The Power of the Resurrection
1 Corinthians 15: 3-8; Philippians 3:7-11, John 11:23
1 Corinthians 15
3 For what I received I passed on to you as of first importance that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, 4 that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures, 5 and that he appeared to Peter and then to the Twelve. 6 After that, he appeared to more than five hundred of the brothers at the same time, most of whom are still living, though some have fallen asleep. 7 Then he appeared to James, then to all the apostles, 8 and last of all he appeared to me also, as to one abnormally born.
Philippians 3
7 But whatever was to my profit I now consider loss for the sake of Christ.
8 What is more, I consider everything a loss compared to the surpassing greatness of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whose sake I have lost all things. I consider them garbage, that I may gain Christ
9 and be found in him, not having a righteousness of my own that comes from the law, but that which is through faith in Christ—the righteousness that comes from God on the basis of faith.
10 I want to know Christ and the power of his resurrection and the fellowship of sharing in his sufferings, becoming like him in his death,
11 and so, somehow, to attain to the resurrection from the dead.
INTRODUCTION:
The month of November was declared as our theme Jesus The Resurrection and Life. We remember the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the garden tomb. The power of the resurrection of Jesus Christ is to be seen in His victory over Satan, sin, death, and hell. In our identification with Christ, Romans 6: 4 tells us, "Therefore we are buried with him by baptism into death: that like as Christ was raised up from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life.” You and I are called by God to live in the power of His resurrection. Our faith in Christ has placed us in Christ. We have been raised to walk in newness of life.
Reality of Resurrection: (Explain briefly)
Resurrection – is the return to life after being dead.
1. God’s plan for everyone is to rule and subdue all He created. Gen. 1:27-30
2. Fall of Man – Gen. 3 ; Romans 5:12
3. God’s absolute love for man ( the plan of redemption)– John 3:16; 1 Corinthians 15:3-8; Romans 6:4
Read: Text Philippians 3:7-11
I. The Power of the Resurrection Brings REstoration.
A. Restore = reinstate, bring back, re-establish, return
- It brings back to life that which was dead.
- It reinstates and re-establishes our relationship with God the Father
John 1:12
1 John 3: 1-2
1 See what great love the Father has lavished on us, that we should be called children of God! And that is what we are! The reason the world does not know us is that it did not know him. 2 Dear friends, now we are children of God, and what we will be has not yet been made known. But we know that when Christ appears, we shall be like him, for we shall see him as he is.
C.S. Lewis said, "The Son of God became man to enable men to become the sons of God...”
- It returns the ownership of one’s life to his Creator.
Romans 8:15
15 The Spirit you received does not make you slaves, so that you live in fear again; rather, the Spirit you received brought about your adoption to sonship And by him we cry, “Abba Father.”
Illustration:
In his book “The 21 Irrefutable Laws of Leadership”, John Maxwell tells the story of one of the most incredible restorations in American business history. It happened at the Chrysler Corporation in the early 1980’s. Chrysler was in a mess, despite a long history of success. At one point in Chrysler’s history they had captured an incredible 25% of the entire domestic automobile market. By the time the 1970’s rolled around, the Chrysler Corporation was in a steady decline. By 1978 they only had 11% of the market. Things looked bleak. The company was headed toward bankruptcy. In November 1978, Chrysler brought a new leader to take over the company. His name was Lee Iacocca. Iacocca had just left Ford in 1978 after serving as their president. When he left Ford, the company, under his leadership, was earning record profits of 1.8 billion in each of the last two years. The task of turning around Chrysler proved to be enormous. Iacocca described the company as having been run like a small grocery store, despite its size. There were no viable financial systems or controls in place, production and supply methods were a mess, products were built poorly, and nearly all of the divisions were run by turf-minded vice presidents who refused to work as a team. Morale was very low throughout the company, customer loyalty was low, and the company continued to lose money. Iacocca did everything he knew how to turn things around. He replaced 33 of the 35 vice presidents. He brought in the best leaders he could find. He reduced as many expensed as he could. He grudgingly and humbly went before Congress for loan guarantees so that Chrysler would not go bankrupt. Finally, he reduced his own salary to $1.00 a year. Iacocca brought about a total restoration to the Chrysler Corporation. By 1983, Chrysler was able to pay back its loans. Before he retired, Chrysler had gained 16% of the market, double what it was in the first years he took over. The company has fought its way back and been restored to a growing, profitable industry.
