As is tradition, let me just. Say he is.
Risen, Amen. That could be the.
Sermon right there, but I want to at least offer some thoughts
behind that declaration of the power of the risen Christ.
And we'll start just by looking at a.
Passage of Scripture that that. Very phrase comes from so if you
have a Bible, we are going to do a time in the word in Luke
chapter. 24 and. If you don't, we'd.
Love to get you a Bible, but we'll have the.
Word words on the screen it says this moment in.
History that we celebrate. Today accounted.
By the Gospel writer. Luke in chapter 24, now on the
first day of the week. Very.
Early in the morning, they and certain other women with them
came to the tomb, bringing the. Spices which they had prepared,
but they. Found the stone, rolled away
from the tomb, then they went in and did not find the body of the
Lord Jesus, and it happened. As they were greatly perplexed
about this. That behold, 2 men stood by them
in shining garments, then as they were afraid, and bowed.
Their faces to the earth. They said to them.
Why do you seek the? Living among the dead, He is not
here, He is risen. And those 3 words change the
course of human history and we are now celebrating with the
global. Church who has put their.
Faith in the. Power of the Savior of the
world. Conquering death.
He has risen and it's a beautiful message.
It's a message that is almost daunting to.
Share with you because. What can I add?
This is a global. Celebration around the world.
And as I was thinking about this morning, I thought of.
The. Very best Easter message I've
ever heard in my life. And it did not come from an
Easter morning sermon. It didn't even come from a
pastor preaching A sermon. It came as a question was.
Asked to a pastor that I find very.
Helpful. It's a question that I think.
All of you wrestle with. Whether you know it or not, and
the question was simple. What would you say to people?
In such uncertain times to give them hope.
And the reason that question is so important is because I know
that right now I. Preach.
In the midst of an uncertain time in human.
History. There's just.
Uncertainty in in our air right now with wars and rumors of wars
and uncertain economy and all of the uncertainties that.
Don't just exist out there, but they exist right here.
That some of you brought uncertainty in this sanctuary.
You can't. Push pause for Easter, you have
to deal with the. Things in your life that burn in
your heart and plague your mind. And if that isn't you right now,
I promise you, you're going to leave this sanctuary.
You're going to walk into a world that.
Awaits you. With uncertainty, troubling
news, difficult circumstances, hard diagnosis to hear about,
and so the question of what? Do you tell people?
In the midst of uncertainty is the question that everybody
should be wrestling with, and that's what I love.
What this pastor said, he said very.
Simply if the resurrection of Jesus conquering the.
Grave is true. Then everything is going to be
OK. And that's the reality.
We we come here for those of. You who believe that the.
Resurrection of Jesus conquering from the grave.
Is true. You come here with incredible.
Hope, praise the living. God who conquered the enemy of
death. And yet that message is never
delivered in such a way that people just hear it and they're
like, OK, well then I'll just take that and everything will be
OK. I know that there will.
Be people who hear the message of Jesus.
Conquering the grave this morning and and will still feel
uncertain and that is nothing new the passage of.
Scripture I just. Read Luke chapter. 24 is
actually the message of that. Great news.
He has risen, entering into a story of uncertainty and people
wrestling with their uncertainty.
It didn't. It didn't cure it in an instant.
As we read, the women were. Greatly perplexed.
They were bringing spices to anoint a dead.
Body. They weren't sure of the shining
white men that they saw what was happening, and then they were.
Told to go tell. The others and look.
What the others? Say in verse 11, as the women
give the report, the tomb is empty and their words seem to
them like. Idle Tales the.
Disciples hear this and they were like this seems like
nonsense and they did not believe them.
The story will continue to give another scene on the Easter
morning of some disciples that were just on their journey back
home Rd. to Emmaus and Christ. Will appear to them.
And he will meet them in. All sorts of hopeless loss.
In fact, as they. Give a report for why they're
so. Down and heavy.
Hearted, it says. They were hoping that it was.
He Jesus. Who is going to redeem Israel?
They were hoping. Hope's lost, it's gone.
And the message. Reaches this.
Morning in this sanctuary, in this moment of world history.
