After the Lord was raised from
the dead, he spent 40 days with his disciples. And when he ascended
back into glory, Peter was seeking for a replacement for Judas. And he said in Acts chapter one,
verse 22, this replacement was to be a witness with us of
the resurrection. Every believer is a witness of
the resurrection. Now, you may not have seen it
physically, but if the Lord has saved you, he's made himself
known to you. You know him. You know he lives. And this is really more powerful
than seeing his physical resurrection. Because we know that when the
disciples saw his physical resurrection, we read Matthew chapter 28, that
they worshiped him and doubted. While they were looking at it,
they worshiped him and doubted. You see, as long as we're in
the flesh, we'll have two natures, one that always believes and
one that never believes. But every believer is a personal
witness of the resurrection of Jesus Christ. You don't need
to prove it to anyone. He's made himself known to you.
You trust him, anyone who trusts him, as they're all in salvation,
is a witness of his resurrection. It's Christ in you, the hope
of glory. Now in the church of Corinth,
Paul said in verse 12, and remember this is a gospel church, and
it was filled with so many problems and troubles. And this is one
of the last ones he deals with. He says, now if Christ be preached,
that he rose from the dead. How say some among you that there
is no resurrection of the dead? How can you say something like
that? Now remember, the Lord appeared
to Paul. He was the last one he appeared
to. And this was, he actually came
back down from heaven. This wasn't during that 40 day
period. He came back down from heaven and physically appeared
to the apostle Paul on the road to Damascus. It's mentioned three
different times in the book of Acts. Paul knew he was raised
from the dead. Look what verse three of first
Corinthians 15 says, for I delivered unto you first of all that which
I also received. And he's talking about how Christ
gave this to him. Here's what's of most importance,
how that Christ died for our sins according to the scriptures,
and that he was buried, and that he rose again the third day according
to the scriptures. There we have his resurrection.
And then he talks about who he was seen by. He was seen of Peter, he was
seen of the 12, he was seen of 500 brethren at once, the greater
part which are remaining to this day, although some have passed
away. He was seen of James, then once again of the 12, and then
Paul said, he was seen of me as of one born out of due time.
He was seen. How say some among you that there
be no resurrection from the dead? Now, where does such a weird
belief come from? We're not told. We're not told,
but I know this. Gnosticism had already begun
in the church. And in this Gnostic heresy, Christ
did not come in the flesh. He only came in an appearance.
Because if he were material, if he had a physical body, that
would make him evil. We can't say that. So he didn't
really come in the flesh and there's not going to be an actual
physical resurrection. The people that are in heaven
are not going to have physical bodies. They're going to have
spiritual bodies. Because if you have a physical
body, that means you will remain evil. All matter, anything material
is evil. So that could be where this belief
came from. And Paul says to them, how can
you say that there be no resurrection from the dead? Now I love the
way Paul says in verse 12, now if Christ be preached, there's
a summary of our preaching. If Christ be preached, God's
prophet, God's priest, God's king, if Christ And this isn't
just a slogan. I've heard people use it almost
like a slogan. It almost sounds cliche. But
it's not. If Christ be preached, He is
our message. if Christ be preached that he
rose from the dead. Now that is a summary of everything
we believe. Christ is preached that he rose
from the dead. Now, the fact that he rose from
the dead means he died. Why did he die? He lived a perfect
life. Why did he die? This is something
only God can do. And I want you to think about
this. God removed your sins from you and put them in his son. You say, how did that happen
when I wasn't even born yet? I don't know, but it did. It
did. He removed your sin from you,
and he bare our sins in his own body on the tree. Who knows what
all he was experiencing? There's no way we can understand.
