“The Resurrection Changes Everything” (1 Corinthians 15)
(Eastside; 4/20/14; Easter AM)
The resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead changes everything. Everything, and I mean everything, hangs or falls on whether or not Jesus of Nazareth died on a Roman cross, was buried, and then came to life again physically and bodily on the third day after his crucifixion.
For a few minutes this morning, I want us to reflect on the eternal significance of the resurrection of Jesus Christ from 1 Corinthians 15.
1. Without the resurrection we have no good news (gospel).
2. If there is no resurrection, then the apostolic witness and our Bible is all a fraud.
a. 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. For if the dead are not raised, then Christ has not been raised either. (1 Co. 15:15-16, NIV
3. If there is no resurrection, then Jesus himself was a fraud and his death had no lasting significance.
4. Without the resurrection we have no atonement for our sins.
a. And if Christ has not been raised, your faith is futile; you are still in your sins. (1 Co. 15:17, NIV)
b. He was delivered over to death for our sins and was raised to life for our justification. (Romans 4:25, NIV)
5. Without the resurrection we have no faith and my preaching is pointless.
a. And if Christ has not been raised, our preaching is useless and so is your faith. (1 Co. 15:14, NIV)
6. If there is no resurrection, then Jesus of Nazareth is dead. There is no kingdom of God now or in the future. There is no hope of return to Eden or of peace, justice, and righteousness in the world.
a. Then the end will come, when he hands over the kingdom to God the Father after he has destroyed all dominion, authority and power. For he must reign until he has put all his enemies under his feet. (1 Co. 15:24-25, NIV)
7. Without the resurrection there is no escape from the power of death and we have no hope beyond this life for ourselves or for those who have gone before us.
a. Then those also who have fallen asleep in Christ are lost. If only for this life we have hope in Christ, we are of all people most to be pitied. (1 Co. 15:18-19, NIV)
8. If there is no resurrection, then there is no good reason to place any moral restraints upon ourselves because there will be no judgment before God (Acts 17).
a. If the dead are not raised, "Let us eat and drink, for tomorrow we die." (1 Co. 15:32, NIV)
b. "Therefore since we are God's offspring, we should not think that the divine being is like gold or silver or stone-- an image made by human design and skill. In the past God overlooked such ignorance, but now he commands all people everywhere to repent. For he has set a day when he will judge the world with justice by the man he has appointed. He has given proof of this to everyone by raising him from the dead." (Acts 17:29-31, NIV)
9. If there is no resurrection, then there is no ultimate answer for the power of sin and its penalty of death. Death is the victor, and the grave is the final end of all people.
a. For he must reign until he has put all his enemies under his feet. The last enemy to be destroyed is death. (1 Co. 15:25-26, NIV)
b. "Where, O death, is your victory? Where, O death, is your sting?" The sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the law. But thanks be to God! He gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ. (1 Co. 15:55-57, NIV)
10. If there is no resurrection, then all of our labors and hardships, for the Lord or even for ourselves, have no lasting value or significance.
a. And as for us, why do we endanger ourselves every hour? I face death every day-- yes, just as surely as I boast about you in Christ Jesus our Lord. If I fought wild beasts in Ephesus with no more than human hopes, what have I gained? If the dead are not raised, "Let us eat and drink, for tomorrow we die." (1 Co. 15:30-32, NIV)
Listen, I tell you a mystery: We will not all sleep, but we will all be changed--in a flash, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, the dead will be raised imperishable, and we will be changed. (1 Co. 15:51-52, NIV)
Main Idea: The resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead is the most important event in the history of the world. It therefore orients everything around it. In faith our lives must be oriented around the glorious gospel of Jesus Christ. The resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead changes everything.
And if Christ has not been raised, your faith is futile; you are still in your sins. (1 Co. 15:17, NIV) If only for this life we have hope in Christ, we are of all people most to be pitied. But Christ has indeed been raised from the dead, the firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep. (1 Co. 15:19-20, NIV) 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. (1 Co. 15:58, NIV)
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