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[0:00] Well, no doubt there will be many messages preached today in our country and around the world.! And they will talk about the resurrection being the greatest comeback story in history.

[0:16] ! And also talk about the fact that since Jesus came back, you could bounce back and you could overcome many things and I'm not ridiculing those or putting down and condemning those who would preach such messages.

[0:34] I have preached my fair share of them in my earlier ministry. But I've come to realize that such preaching about the resurrection is misguided.

[0:44] Actually, such preaching of the resurrection trivializes what God did when he raised Jesus from the dead.

[0:58] And this morning, I want to ask us this question. What is the resurrection of Jesus Christ really all about? Is it just some historic event that we remember, especially once per year, or is it more than that?

[1:21] Are there any implications of the resurrection for us now? And I believe that there are, and this morning, I want to talk with us about that.

[1:33] I want to do so by considering some words that the Apostle Paul spoke to a group of philosophers who didn't believe in the resurrection, who actually mocked the idea that the dead would be raised.

[1:50] And so if you've not yet done so, please turn in your Bible to Acts chapter 17. And I want to read this morning verses 30 to 34.

[2:00] Well, before I begin reading, let me just give a bit of background for the text, since it kind of jumps right in of a narrative that we have.

[2:21] The Apostle Paul had been preaching the gospel. He had gone into the city of Thessalonica, and he was persecuted severely, and so he had to leave Thessalonica. And he went to another city, he went to the city of Berea.

[2:34] And in the city of Berea, the Jews who were persecuting him in Thessalonica, they followed him and they continued to persecute him even there.

[2:47] And it was so severe that they thought that Paul's life was in jeopardy, and so they evacuated him out of the city quickly, and he went to Athens. And while Paul was in the city of Athens waiting for his co-laborers, Timothy and Silas, to join him, the Bible says that he would go into the synagogue and in the marketplaces, he would converse with the Jews and the other religious people.

[3:22] And we're also told that he went to this one area, the Areopagus, which was a place where people just gathered, and their reason for doing so was they wanted to hear new ideas and discuss new concepts of philosophy.

[3:45] And this Areopagus was a hill. It was a place where they named it after the Greek god Ares. And the Romans, it's also called Mars Hill because Ares is the Greek version of the Roman god Mars.

[4:06] And so Paul was discussing God's word with these who were gathered there. And that's the background to the text that we're reading.

[4:18] And obviously they gave Paul a hearing, and Paul is addressing them. So Acts chapter 17, we begin in verse 30. The times of ignorance God overlooked.

[4:32] But now he commands all people everywhere to repent. Because he has fixed the day on which he will judge the world in righteousness by a man whom he has appointed.

[4:50] And of this he has given assurance to all by raising him from the dead. Now when they heard of the resurrection of the dead, some mocked.

[5:02] But others said, we will hear you again about this. So Paul went out from their midst. But some men joined him and believed. Among them, Dionysius the Areopagite and a woman named Damaris.

[5:22] And others with them. Let's pray together. Lord, we gather this morning on this day that we celebrate the resurrection of Jesus Christ.

[5:36] And how easy it is for us to relate to it as a historic event that took place many years ago. And not think about the implications for our lives.

[5:49] And so I ask this morning that as we consider this text, that you would help us all to see the implications of the resurrection of Jesus Christ.

[6:03] To see why in this text you raised Jesus from the dead. And God, may we see the implications. And may all of us live in light of those implications for our lives.

[6:20] I ask that you would grant me grace. Abundant grace. That I need to faithfully proclaim your word this morning. We trust you to do that in Jesus' name.

[6:33] Amen. Well, in this passage this morning, we have these very sobering words from the Apostle Paul. That he spoke to this group of philosophers. They were discussing and learning about new philosophies and different beliefs.

[6:50] And Paul was addressing them and he was saying to them that they should not be worshipping idols, but they should worship the true and the living God. And his heroes were intrigued by what he was saying about the resurrection.

[7:07] And some actually openly mocked him. As I thought about that, as I was preparing, I thought, you know what?

[7:21] The more things change, the more they remain the same. The message about the resurrection gets a similar response today. There are those who mock.

[7:34] There are those who literally find it humorous that we are gathered in this place. And we are gathered because we really believe that Jesus Christ arose from the dead.

[7:45] Because friends, if he didn't, this makes no sense. Makes no sense. We would be crazy and delusional to be here if Jesus Christ did not arise from the dead.

[8:00] So there are still those who mock just as those on that day mocked. But we gather because, again, we believe that Jesus Christ did come and live and die, was buried, and he arose on the third day.

