You know, let's go to 1 Corinthians chapter 15 again and let's look at the verses that we're going to focus in on today. Beginning at chapter 15, verse 1, it says, "Now I make known to you, brethren, the gospel which I preached to you, which also you received and in which also you stand, by which also you are saved, if you hold fast the word which I preached to you, unless you believed in vain. For I delivered to you as of first importance what I also received, that Christ died for our sins according to the scriptures, and that he was buried, and that he was raised on the third day according to the scriptures." That's my text this morning. I'll be speaking about the importance of the resurrection this morning. My focus is going to be on the resurrection.

About two nights ago I got a call from an old friend of mine. I used to be the worship leader at a church in Oconomowoc and a man whose heart I've always felt very knit to. But he's gone through some troubles in the past few years and he had contacted me to say that he felt like he had been born again again, you know, and wanted to share the good news of what he did. And with that text he also sent me a video clip. My talk with him afterwards was both good and bittersweet, if I could say so, because I watched the video that he sent me and it was discouraging in that there is so much out there. 

The whole message was a vision that this man had and he's over a very large ministry down in Kansas City. And actually he was part of, I don't know if any of you have ever heard of the Kansas City Prophets back in the early 90s and all of that. And I had become a part of that before I, you know, left Oconomowoc and I kind of introduced him to that. And this message was, the gentleman was talking about this new vision that he's had about, you know, unity and all of this. 

And the whole time I listened to it I thought, where is Jesus Christ in any of this? It's a lot about what we're going to do and the great things that the church is going to do in these last days and on and on. And as I'm listening I'm thinking, where is Jesus in the midst of all of this? How come nobody talks about, how come you're not talking about the glory of the Lord Jesus Christ? Because there's only one way that we will ever have unity, and that is by focusing our attention on that glorious man, Jesus Christ. Until our eyes are focused on him, fixing our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of faith, until our eyes are focused on him, there will be no unity. 

And there's not going to be this great big unity in the end days in which billions and billions of people are going to, you know, walk in this great unity and usher in this great wonderful thing that's, this next thing that God's going to do. The fact of the matter is that Jesus Christ is coming again and he's coming for his people and until our eyes are focused on him and on him alone, there will be no unity. 

Quite frankly, I have unity with all kinds of people in different streams of the body of Christ when we focus on Jesus. I have a friend who's a Lutheran pastor over in Mercer. I'm not a Lutheran. I don't believe in sacramentalism. I never have, and I never will. But when we focus on the Lord Jesus Christ and we talk about him, we have sweet fellowship together, because Jesus Christ is the answer, amen? 

And so in that conversation, I began to realize something and that is this, that I am so grateful for this body of believers here. I'm grateful for the church, for this church, for Living Hope Church, because the focus here has always been on the word of God, always been focused on Jesus Christ and what he has done and accomplished for us. And if you need anything more than that, this is the wrong place, because our focus will always be Jesus Christ. It will always be that glorious man, Jesus Christ. He is our everything. 

So this morning, I want to talk to us about the simplicity of the gospel. I want to talk about the necessity of the resurrection, the four points, the necessity of the resurrection, the centrality of the message of the resurrection in the gospel, the implications of the resurrection, and finally, that all men, all men, good and bad, will one day be resurrected.

So let's look at a couple of things. First of all, we don't need to turn there right now, but in the gospel of John chapter 20, verse 9, after the resurrection had happened, Mary Magdalene had run back and told the apostles that Jesus' body was gone, he's not there anymore, and I don't know where they've taken him. So Peter and John, they run to the tomb, and they find it just like she said, they see the linen cloth folded and laying there in the tomb, but no body of Jesus. 

And in John chapter 20, verse 9, it says, "for as yet, they did not understand the scripture." That is important, that little statement right there. They did not understand the scripture that he must rise again from the dead. Again, the focus is on the scripture, and that needs to be our focus, on the scripture. What does the scripture say? I'm not interested in what some guy has to say. I don't care what kind of a blown-up vision he has. What I want to know is what does the scripture say? 

Let's go to, let's turn over to Luke chapter 24. We're talking about the necessity of the resurrection. It says, "but on the first day of the week, at early dawn, they came to the tomb, bringing the spices which they had prepared, and they found the stone rolled away from the tomb. But when they entered, they did not find the body of the Lord Jesus. While they were perplexed about this, behold, two men suddenly stood near them in dazzling clothing. And as the women were terrified and bowed their faces to the ground, the men said to them, why do you seek the living among the dead? He is not here, but he has risen. Remember how he spoke to you while he was still in Galilee, saying that the Son of Man must be delivered into the hands of sinful man, and be crucified, and on the third day rise again. 

