Sermon – 10,9,8,7,6,5,4,3,2,1 and He’s up!
Thesis: Easter is the day when God said 10 and Jesus sprang up to His feet in victory over Satan.
Play – Carmen’s song the Champion!
Text: Romans 4:25-5:2
He was delivered over to death for our sins and was raised to life for our justification. Therefore, since we have been justified through faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have gained access by faith into this grace in which we now stand. And we rejoice in the hope of the glory of God.
Introduction:
When Jesus rose from the grave he imparted to us justification. You might ask “How are we justified and what does it mean?” Quest gives us a great explanation to these two questions.
To be justified means to be made right. Paul’s great question was “How is a sinful human being made right with a holy God?” What needs to happen to make this relationship right? If we could follow the law and live perfectly, we would be right with God. But how can we do that? We are slaves to sin, incapable of obeying God’s law! Yet God wants to have a relationship with us. So he has taken the steps necessary to make the relationship right. In Jesus Christ he does for us what we could never do for ourselves: Jesus lived a wholly righteous life-a perfect life in line with the law, in total relationship with God, the Father. Even more, in Jesus God took upon himself all the punishment our disobedience deserves (Romans 3:24). At the cross he fulfilled all that righteousness demanded. His life was given in exchange for ours; his blood paid the price for our justification. The results of Jesus’ sacrifice are personally available to us simply by faith. God has done everything that needs to be done to justify us. All that remains is for us to accept the grace of God shown on the cross. We are justified when we stop trying to justify ourselves and depend completely on the finished work of Jesus Christ (1556).
The finish work of Christ is exemplified by the empty grave, which we celebrate and recognize today. It’s the symbol of New Life.
Illustration: Philip’s Egg
My friends the empty tomb is the sign of New Life and it’s the hinge pin for all of Christianity.
Yancey states, “The Resurrection is the epicenter of belief. It is, says C.H. Dodd, “not a belief that grew up within the church; it is the belief around which the church itself grew up, and the ‘given’ upon which its faith was based “(217).
The empty tomb is what stands Christianity apart from all other religions and makes it THE ONE AND ONLY TRUE WAY TO GOD! It’s the sign from God that Jesus is the way to New Life and true happiness for now and forever.
T.S.- The key to happiness forever rests in Easter’s empty tomb and when we believe and accept it by faith we enter into a right position with God. Then we receive the blessings of the empty tomb.
I. Faith is the pathway to being made right and gaining New Life!
A. We are reminded from our text in Romans that we are justified by faith. In other words made right by placing our faith in Jesus.
a. Promise from Romans 5:1a states, “ By faith we have been made acceptable to God…”
b. There it is that word Faith – Faith is the belief in Jesus! It’s the philosophy of life centered on Jesus. It’s the attitude of being determined in my heart to live for Him. To believe in what He did and live like He did.
c. It’s like it says in Word believing on something you cannot tangibly see, feel, touch, taste, or smell. Jesus tells us to put our faith in Him and we will be saved. He is the only way to Father –there is not other way!
B. Faith is placing our trust in Jesus. It’s the act of confidence of letting Him lead!
a. Cymbala states, “Faith is happy to step out not knowing where it’s going so long as it knows Who is going along” (154).
b. He adds “We like to control the map of our life and know everything well in advance. But faith is content just knowing that God’s promises cannot fail. This, in fact, is the excitement of walking with God. When we read the book of Acts, we never quite know what’s going to happen with the next turn of the page. The Spirit is in control, and that is enough. Paul had no formula as to how he would evangelize; he was simply going by faith. God unveiled the route as he went along” (154).
c. Jim shares on “Faith is not about the present. It is not about things you could capture right now with the camera. Rather, it is about the things in the future promised by God” (200).
d. Cymbala likens faith like a transistor radio:
i. Faith can be likened to a transistor radio. When you turn the radio on, music pours out. Are there any trumpets or guitars inside that little box? Of course not. Yet the room has sound waves all through it. The human senses can’t detect them at all. But the radio can pick them up. The music is not actually in the radio at all. The music is coming through the radio from a greater unseen source. So it is with faith. Faith does not originate within us. It comes from God as we receive his living Word into our hearts. Then a supernatural kind of “music” comes alive in us as the product of this faith. A person filled with faith has an entirely different view of things from the person living merely by the physical senses (201).
T.S. - This is what true Biblical faith looks like and acts like. This is why faith brings the blessings of God. Lets look at a few brought forth from our text in Romans 5.
II. The second blessing we receive is that faith makes us acceptable to God and brings us Peace.
A. There are many today looking for peace in all the wrong places.
a. They look for it in bars!
b. They look for it in money!
c. They look for it in stocks!
d. They look for it in pleasures!
e. They look for it in education!
f. They look for it in power!
g. They look for it in religion!
h. They look for it in tradition!
i. They look for it in the country!
j. They look for it in the city!
k. They look for it in friends!
l. They look for it in successful business adventures!
m. They look and look and look but never discover that peace comes from having faith in the Lord!
i. Dr. Myers states this about what faith offers people:
1. Although faith does not promise immunity from sufferings or escape from stress, it is, as we’ve seen, linked with enhanced joy and strength in times of crisis. How so? Why do researchers find these positive links among faith, mental health, and happiness (186)?
2. Myers proved through research that faith in Biblical teachings will provide a peace even in the storms of life.
B. Contentment in life comes from living at peace with God.
a. This comes by realizing when we put our faith in God we no longer need to have the fear in our lives. We need not fear the unknown because God has set us on a path were he promises to take care of all the upcoming events and situations in our lives. This assurance from Him is what gives me peace in the face of uncertainty.
b. Peace is defined by Webster as:
i. Freedom from war.
ii. A treaty or agreement to end war or the threat of war.
iii. Freedom from public disturbance or disorder; public security; law and order.
iv. Freedom from disagreement or quarrels; harmony.
v. An undisturbed state of mind; absence of mental conflict
vi. Calm; quiet; tranquility.
