Living in the Power of the Resurrection
Have you invited someone to visit church with you only to be turned down for some excuse or other? Here are ten top reasons people give why they don’t go to church.
10 – Can’t find a polyester leisure suit to wear.
9 - Relate more to Rock Band and Any Grant than Handel and Bach type hymns.
8 - Would rather sleep in own bed than in the church pew chairs.
7 - Have not been invited.
6 - Already served time as a child
5 - Have a migraine headache
4 - Can only remember 5 commandments
3 - The weather is too nice
2 - I’m too stressed out and overbooked
1 - Number one reason people don’t go to church is …Because they haven’t tried Willow Vale Church
Last week end we celebrated Easter week-end with three performances of “Bow the Knee.” The musical drama ends with the song, “Celebrate the Victory, Jesus is alive!” This Sunday I want us to apply the message of Easter to our everyday lives, and discover how to live in the power of the resurrection.
Philippians 3:4-11 writes about living in the power of the resurrection. (Paraphrase)
“I followed the Law as well as anyone, and better than any of these false teachers. No one could have looked at any part of my life and accused me of breaking the law. I was, on those terms, perfect. But now I consider all that I did, all my accomplishments, all that striving to prove to God that I was good – I say, I consider all of that garbage, as worthless as manure, compared to the greatest thing of all: knowing Jesus Christ. Indeed, I have given up everything else so I might know him. Once I know him, I will be in him, I will be part of his body, and will be declared good by him, not because of anything I have done, but because I am identified with Christ Jesus.
“I want to know Christ and the power of his resurrection and the fellowship of sharing in this suffering, becoming like him in death, and so, somehow, to attain to the resurrection from the dead.”
Paul said, “I want to know Christ. I want to know the power of his resurrection.” Paul’s ultimate goal in life was to know Christ and know the power associated with Christ’s resurrection.”
In Christ’s last appearance he told his disciples to wait in Jerusalem until they were endued with power by being filled with the Holy Spirit. Waiting does not come easy for most of us. We want instant power and victory. We want microwave success not a long baking process.
Jesus had promised every believer power, the power of the resurrection. To receive the power they had to wait. In fact following the ascension of Christ into heaven they waited ten days in Jerusalem.
We will do anything to save time. When checking out at a store I always quickly count the number of people in line and go to the shortest line. When driving I always look for the shortest route.
Instead of waiting for the power of the Holy Spirit we grit our teeth and try to live the Christian life in our own power and fail. Living on our own strength is miserable and void of joy. The early Christians were characterized by being full of the Holy Spirit and joy.
When we yield to instant gratification we miss a lot. We often miss God’s best plan and have to settle for second best.
This story was written in a “Dear Abby” column in response to someone’s question. A young man from a wealthy family was about to graduate form high school. It was the custom in that affluent neighborhood for the parents to give the graduate an automobile. “Bill” and his father had spend months looking at cars, and the week before graduation, they found the perfect car. On the eve of his graduation, his father handed him a gift wrapped Bible. Bill was so angry that he threw the Bible down and stormed out of the house. He and his father never saw each other again. It was the news of his father’s death that brought Bill home again. As he sat one night going through his father’s possessions that he was to inherit, he came across the Bible his father had given him. He brushed away the dust and opened it he found a cashier’s check, dated the day of his graduation – in the exact amount of the car they had chosen together.
If Bill had only taken time to examine his new Bible, what a difference his taking time might have made. The scriptures say, “They that wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength, they shall mount up with wings of eagles, they shall run and not be weary, they shall walk and not faint.” Isaiah 40:31
The Psalmist said, “Be still and know that I am God.” Psalm 46:10
Just as physical strength does not come instantly, neither does spiritual strength. With Paul we can pray for patience to wait on the Lord so we can know Him and the power of His resurrection.
I want us to consider four aspects of Christ’s resurrection power.
1. The Power to Have Sins Forgiven.
It is through the death and resurrection of Jesus we have the forgiveness of sin and are free from the death grip of sin. Romans 4:25, “He/ Jesus was delivered over to death because of our sins, and raised to life because of our justification.” “Justification” means that when you are forgiven God looks at you just as if you had never sinner. You are justified.
Christ died and became our sacrifice for our sins. When Jesus died God laid on him the iniquity and sins of us all; Jesus took on Himself the punishment that we deserve. When Jesus rose from the dead he demonstrated once and for all that His sacrifice is all that is necessary to pay the penalty for sin.
Whenever the Devil tempts you and says, “God could never forgive you for what you have done. You are a terrible person. You are defeated.” You can respond to the Devil, “Jesus rose from the dead. The resurrection of Jesus proves He has the power to forgive sin. I have put my faith in Jesus and am justified. I am righteous now in the sight of God.
The sacrifice of Jesus on the cross and the power of the resurrection give us the assurance of having our sins forgiven.
Charles Wesley has written:
He/Jesus breaks the power of canceled sin
He sets the prisoner free;
His blood can make the foulest clean;
His blood availed for me.
We also sing: “What can wash away my sins, nothing but the blood of Jesus.”
The resurrection of Jesus not only gives the assurance Jesus has the power to forgive sin it also announces Jesus has the power to conquer sin.
II. The Power to Conquer Sin
The resurrection power of Jesus doesn’t end with the forgiveness of sins. Christ’s resurrection power also empowers us to conquer sin and temptation in our lives. Ephesians 4:24 Paul says, “…put on the new self, created to be like God in true righteousness and holiness.” II Corinthians 5:17 “If any one is in Christ that person is a new creation, a new person in Christ, the old has passed away, everything has become new.”