And they remembered his words, and returned from the tomb, and reported all these things to the leaven, and to all the rest. Now they were Mary Magdalene, and Joanna, and Mary the mother of James. Also the other women with them were telling these things to the apostles. But these words appeared to them as nonsense, and they would not believe them. But Peter got up and ran to the tomb, stooping and looking in. He saw the linen wrappings only, and he went away to his home, marveling at what had happened. 

I find it interesting, again, the Lord doesn't hide our weaknesses, doesn't hide our faults. And it says here that this was nonsense to them. Even to the apostles, to whom Jesus had spoken and said, I am going to be crucified, buried, and on the third day I'm going to rise again. And it says in verse 11, it says, "but these words appeared to them as nonsense." You get that? It appeared to them as nonsense. 

Now let's go on, beginning in verse 13. It says, "and behold, two of them were going that very day to a village named Emmaus." And think about this for a minute. Here you have the crucifixion has happened. These people had followed the Lord Jesus, some of them from the time when John the Baptist first was baptizing, and they followed Jesus from that time on. But all of their hope and all of their joy was fixed on this glorious man, the Lord Jesus Christ. They walked with him, they talked with him, they heard what he had to say, they believed that this was the Messiah, this is the coming one. And their hope was completely anchored and fixed on that. And now all of a sudden, he's dead. All of their hopes and all of their dreams dashed. 

Now what are we going to do? We thought that he was the one, and that's what these are saying here. And they were talking with each other about all these things which had taken place. While they were talking and discussing, Jesus himself approached and began traveling with them. But their eyes were prevented from recognizing him. And he said to them, what are these words that you are exchanging with one another as you are walking? And they stood still looking sad. Can you see that? 

And one of them named Cleopas answered and said to him, are you the only one visiting Jerusalem and unaware of the things which have happened here in these days? He said to them, what things? And they said to him, the things about Jesus the Nazarene, who was a prophet, mighty in deed and word in the sight of God and all the people, and how the chief priests and our rulers delivered him to the sentence of death and crucified him. But we were hoping that it was he who was going to redeem Israel. Indeed, besides all this, it is the third day since these things happened. But also some women among us amazed us when they were at the tomb early in the morning and did not find his body. They came saying that they had also seen a visitor, a vision of angels who said that he was alive. Some of those who were with us went to the tomb and found it just exactly as the woman also had said, but him they did not see. 

And he said to them, oh, foolish men and slow of heart to believe in all that the prophets have spoken. Was it not necessary for the Christ to suffer these things and to enter into his glory? Then beginning with Moses and with all the prophets, he explained to them the things concerning himself in all the scriptures. So again, here we have these sad, sad disciples walking, wondering what's going on. Something strange is going on. They understand that something strange is going on, but they're still sad because they are yet to believe that the resurrection had really happened, that this could possibly be true, and they're sad. And Jesus walks with them and they don't even recognize him. But he is there with them, physically with them. They don't recognize him. 

And it says that beginning with Moses and with all the prophets, he explained to them the things concerning himself in all the scriptures. The scriptures, again, I want to put our emphasis where it belongs, on the scriptures, not on visions, not on dreams, not on anything else, but on the scriptures. What does the scripture say? 

Then over to verse 36, it says, while they were telling these things, he himself, now all the disciples are gathered together, and while they were telling these things, he himself stood in their midst and said to them, peace be to you. But they were startled and frightened and thought that they were seeing a spirit. And he said to them, why are you troubled and why do doubts arise in your hearts? See my hands and my feet, that it is I myself. Touch me and see, for a spirit does not have flesh and bones as you see that I have. And when he had said this, he showed them his hands and his feet. 

While they still could not believe because of their joy and amazement, he said to them, have you anything to eat? He gave them a piece of royal fish and he took it and ate it before them. Now he said to them, these are my words, which I spoke to you while I was still with you, that all things which are written about me in the law of Moses and the prophets and the Psalms must be fulfilled. Then he opened their minds to understand the scriptures. And he said to them, thus it is written that the Christ would suffer and rise again from the dead the third day, and that repentance for forgiveness of sins would be proclaimed in his name to all the nations beginning from Jerusalem. 

