This morning I want to speak to you on resurrection courage.
! Resurrection courage.
Let's first look at what the definition of courage is.
! Courage is broadly defined as the ability or quality that enables a person to confront fear,
! danger, pain, difficulty, or uncertainty, even when feeling afraid or anxious.
It is often associated with bravery, valor, and fearlessness, but does not require the absence
of fear. Rather, it involves acting in spite of it.
Okay? So that's the definition of courage.
And every form of courage has its source, right?
Strength is the strong man's courage, right?
A strong man feels courageous because, hey, I'm strong and I'm stronger than other people, right?
Athletic ability is the athlete's courage.
If an athlete believes they're better than other athletes, then he is more apt to do more
courageous things on the sports field or sports court.
Training is the soldier's courage, right?
If a soldier is well-trained and has better training than other people, whether it's shooting
or other kinds of things, they feel a confidence, a courage on the battlefield because they've
been trained well.
Knowledge or intellect is the debater's courage.
Okay?
When debating someone else, if someone feels like they have superior knowledge or superior
intellect, they have this courage and boldness in their debating.
Moral conviction is the protester's courage, right?
Those who protest confidently and boldly tend to have some kind of moral superiority, moral
high ground that they have.
And so it makes them courageous.
And lastly, alcohol is the drunk man's courage or liquid courage as they would call it.
So, right?
And I don't really know what that's all about, but just they think that they're better than
they are in that moment and they feel courageous, right?
But it begs the question, what is the Christian's courage?
What is the Christian's courage?
Christians are to be courageous.
That great verse on that, when spoken to Joshua, right?
Be strong and courageous.
And all throughout the Bible, we see this phrase.
I believe it's actually there 365 times, which is perfect.
You could read one for every day.
Do not fear.
It's one of the most reiterated commands in the whole Bible.
Do not fear.
But be courageous.
Be brave.
Okay?
Well, what is the Christian's courage?
Let's look at Peter and John's courage, right?
In the book of Acts, there was some religious leaders who noticed something different about
Peter and John.
That Peter and John had courage and it was an unusual amount of courage.
So my question to you this morning is, what was their courage?
What is the Christian's courage?
Let's look at Acts chapter 4.
A little context before this.
They had just walked into a city and at the gate was a man who was born lame.
And he was asking for money and he said, silver and gold I don't have, but this I give to you.
And he said, rise up and walk.
And the lame man walks.
Okay?
So that's the context for this.
Fast forward to Acts chapter 4, starting in verse 1.
It says, and as they were speaking to the people, they being Peter and John, the priests
and the captain of the temple and the Sadducees came upon them.
Now, if you ever wonder, you know, what's the difference between the Pharisees and Sadducees?
Sadducees, the Sadducees are the ones who didn't believe in the resurrection, which is why they're sad.
You see?
So you got that.
So you have the Sadducees.
That's an important context.
They don't believe in the resurrection.
Right?
And that's who they're actually speaking to or who's coming around when they're speaking.
As they were speaking to the people, the priests and the captain of the temple and the Sadducees came upon them.
Greatly annoyed because they were teaching the people and proclaiming in Jesus the resurrection of the dead.
So that's why the Sadducees are annoyed.
They don't believe in the resurrection of the dead.
And these guys have the audacity to preach this.
So right away, they're annoyed because they're proclaiming in Jesus the resurrection from the dead.
Verse 3.
And they arrested them and put them in custody until the next day, for it was already evening.
But many of those who had heard the word believed, and the number of the men came to about 5,000.
Remember earlier, 3,000 were saved in a day.
Now it says there's 5,000 men.
So you include women.
That could have been close to 10,000.
A lot of people are getting saved.
Could be possibly from like 3,000 to 10,000 people.
A lot of people are believing.
On the next day, their rulers and elders and scribes gathered together in Jerusalem with Annas the high priest and Caiaphas,
and John and Alexander, and all who were of the high priestly family.
And when they had set them in the midst, they inquired,
By what power or by what name do you do this?
So in other words, like, who do you guys think you are?
Like, who, who, who, who, where do you, where do you get your authority from?
