Evidence of Resurrection Power
Preacher: Randy Smith Series: Resurrection Sunday Scripture: 1 Thessalonians 1:8–10
Transcript
Evidence of Resurrection Power
1 Thessalonians 1:8-10April 12, 2009 • Resurrection Sunday
Pastor Randy Smith
As America is increasingly given over to secular thinking, the original intent of our holidays is being redefined before our very eyes.
For instance, what comes to mind when we think about Christmas? You know the answer I'm looking for, but travel down the aisles of Wal-Mart in mid December or ask children in the elementary schools or turn on the television any time after Halloween, and celebrating the birth of Jesus seems the furthest from anyone's mind. Like the guy who said, "There go those Christians; now they're trying to bring Jesus into Christmas!"
Easter is no different. Is there more to the holiday than dying eggs, eating jellybeans and welcoming a new season? These traditions have become so strong that they have superseded the original intent of the occasion. Without realizing it, even the church has been sucked into this way of thinking. What excites our children about Easter? Is it a chocolate bunny or an empty grave? Use the proper term, "Resurrection Sunday" and I feel many churchgoers will think you've invented a new holiday!
The story goes back nearly 2,000 years. A man named Jesus Christ walked among the Israelites. He did things that no other human has ever accomplished (Jn. 3:2). And He said things that no other human could ever claim: Like professing equality with God (Jn. 5:17-18; 10:31) and proclaiming salvation in Himself alone (Jn. 14:6). He promised a nation that He was the long awaited Messiah. He amassed a rather large following. And when hopes were at their climax, He entered Jerusalem and was hailed as their King (Mt. 21:5, 9). But less than a week later He was tired as a criminal and executed on a Roman cross. Opponents sneered. Demons rejoiced. Followers mourned. He was placed in a tomb and all thought the dream was over (that is where I left you Friday evening).
But as the Scriptures declare, "God raised [Him] from the dead" (Ac. 3:15). As the apostle Paul told the Ephesian church: "And what is the surpassing greatness of His power toward us who believe. These are in accordance with the working of the strength of His might which He brought about in Christ, when He raised Him from the dead and seated Him at His right hand in the heavenly places, far above all rule and authority and power and dominion, and every name that is named, not only in this age but also in the one to come" (Eph. 1:19-21).
Even His closest disciples thought something went terribly wrong. But contrary to their thoughts, the cross was always part of God's plan. It was the destiny of Jesus to die on that cross so He could take our sins upon Himself and bear God's wrath in our place. The cross is the means by which God the Father can now make salvation available to all on the basis of faith. And to prove His acceptance of Christ's atonement (Rom. 1:4), He brought His Son back from the dead and gave "Him the name which is above every name" (Phil. 2:9).
The Resurrection is the cornerstone of our faith. The Resurrection is evidence that Jesus overcame sin and Satan and death. The Resurrection is the exclamation mark of victory. The Resurrection is also a promise. Jesus is the first-fruits of God's great harvest which will consist of all those who put their faith in Christ. They too will rise again. They too will overcome death and live eternally with Him. That is why this day is so significant. And that is why we find so much reason to rejoice.
Since the Resurrection is so foundational, critics of the faith have pointed their largest guns at this target. The Bible concurs: "If Christ has not been raised, then our preaching is vain, your faith also is vain…and if Christ has not been raised, your faith is worthless; you are still in your sins." (1 Cor. 15:14, 17). Disprove the resurrection and you have discredited Christianity. The Bible even goes on to say, "If we have hoped in Christ in this life only, we are of all men most to be pitied" (1 Cor. 15:19).
So how do we know the Resurrection really happened? The evidence is overwhelming!
- Old Testament prophecies were fulfilled (Psm. 16:10).
- Jesus predicted His own resurrection (Mt. 16:21; 27:63).
- The tomb, while guarded by Roman soldiers was empty, and no one has produced a body (Mt. 28:6).
- Jesus made at least 10 separate appearances after the Resurrection. On one occasion 500 were present (1 Cor. 15:6).
- The Apostles were transformed from cowards to bold proclaimers of the Gospel after the Resurrection. They preached the Resurrection (Ac. 2:32; 3:15; 5:30; 10:40) and 11 of 12 of them were willing to die for their faith.
- The early church changed the day of worship from Saturday to Sunday (Ac. 20:7; 1 Cor. 16:2).
- The New Testament which emphasizes truth speaks more than 100 times of the Resurrection.
- Paul was converted from persecuter to pastor when having seen the Resurrected Jesus (Ac. 9:1-22).