So here we have again Jesus himself coming, not just with the disciples on the road to Emmaus, but to all of them that were gathered there. And he shows them, he reveals himself to them and says, look at me, touch me, feel me. I am here. This is me. My physical body is here with you. Touch me. Touch my hands. See? See the side? Touch my side. See, this is me. It's really me. Do you believe that Jesus Christ rose from the dead? These were eyewitnesses, people. These were eyewitnesses. Now, you talk about this to some people this day and they scoff and they laugh. That's okay. They laughed at Paul too, we'll see later on. But it was necessary. It says that it was necessary for the fulfillment of scripture, alright? It was necessary for the fulfillment of scripture. But it's necessary for other reasons as well. It's necessary for our salvation. 

Let's turn with me to Romans chapter 10, Romans chapter 10. Romans chapter 10, beginning at verse number one, says this. Brethren, my heart's desire and my prayer to God for them is for their salvation. For I testify about them that they have a zeal for God, but not in accordance with knowledge. For not knowing about God's righteousness and seeking to establish their own, they did not subject themselves to the righteousness of God. For Christ is the end of the law for righteousness to everyone who believes. 

For Moses writes that the man who practices the righteousness which is based on law shall live by that righteousness. But the righteousness based on faith speaks as follows. Do not say in your heart who will ascend into heaven, that is to bring Christ down, or who will descend into the abyss, that is to bring Christ up from the dead. But what does it say? The word is near you in your mouth and in your heart. That is the word of faith which we are preaching, that 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. For with the heart a person believes, resulting in righteousness, and with the mouth he confesses, resulting in salvation. 

So understand how important this is to our own salvation. He says that if we confess, if we believe in our hearts that Jesus Christ was raised from the dead, then we will be saved. When we believe with our hearts and we confess with our mouth. And so the resurrection is absolutely essential for our salvation. Look, if you are wrestling and struggling this morning with the resurrection, I would be asking God, am I saved? Am I really saved? Because this is central to our salvation. It is essential that we believe that Jesus Christ physically rose from the dead. We believe, I think that we all of us believe that Jesus came in the flesh and that he walked on the face of this earth, that he did all kinds of miraculous things. We believe that he died, but do we believe that he really physically rose from the dead? 

See, this is not something that we hear about a lot these days, but the scripture says that with the heart a person believes in the resurrection of Jesus Christ, but that is essential to our salvation. And we don't got to turn there, but 1st Peter chapter 1 verse 3. Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who according to his great mercy has caused us to be born again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead. The resurrection is essential. It's necessary for us to be born again. We are born again because of the resurrection. Through the resurrection of Jesus Christ, we are given eternal life. Praise God for that, but it's necessary. It is necessary for the fulfillment of scripture. It's necessary for our salvation. 

Again, we don't need to turn there, but Romans chapter 4 verses 23 to 25 says this, now not for his sake only was it written that it was credit to him, but for our sake also to whom it will be credited as those who believe in him who raised Jesus our Lord from the dead. He who was delivered over because of our transgressions and was raised for our justification. So do you understand that he had to be raised again for our justification? He was delivered over for our sins, and we talk about that often. We talk about the sacrifice that Jesus made. We talk about his blood being that which causes our sins to be cleansed and lifted away and taken away, but the resurrection is the justification that God says that this sacrifice was sufficient. I am satisfied. That's what the resurrection says, is that God the Father is satisfied with the sacrifice that Jesus Christ made for our sins. 

This was the final thing. This is saying that God is satisfied. So it is for our justification. He was raised for our justification. Praise God. Do you believe this? Do you believe these things to be true? I hope you do because this is absolutely necessary for our salvation. And 1st Corinthians chapter 15 verse 17 says this, and if Christ has not been raised, your faith is worthless. You are still in your sins. If Christ has not been raised, your faith is worthless. You are still in your sins. Thank God he's been raised. Amen? 

Amen. Praise God. Now let's look at the centrality of the resurrection. That was the necessity of the resurrection. Let's look at the centrality of the resurrection. One of the things that I've noticed, and I've been meeting with a couple of brothers on Thursday mornings, and it has struck me how central to the preaching of the gospel the resurrection was throughout the book of Acts, the early church. You know, again, all these things that people do with church and wanting to go in all these different directions, and it's as though they're not satisfied with the gospel. And yet it was the gospel, these points that in 1st Corinthians chapter 15 verses 1 through 4 that Christ died for our sins, was buried, and was raised again on the third day. These are the things that the early church focused on, and that is what we need to be focused on. 

