Now today is the day that we
call Easter. That word's found in the Bible
in Acts 12 and verse 4. Herod put Peter in prison and
it says, intending after Easter to bring him forth to the people. And it's really a bad translation. It really should read, intending
after Passover to bring him to the people. Like Christmas, Easter
is full of pagan tradition. The word Easter comes from an
idol god whose name is spelled similar to Easter, E-O-S-T-R-E. It's the goddess of love and
fertility, an idol god. The festival was celebrated in
her honor around this time of the year, and since that idol
festival coincided with the time that Christ was resurrected,
it became accepted as a time to recognize Christ's
resurrection. And then a rabbit was added,
because it's known for fertility, and then eggs for the same reason.
So very much pagan tradition involved here, but be that as
it may, the same as we rejoice that Christmas is a time when
the world is forced to recognize the birth of our Redeemer, We're
thankful at least at this time of the year, the world's forced
to recognize the resurrection of our Redeemer. Now in 12 years,
I don't think I've ever preached on this day, I don't think I've
ever preached on the resurrection, but Lord helping me, I plan to
do so today. Now when the women came to the
tomb that morning, where they had placed the body of our Redeemer. We read this in Matthew 28, verse
5. It says, the angel answered and
said unto the women, fear not ye, for I know that you seek
Jesus, which was crucified. He is not here, for he is risen. As he said, our Lord had taught
them many times that he would be crucified and rise again.
He's not here for he is risen as he said. Come, see the place
where the Lord lay and go quickly and tell his disciples that he
is risen from the dead. I've titled this Fear Not For
He Is Risen. The first thing these women were
told was fear not, fear not. And the reason was for he is
risen. Then they were told, come see
and go quickly and tell his students, tell his disciples, my faith
I have seen, my faith I've seen, and I've come to tell you, fear
not, for he is risen. Fear not, for he is risen. Now,
it's not my goal for anybody to only believe the fact that
our Lord Jesus is risen. That's not my goal in preaching. The Lord, he did provide many
witnesses to confirm the fact. Scripture says in Acts 1-3 that
to these witnesses, he showed himself alive after his passion
by many infallible proofs, that is, indisputable facts, indisputable
evidence. being seen of them forty days,
speaking of the things pertaining to the kingdom of God. He let
Thomas reach into his wounds to see. He's flesh and blood.
He arose from the grave. He ate with them. A spirit doesn't
eat, he ate with them. And he preached the gospel to
them and he did this for forty days. and he was seen of many
witnesses. 1 Corinthians 15 5 says he was
seen of Cephas, then of the 12, after that he was seen of above
500 brethren at once, of whom the greater part remain unto
this present, but some are falling asleep, Paul said. After that
he was seen of James, then of all the apostles, and last of
all he was seen of me also, as of one born out of due time.
So many witnesses saw the fact that He arose, but knowing the
fact is not salvation. That won't save to just know
the fact that Christ arose. I want you to know and believe
on the Lord Jesus Christ. I want you to know Him. He said
this in John 11, 23. Martha, He said to her, He said,
Thy brother shall rise again. And Martha said unto Him, I know
that He shall rise again in the resurrection at the last day.
Jesus said unto her, I am the resurrection. I am the resurrection
and the life. He that believeth in me, though
he were dead, yet shall he live. And whosoever liveth and believeth
in me, he's saying, whosoever liveth in me, whosoever believeth
in me shall never die. Believest thou this? He's saying,
believest thou me? Salvation's not in baptism. It's
not in family tithes. It's not in our denomination.
Not in our law keeping. It's not in our zeal for the
Lord. Salvation is in the Lord Jesus Christ. Paul said, I've
suffered the loss of all things. All those vain things that he
once had confidence in. He said, I've suffered the loss
of all things and do count them but don't. That I might win Christ
and be found in him. Not having my own righteousness
which is of the law, but that righteousness which is by the
faith of Christ. That's the righteousness he wanted
to have. That righteousness which is of God by faith. So my prayer
today is that the Holy Spirit would do more than just convince
us of the fact of our Lord's resurrection. I pray he would
bring us to faith in Christ. Bring you to trust the Lord Jesus.