Christ suffering the wrath of God is the sin-bearing substitute,
bearing the full equivalent of hell, eternal hell, something
the reason men Stay in hell forever, eternally, because they never
can make satisfaction. But he did. It's Christ that
died. It's Christ that is preached,
who he is. He really died. They took a dead
corpse down from that cross. But in his death, he died in
an utterly unique way. He died in such a way that no
other man has died. He never went through the process
of decay. Why? Because the moment he died,
full satisfaction was made. Everybody he died for, their
sins were put away. They were made not to be. The
scripture says he was delivered for our offenses and raised again
for our justification. When he was raised from the dead,
every believer was justified. And that doesn't have anything
to do with your personal experience, does it? But your justification
was accomplished by what he did. When he was raised from the dead,
every believer was justified before God. Oh, we believe in
the bodily resurrection of the Lord Jesus Christ. He lives. Why seek ye him that liveth among
the dead? He's not here, he's risen. I
love to think of the resurrected Lord Jesus Christ. Now, how can you say then, to whoever
was saying that in this church, that there be no resurrection
from the dead? And he gives seven implications
of what will be if Christ was not raised from the dead. He says in verse 13, but if there
be no resurrection of the dead, Then is Christ not risen. Now, the whole gospel is founded
on his literal bodily resurrection. I love to think of his resurrection. I love to dwell on it. I love
to think about it. I love to think about him being
in the tomb, dead. It was dark. No one witnessed
his resurrection but his father. I love to think of him laying
there as a dead, lifeless corpse, and all of a sudden his heart
starts beating, and he breathes, and he gets up, and he takes
his grave clothes off. I like to think of how neatly
he might have folded them. I can't fold things neatly, but
boy, Len can. But I'm sure his folding was
a lot better than any human being has ever folded anything. He
was in his glorified body doing everything perfectly, and he
set aside his grave clothes, his napkin that was over his
face, he put it in a different place. I love to think about
this. Maybe some kind of light was emanating from him at this
time. I don't know, but he walks out of that tomb. Did an angel
roll away the tomb? I believe they did. And he walks
out. He who was dead now lives. And all of the gospel is predicated
upon his resurrection. You see, it's his resurrection
that makes everything he said about himself true. If he wasn't
raised from the dead, you can't really believe anything he said
about himself was true. But the fact that he was raised
from the dead says everything he said with regard to himself
and his gospel is true. Our salvation is founded in his
resurrection. Would to God that every one of
us would quit looking to ourself right now, stop it, and look
to what he did. Romans chapter 4 verse 25 says
he was delivered for our offenses. That's why he died. And he was
raised again for our justification. My justification doesn't have
anything to do with any work in me. It doesn't have anything
to do with any thought I've ever thought, any deed I've ever done.
I was justified when he was raised from the dead. And understand
this, justification Preachers have butchered this so much,
making it illegal standing before God or right standing before
God. No, it's not. You're righteous before God.
You're righteous before God. You really are righteous before
God. When Paul said, reckon yourselves
to be dead indeed unto sin, but alive unto God through our Lord
Jesus Christ, there's one reason he said that. You are dead indeed
to sin. Sin has nothing to say to you.
It's been put away. He was raised from the dead. All my salvation is found in
his resurrection. Who is he that can condemn? Who
is he that condemneth? I mean, think of all the ones
that could condemn you. My own heart. I got plenty of
reasons to condemn myself. If you were around me long enough,
you'll find a reason to condemn me. The law, I would think, I
know could certainly condemn me, but listen to Paul's words. Who is he that condemneth? It's
Christ that died. Yea, rather, that is risen again,
who is even at the right hand of God, who also maketh intercession
for us. Now, how say some among you that
there be no resurrection from the dead? When he was resurrected,
God said, I am satisfied. with what he did, and I am satisfied
with everybody he did it for. God said I am satisfied with,
and I say this reverently, I hope I'm saying this with the proper
fear, God said I'm completely satisfied with Todd Nyberg. He's
perfect. I'm satisfied with him. He's
not lacking anything. That's what justification is.