In the exact same way. Great news, uncertain times, and
wrestling with doubt. In fact, right now, if the
numbers hold true, there's only a certain number of you.
That actually believe this with all of your hearts.
Listen to a recent. Survey.
It says that 66. Percent of Americans believe the
biblical accounts of Jesus physically raising.
As accurate. So we got about two out of
three. People in our country that say
this is a moment in history. But here's why this.
Statistic is interesting. It goes on to say only about.
Half of that number. Strongly believe it.
So they believe it. As a moment of.
History, they just don't believe it with their life.
And welcome to Easter morning around the.
World, you believe it. Some of you as a moment of
history, a nice pat on the back once a year, as a moment of
religion or tradition. You just don't believe.
It with your life. And so for.
That that reality the. Wrestling.
That must happen. I find it worth our time this
morning to not. Just celebrate the reality of
the. Resurrection, but also consider
if the resurrection wasn't true. If the way you lived your life
is though. Easter is just another day on
the calendar to get, you know, dressed up and take family
photos and then go on as if you don't actually strongly believe
it has any implications for your.
Life, what is that? Message if the message.
Of Easter is that? If Jesus.
Conquered the grave. Everything's OK then the message
that Jesus didn't conquer the grave is that nothing's going to
be OK. And I say that.
With confidence because as we look.
For. A biblical account of the
resurrection in the word we don't only find.
History of resurrection. We also find philosophy of
resurrection so Luke chapter 24 and the other gospel accounts
give us an amazing history eyewitness history of the
resurrection as a. Historical reality.
And we find other moments of Scripture that help people
wrestling with whether or not the resurrection is actually
necessary for your life. So there's a letter that we
call. First Corinthians, and it was
written to a church wrestling with how important the
resurrection actually was to the Christian faith.
Is it possible just to like the? Ideas and gather in this way and
not be so. Serious about this?
Moment in history and and. For that philosophical thought.
Experiment. We're going to find a couple
alternative endings to the story that hang over your head this
morning. Either the resurrection happened
or it didn't. If it happened, everything's OK.
If it didn't. Here's what the philosophical
alternative offers you. First, first.
Corinthians chapter 15 If Christ is not risen, then our preaching
is empty, and your faith also is empty.
And he goes. On to say yes.
And we are found false witnesses of God.
That's a heavy accusation. If I'm standing up here saying
he is risen and you reply saying he's risen indeed and he isn't.
We're all false witnesses. And the message?
That. Follows this message the.
Therefore, how to live? Is also empty in other.
Words if the. Tomb is not empty.
The. Christian message is and
everything that we do, no matter how nice it may be, the
preaching and the singing and the nice gathering and the
photos that you take. They are.
All empty and meaningless. Here's how one theologian put it
The person and work of Christ are the rock upon which the
Christian religion is built. If he is not.
Who he said he was. And if Jesus did not do?
What he said he. Had come to do, namely to pay
for the sins of the world by dying on the cross and
conquering the conquering death by rising on the third day.
If this never happened, the foundation is undermined and
the. Whole superstructure will
collapse if the. Resurrection doesn't happen.
This is all one big House of. Cards that should topple.
Over and so I. Paused there because some of
you. No doubt, and I say that with
confidence because I'm here on most Sundays and you're not.
I have a pretty good read on what this place usually looks
like. And I know.
We got some visitors. And in your.
Visitation you probably. Don't return because of
critiques and skepticism. Which are probably valid.
There's all sorts of good critiques of the church.
And the modern church and the way.
All of this looks. But none of them matter unless
you have the foundational critique and skepticism.
So let me help you understand why you shouldn't.
Come back the critique. Should not be.
That you just, You like Jesus, you just.
Don't like Christians? I hear that because you know
Christ in, in, in in an operation that is a mystery to
me. Gives much of His glory for us
to share with the world. And we don't do that perfectly.
And if you don't like Christians, welcome to the.
Club. We often don't like each other
and that's why we get together once a.
Week to talk. Through our differences and
honor God as He works on us with grace.
But that cannot be the primary critique, because if Christ
didn't rise, it doesn't matter. All of this is empty.
You also cannot have the critique.
That you you like the idea. And the gathering in the
community, and maybe even the songs.
