The Resurrection Driven Life

Introduction

Good morning. Every once in a while in life you reach a win-win situation. Oftentimes I’m not faced with those, but this morning I think I have been given that opportunity. Adam Willingham was the preach before you, and if the sermon goes badly, then it was indeed Adam Willingham who preached this morning. If it goes, well, my name is Greg Klein, and I gave you this message. If you go open your Bibles to 1 Corinthians chapter 15, Paul makes a very strong point in this chapter about something that, as basic and fundamental to our faith as it is, I find that we might, just might under sell the value, the importance, and the emphasis that should be given. So what Paul talks about here in 1 Corinthians chapter 15.

If you look at verse 3, what was read to start our service this morning, in 1 Corinthians chapter 15 and verse 3, for I delivered to you as of first importance what I also received, that Christ died for our sins in accordance with the scriptures, that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day in accordance with the scriptures, and that he appeared to Cephas, then to the twelve. If you notice what Paul says here, if you’re a Christian or you’re considering being a Christian, look closely at verse three. Look at the strong language there. For I delivered to you as of firstance. Does it have your attention? Let’s see what is of first importance. That Christ died for our sins in accordance with the scriptures, that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day, in accordance with the scriptures.

So much of what we do today revolves around Christ’s death. We sing songs that are that the premise is about Christ dying for us. We consistently and constantly talk about how Christ died for us, and we talk about how Christ lived. Excuse me, one moment. Is this me or? Okay, let’s see. Let’s try this. There we go. We’ll try that. We consistently talk to people about how Christ lived, how he was born of Mary, and the remarkable story of Christ’s birth, even. We talk about all the scriptures that were fulfilled with his birth, with his life, and certainly we emphasize, and rightfully so, his death. But can I suggest to you this morning, if that is the beginning, middle, and end of what we share with people, with what we share within ourselves and motivate ourselves with, we are wrong.

1. The Resurrection Is of First Importance

And our faith is in vain. Because if the story ends with Christ’s death, we are in the same predicament we were to start. Christ’s resurrection holds the key. Christ’s resurrection is our hope. It is the very essence of our faith, something that without which Paul says later in 1 Corinthians chapter 15, our faith would be in vain. It would be futile. It would be worthless. And so I want to make an obvious point to begin this morning’s lesson that the resurrection is of first importance. If I ask you, does it matter? At first glance, you would say, well, of course it matters. Come on, man. Of course it matters. But I would suggest to you to think about what do you consider when you think about Christ?

When you think about his life, when you think about his death, do you focus on the cruel crucifixion? Because he did undergo quite a cruel death. In fact, even a cruel life. Do you think about that? Do you consider that moving past that though, he died. He was in the tomb. And yet he was raised out of it. Christ came from the dead back to life, something that he could do. Something that he had to do to free us from the bondage of death. We celebrate Christ’s death. We wear crosses. Have you seen those? People wear crosses. Some churches have them outside of their buildings. I’ll tell you, I don’t see a lot of people walking around with empty tombs around their necklace, around their neck.

Do you? And yet the empty tomb is what the basis of our faith is predicated upon. Yes, Jesus had to die, and yes, it fulfilled Scripture, but he was raised. What does Paul say in verses 3 and 4 in accordance with the scriptures? So the empty tomb is of just as much importance, if not more, than his very death. So we would do well to focus on that facet of his life, that is his second coming in our form. But to understand the importance of the resurrection, I think we would do well to understand what the Bible says about it, and in fact, what it would mean if we took away the resurrection. Can I suggest to you just a few thoughts on if the resurrection did not happen?

First of all, and most importantly, it voids our salvation. Second of all, it denies and inherently destroys the credibility of the Bible itself. Because after all, the Bible is littered with men teaching and the very resurrection of Jesus Himself. And if that event did not happen, this Bible that we hold to, this Bible that we wish to obey because we acknowledge it is the inspired word of the one true and living God is not true. If you all look with me in Acts chapter 2, I want you to see what the New Testament people, what the Christians, what those who are studying, what the apostles who were teaching, what their focus was on in their teaching of Christ. Look with me in verse 22 of Acts chapter 2.