The satisfaction of the Lord Jesus Christ. That's what the
resurrection states. God's complete satisfaction. If there will be no final resurrection,
you must also say Christ is not risen from the dead. Now that's
the first horrible implication. Christ was never raised. Now
look at verse 14. If Christ be not risen, then
is our preaching vain. It's empty. It's meaningless. It's void of truth. It results
in nothing. It's fruitless. It's destitute. And you guys are wasting your
time being here right now. If Christ be not raised from
the dead. Our preaching is vain. It is a waste of time. You see,
in the preaching of the gospel, The whole gospel hinges on the
resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead. If he's not raised
from the dead, we don't have a gospel to preach. Now, I hope
somebody in this room for the first time is going to understand
that their salvation was accomplished in his resurrection. Wouldn't that be something? If
somebody understands for the first time it has nothing to
do with my works, it has nothing to do with my feelings, it has
nothing to do with my intentions, it has nothing to do with my
understanding, my salvation is when he was raised from the dead. If he's not raised from the dead,
all this stuff that goes under the name of preaching is a waste
of time. What we're doing is a waste of
time, it's fruitless. We ought to be doing something
else. Verse 14, if Christ be not risen,
then is our preaching vain? And your faith is vain also. The same can be said about your
faith that was just said about preaching. It's vain. It's useless. It's not real. It's a delusion.
To him that worketh not, but believeth on him that justifieth
the ungodly, his faith is counted for righteousness. That's a lie.
It's not true. If Christ was not raised from
the dead, your faith is vain. You see, faith In its very essence,
if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt
believe in thy heart that God raised him from the dead. Now,
this is the stuff of faith. We really believe that God raised
him from the dead. I'm not just talking about believing
it happened. We know why it happened. That's
the difference. We know why it happened. I'd
say that if you ask most people in Lexington, Kentucky, do you
believe Christ was raised from the dead? They might give some
kind of vague, yeah, I guess, possibly, but that's not the
point. Why was he raised from the dead?
Because God was satisfied with his work, and he is completely
satisfied with everybody that believes, and we're relying on
him who is salvation. If he's not raised from the dead,
your faith is a waste of time. You know, even the thief on the
cross understood he was going to be raised from the dead. He
said, remember me when you come into your kingdom, you're not
gonna stay dead. This was all of his faith. You're not gonna
stay dead. You can't, you're the Lord. You can't. You're God. You can't stay dead. You're gonna
come back as a mighty reigning king. Would you remember me when you
return? Would you own my name before your father? That is faith
in Christ. He believed in the resurrection,
didn't he? How say some among you that there
be no resurrection of the dead? If there's no resurrection of
the dead, your faith, what's it in? Yourself? Your works?
It's gotta be that way. You see, faith is faith in Christ. Faith is faith in Christ, not
in yourself, in his life, in his death, in his resurrection
and the accomplishments of his resurrection. Now, how in the
world can somebody be saying that faith is anything if Christ
be not raised from the dead? All of our salvation is dependent
upon Christ being raised from the dead. Look in verse 15. Here's the fourth implication.
He said, If Christ didn't raise, I mean, if the dead are not raised,
Christ wasn't raised. Our preaching is vain. Your faith
is vain. Here's the fourth implication.
Yea, and we are found false witnesses of God because we have testified
of God that He raised up Christ. whom he hath not raised up, if
so be that the dead rise not." Now, Christ is not raised. And I'm saying God raised him
from the dead. I'm a false prophet. I'm a false witness. I'm saying
something about God that he never did. I'm saying God raised him
from the dead when he didn't do it. I'm speaking for God in
a way that's nothing more than a lie. If Christ was not raised
from the dead, I am not representing God. The longer I preach, the more
I dread the thought of misrepresenting God in the gospel. I become anxious
about it, don't want to do it. I prayed the Lord would deliver
me from that and deliver you from hearing it. but oh, to actually
misrepresent God and to be a false witness. What was to happen to
the false witness? He was to be stoned. And if Christ
is not raised from the dead, I am a false witness that's to
be shunned and that's to be avoided. Yea, we are found false witnesses
of God because we've testified of God that He raised up Christ.
