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<body> <FONT FACE="Arial"> <div align="center"> <center> <table border="0" width="90%"> <tr> <td><P> <FONT FACE="Arial"><a href="http://www.biblegateway.com/bible?version=KJV&passage=Acts+2:22-36" target="_blank" name="Top">Acts 2:22-36 </a>  </FONT></P> </td> <td><P align="center"> <FONT FACE="Arial" size="4">  <B>Resurrection-It’s Central </B></FONT></P> </td> <td><P align="right"> <FONT FACE="Arial"> 3-7-99</FONT></P> </td> </tr> </table> </center> </div> <FONT FACE="Arial"><P>Imagine that you have been invited to attend an international seminar of world religions and ideologies. Sponsored as a joint project by worldwide television and radio networks, the meeting will be held in spacious chambers of the United Nations building in New York.</P> <P>You have been selected to present a biblical message to the entire world. You will be privileged to speak for 15 minuets. Your words will be instantly translated into every language spoken by mankind. Communication satellites to every person on the planet will beam your televised message.</P> <P>You desire to present the central concepts of Christianity as set forth in the bible. What will you say? What are the distinguishing characteristics of the Christian faith? What makes bible Christianity different from all other religions in the world?</P> <P>The Christian faith, of course, includes several major key concepts: the oneness of God; the worth and potential of each person as the object of God’s love; salvation by God’s grace through his only begotten Son, Jesus Christ; the second coming of Christ as the world’s only hope; and the realization of God’s plan for this planet through Christ’s future kingdom on earth.</P> <P>The one concept which most precisely separates Christianity from all other religions and ideologies, however, is the central importance of the resurrection.</P> <P>Resurrection is the central concept of the Christian faith. It is the fundamental theme of the gospel. The resurrection of Christ and the future resurrection of Christians constitute the major premise of the Christian theology.</P> <P>Man’s relations know about death; Christianity knows about resurrection. Sinners face a hopeless end; Christians have an endless hope. That hope is resurrection to immortality when Jesus comes.</P> <P>Death is a reality that all persons must face, </P> <B><I><P><a href="http://www.biblegateway.com/bible?version=KJV&passage=Ps+89:48">Psalm 89:48</a>  </I></B><I>What man can live and not see death, or save himself from the power of the grave?</P> <B><P><a href="http://www.biblegateway.com/bible?version=KJV&passage=Heb+9:27">Hebrews 9:27</a>  </B>Just as man is destined to die once, … All men alike lie down in death to sleep together in the dust.</P> </I> <P>The last chapter in a person’s biography is his obituary, with its account of his death, funeral service and burial. No matter how famous or intelligent or wealthy or powerful a person may have become, death brings that individual’s life to a conclusion. For the Christian, however, the obituary is not the concluding chapter of his biography. He has the future promise of immortality and eternal life. Another chapter awaits to be written to follow the obituary in his life story. It will describe the Second Coming of Christ and the resurrection of that believer to immortality and eternal life in Christ’s kingdom. (TRIUMPH OF THE RESURRECTION, pg. 64-65</P> <P> </P> <B><I><P>I. CENTRAL EVIDENCE OF THE RESURRECTION</P> </B></I> </B><blockquote> <P>"My Witnesses"</P> <I><P>... you will be <B>my witnesses</B> in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth." <a href="http://www.biblegateway.com/bible?version=KJV&passage=Acts+1:7-8"> Acts 1:7-8</a></P> </I><P>"Witness" means eye witness</P> <P>Witness of the Resurrected Christ</P> <P>1.Strong, unmistakable evidence</P></blockquote> <P>... a ghost does not have flesh and bones, <B>as you see</B> I have."  ... he <B>showed them</B> his hands and feet. [41] ... and <B>ate it in their presence</B>." ... The Christ will <B>suffer</B> and <B>rise</B> from the <B>dead</B> on the third day,<B>... You are <U>witnesses</B></U> </B> of these things. <a href="http://www.biblegateway.com/bible?version=KJV&passage=Luke+24:38-48"> Luke 24:38-48</a> </P> <P>Not only seeing; feeling, walking with, talking with, eating with, even sleeping with.</P> <blockquote> <P>Witnessed by 100’s (All?)</P> <P>that he was <B>buried</B>, that he was <B>raised </B>on the third day according to the Scriptures, [5] and that he <B>appeared to Peter, and then to the Twelve</B>. [6] After that, he appeared to <B>more than five hundred of the brothers at the same time</B>, ... he appeared to <B>James</B>, <U>then <B>to all the apostles</B></U>, [8] and <B>last of all he appeared to me</B> also, as to one abnormally born. <a href="http://www.biblegateway.com/bible?version=KJV&passage=1Cor+15:4-8"> 1 Cor. 15:4-8</a></P> <P>Judas’ Replacement</P> <DIR> <P>1. ... he was <B>taken up from us, must one be ordained to be a witness with us of his resurrection. </B><a href="http://www.biblegateway.com/bible?version=KJV&passage=Acts+1:21-22">Acts 1:21-22</a></P> </DIR> </blockquote> <B><I><P>II. CENTRAL MESSAGE OF APOSTLES</P> </B></I> </B><blockquote> <P>Great Witness of the Resurrection</P> <DIR> <P>1. ... the apostles <B>witness of the resurrection</B> of the Lord Jesus... <a href="http://www.biblegateway.com/bible?version=KJV&passage=Acts+4:33"> Acts 4:33</a></P> </DIR> </blockquote> <P>B. Peter Healing Cripple</P> <P>... the God of our fathers, has <B>glorified</B> ..., but God <B>raised him from the dead</B>. We <B>are witnesses of <U>this</B></U></B>. <a href="http://www.biblegateway.com/bible?version=KJV&passage=Acts+3:12-15"> Acts 3:12-15</a></P><blockquote> <P>Witnessed in opposition to Authorities </P> <DIR> <P>1.	