[8:20] But the Apostle Paul didn't debate the issue with them. Without debating the issue to them, we're told in verse 33 that he simply walked out of their midst.

[8:36] And so I think Paul left an example for me. He left an example for all of us who will proclaim the resurrection that it is not a topic that we debate. It is a topic that we proclaim. We simply state that Jesus Christ has arisen from the dead.

[8:52] But in addition to stating that, I want us to point to God's message in the message of the resurrection that Paul addressed on that day.

[9:06] And here's that message. Through Christ's resurrection, God assures us of the day when he will resurrect the dead and judge the world.

[9:21] That's the implications of the resurrection. Paul says God did that to assure us that there's coming a day that he will raise the dead and he will judge the world.

[9:39] That was the heart of the message. That was the conclusion of what he said to those gathered at the Areopagus on that day.

[9:50] And so this morning, what I want to do in our remaining time, and I don't plan to keep you very long, I want us to talk about the implications of the resurrection. And from this text, there are two.

[10:02] The first one is this, the resurrection of the dead. Not just that Jesus rose from the dead. That's one thing to believe. But to also believe that all who die will one day be raised from the dead.

[10:15] And what it tells us is death is not final. Now it's interesting, though, to see that in the text, the Apostle Paul did not explicitly say that God was going to raise everyone from the dead, but it was very obvious that they understood those who were hearing him to be saying exactly that.

[10:39] Paul talks about God judging everyone on a particular day, so it was pretty obvious that the only way you're going to judge dead people is you have to bring them back to life.

[10:50] And they understood that and that's why they actually mocked. Look again at what Paul says in verse 30. He says, The times of ignorance God overlooked, but now he commands all people everywhere to repent.

[11:09] All people everywhere to repent. This is a universal reach, a universal call. But he tells us why in verse 31.

[11:21] Here's why God calls all people everywhere to repent. Because he has fixed the day on which he will judge the world in righteousness by a man whom he is appointed and of this he has given assurance to all by raising him from the dead.

[11:40] The assurance that one day God will raise the dead is the fact that he has raised Jesus Christ from the dead.

[11:55] And in light of that he calls all people everywhere to repent because one day there will be a judgment. It is almost as a teacher standing before a class and say there's going to be a final exam.

[12:12] You can goof off if you want. You can ignore me if you want. But you're going to be judged on that final exam based on what I'm going to be saying to you.

[12:27] Paul says God gave this assurance by raising Jesus from the dead and say hey this is the evidence this is the proof that I'm going to one day judge the world.

[12:40] And this was a shocking idea to Paul's audience. I mean it's so shocking that they openly laughed openly mocked what he was saying.

[12:53] You see in verse 32 it says now when they heard of the resurrection of the dead some mocked. they didn't just disagree with Paul they didn't just say hey Paul you know I have a different view they found it so ridiculous that they just mocked him.

[13:13] Didn't want to have a conversation just mocked him. And the response that they gave to Paul really was not altogether surprising.

[13:25] There were even some in the church at that time who did not believe in the resurrection. We read in 1 Corinthians 15 for example that Paul was addressing that church because there were those in the church who didn't believe in the resurrection.

[13:45] And in chapter 15 Paul begins to affirm the resurrection of Jesus Christ as part of the gospel. He affirms that Christ died, he was buried, he was raised and he goes on to say that Christ appeared to many people some of whom he said were still alive even as he was writing to them.

[14:07] And Paul reminded the Corinthians that the gospel of Christ's death, resurrection, burial and resurrection was the gospel he preached to them, it was the gospel they believed, it was the gospel they staked their claim on.

[14:24] And then he reminds them that he was not alone, there were others, there were the other apostles who were proclaiming this same gospel. And then Paul transitions to discussing the resurrection of Jesus Christ and he tells them that if they believed that there was no resurrection from the dead, he said, then you would be among the most miserable people around.

[14:53] And so it's not surprising that there were those at the Areopagus who did not believe about the resurrection of the dead. Again, because there were those in the church who did not believe this.

[15:11] And it should not surprise us when there are unbelievers who scoff at the idea that one, Jesus was raised, and two, that we will one day be raised.

[15:22] the view then, and I think the view now, is that when you're dead, you're done. You have one life to live. Live it well. Have your best life now because there's no other life to have.

[15:36] Give it all into the moment. And why is it that this is an idea that so many hold that when you're dead, you're done?

[15:49] That when you're dead, there's nothing else after that. Well, the reason is that if that's true, there's no accountability.

[16:04] And people who are living in rebellion to God, rebellion against God, they welcome the idea of when you're dead, you're done because there is no future accountability.

[16:19] And the Apostle Paul addresses this in Romans 1, 18, when he said that it is by their unrighteousness that they suppress the truth. They suppress the truth about the resurrection.