If you have your Bible, open it with me to the book of Acts. We’re going to go through several passages in the next few minutes. Look with me, starting in Acts chapter 2 and verse 22. Peter says, Men of Israel, hear these words. Jesus of Nazareth, a man attested to you by God with mighty works and wonders and signs that God did through him in your midst, as you yourselves know. This Jesus delivered up according to the definite plan and foreknowledge of God, you crucified and killed by the hands of lawless men. God raised him up, loosing the pangs of death, because it was not possible for him to be held by it. Yes, Peter emphasizes Christ’s death, but what else does he do? He emphasizes Christ being raised, being raised by God.

Look at verse 29. Brothers, I may say to you with confidence about the patriarch David, that he both died and was buried in and his tomb is with us to this day. Being therefore a prophet, and knowing that God had sworn with an oath to him that he would set one of his descendants on his throne, he foresaw and spoke about the resurrection of the Christ. That he was not abandoned to Hades, nor did his flesh see corruption. This Jesus God raised up, and of all that, we are witnesses. Being therefore exalted at the right hand of God, having received from the Father the promise of the Holy Spirit, he has poured out this that you yourselves are seeing and hearing. That sermon’s probably not enough to sway you, persuade you.

Look with me in Acts chapter 3. Look at me in Acts chapter 3 and verse 17. And now, brothers, I know that you acted in ignorance, as did also your rulers. But what God foretold by the mouth of all the prophets that his Christ would suffer, he thus fulfilled. What is he talking about? Look back at verse 13. The God of Abraham, the God of Isaac and the God of Jacob, the God of our fathers, glorified his servant Jesus, whom you delivered over and denied in the presence of Pilate when he had decided to release him, but you denied the holy and righteous one, and asked for a murderer to be granted to you, and you killed the author of life, whom God raised from the dead.

To this we are witnesses. Now look with me in Acts chapter 4.

Let it be known to all of you and to all the people of Israel that by the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, whom you crucified, whom God raised from the dead. By him this man is standing before you well. This Jesus is the stone that was rejected by you, the builders which has become the cornerstone, and there is salvation in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved. Do you see?

Notice with me, though, someone else who talked about this. Look with me in Acts chapter 7, beginning in verse 51. What was Stephen’s message? I encourage you to consider before we read this passage. Why was he stoned? What did Stephen say that was so utterly terrible and unfathomable or unfavorable to those people who stoned him, that they had to put him to death almost immediately? In Acts chapter 7, beginning in verse 51. You stiff-necked people, uncircumcised in heart and ears, you always resist the Holy Spirit as your fathers did, so do you. It’s probably not a good message to people who control your faith. Which of the prophets did your fathers not persecute? And they killed those who announced beforehand the coming of the righteous one, whom you have now betrayed and murdered.

You received, you who received the law as delivered by angels and did not keep it. Now when they heard these things, they were enraged and they ground their teeth at him. But he, full of the Holy Spirit, gazed into heaven and saw the glory of God, and Jesus standing at the right hand of God. And he said, Behold, I see the heavens opened, and the Son of Man standing at the right hand of God. It was Christ. He claimed to see Christ. In fact, I believe, because the scriptures say he did, that he did, in fact, see Christ at the right hand of God. And notice verse 57, but they cried out with a loud voice and stopped their ears and rushed together at him. What was the final straw?

What pushed it over the edge? Look again at verse 56. And he said, Behold, I see the heavens open and the Son of Man standing at the right hand of God. That pushed them over the limit. That which Stephen knew was of importance. Stephen was revealed to see what? That Christ was risen at the right hand of God. See, because the people knew if Christ was at the right hand of God, if that was true, if Christ had risen not only from the dead, but up to the right hand of God, he was Jehovah’s Son. They did crucify the Christ that Peter said it was. They did crucify the Christ that the apostles were consistently jailed, tortured, and beaten for teaching about. And that has serious implications on not only their lives, but I tell you this morning, our lives as well.

You see, the passages continue. In Acts chapter 10, you notice in verses 39 through 41, Peter is teaching Cornelius, our Gentile convert about the resurrection of Christ. Look at Acts chapter 10 and verse 39. I can hear you turning there. And we are witnesses of all that he did, both in the country of the Jews and in Jerusalem. So he’s telling about his life. They put him to death by hanging him on a tree. They’re telling about his death, Peter is. But God raised him on the third day and made him to appear, not to all the people, but to us who had been chosen by God as witnesses, who ate and drank with him after he rose from the dead. The messages are inseparable. I know we combine them and we we talk about Jesus.