From prison. Angel said, "tell the people the full message of this new life" 5:20</P> <P>... God of our fathers <B>raised up</B> Jesus... God <B>exalted with his right</B> hand... And we are his <B>witnesses of these things</B>; ... <a href="http://www.biblegateway.com/bible?version=KJV&passage=Acts+5:29-32">Acts 5:29-32</a></P> <P>2. Peter’s Message to Cornelius</P> </DIR> <p>   </FONT></font>         <FONT FACE="Arial"> ...   <B>Him God raised up</B> the third day, and <B>shewed him openly</B>; [41] Not to all the people, but <B>unto witnesses</B> chosen before of God, even to us, who <B>did eat and drink with him after he rose from the dead.</B> <a href="http://www.biblegateway.com/bible?version=KJV&passage=Acts+10:34-41"> Acts 10:34-41</a></p> </blockquote> <P>C. Paul in Temple at Antioch</P> <p>    ... But <B>God raised him from the dead</B>: [31] And he was <B>seen</B> many days of them which came up with him from Galilee to Jerusalem<B>, who are his witnesses</B> unto the people. <a href="http://www.biblegateway.com/bible?version=KJV&passage=Acts+13:15-31"> Acts 13:15-31</a></p> <B><I><P>III. CENTRAL TO LIFE</P><DIR> </I> </B><P>What does resurrection mean?</P> <P>Biblical Usage- One dead is Raised to Life</P> <P>B. <B>Jesus</B> was raised from death to life.</P> <B><I><P>1.	Jesus "he"</P><DIR> </I> </B><P>... and that <B>he</B> must be <B>killed</B> and on the third day be <B>raised to life</B>. <a href="http://www.biblegateway.com/bible?version=KJV&passage=Matt+16:21"> Matthew 16:21</a></P> <B><I><P>2.	Death for sins, raised for our justification</P><DIR> </I><P>He</B> was delivered over to <B>death</B> for our sins and was <B>raised to life</B> for our justification. <a href="http://www.biblegateway.com/bible?version=KJV&passage=Rom+4:25"> Romans 4:25</a></P> <P>"He" not some possession or part.</P> <P><B><I>Who is he that condemns? </I> </B><I>Christ Jesus, who died<B>—more than that, </B>who was raised to life<B>—is at the right hand of God and is also interceding for us. </B></I><a href="http://www.biblegateway.com/bible?version=KJV&passage=Rom+8:34"> Romans 8:34</a></P> <P>No possibility for error. It was Jesus Christ (Messiah) WHO died.</P> <P> Not WHAT died.</P> </dir> </dir> </dir> <P> <B><I>IV. CENTRAL FOR SALVATION</P> </I> </B><DIR> <DIR> <DIR> <blockquote> <P>Saved if…</P> <P>Gospe1 by which you are saved.</P></blockquote> <P>Now, brothers, I want to remind you of the gospel I preached to you, which you received and on which you have taken your stand. [2] <B>By this gospel you are saved</B>, if you hold <B>firmly to the word I preached</B> to you. Otherwise, you have believed in vain. </P> <P>... (1) that <B>Christ died</B> ... that (2) <B>he was buried</B>, that (3) <B>he was raised </B>... <a href="http://www.biblegateway.com/bible?version=KJV&passage=1Cor+15:1-4"> 1Cor. 15:1-4</a></P><blockquote> <P>Where was Jesus between the time he died until he was raised?</P> <P>Modern definition of "RESURRECTION"</P> <P>Not that dead persons are raised, but that dead bodies are raised.</P> <P>Not "made alive" but the living person coming into flesh.</P> <P>That’s pure an d simple, incarnation (not in the bible_</P> <P>Christian Science definition</P> <P>"a new and higher idea of immortality, or spiritual existence"</P> <P>More generally held, An immortal person reentering a physical body.</P> <P>Believe in your Heart</P> <P>That if you confess with your mouth, "Jesus is Lord," <B>and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead</B>, you will be <B>saved</B>. <a href="http://www.biblegateway.com/bible?version=KJV&passage=Rom+10:9"> Romans 10:9</a></P> <P>NEB "If on your lips is the confession, ‘Jesus is Lord’, and in your heart the faith that God raised him from the dead, then you will find salvation".</P> <P>"In your heart the faith"</P> <P>"Faith" is not words. Faith is what you "believe".</P> <P>All professing Christians say that Jesus "died and rose again"</P> <P>But what do they believe?</P> </blockquote> <P>Conclusion: What was it that excited the Apostles and members of the early church? What was at the heart of their undaunted faith? What was central to their message? What were they called to be "witnesses" of?</P> <P>The message of the resurrection is still a message of tremendous excitement to those Christians who understand what resurrection means. </P> <P>Yet to the vast majority of Christians today, the resurrection means next to nothing. They may know it is supposed to be an exciting truth but they have no idea why. As one Christian put it when I asked him why the resurrection hope for the Christian was so important if it is as you say that dead Christians aren’t really dead at all but are gloriously alive in heaven. He said, "Well, it’s something were supposed to look forward to".</P> <P><a href="#Top" target="_self">Top</a></P> </body>