LIVING THE RESURRECTED LIFE
Philippians 3:7-10a
INTRODUCTION: Today we celebrate 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 the resurrected life. Living the resurrected life is possible in as much as believers we have been united with Jesus Christ as we are identified with Christ. Our faith in Christ has placed us in Christ. We have been raised to walk in newness of life –to live the resurrected life. The resurrected life is one of restoration, transformation and elevation.
I. The Resurrected Life is a Life of Restoration.
A. Restore = reinstate, bring back, reestablish, return
B. It brings back to life that which was dead.
1. Romans 5:12 "Wherefore, as by one man sin entered into the world, and death by sin; and so death passed upon all men, for that all have sinned:"
2. In 1992, a Los Angeles County parking control officer came upon a brown Cadillac El Dorado illegally parked next to the curb on street-sweeping day. The officer dutifully wrote out a ticket. Ignoring the man seated at the driver’s wheel, the officer reached inside the open car window and placed the $30 citation on the dashboard. The driver of the car made no excuses. No argument ensued--and with good reason. The driver of the car had been shot in the head ten to twelve hours before but was sitting up, stiff as a board, slumped slightly forward, with blood on his face. He was dead. The officer, preoccupied with ticket writing, was unaware of anything out of the ordinary. He got back in his car and drove away. Many people around us are "dead in transgressions and sins." What should catch our attention most is their need, not their offenses. They don’t need a citation; they need a Savior. - Greg Asimakoupoulos in Fresh Illustrations for Preaching & Teaching (Baker), from the editors of Leadership.
3. Ephesians 2:1 "And you hath he quickened, who were dead in trespasses and sins:"
C. It reinstates and reestablishes one’s relationship with God the Father
1. Ephesians 2:2-3 "Wherein in time past ye walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that now worketh in the children of disobedience: [3] Among whom also we all had our conversation in times past in the lusts of our flesh, fulfilling the desires of the flesh and of the mind; and were by nature the children of wrath, even as others."
2. 1 John 3:1-2 "Behold, what manner of love the Father hath bestowed upon us, that we should be called the sons of God: therefore the world knoweth us not, because it knew him not. [2] Beloved, now are we the sons of God, and it doth not yet appear what we shall be: but we know that, when he shall appear, we shall be like him; for we shall see him as he is."
3. C.S. Lewis said, "The Son of God became man to enable men to become the sons of God...”
4. Romans 8:15 "For ye have not received the spirit of bondage again to fear; but ye have received the Spirit of adoption, whereby we cry, Abba, Father."
D. It returns ownership of one’s life to His Creator
1. Romans 6:20 "For when ye were the servants of sin, ye were free from righteousness."
2. 1 Peter 1:18-19 "Forasmuch as ye know that ye were not redeemed with corruptible things, as silver and gold, from your vain conversation received by tradition from your fathers; [19 ] But with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot:"
3. 1 Corinthians 6:19-20 "What? Know ye not that your body is the temple of the Holy Ghost which is in you, which ye have of God, and ye are not your own? [20] For ye are bought with a price: therefore glorify God in your body, and in your spirit, which are God’s."
4. Charles H. Spurgeon wrote that there was an old ploughman in the country he sometimes talked with, and he often said, though in uncouth words, some precious things. He said to Spurgeon one day, "The other day, sir, the Devil was tempting me and I tried to answer him; but I found he was an old lawyer and understood the law a great deal better than I did, so I gave over and would not argue with him any more; so I said to him, ’What do you trouble me for?’ ’Why,’ said he, ’about your soul.’ ’Oh!’ said I, ’that is no business of mine; I have given my soul over into the hand of Christ; I have transferred everything to him; if you want an answer to your doubts and queries, you must apply to my Advocate."’
II. The Resurrected Life is a life of Transformation
A. 1 Corinthians 6:9-11 "Know ye not that the unrighteous shall not inherit the kingdom of God? Be not deceived: neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor effeminate, nor abusers of themselves with mankind, [10] nor thieves, nor covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor extortioners, shall inherit the kingdom of God. [11] And such were some of you: but ye are washed, but ye are sanctified, but ye are justified in the name of the Lord Jesus, and by the Spirit of our God."
B. God loves us the way we are, but he loves us too much to leave us that way.
C. Transformation 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.
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)
3. Change of Motives – from rebellion to submission and delight
• Conversion is a deep work-a heart work. It goes throughout the man, throughout the mind, throughout the members, throughout the entire life. – Joseph Alleine (1634-1668)
III. The Resurrected Life is a life of Elevation
A. The caterpillar that crawled along upon its transformation crawls no longer but rather soars amid the beauty of the garden flowers.
B. Philippians 3:13-14 "Brethren, I count not myself to have apprehended: but this one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind, and reaching forth unto those things which are before, [14 ] I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus."
C. In coming to Christ we do not bring our old life up to a higher plane; we leave it at the Cross. We leave our old life at the Cross and pick up a new life on a higher plane than we ever imagined.
D. 2 Corinthians 5:17 "Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold all things are become new."
E. The resurrected life Indians built most of the skyscrapers in New York City! It’s true! The Mohawk Indians are native to New York State. They are famed for their catlike ability to scamper across girders. They are totally indifferent to heights. It seems to be a genetic trait. A writer spoke of it back in 1714. In 1886 the Mohawk Indians built a bridge that spans the Saint Lawrence River. They were the riveters on the Empire State Building and Rockefeller Center. Some people are uncomfortable in high places, but the Mohawk Indians seem right at home. Spiritual heights are uncomfortable for some. They want to live in the lowlands of life, but Christ keeps calling us to higher ground. - Robert C. Shannon, 1000 Windows, (Cincinnati, Ohio: Standard Publishing Company, 1997).
F. Paul likened the resurrected life to being in the Olympics when he wrote in 1 Corinthians 9:24, "Know ye not that they which run in a race run all, but one receives the prize? So run, that ye may obtain."
G. God wants us to be victors, not victims; to grow, not grovel; to soar, not sink; to overcome, not to be overwhelmed. William Arthur Ward (1812-1882)
H. Romans 8:37 states, "… in all these things we are more than conquerors through Him that loved us."
Conclusion: The great preacher Phillips Brooks said, "The great Easter truth is not that we are to live newly after death – that is not the great thing – but that we are to be new here and now by the power of the resurrection, not so much that we are to live forever as that we are to, and may, live nobly now because we are to live forever." It is through the resurrection of Jesus Christ that we have the power to live a life of restoration, transformation, and elevation. This victorious life is available to all who have made Christ both Savior and Lord. Have you accepted Christ as your own personal Savior? Have you made Him Lord of your life? Are you fully living the resurrected life?