- And the evidence continues…
But possibly the greatest proof of Christ's Resurrection is seen in the life of His believers. The Bible teaches that Christians have the same power that raised Jesus from the dead dwelling within them (Eph. 3:20; 2 Ti. 1:7; 2 Pet. 1:3). As a matter of fact Paul told the Thessalonian believers in the passage I read earlier in verse 5 that "our gospel did not come to you in word only, but also in power and in the Holy Spirit."
What is "the surpassing greatness of His power toward us who believe" (Eph. 1:19)? How do we demonstrate this power? What does it look like? What is the evidence of resurrection power in the lives of true believers? We are going to answer those questions this morning!
There could be no doubt that God was working among this Thessalonian church. In verse 8 Paul says, "For the word of the Lord has sounded forth from you, not only in Macedonia and Achaia, but also in every place your faith toward God has gone forth, so that we have no need to say anything."
Something was happening! Literally we could say that God's word "echoed" forth from these people. It reverberated! Folks even beyond their city and region heard of their faith and the transformation of their lives. The Thessalonian believers were talking, and the people were talking about them so much that Paul the missionary believed they were doing his work! He commented, "We have no need to say anything" (1 Thes. 1:8). We could possibly say that the unbelievers were informing the missionaries! In the modern vernacular, this church was on fire for Christ, and stuff like that can't be self-generated!
But again, what was the content of this "holy gossip?" What did this resurrection power accomplish deep in the lives of these believers? With our time that remains I'd like to answer those questions using verses 9 and 10. Evidence of God working in their lives is based upon three words: They turned, they served and they waited.
1. THEY TURNED
They turned. Verse 9 says, "How you turned to God from idols."
The implication is that before they began serving the true God they served idols. But when they came to Christ they turned from these futile objects of worship. They went in the opposite direction. They made a decisive break (Ac. 20:21).
Off in the distance, about 50 miles to the south of their city was Mount Olympus towering above the landscape. These Greeks believed that this was the home of their gods. They were cultured to worship these gods. They were taught to appease these gods. Everything in their lives from the weather, to their health, to their money, to the stories they told their kids when they tucked them in at night, centered around these dominating figures. Yet at the moment of conversion they saw these idols for what they were. And despite the opposition, security and tradition they abandoned them completely.
Often when we read in the Bible about idols we think of ugly little figures made of stone or metal or wood. And while many of the idols of antiquity did fit those characteristics, we must not think we have overcome idolatry because we are not bowing down to little statues or even celebrating Greek mythology. Idols are alive and well in the twenty-first century even though they have taken on more sophisticated forms.
D.L. Moody, the great Evangelist over 100 years ago, said, "You don't have to go to heathen lands today to find false gods. America is full of them. Whatever you love more than God is your idol."
Well, that expands our definition!
According to one Bible scholar, "An idol is anything, any attitude, any belief, or any god that so captures a person's attention and allegiance that God does not have pre-eminence" (Richard Mayhue, 1 and 2 Thessalonians, p. 57).
True conversion is giving Jesus Christ first place (Col. 1:18). So anything that owns our heart, prioritizes our affections, arranges our goals, demands our loyalty or controls our spending is an idol, a false god, an object of worship. This is from where the Thessalonians turned. And turning from idols with resurrection power will mark all true converts as well.
It takes resurrection power to give a chronic worrier true peace (Phil. 4:7). It takes resurrection power to give a man infested with anger the ability to love his family (Eph. 4:31-32). It takes resurrection power to give a materialist the desire to support the Lord's work (2 Cor. 8:3-5). It takes resurrection power to give a selfish person a passion to prioritize others (Phil. 2:3). It takes resurrection power to give an addict the desire to be filled with the Holy Spirit (Eph. 5:18). It takes resurrection power to give a Sunday morning couch potato a love for the church (Heb. 6:10).
When God changes our hearts He gives us the power to turn from our idols and embrace Him with all our affections.
2. THEY SERVED
That takes us to our second point. In addition to turning from idols, verse 9 says, "[They served] a living a true God."
Their life was completely redirected. A total transformation occurred. From the false gods to the true God. From darkness to light. From sin to righteousness. From the death to the life. From the created to the Creator. From the many to the One.
Idols become our masters. They rule us. They demand our allegiance. They enslave us (Jn. 8:34; Rom. 6:16-22). They take away our self-respect and our time and our money and our happiness. Often many want to stop, but they can't break free from their idols because they own us more than we own them.
The authors of a book I recently read said, "Idols never satisfy, but always demand increasingly more, constantly adding to the burdens of our lives and in the end giving nothing of lasting value" (Phillips, Holding Hands and Holding Hearts, p. 62).
Idols hold out so much promise for happiness but in the end fail miserably to provide. We all know from experience that they do not bring true joy or peace or purpose or satisfaction. They pledge freedom. They deliver bondage.
