“They Believed in a Risen Christ”
Acts 1:3
It was Easter Sunday morning in 1932 and Pastor Alfred Ackley was getting ready for the service. He happened to turn on the radio and the announcer said, “We will now join the complete red and blue networks for a special program originating in New York City.” The speaker introduced was a well known preacher who was known for his liberal thinking. He greeted his radio audience with the words, “Good morning. It’s Easter. You know folks it really does not make any difference to me if Christ be risen or not. As far as I am concerned his body could be as dust in some Palestinian tomb. The main thing is his truth goes marching on.”
Alfred Ackley started shouting, “It’s a lie, it’s a lie.” His wife came in and asked, “Why are you shouting so early in the morning ?”
Ackley replied, “Didn’t you hear what that good for nothing preacher said? He said, it did not matter whether Christ was risen or not.”
That day in both services Pastor Alfred Ackley shot with both barrels, blasting what the preacher said and proclaiming the truth that Christ was risen from the dead and was alive. But when he got home
that evening he was still fuming. His wife said to him, “Why don’t you write a song about it and then maybe you’ll feel better. Then you will have something that will go on telling the story.” He went to his
study and turned again to the resurrection story and reread the words, “He is not here for He is risen.” He picked up his pen and wrote these words,
“I serve a risen Savior, He’s in the world today
I know that He is living, Whatever men may say
I see His hand of mercy, I hear His voice of cheer
And just the time I need Him, He’s always near.”
He lives, He lives; Christ Jesus lives today
He walks with and talks with me
Along life’s narrow way
He lives, He lives, salvation to impart
You ask me how I know He lives
He lives within my heart
In all the world around me I see His loving care,
And tho' my heart grows weary I never will despair;
I know that He is leading thro' all the stormy blast,
The day of His appearing will come at last.
He lives, He lives, Christ Jesus lives today!
He walks with me and talks with me
Along life's narrow way.
He lives, He lives, Salvation to impart!
You ask me how I know He lives?
He lives within my heart.
Rejoice, rejoice, O Christian, lift up your voice and sing
Eternal hallelujahs to Jesus Christ the King!
The hope of all who seek Him, the help of all who find,
None other is so loving, so good and kind.
He lives, He lives, Christ Jesus lives today!
He walks with me and talks with me
Along life's narrow way.
He lives, He lives, Salvation to impart!
You ask me how I know He lives?
He lives within my heart.
When we read the book of Acts we see so many amazing things that were accomplished by the apostles and the first church. We see souls saved literally by the thousands. The Scriptures speak of 3000, 4000, and over and over of many people at one time coming to Christ. The book of Acts would argue greatly with those who do not believe in mass-evangelism.
We see people healed of disease, set free from prisons, and delivered miraculously time and again from circumstances that looked hopeless.
We see the church marching on, proclaiming the gospel with boldness in the face of the worst persecution and suffering ever imagined.
How is it that the apostles and this first church moved forward, with such speed and was victorious at every turn? It is because they believed and nothing were they more convinced of than the resurrection of Jesus Christ.
The resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead is what sets Christianity apart from all other faiths, religions, and beliefs in this world. Paul said “if Christ be not risen from the dead then we , Christians, are to be pitied above all other people.” But now, Christ, is risen from the dead and it is a fact not fiction.
The resurrection of Jesus Christ is absolutely essential to the Christian faith. Everything we believe stands or fall on this one truth. If Christ is not risen from the dead then men are still lost in their sins including each of us. If Christ is not risen then everything we as believers hold dear is meaningless. If Christ is not risen from the dead our songs mean nothing and our sermons mean nothing. If Christ is not risen from the dead then our gathering here is worthless and meaningless.
Someone once said, I forget who; “if Christ were not risen from the dead I would still be a Christian because of the faith, hope, and love Christianity offers”. My dear friends, if Christ is not risen from the dead there is no faith, there is no hope, and there is no love. If Christ is not risen then everything we believe in, hold to, and hope for is just a lie and we should be pitied according to Paul by all men.
But, now Christ is risen from the dead! You say I hear you say it preacher and I read it in the Bible but my question is “can you prove Christ is risen? Well, I’m glad you ask and the answer is yes, I think I can prove He is risen for the grave. The question is not whether he is risen or not but is “if Christ is risen from the dead will you trust and follow Him as Lord of your life?”
The message is entitled Resurrection Reality. I want to present to you the reality, results, and responsibilities concerning Christ resurrection.
Our verse today says:
3 To these He also presented Himself alive after His suffering, by many convincing proofs, appearing to them over a period of forty days and speaking of the things concerning the kingdom of God.
1] THE REALITY OF THE RESURRECTION.
Now, I know that I need not prove the resurrection to most if not everyone here. You nor I would be here if we didn’t believe He rose from the grave.
A. the appearances of Christ.
To these He also presented Himself alive after His suffering,
1 Cor 15:3-8; 3 For I delivered to you as of first importance what I also received, that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, 4 and that He was buried, and that He was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures, 5 and that He appeared to Cephas, then to the twelve. 6 After that He appeared to more than five hundred brethren at one time, most of whom remain until now, but some have fallen asleep; 7 then He appeared to James, then to all the apostles; 8 and last of all, as it were to one untimely born, He appeared to me also.NASB
After the resurrection Jesus appeared to:
the two Mary’s, the two disciples on the road to Emmaus, Peter, to the apostles on several occasions, more than five hundred at one time, to James His brother, and finally to Paul himself.