The resurrection power of Jesus is available to give us victory over temptation, “No temptation has seized you except what is common to man. And God is faithful; he will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted, he will also provide a way out so that you can stand up under it.” I Corinthians 10:13
In Christ we are a new creation; his Spirit lives within us. We have been renewed, we have a new self – and the purpose of that new self is to be conformed to the image of Christ, to become like him; truly righteous, truly holy – to become what God intends his creation to be!
Paul asks in Romans 6:1 “Why do some of you continue to yield to temptation and go on sinning?” Paul says as a new creature in Christ we have become dead to sin and alive to God through the resurrection power of Jesus Christ. Romans 6:4 In Philippians Paul gives the answer as to why believers fail to live a life of victory over temptation: Because they don’t know the power! The resurrection power is available, but people continue to act as if they are weak, as if they are still slaves to sin. Satan tries to deceive you, making you think you are still his – and he uses habits ingrained in you over the years to make you believe and follow him.
The Devil is a deceiver. Don’t believe him. God wants to give you power to break addictions and habits. But you must yield to his power the power of the resurrection.
Imagine yourself as a prisoner of war; Satan is your captor. He has the gun. You must do whatever he says. He is in control. Then, God intervenes. You are saved by the blood of Jesus. Does Satan go away? No, but you have the gun! You no longer have to obey him. In the power of the Holy Spirit you are in control.
What will Satan do? He will try to convince you that the gun is not loaded, that you are weak and have no power. He will try to convince you to put the gun down, to give up using it, and to fight him “fairly” in hand to hand combat. He will try to convince you that it is in your best interest to obey him.
You are on the offensive not the defensive. The resurrection power is yours. It’s available to you. Use it!
To go on the attack and offensive you put on the full armor of God. Paul gives this instruction to become equipped for spiritual battle: “Be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. Put on the full armor of God so you can take your stand against the devil’s schemes.” Ephesians 6:1-2 Your armor is God’s Word, and Prayer, and the power of the Holy Spirit
In Christ your sins are forgiven and in Christ you have power to conquer sin.
III. The Power to Be God’s Agent
Jesus rose from the dead and gave all believers the power to become God’s agent in the world. We are commissioned to become God’s change agents in the world. We are called to be Christ’s ambassadors to this world.
Jesus said all his followers are to be Light in the world. Don’t hide your light, let it shine. The Apostle Paul said, “He has committed to us the message of reconciliation. We are therefore Christ’s ambassadors, as thought God were making his appeal through us.” 2 Corinthians 5:19-20
God has chosen to work through you, weak as you are, limited as you are, and to show His power through your very weakness. According to Paul God’s power is “made perfect in weakness.” 2 Corinthians 12:9 - God shows His power by working through you even through you are weak and unworthy. Praise His Holy name!
Following the crucifixion the disciples ran from Jesus and hid behind locked doors. Peter denied Jesus three times. Even thought they were weak in faith Jesus assured them of his love and told them that they would become his agents to continue the work He started in the world. The disciples listened to Jesus and regrouped and waited in Jerusalem until they received the fullness of the Holy Spirit and His power to reach out with boldness and penetrate the pagan world around them with the good news of the gospel.
IV. The Power to be conformed to His Likeness
Jesus rose from the dead and ascended into heaven and then sent the Holy Spirit on the day of Pentecost to fill and empower his disciples to continue the work He started on earth.
The greatest power of the resurrection is accomplished in conforming us to the likeness of Christ. We are forgiven of our sins, enabled to conquer sin and live a life of victory and serve as ambassadors of Christ. Because of the resurrection we are to be conformed to His likeness.
2 Corinthians 3:18, “…are being transformed into his likeness with every increasing glory, which comes from the Lord, who is the Spirit.”
Think of that truth, “into his likeness.” Can you imagine what that means? Think of everything about yourself that you don’t like, all the habits, all the negative characteristics – the things you have wanted to change, have tried to change. God will help you deal with every one of them. You are being made into a perfect creation, you are become more and more like Jesus! That is your destiny as a Christian. In partnership with Jesus, blameless, loving, kind, strong, transformed into His likeness. Experiencing the power of the resurrection!
The scripture truth rings true – because of the resurrection:
You can be forgiven of sin
You can have victory over sin
You can be God’s ambassadors
You can become conformed to the image of Christ.
More than anything else Paul is saying that he wants us to know Jesus and the power of the resurrection. What do you want more than anything else?
Money?
Fame?
Influence?
Power?
Thrills and excitement?
Compared to the promises and glory of Christ all these things are worthless. In the end many of the things people spend all their lives pursing do not satisfy. In comparison to knowing all these things in the world are like so much trash.
Some of you may want
A happy life
A good marriage
A satisfying job
An inner peace
To know Christ and the power of His resurrection meets the deepest needs in your life. To know Jesus and obey Him leads to a joy filled life, a healthy marriage, job satisfaction and inner peace.
Do you know Jesus and the power of His resurrection? Have you been putting the cares of this world, finances, family, job ahead of your relationship with Jesus?
This morning make a commitment to depend on the power of God. Make a commitment to know Him better. Make a commitment to be conformed to His image.
Christ the Lord is risen from the dead. Live in the power of the resurrection.