Who, who, who, who, who said that you could do this?
Then Peter, filled with the Holy Spirit, said to them, rulers of the people and the elders.
Now, note, this is rulers.
These are people with power, right?
Specifically, they have the power to throw people in jail.
Clearly, they just threw Peter and John in jail.
So, you know, we typically don't get afraid of people who don't have any power.
But if someone actually does have power, especially the power to throw you in jail,
you tend to have understandable concern or fear of what they might do, right?
And so, you may be a little more timid in how you speak to them, or a little more nuanced,
or maybe you don't want to even speak to them at all because you don't want to say anything
that might cause them to be upset and throw you in jail, right?
Or keep you in jail in this case.
And so, Peter, filled with the Holy Spirit, says to them, rulers of the people and elders.
If we are being examined today concerning a good deed done to a crippled man,
by what means this man has been healed,
let it be known to all of you and to all the people of Israel
that by the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth,
whom you crucified,
uh-oh, easy there,
whom you crucified,
whom God raised from the dead,
by him this man is standing before you well.
So, he doubles down on the whole resurrection thing,
says Jesus rose from the dead,
he then points the finger at them for crucifying the one who rose from the dead,
so you'd think, okay, he might be maybe annoying them even more.
If they were annoyed before, maybe they're even more annoyed now, right?
By him this man is standing before you well.
Verse 11,
This Jesus is the stone that was rejected by you, the builders,
which has become the cornerstone.
And there is salvation in no one else,
for there is no other name under heaven,
given among men,
by which we must be saved.
Now,
this is the important verse in the context of courage, right?
Verse 13,
Now,
when they saw the boldness of Peter and John,
or some versions say courage of Peter and John,
and perceived that they were uneducated common men,
they were astonished,
and they recognized that they had been with Jesus.
Okay?
So, clearly,
Peter and John,
the fact that he's not dialing it back because they're in jail,
but actually dialing it up,
says,
oh,
this,
you know,
they were probably,
it says they were astonished,
right?
Is that what it says?
Yes.
It says they were astonished.
Well,
why were they astonished?
Because they're not used to that kind of response.
Typically,
the people of power,
who have the power to throw people in jail,
who threw people in jail,
these people,
they tend to,
you know,
start getting what they want.
You know,
kiss up to us,
pander,
because we have the power to keep you in jail.
And,
it's not like Peter and John were lawyers,
who,
you know,
who had gone to school to speak to the rulers and authorities.
These are unschooled ordinary men.
Okay?
Fishermen.
And so,
they were astonished.
And they took note.
They recognized that they had been with Jesus.
So,
that,
I think we're starting to get maybe an answer to our question,
but not the full answer to our question.
My question was,
what is the Christian's courage?
Well,
it looks like here,
they're,
they're pointing out that,
well,
they had,
took note that they had been with Jesus.
They were courageous because they had been with Jesus.
But,
another,
it begs another question.
Why does that embolden them?
It can't just be,
because they had been with Jesus.
because,
they had been with Jesus before,
like,
earlier in the story,
and they weren't courageous.
They weren't bold then.
So,
that,
even though that's what they took note,
it has to be something specifically about Jesus.
Not just that they had been with him,
because they were,
they were with him before,
right?
You follow me on this?
Before they were with him.
And,
Matthew 26,
56,
when they're the Garden of Gethsemane,
how does that story end?
It says,
then all the disciples left him and fled.
Sounds like a little different picture.
This is including Peter and John.
They all left and fled.
Even though they had been with Jesus,
they're still not courageous.
So,
it must be something specifically about Jesus.
Even,
you see,
Peter's denial in Matthew 26.
It says,
now Peter was sitting outside in the courtyard,
and a servant girl came up to him and said,
you also were with Jesus the Galilean.
But he denied it before them,
saying,
I do not know what you mean.
Now,
this is a similar situation,
right?
He's,
he,
he follows Jesus into the courtyard,
and,
people are talking to him and said,
hey,
weren't you,
you were with Jesus too.
And,
it's the same consequence.
They could throw him in jail.
Same Peter,
same scenario,
same consequence.