When we share the gospel with people, we need to share with them not just that Jesus died for their sins, but that God raised him again from the dead so that they too can have new life. Praise the Lord. The centrality of the resurrection of the gospel. Every time the gospel is preached in the book of Acts, the resurrection is proclaimed. First of all, let's go to Acts chapter 1 and read verses 21 and 22. It says this, therefore it is necessary that the men who have accompanied us, now this is Peter talking to all of the disciples that were gathered, and talking about filling Judas' place because Judas was no longer, has died and is no longer with them. And so they're picking somebody to fill the spot of Judas. And he says, therefore it is necessary that of the men who have accompanied us all the time that the Lord Jesus went in and out among us, beginning with the baptism of John until that he was taken up from us, one of these must become a witness with us of his resurrection. 

So all these people today that claim to be apostles, this whole new apostolic reformation that's going on, all of these people that are claiming to be apostles, I ask you, have they seen the risen Jesus? That is key to being an apostle. You have to see. Now I'm not saying there's not little apostles, little apostles, we have them. We had one, we had some here last week talking to us about the mission field that they were on. They were sent out ones, yes, that's what the word apostle means, sent out ones. But the big A, the big A apostles, you know, the big 12, that whole thing, they aren't with us anymore. But that is essential to being an apostle, that they have seen the resurrection of Jesus Christ. They said it is necessary that they had seen the resurrection of Jesus Christ. 

And so when Paul, how much later after the church was born, and Paul receives his vision from the Lord, and he sees the risen Jesus Christ and receives the message from his mouth, that was the key for him being an apostle. So it's not only is it central, it's essential that they be witnesses of the resurrection of Jesus Christ. Okay, now let's go to chapter 2, Acts chapter 2, beginning at verse number 22. Peter is preaching now. The day of Pentecost has come. Some bizarre, strange things have happened. All of a sudden there's all of these people that are gathered together on the day of Pentecost, the day of the first day of the harvest festival. And all of these people from all over the place are gathered, and the Spirit of God falls, and they begin to speak in tongues, and to glorify God in all of these different languages. They're hearing them, and there's a big list of them. 

All right, notice something here, first of all, for all those of my charismatic friends, I being from a charismatic background myself, the gift of tongues did not do anything to bring salvation to these people. All it did was got the attention of the people that were gathered together, because now they're hearing the message, they're hearing the glory of God being spoken. They're hearing that the great things that God has done, but it's not the preaching of the gospel. It isn't until Peter begins to preach that the gospel is heard and people are saved, because tongues cannot save anybody. They never have and they never will. 

So at verse 22, Peter's explaining what happened to these people. They're all confused, what's going on here? He says, "men of Israel, listen to these words. Jesus the Nazarene, a man attested to you by God with miracles and wonders and signs which God performed through him in your midst, just as you yourselves know. This man, delivered over by the predetermined plan and foreknowledge of God, you nailed to a cross by the hands of godless men and put him to death. But God raised him up again, putting an end to the agony of death, since it was impossible for him to be held in its power. For David says of him, I saw the Lord always in my presence, for he is at my right hand so that I will not be shaken. 

Therefore, my heart was glad and my tongue exalted. Moreover, my flesh also will live in hope, because you will not abandon my soul to Hades, nor allow your Holy One to undergo decay. You have made known to me the ways of life. You will make me full of gladness with your presence. Brethren, I may confidently say to you regarding the patriarch David, that he both died and was buried and his tomb is with us to this day. And so, because he was a prophet and knew that God had sworn to him with an oath to seat one of his descendants on his throne, he looked ahead and spoke of the resurrection of the Christ, that he was neither abandoned to Hades nor his flesh suffer decay. This Jesus God raised up again, to which we are all witnesses. 

Therefore, having been exalted to the right hand of God and having received from the Father the promise of the Holy Spirit, he has poured forth this which you will see in here. For it was not David who ascended into heaven, but he himself says, the Lord said to my Lord, sit at my right hand until I make your enemies a footstool for your feet. Therefore, let all the house of Israel know for certain that God has made him both Lord and Christ, this Jesus whom you crucified. And so again, we see in this message the centrality of the resurrection. He's talking about how God raised this Jesus again, this man whom you crucified. He has raised him from the dead again. 

That's so key and so central to all of the gospel as it's being preached. Let's go over to Acts chapter 17. And there are many, many, we can, we could go, I could spend all day just talking about all the messages that were being preached in the early church. But everywhere in the early church they preached about the resurrection, not just to the Jews, because now Paul is preaching to a godless city, the city of the Athenians. I shouldn't say godless, they had multitudes of them. But they were godless because none of those are true gods. 

