EASTER 2012 WHAT IF THERE WAS NO RESURRECTION?
- 1 Corinthians 15:1-19
At the time this letter was written, Paul was in Ephesus. While there, he received a letter from the Christians in Corinth, telling him about some of the problems going on in the church. In the letter, they told him about some of the issues they were facing and they told him some of the things that were being taught by some of the folks in that church.
The same thing happens today. People in a church make friends with a pastor, and even after he leaves and moves to another church, they often remain friends and ask him questions about what they’re being taught.
So a letter was sent to Paul and in response he wrote this letter addressing some of the problems and concerns the people had. Evidently, someone in the church, perhaps a deacon, or a Sunday School teacher, or someone like that was telling folks that there was no such thing as life after death. Evidently they were telling folks that when you died, that was the end of it.
There are folks today who say the same thing, though not usually people in church. There are people in our country who say that Easter is nothing more than a time to celebrate the Easter Bunny and that this story about Jesus rising from the dead is all fantasy. It is a figment of our imagination.
What if that were true? What if Jesus had not risen from the dead? What if He were still in the tomb? Would it really make that much difference?
Let me tell you this morning my friend, and you be sure and tell all of your separation of church and state friends, that if there were no resurrection, if there was no empty tomb, they would neither recognize nor enjoy the world today.
I. IF THERE WAS NO RESURRECTION THERE WOULD BE NO CHURCH
1. He appeared to Peter – v5
Peter was a coward. He denied that he even knew Jesus …
But, after he saw the empty tomb, after He saw Jesus alive again, and after the Holy Spirit came on him he was a changed man.
Acts chapter 2 tells us that on the day of Pentecost, Peter stood up and preached and on that one day, over 3000 people became Christians. He preached again a few days later and another 5000 people were saved.
That was the beginning of the church among the Jews.
2. He appeared to Paul – v8
When the church started to grow, there was a Jewish leader by the name of Saul who didn’t like what he saw. He believed this was some new cult and that people were being led away from the true God, so he began to arrest Christians. He was there when one of the early Christians was stoned, and he held the coats of the people who were stoning him. He arrested Christians, tore apart families, and took their possessions from them.
The Bible tells us that he was on his way to Damascus one day, with letters giving him the authority to arrest more Christians there, when the risen Lord appeared to him and changed his life. Saul’s name was changed to Paul and instead of attacking Christians he became a Christian preacher, primarily among the Gentiles; folks like you and me.
The Risen Lord used this changed man, this man who had seen the risen Lord to write nearly ½ of the New Testament. He used this man to plant churches throughout the Roman Empire.
Let me tell you my friend, if Jesus had not risen from the grave, Peter would still be a coward and Paul would still hate Christians and there would probably not be a Christian church today.
II. IF THERE WERE NO CHURCH THE WORLD WOULD BE A CRASSER PLACE
In Matthew chapter 5, Jesus taught Christians were to be salt and light in the world. Jesus taught that people were to turn the other cheek, leave vengeance to the Lord, and be kind to their enemies. He taught that we are to love our brother as ourselves and that we are to “Do unto others as you would have them do unto you.”
How many parents have taught their children to turn the other cheek? How many of us have been taught to do unto others … How many of us have been taught that honesty in dealings instead of trying to put one over on others is a virtue? Where do you think those ideas come from? They are largely Christian ideas.
If you don’t believe me, look at the parts of the world where there is little or no Christian presence. See if things are not different.
Go to South America, which was primarily settled by Europeans looking for wealth instead of religious freedom. Notice if you will the walled compounds around the majority of the homes. Notice the armed guards in front of most stores.
I have some friends who are missionaries in Argentina. They recently returned to the states for a visit with their children. Their children asked them where all of the guards were and where the walls and barbed wire was.
Oh let me tell you, if there was no resurrection, there would be no church. If there were no church the world would be a crasher place.
III. IF THERE WERE NO RESURRECTION AND THERE WERE NO CHURCH THEN THE WORLD WOULD NOT ENJOY WHAT CHRISTIANITY HAS FOSTERED.
1. The abolition of Slavery - Before Christianity, slavery in the world was rampant. Few people thought very much about slaves, about what they wanted. Even after Christianity was established and the church spread, many thought little of it.
But Paul taught that in Christ there was neither free nor slave. Look in your history books. It was primarily Christians who led in the fight against slavery and who are leading that fight today.