We are inherently talking about his life, including his birth, his death through crucifixion, and we think of his burial and resurrection, but we must never unlink those.

So if you keep reading in Acts, you’ll find yet another time in Acts chapter 13, and over and over again, you will see this teaching of the resurrection of the Christ. Why? Because it’s so important. It is that critical. It is that crucial. But to understand the importance, not by my words or by my emphasis or by my maniacal screaming at you. Look with me in 1 Corinthians chapter 15. First Corinthians chapter 15 and verse 15. What did we read several times this morning? For I delivered to you as of first importance. What I also received. What was that again? That Christ died for our sins in accordance with the scriptures, number one. Verse 4, that he was buried, number two, and number three, that he was raised on the third day in accordance with the scriptures.

You see, there’s our theme. You want to know what the Bible is about, what the Bible leads to, what the climax of the biblical story is. It’s Christ coming. All those prophecies fulfilled, the scriptures being fulfilled. What did verse 3 say? Christ died in accordance with the scriptures. Verse 4, and he was raised on the third day in accordance with the scriptures. It’s our biblical theme death, burial, and resurrection. But now look down at verse 14 in 1 Corinthians chapter 15. 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. Do you think about that? Consider that for a moment. Read with me again. Verse 16 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. Imagine a life where you are still in your sins and you are stuck. There is nowhere to go, there is no way out, because that’s where we were. We had nowhere to turn. We had no place to go, but Christ died, and he was resurrected from the dead because God raised him up, and that was God’s plan of salvation for us to accept.

But if that is untrue, if you don’t consider that, if you don’t make it of the utmost importance in your life, the first importance, as Paul suggests that it is. What are you doing with God’s plan? What have you done with your salvation? The ability to be with God forever that He has so graciously offered to us. The resurrection is for everything that we do. Without it, the apostles’ teaching is worthless. Without it, the Holy Bible that we read is nothing. Our faith is in vain, and we are stuck in our sins. Think in your mind with me. What is the wages of sin? What are the wages of sin? It is death. Without Christ’s resurrection, there is no hope. Everyone in this room is dead.

2. Have You Considered Your Resurrection?

And you’d be stuck that way. But the beauty is that’s not what happened. The beauty is what Paul is reasoning, is that not only is that wrong, and its conclusions are terrible, and they lead to terribly drastic wrong conclusions, but you can be saved if you take advantage, if you recognize and confess that Jesus is Lord and was raised from the dead. But I want to ask you something this morning instead, moving on to a second point. Have you considered your resurrection? Have you ever considered that part of Christ’s resurrection and part of the great plan of God is that because of that, we need to consider our own resurrection. I started this morning after moving on from a joke that failed badly. I I considered with you how much do we actually think about the resurrection?

Do we think about that facet? Do we emphasize that portion of Christ’s life in a proper way? Do we give it enough emphasis? But I gotta tell you, as little as we might think about that, or as much as we do, I think, at least in my life, I think about my own resurrection even less. Do you know that we are all appointed for a resurrection if you follow Christ? Do you know that there is eternity in heaven or hell, whether or not you follow Christ? Look at me in 1 Corinthians chapter 15. Go way down to verse 45. First Corinthians chapter 15, beginning in verse 45. Listen carefully. Thus it is written, the first man Adam became a living being. The last Adam became a life-giving spirit, but it is not the spiritual that is first, but the natural and then the spiritual.

The first man was from the earth, a man of dust. The second man is from heaven. As was the man of dust, so also are those who are of the dust, and as is the man of heaven, so also are those who are of heaven. Just as we have borne the image of the man of dust, we shall also bear the image of the man of heaven. I tell you this, brothers, flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God, nor does the perishable inherit the imperishable. Behold, I tell you a mystery. We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed. In a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet, for the trumpet will sound, and the dead will be raised imperishable, and we shall be changed.

