Resurrection Power Close to Home -- 3/23/08

Sunday, 10:50, March 23, 2008

RESURRECTION POWER CLOSE TO HOME
Preach it!

Many of us have already spent some time this morning thinking together about the resurrection of our Lord. That is no small subject. Think of me lying here lifeless. But how do you know I’m really dead? Poke me. But maybe I am in some kind of coma. It just seems like I don’t have a pulse. So don’t put me in the hospital. Just let me lie here for a spell. Just leaving me alone for a while might help to prove I am really dead. But still, how can you be sure I’m dead?

But now put me in a casket and take me down to the cemetery. Bury that casket in the ground and leave it for three days. Now do you believe I am dead?

JESUS WAS REALLY DEAD. Let’s read from I Cor. 15:1-4…
Moreover, brethren, I declare unto you the gospel which I preached unto you, which also ye have received, and wherein ye stand; 2. By which also ye are saved, if ye keep in memory what I preached unto you, unless ye have believed in vain. 3. For I delivered unto you first of all that which I also received, how that Christ died for our sins according to the scriptures; 4. And that he was buried, and that he rose again the third day according to the scriptures:

Isn’t it interesting that the burial is included. Why? Is it not to confirm that Jesus was really dead?

Now suppose someone says, “Let’s go down to the grave and bring Ron back to life.” What do you think? Whoever said it is a nut, a fruitcake; he’s not hitting on all cylinders. You get the picture. This isn’t going to be one of those near-death experiences. The man has been in the grave for three days. No one comes out of the grave alive.

Surely that is what they thought 2,000 years ago. They were no different than we are. Sometimes we get the idea, “It was no big deal to them, because they lived in Bible times.” They lived in a world that is just like ours. Dead men did not come to life.

Isn’t it amazing that Jesus had told them repeatedly that He was going to rise from the dead, but they didn’t get it. Let’s go to the Gospel of Mark of read it…

Mark 8:31-32 "And he began to teach them, that the Son of man must suffer many things, and be rejected of the elders, and of the chief priests, and scribes, and be killed, and after three days rise again. 32. And he spake that saying openly. And Peter took him, and began to rebuke him."

Mark 9:30-32 "And they departed thence, and passed through Galilee; and he would not that any man should know it. 31. For he taught his disciples, and said unto them, The Son of man is delivered into the hands of men, and they shall kill him; and after that he is killed, he shall rise the third day. 32. But they understood not that saying, and were afraid to ask him."

Mark 10:32-34 "And they were in the way going up to Jerusalem; and Jesus went before them: and they were amazed; and as they followed, they were afraid. And he took again the twelve, and began to tell them what things should happen unto him, 33. Saying, Behold, we go up to Jerusalem; and the Son of man shall be delivered unto the chief priests, and unto the scribes; and they shall condemn him to death, and shall deliver him to the Gentiles: 34. And they shall mock him, and shall scourge him, and shall spit upon him, and shall kill him: and the third day he shall rise again."

They just didn’t get it. Jesus could not convince them. Why not? Because dead men don’t come back to life. It seems best to place the raising of Lazarus from the dead (recorded in John 11) between Jesus’ prediction in Mark 9 and the one in Mark 10. Even though they had seen Jesus raise this man who had been dead for four days, they still didn’t get it. So after Jesus had told them at least times that He would rise from the dead, and even though they had watched Him raise Lazarus, they were still shocked when their Lord came back from the grave.

What does it take to raise a man from the dead? It takes the power of God. But when we look at it like that, it isn’t so impossible. God created the universe in all its splendor. God designed the human body, which no human has been able to totally understand, despite the study that has been devoted to it. Surely God the Creator can raise a body that He Himself made. Indeed He can, and indeed He did!

Let’s read that passage we have read many times before – Eph. 1:15-23…
Wherefore I also, after I heard of your faith in the Lord Jesus, and love unto all the saints, 16. Cease not to give thanks for you, making mention of you in my prayers; 17. That the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give unto you the spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of him: 18. The eyes of your understanding being enlightened; that ye may know what is the hope of his calling, and what the riches of the glory of his inheritance in the saints, 19. And what is the exceeding greatness of his power to us-ward who believe, according to the working of his mighty power, 20. Which he wrought in Christ, when he raised him from the dead, and set him at his own right hand in the heavenly places, 21. Far above all principality, and power, and might, and dominion, and every name that is named, not only in this world, but also in that which is to come: 22. And hath put all things under his feet, and gave him to be the head over all things to the church, 23. Which is his body, the fulness of him that filleth all in all.