Raised not up, if so be that the dead rise not. For if the
dead rise not, he's repeating himself, then is not Christ raised?
If Christ be not raised, your faith is vain. And here's the
fifth implication. You are yet in your sins. If Christ be not raised, you
are yet in your sins. sins. What a horrible thing to
think about. Your sins have never been removed.
They've never been forgiven. God's just. God must punish sin.
He would cease to be God if He didn't punish sin. This is who He is. He's the judge
of the earth. Shine off the judge of the earth and write, I am
more mystified, if that's the right word, mystified by this,
that God is the judge of the earth. He's always going to give
a perfectly righteous and just judgment. And because of the
resurrection of Christ, He can judge me as righteous because
I am. But if Christ was not raised from the dead, that cannot be. I'm still in my sins. I'm going
to have to stand before God in my Sins, everything that I believed
is a fabrication. I stand guilty before God of
the murder of his son. If Christ be not raised from
the dead. I think of that passage in Revelation
20 to 11. He that's unjust, let him be
unjust still. He that's filthy, let him be
filthy still. That means throughout all eternity,
if Christ be not raised from the dead. Verse 18. Here's the
sixth implication, if Christ is not raised from the dead,
then they also, which are fallen asleep in Christ, are perished. That means they're in hell. If
Christ did not raise from the dead, those that profess to believe
him, that trusted him, they're all now in hell, suffering the
just wrath of God for their sins. They're perished, they're destroyed. Verse 19, if in this life only we have
hope in Christ, We're of all men, most miserable. Look in verse 32. This is something
that's not brought out much. Verse 32 of the same chapter. We don't have a record of this
in the book of Acts, but if after the manner of men, I fought with
beasts at Ephesus, Now, you know how the Christians on those days,
they'd put them in an arena, and they'd have tigers and bears
and animals in there, and evidently, we don't read about this in Acts,
but Paul was brought into one of these things. Maybe he was
given a sword, and he'd have to fight off beasts. He said,
now, if there'd be no resurrection, why would I bother with any of
that? I'm not going in that, claiming to believe the resurrection,
believing that Christ is Lord. I wouldn't bother with that.
If in this life only we have hope in Christ, we're all, of
all men, most miserable. So just let it go. Eat, drink,
and be merry. Tomorrow we die. Everything will
be good tomorrow. I mean, let's make it all, let's
make, what's that? You only live once. Go for the gusto. Have a good time. Enjoy yourself,
if the dead don't. are not raised. I mean, I was
wasting my time when I went in there praying that the Lord would
deliver me from these beasts, these tigers, these bears, whatever
they were that I had to fight off in Ephesus. Think of the
things Paul dealt with. He was stoned. He was beaten
with rods. He was betrayed by false brethren. He had such a, he said, I know
every town I go into, bonds and afflictions abide me. Why bother
with all that if the dead rise not? My life has been a complete
waste of time. Verse 20, but now is Christ risen
from the dead? Now let's go back to these seven
implications of him not being raised from the dead, and let's
see what it says if he has been raised from the dead. And he
has. I can say that with just as much assurity as if I had
witnessed it physically, because I know the living Christ. I'm
speaking as a witness. I'm testifying of him whom I
know. And so is every other believer.
We speak of Him who we know, the living Christ. He lives in
us, Christ in you, the hope of glory. Now, turn these things
around. If there be no resurrection,
verse 13, then is Christ not risen, but He has been raised
from the dead. And let me remind you, His resurrection
was utterly unique His body never went through the process of decay
like ours will. Why? Because he made full satisfaction
to God. God is satisfied with everybody
Jesus Christ died for. He's so satisfied with you, he
can't get any more satisfied. You can't get any more loved.
You can't get any more accepted. You can't get any more saved.