Most of these people were alive when Paul wrote 1 Corinthians {ad 56}.
In a court of law a person can be found guilty on the testimony of one eyewitness. Paul had over 500 eyewitnesses that could substantiate his word.
B. the affirmation of the Holy Spirit.
by many convincing proofs,
John 14:16-17; 16 "And I will ask the Father, and He will give you another Helper, that He may be with you forever; 17 that is the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it does not behold Him or know Him, but you know Him because He abides with you, and will be in you. NASB
The word affirmation means to convince one of the truth and that is precisely what the Holy Spirit has done for every believer. He has convinced us of the resurrection of the Lord.
He affirms:
A. to us – our salvation
B. in us – our sanctification
C. through us – our proclamation
C. the alteration of the believers life.
1. The Life of the Apostles.
2. The Life of the Early Martyrs.
3. The Life of the Righteous and Holy Saint.
2] THE RESULTS OF THE RESURRECTION.
a. if we die we’re with Him.
2 Cor 5:7-8; 7 for we walk by faith, not by sight — 8 we are of good courage, I say, and prefer rather to be absent from the body and to be at home with the Lord. NASB
Phil. 1:21; “to live is Christ, and to die is gain”
b. if we live He’s with us.
Acts 2:1-4; 1 And when the day of Pentecost had come, they were all together in one place. 2 And suddenly there came from heaven a noise like a violent, rushing wind, and it filled the whole house where they were sitting. 3 And there appeared to them tongues as of fire distributing themselves, and they rested on each one of them. 4 And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit NASB
Christ through the Holy Spirit indwells every believer from the moment they are saved until they go to be with the Lord.
c. When He comes, we go with Him.
1 Thess 4:16-18; 16 For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trumpet of God; and the dead in Christ shall rise first. 17 Then we who are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air, and thus we shall always be with the Lord. 18 Therefore comfort one another with these words. NASB
{ a picture of the rapture or the catching up of the believer}
3] THE RESPONSIBILITY OF THE RESSURECTION.
a. the power of the church.
Acts 1:7; 8 but you shall receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be My witnesses both in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and even to the remotest part of the earth. "
NASB
Dunamis is the Greek word for power and it means to have miraculous, abundant power, residing within a person with the ability to do anything. Through the Holy Spirit of God indwelling the believer we have access to and able to walk in the very power of God.
b. the prayer of the church.
Acts 1:14; 14 These all with one mind were continually devoting themselves to prayer, along with the women, and Mary the mother of Jesus, and with His brothers. NASB
the very first thing the church did after the ascension of Christ was gather together for prayer. The hand of God is moved by the prayer of the saints. We can approach the Throne of Grace with boldness and know that God hears us and answers us. As we go through the book of Acts we see the church praying always, praying without ceasing. No matter where they were or what was happening there was an attitude of prayer. A PRAYERLESS CHURCH IS A POWERLESS CHURCH!!!
c. the preaching of the church.
Acts 2:41; 41 So then, those who had received his word were baptized; and there were added that day about three thousand souls. NASB
We, the church, have the responsibility of proclaiming the gospel to our Jerusalem, our state, our nation, and our world. through effectual, fervent praying we preach the death burial and resurrection of our Lord with a power above all powers, the power of God.
d. the practice of the church.
\Acts 2:41-45; 42 And they were continually devoting themselves to the apostles' teaching and to fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer. 43 And everyone kept feeling a sense of awe; and many wonders and signs were taking place through the apostles. 44 And all those who had believed were together, and had all things in common; NASB
The Word of God, the love of Christ, and the unity of the church will always be the practice of those who have believed in the resurrection and confessed Jesus as Lord.
So, there you have it; the reality, the results, and the responsibility of the resurrection of our Lord. His resurrection separates the Christian faith and the Christian from all others. Without the resurrection, we are just another world religion. Without the resurrection we are more than any other to be pitied. Without the resurrection we must fear as the rest who have no hope. but, thanks be to God, Because He lives, we can face tomorrow; because He lives, we to shall live; because He lives, we have no fear of death, hell, and the grave. Because He lives, we have a sure hope, a certain hope, and an everlasting hope.
Thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.
The first church, the one we find here in the book of Acts believed with their hearts in the resurrection of Jesus Christ. They were absolutely convinced that Christ was risen from the grave. It is from this belief in Christ’s resurrection that they were able to go into all the world. They knew he had overcome death, hell, and the grave and because he lived they believed there was nothing they couldn’t do.
The first church turned its city upside down and inside out with the preaching of the gospel because they believed in Christ’s resurrection. They believed they could do anything in Him, through Him, and for Him because the very thing they feared most, death, He had conquered and through Him they and we have conquered. We to can walk and live in the power and presence of God, we to can turn our city upside down and inside out with the gospel if we truly ,honestly, and confidently believe in His resurrection.
note* Part of the outline is taken from one of Rev. Mike Minnix sermons on the resurrection. It can be found at www.pastorlife.org
