EXPERIENCING RESURRECTION POWER
John 20:1-18; Phil. 3:10
Intro: 1. The resurrection of Christ is one of the central points of Christianity – The resurrection was an amazing event – wouldn’t it have been nice to have been there on that day – to go to the tomb and see that it was empty – would we have believed or doubted
2. We all agree that the resurrection was a powerful event that changed the course of history – but today I want to bring it down to where we live – how the resurrection impacts our life – what does it mean for us
3. The Word of God serves several purposes – it reveals who God is – it reveals who man is – it reveals what God wants to do in and through man
4. The resurrection is not an event that just happened long ago and is now over – in other words it is not just another history lesson – although it was an event that took place almost 2000 years ago - the power of that event is still working today
5. The power of that event is tied up in the person of that event – Jesus – it is all and always about Jesus – it was his obedience that brought about the event
6. Phil. 3:10 “I gave up all that inferior stuff so I could know Christ personally, experience his resurrection power, be a partner in his suffering, and go all the way with him to death itself. If there was any way to get in on the resurrection from the dead, I wanted to do it. (The Message)
7. Paul said something very unique – I want to experience his resurrection power – I want to have that power working in me
8. Experience = the actual participation in something or the direct contact with
9. This is the purpose of the message this morning that we may all, like Paul, begin to experience the resurrection power in our lives
10. We must ask ourselves what this resurrection power is
I. IT IS A CONVERTING POWER
1. Man has a problem – this problem is sin (disobedience to God) – He made the rules – whether you want to accept this or not it does not change the truth – God is the sovereign one – everything works according to His plan
2. The bible makes it clear that mans disobedience separated him from God – Gen. = Adam and Eve – Romans 5:12 “Therefore just as sin entered the world through one man, and death through sin, and in this way death came to all men, because all sinned.”
3. We are all born into sin (with a propensity to sin) – Romans 3:23 “for all have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God.” – I John 1:8 “If we claim to be without sin (on our own), we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us.”
4. Sin separated man form God and there was nothing we could do to change the problem – our works, our desire – nothing of ourselves could bring us back into relationship with God
5. What could solve this problem? – the answer is Jesus – He came to earth, lived a sinless life, gave his life and was resurrected all to bring me and you back into fellowship with God
6. Through His resurrection we have been given the opportunity to be changed and come back to God – not coming back to Him is like not coming back to a parent that has been perfect in every way
7. Eph. 2:1-10 “1As for you, you were dead in your transgressions and sins, 2in which you used to live when you followed the ways of this world and of the ruler of the kingdom of the air, the spirit who is now at work in those who are disobedient. 3All of us also lived among them at one time, gratifying the cravings of our sinful nature£ and following its desires and thoughts. Like the rest, we were by nature objects of wrath. 4But because of his great love for us, God, who is rich in mercy, 5made us alive with Christ even when we were dead in transgressions—it is by grace you have been saved. 6And God raised us up with Christ and seated us with him in the heavenly realms in Christ Jesus, 7in order that in the coming ages he might show the incomparable riches of his grace, expressed in his kindness to us in Christ Jesus. 8For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God—9not by works, so that no one can boast. 10For we are God’s workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.
8. Take testimonies
9. Convert = to change the state of (Ill of water – liquid, gas, solid – it is all water but it has a different state) – when we come to Christ we are still a person just like everyone else but we have a different state - we have been saved – our life is different – we do not live as everyone else lives
10. To be converted all we have to do is believe, confess and receive – repentance is the name of the game - John 3:16
II. IT IS A CONQUERING POWER
1. Conquer = to subdue, to win; to overcome by force
2. John 10:10 “ the thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy…” – these are the tools of the devils trade
3. There was a lot that Jesus conquered and overcome on our behalf - but I want to focus in on three events that reveal the conquering power of His resurrection
a. John 19:1 – Jesus was flogged – the enemy was trying to steal – steal his dignity and his strength – he was trying to break Him – this is what the enemy does to us – Jesus went the distance – every stripe meant victory for us
b. John 19: 17,18 – Jesus was crucified – the enemy wanted to kill Him – this what the enemy desires to for us – His blood purchased our salvation
c. John 19:38-42 – Jesus was buried sealed in a tomb by a stone – the enemy wanted to destroy Him for good – no more mention of this Jesus – while He was in the tomb Jesus descended and set the captives free (Abraham, Moses, Daniel, David) – this is what the enemy desires to do to us – to seal our fate – destroy our hopes and dreams – to destroy our walk with the Father
4. The bible declares however that on third day Jesus was resurrected from the grave – death, hell and the grave could not hold him – no matter how hard the enemy tried – Jesus could not be stopped
5. Paul said I want to experience that resurrection power that cannot be stopped – the resurrection power of Christ is a conquering power – that why the word declares in Rom. 8 that we are more than conquerors through Christ who loved us
6. We must realize that whatever ewe are facing today - we have the resurrection power of God to help us overcome – the resurrection gives us hope of continual victory - not in ourselves but in the power of God – there is no storm, no valley, no attack, no need that God cannot handle
7. May we like Paul say I want to experience this resurrection power
8. Eph. 1:18-23 “I pray also that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened in order that you may know the hope to which he has called you, the riches of his glorious inheritance in the saints, 19and his incomparably great power for us who believe. That power is like the working of his mighty strength, 20which he exerted in Christ when he raised him from the dead and seated him at his right hand in the heavenly realms, 21far above all rule and authority, power and dominion, and every title that can be given, not only in the present age but also in the one to come. 22And God placed all things under his feet and appointed him to be head over everything for the church, 23which is his body, the fullness of him who fills everything in every way.
