Preparing for Revival: Message 7: The ULTIMATE Revival
I’m talking today about the ultimate revival in human history: The revival of the One who was dead and yet came back to life! His revival from the dead, has changed world-history – one person at a time for 2000 years. Hundreds of millions of people – today numbering 1.7 billion people – believe in the One who was dead and who came back to life.
TODAY is the celebration of the resurrection of Jesus Christ. We follow Christ BECAUSE of the resurrection of Christ!
• IF there were NO resurrection, THEN Jesus is just a man.
• IF there was a resurrection, THEN He is God, Savior and LORD.
• IF He is God, Savior and LORD, THEN He is worthy of your praise, worship and service.
• IF He is God, Savior and LORD, THEN the smartest thing you can do is to get to know Him.
Today I want to use what is known as the “If-Then” Proposition. The “If-Then” proposition simply means this: IF something is true, THEN there are natural results that follow.
Example: IF I choose to drive at excessive speeds on the freeway, THEN I accept all of the negative consequences associated with such driving.
Here’s another example: IF I run up credit card debts, THEN I will have to pay them for years to come.
Or – IF I do good to others, THEN it isn’t unreasonable to expect that good will return to me.
Now, IF Christ resurrected from the dead, THEN there are certain things that are true about Him and those things impact our lives today. And that’s what I want to talk about this morning.
WHILE Jesus is hanging on the cross, people were mocking Him, making fun of Him, ridiculing Him. Look at Matthew 27:39…
“Those who passed by hurled insults at him, shaking their heads
and saying, “You who are going to destroy the temple and build it in three days, save yourself! Come down from the cross, if you are the Son of God!”
In the same way the chief priests, the teachers of the law and the elders mocked him.
“He saved others,” they said, “but he can’t save himself! He’s the King of Israel! Let him come down now from the cross, and we will believe in him.
He trusts in God. Let God rescue him now if he wants him, for he said, ‘I am the Son of God.’”
Matthew 27:39-43
Did you hear the IF/THEN proposition? It’s there twice – in verse 40: “Come down from the cross, if you are the Son of God!”
What are they saying: IF you are the Son of God – THEN come down from the cross! – This speaks to the issue of Jesus’ IDENTITY. As the Son of God, it should be no problem to come down off the cross.
And then in verse 42, those who should have known better – the Jewish leaders say: “Let him come down now from the cross, and we will believe in him.”
This IF/THEN is a little different – they say: “IF you come down from the cross, THEN we will believe!” – This speaks to the issue of our RESPONSE to Him – “If you come down from the cross, THEN we will believe!”
Okay, fair enough. Both IF/THEN propositions seems reasonable. Let’s see what Jesus did in response.
Look at 27:50…
“And when Jesus had cried out again in a loud voice, he gave up his spirit.
At that moment the curtain of the temple was torn in two from top to bottom. The earth shook and the rocks split.
The tombs broke open and the bodies of many holy people who had died were raised to life.
They came out of the tombs, and after Jesus’ resurrection they went into the holy city and appeared to many people.
When the centurion and those with him who were guarding Jesus saw the earthquake and all that had happened, they were terrified, and exclaimed, “Surely he was the Son of God!””
Matthew 27:50-54
Jesus came down off the cross – DEAD. Now, I’m sure that’s not what the mocker’s were looking for – they wanted Him to show some power, to call down 10,000 angels to do His bidding – but Jesus never jumps through the hoops of mockers. Jesus came off the cross DEAD.
But that isn’t the end of the story. Look at what the death of Christ causes to happen…
• The temple curtain separating the dwelling place of God from man is torn from top to bottom! The division between man and God has been created by sin, but cancelled by Christ’s death!
• Tombs of holy people broke open and many were raised to life! This demonstrated that the sting of sin – death – had been conquered by the Savior! No longer does sin and death have authority over those who follow God!
• The Roman Centurion assigned the duty of crucifying Christ comes to faith in Christ! “Surely He was the Son of God!” – The way that Jesus died demonstrated His true identity, even to a jaded, cynical, pagan Roman soldier!