[16:31] They suppress the truth that one day we will be accountable before God for the lives that we live now. unrighteous men and women suppress the truth about the resurrection because without the resurrection there is no accountability before God.

[16:53] And I think when we consider this we can only imagine the weight of the soberness upon the Apostle Paul when he said these words that God commands people everywhere to repent because there's coming a day of final accountability.

[17:17] Final accountability before God. And see, think about it. No one, none of us has the right to hold the other accountable in any ultimate way.

[17:31] There's no one else in the universe who has that right. but God has that right. He has that right because he is the creator. He is the ruler of the universe.

[17:48] And so, friends, as we gather this morning on this resurrection Sunday, we need to think about whether we are living, mindful of this truth, that Christ's resurrection from the dead has implications for our lives, and that one day we are going to be raised, we are going to stand before God.

[18:18] And here's the reason that that matters. That matters because what we believe about that will determine how we live now. belief determines behavior.

[18:35] If you really believe that when you're dead, you're done, then you can live in a way that it really doesn't matter what you do because there is no future day beyond the one that you will die on.

[18:56] What we believe will determine how we live. And that's the argument that Paul was making to the Corinthians in 1 Corinthians 15 in verse 32.

[19:12] He says this, he says, if the dead are not raised, let us eat and drink, for tomorrow we die. And that's the mindset again of many, but may it not be our mindset this morning.

[19:30] May it not be the mindset of any of us this morning. Let us hear these words of the Apostle Paul. There's coming a day when God is going to raise the dead.

[19:44] Death will not end everything for us as we know it. There is coming a future day of resurrection and we should allow that truth to shape how we live now.

[19:59] The witness of Scripture is that there's coming a day from Adam who died until the last person who would die. Not everybody would die. The Bible tells us some will be alive, but all who have died will be on that day resurrected.

[20:16] That's the first implication of Christ's resurrection, that there's coming a day of general resurrection. The second implication that we see is the judgment of the world.

[20:30] God's and this is the reason that the dead will be raised, to be judged. Again, look at how the Apostle Paul says this in 30 and 31, verses 30 and 31.

[20:46] The times of ignorance God overlooked, but now he commands all people everywhere to repent because he has fixed a day on which he will judge the world in righteousness by a man whom he has appointed and of this he has given assurance to all by raising him from the dead.

[21:10] Three important things I want us to see about this future judgment. First of all, Paul says it's a fixed day. God has fixed a day on which he will judge the world.

[21:24] Even though we don't know that day, that day is fixed. we don't know it. Could be tomorrow. Could be some time from tomorrow.

[21:41] We don't know, but here's what we know. We know that the God who cannot lie has fixed the day. He has inspired the apostle Paul to proclaim those words that that day is fixed.

[21:55] And he is going to judge the world in righteousness. Meaning it's a righteous judgment. Meaning that nothing falls through the cracks. This is not going to be one of those wayside kind of I can skip here or skip there.

[22:12] No. We will be judged and will be a perfect judgment. second, second, Paul tells us that God has appointed the judge.

[22:24] The judge has already appointed who is going to judge the world. Paul says he's a man. He doesn't tell us his name, but he's not someone that God randomly picked and says, you're going to do it.

[22:42] This is to be a unique man. This is to be one who is beyond being judged himself. Who's going to judge the world?

[22:54] Well, we will know it. And the third thing that Paul tells us, the third bit of information he tells us, is the man whom God has appointed to judge the world is the one whom he raised from the dead.

[23:10] Again, Paul doesn't call his name. But he says it's the one whom God has raised from the dead. He's referring to Jesus Christ of Nazareth, the one whose resurrection we celebrate today.

[23:27] God has raised them from the dead, giving assurance, giving a guarantee to all that there will be a future resurrection of the dead and a judgment of the world.

[23:38] And so he commands all men everywhere to repent. God has given a day of judgment.

[23:49] God has appointed a judge and God has given assurance that there is coming a day of judgment.

[24:02] And so the resurrection is more than just a Christian doctrine that we recite, that we believe. The resurrection is more than that. God has implications for our lives.

[24:17] The resurrection is God's notice and guarantee to the world that there is coming a day of judgment. And the one who raised Jesus from the dead has also appointed Jesus to be the judge.

[24:34] And he will judge the entirety of Adam's race. No one is exempt. And it's not a judgment based on goodness or reputation or education or wealth or status in society or contributions to society.

[24:54] According to verse 31, it is a judgment based on righteousness. And we're going to be judged for the entirety of our lives. no single aspect of our lives will be exempt from judgment.