So I want to show you now some of the reasons we have not to
fear. Our Lord, this angel of the Lord told these
women, fear not for he is risen. I want you to see some reasons
we have not to fear. Now this is for you who believe
concerning the man, Jesus, truly being the Son of God, truly being
God the Son. Concerning this, fear not. for
he's risen. Turn with me to Romans chapter
1. If you want to jot these scriptures
down for sake of time, you can, but we're going to look at several
different scriptures. Fear not, for He is risen. This
is how we know He is the Son of God. Look at this, Romans
1.4 Christ was declared to be the Son of God with power according
to the Spirit of holiness by the resurrection from the dead. By the resurrection from the
dead. Everything the Lord Jesus Christ accomplished for His people
is eternal. Because that man Jesus is the
Son of God. He is holy, eternal God. He's God in human flesh. He's
God eternal. He's God all powerful. How do
I know that? For He is risen. That's how I
know. He's declared to be the Son of
God with power by the resurrection from the dead. Now you notice
in that text there, Romans 1-4, it says He was declared the Son
of God. I'd say He was made the Son of
God. He was made the Son of David. He was made the Son of Man because
He was made flesh. But He's always been the Son
of God. He was declared the Son of God. He was eternally always
the Son of God with power. He's the Son of God who had power
to create all things in the beginning. Everything was created by Him.
He's God. He's the Son of God with power
to uphold all things by the word of His power. He's the Son of
God with power to govern this world to make sure all things
that come to pass are of His hand. He's the Son of God with
power to accomplish the eternal redemption of His people and
raise us from the dead. So, believer, when it comes to
this man, Jesus Christ, you can be certain, fear not, that you've
been tricked or beguiled or fooled that He really is the Son of
God. How do I know that? For He's
risen. I know it by the resurrection
from the dead. Now secondly, turn with me to
Romans 14. Romans chapter 14. Concerning His sovereign saving
reign as both Lord and Christ, fear not, for He's risen. It says here in verse 9, Romans
14, 9, for to this end Christ both died and rose and revived. that he might be Lord both of
the dead and the living. In Acts, Peter said, in Acts
2, he said, having been raised by God to God's right hand, therefore
let all the house of Israel know assuredly that God hath made
that same Jesus whom you have crucified both Lord and Christ. You see, every believer has the
peace of knowing. We have this peace right here
that the man, Jesus, is both our Lord, our sovereign Lord,
and our Messiah. We have the peace of knowing
that whether we live, you see there in Romans 14 verse 8, whether
we live, we live unto the Lord. Whether we die, we die unto the
Lord. Whether we live, therefore, or
we die, we are the Lord's. We're the Lord. That's why He
lived and died and rose and revived that He might be Lord, our sovereign
Lord of the dead and the living. How do we have this confidence?
For He's risen. For He's risen. Death once lorded
over us. Death lorded over us. Not now.
Christ lords over us. Satan once lorded over us, not
now, not you who believe, Christ lords over us. How do I know?
For he's risen. Sin once lorded over us, now
only the Lord Jesus lords over us. How do I know that? For he's
risen. So fear not believer, the Lord Jesus is our one and
only Lord and Christ. All creatures and all things
are subject to him. All creatures, all things are
subject to Him and He's working all things together for good
for you that love Him, for you that are the called according
to His purpose. He's doing that. He's working
all things as your Lord and as your Messiah. He's working all
things for your good for He's risen. You can be assured of
that for He's risen. Now thirdly, concerning your
justification from your sins, fear not for he's risen. Look
back now at Romans 4. Romans chapter 4, look at verse
25. It says of our Lord Jesus that he
was delivered for our offenses and was raised again for our
justification. The Lord Jesus Christ bore all
the offenses of His people, of all God's elect, and He bore
the wrath of God in our place, and He was delivered into the
hands of divine justice, and He satisfied it. He satisfied
justice in our room instead. That's what He meant when He
said, it's finished. When He cried, it's finished,
the Lord fully, completely justified His people. He justified His
people. He put away the sins of all God's
elect. He satisfied justice for His
people and God's well pleased for His righteousness sake toward
you and me who believe. God's well pleased. Now each
sinner who God brings to cast all our care on Him is accepted. Accepted in the beloved. God
said, I'll be merciful to their unrighteousness. and their sins
and their iniquities will I remember no more." He said, in that day,
in that time, saith the Lord, the iniquity of Israel shall
be sought for and there shall be none. No iniquity. God, all-knowing God, who never
forgets anything, who sees all things, says there's no iniquity
on my people. The sins of Judah shall be sought
for and they shall not be found. God says, I will pardon them
whom I reserve. Now, when the devil comes accusing,
and accusing you and me to God, and anybody else that accuses
us to God, that accusation is going to fall to the ground.