I want you to get this: THE DEATH OF JESUS CREATED FAITH! Even in what looked like defeat, God worked if out for good! In another Gospel, we hear about the thief coming to faith in Christ while on the cross, and here we see the Roman centurion doing the same!
Isn’t God amazing? He can take the death and apparent defeat of His Son – and create immediate good!
Now skip down to verse 57:
“As evening approached, there came a rich man from Arimathea, named Joseph, who had himself become a disciple of Jesus. Going to Pilate, he asked for Jesus’ body, and Pilate ordered that it be given to him. Joseph took the body, wrapped it in a clean linen cloth, and placed it in his own new tomb that he had cut out of the rock. He rolled a big stone in front of the entrance to the tomb and went away. Mary Magdalene and the other Mary were sitting there opposite the tomb.” Matthew 27:57-61
So that no one would be mistaken – Jesus is really dead. You don’t bury the living. Joseph of Arimethea arranges Jesus’ burial, and Jesus’ mother Mary along with other women prepared His body for permanent burial. Don’t you think someone would have noticed if He had a pulse? He came off the cross dead.
But, again, that’s not the end of the story.
The challenge given to Christ while on the Cross was to come down off the cross! Well, He did.
Look at chapter 28 – verse 1
“After the Sabbath, at dawn on the first day of the week, Mary Magdalene and the other Mary went to look at the tomb. There was a violent earthquake, for an angel of the Lord came down from heaven and, going to the tomb, rolled back the stone and sat on it. His appearance was like lightning, and his clothes were white as snow. The guards were so afraid of him that they shook and became like dead men. The angel said to the women, “Do not be afraid, for I know that you are looking for Jesus, who was crucified. He is not here; he has risen, just as he said. Come and see the place where he lay. Then go quickly and tell his disciples: ‘He has risen from the dead and is going ahead of you into Galilee. There you will see him.’ Now I have told you.” So the women hurried away from the tomb, afraid yet filled with joy, and ran to tell his disciples. Suddenly Jesus met them. “Greetings,” he said. They came to him, clasped his feet and worshipped him. Then Jesus said to them, “Do not be afraid. Go and tell my brothers to go to Galilee; there they will see me.” Matthew 28:1-10
The challenge was to come off the cross – but they didn’t say how! So, Jesus met the challenge when early that Sunday morning, He rose from the dead in absolute victory over satan and sin! Praise God!
Look at verse 8 and 9:
So the women hurried away from the tomb, afraid yet filled with joy, and ran to tell his disciples.
Suddenly Jesus met them. “Greetings,” he said. They came to him, clasped his feet and worshipped him.
The results of Christ’s resurrection upon those privileged to witness it first was JOY followed by an immediate desire to SHARE THE GOOD NEWS! And then, when they see Jesus face-to-face – they fell at His feet and worshipped Him!
Not only did the death of Christ create faith in the Roman Centurion, but the resurrection of Christ created faith in the lives of those around!
The mockers said: IF you are who you say you are – THEN overcome death. He did it.
The mockers said: IF you are overcome death – THEN we will put our faith in you.
Will you respond to Christ this Easter Sunday with FAITH?
What does Jesus have to do in order for you to receive Him into your life?
• IF He offers you FORGIVENESS for all of your sin – THEN will you receive Him?
That’s exactly what He does.
“Therefore, my brothers, I want you to know that through Jesus the forgiveness of sins is proclaimed to you.” Acts 13:38, NIV.
• IF HE offers you a GUARANTEED FUTURE – THEN will you receive Him?
That’s exactly what He does.
“For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.” John 3:16, NIV.
• IF He promises to give you a LIFE beyond your dreams – THEN will you receive Him?
That’s exactly what He does.
“The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full.” John 10:10
• IF He offers to give you HIS POWER for living – THEN will you receive Him?
That’s exactly what He does.