[25:16] Here's how the apostle I shouldn't say the apostle, we're not sure who wrote the book of Hebrews, but here's how the writer to the Hebrews writes concerning the one with whom we would have to do in the judgment.

[25:34] He writes, and no creature is hidden from his sight, but all are naked and exposed to the eyes of him to whom we must give an account.

[25:47] No creature. None hidden and everything naked and everything exposed to his eyes.

[25:59] his all-seeing eyes, his piercing sight will be all exposed to him. And so here's the question for us this morning.

[26:14] Can you pass that judgment? Can you pass the judgment of every single aspect of your life, who you are, and what you've done before an all-seeing, all-knowing God, who knows not just deeds, but thoughts and motivations and desires.

[26:43] and he's not going to, he's not the kind who will have some gap in his knowledge or his memory.

[27:00] I think if we're honest with ourselves, we would say no. And so what's the point of the judgment?

[27:11] What's the point of the judgment if on that basis? And we all know that going in, we're getting an F. Going in with our lives as we know them to be, as being honest with ourselves, we know we're getting an F.

[27:29] And the reason we get an F is because only 100% is the passing grade. 99% with a perfect holy God doesn't satisfy him.

[27:43] it may impress us, but it doesn't please him. But God isn't simply interested in us being condemned because we all fail, because none of us is perfect.

[28:03] Look again at verses 30 and 31. The times of ignorance, God overlooked, God knows that we fall short.

[28:19] God knows that none of us is perfect. And this is why he calls us to repent, because he has fixed this day in which he's going to judge the world in righteousness by the man whom he has appointed.

[28:35] If he wanted to condemn us all to hell, he would not warn us and call us to repent. This command to repent is an expression of God's mercy.

[28:49] This command to repent is God's indication to us that he is a merciful God. And he will pass judgment.

[29:08] But he calls us to repent. repent. And what does it mean to repent? Repentance means to have godly sorrow over sin. It means to turn from sin and turn to God through Jesus Christ.

[29:24] It means to cease to pursue and find pleasure in sin. And it's also the recognition that in and of ourselves, we don't stand a chance of passing God's judgment.

[29:39] sin. It means what Tim pointed us to earlier about those who mourn over their sin. Those, they're the blessed ones, those who mourn over their sin.

[29:52] The awareness that we in and of ourselves fall short. The awareness that we need a perfect righteousness. We need a righteousness that is not our own.

[30:06] And see, this is the wonderful thing that happened on the cross. The Bible tells us that Jesus took the place of sinners, that Jesus was a substitute. The one who knew no sin became sin for us.

[30:19] He took our place, bearing our sin, that we might receive his righteousness. Theologians call it the great exchange. We give Christ our sin on the cross, and Christ gives us his righteousness, his perfect righteousness, which is the basis upon which God will accept sinners like us.

[30:45] When he sees us, he sees the righteousness of Christ towards all those who put their faith and their trust in him.

[31:02] And so we see Jesus fulfilling two roles. First, a Savior hanging on a cross, and then, as Paul tells us, as judge.

[31:13] He would be seated on a throne, judging the whole world. And again, people in Paul's day marked the resurrection for the same reason that people mark the resurrection today.

[31:31] That they don't want to be accountable before God. And if they can dismiss them out of their knowledge, then they can live as they choose to live.

[31:45] Earlier in this same chapter, chapter 17, this is what Paul said to that group in verses 24 and 25.

[31:57] he says, the God who made the world and everything in it, being Lord of heaven and earth, does not live in temples made by man, nor is he served by human hands, as though he needed anything, since he himself gives to all mankind life and breath and everything.

[32:20] He's the God who made the world. He made everything, and so we are accountable to him. And whether we live or we die, we are to give an account to the Lord for our lives.

[32:36] And so friends, the question again this morning is, are you ready to stand before this righteous judge? If you have repented of sin, if you've turned away from sin, put your trust in Jesus Christ, well then, by the grace of God, you are ready.

[32:52] But if you have not, then hear these words this morning, God commands all people everywhere to repent.

[33:07] Luke tells us that there were two responses to what Paul said that day. Two responses, and indeed, there are only two responses today. Some mocked, and some believed.

[33:22] And it's quite interesting that many people will say that they believe this or that about Jesus and the resurrection, and yet there is no affecting of their lives by what they claim to believe.

[33:52] And so they're not out, perhaps, in a riotous way, in a rebellious way, in a very obvious way, living their lives contrary to what God has called them to.

[34:08] But at the end of the day, it is evident that they're not trusting in the Lord Jesus Christ. They're not mocking so much with how they live, but they're mocking with their lips, not serving the one whom they claim to know, whom they claim to believe.