2. Women’s suffrage – There are those today who say that Christians put down women, that we treat them as second-class citizens. Let me tell you, in the days the New Testament was written, Gentile women had very few rights. When they were young they were considered the property of their fathers and when they married they were considered the property of their husbands.
Paul came along in the New Testament and said that in Christ there was neither man nor woman, but that we are all equal before God. That was a new concept. It was a Christian concept.
The women’s suffrage movement was led by Christians. Look around the world and see the places where Christianity has penetrated little. In the majority of those places you will find the women being treated very poorly. In places in Africa and in South America, the women do almost all of the work while the men laze around.
Look in this country. Look at the folks singing about treating women like whores. Look at the homes where women are abused and mistreated. Do some of the men there profess to be Christians? Yes, but by far the largest majority of those mistreating women and using them as nothing more than property or play things will not be found in the confines of a church because Christianity teaches that men are to love their wives as Christ loved the church and gave himself for her.
3. Children’s rights – People wanting to give children rights and not wanting parents to discipline them.
Look. Christianity teaches that we are all created in the image of God. …
Discipline – Christian parents discipline because they want to teach their children that there is a right and a wrong and that there are consequences for their actions. … Teach them to work, and save, …
4. Public education – Don’t want Christianity in our public schools. Look, it was Christians who started public education.
In the old days education was largely available only to those who had educated parents who could teach them, or to children who had parents that could afford to hire private tutors.
In 1642, Massachusetts passed what is known as the Satan Deluder Act. The people in Massachusetts knew that the best way to defend against the Devil’s attacks was to be able to read and understand the Bible. So in 1642 they passed the Satan Deluder Act which required towns of 50 or more families to hire a school master to teach the children to read. Towns of 100 families or more were required to hire a teacher capable of preparing children to enter Harvard.
And by the way, are you aware that Harvard, Yale, Princeton, and William and Mary were all started to train preachers and missionaries? As a matter-of-fact, every university started in America before 1800, except the University of Pennsylvania, were all started by churches.
Stetson University, originally the Deland Academy, was founded by Mr. Deland and was affiliated with the Florida Baptist Convention from its inception in 1885 until 1993, with just a few year’s break when the convention operated its own college.
Christians have led in public education.
5. Other areas -
In a time when people like Dr. Kervorkian were saying that old and disabled folks should be killed, Cicely Saunders started Hospice to make the last days of those folks as easy as possible.
- Christians founded AA to help alcoholics escape their addictions and 80% of those in the program today claim Christ as the Higher Power they turn to for help.
- Millard Fuller was an ambitious and driven business man. By age 29 he was a millionaire. But in 1965, his life took a dramatic turn when his wife, Linda, told him she was leaving him.
Together, they resolved to save their marriage, give away their fortune to help the poor and focus their lives toward God's work with a renewed and exciting sense of purpose. Though they had little construction experience, the Fullers set out to change lives just by speaking out, being kind to others and picking up a hammer whenever and wherever they could. In 1976, they founded Habitat for Humanity which has to date built or renovated 400,000 homes worldwide for more than 2 million people.
- The Salvation army was started by a Christian
- SB volunteers now prepare 90% of the meals served at disaster scenes by the Red Cross.
- Dave Ramsey, the financial consultant, is a Christian and uses Christian principles to help people get out of debt.
- While the world provides groups like Planned Parenthood to kill unborn children, Christians found, man, and support Crisis Pregnancy Centers to help women through those trying times.
- Many of the hospitals in our country and around the world have been started by Christians and many Christians continue to volunteer their time to provide free medical and dental services here and around the world.
- How many food banks have been started by Christians and how many churches provide food to the needy even in our community?
- The Boy and Girl Scout clubs were started by Christians and some chapters continue to offer badges today to the scouts who learn biblical principals. That’s how I met Rick and Mrs. Cathy, by teaching in one of the packs Rick directed.
If there were no resurrection, there would be no church. If there were no church, the world would be a crasser place. If there were no resurrection, there would be no church and the world would not enjoy what Christianity has fostered. And if there were no resurrection, we would have no hope.
IV. WE WOULD HAVE NO HOPE – 16-19
Everything we believe would be gone. We would have no hope. All of our efforts would be wasted.
So what if we accomplished all of this. So what if we did all of this if it is only going to be burned up. …
But, there was an empty tomb. Because of that lives were changed, and the church was started, and the New testament was written, and the New Testament tells me that …
V. BECAUSE OF THE RESURRECTION OUR LABOR IS NOT WASTED
- v58
What we have done, what we are doing is not wasted.
Storing up treasures in heaven …