You can't get any more redeemed. You can't please him any more
than you do. He has perfect satisfaction because
Christ was raised from the dead. Do you believe that? I do. I do. God's not looking for anything
else. I love the hymn we sing. I need
no other argument. I need no other plea. It is enough
that Jesus died and that he died for me. Now that death for me
would be meaningless if he was not raised from the dead. But
Christ is raised from the dead. 14 and if Christ be not risen then
is our preaching vain, but he is risen Therefore our preaching
is not vain You know, I might go home and think well, I don't
know if anything was accomplished. I can feel so bad about Wishing
I would see more but Lord's blessing is worse Whether I see it or
not, whether you see it or not, He is blessing His Word. And
His Word never goes forth vain. Paul, it always accomplishes
its purpose. And I love what Paul said, it
pleased God by the foolishness of preaching to save them that
believe. He is saving those that believe. Our preaching is never vain.
I never preach the gospel in vain. Anybody that preaches the
gospel, it's never in vain. It always accomplishes what God
intends for it to accomplish. Our preaching is not in vain.
And what's He say next in verse 14? If Christ be not risen, then
is our preaching vain, and your faith is also vain. But if He
is risen, Your faith is not vain. Now, Romans 4, 5. I've already
quoted it once. To him that worketh not, but
believeth on him that justifieth the ungodly, his faith is counted
for righteousness. It really is. That's not in vain. Do you trust the Lord Jesus Christ? Your faith is not in vain. The evidence that he died for
you is that you trust him. You trust Him only. You look
nowhere else. I love what Paul said. I know
whom I have believed. I am persuaded that He is able
to keep that which I've committed to Him against that day. I've
committed the entire salvation of my soul to Him. I'm not looking
anywhere else. And that is not in vain. I'm
gonna stand before God justified, perfect, glorified. That faith. is not in vain. This is the work of God that
you believe on him whom he has sent. Do you know how I do that?
By the grace of God, I believe on him whom he has sent. And
that's not in vain. That passage in Acts chapter
16, believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and thou shalt be saved.
I believe on the Lord Jesus Christ. And that is not in vain. Your faith is not in vain. Verse 15, yea, if Christ is not raised
from the dead, yea, we're found false witnesses of God, because
we've testified of God that he raised up Christ, and he raised
not up, if so be that the dead rise not, but the dead do rise. And Christ was raised from the
dead, and I'm preaching as a witness. I'm not giving second-hand information.
Now, I didn't see the resurrection, but I know the resurrected Christ.
And I'm preaching as a witness. And I'm bearing witness to this.
All of God's salvation is found in the resurrection of Jesus
Christ from the dead. He put away sin. He made it not
to be. When He was raised from the dead,
every believer was justified and that is what we bear witness
to. We're preaching as witnesses
of the resurrection of the Lord Jesus Christ. And somebody says,
well, I don't believe you. Well, I can't do anything about
that. I'm still preaching as a witness.
I don't believe you. You know that doesn't bother
me if you don't believe me? It really doesn't. It doesn't bother
me at all because I know whom I have believed. And I'm preaching
and testifying as a witness. Now when I say it doesn't bother
me, it doesn't mean that I'm indifferent about the person
who doesn't believe. I want you to believe, I really do. But
the fact that somebody doesn't believe doesn't shake my faith.
I know whom I have believed. And I'm persuaded that he is
able to keep that which I've committed to him against that
day. Verse 17. If Christ be not raised, your
faith is vain, you're yet in your sins. But if He is raised
from the dead, and He is, you're not in your sins. I want you to think about... I don't want you to think about
it. Think of all the sins you committed. I don't want you to
start reliving that. I'm not trying to talk that way.