And yet,
in this picture of Peter,
he says,
hey,
I do not know what you mean.
And when he went out to the entrance,
another servant girl saw him,
and she said to the bystanders,
this man was with Jesus of Nazareth.
And again,
he denied it
with an oath.
I do not know the man.
I swear.
You know,
basically,
he did it with an oath.
I swear,
I don't know the man.
After a little while,
the bystanders came up and said to Peter,
certainly you two are one of them,
for your accent betrays you.
Then he began to invoke a curse on himself,
and to swear,
I do not know the man.
Okay,
so,
you know,
you picture he's getting really upset about it,
swearing about it,
and,
I do not know the man.
And immediately,
the rooster crowed,
and Peter remembered,
saying of Jesus,
before the rooster crows,
you will deny me three times.
And he went out and wept bitterly.
Same Peter,
same circumstances.
One,
he's courageous,
one,
he's not.
Okay,
so,
even though he had been with Jesus,
so much so that Jesus told him ahead of time,
hey,
you're actually going to deny me three times.
When Peter explicitly said,
oh,
I will never deny you.
Like,
I'll go to you to the death,
Jesus.
So,
he had the bravado,
and the language of this bravado,
but,
didn't carry through.
But then in Acts 4,
we see a different picture of Peter,
and all of a sudden,
now he is courageous.
So,
what is it from?
It's not just Jesus,
it's something else.
Is it that the whole resurrection was a hoax?
You know,
that's what started getting spread around.
this conspiracy theory in Matthew 28,
verse 11.
It says,
while they were going,
behold,
some of the guard went into the city,
and told the chief priests,
all that had taken place,
basically of the resurrection of Jesus.
And when they had assembled with the elders,
and taken counsel,
they gave a sufficient sum of money,
to the soldiers,
and said,
tell people,
his disciples came by night,
and stole them away,
while we were asleep.
And if this comes to the governor's ears,
we will satisfy him,
and keep you out of trouble.
So,
they took the money,
and did as they were directed,
and this story has been spread among the Jews,
to this day.
At the time of the writing of the book of Matthew,
this conspiracy had been perpetrated.
This hoax,
basically saying,
really,
Jesus didn't raise from the dead,
he,
he stole their body.
Okay?
And if it didn't really,
and still,
honestly,
crazily enough,
still to this day,
people say that.
Thousands of years later,
people say,
the disciples,
stole his body.
But,
would people be so bold,
as to give up their life,
which all the disciples,
eventually did,
except for John,
like,
would you do that for a hoax?
Would you die,
for a lie?
Hey,
let's just tell everybody,
that we stole the body.
I mean,
let's just tell everybody,
that he rose from the dead,
but really,
we stole the body,
and made it look that way.
And then finally,
it comes down to,
they're going to kill you.
And you say,
okay,
it wasn't true,
it wasn't true.
You would typically do that,
right?
Like,
you wouldn't die for a hoax,
or for a lie,
especially if you knew it was.
So,
that wouldn't make any sense.
Okay,
they weren't emboldened,
because they just had a good story.
It had to be more.
Well,
maybe it was because they heard about Jesus.
Maybe it was,
was it courage from hearsay?
Luke 24,
Mary Magdalene,
and Joanna,
and Mary,
the mother of James,
the other one with them,
they had seen Jesus,
after death,
resurrected.
They saw him.
And so,
what'd they do?
They went and told the apostles.
So,
was that it?
Was that what gave them boldness?
No.
Verse 11 in Luke 24 says,
these words seemed to them an idle tale,
and they did not believe them.
Okay?
So,
after these women had seen Jesus,
the disciples still aren't buying it.
So,
that wasn't it.
Then in John 20,
Thomas,
poor guy,
we always call him Doubting Thomas.
Geez,
the guy had one bad day,
and he gets the name Doubting Thomas.
We could all be called Doubting Josh,
you know,
whatever.
Like,
that would be really easy.
We've had our days.
But this guy Thomas,
man,
he just gets a bad rap.
Now,
Thomas,
one of the twelve,
called the twins,
was not with them when Jesus came.
