Sermon Central
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Jesus, In Your Victory Series
Contributed by Shawn Drake on Apr 27, 2005 (message contributor)
Summary: This is the 11th sermon in the series "When Jesus Comes To Your Town". This series is based on the "Passion Week".
Series: When Jesus Comes To Your Town [#11]
JESUS, IN YOUR VICTORY
Introduction:
Our text tells us that Jesus rebuked the 11 Apostles for their refusal to believe that He would be resurrected on the 3rd day. The fact that Jesus Christ arose from the grave on the 3rd day was hard for those who were there to believe; so obviously it is even harder for those who were not there to believe. The only way a person can believe that Jesus Christ was raised from the dead on the 3rd day is by believing on faith that God did exactly what His Word said He did.
If you can’t believe that Jesus was raised on the 3rd day from the dead, then you can’t be saved by Jesus. If you can’t believe that Jesus Christ was perfect, never sinning; then you can’t be saved by Jesus. If you can’t believe that Jesus Christ was born of a virgin; then you can’t be saved by Jesus. If you can’t believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God; you can’t be saved by Jesus.
Everything I preach; everything I place my eternal security in; everything I base my entire life on is that Jesus Christ is Who He says He is and He did exactly what He said He did!
It is only through Jesus that we can have victory over sin, death, and Satan. If there is not victory through Jesus Christ then there is no victory at all! Look with me on this Easter Sunday at what the resurrection of Jesus Christ means by looking at what the implications are if He was not resurrected.
But if it is preached that Christ has been raised from the dead, how can some of you say that there is no resurrection of the dead? If there is no resurrection of the dead…
Then Not Even Christ Has Been Raised
Jesus Christ didn’t come to this earth in the form of a human baby, born of a virgin; live on this earth for 33 years having never sinned; die on a cross like a criminal; and be raised from the dead on the 3rd day just for the fun of it. This was God’s plan for giving us hope. This was God’s plan for making a way for us to not have to spend all of eternity where we deserve to, which is Hell.
When the Bible says, “For he chose us in him before the creation of the world to be holy and blameless in his sight. In love he predestined us to be adopted as his sons through Jesus Christ, in accordance with his pleasure and will”; it is telling us that God knew before He even created us that we would sin and we needed a way out. God’s plan was to send Jesus Christ to become our sacrifice.
If you believe that Jesus Christ has been raised from the dead; then you must also believe that there is coming a day when all of those that have died in Christ will be raised from the dead. The same power that raised Jesus’ body from the grave will also raise our bodies at the rapture!
And if Christ has not been raised…
Our Preaching Is Useless And So Is Your Faith
If you don’t believe that Jesus Christ was raised from the dead, then stop coming and listening to my preaching because I am a fraud. If Jesus Christ did not raise from the dead that means that everything else I teach is a lie and you are wasting your time.
More than that, we are then found to be false witnesses about God, for we have testified about God that he raised Christ from the dead. But he did not raise him if in fact the dead are not raised. For if the dead are not raised, then Christ has not been raised either. And if Christ has not been raised…
Your Faith Is Futile And You Are Still In Your Sins
If Jesus wasn’t raised from the dead, then we are all still held accountable for our sins and the wages of sin is (spiritual) death. If this is the case, we are all banished to Hell for all eternity with no hope. If Jesus wasn’t raised from the dead, go home and “live it up”, because there isn’t anything else you can do.
And if Christ has not been raised, your faith is futile; you are still in your sins…
Then Those Who Have Died In Christ Are Lost
If Christ was not raised from the dead and we are still in our sins; then that means that my grandparents who were Christians; that my brothers and sisters in Christ such as Estelle South, Dorothy Marley, Jim Laster, Max Baxter, etc… that have died are lost.