What tremendous power was required to raise Jesus from the dead, but as we have talked about many times before, that same power is available to us. So this morning, the bulk of the sermon you must preach. Don’t worry; you are not going to be put up in front of the congregation. You must preach the sermon to yourself right where you sit. The title of your message is this: “Resurrection Power Close to Home.”

I’ll give you the introduction to get you started. It goes something like this…

We are great at talking about resurrection power. We know that the concept comes from the scripture, as we read earlier from Ephesians 1. The same power that raised Jesus from the dead is available to those who believe. The children of God have this mighty dynamite resurrection power available to them. Praise God!

Here’s the problem. Even when we believe this power is real, we keep it at arm’s length. We apply to situations that are not our own. What could this power do? It could raise a person from the grave. But you aren’t in the grave. It could put an end to all war. But we don’t know that it is the will of God to end all war right now. This resurrection power could rescue some wayward young man from drug addiction. But you aren’t addicted to drugs.

Here’s the great question: What can this resurrection power do in my life?

That’s where you take over. What can this resurrection power do in your life? Why don’t you preach yourself a three-point sermon. Ask the Lord to reveal three areas where He wants to apply His resurrection power in your life. Why don’t you write down a “1” and a “2” and a “3.”

As they begin working on their assignment, let me say a few words to those of you who are not believers, who are not yet the children of God. Let me give you a different assignment. Your assignment is to contemplate this one question, to think about this one thing…
“Can God’s resurrection power raise me from death?” Remember that you are dead in your trespasses and sins. That’s right – dead. This is not some make-believe death. Your spiritual death is every bit as real as any physical death. You can never do anything to make yourself alive. You are absolutely and totally helpless. If God’s resurrection power doesn’t raise you to life, you will spend a lifetime as the enemy of God and spend eternity paying for your sins in hell, totally separated from God. So here is your assignment, should you be willing to accept it. “Cry out to God, saying, ‘O God, can you raise me up from this death?’” Spend all your time this morning pondering that one question. Don’t be sidetracked by asking other questions: “God, can you help me to control my tongue? God, can you help me to treat other people better?” Those things are not the issue. The issue is your spiritual death and the need for spiritual life.

Now back to you believers who are working on your three-point sermon, focusing on three areas where you desperately need the working of this resurrection power. Now if the Lord stops you on the first point, and tells you that this is the one you are to focus on, I’ll yield to His wisdom.

Just in case any of you are having trouble, let me give you just a few examples…

Do you need God’s resurrection power to restore the joy of His salvation?
David prayed, “Restore unto me the joy of thy salvation.” Remember that his prayer was not to restore the joy of “my” salvation, but the joy of “your” salvation, the Lord’s salvation. We are commanded, “Rejoice in the Lord always, and again I say rejoice.” Do you need the resurrection power of God to restore that joy to your life?

Do you need God’s resurrection power to give you “patience and longsuffering”?
We often think of this resurrection power enabling us to go out and perform some great miracle. Wouldn’t it be a mighty miracle, if you faithfully endured the circumstances in which God has placed you? Col. 1:9-11, "For this cause we also, since the day we heard it, do not cease to pray for you, and to desire that ye might be filled with the knowledge of his will in all wisdom and spiritual understanding; 10. That ye might walk worthy of the Lord unto all pleasing, being fruitful in every good work, and increasing in the knowledge of God; 11. Strengthened with all might, according to his glorious power, unto all patience and longsuffering with joyfulness;"

That word “patience” might be translated “patient endurance.” It is that word which speaks of remaining under the load. In the midst of turmoil, do you remain patient by thanking God for your circumstances? Or, do you pray that God would remove the situation? Can you pray that God would use all of it to make you like Jesus? Is this where you need resurrection power?
And what about the longsuffering? The patient endurance deals with circumstances and situations, the longsuffering deals with people. Though you try not to, do you find yourself wanting to get back at the person who hurts you? Or do you find yourself overflowing with the spirit of Jesus, saying, “Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do”? Maybe you need God’s resurrection power in this area.

Do you need God’s resurrection power to tame a gossiping tongue?
Do you find yourself justifying gossip by saying, “Well, it’s true”? Do you find that you delight in passing along some information that other people don’t already know? Could well be that you need the resurrection power of Jesus to work in your life.

How are you doing on your assignment? I won’t force anyone to share his or her work, but I will give you that opportunity. Would you like to share with us where you need that resurrection power and give us the opportunity to pray that God would apply it to your life? The opportunity is yours…