The apostle Paul often identified Himself as a "bond-servant of Christ" (Rom. 1:1; Gal. 1:10; Tit. 1:1). Like the Thessalonians, when the living God is acknowledged as the true Lord of our lives we turn to Him in full allegiance. Jesus said we cannot serve two masters (Mt. 6:24). So we forsake our slavery to false gods and become "slaves to Christ" (Eph. 6:6; cf. 1 Cor. 7:22). And only when we cast ourselves and all we have into the Savior's loving arms do we receive the liberation that our soul so desperately craves. And only when we become His servant do we find true freedom (Jn. 8:36).
The Thessalonians did "a 180." Verse 9 says they turned from their idols and with the passion that was once directed to these false gods began to serve the true and living God (Jer. 10:10). A new Master was on the throne of their hearts. God's life was being lived through them. You don't see this very often, but when you do it is evidence that one has been overcome with resurrection power.
3. THEY WAITED
So the Thessalonians turned and served, and lastly they waited. They waited on what? Verse 10 says, "[They waited] for [God's] Son from heaven." What does that mean?
Even a quick reading through the two Thessalonian letters makes it clear that this church knew a little something about our Lord's return (1 Thes. 2:19; 3:13; 4:13-18; 5:1-3, 23; 2 Thes. 1:6-10; 2:1-5). They knew the best was yet to come. They had a confident expectation and eager anticipation that Jesus would return (cf. Phil. 3:20). So in the midst of their active service was a passive waiting. Jesus promised His church that He would come again (Jn. 14:3). And the true church filled with resurrection power looks forward to that final appearing.
The best evidence that we are really looking forward to Christ's return is our desire to be ready. Jesus told a parable about 10 virgins. Five were foolish and five were wise, prepared for the return of their groom (Mt. 25:1-13). The Day of the Lord will come like a thief in the night (1 Thes. 5:2; 2 Pet. 3:10), but 1 Thessalonians 5:4 says, "[We] are not in darkness, that the day would overtake [us] like a thief." Since we do not know the hour of His return (Mt. 24:42; 25:13) the basic biblical premise is that we are to be always prepared (1 Jn. 2:28).
Paul also adds that this returning Jesus is none other than the resurrected Jesus. The One who returns is the very One, verse 10, "Whom [God] raised from the dead." Everybody knew that the Messiah was crucified. So the natural link between the cross and the Second Coming is the Resurrection. He died - He's back - and He's coming back! The Mighty One who was "pierced for our transgressions" and "crushed for our iniquities" (Isa. 53:5) was brought back from the dead and is now seated at the right hand of the Father waiting to culminate the eternal plan of God.
As we are celebrating today, the Resurrection is a benchmark of our faith and indispensable component of our salvation. Romans 10:9 says, "If you confess with your mouth Jesus as Lord, and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved."
And why do we enjoy this salvation? Is it something we achieved to receive favor with God? Absolutely not! We are sinners and as the Bible declares, "the wages of sin is death" (Rom. 6:23). God is a holy God. He is obligated according to His unchanging character to pour out wrath upon our sin. The last thing we want is justice. Our only hope is mercy. Enter Jesus. Our substitute. Our sin-bearer. Our redeemer. The Lamb of God who came to take away the sin of the world (Jn. 1:29). On that cross He stood in the sinner's place. He took our sins upon Himself and "the Lord…caused the iniquity of us all to fall on Him" (Isa. 53:6) He received the punishment we deserved. Justice - accomplished. Sinners - forgiven. Penalty - removed. Jesus Christ, as Paul says in verse 10, "Rescues us from the wrath to come."
We are great sinners but God has provided a greater Savior. We were awaiting an eternal punishment in hell. But Jesus Christ has rescued us from the wrath to come. As the Bible declares, "Therefore there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus" (Rom. 8:1).
Are you in Christ Jesus? Have you acknowledged Him as Lord of your life? Have you accepted Him by faith? Have you trusted His rescue mission to save you from the penalty of your sins? Have you like the Thessalonians turned from idols to serve the living God with all your heart? Is there evidence of resurrection power in your life?
In Philippians 3:10 Paul said, "That I may know Him and the power of His resurrection." The Thessalonians demonstrated that power. It was not seen through the charismatic gifts. The power was seen as they turned from their idols, served the living God and waited fully prepared for Christ's return. There is a connection with those three words and three words Paul used in verse 3: faith and love and hope. By faith we turn from our idols. In love we serve the living God. And with hope we joyfully anticipate His return. A genuine description of the Christian life and genuine evidence that resurrection power dwells within us!
So as we celebrate the Resurrection today and throughout the year, may we remember that the greatest evidence of that remarkable miracle is the testimony of a transformed life, like the Thessalonians, that is joyfully sold-out for God!
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