You just don't like the narrow moral.
Ethics that Jesus teaches his followers to walk down if
Christ. Rose from the grave.
Is he? If he stands alone as the only
human to ever conquer death and create a movement around his
resurrection, you might want to listen about how he.
Teaches us to live life. And your critique cannot be What
about all the other great religions of the world?
This is a good way. For some of you.
Who believe it, but there are lots of good ways.
And I I ask you to consider this this morning.
Christianity alone stands on the claim.
That our leader. Savior and Lord is resurrected
and alive and it in doing so it. Separates itself from every.
Other worldview or religion that you can find or consider if you
find. The ashes of Buddha.
You can continue in your pursuit of Nirvana through Buddhism.
The movement rolls on. If you.
Find the supposed grave. Site of the Prophet.
Muhammad, you can continue in your study of the Quran and
there is not an issue. With his dead body.
The movement rolls on. If you.
Found by the Revelation. Of God the burial.
Place of Moses you can continue to.
Practice the Levitical law. And ceremonies.
Judaism rolls on, as with every other religion that you will
find apart from Christ. But the believers in Jesus alone
have staked the claim that the tomb is empty.
And if it isn't, then Christianity is.
If. Christ is dead, then
Christianity is a dead end. And for those of you who are
visiting, you, pick the perfect weekend actually.
Because it all. Rises and falls on the
resurrection, and if the resurrection doesn't happen, you
don't have to come back next Sunday.
Enjoy the rest of your Sundays. Buy a good self help book.
And move on with your. Life because.
All of this is meaningless if Christ did not rise.
The Christian message is empty and a waste of your time.
And he goes on to say, because there are other implications of
what we are celebrating. That require a resurrected
savior. Namely, something that hangs
over all of your heads and exists in all of your hearts and
minds as trouble in your life. And that is?
How do you deal with? Sin.
Yes, sin on a Sunday morning at church.
The. Apostle Paul goes on to write If
Christ is not risen, risen. Your faith is.
Futile and you are. Still.
In your sins, this is a fundamental.
Problem for your life. And there.
Is a pursuit that all of us are. On whether you know it or not to
try to cleanse ourselves from the weight of.
What the Bible calls. Our unrighteousness that you
were made. To live.
A certain way and honor God and love others and all of us have
broken that in the early 1900's, the times of London.
So London's. Newspaper of the day.
Sent out a question. To the the.
Thinkers the thought. Leaders of their city.
And it was very simple. What is wrong with the world?
It's probably a question all. Of us have wrestled with as well
what is. Wrong with this world that just
seems to be breaking all around us.
And being a newspaper, I'm sure they expected to get, you know,
long form. Essays or prose about.
You know, all of the things that we typically answer as the.
As the real. Problems of the World the.
The chaos of politics. The empty promises of
politicians, the uncertainty of the economy, the.
The coach. That has LED your team astray.
Social media and all the problems of our day.
And yet there was 1 clear answer that stood apart from the rest.
It's simply said by the famous Christian thinker GK Chesterton.
Dear Sirs. I am and in.
Those two words, the. Problem of the world is, I am.
It's me. He diagnosed the problem with
his city and his country and our city and our country and every
city and every country and every part of the world, including.
Your part of the. World, the problem is sin.
The problem is, as much as we wish it was just out there and
someday we could with human effort and ingenuity.
Solve the problems. Of the world.
The problem is, in every human heart there is a nature that
goes against the design. The problem is that we have all
sinned and fallen short. Of God's glory.
You have all been sinned against, which I don't have to
spend a lot of time explaining. You all believe that, and you
have all sinned against others and every religion and every
worldview and most of your daily comforts and pursuits are trying
to reconcile with how to make right with that.
And once again we find ourselves this morning celebrating a
unique amongst all religions answer to the problem of sin.
Most of us. Default to some sort.
Of. Self-righteous pursuit of.
Cleansing ourselves, Do a little bit more good than bad.
Promise we'll never do it again. Reckon with you know, we're
we're better than the next guy over.
Or give ourselves to to these religious.
Duties that make us. Feel like good people.
And all of. That is world religion.