So,
the other disciples told him,
we have seen the Lord.
Again,
hearsay.
What does he say?
Was that good enough for him?
No.
But he said to them,
unless I see in his hands,
the marks of the nails,
and place my finger into the mark of the nails,
and place my hand into his side,
I'll never believe.
Okay?
So,
still no boldness there.
He's got to see it with his own eyes.
Which brings me to,
I think,
is the real answer to the question,
what is the Christian's courage?
And it's that
real,
real eyewitnesses
saw Jesus
risen from the dead.
And not just saw him,
but a few more details.
Let's look at it.
John chapter 20,
one through nine.
Well,
we don't need to read all this,
but basically,
Mary Magdalene finds out,
they tell Peter and John,
and so Peter and John,
we're back to Peter and John again,
they start,
they start running,
right?
they get,
they're,
they're sprinting over there.
The guy who's writing this book
lets us know this little detail
that he got there first,
that he was faster than Peter.
So,
I kind of like that little part right there.
Oh,
just so you know,
just,
you know,
I mean,
the disciple got there
before Peter.
Then the other disciple,
who had reached the term first?
He just put that little phrase in there.
Also went in,
and he saw,
and believed.
For as yet,
they didn't understand the scripture
that he must rise from the dead.
So John,
he didn't even see Jesus,
but the fact that he saw the empty tomb,
John believed.
Okay?
John believed.
But then the rest of them,
Luke 24,
36,
as they were talking about these things,
the disciples all together,
they're talking about everything,
and then Jesus himself
stood among them
and said to them,
peace to you.
They were startled and frightened
and thought they saw a spirit.
And that's an understandable thing.
It'd be one thing to say,
okay,
maybe this is a vision,
or we're just seeing like his spirit,
or like a ghost or something,
but
it's not really
his,
he's not really rose from the dead.
He just has come from the afterlife
and appeared to us,
but he's not a real,
he's not actually alive again.
We're just
seeing a vision
or seeing a spirit,
you know.
That's understandable.
You would,
you would think
that would maybe,
you would doubt at first,
and then maybe like you,
if you even see it,
so they see with their own eyes,
but even then,
they're still doubting and thinking,
well,
they thought they were seeing a spirit,
a ghost.
And he said to them,
why are you troubled,
and why do you doubt,
why do doubts arise in your hearts?
So even seeing that still cause doubts in their hearts.
And so,
what does Jesus say?
He says,
see my hands
and my feet,
that it is I myself.
Touch me
and see.
Okay,
you can't touch a spirit or a ghost,
but they touched him.
They saw with their own eyes,
for a spirit is not of flesh and bones,
as you see that I have.
Okay,
and when he had said this,
he showed them his hands and his feet,
and while they still,
but they're still disbelieving.
They're still not believing.
So,
if you ever want to convince someone that you're not a ghost,
here's the thing you do,
right?
And while they still disbelieve for joy and were marveling,
he said to them,
have you anything here to eat?
Because ghosts don't eat,
right?
Everybody knows that.
And so he says,
they gave him a piece of broiled fish,
and he took it and ate before them.
Okay?
Finally,
it's like,
okay,
we touched you,
we saw you,
and you ate,
we ate and drank with you.
All right?
This essentially is,
is the thing.
And you know,
but Thomas wasn't there,
or doubting Thomas.
And then he comes again in John 20,
and he says to Thomas,
put your finger in here,
see my hands,
put out your hand,
and place it in my side.
Do not disbelieve,
but believe.
And then Thomas says,
my Lord and my God.
He believes as well.
So,
fast forward again to Acts chapter 10,
and this gives us more of an answer to,
what is it that gives the Christian courage?
In Acts chapter 10,
we see Peter preaching here,
and he says,
we are witnesses of all that he did,
both in the country of the Jews,
and in Jerusalem.
They put him to death by hanging him on a tree,
but God raised him on the third day,
and made him to appear.
Not to all people,
but to us who had been chosen by God as witnesses,
who ate and drank with him,
after he rose from the dead.
So he points this out now,
post-resurrection,
post this time that they're eating fish to them.
