The Resurrection and Discipleship (FFPP church-wide teaching. 20/3/16)

The resurrection and discipleship

Introduction

• A basic tenet of our faith

For I delivered to you as of first importance what I also received: that Christ died for our sins in accordance with the Scriptures, that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day in accordance with the Scriptures, and that he appeared to Cephas, then to the twelve.
Then he appeared to more than five hundred brothers at one time, most of whom are still alive, though some have fallen asleep. Then he appeared to James, then to all the apostles.
Last of all, as to one untimely born, he appeared also to me.  (1 Co 15:1-8)

“Brothers, I may say to you with confidence about the patriarch David that he both died and was buried, and his tomb is with us to this day. Being therefore a prophet, and knowing that God had sworn with an oath to him that he would set one of his descendants on his throne, 
he foresaw and spoke about the resurrection of the Christ, that he was not abandoned to Hades, nor did his flesh see corruption. This Jesus God raised up, and of that we all are witnesses. 
Being therefore exalted at the right hand of God, and having received from the Father the promise of the Holy Spirit, he has poured out this that you yourselves are seeing and hearing. 
For David did not ascend into the heavens, but he himself says,      “‘The Lord said to my Lord,      Sit at my right hand,     until I make your enemies your footstool.’
Let all the house of Israel therefore know for certain that God has made him both Lord and Christ, this Jesus whom you crucified.” (Ac 2:29)

• Rooted in space and time. Historically falsifiable. If disproved, entitles us to give up our faith.

And if Christ has not been raised, then our preaching is in vain and your faith is in vain. We are even found to be misrepresenting God, because we testified about God that he raised Christ, whom 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 are still in your sins.  Then those also who have fallen asleep in Christ have perished. If in this life only we have hoped in Christ, we are of all people most to be pitied. (1 Co 15:13-17)

• Christ’s resurrection was not simply a restoration to previous life. (e.g Lazarus John 11), only to die again, but he was the “first fruits”  (1 Co 15:20, 25) of a new kind of human life.

1.       Leads us to worship: Christ has accomplished our salvation and is exalted. A sign of Christ’s triumph.

and was declared to be the Son of God in power according to the Spirit of holiness by his resurrection from the dead, Jesus Christ our Lord, (Ro 1:4)

He was foreknown before the foundation of the world but was made manifest in the last times for your sake,  who through him are believers in God, who raised him from the dead and gave him glory, so that your faith and hope are in God.( 1 Peter 1:20-21)

2.       Leads us to assurance: resurrection ensures our justification and new birth. We are United with Christ in death and life. An identification with him. God’s raising of Christ in approval is also a declaration of approval of us.

It will be counted to us who believe in him who raised from the dead Jesus our Lord,
who was delivered up for our trespasses and raised for our justification. (Ro 4:25)

and you have been filled in him, who is the head of all rule and authority. In him also you were circumcised with a circumcision made without hands, by putting off the body of the flesh, by the circumcision of Christ, having been buried with him in baptism, in which you were also raised with him through faith in the powerful working of God, who raised him from the dead. 
And you, who were dead in your trespasses and the uncircumcision of your flesh, God made alive together with him, having forgiven us all our trespasses, (Col 2:9-13)

Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! 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, and 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 (1 Pe 1:3)

But God, being rich in mercy, because of the great love with which he loved us, 
even when we were dead in our trespasses, 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 (Eph 2:6)

Baptism, which corresponds to this, now saves you, not as a removal of dirt from the body but as an appeal to God for a good conscience, through the resurrection of Jesus Christ,  (1 Pe 3:21)

3.       Leads us to victorious living: resurrection gives us a new life of power and righteousness

and he died for all, that those who live might no longer live for themselves but for him who for their sake died and was raised. (2 Co 5:15)

and what is the immeasurable greatness of his power toward us who believe, according to the working of his great might that he worked 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 above every name that is named, not only in this age but also in the one to come. And he put all things under his feet and gave him as head over all things to the church,
which is his body, the fullness of him who fills all in all. (Eph 1:19-23)

For if we have been united with him in a death like his, we shall certainly be united with him in a resurrection like his. We know that our old self was crucified with him in order that the body of sin might be brought to nothing, so that we would no longer be enslaved to sin.  For one who has died has been set free from sin.  Now if we have died with Christ, we believe that we will also live with him. We know that Christ being raised from the dead will never die again; death no longer has dominion over him.  For the death he died he died to sin, once for all, but the life he lives he lives to God. So you also must consider yourselves dead to sin and alive to God in Christ Jesus. Let not sin therefore reign in your mortal bodies (Ro 6:5-11)

If then you have been raised with Christ, seek the things that are above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God.  Set your minds on things that are above, not on things that are on earth.  For you have died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God.  When Christ who is your life appears, then you also will appear with him in glory. (Col 3:1-4)

that I may know him and the power of his resurrection, and may share his sufferings, becoming like him in his death, that by any means possible I may attain the resurrection from the dead. (Ph 3:10)

4.       Leads us to effective service: resurrection assures us that we too will be raised from death

And God raised the Lord and will also raise us up by his power.  (1 Co 6:14)

Therefore, my beloved brothers, be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that in the Lord your labor is not in vain. (1 Cor 15:58)

knowing that he who raised the Lord Jesus will raise us also with Jesus and bring us with you into his presence. (2 Co 4:14)

5.       Leads us to confident hope in new bodies

who will transform our lowly body to be like his glorious body, by the power that enables him even to subject all things to himself. (Ph 3:21)

So is it with the resurrection of the dead. What is sown is perishable; what is raised is imperishable.  It is sown in dishonor; it is raised in glory. It is sown in weakness; it is raised in power.  It is sown a natural body; it is raised a spiritual body. If there is a natural body, there is also a spiritual body. (1 Cor 15:42-54)

for they cannot die anymore, because they are equal to angels and are sons of God, being sons of the resurrection. (Lk 20:36)

6.       Leads us to share our faith (Ac 1:22, 4:2, 4:33). It washe definitive event that shook their world.

Paul said, “It with respect to the resurrection of the dead that I am on trial” (Ac 24:21).

this Jesus, delivered up according to the definite plan and foreknowledge of God, you crucified and killed by the hands of lawless men. God raised him up, loosing the pangs of death, because it was not possible for him to be held by it., (Ac 2:23-24)

Thanks to Wendy Wong for this pictorial illustration of the talks!