And then there is one solution that stands unique to the
Christian faith, which is God himself will meet humanity in
their filth of sin and reconcile sin for them.
This is the gospel message that God sent his Son into the.
World that, whoever. Would believe in him, wouldn't
perish from sin. And this is the Good Friday
message you do not get to. Easter.
Without passing through Good Friday where we remembered.
That the perfect sacrifice. The Lamb of God paid the penalty
for our sin by dying on the cross, and we call it.
Good because it gives. Us the solution to the
fundamental we need. We have to be cleansed.
But. If he did not rise, then he did
not save you. A dead savior.
Cannot help you, doesn't. Matter how loud you.
Sing or how nice. You look at the gathering or how
hard you believe if he paid the price.
For sin and stayed dead, then the penalty for sin will.
Kill you too. And so there is no hope in the
Christian message, and there is no.
Hope that there's a. Solution for sin.
And because of that, there is no hope for something else that
looms over the sanctuary right now.
Every single one of you have to reconcile this, and every single
one of you. Have probably done your.
Best to not think about it today and that is the.
Reality that there. Is a coming day.
Where you have to. Face your own mortality.
We call it death. And the apostle Paul says in
verse 18 then? Also if.
Christ has not risen. Those who have.
Fallen asleep in Christ. Have perished.
Now just that one statement is. Full of theology.
And Christian tradition, because he says if Christ hasn't risen,
if you've fallen asleep, putting your faith in him, you're
perished. Falling asleep is.
How he describes death. And that is a Christian
tradition that has become so powerful that it creeps into all
of our language every time you use the word cemetery.
Cemetery is just. A way to say.
Resting place, and to say resting place, is a profound
statement of faith that death is not the end.
And yet, if death has not been defeated, death is in fact the
end. The word says.
If Christ isn't risen, then when you die you're perished.
Parishes it means. Expired for good.
You guys have non perishable food.
You put it in the pantry and it doesn't expire.
You can eat it. You know when the big one hits.
But perishable. Has an expiration date and then
it's gone for good and that is your life.
Except, of course. That there's something inside
every one of our hearts that. Refuses to believe that the
Bible says that God has. Written eternity on our hearts
this. Is why death always.
Seems untimely and unfair, and it's also why maybe the best.
Delivery of the resurrection. Hope that I ever give is not on
Easter but it is at the funeral and I have done countless
funerals as. The pastor of this church.
Days that look much like today. People looking nicer than they
usually do coming to memorialize someone they love.
With. Flowers on the stage and a
message of hope and I can tell you this, the funeral always
brings in the mixed bag of people and they were always
indiscriminate in the message that they long for that there is
some sort of. Hope for the sorrow of the loved
loss, everybody. When you're looking at death in
the face, eternity written on your heart, everybody knows that
death is not supposed to win. That there is supposed.
To be something that we can do, to encourage.
Each other with tears of sorrow. That death is not the end.
And yet, if Christ didn't raise, where do you get such hope?
If the, if the. Message that God sent his son
into the. World to conquer death.
And he in fact did conquer it. If that's just a myth or a
legend or a nice idea, then death will defeat you.
And when you die? Your perish and.
That bleeds into now, the final way that this alternative ending
to the Easter morning has implications for your life,
whether you believe it or not. If Christ didn't raise.
Not only do you have no hope for sin and no hope for death, you
also have no. Hope for life itself, the
Apostle. Paul goes on to say, If in this
life only we have hope in Christ, we are of all men the
most pitiable. If you come here and you like,
you know, the warm feeling that you get and the encouragement
that you know, there's some story beyond the grave, but it
isn't. True, the word says.
This morning. That the world should feel
sorry. For you that your mind has been
convinced of something. That would give you hope, but is
actually hopeless. And I have to say, I've heard it
said, And maybe you've felt this way in your own life.
Maybe you think this now as you come to church with a.
Take it or leave it attitude. I've heard it said that you
know, even if Jesus is a a myth of history passed down through
well meaning religious people. Even if the the Easter message
is more legend, surely there are some great things about his
teachings that we can all enjoy. Surely when you when you hear
the profound. Truth of the.
Sermon on the Mount and how we should treat one another and
love one another and sacrifice for one another.