“But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.” Acts 1:8
After the resurrection of Christ, there were two kinds of responses:
1. The response of the OPEN HEART – Faith!
2. The response of the HARD HEART – Refusal to believe! Look at verse 11…
“While the women were on their way, some of the guards went into the city and reported to the chief priests everything that had happened. When the chief priests had met with the elders and devised a plan, they gave the soldiers a large sum of money, telling them, “You are to say, ‘His disciples came during the night and stole him away while we were asleep.’ If this report gets to the governor, we will satisfy him and keep you out of trouble.” So the soldiers took the money and did as they were instructed. And this story has been widely circulated among the Jews to this very day.” Matt. 28:11-15
Some 50 days later, Christ began His church at the Day of Pentecost. The Apostle Peter spoke convincingly of the identity of Christ – culminating in Acts 2:36…
“Therefore let all Israel be assured of this: God has made this Jesus, whom you crucified, both Lord and Christ.” Acts 2:36
And the people in response said to Peter:
“When the people heard this, they were cut to the heart and said to Peter and the other apostles, “Brothers, what shall we do?”” Acts 2:37
And Peter instructed them this way…
“Repent and be baptized, every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins. And you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.” Acts 2:38
1. Repent:
Acknowledge that you need a Savior.
Accept Christ as the One.
Adjust your life with Him as Lord.
2. Be Baptized:
Baptism is a ceremony of commitment, much like a wedding. Being baptized speaks to the character and quality of your commitment to Christ!
Romans 6 says…
“Or don’t you know that all of us who were baptised into Christ Jesus were baptised into his death?
We were therefore buried with him through baptism into death in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, we too may live a new life.” Romans 6:3, 4
Two weeks from today, we are going to have a baptism service. I’ve prepared a brochure on baptism for you to study. But, if you’ve never been baptized by immersion into Christ – what prevents you for doing so?
And then, Peter says…
3. You will receive the Holy Spirit.
The Holy Spirit is God’s Presence in your life. This is what you were created for – to be reconnected to your Creator. This is why Jesus died and this is why Jesus resurrected.
This day where Christians celebrate the resurrection of Christ – you can experience a resurrection as well. You can become a new person in Christ! You can be forgiven of all your sin. You can settle forever the issue of WHO Christ IS!
IF – what Christ has done is true – THEN what will your response be?
TODAY is the celebration of the resurrection of Jesus Christ. We follow Christ BECAUSE of the resurrection of Christ!
• IF there were NO resurrection, THEN Jesus is just a man.
• IF there was a resurrection, THEN He is God, Savior and LORD.
• IF He is God, Savior and LORD, THEN He is worthy of your praise, worship and service.
• IF He is God, Savior and LORD, THEN the smartest thing you can do is to get to know Him.
Today I want to use what is known as the “If-Then” Proposition. The “If-Then” proposition simply means this: IF something is true, THEN there are natural results that follow.
Example: IF I choose to drive at excessive speeds on the freeway, THEN I accept all of the negative consequences associated with such driving.
Here’s another example: IF I run up credit card debts, THEN I will have to pay them for years to come.
Or – IF I do good to others, THEN it isn’t unreasonable to expect that good will return to me.
Now, IF Christ resurrected from the dead, THEN there are certain things that are true about Him and those things impact our lives today. And that’s what I want to talk about this morning.
WHILE Jesus is hanging on the cross, people were mocking Him, making fun of Him, ridiculing Him. Look at Matthew 27:39…
“Those who passed by hurled insults at him, shaking their heads
and saying, “You who are going to destroy the temple and build it in three days, save yourself! Come down from the cross, if you are the Son of God!”
In the same way the chief priests, the teachers of the law and the elders mocked him.
“He saved others,” they said, “but he can’t save himself! He’s the King of Israel! Let him come down now from the cross, and we will believe in him.
He trusts in God. Let God rescue him now if he wants him, for he said, ‘I am the Son of God.’”
Matthew 27:39-43
Did you hear the IF/THEN proposition? It’s there twice – in verse 40: “Come down from the cross, if you are the Son of God!”
What are they saying: IF you are the Son of God – THEN come down from the cross! – This speaks to the issue of Jesus’ IDENTITY. As the Son of God, it should be no problem to come down off the cross.
