor 6:14-18).
6. For much more truth about cremation.

We face death confidently!

1. Resurrection power will mock death and grave (I Cor 15:54-57; Is 25:8; Hos 13:14).
2. Paul, the apostle of the Gentiles, preferred to die than to live (Phil 1:23; II Cor 5:8).

You have another body!

1. Paul knew, groaned, and was confident by truth and earnest of the Spirit (II Co 5:1-9).
2. Your body dissolves slowly every day toward its death, but be confident (II Co 5:1-8).
3. Jesus will use His unlimited power to change your vile body to be like His (Phil 3:21).

Key verses of I Cor 15!

1. 2 … the resurrection must be kept in memory or we lose much of practical salvation.
2. 6 … Jesus visited quite a church service with over 500 brethren present at one time.
3. 14 … preaching and faith are both in vain if Jesus Christ did not rise from the dead.
4. 19 … the Christian life emphasizes the future over this world by resurrection (Eccl 2:17).
5. 22 … all in Adam die (babies); all in Christ live (Rom 5:12-14); how do we get in Christ?
6. 29 … the Mormons, Catholics, and Protestants do not have a clue about this simple verse.
7. 33 … evil communications here is not peer pressure at school but resurrection heresy.
8. 35 … skeptical questions about the resurrection are asked by fools; be a wise man.
9. 37 … burial is a planting of a seed that will bring forth a body far different than the seed.
10. 43 … our new bodies will be glorious indeed with great power that we do not know now.
11. 51 … the mystery that the world knows nothing about is that our bodies will be changed.
12. 52 … Christ’s power is so great that He can and will change all bodies instantaneously.
13. 55 … Death and grave can be mocked, but the world fears death and cemeteries wisely.
14. 57 … Jesus won the victory by laying down His in death first and rising again before us.
15. 58 … this doctrine should change lives to selflessly and sacrificially serve the church.

Resurrection means death is sleep!

1. Throughout the Bible, the state of death of the body is sleep (I Kgs 1:21; 2:10; Matt 27:52; John 11:11-13; Acts 7:60; 13:36; I Cor 15:6,18; I Thess 4:13-15; II Pet 3:4).
2. This sleep does not apply to the spirit, which goes to God wide awake (Heb 12:22-24).

Christ’s power will raise the dead first!

1. Worry about those in cemeteries is foolish – Christ raises them first (I Thess 4:15-17).
2. Death and burial are no hindrance at all to the life-giving voice of the Son of God.

Life is vain insanity without the resurrection!

1. Solomon said it was vain; he tried more pleasure than you imagine (Ec 1:14; 2:17).
2. Solomon contrasted the ambitions of the righteous and wicked (Pr 10:28; 11:7; 14:32).

Resurrection Power!

1. Resurrection power made the God of Abraham to Moses (Exodus 3:6; Matt 22:31-33).
2. The resurrection saves from ignorant hopelessness and gives comfort (I Thes 4:13-18).
3. Jesus comforted and questioned Martha about His resurrection power (John 11:23-27).
4. Miracles were performed in Jesus’ name, with resurrection power (Ac 3:6; 9:40; etc.).
5. The resurrection of Jesus adds to His saving power (Rom 8:34; 5:10; Heb 7:23-25), for His priesthood is unlike any mortal priest before Him (Heb 7:14-18).
6. Jesus is the first to rise … firstfruits … others will follow (Ac 26:23; I Cor 15:20-23).
7. Jesus will not lose one the Father gave Him, but will raise all up (John 6:39-40,44,54).
8. Paul sought the power of His resurrection experimentally and to come (Phil 3:10-11).
9. Life’s trials are overcome by faith in resurrection power (II Cor 4:8-14; Rom 8:17-25).

Conclusion:

1. He can resurrect you or your life in so many different ways, if you will believe, call, and obey Him!
2. Have you believed on the Lord Jesus Christ with repentance and sincerity (Jn 6:40,44,54; 11:25-26)?
3. Your life should show the resurrection power of Christ to make all things new by your new man!
4. Do you live with great confidence about dying in the Lord sufficiently to mock death as Paul did?

For Further Study:

1. Resurrection Chapter:  I Corinthians 15.
2. Exposition: II Corinthians 5.
3. Exposition: I Thessalonians 4.
4. The Resurrection and the Life (John chapter 11)
5. This Day Have I Begotten Thee.
6. Death Declared, Defied, and Destroyed.
7. Eternal Life Is a Gift.
8. He Ascended Up on High.
9. Baptism Babel – Corruption of I Peter 3:21.
10. Cremation – Should Christians Copy Hindus? 
11. Baptism for the Dead (greater detail).