Surely we can just stake our lives on that and move on,
whether it's true or not. If you feel that way, the word
this morning says you are a. Fool that should get pity.
And it stands to reason for anyone who.
Actually takes the. Teachings of Jesus, the come and
follow me invitation of Jesus. Seriously, it does not work for
this life only. If.
You read the Sermon on the Mount and you hear.
His call for his people to look all.
Together, different in the way. They have radical love.
Even for enemies that if an enemy were to slap you on one
cheek, you could turn the other if an enemy were to.
Ask for your shirt. You give them your coat.
Also, if an enemy required you to go one mile and carrying
their bags, you go too. And he makes it all make sense
by saying don't. Store up treasures.
On Earth, they're going to be destroyed.
They're going to rust. They're going to be.
Stolen. Live everything you have and
store up all your treasures and all your hope and all your.
Payoff for the. Eternal Kingdom if there is no
eternal Kingdom. If this life.
Is all you have and it's gone in the blink of an eye.
Then you would be a fool. To live.
For a hope beyond now. And that is what the conclusion
that First Corinthians 15 brings us to.
He says if the dead do not rise, then and therefore let us eat
and drink for tomorrow. We die.
You may not like hearing this. But it's a reality.
Life is a blink of an eye, and if there is no hope beyond the
grave, it will come and go with nothing but meaningless
pursuits, he says. Eat and drink.
Tomorrow you're going to be dead anyway and that'll be that.
Heard one person say you live like a hog and you die like a
dog and you're going to die and that's that.
We could expound upon that. Some people build up their own
earthly Kingdom knowing they have a blink of an eye and
that's that and so. They live to lie and.
Cheat and be greedy for tomorrow they're going to die and that's
that. And who's to tell them they're
wrong? You can scroll and swipe and do
everything in your power to feel numb against all of the
uncertainty of the world. For tomorrow you die anyway, and
that's that. You can worry and despair and
feel hopeless, and tomorrow you're going to die.
And that's that. Because ultimately, if there is
no God, and if he has not revealed himself by entering
into the story of humanity, paying the penalty to bring
humanity back to him, and conquering death, then there's
no hope in life. There's no hope in the Christian
message. There's no hope for your sin,
there is no hope for your death, and there is no hope in.
Life if Christ is. Not Risen.
Nothing's OK, and yet, while I have your attention, let me just
say with confidence that preaching the hopelessness of
the resurrection. Is patently false.
With what we know about the Risen.
Power of Jesus Christ. And that is why the thought
experiment does not end open-ended 1st Corinthians 15,
verse 20. Closes the.
Experiment by saying this. But now Christ is risen, He is
rose from the dead and has become the.
First, fruits of those who have. Fallen asleep.
The message is either completely hopeless or it is the greatest.
News you will ever hear. That God himself exchanged his.
Life. For yours and now.
All who believe. His death becomes.
Your death, His resurrection. Becomes your resurrection, He.
Is the first fruits. The pattern of things to come
from. Hopeless to hope is the power of
the. Resurrection and I I encourage
you, some of you, no doubt this message was given to stir.
Your hearts for. What you're really living for,
and some of you now have a hunger to know God and I want
you to know. That the Bible.
Promises If you seek him, if you knock, the door will be open.
If you seek him, you will find him and some of you.
Will be. Blessed by continuing our study
this morning, First Corinthians chapter 15 is an amazing chapter
for the evidence. Of the historical resurrection
Paul lays out. The witnesses 500 who saw him
rise again and they still would have been alive at time of
writing. They could have been questioned
of what they saw. Paul lays out his.
Own conversion story from Enemy of.
Those who put their. Faith in the resurrection to an
encounter with the living Christ, to one who championed
the cause. And yet I.
Realize that we. Stand now 2000 years, nearly
2000 years from the foundation of the resurrection.
And it is. I sympathize with the critics.
It is hard to prove or falsify a historical.
Event from 2000. Years ago.
So the encouragement I leave you with.
Is that? You can know in your life the
power of the resurrection here and today.
That your history. With the resurrection can start
with your encounter with Christ, CS Lewis says.
I believe in Christianity. As I believe.