C. Turmoil comes to those who are not a peace with God.
a. Many people fear the unknown. They worry about the future and what will be.
i. With a faith in God you acquire peace even in the midst of the unknown because His promises are there to erase the unknown.
b. If you don’t know God then you don’t know peace.
i. Psalm 85:10,11 “Love and faithfulness meet together; righteousness and peace kiss each other. Faithfulness springs forth from the earth, and righteousness looks down from heaven.”
1. Quest suggests this about our text “This poetic imagery suggests a close association between love and faithfulness and between righteousness and peace. Righteousness refers to moral perfection. Peace can be seen as a wholesome state of well-being or as the complete absence of hostility. The image suggests a state of joy and harmony “(806).
2. Proverbs 14:30 sheds more light on peace “A heart at peace gives life to the body, but envy rots the bones.”
3. Isaiah 48:22 reiterates the point of No God --No Peace
a. “There is no peace,” says the Lord, “for the wicked.”
ii. Share how when I found Christ that then I found peace!
T.S.- Faith gives us right standing with God which in turn gives us peace. We also discover that faith opens the door for Grace to roll in under our feet. Lets explore the blessing of Grace from faith.
III. The next blessing of the empty tomb is that we stand in God’s grace
A. Grace defined
a. Is the unearned favor of God – brought to you and I by Jesus Christ’s death on a cross.
i. Share about the bloody cross you saw this week and it’s impact!
b. Swindoll states, “To Show grace is to extend favor or kindness to one who doesn’t deserve it and can never earn it. Receiving God’s acceptance by grace always stands in sharp contrast to earning it on the basis of works. Every time the thought of grace appears, there is the idea of its being undeserved. In no way is the recipient getting what he or she deserves. Favor is being extended simply out of the goodness of the heart of the giver “(9 ).
c. The Bible never gives a clear, concise definition of grace it only gives us living demonstrations of it through the life and ministry of Jesus Christ. Jesus never used the word he just lived it. Then he gave it to us at the resurrection and said here it is “Do as I did!”.
d. Jesus came and brought freedom. He taught “…you shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free”(John 8:32). Swindoll notes, “ Rigid, barren religion was, at last replaced by grace-oriented, relationship-liberating grace. His followers loved it. His enemies hated it …and Him. Without doubt, the earliest grace killers were the Pharisees” (8).
i. And you know what they are still around today trying to kill grace.
B. Grace explained
a. Swindoll “Please understand, to be justified does not mean “just as if I’d never sinned.” I hear that often and it always troubles me. In fact, it weakens the full impact of justification. Justification really means this: Even though I still sin periodically and have found myself unable o stop sinning on a permanent basis, God declared me righteous when I believed. And because I will continue to sin from time to time, I find all the more reason to be grateful for grace. As a sinner I deserve vengeance. As a sinner I’m afraid of justice. And so, as a sinner, my only hope for survival is grace. In its purest form, it makes no earthly sense “(45)!
b. Grace is what we stand in it surrounds us and keeps us from the harshness of judgment from sin.
c. Quest sheds some light on the importance of reality of sins presence.
i. Does sin ever quit? Romans 7:14-25
1. Not as long as this fallen world exists and our physical bodies remain. No, not until the final coming of God’s Kingdom. Sin will keep knocking at our door as long as we live in this broken, rebellious, twisted world. Paul says we have died to sin (6:2), that sin’s claim upon our lives has been broken. We do not have to give in to it. Jesus Christ breathes his Spirit into us (8:14), giving us the power to resist sin’s advances and live a strong, new life. But we must choose to resist sin. Every day. Every moment of every day (1559).
2. But for some chance we fall then remember your standing in grace. It’s there it’s real it forgives and restores. It’s undeserving but it’s free and it’s from HIM!
C. Grace is easy to receive just grab a hold of Jesus and then you grab a hold of Grace.
T.S.- When your faith leads to Peace and you experience Grace your life is flooded with rejoicing.
IV. The next blessing is the ability to rejoice and experience supernatural joy.
A. It’s the ability to as Chuck Swindoll says to “Laugh Again”
a. “It’s about relaxing more, releasing the tension, and refusing to let circumstances dominate our attitudes”(11).
b. It’s about looking at life from another perspective from an empty tomb. He did it – He made it- and so will I – Hallejuah!!!
c. It’s about knowing the outcome of our lives in Christ. That we are set free, delivered, forgiven, at peace with God, and standing in grace (in case) and this brings rejoicing to our hearts.
d. Joyful people always live in the now because they stay attached to presence of Jesus- here and now. They never worry about the then and never or the future because they have experienced by faith the Lord –His peace-His Grace-His joy in the here and now!
e. Helen Mallicot made a real contribution to your life and mine says Swindoll when she wrote:
i. I was regretting the past and fearing the future…suddenly my Lord was speaking: “My name is I Am.” He paused. I waited. He continued, “When you live in the past, with its mistakes and regrets, it is hard. I am not there my name is not I Was. When you live in the future, with its problems and fears, it is hard. I am not there. My name is not I Will Be. When you live in this moment, it is not hard. I am here. My name is I Am”
f. Joy unspeakable joy comes to those who put their faith in an empty tomb and then experience a resurrected Lord and receive the blessings from the Great “I AM!”.
Conclusion: 10 reasons why to believe in the empty tomb! See the Illustration!