For this perishable body must put on the imperishable, and this mortal body must put on immortality. When the perishable puts on the imperishable, and the mortal puts on immort immortality, then shall come to pass the saying that is written, death is swallowed up in victory. O death, where is your victory? O death, where is your sting? The sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the law, but thanks be to God who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ. What is the victory? A resurrection of a new body. We can take on the form of the man of heaven. Because after all, the perishable cannot inherit the imperishable. We must change. We must be different. And that has strong implications on our faith.

Notice with me that Paul doesn’t waver in this understanding of the resurrection. He doesn’t consider to himself, well, I might be like this. Or, you know, it might go like that. But he has an unwavering faith, an unwavering hope, an unwavering expectation that he will and must change to inherit the kingdom of God. If you wish to seek the kingdom of God, you must have that certainty. Because if you don’t have that certainty, do you have a true, acceptable, loving faith in God? If you cannot say that I know this is coming because God has said it is so, I know that I have done what God has said, and because God’s grace is so powerful and so more mighty than me, by God’s grace I can be in heaven.

Because of him, because of his covenant that he has offered us, that new covenant prophesied of in Jeremiah chapter 31, built on the better promises that he would forgive our iniquities and remember our sins no more. You can have that hope. We must, though, have that faith. Look in Philippians chapter 3. Grab your Bibles again. We’re going to look at two passages quickly. Philippians chapter 3. Notice the strong language Paul uses in verse 12. Not that I have already obtained this or I’m already perfect, but I press on to make it my own because Christ Jesus has made me his own. Brothers, I do not consider that I have made it my own, but one thing I do, forgetting what lies behind, and straining forward to what lies ahead, I press on towards the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus.

He was certain of the prize. He had this expectation that he knew where he was going and where that path would lead and end. He knew it. Now look at 2 Timothy chapter 2. Towards the end of his life. How did he live? Was he fearful? Was he excited? What was the state? 2 Timothy chapter 4 and verse 6, for I am already being poured out as a drink offering, and the time of my departure has come. I have fought the good fight. I have finished the race. I have kept the faith. Hence therefore is laid up for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord the righteous judge will award to me on that day, and not only to me, but also to all who have loved his appearing.

Have you loved the appearing of Christ? Do you love him? Do you love what he has done? Do you recognize that God demonstrated his own love towards us? And that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us, Romans chapter 5 and verse 8. You may be thinking it’s easy for Paul to make that assertion. It’s easy for Paul to understand this because after all, he was an apostle. He was guided by the Holy Spirit. I tell you, that’s not why he was confident. He didn’t have confidence because the Spirit had revealed it to him because of his keen insight. He had confidence because he was a Christian and he understood what the power of the resurrection was. Yes, he had the Spirit revealed, but if you say that Paul only understood because he had the Spirit revealed to him, you have the Spirit revealed to you too, because you have the very words of Paul that he was inspired with.

There is no couching or hiding or being afraid of this truth. Paul understood that as a Christian, if Christ died, if he was buried, if he was resurrected, he could defeat death, and there was no way around it. If Christ could do it and he could be in Christ, he would have it too. Do you want the victory? Do you desire so earnestly to be with Christ that it changes you? Because if you consider the fact that we will be resurrected, you realize that this perishable body is of no worth. You want to talk about what is vain, what is futile, what is worthless, because Christ did die and Christ was resurrected. What is in vain is this body and this life. Sure, we dress it up nicer, we take it to church and an Easter and we match our wives because that’s what you’re supposed to do as a husband, and we do all these important things with the body.

I gotta tell you, when I proposed to Kashka, I think she would have been a little bit upset if I got down on one knee. I had this beautiful ornate box in my hand, and I opened it up, and there was a gum wrapper twisted in a circle. You see, we do that when we take our bodies and we dress them up and we focus so much time on them. We dress the package and not the essence. The essence is that God has already done the heavy lifting. Jesus died and was broken, broke the pangs of death by being raised from the dead. The choice is do you want to live for it? Who are you investing in? The perishable body, or are you living with the imperishable eternity with God in your heart?