And then in verse 42, those who should have known better – the Jewish leaders say: “Let him come down now from the cross, and we will believe in him.”
This IF/THEN is a little different – they say: “IF you come down from the cross, THEN we will believe!” – This speaks to the issue of our RESPONSE to Him – “If you come down from the cross, THEN we will believe!”
Okay, fair enough. Both IF/THEN propositions seems reasonable. Let’s see what Jesus did in response.
Look at 27:50…
“And when Jesus had cried out again in a loud voice, he gave up his spirit.
At that moment the curtain of the temple was torn in two from top to bottom. The earth shook and the rocks split.
The tombs broke open and the bodies of many holy people who had died were raised to life.
They came out of the tombs, and after Jesus’ resurrection they went into the holy city and appeared to many people.
When the centurion and those with him who were guarding Jesus saw the earthquake and all that had happened, they were terrified, and exclaimed, “Surely he was the Son of God!””
Matthew 27:50-54
Jesus came down off the cross – DEAD. Now, I’m sure that’s not what the mocker’s were looking for – they wanted Him to show some power, to call down 10,000 angels to do His bidding – but Jesus never jumps through the hoops of mockers. Jesus came off the cross DEAD.
But that isn’t the end of the story. Look at what the death of Christ causes to happen…
• The temple curtain separating the dwelling place of God from man is torn from top to bottom! The division between man and God has been created by sin, but cancelled by Christ’s death!
• Tombs of holy people broke open and many were raised to life! This demonstrated that the sting of sin – death – had been conquered by the Savior! No longer does sin and death have authority over those who follow God!
• The Roman Centurion assigned the duty of crucifying Christ comes to faith in Christ! “Surely He was the Son of God!” – The way that Jesus died demonstrated His true identity, even to a jaded, cynical, pagan Roman soldier!
I want you to get this: THE DEATH OF JESUS CREATED FAITH! Even in what looked like defeat, God worked if out for good! In another Gospel, we hear about the thief coming to faith in Christ while on the cross, and here we see the Roman centurion doing the same!
Isn’t God amazing? He can take the death and apparent defeat of His Son – and create immediate good!
Now skip down to verse 57:
“As evening approached, there came a rich man from Arimathea, named Joseph, who had himself become a disciple of Jesus. Going to Pilate, he asked for Jesus’ body, and Pilate ordered that it be given to him. Joseph took the body, wrapped it in a clean linen cloth, and placed it in his own new tomb that he had cut out of the rock. He rolled a big stone in front of the entrance to the tomb and went away. Mary Magdalene and the other Mary were sitting there opposite the tomb.” Matthew 27:57-61
So that no one would be mistaken – Jesus is really dead. You don’t bury the living. Joseph of Arimethea arranges Jesus’ burial, and Jesus’ mother Mary along with other women prepared His body for permanent burial. Don’t you think someone would have noticed if He had a pulse? He came off the cross dead.
But, again, that’s not the end of the story.
The challenge given to Christ while on the Cross was to come down off the cross! Well, He did.
Look at chapter 28 – verse 1
“After the Sabbath, at dawn on the first day of the week, Mary Magdalene and the other Mary went to look at the tomb. There was a violent earthquake, for an angel of the Lord came down from heaven and, going to the tomb, rolled back the stone and sat on it. His appearance was like lightning, and his clothes were white as snow. The guards were so afraid of him that they shook and became like dead men. The angel said to the women, “Do not be afraid, for I know that you are looking for Jesus, who was crucified. He is not here; he has risen, just as he said. Come and see the place where he lay. Then go quickly and tell his disciples: ‘He has risen from the dead and is going ahead of you into Galilee. There you will see him.’ Now I have told you.” So the women hurried away from the tomb, afraid yet filled with joy, and ran to tell his disciples. Suddenly Jesus met them. “Greetings,” he said. They came to him, clasped his feet and worshipped him. Then Jesus said to them, “Do not be afraid. Go and tell my brothers to go to Galilee; there they will see me.” Matthew 28:1-10
The challenge was to come off the cross – but they didn’t say how! So, Jesus met the challenge when early that Sunday morning, He rose from the dead in absolute victory over satan and sin! Praise God!