All right, in Acts chapter 17 and beginning at verse number 16, it says now, while Paul was waiting for them in Athens, his spirit was being provoked within him as he was observing the city full of idols. So he was reasoning in the synagogue with the Jews and the God-fearing Gentiles, and in the marketplace every day with those who happened to be present. And also some of the Epicurean and Stoic philosophers were conversing with him. Some were saying, what would this idol babbler wish to say? Others, he seems to be a proclaimer of strange deities, because he was preaching what? Jesus and the resurrection. 

And they took him and brought him to the Areopagus, saying, may we know what this new teaching is which you are proclaiming? For you are bringing some strange things to our ears, so we want to know what these things mean. Now all the Athenians and strangers visiting there used to spend their time in nothing other than telling or hearing something new. Sounds familiar, doesn't it? 

So Paul stood in the midst of the Areopagus and said, men of Athens, I observe that you are very religious in all respects. For a while I was passing through and examining the objects of your worship, I also found an altar with this inscription, to an unknown God. Therefore what you worship in ignorance, this I proclaim to you. The God who made the world and all things in it, since he is Lord of heaven and earth, does not dwell in temples made with hands, nor is he served by human hands as though he needed anything, since he himself gives to all people life and breath and all things. And he made from one man every nation of mankind to live on all the face of the earth, having determined their appointed times and the boundaries of their habitation, that they would seek God, if perhaps they might grope for him and find him, though he is not far from each one of us. 

For in him we live and move and exist, as even some of your own poets have said, for we also are his children. Being then the children of God, we ought not to think that the divine nature is like gold or silver or stone, an image formed by the art and thought of man. Therefore having overlooked the times of ignorance, God is now declaring to men that all people everywhere should repent, because he has fixed a day in which he will judge the world in righteousness, through a man whom he has appointed, having furnished proof to all men by raising him from the dead. 

Now when they heard of the resurrection of the dead, some began to sneer, but others said, we shall hear you again concerning this. So Paul went out from their midst. But here again, now he's preaching to a Gentile people, not Jews now. And what's he preaching about? He's preaching about the resurrection. He's telling them about the risen Jesus Christ. Some sneered. And you know what? You start talking to some people nowadays about the resurrection of Jesus Christ, they're gonna sneer. You're in good company. They sneered at Paul. I've never even come close. I've never even come close to Paul. 

So central, these are just two examples. The whole book of Acts is filled with the preaching of the gospel, and with the preaching of the gospel is the death, the burial, and the resurrection of Jesus Christ. So we see that the resurrection is central to the preaching of the gospel. 

I want to take a few minutes and talk about the implications of the resurrection. We've already seen some of the implications that are the fact that we can be born again, our justification, and that we are no longer in our sins, but there's more. It means that we shall be raised up with him. Let's go to Romans chapter 6. And you know, I could sit and listen to John teach on the book of Romans every day. I mean, it was so masterful, from Romans chapter 5 through Romans chapter 8, been so incredible. 

But in Romans chapter 6, beginning at verse 1, says this, "What shall we say then? Are we to continue in sin that grace might increase? May it never be! How shall we who die to sin still live in it? Or do you not know that all of us who have been baptized into Christ Jesus have been baptized into his death? Therefore we have been buried with him through baptism into death, so that as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, so we too might walk in newness of life. We can walk in newness of life because of the resurrection. Praise the Lord! 

For if we have become united with him in the likeness of his death, certainly we shall also be of his resurrection. Knowing this, that our old self was crucified with him, in order that our body of sin might be done away with, so that we would no longer be slaves of sin. For he who has died is freed from sin. Now if we have died with Christ, we believe that we shall also live with him. Knowing that Christ, having been raised from the dead, is never to die again, death no longer is master over him. For the death that he died, he died to sin once for all, but the life that he lives, he lives to God. 

Even so, consider yourselves to be dead to sin, but alive to God in Christ Jesus. So here again, the dry baptism. When we came to faith in Jesus Christ, this is something that happened to us. This is a passive thing. We came to Jesus Christ, we put our faith in him, and this is what God says about us, that we've died, that he has taken us and buried us with Christ Jesus in that tomb. He took us and put us into Christ in his death, and then in Christ Jesus he raised us up again. Do you believe what the Bible says? Do you believe what the scripture says? You have been raised up with Jesus Christ. Praise God. 

Ephesians chapter 1. Let's go over there. Ephesians chapter 1. I'm going to be reading from the 15th verse through chapter 2, verse 9. It says, "For this reason I too, having heard of the faith in the Lord Jesus which exists among you, and your love for all the saints, do not cease giving thanks for you, while making mention of you in my prayers, that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give to you a spirit of wisdom and of revelation in the knowledge of him. 

