NEGATIVE AND POSITIVE CONSEQUENCES OF THE RESURRECTION
1 CORINTHIANS 15:12-28.
INTRODUCTION: As you can see on the PowerPoint slide behind me, the gospel is not the gospel if the resurrection is removed. The resurrection of Christ is key to our continued existence as a church. Without the resurrection, just as the gospel ceases to be the gospel, so the church ceases to be the church.
Paul was very concerned that the Corinthian church got it straight. The resurrection was foundational to the church, foundational to Christian teaching, foundational to our future hope, foundational to the teaching of the apostles, and foundational to the future ministry of the body of Christ.
In the passage we have before us today, Paul looks and develops the negative consequences of the resurrection, or should we say the consequences of not having a resurrection. Afterwards, Paul then shares with us the positive consequences of the resurrection, or the consequences of having a resurrection.
I The Consequences Of Denying The Resurrection
A Denying the resurrection contradicts the entire gospel message.
1 Gospel includes the death of Jesus Christ
a Death was the payment for our sin
b Death was the transfer of our sin on to Christ
2 Gospel includes the burial
a We do not know all that Jesus did during those three days in the tomb, but we know some.
1 Peter 3:18-20 For Christ died for sins once for all, the righteous for the unrighteous, to bring you to God. He was put to death in the body but made alive by the Spirit,
19 through whom also he went and preached to the spirits in prison
20 who disobeyed long ago when God waited patiently in the days of Noah while the ark was being built. In it only a few people, eight in all, were saved through water,
b We do know that those three days were ordained by God the Father
3 Gospel includes the resurrection
a Resurrection proclaims God¡¦s satisfaction
b Resurrection proclaims our victory over death
c Resurrection proclaims the validity of Christ¡¦s claims
B Denying the Resurrection denies Doctrine of the gospel message
1 Without the resurrection everything every pastor who believes in the resurrection teaches is based on a lie
2 Every apostle of Christ who taught was a liar
3 The basis of the Christian faith is a lie
a Faith is built around a false premise
b Our faith is unprofitable to us
c Every Sunday we come to church all we are doing is perpetuating a lie
d We cause others and ourselves to miss out on life
1 Without the resurrection there is only the here and now to focus on
2 Without the resurrection there is no after life to be concerned with
a) No heaven to hope for
b) No Hell to fear for
4 We are left with a ¡§less than God¡¨ god
a He cannot raise Jesus even though he wants to ¡V less than all powerful god
b He will not raise Christ as he said he would ¡V a god who lies and is no better than us
C Denying the resurrection denies the atonement of Christ
1 Without the atonement, salvation is only an irrational state of mind.
a Like pink elephants
b Like green leprechauns
2 Without the Resurrection then Christ was put to death justly
a For his sins
b Our sins are left un atoned for ¡V we will still be judged
3 Without the Resurrection none have hope
a Those who died before died without hope
b Those who live and remain do so without hope
1 Hope is based on an unrisen Christ
2 Hope is based on a lie
3 We are in a pitiful condition ¡V like Linus VanPelt waiting for the great Pumpkin
NO ONE DIES TO PRESERVE A LIE ¡V YET ALL OF THE APOSTLES FACED THE CRUELEST OF DEATH RATHER THAN RENOUNCE THEIR FAITH IN CHRIST AND WHAT HE DID ON THE CROSS AND AFTER THE CROSS.
I have included a chart of what happened to the apostles. Each faced death for his belief in the resurrection. No one dies for a lie!
How Tradition Says the Apostles Died
As someone has correctly pointed out, hypocrites and martyrs are not made of the same stuff. Men may willingly die for what they believe to be true...even at times if what they believe is actually false. But no one will die willingly for something they know to be a lie!! Judas Iscariot, betrayer of Jesus, committed suicide. Only John, of the other 13 Apostles, did not die by homicide, a martyr.
Apostle Where
died When died Manner of Death
Peter (Simon Peter),
Bible writer Rome, Italy
(Nero) 54-68AD Homicide:
crucified head down,
at his own request
Andrew, son of a John & brother of Peter (Matthew 4:18) Edessa, Greece ?AD Homicide:
severely scourged & tied by ropes on x-shaped cross where he hung 2 days to expire
James,
son of Zebedee & Salome and elder bro. of John (not bro. of Jesus) the Bible writer Jerusalem, Israel
(Herod) 44 AD
(the 1st martyred) Homicide:
beheaded with sword; Mark 10:39 & Acts 12:1-2
John,
son of Zebedee and bro. of James;
Bible writer Ephesus, Turkey
or Turkish Isle
of Patmos 98 AD thrown in boiling oil but unharmed; died of Natural causes in Ephesus
Philip of Bethsaida Hieropolis, Syria Homicide:
crucified
Bartholomew (Nathaniel) India or
Armenia Homicide:
beaten/flayed, and crucified
head down
Thomas (Didymus) Edessa, Greece Homicide:
lanced by
idolatrous priests & burned up in an oven
Matthew (Levi), of Capernaum
the Bible writer Nadabah, Ethiopia about 60AD Homicide:
axed to death with a halberd
James (son of Alphaeus);
Bible writer
(? half bro. of Jesus?) Jerusalem, Israel AD66 Homicide:
thrown down from the Temple tower & not dead so clubbed to death with a fullers club at age 94
Jude (Thaddaeus...Judas Lebbaeus) Edessa, Greece AD72 Homicide:
crucified
Simon the Zealot
(the Canaanite) Brittainnia, Europe Homicide:
crucified
Judas Iscariot Jerusalem, Israel Suicide:
by hanging Matt. 27:5
Matthias (the 11 remaining Apostles chose him to replace Judas) Jerusalem, Israel Homicide:
stoned and beheaded
Paul (chosen by Jesus on the road to Damascus) Rome, Italy 66 AD Homicide:
beheaded
II THE CONSEQUENCES OF AN UN-DENIED RESURRECTION ¡V 1 CORINTHIANS 15:20-28
A RESURRECTED CHRIST GIVES US SOMETHING TO GET EXCITED ABOUT
„Ï We have something to preach about
„Ï We have a faith with meaning
„Ï We have a truth to speak and live
„Ï We have a way to free ourselves from our sins
„Ï We have an assurance concerning our loved ones
„Ï We are not miserable people!
A Christ is the ¡§firstfruits¡¨ of God¡¦s Resurrection yet to come
1 Can¡¦t have firsts without seconds
a Christ was first resurrection in order of time
b Others will come at the right time
2 Firstsfruits were given in the assurance of God¡¦s blessing on the rest of the harvest
B Christ reversed Sin and Death brought on us by Adam.
1 Adam brought death ¡V separation from God with him when he disobeyed God
2 Adam brought sin which separates us from God.
a Cannot even bring a gift into the church if we harbor sin.
1 God is separated from our spiritual presence
2 God does not want our physical presence either.
3 Christ brought physical access ¡V ripped the veil
4 Christ provides Spiritual access ¡V enters our lives
C The Resurrection marks the finished work of salvation
1 When Christ died ¡V He said it was finished
2 When Christ rose
a He had proclaimed victory
b He sat down
D The Resurrection tells us that the Kingdom of God is coming
1 Jesus is bringing the kingdom
2 Jesus is going to reorder the kingdom
3 Jesus is going to reign in the kingdom
Being here today is not a lesson in deception, but a proclamation that Jesus is alive.
The resurrection is the most important truth to the church today. It is foundational for everything else we do and say.
The church is not a crutch for a dying world, it is its lifeline ¡V and ONLY because of the resurrection!