III. IT IS A CONFORMING POWER
1. Rom. 12:1-2 “1Therefore, I urge you, brothers, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God—this is your spiritual£ act of worship. 2Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will.
2. When we become the children of God – the process of conforming begins – the Bible challenges us to be conformed to Christ and not to the world –
3. The resurrection power of Christ works in us because we have been made alive in Christ – to help us take on the qualities of our Lord
4. Rom. 8:29 “For those God foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the likeness of his Son …..”
5. The bible uses the idea of clay to reveal this aspect of God’s plan – we are to be workable in His hand – just as the clay is molded in the hands of the potter so we are molded in God’s hand – Jer. 18”1-6
6. God’s not done with you yet – there is more work to do – Ill of new construction in Dallas on I 35 – years to complete – this is the way it is in our lives we wont be complete until we get to heaven in the meantime God is always working on us
7. Phil. 1:6 “being confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus
8. How does the resurrection power conform us:
a. it convicts
b. it confronts
c. it consumes
IV. IT IS A CONFIRMING POWER
1. Confirm – to establish or support the truth of something
2. What does the resurrection power of God confirm - it confirms that just as Christ was resurrected so we to will be resurrected – just as death could not hold Christ so death will not be able to hold our mortal bodies
3. I Cor. 15:35, 42-44, 54-57 “35But someone may ask, “How are the dead raised? With what kind of body will they come?”….. 42So will it be with the resurrection of the dead. The body that is sown is perishable, it is raised imperishable; 43it is sown in dishonor, it is raised in glory; it is sown in weakness, it is raised in power; 44it is sown a natural body, it is raised a spiritual body….. 54When the perishable has been clothed with the imperishable, and the mortal with immortality, then the saying that is written will come true: “Death has been swallowed up in victory.”£55“Where, O death, is your victory? Where, O death, is your sting?”£56The sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the law. 57But thanks be to God! He gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.
4. There is coming a day when we will be with God in a glorified state and we will be with Him forever – not only when we die do we immediately go to be with the Lord but on resurrection day – rapture day – our bodies will come up out of the grave if we have died or if we are alive our bodies will be instantly changed – either way our bodies will take on immortality and be perfect in every way
5. The Thessalonians were worried about this – I Thess. 4:13-18 “13Brothers, we do not want you to be ignorant about those who fall asleep, or to grieve like the rest of men, who have no hope. 14We believe that Jesus died and rose again and so we believe that God will bring with Jesus those who have fallen asleep in him. 15According to the Lord’s own word, we tell you that we who are still alive, who are left till the coming of the Lord, will certainly not precede those who have fallen asleep. 16For the Lord himself will come down from heaven, with a loud command, with the voice of the archangel and with the trumpet call of God, and the dead in Christ will rise first. 17After that, we who are still alive and are left will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And so we will be with the Lord forever. 18Therefore encourage each other with these words.
HOW DO WE HAVE THIS RESUURECTION POWER WORKING IN OUR LIVES – John 20:8
1. He Saw – he gained the knowledge of
2. He believed – it isn’t enough just to have the knowledge you have to believe – the others didn’t believe at that time
Conclcusion: 1. God wants us to experience Christ’s resurrection power in our lives – it is an available power and a necessary power in these evil days
2. The key to walking in this power is tied up in knowing (revelation – not head knowledge) and believing
3. There are people here this morning that need to experience Christ’s resurrection power – salvation, sickness, family problems, spiritual problems, financial problems etc – today is the day for you to receive resurrection power in your – what was accomplished on Calvary is appropriated through the resurrection
4. Let’s be like Paul today – forsaking everything else that we might experience His resurrection power