I pray that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened, so that you will know what is the hope of his calling, what are the riches of the glory of his inheritance in the saints, 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. 

And he put all things in subjection under his feet, and gave him his head over all things to the church, which is his body, the fullness of him who fills all in all. And you were dead in your trespasses and sins, in which you formerly walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, of the spirit that is now working in the sons of disobedience. Among them we too all formerly lived in the lusts of our flesh, indulging the desires of the flesh and of the mind, and were by nature children of wrath, even as the rest. 

But God, being rich in mercy because of his great love with which he loved us, even when we are dead in our transgressions, made us alive together with Christ, by grace you have been saved, and raised us up with him and seated us with him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus, so that in the ages to come he might show the surpassing riches of his grace and kindness toward us in Christ Jesus. For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves, and as the gift of God, not as a result of works, so that no one may boast. For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand for those who should walk in them. 

Again, central to all that God has provided for us is the resurrection. It is because of the resurrection that we are walking free from sin. That doesn't mean we won't sin once in a while. I don't take it that way. We will sin. It will happen. And John says that these things I have written to you so that you may not sin, but if anyone sins we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous. But what he's saying here is that God has placed us in Christ. We have been raised up with him now, and that's the glory of it. That's another one of those great... 

We're going to look now to Colossians chapter 2, verses 8 through 15. It says, "See to it that no one takes you captive through philosophy and empty deception, according to the tradition of men, according to the elementary principles of the world, rather than according to Christ." I love how the Apostle Paul, the writer, how he focuses everybody's attention on that glorious man, Christ Jesus, and keeps him ever before their eyes. 

That's one of the things that I appreciate about Pastor Krenz and Pastor John. They keep Jesus in front of our eyes all the time. Amen. For in him all the fullness of deity dwells in bodily form, and in him you have been made complete, and he is the head over all rule and authority. And in him you were also circumcised with a circumcision made without hands in the removal of the body of the flesh by the circumcision of Christ. 

Again, this isn't imperatives. This is indicative. This is something that's happened. This isn't something that we're doing. This is something that God did for us. He has done that circumcision in our hearts. Having been buried with him in baptism, in which you were also raised up with him through faith in the working of God, who raised him from the dead. When you were dead in your transgressions in the uncircumcision of your flesh, he made you alive together with him, having forgiven us all our transgressions, having canceled out the certificate of debt consisting of decrees against us, which was hostile to us. And he is taken out of the way, having nailed it to the cross. When he had disarmed the rulers and authorities, he made a public display of them, having triumphed over them through him. 

So again, God did something. The implications of the resurrection is that now we have been raised up with Christ. That is an absolute fact. You don't need to turn there. I'll read it for you. 1 Thessalonians chapter 4, verses 13 to 18 says, "But we do not want you to be uninformed, brethren, about those who are asleep, so that you will not grieve as do the rest who have no hope. For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so God will bring with him those who have fallen asleep in Jesus. For this we say to you by the word of the Lord, that we who are alive and remain until the coming of the Lord will not precede those who have fallen asleep. For the Lord himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel and with the trumpet of God. And the dead in Christ will rise first. 

Then we who are alive and remain will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And so we shall always be with the Lord. Therefore comfort one another with these words." The implications of the resurrection is that we too are going to be raised up. Praise God. I'm listening for the trumpet. My eyes are looking up. I don't know about yours, but my eyes are looking up. The rapture is going to happen. He's going to come. He's going to descend with a shout, with the voice of the archangel and the trumpet of God. And the dead are going to be raised first. Those who have died in Christ will be raised first. Then we who are alive and remain will be caught up together with them in the air. And so we will always be with the Lord. 

So the implications of the resurrection, and these are just a few, but these are the implications of the resurrection. We now walk in newness of life. We have been placed into the death, the burial, and the resurrection of Jesus. We are now seated with him in the heavenly places in Christ. He says, you know, set your mind on the things that are above, not on the things of the earth. Set your mind on the things where Christ is, seated at the right hand of the Father. Because Jesus was raised, we too will be raised. Amen. 

Now my last point, and I won't spend an awful lot of time on this one, but all mankind will one day be resurrected. That means not just the just, but also the unjust. What makes a person just or unjust? Faith in the Lord Jesus. Amen. The just are those who have put their faith and their trust in Jesus. They're just not because they're great people. I'm a just man, not because I'm a good man, not because I'm a good person, but because Jesus is good. Because Jesus is good. Because I've placed my faith and my trust in him, and God has placed me into Christ. That is what makes me just. 