Says,
hey,
listen,
Jesus rose from the dead.
We know because we ate and drank with him.
Right?
Which they also did on the beach after,
you know,
when they,
when Jesus appeared on the beach,
he was making breakfast.
What a sweet little picture that is,
right?
Jesus making a little campfire,
and cooking up some shore lunch.
I mean,
that's a great picture right there.
So it says,
to all the people,
those who had been chosen by God as witnesses,
who ate and drank with him,
after he rose from the dead,
and then it says,
and he commanded us,
who's us?
Us is those who he chose as his witnesses,
those who actually saw,
touched,
and ate and drank with him.
He commanded us to preach to the people
and to testify that he is the one appointed by God
to be judged of the living and the dead.
To him all the prophets bear witness
that everyone who believes in him
receives forgiveness of sins through his name.
So,
the guy who rose from the dead,
the guy who made it really clear,
he proved it,
he let you touch him,
he saw him,
he actually ate and drank with you,
that guy,
because no one had seen this happen before
where someone did this on their own accord,
where they actually rose from the dead.
They had seen people raised from the dead
because the guy who did raise from the dead
told them to get up
and rose them from the dead,
but they never seen anyone do it on their own.
And here we see Jesus,
who was risen from the dead himself,
and that guy says,
he commanded us to preach to the people
and to testify that he is the one appointed by God
to be judging of the living and the dead,
which is kind of a big deal
because the guy who raises from the dead
gets to say whatever he wants.
Right?
He's been charged.
He defeated the one,
you know,
I said,
you know,
one of the,
another way to say that a military's courage
is from all the wins that they have.
Right?
Typically in past history,
the military armies or military generals
that were the most courageous
were the ones who had the most W's,
right?
They had won the most battles
and had defeated the hardest enemies.
They have the greatest courage
because basically like,
they look back at their track record
and say,
hey,
listen,
we,
we won.
So there's no reason
we're not going to keep winning.
And
who more than anybody
has authority
and
to say something
than the one who defeated
the one enemy
that nobody could beat,
the one enemy
that takes everybody,
the one enemy
that takes everybody
all the time,
death.
Jesus
defeated death.
He overcame death.
The one thing that no one can beat,
we can,
maybe we can beat age
and look younger.
Maybe we can beat
dying young
and be healthy
and live long.
Or maybe we can
defeat,
you know,
all kinds of other things
in our life.
But you can't defeat death.
You eventually,
it's appointed to all of us
to die.
And
Jesus beats that.
And then he commands us
to tell everyone
that he is the one
who's appointed by God
to be judged
of living and dead.
Which is what they did.
In Acts 17,
you see them,
there's preaching again
and it says,
God 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.
Okay?
The resurrection
is everything.
If Jesus didn't raise,
it doesn't make any sense.
In fact,
I was even thinking
one of the questions
we should ask
unbelievers often is,
do you believe
Jesus rose from the dead?
Because
end of discussion
in one sense
if they have it.
Like,
not end of discussion
we want to keep discussing,
but end of discussion
in the fact that
you're not a Christian.
They might say,
oh yeah,
I'm a Christian
or I'm a,
you know,
this,
that,
or the other.
Do you believe
Jesus rose from the dead?
Well,
I mean,
that's a little far-fetched,
don't you think?
It's like,
whoa,
hold on,
time out.
If that ain't true,
then all of,
then none of this
other stuff matters.
In fact,
there's no point
in doing all the
Christian stuff
if he didn't raise
from the dead.
That's what gives
all this meaning
and authority.
In fact,
in 1 Corinthians 15,
12 to 22,
it says,
now if Christ is
proclaimed his race
from the dead,
how can some of you
say that there is
no resurrection
of the dead?
But if there is
no resurrection
of the dead,
then not even
Christ has been
raised.
And if Christ
has not been
raised,
then our preaching
is in vain
and your faith
is in vain.
We were found
to be misrepresenting
God because we
testified about God
that he raised
Christ,
whom he did,
who he did not
raise if it is true
that the dead
are not raised.
For if the dead
are not raised,
not even Christ
has been raised.
