Because He Lives

1 Corinthians 15:1-15:8

Because He Lives!!!

I’d like to start this message off with a question; What’s your ambition in life?

Now, maybe it would be a good idea to define the word ambition in order to help you answer that question. Webster’s 9th New Collegiate Dictionary defines it this way;

Ambition ¡V an ardent desire for rank, fame or power ¡V the second definition is, the desire to achieve a particular end.

A very short boy wanted so badly to play basketball. He even told his dad that he wanted to become a pro when he was older. Knowing that his son would never be able to play the game, the dad asked the local coach if there was anything he could recommend to make the boy taller. ¡§You might take him down to the museum and put him on the old torture stretch rack,¡¨ the coach said. Several weeks later the coach asked the father if putting the boy on the stretch rack had helped. ¡§Well, it didn’t make him any taller, but he confessed to several things that I never knew he.¡¨

Our world is full of ambitious people we see them in the sports world, in entertainment, politics and business. People all around us are desiring to achieve a particular end; to move up in their company, to build a retirement, to save for college, to get that first car or home.

J Oswald Sanders says of ambition; ¡§Nothing is wrong in seeking great things. But it is wrong to seek great things for yourself¨

I’d like to show a video of man who had a great ambition ¡V and as you will quickly see this ambition had nothing to do with personal gain.

SHOW ¡V the video; ¡ Secret Ambition¡¨

(Michael W Smith)

PRAY

The title for our message today is BECAUSE He LIVES!!!! And our main text is 1 Corinthians 15:1-11

Now, brothers, I want to REMIND you of the gospel I preached to you, which you received and ON which you have taken your STAND. BY this gospel you are SAVED ¡V IF you hold firmly to the word I preached to you. Otherwise, you have believed in vain.

For what I received I passed on to you as of first importance, that Christ DIED for our sins according to the Scriptures, that He was BURIED, that He was RAISED on the third day according to the Scriptures, and that he appeared to Peter, and then to the twelve. After that he appeared to more than five hundred of the brethren at the same time, most of whom are still living, though some have fallen asleep. Then He appeared to James, then to all the apostles, and last of all He appeared to me also, as one abnormally born.¡¨

1 Cor 15:1-8

In those verses Paul reveals 2 of the 3 most important events in all of human history. And that what I want us to talk about today as we make our faith promise commitment. And we will be talking about them not in their order of importance but in order of their occurrence.

Event #1 is;

The DEATH of Jesus

IT WAS LATE FRIDAY AFTERNOON. HE HADN¡¦T SLEPT SINCE WEDNESDAY NIGHT. HE HAD BEEN BEATEN, WHIPPED, MOCKED, SPIT UPON AND HIS BEARD HAD BEEN RIPPED OUT BY THE HANDFUL.

THE MINISTRY THAT HE BEGAN JUST 3 YEARS EARLIER HAD REACHED IT¡¦S DRAMATIC CLIMAX.....

THE MISSION OF MANKIND¡¦S REDEMPTION, THAT WAS FORMED IN THE MIND OF GOD LONG BEFORE HE EVEN FORMED THE UNIVERSE WAS NOW UNFOLDING NEARING IT¡¦S COMPLETION.

AND AS JESUS HUNG ON THAT OLD RUGGED CROSS, SUSPENDED BETWEEN HEAVEN AND EARTH ALL OF CREATION WATCHED. AND AFTER 6 HOURS ON THE CROSS STRUGGLING JUST TO TAKE A BREATHE, GOD THE SON ROSE UP ON THOSE NAILS FOR THE LAST TIME AND SAID AS RECORDED BY THE APOSTLE JOHN IN HIS 19TH CHAPTER, "IT IS FINISHED!" AND HE BOWED HIS HEAD AND GAVE UP HIS SPIRIT...

THE PLAN WAS FULFILLED

THE MISSION WAS COMPLETE

THE DEBT HAD BEEN PAID

FREEDOM HAD BEEN WON

SIN HAD BEEN DEFEATED

MERCY HAD BEEN FOUND

ND GRACE IS NOW AVAILABLE

The great chasm of sin that had separated all men from God since the garden had been bridged by a wooden cross that is held by the back of Jesus.

Listen ¡V Jesus Christ was a very ambition man ¡V and the particular end he was desiring to achieve was to give His life away ¡V Why? so YOU could have life!

The second most important event in all of human history is;

The RESURRECTION Of Jesus

It was dark as they arose that Sunday morning... The two got up and put on their garments grabbed their spices and headed out on the dirt road that lead out of the city.