But there is going to be a resurrection of the just and the unjust. Turn with me to John chapter 5. Gospel of John chapter 5. Beginning at verse number 20, he says this, "For the Father loves the Son." Amen. The Father loves the Son and shows him all things that he himself is doing. And the Father will show him greater works than these, so that you will marvel. For just as the Father raises the dead and gives them life, even so the Son also gives life to whom he wishes. For not even the Father judges anyone, but he has given all judgment to the Son, so that all will honor the Son, even as they honor the Father. He who does not honor the Son does not honor the Father who sent him. 

Truly, truly I say to you, he who hears my word and believes him who sent me has eternal life and does not come into judgment, but is passed out of death into life. Isn't that good news? Truly, truly I say to you, an hour is coming, and now is, when the dead will hear the voice of the Son of God, and those who hear will live. For just as the Father has life in himself, even so he gave to the Son also to have life in himself. And he gave him authority to execute judgment because he is the Son of Man. Do not marvel at this. Listen to this. For an hour is coming in which all who are in the tombs will hear his voice and will come forth, those who did the good deeds to a resurrection of life, those committed the evil deeds to a resurrection of judgment. 

I can do nothing on my own initiative. As I hear, I judge, and my judgment is just, because I do not seek my own will, but the will of him who sent me. There is coming a resurrection. The day is coming, he says, and now is, when the dead will hear the voice of the Son of God, and they will be brought out of their tombs. Amen. 

Praise the Lord. John chapter 11. Let's go over to John chapter 11. These are all familiar with you. These are all by way of reminder. John chapter 11. Remember that Lazarus has died, and Jesus kind of tarried for a while. He didn't go right away to the funeral. He didn't go. And so now he's been dead. He's been dead for four days. They've got him in the tomb. He's buried. And Jesus shows up and says in verse 17, So when Jesus came, he found that he had already been in the tomb four days. Now Bethany was near Jerusalem, about two miles off, and many of the Jews had come to Martha and Mary to console them concerning their brother. 

Martha, therefore, when she heard that Jesus was coming, went to meet him. But Mary stayed at the house. Martha then said to Jesus, Lord, if you had been here, my brother would not have died. Even now I know that whatever you ask of God, what God will give you. Jesus said to her, Your brother will rise again. Martha said to him, I know that he will rise again in the resurrection of the last day. See, so even they believed in the resurrection. They believed that there was going to come a day when there was going to be a resurrection. 

Listen to Jesus' words in verse 25. Jesus said to her, "I am the resurrection." The resurrection has a name, and his name is Jesus Christ. I am the resurrection and life. He who believes in me will live even if he dies. And everyone who lives and believes in me will never die. Do you believe this? So important. Jesus asked Martha. He said, I am the resurrection. Your faith should be in me. I am the resurrection. I am the life. He who believes in me will never die. Do you believe this? Do you? I ask you, do you believe this? 

Do you believe that Jesus Christ is the resurrection and life? Do you believe that you have passed out of death into life? Do you believe that with all of your heart, soul, strength, and mind? I trust that you do. I pray that you do. 

And then verse number 39. Now Jesus comes to the tomb and he says, Jesus said, remove the stone. Martha, the sister of the deceased, said to him, Lord, by this time there will be a stench for he has been dead four days. Jesus said to her, did I not say to you that if you believe, you will see the glory of God? So they removed the stone. Raised his eyes and said, Father, I thank you that you have heard me. I know that you always hear me, but because of the people standing around I said it, so that they may believe that you sent me. 

When he said these things, he cried out with a loud voice, "Lazarus, come forth." The man who had died came forth, bound hand and foot with wrappings, and his face was wrapped around with a cloth. Jesus said to them, unbind him and let him go. Now have you ever thought about that? Here is the resurrection and the life. He is proving that he himself is a resurrection and life, and he stands before that tomb. Why did he call out Lazarus? Lazarus, come forth. Because if he had stood there and said, "come forth," the entire, the entire place would have erupted with life, because there is coming a day when when all who are in the tombs will hear the voice of the Son of God, and they who hear will live. Amen. 

Now I want to take just a few minutes to talk. I know that I'm speaking to believers here this morning, but there might be some of those who are unjust, who might hear me through, you know, through the website or something. If you are this morning an unbeliever, I want you to understand that there is going to be a resurrection for you. This isn't just for believers. Every man, woman, and child who has ever lived on the face of the earth is going to rise again. We are going to be, we might die, and we might be laid in the tomb, and we might be turned back to dust and ashes. We might be dumped in the ocean. We might be burned up. It doesn't matter. Each and every one of us will rise again and be reunited with our bodies. 