And if Christ
has not been raised,
your faith is futile
and you're still
in your sins.
Okay,
that's why this
is such a big deal.
Your faith doesn't
make any sense.
I was thinking about
when we were singing
these songs.
Think of how stupid
and foolish
it would be
to sing to God
if he's still dead.
It would be so dumb.
It would be like,
what are we doing?
You guys are
a bunch of fools.
If he was just
a good man,
some people are like,
oh yeah,
I believe Jesus
was a prophet.
I believe he's
a good man.
Okay,
but then you're
going to gather
for him
and do things
for him
and throw up,
write songs about
him that we put
lyrics on the screen
and we're all
going to sing
about him
and worship him,
but he's dead?
Like,
he's just like
everybody else then.
He was conquered
by death as well.
That would be so dumb.
It would be so foolish.
Which is why he says,
if Christ has not been raised,
your faith is futile,
pointless,
and you're still
in your sins.
Then those who have
fallen asleep
in Christ have perished.
If in Christ
we have hope
in this life only,
we are of all people
most to be pitying.
But in fact,
Christ has been raised
from the dead
and the firstfruits
of those who have
fallen asleep.
For as by a man
came death,
by a man has come
also the resurrection
of the dead.
For as in Adam all die,
so also in Christ
shall all be made alive.
So,
if in Christ
we have hope
in this life only,
we are of all people
most to be pitied.
And a lot of times
people have this thought
that,
you know,
even if Christ
really didn't raise
from the dead,
it would still be better
to be a Christian.
That is one of the
dumbest things
in the world.
That doesn't make
any sense.
That doesn't make
any sense.
It would be real,
like you just,
just think that
thought through.
That means
you don't get
the benefits
of the afterlife,
you don't get
the benefits
of a real living
relationship
with a living God,
and you don't get
any of the,
you don't get
the pleasures
of sin either.
You're basically,
you don't get
anything.
You're just
forfeiting pleasure
your whole life.
And if it's
not true,
you would be
the most
to be pitied.
There's nothing
good about that.
That's why Paul
says in 1 Corinthians
15,
30 to 32,
why are we
in danger
every hour?
Paul is
voluntarily
putting himself
in danger
every hour.
He says,
I protest,
brothers,
by my priding
you,
which I have
in Christ Jesus
our Lord,
I die every
day.
What do I
gain if,
humanly speaking,
I fought with
beasts at Ephesus
if the dead
are not raised?
Then let us
eat and drink
for tomorrow
we die.
His whole point
is,
what would be
the point
of me dying
every day,
like giving up
my life every
day?
What would be
the point
of me suffering
and facing
all this
hardship
if Christ
is not raised?
If Christ
is not raised,
then we might
as well eat,
drink,
and be married
for tomorrow
we die.
That's why
Christianity
doesn't make
sense in that
way.
And I think
for some
of us,
sometimes we
have a hard
time dying
to ourself
because we
really don't
haven't gotten
this true
conviction that
Jesus rose
from the dead.
If Jesus
rose from
the dead,
like literally
rose from
the dead
and people
saw him
and ate
with him
and a man
who was
dead is
now alive,
that man
is God.
That man
will now,
when he
says he's
going to
resurrect us
from the
dead
unto eternal
life,
we can
believe him.
Anybody
that's,
if I said
to you,
hey,
when you
die,
don't worry,
I got you.
I'm going
to raise
you up
and you're
going to
live with
me for
eternity.
You'd be
like,
you're
loony tunes,
bro.
Like,
what are you
talking about?
You're
dead.
You can't,
you're going
to die
too.
No,
no,
no.
You would
never believe
me in that
unless I
died and
then rose
from the
dead and
ate with
you.
Now you'd
start to
think,
oh,
wait a
second.
Everything this
guy said
is a big
deal,
even more
than a big
deal than I
thought before.
I thought
before he was
a prophet.
I thought,
wow,
he said some
really profound
things,
you know,
seemed to have
a good grasp
on things.
But the fact
that he rose
from the dead,
that changes
everything.
Jesus rising
from the dead
is the end
all be all
of all things.
