HE GOT UP – Dr. Adlai Naidoo
Introduction:
French thinker, Auguste Comte, once told Thomas Carlyle that he was going to start a new religion to replace Christianity. “Very good,” replied Carlyle, “all you’ll have to do is to be crucified, rise again on the third day, and get the world to believe you are still alive. Then your new religion will have a chance.
On Jan 21st, 1924, the Soviet Congress issued a public declaration at the death of Lenin:
“His vision was colossal; his intelligence in organizing the masses was beyond belief. He was lord of the new humanity, the savior of the world.”
Yet his life came to an end and Nikolai Lenin’s lifeless body could no longer claim the titles, Supreme Leader, Lord, And Savior.
Some 1900 years before this, another declaration was issued. An angel in an open tomb Proclaimed: HE IS NOT HERE, HE IS RISEN!
No need for flowery speeches, the present tense says enough! He Is Risen!
The eternal “IS,” means joy for the present and hope for the future!
All that Lenin promised was voided by his death.
All that Christ promised is assured by His resurrection.
The difference between the “WAS” and the “IS” is the difference between Lenin & Christ, between death & life.
Jesus’ supreme credential to prove He was God was His resurrection!
Five times in the course of His life He predicted He would die, and He predicted how He would die. He predicted He would rise from the dead three days later. And it happened just like He said!
Here we are in the year 2001, in 2,000 years the world has not outlived His love, or bettered His vision, or outdated His story, or strayed from His reach!
Text:
1 Corinthians 15:51-57 Behold, I tell you a mystery: We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed --
52 in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, and the dead will be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed.
53 For this corruptible must put on incorruption, and this mortal must put on immortality.
54 So when this corruptible has put on incorruption, and this mortal has put on immortality, then shall be brought to pass the saying that is written: "Death is swallowed up in victory."
55 "O Death, where is your sting? O Hades, where is your victory?"
56 The sting of death is sin, and the strength of sin is the law.
57 But thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.
(NKJV)
John 12:23-24 And Jesus answered them, saying, The hour is come, that the Son of man should be glorified.
24 Verily, verily, I say unto you, Except a corn of wheat fall into the ground and die, it abideth alone: but if it die, it bringeth forth much fruit.
(KJV)
I. He Got Up:
Repeat after me... “Neighbor, it’s not just a story, it’s a reality -- He got UP!
A. Many today refuse to acknowledge the Son. They talk about God and they talk about being God conscious, but they ignore the Son.
B. In our country...
60’s - seeking after a cause, wanted to belong.
70’s - “It Was Do your own thing.”
80’s - Secular humanism; God in you & raise yourself up to the level of His consciousness.
90’s – Gen X; We will do it a new way we done it your way long enough.
1. All trying to find someone/thing to worship!
C. Jesus said “No man cometh to the Father but by me.” “I am the way, the truth and the life.” “All power if given to Me.”
1. None of the other prophets could say this!
· Malachi couldn’t say it. Zephaniah, Obadiah,
Isaiah, Jeremiah or Ezekiel, none of them could say
“all power is given unto me.”
2. But when Jesus got up, He said, “All power is
given unto me in heaven & in earth.”
3. Only Jesus could say, “I am He that liveth and\
was dead but, behold, I am alive for evermore, and
I’ve got the keys to hell & death.”
D. Word of God says that, except a corn of wheat fall into the ground and die, (isn’t that strange?) it abideth alone: but it has to die in order to bring forth much fruit.
1. Seems that a seed ought to be alive and
bring forth life!
2. But a seed’s got to go in the ground and after the seed goes in the ground, the seed’s got to die!
If the seed does not die, there’ll be no resurrected life!
E. So Jesus is the imperishable seed and he went into the dirt and He had to die, because if Jesus hadn’t died, it wouldn’t have been no redemption; but He had to die for two specific purposes:
#1 - To Be Glorified.
#2 - To Be Fruitful.
1. He had to die in order to bear much fruit.
2. Just like that seed had to go into the ground and die, it was symbolic of Jesus who went into the earth , died for our sins & rose for our justification.
F. I want to talk about the reality of the resurrection. It’s a fact! He Got Up!
He went from the borrowed tomb to the upper room!
II. Resurrection:
#1 - It is an incontestable fact!
1. You can’t dispute it . . . it’s unquestionable.
A. After a sleepless night, in which he was given no food, endured the mockery of two trials, and had his back lacerated with the cruel Roman “Cat-O-Nine Tails”, He was led 650 yards up, and out to execution by crucifixion.
1. An excruciatingly painful death, in which every nerve in the body cried aloud in anguish.
2. Four executioners came to examine Him, before a friend, Joseph of Arimathea, was allowed to take away the body for burial.
3. His body was prepared for burial & placed in a real tomb.
4. The tomb was sealed by a cord stretched across the stone & sealed at each end by sealing clay.
5. A guard was placed at the tomb.
B. Jesus didn’t lose consciousness! He died and then He Got Up!
1. And this fact didn’t leave us with any questions: It Ended With A Period!
C. When I say He got up, don’t put a question mark where the Lord puts a period!
When I say He got up, my voice didn’t say it with a question!
He got up! Grave couldn’t hold Him. It’s no argument. There’s no dispute! He Got Up!
It is an incontestable fact
#2 - It is an historical fact!
A. There were witnesses! Peter, saw him then by the 12, and the 500 brethren saw Him at once, then James saw Him, and then Paul said He saw Him on the Damascus Road.
It is an incontestable fact
It is an historical fact!
#3 - Resurrection is a prophetical fact!