Now you talk to a sinner about hell, and if you think about your soul in hell, that's one thing, but when you think about your physical body being raised up, your physical body, not just your soul but your physical body as well, there is a judgment that's coming, and I want you to understand that you do not have to live in that judgment, that there is for you life if you will turn to the Lord Jesus Christ. Turn with me to Revelation chapter 20. Revelation chapter 20. 

And listen to these solemn words at the end of the book of Revelation. Chapter 20 beginning at verse 11 says, "Then I saw a great white throne, and him who sat upon it, from whose presence the earth and heaven fled away, and no place was found for them. Do you think, do you think for a moment that we are going to just go running up into Papa God's lap? It says here that before his presence, earth and Heaven fled away, and no place was found for them. So awesome is this God of ours. And I saw the dead, the great and the small, standing before the throne, and books were opened, and another book was opened, which is the book of life, and the dead were judged from the things which were written in the books according to their deeds. 

And the sea gave up the dead which were in it, and death and Hades gave up the dead which were in them, and they were judged, every one of them according to their deeds. Then death and Hades were thrown into the lake of fire. This is the second death, the lake of fire. And if anyone's name was not found written in the book of life, he was thrown into the lake of fire. 

And then if you'll look at me in chapter 21 verses 6 through 8, it says, then he said to me, it is done. I am the Alpha and the Omega, the beginning and the end. I will give to the one who thirsts from the spring of the water of life without cost. He who overcomes will inherit these things, and I will be his God, and he will be my son. And now listen to this, and listen to this if you are one of those today who does not believe in the resurrection of Jesus Christ. But, verse number 8, "but for the cowardly, and unbelieving, and abominable, and murderers, and immoral persons, and sorcerers, and idolaters, and all liars, their part will be in the lake that burns with fire and brimstone, which is the second death." 

I want you to understand that in this life, this life that you are living right now is but a vapor that appears for a moment, then it's gone. But you are going to stand. Each one will stand in that day before the throne of God. The books will be opened, and you will be judged according to your deeds. And we can either stand there in the righteousness, robed, clothed in the righteousness of Jesus Christ, washed in his blood, or we can stand there and say, well, I was a good person. You know, I didn't kill anybody. 

Do you understand that according to God's perspective, Romans chapter 3, there is none righteous. Not one. Not me, not you. Nobody is righteous. There is none righteous. No, not one. All have turned aside. All have fallen short of the glory of God. There is only one way to escape, and that is to put your faith and your trust in the risen Jesus Christ. And so my appeal to you today, for those who have not heard, for those who have not believed, turn to the Lord Jesus Christ. 

Receive from him that gift of eternal life. He's offering it to you freely. All the days coming, we don't know what we have. We don't know if we even have the rest of this day. We don't know that we could walk out of this place today and be killed in a car accident. We do not have a guarantee for any time in this life. So now, today is the day of salvation. Today is that day. Make that decision. 

Turn to the Lord Jesus Christ, because there is a day of judgment coming. And oh, the invitation is for you to come and to have new life, to enter into that resurrection life of Jesus Christ, to have eternal life. And I want you to have that. Therefore, knowing the terror of the Lord, we persuade men. Oh, be saved. Turn to the Lord Jesus Christ. I beg you and I plead with you. For the resurrection, it's necessary. It was central to the preaching of the gospel. It has very many implications, most of which are wonderful, but one which is not. And that is for those who did not know the Lord Jesus Christ. But the resurrection is a very sure thing. Amen? 

Let's have a word of prayer. 

Father, as we consider the resurrection of your Son, we are so grateful, Father, that you raised him from the dead. So grateful, Father, that we can put our faith and trust in you, that our sins have been blotted out, that they have been removed from us as far as the east is from the west, that they will never be thrown in our faces again because of what Jesus has accomplished for us on the cross. And Lord, you raised him up. You raised him up. And Lord, your word says that when you raised him up, you raised us up with him. And so, Father, we thank you for the eternal life that you have given us this day. 

Thank you for new life in him. And Father, I pray that if there are those who have not known the Lord Jesus Christ, that this day they would put their faith and their trust in him, that they would see and recognize that glorious man Christ Jesus. And Holy Spirit, I ask you to work upon the hearts of our loved ones who don't know you. We ask Father for the Holy Spirit to work upon them, to convince them of their need for Jesus. We thank you and we bless you in Jesus' name. Amen.