What Are You Going To Do With The Resurrection?

Bunbury

Sun am

4/04/10

“What are you going to do with the resurrection?”

Intro: The nature of the resurrection is such that it demands that every one of us make a decision about it.

Paul placed the resurrection at the centre of the gospel when he said .....

1 Corinthians 15:14 (NKJV) And if Christ is not risen, then our preaching is empty and your faith is also empty.

T/m on Easter Sunday I want to pose a question & bring to mind the reality that every one of us has to face.

The question & the point of my message this morning is this .....

‘What are you going to do with the resurrection?’.

Text: Matthew 28:1-20 (NKJV) Now after the Sabbath, as the first day of the week began to dawn, Mary Magdalene and the other Mary came to see the tomb. And behold, there was a great earthquake; for an angel of the Lord descended from heaven, and came and rolled back the stone from the door, and sat on it. His countenance was like lightning, and his clothing as white as snow. And the guards shook for fear of him, and became like dead men. But the angel answered and said to the women, “Do not be afraid, for I know that you seek Jesus who was crucified. He is not here; for He is risen, as He said. Come, see the place where the Lord lay. And go quickly and tell His disciples that He is risen from the dead, and indeed He is going before you into Galilee; there you will see Him. Behold, I have told you.” So they went out quickly from the tomb with fear and great joy, and ran to bring His disciples word. And as they went to tell His disciples, behold, Jesus met them, saying, “Rejoice!” So they came and held Him by the feet and worshiped Him. Then Jesus said to them, “Do not be afraid. Go and tell My brethren to go to Galilee, and there they will see Me.” Now while they were going, behold, some of the guard came into the city and reported to the chief priests all the things that had happened. When they had assembled with the elders and consulted together, they gave a large sum of money to the soldiers, saying, “Tell them, ‘His disciples came at night and stole Him away while we slept.’ And if this comes to the governor’s ears, we will appease him and make you secure.” So they took the money and did as they were instructed; and this saying is commonly reported among the Jews until this day. Then the eleven disciples went away into Galilee, to the mountain which Jesus had appointed for them. When they saw Him, they worshiped Him; but some doubted. And Jesus came and spoke to them, saying, “All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth. Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.” Amen.

# 1. The resurrection is a truth to be believed.

A. The first thing we’ve got to do w/ the resurrection is believe it!

a. The trouble w/ the resurrection is that too many Christians treat it like a myth.

i. To many so called Christians it is little more than a fairy tale – a nice story / thought but hardly real.

ii. A high percentage of professing Christians today say that although they believe in Christ they don’t believe in the resurrection.

iii. The two Marys entered the tomb, encountered the angel & the resurrection b/ca reality to them.

iv. Jesus spoke to the disciples about His resurrection on a number of occasions ....

Mark 9:31 (NKJV) For He taught His disciples and said to them, “The Son of Man is being betrayed into the hands of men, and they will kill Him. And after He is killed, He will rise the third day.”

Luke 18:31-33 (NKJV) Then He took the twelve aside and said to them, They will scourge [the Son of man].... and kill Him. And the third day He will rise again.”

v. But when it actually happened they still struggled to believe it.....

b. The first thing you’re going to do w/ the resurrection is either believe it or reject it.

i. The Bible says when the Marys came & told the disciples about Jesus resurrection they were met w/ unbelief.

Mark 16:10-11 (NKJV) She went and told those who had been with Him, as they mourned and wept. And when they heard that He was alive and had been seen by her, they did not believe.