God desires our complete restoration, not only our relationship to Him but the rest that He wanted and planned for us…. To rule and subdue the earth. Genesis 1:28-30
II. The Power of Resurrection Leads to SURrendered Life
Surrender means - cease resistance to an enemy or opponent and submit to their authority
Pls quote John 11 the conversation of Martha and Jesus in vss 17-27
and the conversation with Mary in vs 32-34.
If you study this story of Jesus raising up Lazarus from death to life, clearly Jesus planned to delay His visit to Bethany so that He may be able to show to them the miracle of resurrection (v4). But His conversation to Martha would require her faith in order for Him to raise up Lazarus.
Yet Martha is expecting a different miracle rather than raising Lazarus to life (v23-24). This is the reason why Jesus mentioned to her that He is the resurrection and life. He who believes in Me will live, and even though he dies. And whoever lives and believes in Me will never die. Do you believe this? (v25-26). Martha’s faith to Jesus did not resulted to a surrendered life to Jesus due to lack of faith to Him.
However, when Mary came to see Jesus she immediately fell to His feet and worship Jesus. Mary came weeping for his brother and weeping due to her utmost desire to be at Jesus’ feet. (Pls quote the first time she wiped the perfume she poured at Jesus feet by her hair.) This instance even mentioned at the start of John 11 by mentioning her identity by her action. The Bible will not even repeat such instance if John do not want to emphasize the kind of action that has important role in the story of John 11. Definitely, her action for the 2nd time moved Jesus as evident in v33 & 38.
Their common words to Jesus (Martha v21 and Mary v32b) “Lord if you have been here my brother would not have died”. Martha’s conversation with Jesus is just casual talk while Mary showed her submission to Jesus power and authority when she fell at His feet and weep.
Application. Do we want to show people the power of resurrection in us? We need to live a surrendered life to God just like Mary did. A total surrendered life with faith can only move the hand of God.
A simple observation: the 1st time Mary fell at Jesus’ feet, it signifies Jesus’ death (John 12:7). But for the 2nd time Mary did it, it signifies God’s resurrection power.
III. The Power of the Resurrection moves us to RECTtification – to correct (change/Transformation)
Other definition:
Chemistry – to refine and purify
Electronics – to convert
1 Corinthians 6:9-11
9 Or do you not know that wrongdoers will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived: Neither the sexually immoral nor idolaters nor adulterers nor men who have sex with men 10 nor thieves nor the greedy nor drunkards nor slanderers nor swindlers will inherit the kingdom of God. 11 And that is what some of you were. But you were washed, you were sanctified, you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and by the Spirit of our God.
Rectification (to correct) involves a…
1. Change of Directions – from hell to heaven
• Conversion is an about face, a change of directions resulting in a change of destinations; no longer hell-bound but heaven-bound.
Our life must be God directed and God centered.
2. Change of Actions – from a sinful lifestyle to virtuous living
• The sincere convert is not one man at church and another at home. He is not a saint on his knees and a cheat in his shop. He will not tithe mint and cummin, and neglect mercy and judgment. Joseph Alleine (1634-1668)
Always with the goal to honor / glorify God and to touch people’s life.
God desires the true and absolute transformation of our lives that will bring glory and honor to His Name alone.
Conclusion:
Before His resurrection, the cross was known only as an instrument of horrible death, rough wood soaked with human blood. So terrible was this form of execution that the Roman Empire prohibited the crucifixion of Roman citizens. Crucifixion was only for the worst of slaves & enemies of the empire.
But today, because of His resurrection, we wear a replica of the cross as a piece of jewelry, a thing of beauty, for all around the world the cross is seen as a symbol of hope, & a reminder of God’s love for us.
B. And what about His tomb? Before the resurrection, for most of the world, the grave was looked upon as the final chapter, the closing of a great door, the end of everything.
But because of His resurrection, we can rejoice today that beyond death is where life really begins, & it will never end. That makes you wonder, doesn’t it, why we spend so much time worrying & fretting about material things?
Before the resurrection, death was the end. Before the resurrection, death was the final curtain call. Before the resurrection, all we could do is mourn as those who have no hope.
But after the resurrection, when someone dies, we mourn because we have lost a loved one. But we mourn as people who have great hope because Jesus Christ is alive, & the promise of Scripture is that if He is alive, then we, too, can live forever. Our sins are forgiven by His shed blood, & we have the promise of everlasting life. It changes the whole concept of death itself.
RE-storation
SUR-ender
RECT-ification
RE-SUR-RECT