[34:29] And so the belief that Paul addressed, or that Luke tells us that some had, it wasn't this had, but yeah, I believe that Jesus Christ lived, and yeah, I believe that Jesus died.

[34:44] No, it was coming to believe, and coming to put their trust and their faith in him as the one who would spear them and enable them to stand in this coming judgment.

[35:03] And so where do you stand this morning? Would you be, I would anticipate that if you're here this morning, you're not one of those who are mocking, but would you be like Damaris?

[35:14] would you be like Dionysius, who truly believed? I recognize that they believed in the face of mocking. They believed in the face of others.

[35:25] They were all together believing these philosophies, and they heard Paul, and there were some like Damaris, like Dionysius, who believed, and they followed along with Paul.

[35:41] They joined themselves to Paul. And so that's the question for us this morning. Do you believe?

[35:57] Do you believe as we come to Jesus? We look to him, we trust in him, and his finished work on the cross.

[36:08] Jesus graciously calls sinners to himself. Jesus gave this universal call that all who are weary and heavy laden should come to him.

[36:24] And it matters not what ladens you, it matters not what burdens you. He says, come to me. him. I'll give you rest for me. I'll give you rest for your soul, no matter what it is.

[36:41] And so I pray this morning that if you and your heart of hearts know that you have not trusted in Jesus Christ as your Savior and Lord, that you will today come to Jesus.

[36:51] that you will cease living with your back to him, turn your face to him, and begin to follow him.

[37:02] That's my prayer for you this morning. Let's pray. Lord, we ask this morning that you would speak to all of our hearts.

[37:15] Those of us who have trusted in Christ, may we rejoice in the truth that on the day of judgment, on the day that we are raised, we can stand in your presence and we can hear the word no condemnation.

[37:37] And again, Lord, I pray for those who do not believe. I ask in the name of Jesus that you would open their eyes and as we sang today, may they see and trust in the Savior and may the burdens of their hearts be rolled away.

[37:56] We pray and ask in Jesus' name. Amen. Let's stand for our closing song. sing I'm no longer.

[38:26] I no longer fear the grave. Christ has come, took the sting of death away through his saving blood.

[38:46] God. Though my body fails and my flesh grows weak, till my final breath to this hope I'll cling.

[39:01] Jesus lives and so shall I. I'll be raised from the dust with Christ on high.

[39:11] Jesus lives, no more to die. And when he returns, with him I'll rise.

[39:23] Jesus lives. In this fallen world I cry.

[39:35] In this fallen world I cry. For the day when your glory splits the sky and you come to reign and all creation waits for that promise die.

[40:01] When the saints of God are revealed in power. And Jesus lives and so shall I.

[40:14] I'll be raised from the dust with Christ on high. Jesus lives, no more to die.

[40:25] And when he returns, with him I'll rise. Not death. Not death, nor any power of hell can separate me from the love, the love of my Savior.

[40:43] Not death, not death, nor power of hell can separate me from the love, the love, the love of my Savior. The love of my Savior.

[40:58] Jesus lives, and so shall I. I'll be raised from the dust with Christ on high.

[41:13] Jesus lives, no more to die. And when he returns, with him I rise.

[41:24] Jesus lives, Jesus lives, and so shall I. I'll be raised from the dust with Christ on high.

[41:36] Jesus lives, no more to die. And when he returns, with him I rise.

[41:47] Jesus lives. Jesus lives. Jesus lives. We're able to gather this morning and reflect upon the resurrection of the Lord Jesus Christ and consider the future resurrection that is coming.

[42:29] And thank you Lord that those of us who have put our trust in the Lord Jesus Christ have the hope of the resurrection of the righteous.

[42:41] The resurrection when we will be with the Lord forever. when he will wipe away tears from our eyes and sin and sorrow and sickness will be no more.

[43:01] But I pray in particular for those of us who are wearied by this life. Those of us who are burdened in our fallen world.

[43:13] I pray that the hope of the resurrection the hope of the new day when we will rise to die no more would carry us day by day.

[43:36] And Lord I do pray that for any who have not yet trusted in the Savior you. I pray that the words spoken today and in particular read from your word will linger in their hearts and call them to repent because you have fixed the day in which you will judge the world in righteousness by Jesus Christ.

[44:06] And you gave a guarantee of it by raising him from the dead. Lord may we all live today in view of that day.

[44:20] And now may the God of peace who brought Jesus from the dead, the great shepherd of the sheep by the blood of the eternal covenant equip you with every good that you may do his will working in us that which is pleasing in his sight through Jesus Christ to whom be glory forever and ever.

[44:48]  Amen. Amen. Amen.