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Sermon Date: 4/8/2007
Outline:
I. THE PROMISE OF THE RESURRECTION OF CHRIST. (I CORINTHIANS 15:13-19)
A. OUR PREACHING IS NOT VAIN. (VS. 14)
B. OUR FAITH IS NOT VAIN. (VS. 14)
C. WE ARE TRUE WITNESSES OF GOD. (VS. 15)
D. WE ARE NO LONGER IN OUR SIN. (VS. 17)
E. WE WILL SEE OUR SAVED LOVED ONES AGAIN. (VS. 18)
F. WE ARE OF ALL MEN MOST JOYFUL. (VS. 19)II. THE PROOFS OF THE RESURRECTION OF CHRIST.
A. HISTORICAL FACTS
1. Jesus was a real person and was crucified.
a. This is a historical fact.
b. He is mentioned in several secular books of His day and age. (Josephus)
2. He was buried and the place of His burial was well known. (Gordon’s Tomb)
a. After the death of Christ, the disciples fled in despair, their hopes crushed.
b. This scattering is mentioned in several secular books from that day and age as well.
3. The tomb of Jesus was empty on Sunday morning as reported.
4. \"Something\" happened to convince hundreds of people that they saw Jesus alive after He was known to be crucified.
a. These \"sightings\" took place over a period of 40 days.
b. They occurred at different times and places.
c. Jesus was observed engaging in different activities - walking, talking, eating, and cooking.
5. His disciples were transformed and made bold to fearlessly proclaim the resurrection of Christ in the city that saw Him crucified. (The Same City)
6. Two notable skeptics - James, the brother of Jesus, and Saul of Tarsus - became zealous converts.
7. The adoption of a new \"Sabbath.\"
“Any explanation of the empty tomb must account for all eight of these facts of history. To date, only one has satisfactorily done so: Jesus actually arose from the dead as the Bible proclaims. It is the resurrection that makes the Gospel a story that must be told - in every house and hut on every street and path in every city and village in all the world to every man and woman and boy and girl.”
B. BIBLICAL PROOFS (MARK 16:1-15)
III. THE PROCLAIMATION OF THE RESURRECTION OF CHRIST. (MARK 16:15)1. The Stone (Mark 16:3-4)
a. They ask with concern, “Who will roll the stone away?”
b. There was an army before the tomb (especially big due to the threat of the body being stolen).
c. The women evidently doubted that a small army could move the stone.
d. Vs. 4 tells us that it was a great stone.
e. Yet somehow the stone was moved and the army could not stop the escape of Christ.
f. The disciples weren’t exactly a military army that could defeat the guards.
g. Yet the moving of the stone is a written historical fact as well as a Biblical one.
h. The stone has been called, “the one silent and infallible witness\".
2. The Empty Tomb (Mark 16:5-6)
a. Mary Magdalene, Mary the mother of James and Salome observed the empty tomb.
b. Maybe those three women defeated the army and moved the stone themselves.
c. When, weeks later, thousands were trusting in Christ because of the evidence of the resurrection, the empty tomb remained as the most convincing proof that Jesus was alive.
3. The Eyewitnesses (Mark 16:9-10, 12)
a. Mary Magdalene was the first to report she had seen Jesus alive on that Easter morning.
b. Later that day, Mark records His appearance to two disciples as they left Jerusalem.
c. He mentions His appearance to the eleven apostles.
d. Finally, he relates their encounter with Christ the day of His return to heaven. (Verse 19)
e. In court, there are few evidences more compelling than an eye witness.
4. The Unbelief of the Disciples. (Mark 16:11, 13)
a. That may sound like strange evidence to you.
b. After three days the disciples were so overwhelmed by the crucifixion, they still wept. (vs. 10)
c. Then they heard the report that He was alive and didn’t even believe the news.
d. (Illus.) If you were told that you’d see someone come back from the dead, wouldn’t you wait by the tomb just to see it?
e. They should have had faith, but they didn’t. But here’s where the evidence comes in:
f. After forty days these same defeated men turned into fiery, unwavering preaching machines.
g. Something must’ve happened. What was the change? They had seen Him with their own eyes.
h. There’s only one thing that can change the life of a wretched sinner and that’s a risen savior.
A. THE PEOPLE WHO MUST PROCLAIM THE RESURRECTION. “YE”
B. THE PLACE WHERE IT MUST BE PROCLAIMED. “ALL THE WORLD”
C. THE PRIORITY OF THE PROCLAMATION. “PREACH THE GOSPEL”IV. THE PLACE WHERE THE RESURRECTION SHOULD RESIDE. (ROMANS 10:9)• (Illus.) Imagine having the cure to cancer and not telling others what it is.
• I have learned a lot of facts about the heart by studying the phrase, “In thine heart” in the Bible:
• When I bend my ear, I want you to say, “In thine heart.”
A. SIN ORIGINATES IN THE HEART, NOT THE HEAD.
Leviticus 19:17, “Thou shalt not hate thy brother IN THINE HEART: thou shalt in any wise rebuke thy neighbour, and not suffer sin upon him.”
Proverbs 6:25, “Lust not after her beauty IN THINE HEART; neither let her take thee with her eyelids.”
B. FAITH IN GOD ORIGINATES IN THE HEART, NOT THE HEAD.
Deuteronomy 4:39, “Know therefore this day, and consider it IN THINE HEART, that the LORD he is God in heaven above, and upon the earth beneath: there is none else.”
C. OBEDIENCE MUST COME FROM THE HEART, NOT THE HEAD.
Deuteronomy 6:6, “And these words, which I command thee this day, shall be IN THINE HEART:”
Job 22:22, “Receive, I pray thee, the law from his mouth, and lay up his words IN THINE HEART.”
1. When someone in authority tells you to do something and you do it in spite, you are not obedient because your heart is not in it.
2. Your obedience to authority doesn’t depend on who the authority is, but on Who is in your heart.
D. PRIDE COMES FROM THE HEART, NOT THE HEAD.
Deuteronomy 8:17, “And thou say IN THINE HEART, My power and the might of mine hand hath gotten me this wealth.”
Isaiah 14:13, “For thou hast said IN THINE HEART, I will ascend into heaven, I will exalt my throne above the stars of God: I will sit also upon the mount of the congregation, in the sides of the north:”
V. YOUR ACTIONS ARE THE RESULTS OF YOUR HEART, NOT YOUR HEAD.1. When someone has a pride problem, we say he has a big head.
2. Maybe we should say they have a big heart. After all, that is where his pride originated.
II Samuel 7:3, “And Nathan said to the king, Go, do all that is IN THINE HEART; for the LORD is with thee.”
VI. MOST IMPORTANTLY, IN ORDER TO BE SAVE, THE RESURRECTION OF CHRIST MUST RESIDE IN YOUR HEART.1. Your Pastor, Youth Pastor or Parents give you principles from the Bible.
2. To some, these Bible principles and commands are only suggestions; to others they are convictions.
3. The difference between the average Christian and the sold out one is simply what is in the heart.
4. At some point in their lives they took what they learned of the Bible from their head and placed it in their hearts.
Romans 10:9, “That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe IN THINE HEART that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved.”
1. A MAN ONCE SAID, “MOST PEOPLE WHO GO TO HELL WERE ONLY 18 INCHES FROM HEAVEN.” (continued...)
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