A. Jesus was no unexpected guest, for Isaiah looked through the telescope of prophecy and said...
"Unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given, the government shall be upon his shoulders and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counsellor, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace.
B. Over & over again the psalmist David looked over the mountain tops of time and saw Jesus on the cross...
Psalm 34:20
He guards all his bones; Not one of them is broken.
(NKJV)
Psalm 71:20
From the depths of the earth you will again bring me up.
(NIV)
It is an incontestable fact
It is an historical fact!
Resurrection is a prophetical fact!
#4 - It is a predestined fact!
A. It was foreordained by divine decree that Jesus would come.
Back in eternity when the Father said “Let us make man,” I imagine God the Son said, “If you make man, he’ll sin!”
Then God the Holy Ghost said, “If he sins, we’ll redeem him!”
So the Bible says, Jesus was the lamb slain from the foundation of the world!
John 6:40 For my Father’s will is that everyone who looks to the Son and believes in him shall have eternal life, and I will raise him up at the last day." (NIV)
It is an incontestable fact
It is an historical fact!
It is a prophetical fact!
It is a predestined fact!
#5 - It is a public fact!
A. It’s mentioned over the radios, over TV, in the book stores & people are talking about Jesus and singing about Jesus around the world.
B. Can you imagine, a man who died 2,000 years ago and yet His name is ringing over the breadth & length of the land.
· That Name that has cooled fevered brows.
· That Name that has sent demons on the run.
· That Name that has healed the sick.
· That Name that has brought the dead to life again.
· That Name that has caused the lepers to be
cleansed.
· That Name that has caused the dumb to speak.
· That Name that has caused blinded eyes to open.
...deaf ears... etc...
C. It’s a public fact... even in atheistic nations it is now the year AD 2000.
It is an incontestable fact
It is an historical fact!
It is a prophetical fact!
It is a predestined fact!
It is a public fact!
#6 - It’s an everlasting fact!
· This thing is not going to blow over.
· Redemption will never cease.
· Bible is not on its way out.
· Story will never be hushed.
· Story will be told in the new world, in the New Jerusalem.
· Redeemed will sing over there the redemption song that the angels cannot sing. “that He was slain and HE’S GOT UP!
· It’s not going to stop when you die!
· It’s not going to stop when this world catches fire.
· It’s not going to stop when the rapture takes place.
But we’re going to walk around glory and tell the story!
It is an incontestable fact
It is an historical fact!
It is a prophetical fact!
It is a predestined fact!
It is a public fact!
It’s an everlasting fact!
#7 - It’s a triumphant fact!
A. People say, “I’m fine under the circumstances.” That’s like saying “I sleep under the mattress.”
B. Triumph = TRY & “umph.”
C. We don’t have a salvation of darkness.
We don’t have a religion of fear.
D. This is a religion of victory!
· This is a religion of joy.
· It’s a triumphant fact.
· Your elder brother Jesus died for you.
· He took the rap for you.
· The debt was paid for you.
· He said “Because I live, ye shall live also.”
E. Everyday is Easter!!!
1. Maybe He didn’t rise up on the day we celebrate, but there are 365 days in the year and it had to be on one of them!
2. They’re all Easter for me!
· Everyday is Easter
· Everyday is Christmas
· Everyday is Thanksgiving
· Everyday is Pentecost Sunday
· Everyday is Good Friday
Every Monday - Tuesday - Wednesday - Thursday - Friday - Saturday - Sunday
Everyday Is A Good Day In Christ!
F. Mohammed didn’t get up!
· Confucius didn’t get up!
· Budda didn’t get up!
· Hitler didn’t get up!
· Stalin didn’t get up!
· Lenin didn’t get up!
· Joseph Smith is dead. Jim Jones is dead. David Korash is dead.
But Jesus, Jesus, Jesus, He’s Alive! He’s Alive!
III. He Got Up; Now He Wants Us To Get Up:
Ephesians 4:8
Therefore He says: "When He ascended on high, He led captivity captive, And gave gifts to men."
A. From the sanctuary to the sidewalk, He wants us to get up!
B. He wants us up even if we don’t feel like it!
Did you know that just yesterday ……..
· Your heart beat 103,369 times!
· Your blood traveled 168 million miles!
· You breathed 23,400 times!
· You inhaled 438 cubic feet of air!
· You ate 3 pounds of food.
· You drank 2.9 pounds of liquid!
· You perspired 1.43 pints.
· You gave off 85.3 degrees of heat!
· You generated 450 tons of energy!
· You spoke about 4,800 words!
· You moved 750 major muscles!
· Your nails grew .00056 inches,
· Your hair grew .01714 inches.
· You exercised 7 million brain cells!
(No Wonder I’m Tired!)
C. He wants us to Wake Up, Make Up, Shake Up, Break Up And Take Up.
· Wake up! Come alive! Snap the cords of laziness.
1. Break the chains of lethargy!
Rom 13:11
It is high time to awake out of sleep
2 Cor 6:2
Truly now is the right time - now is the day of salvation
· Make up! Make up your mind to act now! Escape from the prison of inactivity!
1. Do it now! Take some action now! Telephone, write a letter,do something! Move! Act! Start! Begin! Get Going!
· Shake up!
Shake up the negative thoughts! Shake all impossibility thoughts out of your mind! Shake them out! “Quit you like men -- be strong”
· Break up!
The obstacles. Shatter the barriers.
1. You do it in the same way you would make a doorway in a mountain wall! One stone at a time!
2. Break your biggest problems into small workable pieces.
· Take up!
The gifts God have been given to you. Take up the sword of the Spirit; take up the armor of God...
Conclusion:
Because He Got Up!
We Never Have To Give Up!