Why? Romans 8.34 says, Who is he that
condemneth? It's Christ that died, yea rather,
that is risen again. who's even at the right hand
of God, who also maketh intercession for us. So fear not. Fear not. When it comes to your justification,
when it comes to you being righteous before God, the righteousness
of God, fear not. How do I know? For he's risen. Christ is risen. Now fourthly,
concerning our regeneration and the regeneration of every The
child for whom Christ died, fear not for He is risen. Look at
1 Peter chapter 1. 1 Peter chapter 1. Are you seeing here how that
every one of these things that I am saying to you, the reason
that you don't fear is because they are all manifest in Christ
risen. and Him risen and Him resurrected.
Look here now, concerning regeneration, your regeneration, my regeneration,
concerning the regeneration of those who are yet lost, those
that are yet in their sins, concerning their regeneration that Christ
died for, fear not. for He's risen. So look at this,
1 Peter 1.3, Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus
Christ, which according to His abundant mercy hath begotten
us again. We've been born again to a lively
hope by the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead. Now when
Christ arose to newness of life, Turn to Ephesians 1, I want you
to see this. When he arose to newness of life,
he came out of that tomb. Mystically, mysteriously, all
his people came out of that tomb with him. All his people came
out of that grave in him with him to newness of life. And that
guarantees that each sinner that he justified, each sinner that
came out of that grave with him, shall be regenerated in time. They shall be regenerated in
time. Look here at Ephesians 119. They're going to be given
faith in Christ. Life and faith in Christ. Look
here. Ephesians 119. Paul prayed that you would know
what is the exceeding greatness of his power to us who believe. Do you know what kind of exceeding
great power God has exercised to you who believe? It's according
to the working of His mighty power which He wrought in Christ
when He raised Him from the dead and set Him at His own right
hand in the heavenly places. Now He gave Christ all power
over all things and look at chapter 2 and verse 1. And you hath He quickened. who
were dead in trespasses and sin. We were sinners even as others.
Look at verse 4. But God who is rich in mercy
for his great love wherewith he loved us even when we were
dead in sin hath quickened us together with Christ. By grace
you're saved and he hath raised us up together. and made us sit
together in heavenly places in Christ Jesus, that in the ages
to come, He, Christ, our risen Lord, might show the exceeding
riches of His grace and His kindness toward us through Christ Jesus. Well, does that mean that we
arose in Christ and were quickened in Christ when He arose from
the dead? Or does that mean that He came
to us in time and regenerated us and quickened us in time and
brought us to faith in Christ? Yes, it means both. We came out
of the grave when He came out of the grave. We sat down. We
entered in glory. We sat down when He sat down.
And because of that, he did it that in time he might show you
and me the exceeding riches of his grace. And so in time, he
comes to us and regenerates us, gives us life, gives us faith,
and brings us to see the exceeding greatness of his power to us
who believe. What's he saying? He's saying
the same power it took to raise Christ out of the grave is the
power it took to regenerate you and me from being dead sinners. I know it's impossible. Look
at 1 Timothy chapter 3. It's impossible for an unregenerate
natural sinner who's dead in sin, it's impossible for him
to believe that Christ arose. It's impossible for him to believe
anything concerning the gospel. I understand that. And without
a doubt, it's a mystery that Christ arose. But I want you
to see something here. 1 Timothy 3.16. Without controversy, great is
the mystery of godliness. God was manifest in the flesh.
That's a great mystery. He was justified in the spirit,
seen of angels, preached unto the Gentiles, believed on in
the world, received up into glory. You catch what he said there?
Without controversy, great is the mystery of godliness. The
Lord Jesus Christ was believed on in this world. And he came
out of the grave and was received up into glory. And what he's
saying there is, is to create life within a spiritually dead
sinner is as great a mystery of godliness as it was for Christ
to come out of that grave and arise to the Father. Same power. Same power. Do you believe the
gospel? That's the power God exercised
in you to bring you to life and faith in Christ. That's amazing,
isn't it? So fear not. You fathers and
mothers, you got children who are lost and they're blind in
sin and they're dead in sin and they don't believe the gospel.