Because if you’re not thinking about it, I gotta tell you, it’s gotta be pretty difficult for you to be doing it. You may not be limited by me, but I’m oftentimes limited by if I’m not thinking about it, I’m probably not doing it. Especially if it’s not natural or basic to my understanding as a person. And so then that leaves the challenge for us of do you live a resurrection driven life? Has the resurrection not only changed what you acknowledge, what you confess before men, but the very essence of your being. The inside of the container, your soul. Has it changed? Your priorities. I’m aware of the future resurrection. And I think everyone in this room is now. If you weren’t before, I think you are now as well.

3. A Resurrection Driven Life

Question is, how much has that knowledge changed you? Because I think it should be drastic, don’t you? Look at me in Galatians chapter 2 and verse 20. Final point this morning, so follow me just a little bit more in the word of God. Galatians chapter 2 and verse 20. Galatians chapter 2 and verse 20. Notice what Paul says. He says, I have been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me and the life I now live in the flesh. I live by faith in the Son of God who loves me and gave himself for me. Look in Colossians chapter 3. Look at Colossians chapter 3 and verse 3. Listen closely. For you have died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God.

We die. And we’re with Christ. But there’s more to it than that. Look at the beginning of Colossians chapter 3, beginning in verse 1. You want to know a little bit more about this imperishable entity? If then you have been raised with Christ, seek the things that are above. Where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. Set your minds on things that are above, not on things that are on earth, for you have died, and your life is hidden with Christ and God. When Christ, who is your life, appears, then you will also appear with him in glory. That’s the hope. That’s the challenge. That’s the race to run. Paul said, I have kept the faith. I have finished the race. What race are you running?

Are you running a resurrection-driven race? Or are you simply trying to die as Christ died? I think this bears its head several ways in our life. But I gotta tell you, one of the hardest things I think as a Christian is putting on that new man that Colossians chapter 3 continues on to discuss a little bit. It’s easy to put put down some of our sinful habits because we recognize that is wrong, that is vile, that is worthy of death, that sin in our life. But I’ll tell you what’s really difficult, what’s really hard is putting on those new things, living for the imperishable body. I gotta tell you, Christ died. That was not easy. But he knew the plan. He submitted his will so entirely to God that he trusted him.

And that it wasn’t just a trust, it wasn’t just a word, but he believed in him. And he did it. He did what God’s will for him was. And if you see the resurrection, if you understand that God has offered this all to you, this great salvation, remember a few minutes ago, if Christ has not been raised from the dead, you are stuck in your sins, but you can come out. You can be freed from it. Be freed. Obey God this day. Live a resurrection driven life. But look with me at one more passage in Romans chapter six. How are we raised, Paul? How do we come up? How does the resurrection change us now? Look in Romans chapter 6. How do we die with Christ?

How do we live? Because I gotta tell you, we’re still here, right? What body are we living for? How do we do it? What is going on? So many questions. Romans chapter 6, beginning in verse 6. 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. What is this in the context of? Look with me in verse 4. 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 uness of life.

For if we have been united with him in a death like this, we shall certainly be united with him in a resurrection like his. We know that our old self was crucified with him, and whether the body of sin might be brought to nothing. How do you do it? How do you be crucified with Christ? How do you be resurrected, be raised up, even the same language from the same writer? Paul uses here. You are baptized, verse 4. We were buried, therefore with him by baptism into death. And until someone presents another way that you can come into the death, burial, and resurrection of Christ, baptism is what you must do. That is what the word of God says. Christ died. He was buried. And it was awful.

Conclusion

And it was horrible. But moreover, he was raised from the dead. Do you have the faith to follow? Do you have the faith to be raised and live a resurrection driven life? Please pray with me this morning before being dismissed for Bible class. Our dear God, you are the one true living Jehovah God. We come to you, O God, begging for your mercy. Please be merciful to us as sinners. Help us to recognize that you have done so much for us. You’ve designed this world and given us dominion over it. We have sinned against you, and you have given us the remedy through your Christ, your beloved Son. Help us to believe. Help us to have faith. Help us to act on that belief and faith that you have presented for us.

You’ve given us the word, you have given us the hope. You have given us the surroundings. Help us to see you. Help us to live for you. And help us to combat successfully your evil adversary and our adversary, the devil. Forgive us when we do wrong. Help us to pursue the holiness that you seek for us. And help us finally to be holy, for you are holy. We pray all this in your Son, the resurrected Christ’s name. Amen. We’re now dismissed the Bible class.