That the sun has risen not only because I can see it.
But because by it I see. Everything else this morning we
we came together for those. Of you who?
Were able to join at the train depot to watch the sunrise and
as the sun rises you see everything else and the same
principle can be and has been applied for the resurrection for
anyone who believes it is not just.
That it happened. Yes, it happened.
But because it happened, you get the answers for everything else
in all. Of the ways that we wrestle with
the. Human heart condition of sin and
life and death because of the resurrection you can experience
from hopeless to hope considerate because he is risen,
you can't experience the. Power.
Of the message. The message is not empty.
The message has been received. And those who receive.
It are known. By the.
Power of the resurrection. Look what it says in Romans
chapter 8. But if the same spirit of him
who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you, he who raised
Christ from the. Dead will also give.
Life to your mortal. Bodies through his.
Spirit, who dwells in you, this is not.
A. Study in history alone.
This is an invitation to come alive.
By the power of. God in the Holy Spirit invading
your heart, you can know the power of the message.
Because he is. Risen you can experience.
The hope? Of the forgiveness of sins, I
think one of the reasons that hearing a message of sin, I mean
I mean to preach a message of sin, can sometimes feel
condemning. Is because we.
All wrestle with it. We all keep a pretty good.
Track record of the things that make us feel ashamed and feel
guilty. We all have a.
Pretty good understanding of things we wish we didn't do, but
we do. We all have a pretty.
Good understanding. Of what Jesus says.
Anyone who sins is a slave to sin, and we come in our
shackles. We say, I don't want to hear
about it. And yet.
Because of the. Resurrection Because sin has
been dealt with, you can experience the freedom of
forgiveness. Why some of you sing so loud?
It's because you come as a new creation, washed clean by the
blood of Christ in your hearts and in your minds, Ephesians
says. In Him we have redemption
through. His blood, the forgiveness.
Of sins according to the riches. Of His grace for those you of
you who believe you have. Forgiveness because of his.
Grace, I've heard it said. The cross of Christ.
Is the payment for sin and the resurrection.
Is the receipt. And because he has risen, you
can experience hope that death is not the end, you guys.
All look very lively. Today, so you might not be
thinking about your funeral, but I assure you, everyone of you,
it's a blink of an eye and the power of the resurrection is a.
Power that the Bible calls. A living hope that no matter
what. This world throws at you all of
the trial and all of the tribulation death.
Is not the end. Easter is a moment where we look
back on the history that Christ did in.
Fact. Raise that people.
Did in fact walk into an empty tomb and stake their life on the
Risen. Lord, but Easter is also a day
where we look ahead. And with confidence you can look
ahead with eagerness that death is not the own it, not the end,
it says in First Thessalonians. For the Lord himself, the living
Christ. Himself will descend from heaven
with a shout, with the voice of an.
Archangel, and with the Trumpet of God and the Dead in.
Christ will rise first. When you come to the funeral,
when you weep, the. Tears of sorrow.
You are You are weeping because you will miss them, but you are
not weeping because you'll never see them again.
The dead in. Christ will raise.
And because of all of those things, we have hope in life,
that in life. You will have trial.
You will have trouble. You will have difficulty.
The the. Economy and the Wars and the
earthquakes and the cancer and the diagnosis and everything
that the world. Throws at you, but take heart,
because Christ. Has overcome because the
resurrection is true, everything will be OK.
Amen. Now.
If you believe that, even with a little bit of belief.
I want you to take communion with us to remember the
historical reality we remember his death and to remember the
promise of the future until he comes.
And I want to leave you with. This for those of you who had
our Good Friday service, we put. Onto the screen we considered.
The death of Christ this this heavy reality that he died.
Because of our sin. And it just weighed on our
hearts. And the screen said exit
quietly. And we did.
We shuffled out and the lights were dark, but now we come.
Three days later. And I want to tell you this, I
don't have a message on the screen, but I want to tell you
this. I don't want to exit quietly.
I want you to leave in celebration because the
resurrection is true and because of that.
We have hope for life. And death and everything's going
to be OK. Thanks for joining us today.
If you would like to watch the full service, check out the link
in the description. For next steps and to learn
more, visit calvaryboise com.