sunday, april 5, 2015 speaker: doug virgint jesus is risen – but does it matter? luke 24:1-12 the...
TRANSCRIPT
Sunday, April 5, 2015Speaker: Doug Virgint
Jesus is risen –But does it matter?Luke 24:1-12
The 2nd message in our 2-part Easter series.
1) Two kinds of unbelief
• Fixed, closed, natural laws
• Post-modern existentialism
2
2) The disciples’ unbelief
• The women had come to anoint his body – a sign of respect for a dead person
• They had seen him die• He was buried, guarded• Bodies that are dead remain
dead3
3) The angels’ message
• He is not here• He is risen• Jesus had told them
that this would happen
• Why seek the living among the dead?
4
3) The angels’ message
Notice here:• Christ rose bodily, not just spiritually• Like the body that died -
but not exactly• Notice the difference with Lazarus
5
4) The logical response
• Experience teaches that death wins
• When a new message conflicts with experience,
that generates unbelief
6
4) The logical response
• Peter explains this:“but God raised him on the third day and made him to appear, not to all the people but to us who had been chosen by God as witnesses, who ate and drank with him after he rose from the dead.”
7
4) The logical response
• Notice the difficulty here• The women did not see Jesus
rise• They simply heard
witnesses• Instead of allowing us all to see
the risen Christ, God has provided us with witnesses 8
5) The response of faith
• The many witnessesand the historical evidences are convincing
• But finally, we have to open our heart by
faith to the Holy Spirit speaking to our heart.
9
5) The response of faith
• Unbelief does not mean that we believe in nothing
• It means that we believein
something else more strongly
10
5) The response of faith
• Experience tells us that death wins – even over
the strongest
• Life is what you get – enjoy it
while you can!11
5) The response of faith
• Easter challenges that worldview• It calls us from a belief
in death to a belief in life• Death is real, but it is not final
12
5) The response of faith
• While the other disciples considered this resurrection story “an idle tale” …
• … but Peter, at least went to see for
himself• We need to follow in his
footsteps
13
5) The response of faith
• Our story in Luke ends with Peter’s amazement
• But the Easter story continues
• God continues to challenge the certainty of death with the promise of life 14
6) It will matter to you!
• Hope when loved ones pass
• Hope when this life disappoints
• But there is another point –Paul brings
this out in his preaching to the Greek philosophers 15
6) It will matter to you!
• ”God … commands all people every-where to repent, because he has fixed a day on which he
will judge the world in righteousness by a man
whom he has appointed; and of this he has given assurance to all by raising him from the dead.” 16
6) It will matter to you!
• Christ’s resurrection is God’s seal of approval on him
• God will one day judge this world, and
everyperson, in total
righteousness
• And he will do it by the God/man Jesus - he will be our judge
17
6) It will matter to you!
• The whole world is called to repent because we have all sinned
• We are idolaters – we have allowed other
things to take the place
in our lives that must be reserved only for our Creator
18
6) It will matter to you!
• Paul’s last word here is significant:
• “to all” !!!!
• “The resurrection of Jesus is designed by
God to be the global
warrantor assurance that repentance is
necessary” (John Piper)
19
6) It will matter to you!
• Are you ready to meet the resurrected Jesus?
• Are you ready to bejudged by
him?
• Have you bowed to him in submission to make him the Saviour and Lord of your life? 20
Jesus is risen –
And it really matters!! 21