Look at verse 8 and 9:
So the women hurried away from the tomb, afraid yet filled with joy, and ran to tell his disciples.
Suddenly Jesus met them. “Greetings,” he said. They came to him, clasped his feet and worshipped him.
The results of Christ’s resurrection upon those privileged to witness it first was JOY followed by an immediate desire to SHARE THE GOOD NEWS! And then, when they see Jesus face-to-face – they fell at His feet and worshipped Him!
Not only did the death of Christ create faith in the Roman Centurion, but the resurrection of Christ created faith in the lives of those around!
The mockers said: IF you are who you say you are – THEN overcome death. He did it.
The mockers said: IF you are overcome death – THEN we will put our faith in you.
Will you respond to Christ this Easter Sunday with FAITH?
What does Jesus have to do in order for you to receive Him into your life?
• IF He offers you FORGIVENESS for all of your sin – THEN will you receive Him?
That’s exactly what He does.
“Therefore, my brothers, I want you to know that through Jesus the forgiveness of sins is proclaimed to you.” Acts 13:38, NIV.
• IF HE offers you a GUARANTEED FUTURE – THEN will you receive Him?
That’s exactly what He does.
“For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.” John 3:16, NIV.
• IF He promises to give you a LIFE beyond your dreams – THEN will you receive Him?
That’s exactly what He does.
“The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full.” John 10:10
• IF He offers to give you HIS POWER for living – THEN will you receive Him?
That’s exactly what He does.
“But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.” Acts 1:8
After the resurrection of Christ, there were two kinds of responses:
1. The response of the OPEN HEART – Faith!
2. The response of the HARD HEART – Refusal to believe! Look at verse 11…
“While the women were on their way, some of the guards went into the city and reported to the chief priests everything that had happened. When the chief priests had met with the elders and devised a plan, they gave the soldiers a large sum of money, telling them, “You are to say, ‘His disciples came during the night and stole him away while we were asleep.’ If this report gets to the governor, we will satisfy him and keep you out of trouble.” So the soldiers took the money and did as they were instructed. And this story has been widely circulated among the Jews to this very day.” Matt. 28:11-15
Some 50 days later, Christ began His church at the Day of Pentecost. The Apostle Peter spoke convincingly of the identity of Christ – culminating in Acts 2:36…
“Therefore let all Israel be assured of this: God has made this Jesus, whom you crucified, both Lord and Christ.” Acts 2:36
And the people in response said to Peter:
“When the people heard this, they were cut to the heart and said to Peter and the other apostles, “Brothers, what shall we do?”” Acts 2:37
And Peter instructed them this way…
“Repent and be baptized, every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins. And you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.” Acts 2:38
1. Repent:
Acknowledge that you need a Savior.
Accept Christ as the One.
Adjust your life with Him as Lord.
2. Be Baptized:
Baptism is a ceremony of commitment, much like a wedding. Being baptized speaks to the character and quality of your commitment to Christ!
Romans 6 says…
“Or don’t you know that all of us who were baptised into Christ Jesus were baptised into his death?
We were therefore buried with him through baptism into death in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, we too may live a new life.” Romans 6:3, 4
Two weeks from today, we are going to have a baptism service. I’ve prepared a brochure on baptism for you to study. But, if you’ve never been baptized by immersion into Christ – what prevents you for doing so?
And then, Peter says…
3. You will receive the Holy Spirit.
The Holy Spirit is God’s Presence in your life. This is what you were created for – to be reconnected to your Creator. This is why Jesus died and this is why Jesus resurrected.
This day where Christians celebrate the resurrection of Christ – you can experience a resurrection as well. You can become a new person in Christ! You can be forgiven of all your sin. You can settle forever the issue of WHO Christ IS!
IF – what Christ has done is true – THEN what will your response be?
posted by Doug Love at 1:36 PM
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