It changes
everything.
like we
are the
people who
profess that
Jesus rose
from the
dead.
We believe
that death
is not the
final word.
That is our
message.
We believe
that one
day,
and so the
one who
gets risen
from the
dead,
he can tell
everybody,
hey,
I want you
to preach
to the
people and
testify that
Jesus is
the one
appointed by
God to
be judge
of the
living and
the dead.
And that's
what we
should tell
people.
Because he
rose from
the dead.
That just
means I
can lose
my life,
my entire
life here
knowing I'm
going to
rise from
the dead
too,
because the
one who
rose from
the dead
said that
it's going
to happen
and he's
going to
raise me.
But if he
doesn't,
then what
am I doing
denying myself?
What am I
doing?
Why would we
fast and
pray?
Like,
really?
No way.
Why would I
abstain from
things?
Why would I
give my life
and suffer
for other
people?
What would
be the
point?
There
wouldn't be
a point.
Unless,
of course,
he really
rose from
the dead.
Did he
rise from
the dead?
If he
did,
then it
changes
everything.
So I
said,
2 Corinthians
5,
14 to
15,
speaks of
this
resurrection
courage.
For the
love of
Christ
controls
us,
because we
have concluded
this,
that one
has died
for all,
therefore all
died,
and he
died for
all,
that those
who live
might no
longer live
for themselves,
but for
him,
but for
him who
for their
sake died
and was
raised.
The love
of Christ
controls us.
We now
live for
him who
for their
sake died
and was
raised.
That's our
compulsion.
That's what
compels us.
That's what
motivates us.
He's risen
from the
dead,
and so that
changes
everything.
I don't
count my
life as
my own
anymore.
I die
daily because
he died
for me,
and I
know one
day he's
going to
raise us
up,
and we'll
live together
with him
forever,
in paradise,
forever and
ever and
ever.
The fact
that he
rose from
the dead
changes
everything.
1 Peter 1,
3-5,
blessed be
the God
and Father
of our
Lord Jesus
Christ.
This is
the same
Peter.
This is
the same
Peter who
was afraid,
and then all
of a sudden
he's saying,
you killed
the author
of life.
He's so
bold,
even though
he's speaking
to the
people just
through him
in jail.
This same
Peter writes,
blessed be
the God
and Father
of our
Lord Jesus
Christ.
Exclamation
point.
According to
his great
mercy,
he has
caused us
to be
born again
to a
living hope
through the
resurrection
of Jesus
Christ from
the dead,
to an
inheritance
that is
imperishable,
undefiled,
unfading,
kept in
heaven for
you,
who by
God's
power are
being guarded
through faith
for a
salvation
ready to
be revealed
in the
last time.
This is
resurrection
courage.
You have
boldness
because you
know,
the one I
follow,
he can't
lose.
Death
could not
hold him.
It couldn't
keep him.
Couldn't
keep him
down.
I have
boldness
because that's
my guy.
That's the
one I
follow.
That's the
one I
worship.
This is
my God.
Why would
I be afraid
of anything?
What you
might think
of me when
I preach
the gospel
to you,
when the
one I
ascribe to,
the one I
worship,
the one I
proclaim,
that he
has caused
me to
be born
again to
a living
hope.
Not a
dead hope,
a living
hope.
A hope
that's
alive.
My hope
is living.
It's not
based on
some ancient
writings and
that's it.
It's based
on ancient
writings that
proved that
he rose from
the dead and
that he's still
alive today.
And so I
have a living
hope.
This God
who I
worship is
not a relic
from the
past.
It's not
some idol.
It's not
something made
with human
hands.
It's a
real person
who still
lives.
Jesus,
the risen
one.
So I'm
born again
to a
living hope
through the
resurrection
of Jesus
Christ from
the dead
to an
inheritance
that is
imperishable.
My
inheritance
in Christ
is the
same as
Christ.
It doesn't
perish.
His body
didn't decay
and just
go away.
It was
resurrected.
And because
he has the
power to
keep his
body from
decay,
he has the
power to
keep my
inheritance
from decay.
Because his
body wasn't
defiled with
sin or
death because
he rose from
the dead,
my inheritance
is also
undefiled.