You bring them to hear the gospel and they come and they hear and
they don't believe. Well, fear not. For Christ is
risen and this we have the assurance of knowing. If they're His, if
they came out of that grave in Christ when He came out of the
grave in time through this gospel, our Lord is going to give them
life. He's going to regenerate them
and exercise that power upon them and they're going to be
brought to believe on Him. That's peace for a believer. That's peace for you and I. So
fear not. You see that loved one that you
love dearly and they don't believe? Fear not. for He's risen. If there He is, He's going to
bring them to believe on Him. Now fifthly, look at Colossians
2. We could go on and on and on
here, but look at Colossians chapter 2. Do not fear the devil or any
other enemy that you have. Believer, don't fear. Don't fear
the devil. Don't fear any other enemy that we have. Why? For he's risen. Look here. Concerning
the devil and concerning all unseen enemies and powers and
principalities, Colossians 2 and verse 12, it says there that
at the end it says, Through the faith of the operation of God,
it says, God hath raised him from the dead. He raised Christ
from the dead. Now look down at verse 15. In
doing so, he spoiled principalities and powers. He made a show of
them openly and triumphed over them in it. He made a show of
them. He spoiled the devil and all
principalities and powers and triumphed over them when he arose
from the dead. That was testimony to you and
me that Christ won the victory. He crushed the devil's head and
he'll bruise Satan under our feet shortly. Now go with me
to 1 Corinthians chapter 15. 1 Corinthians 15. Paul gave some consequences here
if Christ is not risen. These are some negative consequences
if Christ is not risen. This is how important the resurrection
of the Lord Jesus Christ is. But we can look at these negative
consequences and see the positive side of it and know that these
things are certain because He did arise. Look here, 1 Corinthians
15 verse 13. He says, if there be no resurrection
of the dead, then is Christ not risen. That's the first consequence.
If there's no resurrection of the dead, then Christ is not
risen. Well, fear not, brethren, for he's risen. All right, here's
the second consequence. Verse 14, and if Christ be not risen, then
our preaching is vain. Well, fear not, brethren, for
he is risen. Our preaching is not vain. Everything
we're declaring from this book right here is so. He's risen. So fear not. Look at the third
consequence here in verse 14. And your faith is also vain.
If Christ is not risen, you and I have believed in vain. Fear
not, for he is risen. We have not believed in vain.
Here's the fourth consequence, verse 15. Yea, and we're found
false witnesses of God, because we've testified of God that He
raised up Christ, whom He raised not up, if so be that the dead
rise not. For if the dead rise not, then
is not Christ raised. And if Christ be not raised,
your faith is vain. We're false witnesses. We've
been lying to people. Fear not, for he is risen. Everything we've been telling
folks concerning this word, concerning our Lord and all that he accomplished,
it's true. Here's the fifth consequence
if Christ is not risen. Verse 17, if Christ be not raised,
your faith is vain and ye are yet in your sins. Now look at
the positive. Fear not, for he is risen. You
are not in your sins, believer. I'm not in my sin. We don't have
any sin because Christ is risen. Now here's the sixth consequence.
Verse 18. Then they also which are fallen
asleep, those which have, we call it dying. The scripture
calls it falling asleep. Those that have fallen asleep
in Christ are perished if Christ isn't risen. If in this life
only we have hope in Christ, we're of all men most miserable.
But here's the good news right here. the last enemy that we
do not have to fear. But now is Christ risen from
the dead and become the first fruits of them that slept. He's
the first fruit. He came out of the grave and
all his people are coming out. Paul said in Romans 8, 11, he
said, if the spirit of him that raised up Jesus from the dead
dwell in you, he that raised up Christ from the dead shall
also quicken your mortal bodies by his spirit that dwelleth in
you. Look here now, 1 Corinthians 15, look at verse 21. Why was it that Christ arose? For since by man came death,
by man came also the resurrection of the dead. For as in Adam all
die, even so in Christ shall all be made alive. And now, believer
and unbeliever need to get what that means. By Christ, everybody's
coming out of the grave. Believer or unbeliever, we're
all going to be resurrected and stand before God in glory. Death's not the end. We're going
to stand before God and be judged. All of us will. But watch this. Verse 51, before the believer. Behold, I show you a mystery. We shall not all sleep. We're
not going to all die before Christ comes, but we shall all be changed.
We shall all be changed. In a moment, in the twinkling
of an eye, at the last trump, for the trumpet shall sound,
and the dead shall be raised incorruptible, and we shall be
changed. For this corruptible must put
on incorruption, and this mortal must put on immortality. So when
this corruptible shall have put on incorruption, and this mortal
shall have put on immortality, then shall be brought to pass
the saying that is written, Death is swallowed up in victory. O
death, where is thy sting? O grave, where is thy victory?
