Negative And Positive Consequences Of The Resurrection Series

NEGATIVE AND POSITIVE CONSEQUENCES OF THE RESURRECTION

1 CORINTHIANS 15:12-28.

INTRODUCTION: As you can see on the PowerPoint slide behind me, the gospel is not the gospel if the resurrection is removed. The resurrection of Christ is key to our continued existence as a church. Without the resurrection, just as the gospel ceases to be the gospel, so the church ceases to be the church.

Paul was very concerned that the Corinthian church got it straight. The resurrection was foundational to the church, foundational to Christian teaching, foundational to our future hope, foundational to the teaching of the apostles, and foundational to the future ministry of the body of Christ.

In the passage we have before us today, Paul looks and develops the negative consequences of the resurrection, or should we say the consequences of not having a resurrection. Afterwards, Paul then shares with us the positive consequences of the resurrection, or the consequences of having a resurrection.

I The Consequences Of Denying The Resurrection

A Denying the resurrection contradicts the entire gospel message.

1 Gospel includes the death of Jesus Christ

a Death was the payment for our sin

b Death was the transfer of our sin on to Christ

2 Gospel includes the burial

a We do not know all that Jesus did during those three days in the tomb, but we know some.

1 Peter 3:18-20 For Christ died for sins once for all, the righteous for the unrighteous, to bring you to God. He was put to death in the body but made alive by the Spirit,

19 through whom also he went and preached to the spirits in prison

20 who disobeyed long ago when God waited patiently in the days of Noah while the ark was being built. In it only a few people, eight in all, were saved through water,

b We do know that those three days were ordained by God the Father

3 Gospel includes the resurrection

a Resurrection proclaims God¡¦s satisfaction

b Resurrection proclaims our victory over death

c Resurrection proclaims the validity of Christ¡¦s claims

B Denying the Resurrection denies Doctrine of the gospel message

1 Without the resurrection everything every pastor who believes in the resurrection teaches is based on a lie

2 Every apostle of Christ who taught was a liar

3 The basis of the Christian faith is a lie

a Faith is built around a false premise

b Our faith is unprofitable to us

c Every Sunday we come to church all we are doing is perpetuating a lie

d We cause others and ourselves to miss out on life

1 Without the resurrection there is only the here and now to focus on

2 Without the resurrection there is no after life to be concerned with

a) No heaven to hope for

b) No Hell to fear for

4 We are left with a ¡§less than God¡¨ god

a He cannot raise Jesus even though he wants to ¡V less than all powerful god

b He will not raise Christ as he said he would ¡V a god who lies and is no better than us

C Denying the resurrection denies the atonement of Christ

1 Without the atonement, salvation is only an irrational state of mind.

a Like pink elephants

b Like green leprechauns

2 Without the Resurrection then Christ was put to death justly

a For his sins

b Our sins are left un atoned for ¡V we will still be judged

3 Without the Resurrection none have hope

a Those who died before died without hope

b Those who live and remain do so without hope

1 Hope is based on an unrisen Christ

2 Hope is based on a lie

3 We are in a pitiful condition ¡V like Linus VanPelt waiting for the great Pumpkin

NO ONE DIES TO PRESERVE A LIE ¡V YET ALL OF THE APOSTLES FACED THE CRUELEST OF DEATH RATHER THAN RENOUNCE THEIR FAITH IN CHRIST AND WHAT HE DID ON THE CROSS AND AFTER THE CROSS.

I have included a chart of what happened to the apostles. Each faced death for his belief in the resurrection. No one dies for a lie!

How Tradition Says the Apostles Died

As someone has correctly pointed out, hypocrites and martyrs are not made of the same stuff. Men may willingly die for what they believe to be true...even at times if what they believe is actually false. But no one will die willingly for something they know to be a lie!! Judas Iscariot, betrayer of Jesus, committed suicide. Only John, of the other 13 Apostles, did not die by homicide, a martyr.

Apostle Where

died When died Manner of Death

Peter (Simon Peter),

Bible writer Rome, Italy

(Nero) 54-68AD Homicide:

crucified head down,

at his own request