Because Jesus
didn't just
fade away
and was
no more,
but is
still today,
the same
yesterday,
tamed forever,
and lives,
my inheritance
is unfading.
It's kept
in heaven.
It's not
kept in heaven
randomly.
It's not
kept in
heaven in
some
circumstantial
weird,
like,
hoping for
hope itself.
It's kept
in heaven
by the
one who
rose from
the dead.
It's kept
in heaven
by the
one who's
still alive.
If someone
said,
hey,
I'm going to
keep this
for you,
and then
they died,
you'd say,
yeah,
I don't think
they can
really keep
this for
me anymore.
They're dead.
Jesus is
still alive,
so he can
still keep
the inheritance
in heaven
for us,
and he
can use
God's
power to
guard us
through faith
until that
day.
Therefore,
I have
boldness.
I have
courage,
because all
the other
religions,
they all
talk about
a dead
guy who
stayed
dead.
Muhammad
died.
He's still
dead.
Buddha died.
He's still
dead.
All the
Hindu gods,
they're all
dead.
They all
died.
All these
gods,
they're all
dead.
Every
god that
everybody's
professed
has died
and did
not raise
again,
except for
ours.
It changes
everything.
It's our
resurrection
courage.
This is why
we're bold.
This is why
we talk to
people at
work.
We say,
listen,
do you
understand?
This isn't
just another
religion.
We're either
the most
psychotic,
crazy people
on the
earth,
or Jesus
wrote from
the dead.
Like,
it's either
one or the
other.
It doesn't
make any
sense.
Christianity,
it's not like,
oh,
that's cool,
that's good
for you.
No,
it's not
good for
you.
If Jesus
didn't rise
from the
dead,
that's not
good for
you or
anybody in
society.
You're a
psycho.
You're a
psycho.
You're claiming
that someone
rose from the
dead and you
sing songs to
him every
Sunday and
do all these
things for
him, but
he's dead?
You're weird.
You're literally
crazy.
You can see
why people
wanted to
eradicate
Christians.
Christians because
they don't
believe Jesus
rose from the
dead.
The only way
it makes sense
is that Jesus
rose from the
dead.
That Jesus
rose from the
dead, that
unschooled
ordinary men
speak to
authorities with
boldness and
tell them,
you crucified the
Lord of life and
until you
repent, you
will suffer the
consequences.
No fear.
Or even in
the spite of
fear, they have
courage.
They just press
right through.
resurrection
courage is the
greatest courage
of all because
there's nothing
like it.
If Jesus
didn't raise
from the
dead, we
were a bunch
of psychotic
fools.
And so, just
know that if
you don't act
like Jesus is
risen, you
don't talk like
Jesus is risen,
if your
Christianity is a
form of godliness
but denies the
power of the
resurrected Lord,
you look like the
wrong kind of
fool.
The fool you
should look like
is the one who
is vehemently
committed and
convicted that
Jesus rose from
the dead.
And yes, that
will look foolish
to people, but
it makes sense
if God is
raised.
Don't have your
life not make
sense if Jesus
is raised, where
you look just as
foolish as someone
who would believe
when someone would
think Jesus wasn't
raised.
Those of us who
believe that Jesus
is raised should
have a courage that
is unlike anybody
else's courage.
They should have a
boldness like
unlike anybody
else who's ever
had boldness
before.
It should be
different because
the fact that
people saw Jesus
touch Jesus, that
he appeared to
over 500 witnesses,
that they ate and
drank with him, that
means it really
happened.
And if it really
happened, all of
human history has
changed.
All of human
history has changed.
Game changer, the
game changer of all
game changers.
And so our life
should look
differently, should
look drastically
differently.
And if it
doesn't, we kind
of look like the
people who don't
believe that Jesus
rose from the
dead, we got a
problem.
We should look
crazy to them.
They should look at
us and either be
really curious or
think we're psychos.
That is the message
of the resurrection.
It's resurrection
boldness.
It's resurrection
courage.
Amen?
Amen.
We're going to
close with a song
on this Easter
Sunday.
Okay.