The sting of death is sin. It's gone, isn't it? Christ put
that away. And the strength of sin is the
law. He satisfied the law. So thanks be to God. Thanks be
to God which giveth us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ. Christ so conquered death for
his people. He so conquered death for his
people, brethren, that the scripture said God raised him up having
loosed the pains of death because it was not possible that he should
be holding of it. When he put away sin and he conquered
death by fulfilling the law, it was not possible that death
could hold him in that grave. It wasn't possible. And so verse
58 says, Therefore my beloved, my beloved brethren, be ye steadfast,
unmovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord. For as
you know, your labor is not in vain in the Lord. Why is it not
in vain? For he's risen. Go to Romans
6 and let's end with this verse right here. Romans 6. Here's why our labor is not in
vain right here. Here's what we have to look forward
to. Are you fearful of death? I have some dear brethren right
now that are nearing their last days on this earth. And by God's
grace, they've been a great encouragement to me because they're not afraid.
They're not afraid. Well, how could you face death
and fear not? For he's risen. For he's risen. Here it is right here. So we
can continue serving the Lord, believing the Lord, doing everything
he commands us to do and know that none of this is in vain.
Nothing's in vain. Right here. Romans 6 verse 5,
For if we've been planted together in the likeness of his death,
we shall be also in the likeness of his resurrection. Knowing
this, that our old man is crucified with him, that the body of sin
might be destroyed, that henceforth we should not serve sin. For
he that's dead is freed from sin. Now if we be dead with Christ,
we believe that we shall also live with him. Knowing that Christ
being raised from the dead dieth no more. Death has no more dominion
over him. For in that he died, he died
unto sin one time, but in that he liveth, he liveth unto God.
Now listen, likewise, reckon ye also yourselves to be dead
indeed unto sin, but alive unto God through Jesus Christ our
Lord. So, when you face death, fear
not, for he's risen. Now in all these things, brethren,
What he's telling us is, we could go on, there's other things we
could look at here, and we haven't exhausted this list of reasons
not to fear at all. We could go further. But in all
of this he's telling us, we don't have anything to fear. We don't,
believer. I thought about that statement,
and I thought, well, I guess we could fear falling away, No,
we don't have a reason to fear that. Why? Because He's risen.
That's why. We don't have anything to fear.
Why? For He is risen. I pray God will bless that. Let's
go to the Lord in prayer. Our great God and our Father.
Lord, what a great blessing You bestowed on Your people. The
gift of eternal life. The gift of eternal life. And
this life is in your son, see it at your right hand. This thing
is accomplished, it's done, it's finished. Lord, help us to enter
into that, help us to know that. One of these days, Father, keep
us in this realization all the time that we're going to stand
before you And the things in this life right now that matter
to us and that we think are so troubling and so concerning and
so necessary, they're just not going to matter. Lord, keep us
looking right now to the one thing needful. Keep us trusting
that there's only one thing we need, and that's Christ, and
keep us looking and knowing that because he's risen, we don't
have anything to fear in this life. Nothing to fear in this
life. Whatever you're going to work
for us tomorrow, Lord, it's going to be for our good. It may be chastening to us, and
it may be painful to us, and it may be, but it's what we need.
Help us to remember that. Help us to bow to that. Give
us grace, Lord, to accept whatever your providential hand has in
store, knowing it comes from our risen Redeemer, our God,
our Savior. And Lord, let us know that it's
because you will not allow one for whom you died to be condemned
with this world. Lord, thank you for this day.
Thank you. Let us not be taken up with the
pagan traditions of this day, but let us truly rejoice that
Christ is risen. And Lord, keep us. Keep us for
his sake. Be with your people everywhere.
And we pray, Lord, you bless this message to all your lost
sheep. Give them life, bring them out of darkness into your
light. Lord, may it be one of our children that you cause to
live this hour. And Lord, if there's any believer
that's overtaken in sin, that is overcome by their flesh, and
can't deliver themselves out of it. Lord, we pray for them. Lord, we pray that you, in your
time, would bring them out and have mercy on them and change
their heart and give them faith to trust you and look to you. Humble us, Lord. Humble us and
keep us at Christ's feet. Forgive us our sins, forgive
us forgive us looking at this world and making it to be more
than it is. Thank you, Father, for our risen
Redeemer. It's in His precious name we
pray. Amen.