But you think of the multiplied sins you have committed. Willfully, with your eyes wide
open to what you were doing, knowing it was wrong, knowing
it was evil. All the sins that you committed
that you don't know you committed. There's a whole lot more of those
than the ones that you know about. All of the sins that you've committed
have been blotted out. You're not in your sins because
Christ was raised from the dead. They were all put away. They were all made not to be. I love what Peter said in 1 Peter
3, I think it's verse 21, when he talked about the answer of
a good conscience toward God by the resurrection of Jesus
Christ from the dead. Now here's what satisfies my
conscience. This is all that satisfies my conscience. The
resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead. I'm satisfied. Do you never feel guilty? All
the time. Do you feel good about anything? No, I don't. Do you
feel good about this sermon? No, I don't. Do you feel good
about the prayer you prayed? No, I don't. But I'll tell you
what does satisfy my conscience and know that it's well with
my soul. the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead. Because of the resurrection of
Jesus Christ from the dead, I am not in my sins. That passage
where he says there's sins and iniquities I'll remember no more.
God doesn't forget things. The only reason he says there's
sins and iniquities I'll remember no more is because there's none
there to remember. I'm not in my sins. Hebrews 10, 14, he hath perfected
forever by one offering. By his offering on Calvary's
tree, he hath perfected forever them that are sanctified, set
apart by him. Now here is my joy right now. And it is only realized by faith. I'm not in my sins. I stand before
God as one who has never sinned, who has never done anything wrong
and always done that which is right because of his resurrection. Now look in verse 18. Now, if he's not raised from
dead, also they which are fallen asleep in Christ are perished.
But guess what? because he's been raised from
the dead. Everybody that's fallen asleep in Christ. Now, I love
that language of death. When I die, the Bible calls it
falling asleep. That's the death of a believer,
a departure, a falling asleep. Somebody says, does that mean
we're not gonna be with Christ? We're just gonna be in some kind
of soul sleep? I don't understand this, but when we die, the body
and soul are separated. And Paul said to be absent from
the body is to be present with the Lord. So I think that means
right now. He said to the thief, today thou
shalt be with me in paradise. I don't understand this, but
I know there's some kind of separation that takes place and my body
will be asleep. And when Christ comes back, my
body will be raised from the dead. And everybody that has
fallen asleep in Christ, they're with Him. You know, there's a lot of people
from this church that have died over the years that they're in
the very presence of Jesus Christ, worshiping Him, seeing His glory,
seeing His beauty. And I'm always amused when people
say, well, they're looking down at us. No, they're not. No, they're
not. They're not interested. They are beholding His face. If Christ has been raised from
the dead, everyone who's fallen asleep in Christ, they're with
Him right now. Verse 19, if in this life only
we have hope in Christ, we're of all men most miserable. But the fact of the matter is, He has risen from the dead. And
in this life, right now, now there's sorrows in this life,
plenty of them. With all my sorrow that I have
over my sin, over all the sickness I see, sickness I've had, trials
people face in their families with their children, feeling
separated, feeling alone, far off, isolated, whatever it is
people feel, and there's so many different sorrows, all that being
said. We have this joy and we know
that all things work together for good to them that love God,
to them who are called according to His purpose. We have that
joy and we are of all men most happy in that. That's why Paul
could actually say, in everything give thanks. Whatever it is,
give thanks for it. For this is the will of God in
Christ Jesus concerning you. It's his good and perfect and
acceptable will. And it's all good. So if Christ
is raised from the dead, I don't care what we're going through,
we're of all men most blessed. Doesn't mean you're not gonna
be sad. It doesn't mean you're not going to experience pain
and sorrow and everything else. If Christ is raised from the
dead, my salvation is secure, it's accomplished, and God is
using everything in my life for my good and his glory. It doesn't get better than that,
does it? If Christ is raised from the dead. Now, this is not
simply being optimistic or a positive attitude, this is reality. because Christ was raised from
the dead. I hope tonight when we lay our
head on our pillow, the last thought we will have is our security
because Christ is raised from the dead. Let's pray. Lord, how we thank you that you
raised your son from the dead. And Lord, enable us to live in
the reality of the power of his resurrection. To know that he was delivered
by you for our offenses. and raised again for our justification. Lord, how we thank you for him
who lives. Would you be pleased to make
yourself known to each one of us for Christ's sake? In his
name we pray.